#low quality screencaps of a high quality man

[wildsaltair]

y’all don’t understand I need to BITE his ribcage

[sundial-bee-scribbles]

hiki and geki matching post

hiki and geki matching post

[tori-reacts]

One Piece Episode 1065

This post contains spoilers! All screencap credit goes to hellominju.com

Chopper is back to normal! Andddd we got an eyecatcher of my favorite little guy. It’s a great day to be a Chopper fan.

This looked infinitely cooler in the manga. I felt like it kinda dragged on a bit too. I mean when we first read it it was this menacing single panel and none of us knew wtf was going on. I guess it might just be high expectations but Mr. Grim Reaper doesn’t look all the scary in the anime.

I couldn’t find a picture of the Izo moment that really hurt my heart, but it was where he was leaving just a trail of blood on the wall. That HURT.

Also happy to see the boys fucking shit up. Law continues to prove to us that even severely battered he is the most attractive man in the OP universe. Also that picture of Kid is so meme worthy. Someone with less blurry pictures pls make a low quality screencap with that I beg.

This episode gets a 9/10, started a bit slow but I mean cmon both Chopper AND Law got screen time so I can’t ask for more.

[shawkyarchived]

[satoransky]

the audacity of this man 😭

[smallerinfinities]

[itsbeahoney]

low quality screencaps of a high quality man

[hctgrcve]

              FACTS  ABOUT  BILLY  HARGROVE  IN  RUNAWAY  MAX  .                                       PLEASE  DO  NOT  REBLOG  THIS  !                                                         (  contains  spoilers  )

things  we  learn from the book pre  -  hawkins:

max  tried  to  run  away  to  los  angeles  to  live  with  her  father .

they  wind  up  moving  because  of  her  running  &  billys  increasingly  chaotic  behavior .

the  hargroves  &  mayfields  are  originally  from  san  diego .

neil  &  billy  move  in  with  susan  .

billy  smokes  a  lot  of  weed .

like  he’s  constantly  high  24 - 7 .

he  chills  with  metalheads  &  gutterpunks .

always  drunk  ,  absolute  addict  ,  total  chaotic  mess  .

he  had  two  best  friends  ,  metalheads  named  sid &  wayne  .

he  never  cared  about  getting  in  trouble  or  making  curfew  etc  etc  .

always  did  whatever  he  wanted  despite  the  consequences  .

billy  frequented  partying  in  abandoned  buildings  .

got  into  trouble  for  trespassing  .  

not  good  at  school  ,  got  ds  in  some  of  his  classes  .

when  it  comes  to  girls  ,  all  he  cares  about  is  sex  .  seriously  .

doesn’t  date  preppy  girls  or  hang  out  with  girls  like  nancy  ,  prefers  the  ‘  easy  ‘  ones  .

avoids  being  home  at  all  costs .

is  never  on  time  for  family  things  &  always  late  .

but  he  still  expects  everyone  else  to  be  on  time  .

his  pastime  includes  walking  i  beams  off  tall  buildings  for  dares .

billy  has  run  ins  with  the  cops .

he  speeds  ,  gets  pulled  over  &  neil  beats  him  for  it .

max  watches  neil  beat  him  with  a  belt .

max  offers  him  help  &  he  tells  her  to  go  away .

neil  gave  an  option  to  go  join  the  young  air  force  or  lose  his  car  privileges  for  2  months .

billy  opted  for  giving  up  his  camaro  &  he  went  crazy  without  it  .

so  out  of  boredom  he  set  a  dead  cat  on  fire .

he’s  a  bad  influence  on  max  .  devil’s  advocate  .

he  gave  max  her  first  cigarette  .

max idolized  billy  at  first  .  thinks  he’s  exciting  &  cool .

but  billy  is  always  bullying  max  anyways  .

didn’t  have  to  take  care  of  max  or  watch  her  as  much .

he  sometimes  took  her  to  the  auto  store  .

implied  he  also  brought  her  with  him  while  he  did  questionable  things  &  on  his  dates  ??

brought  girls  home  from  time  to  time  .

he  broke  a  young ,  innocent  boy’s  arm  just  to  mess with  max  .

max  ratted  him  out  for  it  .

susan  &  max  are  entirely  aware  of  neil’s  abuse  towards  billy  before  their  marriage .  yet  susan  chose  to  marry  neil  anyway  .

susan  &  max  try  to  lie  /  cover  for  billy  &  in  doing  so  enable  his  toxic   behavior  .  susan’s  ex  husband  was  a  low  key  criminal  ,  but  a  nice  man  &  a  good  father  &  more  importantly  better  than  neil   .

things  we  learn  in  regards  to  the  show:

they  arrived  in  hawkins  indiana  on  october  30,  1984

billy  gave  max  the  nickname  ‘ mad  max ‘  !

still  smoking  like  tons  of  weed  ,  max  says  he  smells  like  a  dry  skunk  .

billy  consistently smells  like  hairspray , cigarettes  &  weed  .

he  was  supposed  to  pick up  max  the  night  of  the  halloween  party

he  never  did  &  she  had  to walk  home  .

max  tried  covering  for  him  with  a  lie  but  he  blew  it .

he  came  home  drunk  &  got  into  a  big  physical  altercation  with  neil  that  night .

left  max  &  the  kids  alone  after  beating  up  steve  ,  but  foreshadowed  they’d  never  really  be  safe  from  him  .

headcanons  i  have  which  were confirmed  true  by  the  book:

neil  was  military  / air  force  .

neil  trying  to  get  billy  to  join  the  military  in  some  way  at  some  point  .

susan  &  neils  relationship  only  lasted  3  months  before  getting  married .  their  relationship  moved  very  quickly .  only  having  been  together  a  total  of  six  months  before  moving  to  hawkins  .

neil  wanted  max  to  spend  less  &  less  time  with  her  biological  father  .

billy  works  on  cars  &  knows  auto  mechanics .

he  doesn’t  really  do  relationships  &  womanizes .

billy  avoided  being  home   as  much  as  possible  back  in  california  &  fought  less  with  neil  .

he  is  obsessive  about  working  out  especially  in  hawkins  ,  he  has  nothing  better  to  do  .

he  gets  in  more  frequent  fights  w/  neil  in  hawkins  because  he’s  stuck  at  home  .

my  thoughts / my writing portrayal :

honestly  ,  i  have  a  lot  of  thoughts  in  regards  to  the  book  &  since  it  is  a  stranger  things  official  ,  all  of  the  awful  things ,  like  setting  that  dead  cat  on  fire  &  breaking  a  12  year  old  boy’s  arm  for  entertainment  are  canon  to  his  history  on  the  television  show  .   it’s  unavoidable  because  it  also  effects  max’s  development  as  a  character  &  can’t  be  erased  .  i   adopt   99%  of  billy’s  past  in  san  diego  as  part  of  my  canon  .  but  this  also  means  my  portrayal  will  be  twice  as  shitty ,  twice  as  dark  ,  &  that  billy  will  have  even  less  regard  for  others  &  their  feelings  unless  there’s  history  ,  they  mean  something  sentimental  to  him  ,  or  there’s  some  ulterior  motive  .  he’s  always  bored  &  always  looking  for  destructive  ways  to  entertain  himself  .  while  it  appears  he’s  maturing  without  his  old  friends  around  ,  hawkins  still  makes  his  restlessness  worse  .  it  takes  something  big  (  like  the  mindflayer’s  possession  )  to  begin   turning  him  away  from  the  destructive  path  he’s  on  .  even  before  hawkins  it  seems  billy  never  had  any  redeemable  qualities  .  he’s  always  been  a  monster  .

i  took  time  to  screencap  &  upload  the  pages  from  the  book  that  mention  billy  in  .psd  format  .  you  can  download  &  read  about  him  for  yourself  here  .                      i  still  HIGHLY  recommend  buying  &  reading  the  entire  book  ,  because  it’s  in  max’s  point  of  view  &  it  wasn’t  terribly  done  ! 

[hairphones]

Why Libra is my favorite FE character

(if anyone knows the artist here it’d be appreciated to mention it)

Fire Emblem has plenty of characters people give a shit about. Most of the time it’s going to the lords or any of the really popular “waifu” characters, but in recent time I’ve found people who love all kinds of people in the franchise. The best thing about FE’s characters is there’s bound to be at least 1 person in here that you’ll consider cool. Despite there a lot of reoccurring archetypes I’m willing to say FE is still able to make something that feels unique in each game, even if not necessarily good. Anyways, for me one character who’s stuck out is of course the guy in the title, Libra. I’m always kind of weirded out this guy isn’t anymore popular than he actually is. Awakening is one of the most successful games that had a cast full of characters that ended up being way too popular for their own good. And yet, Libra is one of the few Awakening characters that doesn’t exactly get to enjoy the limelight like the other part of the cast back then. With that being said though I’ve found him to be one of the most interesting in the game and as you can read in the title he’s just flat out my favorite. I guess the best way for me to start is him as a unit.

Libra comes in as one of the more unique classes in the series, war monk. As a prepromote most people probably skipped over what’s given to you here despite what honestly is a pretty solid no investment unit. I say this from his C staff rank and his fairly balanced stats that lets him handle himself quite well for the first few battles he can fight in. Of course I gotta be realistic, Libra is no way a character who’s going to stay good at defending himself. Awakening’s real emphasis of making your units snowball means that ignoring to train Libra will only really leave him as nothing more than a staffbot, and even with training a glaring flaw is that Libra is too balanced for his own good to really specialize in anything unlike the other units. Another flaw comes from his rather limited class pool that leads to Sage and Dark Knight taking up spots in multiple class trees. This does give him access to helpful skills such as vengence or lifetaker, but unless you plan to grind only Libra I wouldn’t call it optimized to constantly reclass and train him. I’m in no way a hardcore FE fan that takes into account how units play in the challenge runs such as LTCs/Ironmans/Low recruitment, but I think it’s safe to assume that Libra’s overall performance will come in as primarily a support unit. But of course, judging him on his numbers isn’t my focus here.

I want to start off talking about Libra’s character with what you can already see from his design. It’s no surprise that most fans make the connection to Libra and other designs such as Lucius from FE7, another favorite of mine. In-game there’s a gag involving him looking female to other characters. However while his face is feminine, he’s actually rather tall and with a masculine frame. As one of the tamer Awakening designs I actually quite like his outfit as it perfectly fits with war monk ( I know crazy). Though you can chalk that up to being biased.

Hell on first appearances you’re most likely ready to assume this character is going to be a born again christian character with the only joke being he’s actually a male judging from the recruit conversation. The fact Awakening has it’s share of running jokes among party members definitely could lead to you assuming there’s nothing interesting about this guy. Yet, shouldn’t the fact he wields a weapon (as opposed to the usual magic tomes these sort of characters use) surprise you? and an axe at that? Lemme emphasis that, why an axe?

Sure FE has this tradition of the 3 main weapon types, but has it ever been used to add character? Not exactly, but it has been part of character archetypes for quite a while.

Think about what kind of character uses swords: The lords, the brave mercenary leader, the heroes, the flashy edgelords that become swordmasters. Swords almost always play a role as the legendary weapon made to save the day in FE games (as well as any jrpg). The sword will always be a symbol of courage in just about any video game.

(this screencap is low quality to stay consistent with the speaker)

How about lances: As far as FE goes the lance is primarily the weapon held by the jaigen archetype and the main weapon for the more chivalrous units such as cavaliers, knights, and soldiers. The kind of characters associated with these are often the diligent or experienced members of the army. You also have the usual flying trio of characters that range from happy go lucky to those that take the situation seriously.

Now what about axes? These weapons are more often than not held by the lower class characters. Hired fighters, bandits, pirates. These characters aren’t ever bad, but they’re not exactly fighting out of heroism or for their nation. In fact these characters are the most down to earth in the grand scheme of an army full of anime characters. Maybe not sooo much in Awakening’s case with Vaike, but every single one of these weapon types have their exceptions. Also wanna mention that one of the most (in)famous weapons in the series is called the fucking Devil Axe.

Going back to Libra, why would a character like him hold onto an axe when it’s pretty apparent he’s more of a gentle character? Why the weapon type that’s the most violent looking of the triangle? Obvious reason is purely gameplay reasons involving the odd design the war monk class is, but looking at it from a literary perspective only makes it look off (especially with the female clerics). This is also something to wonder if you take into consideration his C ranking, implying he’s at least somewhat experienced. Not to mention his high stats for that point in the game.

For better or worse this kind of mystery isn’t exactly answered in the base game of Awakening. However there’s some interesting conversations that’s found in the Summer Scramble DLC that gives an idea. Specifically the one with Lon’qu.

Lon’qu catching onto the dissonance of Libra’s appearance to his skill. The first conversation is only Libra claiming there’s no reasoning behind any of it. however the second conversation has Libra open up to talk about himself more.

As you see there’s no explicit answer to what kind of “darkness” Libra has ever committed before the events of FE:A, but given Lon’qu is the one to take notice of Libra’s supposed bloodlust the implication isn’t going to be anything peaceful. In fact, it’s that violent nature that gets questioned in another conversation in this same DLC.

Again, this conversation feels more important to take note of given what character is talking to Libra. In this case it’s the hyperviolent character who takes comfort in bloodshed (at least in the western release, perhaps Henry is different in Japan?). Either way, this conversation goes hand and hand with the Lon’qu one in a pretty easily. That is to conclude that Libra himself has had a pretty rough past filled with who knows what, and that past version of himself was most likely not justifying any murders as if justification was even something to consider. The Libra you meet in-game is of course still capable of killing, but it’s extremely obvious he has a concept of remorse.

There’s no reason given anywhere as to what changes this man to become the benevolent priest. Though really I think it’s better that Libra keeps it consistent with revealing almost none of the causes in his life and instead only showing the effects. Filling in the blank is not a new thing for FE characters, in fact fans of older games in the franchise seem to really enjoy that aspect quite a lot.

Still, even the current Libra understands himself to not be a person devoid of guilt or sin. A few supports touch upon this aspect such as the one with Sully.

Libra’s doubt that he’s anywhere close to being considered a good man in the fact of the gods adds something that I absolutely love: having skepticism to one’s own morality. There’s something important to follow up this with how Libra views morality in battles in one of the supports with Gaius.

Even as a supposed man of faith he refuses to deny that living a fight against the different nations in Awakening is just a matter of being on the side that’s doing more killing. Take away all the politics of any war and you’ll find people who are simply fighting for the right to keep on living. It’s what considered “just human”. I also find this conversation to be a little more profound given that is the same franchise where one of the biggest features is permadeath. These characters put their faith in their gods to escape death another day while the average player is the one avoiding death altogether.

Finally, a support with Tharja concludes mostly everything learned so far. Where she explores Libra’s memories only to find there was no peaceful childhood.

A newfound devotion to a religion isn’t treated as a fix to a life full of cruelty. To be a good person to many doesn’t absolve you of the terrible things you’ve done to others.. I’m sure this kind of topic has been explored in FE games before or after and in countless other video games/movies/books/pieces of media as well, taking away the religion part of course. Nonetheless the introduction to this kind of thinking to a 13 year old version of me had me really second guessing back then, and it still comes up to me from time to time. Sure I’ve done what’s considered “good” but will it ever outweigh any terrible things I’ve also done? Even today I can’t pretend I have an answer to that, and that’s just only thinking of what I’ve gone through personally.

To wrap it up though, there’s his ending card.

For such a simple ending it really brings out the fanboy in me. The entire game is filled with Libra having his doubts of being a good person according to himself and to the gods he worships. To end his story with him being believed to be a reincarnation of Naga due to his reformed nature just feels so sweet to me.

As much as I wish more characters could have a similar air to them in newer games, I get it’s just not really everyone’s preference. Fire Emblem is always going to be a series of good guys vs bad guys also dragons and with that comes making new characters for fans to get attached to. Still though, I really appreciate the attempt done with Libra. Once again the best thing about this franchise is everybody can find at least 1 character they love, they don’t even need to be playable.

I understand not everyone is going to grind supports to see everything a character has to say (especially not in newer FE games), but as you can see nearly all the nuance of this character was hidden away in dialogue. In a game full of joke characters and tropes, it is refreshing to see a character who acknowledges their own flaws and isn’t played for laughs. I didn’t write all of this to try to convince anyone in some clickbait manner like “THE DEEPEST FE CHARACTER INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS HID FROM YOU” or anything. Nah, I’m sure I sound like I’ve repeated myself many times here. But all of this was to attempt to put into words why I’ll stay with my opinion that Libra is my favorite FE character for being a reformed character done right. And for the fact that uncovering the secrets of this guy affected me personally all the way back from when I was a lot younger. And honestly a large part of it really stems from how Libra is in no way a major character, yet he clearly had a lot of thought put into him.

For anyone that bothered to read all of this I wanna thank you. Whether you liked it or not is up to you, no hard feelings. I know all this is the definition of “reading too much into it”, but I consider speculation on writing to be fun. Anyways hope I didn’t take too much of your time and have a nice day

[wildsaltair]

BONUS

[cantfolddolan]

low quality screencaps

high quality man

[chimchimcheerios]

some low quality screencaps of a high quality man🙌

[sebastiianstan]

Tumblr content school: why you don’t always get notes and how to (potentially) get a bit more

So in recent weeks, I’ve seen quite a few posts floating around that centre around the same subject: content creators, mainly gifmakers, not gaining followers as quickly as they would like to and/or not getting as many notes on their original content as they would like to. Most recently I’ve seen people share their like-to-reblog ratio, with a call to users to also reblog content instead of just liking it, which would result in more exposure and recognition for the creator.

Now, while all of those feelings are perfectly valid and you’re obviously allowed to post whatever you like on your blog, the conversation around this is quite unnuanced and, at times, a bit uninformed. I’m not claiming to be some kind of expert, but having been a content creator (gifmaker) on this platform for quite a few years, with my own small share of popular gifsets floating around and having built both my own blog an two fansites/group blogs to at least moderate success, I do think I have a certain degree of insight re: getting notes, so I thought I’d put in my two cents. Please note that I’m not making this post to be condescending in any way, or even to tell you what to do/how to create content, but I thought I’d help as much as I can, based on my own experience.

Below the cut are 1. reasons why I think gifsets don’t always get the number of notes you wanted/expected them to, and 2. tips on creating and posting content in a way that will potentially get you more notes.

Why you might not be getting (a lot) of notes

So let’s start with some general trends re: gifsets not getting as many notes as you’d like/expect, and not as many as they would have maybe a few years ago.

1. Tumblr is past its peak

Based on experience, I’d say fandom Tumblr reached its peak in 2015-2016, and was riding that out in 2017. I’ve mainly been a Marvel blog in recent years, so I can’t speak for other fandoms, but Tumblr was... wild in the lead-up to and aftermath of Captain America: Civil War (2016). Wonder Woman (2017) was a similar situation on the DC side of things. 

New Marvel releases (like Ant-Man & The Wasp, Avengers: Infinity War and probably most notably, Black Panther) still get a lot of traction and fandom definitely isn’t dead on Tumblr, but I feel like 2015-2016 were definitely peak years. I only recently returned from a year-long hiatus; I stopped being active in late 2017 and even then my dashboard wasn’t quite as active as it was a year before that. Upon returning here about a month ago, most of my mutuals from back in the day had also become inactive and a lot of gifmakers I used to follow were not creating content anymore.

So it boils down to this: I think it’s very likely that the amount of active users within your fandom has diminished significantly as compared to two years ago. A set that may have gotten 10k notes within a few days in 2016 might now only get half of that.

2. The URL thing

This is a sad truth, but it does seem that having a semi-canon or canon url does at least help with getting a larger amount of notes on your content. I have no tips on getting a canon url (I got very, very lucky with this one), but this is a simple observation I have from over the years. Url trading/selling has basically become a genuine business due to this - canon urls are in high demand.

More importantly, what I can say is that it’s smart not to change your url too often. Becoming a popular content creator on this platform is basically the same as building a brand - and a brand has an easily recognized name. Once you have a url you are happy with, try to stick to it for a while. When you change your url, links break on reblogs of your old gifsets, by the way.

3. The like-to-reblog ratio has always been unbalanced

For as long as I can remember, posts have gotten more likes than reblogs. If your ratio is 2-to-1 or 3-to-1, trust me, you are doing perfectly well for yourself! Again, as with my first point, this might have gotten a bit more extreme since 2016, but it’s not a new thing.

4. Popular users support each other

Obviously there’s nothing wrong with this (in fact, I love that we all support each other), but yes, in general big/popular blogs are friends with each other and tend to reblog each other’s content, which can be discouraging for smaller or aspiring content creators on the platform.

However, please be aware that these big blogs built up the following they have by posting content for years and it just takes time. Also, know that most users on here actually really enjoy being tagged in your posts - so if you gif a movie or tv show you know a popular user (that you follow) likes, tag them in it and if it’s high quality content (I’ll touch on this later), they’ll probably reblog it.

Tips on getting more notes

Alright, on to part two: my personal tips on getting more notes. These are strictly based on my own experience, and as a repeat of my disclaimer earlier: I am genuinely trying to share my knowledge; none of this is with the intent of being a condescending know-it-all.

1. Don’t look like you’re complaining

No matter what the intent behind your post about your lack of notes and/or followers is, it’s very likely you’re going to come off entitled or ungrateful. I’ve personally unfollowed multiple users who post consistently about reaching their next thousand, who make angry/frustrated posts when their followers don’t increase as quickly as they’d like to, when they lose followers, etc. I understand that the hustle is frustrating, but posts like these are really quite annoying for your followers; you’re complaining about followers you don’t have to followers you do have, who are then more likely to unfollow you because it looks like you’re complaining. Your mutuals might understand why you’re posting this, but others probably don’t.

When it comes to posts about like-to-reblog ratios, which I’ve seen a fair few of recently, please consider a couple of things. 

When you ask people to reblog your post instead of liking it, you are essentially telling them what to put on their own blogs.

A lot of users on here have carefully curated content; while some users simply blog about everything they like, others stick to a certain set of subjects/movies/tv shows. If they see a post they like that doesn’t fall into those categories, they’ll give it a like to keep track of it and show their appreciation, but won’t put it on their blogs. You can’t tell people to reblog something they don’t want to.

You’re essentially asking people that you do not really personally care about to do something for you. Most of the likes you get on your post are likely from people that you do not follow yourself. I’m not saying that you hate your followers or don’t care for them, but you can’t really ask anything of a user that you don’t even follow yourself.

Look at it this way: Tumblr is basically a mini society, with its own market in the form of content creation. The ones who have a few thousand followers, and who get a few hundred or a few thousand notes on their posts are already the lucky ones. If you’re a user who gets hundreds/thousands of notes on their posts (even if it’s not as many as you like or deserve), you should keep in mind that the vast majority of users on here are small blogs that don’t have the traction that you have. If you post a screenshot of the like-to-reblog ratio on a post that has 2k notes, they’re going to think, “what on earth are you complaining about?”

Posts like these can really only backfire. I don’t think it’s likely that a lot of users will suddenly start reblogging instead of liking because of them. I know those posts are getting traction, because your mutuals and fellow content creators understand your frustration (believe me, I do too!), so they reblog/like/comment on it, but you’re essentially in an echo chamber of content creators. Anyone outside of that circle will not understand it and might unfollow you because of it.

2. Quality

Another disclaimer: I’m not implying that the people who have made posts about notes/followers don’t make HQ gifs. This is simply the “tips on getting notes” section of this particular post, so that’s what I’m doing. Veteran gifmakers can skip this section because I won’t be presenting anything new here.

Here’s the thing: high quality gifsets get notes. I know that what constitutes a HQ gif is subjective, but there is a consensus on this amongst big blogs, so I will summarize it below.

Make gifs from high-quality video sources. If 1080p is available, use that. Don’t gif from videos below 720p. Also, the larger the t*rr*nt file, the higher the quality. If a 1080p t*rr*nt from a movie is under 2GB in size, it’s probably not decent enough to gif from.

Use the new dimensions. Tumblr changed from 500px to 540px over 3 years ago now I believe, and all the big blogs use these dimensions. I rarely see sets like this anymore, but some users do still hold on to the old dimensions. Obviously, you should do what you like, but know that you’ll get more notes if you make the switch.

Do not skip frames. If you use screencaps, extract 25 frames per second. If you are an ‘Import video frames to layers’ kinda gal, like me, import all frames.

Sharpen your gifs! It makes an insane difference. My faq section links to a sharpening action.

Your frame delay should be 0.05. If you have a low amount of frames, you can get away with 0.06, but do not make your gif any slower than that. It will look unsmooth.

Go for natural coloring, where you simply brighten up the gif and enhance the colors (beware of whitewashing tho). I know that using PSD’s from resource blogs is tempting, but it’s very likely they will not work for the particular scene you’re giffing. It’s best if you learn to color yourself and adapt your coloring for every set. Also, it’s up to you what you think is pretty, but extremely vibrant and extremely pale coloring isn’t very popular anymore. Natural is the way to go. (This is with the exception of those gorgeous color edits people have been making recently. Y’all are queens & that shit is hard to make yo!)

If your gif is larger than the 3mb limit, NEVER sacrifice colors in the ‘Save for web’ window. Always delete frames to lower the size of your gif.

Just saying, but Photoshop CS5 has been known to make the best gifs.

For beginners out there, please don’t be discouraged. I’ve been making gifs for years, and they were absolute shit in the beginning. It just takes time to learn, but if you stick to it, you’ll get there.

3. Concept over quantity

Allow me to draw a comparison with YouTubers here - I think we all prefer YouTubers who post one well fleshed out video a week (for example, Safiya Nygaard) over YouTubers who post an okay video every day.

I think a lot of users think the way to get notes and followers is to post a gifset every day. This probably does work to an extent, but I personally think it’s better to come up with original concepts that you post every few days.

When you watch a movie, you can make five gifsets out of scenes from that movie, or you can come up with a concept. For example, parallels between scenes, parallels with other movies, the best lines of a certain character, etc. This takes more work, but sets like these are highly appreciated because they’re original, and they tend to get more notes.

This doesn’t apply to new releases, as you are probably among the first to gif a particular scene, but if you’re giffing a scene from a movie that’s been out for a while, you’re very likely not the first to do it. People will see it, realize they’ve already reblogged something very similar, and keep scrolling. But if you come up with a new idea, that’s what’ll get you more traction.

To give you a personal example; I recently rewatched all of the cap films. Now, I could have giffed popular scenes like “I could do this all day” or “I’m with you ‘til the end of the line”, but that’s been done before... a lot. Instead, I came up with this, and got 6.5k notes. I haven’t posted that many new sets on my blog recently, but posting content like that has gained me some followers and new mutuals.

4. Timing

All this requires is keeping an eye on your dashboard and taking note of when most of the people you follow are online. I sometimes see European content creators posting their sets smack dab in the middle of the day. Lemme tell y’all something: the Americans are sleeping.

I’m in timezone GMT+1. My dash wakes up around 5pm. I never post before 6pm - I’ll post anywhere between then and midnight, so feel free to convert that to your own timezone. The scheduling feature on posts comes in handy if you’ll be asleep or at school/work around that time.

If you post when Tumblr isn’t active, your set will drown in all of the other content, so be smart about timing.

5. Strategic tagging

It seems that a lot of users still don’t know this: only the first five tags on your post show up in tags on Tumblr. Anything past the first five will only be useful for your own tagging/archiving system, but will not show up in any tracked tags.

So first point: always use the most prominent edit tag for the fandom you’re posting in. Examples are #marveledit, #hpedit, #filmedit. These are frequently used, and often tracked by big blogs.

Second point: figure out who the big fansites/group blogs are, and if they track a tag, tag them. Make sure you follow them, obviously. If your post is funny, you might wanna tag bob-belcher (#bbelcher) as well - this blog is popular across fandoms and posts content from all over!

Third: tag users who you think will like your post. Don’t be thirsty with this. Again, only do this if you follow them. Tagging 2-3 users is ok, but don’t be out there tagging 8 to 10 blogs on your post. Not only is that a little pointless (because only the first five tags will show up), it also makes you look thirsty. Users might not appreciate this, and ultimately might not reblog your post because of that. Also, try not to tag the same users on every single one of your posts.

6. Popular content

If your fandom is niche, so is your content. That’s perfectly fine; don’t feel pressured to post about anything that isn’t your passion.

But if your goal really is to get more notes and followers, create content from fandoms that are big on the platform. Examples are Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, film blogs, etc.

7. Join a fansite/group blog

Every big fandom on Tumblr has one or multiple fansites/group blogs. I recommend you figure out who they are for your fandom, and apply to one that’s accepting new members. You’ll likely get in if your gifs are HQ.

I know this sounds a bit counterintuitive, as you’ll be posting content on another blog that will be getting the notes and followers from it, but it actually is a good way to gain more exposure. These blogs have large amounts of followers, and they usually allow you to reblog your own content to them, as long as you’re active. I think it’s a great way to get your content out there.

Alright, time to wrap up this post. I’m not personally calling out anyone who has made posts about followers, notes, like-to-reblog ratios, etc. I’ve seen at least 15 of those posts in recent weeks so I’m just reacting to a trend I’m seeing, by presenting a potential solution to a problem people seem to be having. 

My last tip is this: if notes and followers on Tumblr are making you feel down or frustrated, maybe it’s time for a little hiatus or a step back. In the end, you are not getting paid for this and your popularity on the platform has no bearing on your real life. This is supposed to be a fun outlet for your passions and interests, not a source of frustration and anger. Don’t take it too seriously! You’re doing amazing sweetie.

[rkxsungwoon-blog]

✦ — MGA4 EPISODE 2: PANEL AUDITION #4048: HA SUNGWOON ; skill: singing + playing the guitar performance: attention — charlie puth ( 0:00 - 1:29 ) [ x ] *

when the episode airs, sungwoon is lying upside-down on the couch, trying to shovel popcorn into his mouth without choking. the house is empty, he’s bored, and the sudden influx of free time summer vacation brings has him feeling some kind of way. it’s not a bad way, really. he just isn’t used to not being busy, and laziness threatens to settle into his bones like a permanent state of being. when he’s not at work, he’s parked in front of the tv, binge-watching whatever shows he can. there are more productive ways to spend his time, sure, but the tv is right there and—

he wasn’t really planning to watch the mga episode. after the auditions, sungwoon had embraced realism and come to terms with the fact that he’d be lucky if his performance aired. it wasn’t really about skill—he just knew he didn’t belong there. woojin was right; what did people like them have to do with a show like that? he only regretted he’d wasted a whole day on the process, especially since his boss kept harping on him about taking the time off. it was a good experience regardless, but he’s ready to move on and return to the comfort of empty enigma.

but that’s him—his face on screen, his height, his voice. sungwoon drops the bowl of popcorn on his face in his haste to try and sit straight. that’s him and daniel ( oh fuck, sorry daniel… and daniel’s parents ) right there on the fucking screen—through the numbing disbelief spreading through his body, he wonders if they had to point out his height like that. he should’ve worn shoelifts. i’m going to wear shoelifts next time, sungwoon thinks, because there will, apparently, be a next time: one more performance before eliminations.

( it doesn’t feel real ).

the feeling never quite fades, not as he begins practicing and trying to pull a half decent performance together, not as he stares at the messages piling up on his phone, classmates and coworkers sending him screencaps of his form. ㅎㅎㅎ hyung you’re so short makes up the bulk of their well-wishes, and sungwoon stops answering entirely after the first few days. all empty enigma practices and gigs are put on hold, but he hangs out with daniel whenever he can. after all, in the immortal words of troy bolton, they’re all in this together.

sometimes the apology for dragging daniel into all this almost spills from his mouth, but he can’t get it past his teeth in end, not wanting to draw more attention to the situation more than they already have. instead, sungwoon does his best to hype daniel up as much as possible, believing in his bandmate more than he believes in himself. daniel has that self-effacing, easy charisma wrapped around him, and sungwoon wholeheartedly trusts he’ll blow up once he has the chance to show the judges ( and the nation ) his guitar skills.

on the other hand, dejection settles over sungwoon the more he replays the mga episode. you don’t belong there, his brain yells, the part of his brain that is completely and utterly sungwoon. squall would have choice words for him ( squall’s never felt the crawling sensation of being uncomfortable in your own skin ), but squall has choice words for everything. sungwoon wishes he could talk to someone about his doubts. but he’s not willing to prove woojin right by saying anything to him, and he can’t say anything to daniel, his champion, the one person who thinks he does belong there. in the end, there’s nothing left for him to do but swallow his fears and suck it the fuck up.

sungwoon arrives at the venue with his guitar slung over his back, hair falling over his eyes as he stares through his fringe at the other contestants passing by. a lot of them radiate confidence in spades, dressed up and ready to slay up on stage. he recognizes quite a few faces from the first episode, and several of them make him bristle involuntary; talented individuals he knows are already fan favorites. one of the few perks of having a little sister who cares about this stuff is that she keeps him updated ( she’s also in love with someone named junmyeon? which, alright, cool, sungwoon is not going to get his autograph for her ).  

swallowing, he brushes his hair back and adjusts the strap of his guitar case, trying to seem busy. it’ll be alright. he knows how to perform on stage, how to fill it with his presence and command attention. if he has to borrow from squall today, he’ll do it. sungwoon just doesn’t like the idea of leaving things halfway. even if he understands he’s a fish out of water, he’ll still do the best he possibly can—for himself, if no one else. after accepting his number ( #4048: solid, sexy ), he makes his way to where the contestants are seated, heaving a sigh of relief as he realizes he’s next to daniel. good; they could both use the moral support.

the inside of the recording studio verges on overwhelming. the stage is nice, the lighting is cool, but the cameras everywhere are disconcerting. sungwoon isn’t used to being filmed constantly like this. as one zooms in on him, he gives the camera a two fingered salute and wave before it moves on. he’s going to have to get comfortable, fast, but luckily ( or unluckily, depends on how you spin it ), he’s supposed to be one of the last people to perform. that gives him some time to go over his performance in his mind… but also more time to enjoy the rest of the performances.

and there are a lot, each one of them of high quality. the dancers capture his attention the most; it’s human nature to be envious of skills you don’t have. sungwoon nudges daniel after the first of the performances and leans over. “what if i get up on stage and—” he mimes screaming into a microphone while headbanging. “d’you think one of the judges would faint in shock?” part of him is joking, but the other part wants to get up on stage and channel squall. his persona is the safest and easiest for sungwoon, after all, and he thinks squall would shine in front of the cameras, though maybe not in front of the judges.

he settles back into watching the performances, though daniel still gets to deal with the brunt of his reactions. most of which consist of sagging against in him like a deflated car dealership noodle balloon when someone particularly good performs or sungwoon hitting him in excitement or despair depending on how he’s feeling about whoever’s up on stage. there’s one person in particular he almost topples out of his chair for, mouth forming a large ‘O’ in surprise as he sees woojin’s friend ( and the empty enigma fan! ) on stage dancing to gashina, but he doesn’t think about the potential ramifications of that just yet, choosing to instead applaud as hard as he can when the kid is done.

finally, it’s his turn. “contest #4048, ha sungwoon! please come up to the stage.” brushing his hair back one last time, sungwoon gives daniel a thumbs up and a bright grin before picking up his guitar and approaching the stage. his expression is in stark contrast to the nerves he’s experiencing inside, but he’s done this enough to know how to fake it. his apprehension will fade once he’s onstage, anyway ( he hopes ). 

standing in front of his judges, he dips into a low bow and accidentally knocks his forehead against the guitar’s neck. letting out a sheepish laugh, he rubs his forehead and quickly gives his greeting. “hello everyone! i’m your resident tiny giant, ha sungwoon.” he’s poking some fun at the whole height issue—it’s better to just embrace it, in the end. “i’ll be singing charlie puth’s ‘attention’ for you today. thank you for giving me this opportunity!”

( he also whispers a quiet ‘ha sungwoon, fighting!’ under his breath because he needs the encouragement ).

you've been runnin' round, runnin' round, runnin' round throwing that dirt all on my name 'cause you knew that i, knew that i, knew that i'd call you up baby, now that we're, now that we're, now that we're right here standing face-to-face you already know, already know, already know that you won

i know that dress is karma, perfume regret you got me thinking 'bout when you were mine and now i'm all up on ya, what you expect? but you're not coming home with me tonight

sungwoon’s initial choice had been something faster, more intense, more like the music he sang on stage night after night. his plan was to bring out his electric guitar, falling right into his comfort zone and take the judges and audience by surprise. but the more he thought about it, the more it seemed… safe. his goal during the auditions had been to prove to himself that he could sing ballads too. he wanted to showcase a different side of himself. but these auditions tempted him to fall back into old habits, the style of music he was used to. but no one got anywhere by staying in their comfort zone. this wasn’t squall’s audition anyway; it was sungwoon’s. he could leech off squall’s confidence and charisma for this performance, but he didn’t want it to be about him.

so he’d chosen an english pop song with the help of his younger sister. english was not a strength, but he’d spent hours upon hours practicing his pronunciation. it’s not perfect by a long shot, but a far cry from the country hick he expected to sound like. he sings each word with care, his fingers busy with the acoustic accompaniment. the heartbroken man is a skin he can wear easily, but there’s more than heartbreak to this song: frustration, desperation, low simmering anger tied together with repressed desire. he does his best to express that with his voice, beginning slower and gentle before building up to the climax, a more frenzied style of singing to showcase the full height of the emotions.

i know that dress is karma, perfume regret you got me thinking 'bout when you were mine and now i'm all up on ya, what you expect? but you're not coming home with me tonight

you just want attention you don't want my heart maybe you just hate the thought of me with someone new yeah, you just want attention i knew from the start you're just making sure i'm never gettin' over you

there’s no awkwardness on stage here. sungwoon bares his heart as he sings, eyes shut, dividing his focus between the guitar and his vocals. a couple of his lines have a slurred quality to them on purpose; it’s a song he imagines is delivered after a couple of bottles of soju, involuntary and unhappily, with emotions running high. the equivalent of drunk-dialing an ex, if he had to say. he’d spent a lot of time to come to this conclusion too, but sungwoon believes he can’t sing a song properly unless he understands it.

it’s not the most dynamic stage, especially not when compared with those who can sing and dance at the same time, but he hopes his performance makes the audience—and the viewers—feel something nonetheless. music’s meant to entertain, but if it doesn’t mean something, what good is it anyway? he lays it all on the line here on stage; after all, he thinks it’s probably the last time he’ll get an opportunity like this and he doesn’t want to leave with regrets.

what are you doin'? hey what are you doin'? what are you doin'? what are you doin'? you just want attention i knew from the start you're just making sure i'm never gettin' over you, oh

his voice cracks slightly under the strain of emotion in the first line; technical skill means little if you can’t emote properly. it’s an anguished plea torn from his lips almost against his will, and if he didn’t have his guitar, this is the part where he’d fall on his knees with an arm outstretched. instead, he finishes with a final oh~ and steps away from the mic, eyes fluttering open. with another quick bow ( this time making sure he doesn’t injure himself ), he returns to his seat. the minute he sees daniel, his face morphs into an ugly expression one second away from crying before he remembers the cameras are still around.

either way, he doesn’t have time to dissect his performances and his mistakes. the competition rolls on, eventually bringing daniel up on stage, and sungwoon cheers so loudly he almost keels over coughing because of the strain he puts on his throat for that. but daniel deserves it and all of his encouragement. after daniel, the performances taper off into nothing, leaving sungwoon and the rest of the contestants to self-reflect about how they did. as a perfectionist, it’s tough for him to be satisfied with anything he does, but sungwoon knows he couldn’t have done more. all of them here left a part of themselves up on that stage. how can you find fault with such raw and authentic performances?

and maybe he doesn’t belong here, but sungwoon sure as fuck made himself felt. if he goes out now, he’ll do it holding his head high.

[vermiculated]

i have three screencaps

here are some words about COLOSSAL.

so this movie! we were talking about it as a kaiju romdram threeway and that is still the best, that's the best for everything forever even if the giant monsters are metaphorical. I mean, isn't most of fiction: person a/person b/person a's problems which are not usually actually monsters yet on reflection are they not? Are they ever not? Ben/Matthew/Ben's past; Thomas/Edward/garbage ideas about who Thomas gets to love fuck you Fellowes; Edith/Lavinia/the constant fear of death even in a good war; platonically Priya/Daniel/Timothy; furthermore May Archer/Newland Archer/Countess Olenska because Michelle Pfeiffer is the living embodiment of a man's fear about a woman.

that went a little bit off on the shoulder there.

anyway: you love somebody, you fuck their problems.

That is not what happens in their movie either! why is this so impossible. SO THE PREMISE is that Anne Hathaway, executive producer of this film, also acting in it, is an alcoholic who likes a good time and Dan Stevens is her long-suffering boyfriend. Their scene together is actually VERY WELL DONE, and worth the price of admission for this film (uh, free, because I got it from the county library, the movie wasn't in theaters here not even the eight dollar ticket theater where I go to see US-made art house gems such as SILENCE, or Starving in Taiwan while Scorsese obsesses over a shot, or Beach Rats, a film that made the mass deletion of dick pics a searing moment of character development. anyway, not even there.) It's well-acted and convincing. Bar the material world it takes place in: is long-suffering boyfriend Dan Stevens a hedge-fund manager? this apartment is the correct combination of soulless and extravagant in its exposed brickwork and white kitchen to be the sort of place outfitted by an interior decorator and never elaborated upon by the inhabitant because he works eighty-hour weeks and drinks Stella Artois when he means to get wild. furthermore. I mean I have no idea why Anne is wearing Talbots separates to a party? maybe it was an after work function and long-suffering boyfriend Dan Stevens is justly outraged because it's Tuesday. Anne is woozy and disoriented in this bland 2.4m USD apartment, as anyone might be. Long-suffering boyfriend Dan Stevens (LSBDS) kicks Anne out by packing her bags for her, it is deeply tragic.

THE PREMISE IS: twenty-five years ago a monster stalked Seoul. Anne, having fled a breakup with a finance bro, moves back to her empty childhood home, which is actually a splendid piece of architecture, it has a wraparound porch and a lovely staircase, it's a pretty beautiful Queen Anne, and Anne is very sad, so much so that even this house does not lift her spirits. Anne, by the way, now that she is no longer in dating-money clothes, is slightly run-down: she wears untucked shirts and low-heeled booties. ( @mimaveil​ just got shivers down her spine.) Anne has a blonde-to-orange dye job that's growing out unattractively, and I have to say, it's a great wig. It tells you what you need to know about Anne and Anne’s problems.(Last week I saw Le Cercle Rouge, which is a good movie for a number of reasons among them Alain Delon's absolutely terrible wig and fake moustache.) Anne has a number of nervous tics, among them picking at the part on her crown, and smoothing hanks of hair at her shoulders. it's enticingly realistic.

okay, FINALLY. the plot begins about ten minutes into the film, when Anne is walking home from the general store and a truck passes her. the screencap below illustrates an important quality of movie-making: a gifted and radiant actress may wear a bad wig, she remains gifted and radiant.

fig. 1: gifted and radiant, even when hauling a sack. she was gifted and radiant even in Tom Hooper's The Miserables, wasn't she.

realism's for fucking suckers.

the dude in the movie (I could tell because he is on the cover of the dvd) is driving the truck and Anne starts fidgeting with her hair, and you can see her remembering that this is a tell of flirtation, and she could stop, but she carries on. this indicates that she has A Problem. a series of problems, really, shortly to become worse.

(my discussions of films may lead the careful reader to believe that I am powerfully interested in hairstyling. I am not, I guess I'm like Ernest Hemingway in that I just like hair? and whiskey, zing. Although I do enjoy scrolling through Pinterest and seeing the 'easy chignons' which require a minimum of five hands and two types of bobby pins to construct. I imagine it's the same kind of interest that leads other people to look at speedboats in catalogues. I don't want it and I can never have it, but it's an interesting sphere of human endeavor.)

Anne and the dude in the movie, hereafter called Beanface because he has a fat jaw and a protruding forehead that make his head seem slimmer in the middle and flatter on the ends, like a broad bean, go to the dude's bar, and holy smokes, yes this is 'Gone Girl.' the bar is partly boarded off because suburban Maine is economically depressed, and also it's a metaphor for feelings. Everything's a metaphor for feelings, cf comments above about monsters. Anne and Beanface and Beanface's friends, Tim Blake Nelson and a dude who looks like Eli Manning, get drunk together. I believe that we are meant to draw the conclusion that Anne is careless of her safety and fixated on alcohol and good times, such that she does not mind being the only woman in company. Ersatz Eli Manning asks her about her work, which is for an "online magazine," and he asks for the address, so that he can read her articles. He seems okay! They all drink together, hail and good fellowship.

Anne stumbles home drunk, and awakens NINE HOURS LATER (this is significant for the plot, even though she doesn't have a clock.) Anne is supposed to be selfish, it is hard for me to discern that based on her immediate and practical response to the next crisis? like so fucking what she didn’t care about a dude’s dead mom? I don’t care about that either, give Anne some real emotional depth. Someone calls her and it is horrible news: Seoul's been attacked by a monster. She follows up on the story, because she's a heroine in a movie, rather than a poor human who can hardly cope with her own life and shivers under the blankets before reaching out a hand like a wary cuttlefish and grabbing her phone to check it under the covers. Anne has substantial psychological resilience, so much so that she is able to recover from more than the mere work of existing continuously. Impressive!

PERHAPS THIS IS BECAUSE SHE IS A MONSTER? real time, we have gone about half an hour since I settled in with a scone and a glass of the finest four dollar sauvignon blanc, and Anne notices on the disaster coverage that the monster scratches her head just the same way that Anne herself does. Anne realizes, admirably quickly, that she is the monster. SHE IS THE MONSTER.

She makes a murderboard up, and the next morning, practices. She does this by stepping in a sandbox and doing semaphore.

Anne gathers up Beanface and his pals for another night of drinking and then she takes them to -- this movie is so wonderfully specific in this observation -- the playground near the woods, and she asks them to watch her on their phones. This is a nice element that grounds the film in 2017: Anne has a rose gold iPhone, and the guys have less-clearly branded screens. They see her on the screen, and they believe her in the flesh.

(this is the most outlandish part of the filme, that men would believe a woman. but they do.)

meanwhile, Anne is working at Beanface's bar, and she and the gang get wasted every night. Slowly, Beanface gives her various items of furniture, about which I got fretful. What if there are bedbugs Anne? Aren't futons terrible for your posture Anne? Anne? She's still drunk one morning when she trips into the sandbox in the playground near the woods, and Anne howling with laughter is intercut with the people of Seoul being terrified by the monster smashing around. And the monster can definitely take down a building. Anne crashes a helicopter, and she's sobered up enough to start freaking out so Beanface steps into the sandbox.

and lo, a giant robot appears!

Anne trips and kills hundreds of people. This is when I got profoundly displeased with this movie. I understand that it is a scifi black comedy, and should have a high body count. I do not like that Anne kills masses of people, and I do not like that the movie shrugs this off for much of its running time. Anne's grief about this is played as hysteria, and when Beanface brings it up, it's only to needle Anne. The movie doesn't really deal with it? which is not the fault of this movie: movies are always destroying large cities, and it's probably not racist to destroy Seoul specifically, but the face is that Anne makes inroads into destroying a city of anonymous South Koreans and this is not discussed? there's no urgent conversation between pokey traffic wardens, and little kids cooing, or any of the leavening that typically accompanies scifi violence. It's just a lot of people no one knows (sayeth the movie, we know there’s more) and they're dead?

WHICH does bring to mind the fact that by this time next month, some people (not me, I will be trapped on a dingus airplane, drinking and trying not to pick fights, travelling to New York) will have seen the next STAR WARS, or "lots of fun stuff happens, also half of the ship that I have helped obsessively curate for the last two years is back to his manipulative crazy lying and war crimes" and how do I feel about that? Not that it really matters; it's happening. It's indefensible, I have no good reasons to offer. It started out as a black comedy and now I am terribly worried that the division we have maintained (an alternative universe! unless we're getting bleak there's no need to discuss canon!) will dissolve and what an individual is doesn't matter so much, the wellspring of the popularly-named Benlouise Organa will choke me like a firehose.

On the other hand, I have still not seen the ACTUAL most important canon for enspacement, which is the comedy clip introducing Matt the Radar Technician, sorry @getlouder as I do generally try to approach everything I do with the profoundest and most glib (where these words mean "several kay of jokes and fucking") ignorance.

the screen goes black and Anne gets depressed. rightly so. (okay, I will cool it.)

Anne and Beanface inquire at the local Korean grocery and there's a very good shot across the dash of Beanface's truck, while Beanface talks about how he got free food, of Anne looking right past him and at the proprietors of the store. ignore Beanface. go on and do it! I am easily manipulated! do it! Anne discusses her plan with the gang, where they mostly make light of what she has done, which is to have a Korean translation of her apology. She goes out the next morning and after clearing the way, writes her apology in the sand.

it's actually nice, and makes me almost take back my earlier thoughts about turning Seoul into a white monster playground. almost.

we are, I notice with apprehension, only halfway through the movie. what is going to happen?

what's going to happen is that is movie is about rage, and futility, alcoholism, and power. Anne has given up drinking, but Beanface has not, and Beanface behaves in increasingly ugly ways.

a. bossing Anne around unduly b. drinking heavily and telling his friends to 'shut up.' c. yelling at his friends d. yelling at Anne e. driving his truck at Anne

Beanface and Anne go to the playground and Anne slaps Beanface, the monster slaps the giant robot, and there is much rejoicing. Beanface, to apologize, dispatches the gang with a truck full of furniture which, if a person had never seen a single schema of the cycle of abuse, might be charming. However, we are all old enough not to trust this. emotionally distant legumeheads are not going to win us over! he has a picture of his ex-girlfriend with the face scratched out, it is time to fuckin' run girl!! Anne confronts Beanface, who is pathetically hung over, and reveals much information about his sad life. buddy, nothing's so sad that you need to frighten the people of Seoul over it. nothing's so sad that I care about it.

meanwhile, Ersatz Eli Manning has decorated Anne's home. somewhere in here the two of them have sex, and it seems okay. The movie somehow resists making a reference to gendered activities here, since Anne has been living in an under-furnished depression-anger-breakup hovel, and the dude decorates with a truly amazing Victorian velvet settee. One of my greatest regrets is not buying a mustard love-seat of the same style. it was four hundred dollars! what else was I going to do with that money that was so important? Once when I had dental surgery under anesthesia, I told the dentist all about my feelings re: Real Eli Manning. He was a Jets fan. (the dentist, not Eli Manning. although maybe! explains a lot.) Real Eli Manning would, I am sure, support me in my passion for furniture. that’s a FACT. a bunch of plot happens next. I'm not going to describe it all, it doesn't really hold together in or out of context. what we need to know is that Beanface is a jerk. He continues to be mean to Anne, and when LSBDS shows up, Beanface tries to intimidate him. (It's actually a fun treat for those of us who have seen THE GUEST, because LSBDS stands in a country-western bar and looks like he wants to start a fight, and I think it might even be the same shot, it's chilling.) They metaphorically compare dicks, so Anne utters the famous line "can you guys stop talking about me like I'm not here?" They do, however, not stop talking about her like she's not there. Beanface blows the bar up with a firework, and then claims that Anne will never leave him. what the fuck! what the fuck!

I thought this was gonna be a fun threeway monster flick! Beanface then BREAKS INTO Anne's house, and we have another flashback to THE GUEST, as he and Anne fight, as people this time, and he jumps out a second-story window into the leaf-clogged pool and she brandishes a stake at him. it's actually pretty great. It's a truly good scary scene. Beanface is behaving erratically, because, as Anne figures, he hates himself, and so she makes a forbidden phone call (he's told her that she must not call LSBDS, or Beanface will create mayhem in Seoul. notwithstanding hating himself, Beanface is a little underdetermined.) to LSBDS that she will leave with him. this makes Beanface very angry. this is, of course, the point. Anne has a flashback to when they were kids (twenty-five years ago!) when she and Beanface climbed into the forest, and Beanface pretended to be retrieving Anne's foamcore model of Seoul, but IN FACT, stomped on it. 

fig. 2: Anne does her best enspacement light body horror look. I haven't seen MIDNIGHT SPECIAL or STRANGER THINGS or LOGAN, I think this is meant to be about that. ("I haven't seen a thing, here are my thoughts about it" is the only emotional register I have.) She gets to be angry, and then the lightning knocks her out, where it is revealed that she has a monster doll in her bag. a monster doll! I like the monster doll, and I like all the anger. I guess that's supposed to explain what's up. Who knows? Beanface is a jerk, LSBDS is a jerk, Anne is wearing dark sunglasses when we next see her. fuck! THE CLIMAX OF THE MOVIE IS: Anne goes to Seoul.

briefly, but enjoyably: Anne is wearing a long black coat, an oversized shirt, and boots. Her looks have been mostly unremarkable during this film, which is nice, she's sleeping on the floor after all and there are threatening men everywhere, but this? the coat looks cool as heck. it begins to rain Thematic Rain, and Anne looks around grimly. 

fig. 3: sorry to sound like I'm trying to describe the Cool Girl in a ya book. she is the Cool Girl though, she has realized that she is more than the fucking nonsense that men put on her, and she's smart enough to figure out that there is no way out if she plays their games. so she becomes a giant monster to fight them and save the world. She talks to LSBDS about how she's really fucked up, more fucked up than ever before, and hangs up on him. (she actually hangs up on him a lot in this movie. it's nice.) She then walks like a hero to the riverside where the robot has appeared. Beanface is still in Maine, and steps into the sandbox, but Anne shadowboxes with him, and the monster appears in the sandbox! The connection works both ways! unforeseen! Ersatz Eli Manning has gone to a non-arsoned bar and cheers for Anne. Anne is among the screaming crowd in Seoul and she realizes what she must do. There's some very nice cutting between Anne and the robot in Seoul, and the monster and Beanface in Maine. really first-rate. and then Anne kills the robot and the monster kills Beanface and Anne meets a cute lady and all is well. I can't believe this movie only made four million dollars u.s.

[calzonekestis]

@agent13: Jackie hasn’t been active in quite a while, but she’s always been kind to me and her blog has has A+ opinions and content. 

@ar-se-ne: IDEK how long I’ve been following Cristian, but he’s a really nice guy with whom I have similar interests. He’s also someone that I’ve kind of of been inspired by in some ways. I don’t want to get too personal information, but it involves introspection and self improvement and yeah. I’m proud of him. He should be proud of himself.

@chujo-hime: I remember like circa 2012-2013 I had a ~moment~ because the webmaster of FYBN followed me. Chujo always has quality content, and is someone I respect for being very genuine and respectful. If something’s drawn her ire or made her bitter, she has a reason for it, and can write a solid meta on why it’s bullshit. At the same time, she’s someone who I’ve looked to when I consider how to handle my own fandom disagreements. It’s not worth arguing with people on the internet, it’s never fun. So long as people enjoy what they enjoy? Stay in their lane and let others do the same? We can all get along~~~

@cimikat: Katie is another person who I don’t even remember following. I can’t really remember my tumblr experience before her, though? I can say without any hyperbole though that she’s probably the nicest person I’ve ever encountered on this website? Literally, I can’t think of a single time I’ve seen her be salty. Upset and disappointed, sure, but she doesn’t wallow in negativity the way some people do and have in the past. If she enjoys something, she’s enthusiastic about it. If she no longer enjoys it? You won’t see her b*tch about it. She’s just very upbeat.

@dazzledfirestar: Daz shares my love of certain villains (Sin and Crossbones) while fully recognizing they’re deplorable human beings. That’s just one of the more superficial reasons I respect her. She’s another person who’s also genuine, and whom by following I feel like I’ve actually learned a lot? And I actually like to learn. Ignorance isn’t always mean spirited, and in the past I’ll admit I’ve been an ignorant white boy. Not that I was prejudice, there was just a lot I was either blind to or unaware of.  I’ve learned a lot about Romani culture by following Daz. A lot of history, a lot about the struggles and persecution they still face to this day. I also learned lot about the LGBT community; which honestly was a big help when I was trying to figure out/accept my bisexuality.

@diaryofawriter: What do I even say about you? believe we met because we both RP’d in the same fandoms and enjoyed the same content. Comics, OUAT, Harry Potter, and Star Wars. She’s both listened to me flail or rant countless times, either feigning or expressing genuine interest… for that I’m truly appreciative. She’s also helped me when it comes to letting go of things that are no longer fun or enjoyable for me (OUAT) and focus on the things that do bring me joy. A role model in that sense. >.>

@diisnerd: Leah. Leah was someone I met though a mutual friend, and while they’re closer than I am with her… I let me just say I have so much fucking respect for Leah. She’s just a good, loyal, protective, and caring friend. We have a lot of the same interests, too. We don’t talk all that often about them, but when we do it’s always an enjoyable conversation.

@dreamimpcssiblethings: Kath. Jesus. You know how much you mean to me, I should hope. You’re one of my best friends. It’s not even that we like a lot of the same things (we do) but you’re just very hard not to like? You’re super intelligent, super passionate. Be it about fandom things, classic literature, or just life. If one good thing came out of the rise and fall of my OUAT fandom, it was meeting you. All the salt is worth it for knowing you~

@ilikethequiet: Ally was one of the first people I met in the OUAT fandom, via a mutual friend/aquiantence. She’s a wizard when it comes to making edits and graphics. She’s someone with whom I’ve been salty on many an occasion, and I lured her into the iZombie fandom with me when our favorite actors transitioned over to that show. She’s just a delight. She also somehow made an AU graphic for a trashy ~problematic~ hateship look classy? Real friends hunt down topless screencaps so they can make you smutty collages for your birthday.

@jjoelswatch: Sarah is one of the first people I can remember following on tumblr. She’s another person where I wouldn’t recognize my dash without her. I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but I really respect her. She’s just a good person, very down to Earth and very witty. We don’t talk that much, but it’s always very pleasant when we do? Sarah was the first one to reach out and respond when I came out as bi. I’m still not out to my family. When I posted that little confession, I didn’t know what to expect. I simultaneously cared and didn’t care how people responded. It was weird, because it was something I had tried to deny and rationalize for so long. It’s something that no one should even care about, but Sarah empathized and realized it was kind of a big deal for me? Her reassurance that I wasn’t alone, even in such a short and concise message meant a lot. She’s one of my favorite mutals tbh.

@kennyhoemega: Bethany is a Goth Goddess. I’m not just saying that because she demanded the best compliment. On a superficial level, she’s just really pretty?? Now that’s out of the way, let me tell you legitimate reasons why she’s one of my favorite people to follow. She’s got great taste in music, she loves Star Wars, dabbles in Marvel and Harry Potter. You see a theme here with people I follow. She just also tends to reblog really neat things unrelated to those? I’ve gotten into astrology because of her. It’s mostly her fault that I’ve started watching wrestling again, bc there’s nothing good on TV and her passion is contagious and the gifs she reblogs are wild. She also has the best tags out of anyone I follow, bar none. I don’t even know when I first followed her either, around 2012 or so, but I know that it was absolutely 100% Sarah’s fault. Thank you, Sarah. TBH the first time I remember interacting with Bethany was when I added a gif and sarcastic comment to one of her salty posts about people trying to woobify Brock Rumlow. The next day, I realized this was likely not the best way to make a first impression? Fortunately she assured me that she got it, and that we were cool. Which is a relief, because as I’ve told her (and IDK if she believes me) she’s probably one of the coolest people I follow? It’s come to light that neither of us are big talkers, so we don’t actually talk that much… but she’s really rad. IDK when it started but she’s consistently been in my tumblr crushes for ages. Lots of mutual reblogging, again, lots of respect. She’s witty and intelligent. That’s not butt-kissin’, I’ve seen her post about certain tests and looked them up out of curiosity and wow. Yeah. Bethany also has the longest compliment, so that should make her happy. There was something about my needing a nuclear bunker if she wasn’t on this list. She deserves it though, she’s another one of my faves.

@kittenspawn: Nichole is my unofficial big sister. I say that as someone who actually has a big sister. She messaged me in 2012 with questions about Bucky and Natasha, and from that point on she was screwed. She got me into Hellboy in turn, but I like to think I’ve thoroughly corrupted her and caused her to spend far too much money on certain things. Nichole is someone who I can go weeks without talking to, and yet we can fall right back into conversation as if we talked the night before. She’s been a terrible enabler over the years, but she’s also been there for me during some difficult times and when I’ve done very stupid and questionable things. I know she’ll say I’ve been there for her as well, but the scales are seriously tipped here. When I need advice, or when I need to talk to someone about something serious… she’s the person I go to. I can always count on her, and she’s pretty much family at this point.

@ohmygil: Gil. I think I found you through Davis? You’re just a very sensible person, and very rational about a lot of things. It’s refreshing to see that on the internet these days. You’re someone who I don’t think I’ve ever had a actual ‘discussion’ with, but I’m including you here because I really enjoy your presence on my dash. I stopped reading DC regularly with the New 52, and pretty much all my DC intake these days is absorbed through your blog. You also get points for liking Superman. Some people think he’s too powerful, or a big boy scout, and while I’ve never regularly collected his titles I am a fan.

@prof-anity: …You know, I was tempted to leave you off this list just to be a dick. Yours would be the longest entry, so I’m keeping it short because what is there to even say? How much needs to be said? Seven years ago you met a bitter teenage douchebag on a message board. You made the mistake of accepting his friendship when he reached out to you. You’ve stuck with me through highs and lows, man. It’s one of those relationships again, where we may not talk every day. We may not be up to date on the details and goings on in each other’s lives… but you said it yourself. Our friendship has been one of the best constants in the past seven years. A third of your life, btw. Isn’t that depressing? You are, truly, the best friend I have ever had. One day I’m going to meet you, hug you, and then insult you to your face. You’re truly a brother to me. I love you.

@readytocomply: Stef! Stef is a delight. Always pleasant, always fun. She’s also super creative? She makes great edits, great cosplays, and is just pretty damn great over all. Stef is another person who I try to model myself after when it comes to shipping things. Re: Multi-Shipping. Stef ships Steve and Bucky. I do not. Stef also ships Bucky and Natasha. Stef respects canon and appreciates Sharon Carter. All this may sound inane but I’m glad I didn’t meet Stef until I did, because 2013 Tim might have been a little asshole re his ships and missed out befriending a great person because of his own stubborness… that could cross into douchebaggery. Stef has quality content on her blog at all times. Sebastian Stan. Marvel. Star Wars. Mark Hamill.. Harry Potter. Tron. Just general film. Chicken nuggets. Stef is a quality person with a quality blog.

@rocktheholygrail: Dana is someone I met through the iZombie fandom, and she is another wizard. A gif wizard, who has too often indulged my requests or suggestions. She’s another person whose enthusiasm is contagious. I was able to convince her to watch the entirety of Prison Break (save the revival) in less than a month before it was taken off Netflix. I don’t think I ever apologized for that. Dana also is trash tho, bc like me, her favorite iZombie character is the trashiest. I say that tongue in cheek, at least the first part. It’s really been great though to have someone who recognize a character as both human and horrible, and who is capable of watching and enjoying them despite their being problematic. If this was another fandom, I’d expect to be judged or ostracized, but instead I’m enabled once again.

@swanmagic: Gia is another person who doesn’t post on tumblr much (at least her personal) these days, but I’m including her because she’s been one of my favorite RP partners for years and we still talk from time to time on twitter. She’s just a great writer, great person, great friend. She’s another person who has excellent (and varied) musical taste.

@thealbooty: I met Alberto through Davis. It’s another thing where I don’t remember the circumstances, there was just one day where suddenly Alberto was in my life. Alberto is just a good guy… and I just mean good. He’s pure. If Davis is Spongebob, I’m Squidward and Alberto is Patrick. Only not as dumb. We don’t talk as much these days which makes me sad, but I love him too. Back in the day the three of us used to have group Skype chats and watch movies together. There was one day when Davis couldn’t make it or wasn’t online, and he and I just watched Hellboy and chatted for a few hours. That’s when Alberto went from being a friend of a friend to my friend. I’m glad he’s my friend.

@thejazzdalek: Max is another person, like Gil, who I’ve never really had a discussion with? He’s followed me for ages though, both on tumblr and on twitter and I appreciate that. I don’t really know him that well after all this time, embarrassingly. He seems like a nice guy, though. Big into Doctor Who, OUAT, DC, Marvel, just sci-fi and fantasy in general.

@timelessmulder: Emily-Alice is someone who I’ve been mutuals with since like 2012 I think. I don’t even know if we’re in the same fandoms anymore, but we keep following each other regardless. Over the years we’ve discussed everything from OUAT to DC, and these days when we talk it’s mostly to pick apart The Flash. She’s someone who has been with me for ages though, and has seen things.

@uhohjonsnow: So Betty is one of the first friends I actually made on tumblr when I engaged in fandom? I was an obnoxious teenage white boy who thought he was straight and acted like it, and she tolerated me anyway. Again, she’s someone who was witness to a lot of nonsense. We really were dicks to each other, lmao. I adore her though, bc she really is sweet and laid back. We went for years without talking,not due to any falling out, but we just drifted apart. She actually took a year off tumblr and recently returned, and we reconnected. She also accidentally deleted her blog and started fresh, so um, go follow her!

@uminoko: We’ve been mutuals for like years, and she’s just a nice person? Again, that’s a pathetic compliment, but it is true. She’s also another individual who I feel I’ve learned from by following? Part of that has to due with her being a former civil rights lawyer, but beyond that she’s just yet another smarty pants who I don’t talk to that much. She also  messaged me privately when I came out, and made me laugh when I needed it. Also, she’s an actual Russian who is a fan of Black Widow and Winter Soldier.

@uncleclustersthirdbrain: Donnie. This might be a little weird, because Donnie and I only reconnected like two weeks ago after three years of not really talking to each other? Again, there’s no bad blood, and he deserves to be on here. I’ve actually known him for five years, we met through his girlfriend Morgan. Donnie’s another person who has seen things, re seen me at my worst. Most obnoxious, outspoken, salty, dickish… and so on. I’ve always sort of looked up to him, though? Back when 17 going on 18 year old Tim met him, there was a sort of ‘notice me sempai’ thing going on. He’s yet another person who is too cool for me. In spite of toolish tendencies, there were times when Donnie reached out to make sure I was okay when I was being dramatic and having anxiety attacks over damn comic books. It sounds ridiculous, and it was, but at the time comics were my escape and how I dealt with a lot of tough shit I was going through. I was invested. Heavily invested, to an unhealthy degree. He’s just a good person who cares about his friends, and people in general. He’s also a fucking brilliant writer, who just recently put out his first comic. So I’m going to use this as another excuse to pimp it for him. Not because he’s my friend, but because I’m a selfish bastard who wants to read more and wants you to give him money so he can make more. He makes no personal profit from it, all the money goes towards paying his artists and the production. I’ve pretty much walked away from buying monthly comics, but as I’ve told Donnie, this is one I would pull. The first issue of And The Hare had some of the best dialogue I’ve read in a comic in easily the last year. At least.

@xeleyan-tequila: I met Chelsea through the OUAT fandom, and like me she gave up on the show a long time ago. She’s another person I don’t really talk to that much these days, but she’s a lovely person with a lovely blog who posts a little bit of everything. There are personal details to our relationship I won’t get into bc it’s no one’s business, and though we’re still friendly we sort of fell out of touch. I enjoy following her though, and she’s a wonderful human being.