#mixing your faves with your culture is always fun i love to see it i love to do it

[marsuro]

Wordtober day 12: Taa (Swahili)

Lights/lanterns! Zoro getting lost on his bday in Utrecht while it’s St. Maarten

[lilly-chou-chou]

Gyaru: A guide for newbies and a love letter for seasoned gyals.

There were a lot of things that made me post about this. I thought a lot about it for years but recently I had an interaction which confirmed my mind.

As a woman who had been doing gyaru since the age of 4, I have few guides for gyaru that you may agree with or not, but I am posting this regardless because I want this to be known, especially by new gyals.

Gyaru is a movement which moulds modern japanese feminism and breaks boundaries that previously pushed women to only be of certain category.

This to say, there are indeed a lot of subculture under the umbrella term like hime, rokku, agejo and such.

My guides start from here on. When you first decide to start gyaru fashion I suggest you explore your options, try our different styles, fave fun and go with what works for you.

There is a lot of misconception that just because you prefer one subculture more doesn't mean you are lesser knowledgeable in other subcultures. You are free to do what makes you happy and pretty because gyaru was the staple for just doing eccentric fashion, it was never about rules and policing others. The culture was born because they opposed Japan's view of women. When women were forced to be me meek, sensitive, weak, soft spoken... Gyarus were the opposite they were loud, brash, tanned and knew how to have fun.

Gyarus were safe space for women who didn't want to be judged and just wanted to have fun.

Of course when you start out you always can look at tutorials and what not but remember to always feel pretty and enjoy what you're doing. Stop thinking and flush out people who police you about "wear this" "don't wear that!" "Wtf don't buy this!" "Are you stupid? You don't even own any brands wow you are not a REAL gyal" and the most funniest part is that these things come from just foreigner gyals.

As a person who also lived in Tokyo for a while and used to practically live inside Shibuya 109 I can assure you that Japanese gyals will NEVER EVER say anything like foreigner gyals and police you because they genuinely want you to have fun, gyals out of all people are no. 1 in not caring about rules and just doing it purely for fun.

Back then if you went to Tokyo then you could see every sub culture co existing and hanging out sharing tips, sharing clothes from different brands and hyping each other up.

Never feel you are less or unworthy, never listen to people who tell you, you are doing it wrong because you mix 2 sub cultures in your fashion.

Live your truth and enjoy. You are the most prettiest gyal ever. Live your life full slay.

In conclusions I just wanted to post this so newer gyals don't feel pressured or scared to know and explore more of our beautiful community and for old gyals to remind them once again what a beautiful culture we chose to follow and how fun they really are.

Love you my gyals, let's keep this community thriving <3

[stormikins]

Mass Effect Trilogy Tag

tagged by @nowandthane thank you!! Warning I ramble a bit in this lol

I am a fan since: 2017, I got it for Christmas in 2016 so I always just say '17

Favorite Game of the series: By virtue of simply replaying it the most, three. I really love the combat in it so I've played it near thirty times? But all time fave would have to 1 because of the aesthetic, tone, and story. There's something about first discovering a world which is what me1 is about.

MShep or Femshep? Gotta go with Femshep. I have played both, its just hard to capture the male shepard image I have in my head in the character creator so Femshep it is.

Earthborn, Colonist, or Spacer: earthborn! My main Shepard Jenn is earthborn so that's what I'm going with. Though, I have numerous Shepard's are various background combinations. I have feelings about each background trust me

Biotics or tech: Both! Though I really do love biotics, you can do some cool stuff with them, setting up and detonating both biotic and tech explosions.

Paragon or Renegade: I have to repeat what nowandthane said, paragon choices, renegade dialogue.

Favorite Class: Sentinel. I love the versatility of the class, but I do have an affection for Infiltrator because that's what got me through me2 on insanity.

Favorite Companion: Tali. By story value, Javik. He's like one of the most important characters

Least Favorite Companion: Javik, throw your attitude out the airlock. IM JOKING! (he has every reason to be like he is. I love him very much) Liara is my answer though only because I don't like some of the story choices the devs did with her. (ex: why does she have Shepard's armor in a display case when i didn't even romance her??? I can't mention this at all??)

My squad selection: For Jenn's playthrough: Wrex/Tali in me1. Garrus/Mordin/Miranda generally in me2. Thane and Miranda/Samara for the collector base. Kaidan/Javik/James in me3. Of course, I mix it up based on story aspects and the difficulty settings. But me3 is pretty fixed bc I always play on insanity.

Favorite in-game Romance: Tali and Garrus. I'm a sucker for awkward, wet cat of a man like Garrus is. But Tali's romance man.... her parting line to Shepard during the beam run "I have a home" makes me insane actually

Other pairings I like: Obligatory Nihlus/Shepard/Kal (and the duos within in this throuple) mention here. Other than that, Joker/Miranda and Joker/James, Ashley/Garrus, and Shepard/Wrex, I could list a whole lot so I'll keep it to those ships lol

Favorite NPC: Nihlus and Kal'Reegar for sure. Victus and of course Niftu Cal our favorite biotic god.

Favorite Antagonist: Saren. He's the best one that we get in all three games (Harby could have been number one if they did anything with him in three but that's a rant for another time lmao)

Favorite Mission: Haestrom/Tali's Loyalty mission because that's when I get to see Kal <3 and blow up a colossus with the Cain. Also, the Collector Ship mission I have to mention because it's frankly the only mission besides the two previously stated where I've loaded up the save to play it on insanity when I'm bored. It's fun. Of course, this is with the Infiltrator.

Favorite Loyalty Mission: Tali for numerous reasons. Kal mention here. But I love the insight into Quarian culture we get. Also we see that fire in her when she's talking to the Board which I always appreciate. Along with her dialogue at the end, "I got better, Shepard. I got you." and then on the ship afterwards, "I don't think life is about what we deserve." I love her so much.

Favorite DLC: Leviathan. Only because of the horror aspect.

Control, Sythesis, or Destroy? Destroy. I have so many issues with the ending and that's the least worst option in my opinion so. (I too ignore that it wipes out the Geth and Edi fuck that)

Favorite Weapon: The M-90 Cain or the M-99 Saber aka the "Big Iron". Lancer in three was my favorite weapon before I found the Saber. Special mention to my bud the Mattock, I have been convinced of its glory. I do not think the Harrier is better anymore lol which my brother would be happy to hear

Favorite Place: me1 Citadel my BELOVED.

A quote I like Quotes I Like: The ENTIRETY of Sovereign's dialogue on Virmire GOD ITS SO GOOD!!!! / "Stand in the ashes of a trillion dead souls and ask the ghosts if honor matters. The silence is your answer." / "Does this unit have a soul?" / "Just followed your example, Shepard. Yell loud enough and eventually someone will come over to see what all the fuss is about." / "I won't let fear compromise who I am." / "I MADE A MISTAKE!" / "Help me out here, Shepard. The line between friend and foe is getting a little blurry from where I stand." / There are so many great quotes in these games I could go on and on but I'll stop myself

No pressure tags: @spacebunshep @jtownnn

[pynkhues]

Were you a Sex in the City fan? I do feel like a show for the girls that are in the early to mid late 20s trying to figure it out. Is kind of missing in the market currently. Anyways if you’ve seen it there was a reboot with a whole new cast. What would your fan cast look like?

I actually watched Sex and the City in its entirety for the first time during the lockdowns, anon! While there are definitely parts of it that have aged badly and is very deserving of criticism, there's a lot that's aged surprisingly well too, and even as a first time viewer, I could see why it was the pop culture juggernaut it was. I really enjoyed watching it! Although maybe not enough to watch And Just Like That, haha (after all, what is Sex and the City without all four women?)

It really does feel like there's a bit of a gap these days in TV when it comes to mid-late 20s/early 30s women figuring life out. I feel like the closest we've had for a while was Broad City and The Bold Type, but even those have both been finished for a while, and are decidedly their own animals in focus, tone and style. While I liked it a lot too, I'd also say that The Bold Type never fully knew where it wanted to sit in terms of audience which really shaped a lot of the components of the story.

But yes! A Sex and the City reboot! I love it when you guys ask me to fancast stuff, haha.

Okay, let's start with Carrie:

I hadn't seen Ashley Park in anything until a few months ago, and have since had the triple hit of seeing her in Joy Ride, Beef and now the new season of Only Murders in the Building, and I just think she's so great. She's so, so charming and funny and I think really nails that complicated mix of high strung but also kind of loose and flirty that Sarah Jessica Parker nailed in Sex and the City. I think she could bring so much to Carrie and add after Joy Ride in particular, I'd love to see her lead something again.

Miranda's kind of a tricky one in some ways - you need someone who can find that middle ground between snark and genuine vulnerability, and I think that's really an area Ritu shines in between The Umbrella Academy and Polite Society. Plus she's delightfully watchable, and I think a role like Miranda could really stretch her skills (especially because I don't think Polite Society let her actually do all that much).

Fun fact: Charlotte's lowkey my fave from Sex and the City. I know a lot of people find her annoying, but I actually think she had one of the most fulfilling arcs on the show (I'm a bit of a sucker for characters who get what they want only to realise it's not what they need), and she also reminds me of a close childhood friend who I don't see as often as I want because we live on opposite ends of the country, haha. I looooved Charithra in Bridgerton, and I think she plays naivety without ignorance, and that sweetness without being saccharine really well. Plus I think she could be a really good balancer between Ashley and Ritu.

Okay okay okay, hear me out: Samantha is supposed to be older than the other girls, and one of the things I think is so ingenious about the original casting of Samantha is how they cast an actress who was basically a jobbing actress who'd worked across TV and genre movies for decades but became famous / a sex symbol for a few roles across raunch comedies. While Jessica doesn't quite have a Porky's on her resume, she comes from a similar background of tv, low budget horror, and a few meatier roles that show she can really act, and I've always had a soft spot for her, and tbh, I think she'd kill it.

The guys aren't as fun, haha, but mmm, I kind of like the thought of John Cho for Mr Big? An older guy with the right amount of suave that you can believe Ashley Park would be on the hook for, and maybe someone like Anthony Ramos for Aidan? I'm less sure about them, haha.

[nikkicafeina]

Finally got around to my 2022 book recs list. I read 55 books last year, which is fantastic considering grad school and all that stalled my fun reading for a long time. Obviously I read The Locked Tomb series and I think you should too. Other than that, it's almost all manga and romances on this list. That was my escapism vibe last year, but it's also what the readers in my library enjoy so it's what I'm happy to keep up with.

In vaguely the order I read them, last year's faves are:

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories--I read the entire Folk of the Air series over December/January and it's all great but this novella was my favorite. Holly Black continues to be the best at fairies. I loved how the two characters in the central romance are desperately feral in their own way. This one will make little to no sense without the context of the whole series, and so I reccomend the whole series. It's about an angry human girl who grows up in Fairyland, the dilettante fairy prince who hates her, and all the amoral fairy intrigue and violence that being part of a high court entails.

In the Dream House--I don't normally read memoirs but this has such an intriguing cover. I didn't expect to be taken for a ride through deep feelings about queerness, gender, latinidad, trauma, historiography, relationships, and just like, being a person who occupies space. It's about the author's abusive relationship, yes, but also it's poetically and ruthlessly about her as an entire person.

Alexis Hall--not a book but a rather prolific romance author. Mostly mlm romances, but he runs the gamut in terms of genre and content. I particularly enjoyed Pansies, where a guy goes back to his small hometown after recently coming out and ends up falling for and trying to make amends to the kid he bullied a bit in high-school. How to Bang a Billionaire looks like it's meant to be a Fifty Shades ripoff but its actually really good BDSM with a sub who's knowledgeable and just having a fun time, but the dom has some heavy trauma that I don't know everyone would be down for so heads up. He also has a couple novels that have become very popular recently, so I expect we'll be seeing him a lot. Overall, I appreciate that all of his protags have way more going on than just the relationship, but also the relationships do have genuine chemistry.

Boys Run the Riot--a short manga series about a Trans high-schooler who wants to start a streetwear brand with his friends. It brings up different aspects of queerness and queer culture in Japan, which is really cool.

From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankwiler--my husband gifted me a copy because it's one of my favorite childhood books and I'm so happy to say it still holds up even a good sixty years later. A girl convinces her brother to run away to the Met and they become caught up in a mystery surrounding a recent acquisition. The kids are smart as heck but still very much kids and E.L. Konigsburg's writing style has always felt very cozy to me.

Totsukuni no Shoujo/The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil a Rún-- we've established I enjoy fairytales where the fae get to be properly monstrous. This is another manga series, this time about a little girl in a cursed forest who is taken in by a creature she calls "Teacher". He tries to care for her and keep her from becoming cursed herself. Charming, a little spooky, a little sad, and very gorgeous.

Perfect World--a manga series where an able-bodied interior designer reconnects with an architect childhood friend who is now disabled and uses a wheelchair; they fall in love, work together to create accesibly designed buildings, and navigate both his specific disability and being disabled in Japanese society at large. A ton of research obviously went into this series, but more importantly a lot of heart.

Wherever is Your Heart-- novella. Anita Kelly writes some good-ass queer romance of all flavors but this one is particularly noteworthy in being butch4butch and having protagonists in their late forties. It's fairly short and sweet, but you don't need much more than that to enjoy it when June finally works up the courage to ask the bartender at her favorite bar on a date.

And the best book I read in 2022:

House of Leaves-- so this is a book about a guy transcribing an academic work written by different guy about a documentary filmed by another guy about moving into a house with his family. It's also about narratives within narratives, the relationship between reading and the reader, and the relationship between the storyteller and the story. It’s a love letter to academic analysis and a scathing critique of academic analysis. It's actual posmodernism. It's a damn good horror novel. It's an experience. It's a book that 100% could never work as anything other than a book. People will tell you it's a hard read but it's not! You just have to engage with it and think about it a little. Read it! It's great!

[sofipitch]

If you're comfortable can you talk about more about your experience in the fandom because I share similar sentiments, in a separate fandom. I received death threats every day and my friend's account was hacked into and certain posts of hers were deleted. It lasted years. It was horrible. Did you write your fic Long Way Home (I love the title!) before amc iwtv was announced? Are those fans of the books who drove other fans out still around and may I know who they are so that I may block them? (1/2)

If I may, I want to share that when the HP books were first released--before JKR exposed herself and before the movies aired and ruined my inner version of the books-- I read them and certain characters in my mind were never as they were in the books, Hermione was Indian in my mind, as was Lupin, based on real life friends. Ron was definitely not a redhead. I don't know why there is so much hate towards race change, but it seems that a majority of those haters are on FB, as immortalconclusions mentioned about the FB group, I am a part of it and there is much vitriol in that group, especially aimed towards the actors. I am horrified that so many fans of the little mermaid are offended by the beautiful Halle Bailey, she's the perfect Ariel as I see it. Also I hate that some fans want to see Timothee Chalamette as Armand, what a ridiculous choice. (2/2)

So I don't really want to go into it, last time someone sent me an anon shitting on one of these ppl and I answered it the person was harassing all my friends for HOURS in like .3 seconds. Like we are block mutuals and yet she knew immediately, creepy much? There have been doxxing threats on here which is fun, I have gotten threats of violence and idk how related but a friend got one of sexual assault. So I'm not waking the beast by invoking these ppl. If anyone wants specific ppl I would recommend blocking you can dm me. It's honestly not hard to tell, if you see a VC fan who refuses to acknowledge the TV show or overwhelming speaks negatively, that's them. For some reason a lot of ppl try to keep up public appearances on Tumblr yet will say the most vile shit with their IRL name attached in the FB group

I actually came up with the idea for that fic after JA's casting announcement based on ppl saying there was no way for Louis to be black without changing "everything about Louis" or that Louis and Lestat as an interracial couple would be abusive. When you are so woke you think respecting cultural differences means ppl of other races aren't ppl who go through ppl experiences and so woke that the races shouldn't mix (but for POC protection). I just wanted a way to say yes POC are (get this) ppl. And it also turned into a way for my cowriter and I to talk about our own experiences and hopefully make something for other fans of color to hopefully relate too

I'm so sorry about what you are your friend went through, fandom in general has a lot of racism and I think some of it is the anonymity, white ppl feel safer being openly racist. Like all the slurs and stuff I and others have gotten is always done via anon or sock puppet accounts. So they KNOW what they are doing is wrong bc they don't want to attach their name to it. It's both disgusting and pathetic

And yeah this is not a unique situation for VC, when ppl were objecting to JA's casting they tried to come up with a PLETHORA or reasons VC is different and you just can't with Louis and yeah it's always bullshit. Same thing with Ariel, I love The Little Mermaid and I hate the Disney remakes but I will likely see this one in theaters bc that's my girl, I get the appeal of the remakes when it is specifically one of my fave movies 😂 But someone IRL asked me my opinion bc she knows I love Ariel and I was like "she seems good" and she went on to say that "She was always made to feel bad she was a redhead growing up (this girl is like strawberry blonde so barely, 0 freckles) and Ariel made her feel better". Like they were taking away HER representation. I don't even need to go into how fucking stupid that is. They ALWAYS claim to have specific and valid rationales for this one casting, they aren't a racist (maybe they even have POC friends!) 🙄

[juusasu4evagrrl]

Its later and i have thoughts on this post. So first of idk who told baby grrl that most people in fandom were children but i think they were wrong about that. When i was a young person in fandom a lot of the people i was interacting with were my peers sure but all my favorite blogs artist and authors were all way older then me.

Fandom is always gonna be a mixed bag of people and for the most part there are more pros then cons there. Seeing interpretations of my favorite media from people with all sorts of cultural backgrounds was like the coolest thing to me. So I’m not exactly sure why hearing from the older siblings in fandom bothered me so much but i have so ideas.

I was so jealous, like so jealous oh my god. When we create in fandom we draw from our own experience. So theres the obvious here right older people have more life to draw from. And then theres a personal side. I was an unusually sheltered and dumb kid and could not for the life of me fathom how these people were coming up with such cool ideas. At first really admired these people but as kept trying harder and harder to emulate them, I just felt inadequate like I would never be able to come up with cool ideas of my own. Instead see a bigger picture, I let jealousy fester and eventually ruined my own relationship with the community that I once really loved. Taking time away to evaluate my relationship to fandom after my enjoyment fizzled out, allowed me to turn that jealousy back into admiration. I still reread all my favorite fics and stalk my favorite blogs and i think engaging with the media i love in this way is just a part of me and I’m okay with that. Now its just about finding the healthiest way to do so. Im 20 now I’ve lived a little more and learned a lot more. I can write simply for the enjoyment of it now and I love what I write even when it is shitty cause its about enjoying being a fan and not competing with my faves.

And this one is more complex to me. Sex in fandoms like this just bothered me at that age. It feels so hypocritical of me to say this now though cause I was 15 writing smut in my school note books during class instead of taking notes. And they wondered why they lacked friends god that kid was so insufferable. Part of the problem was if I thought the smut was better then mine 100% of the time projected adulthood onto that author and automatically assumed their intentions were off. Looking back at though dumbass baby syndrome strikes again cause girlll a lot of ya’ll were my age huh. So heres the thing i had to learn in all this. Is grown people writing porn about naruto funny? To me, yes ma’am it always will be just off the premise yo some of its good absolutely it is I’m just saying. Is it automatically predatory in nature to write porn about Naruto cause kids that like Naruto and mights see it? Unless you are doing it specifically because you want it to be seen by a younger audience (and who is doing that like fr) No. So the other part of the problem that is a little more valid, is that it felt really weird as a kid to see people sexualizing characters that were my age. It was fun and explorative to do it myself with my peers but every once in a while you’d come across that one blog, (and if you don’t have a blog name that just popped into your head after reading that i envy you cause half my blocklist just popped into mine while writing it) that was just like way too old and way too into it. Honestly though this is a problem that I don’t know what to do with. I mean first of all it for the most part it’s a few bad apples, but that doesn’t mean its not a issue and we should just live and let these weirdos live. I feel like i can’t just block these fools anymore and personally I think in gonna start bullying but if your a kid encountering someone that makes you feel uncomfortable in that way SMASH DEMOLISH AND INCAPACITATE that block button ok <3.

Well thats all I feel like writing right now cause I gotta go make me some dinner yuhhh. I plan to write more later cause i wanna talk more about what it looks like to be a grown up in fandom. Im not set if my ways and if anything about this sounds off to you especially concerning part 2 (cause that is absolutely and rightfully a touchy topic and I wanna be as understanding about it as i possibly can) please tell me cause I wanna learn and grow, contribute and participate in these spaces in the most neutral way possible.

OH MY GOD THIS IS MY 100TH REBLOG CONGRATULATE ME RIGHT NOW!!!

Growing up online in fandoms was a wild experience. If I could go back and change it all I would in a heart beat in an instant and without hesitation.

Goodluck to the next generation of super fans, fanfiction authors, and chronically online kids. I hope your time in this space brings you what you need. Be creative, be kind, be critical. catch you later!

[mintchochipkookie]

Banshee Bansh! 💜

Habitual, jam, menu

For the summer ask

Nanu i have just had: A Thought. Nan Nan and Ban Ban :D Anyway this whole answer kinda just turned into me reminiscing about my childhood and life in India so uhhhhhh yeah. This was fun, thanks for these questions 💜

Habitual: any summer hobbies?

Hmmm okay so what exactly constitutes a summer hobby? The thing is, i grew up in a city where it’s summer all year long lmaoo so idt we ever made that much of a distinction. Summer just meant we got some time off school and winter meant i could throw a light cardigan on and not sweat. Going swimming and to the beach were basically year-round activities ya know? I guess the thing that really changed was that we travelled during the summer, and i got to hang out with family and friends a lot more so it was always exciting. Also it was IPL season so that was always v exciting.

The only real summer-specific activity i can think of is Holi hahahaha which is my favourite festival and i really hope i can play it again sometime soon.

Jam: what’s your favourite type of ice cream or sweet treat?

Okay okay okay oh my god i have so many! This is basically just a massive recommendation/nostalgia list of Indian snacks.

So i’m a huge fan or shaved ice, BUT specifically!!! This thing called gola which is essentially just Indian shaved ice and the flavourings are amazinggg. My favourites are the orange one (which also reminds me, that we get really really good orange popsicles and I was obsessed with them) and this one called kala khatta which dude idk how to explain what it is but it’s SO good and it’s my go-to. I was just talking about missing it to a friend on Sunday hahaha

Other options that are up there are:

Kulfi which is a kind of Indian ice cream and it is delicious, especially the ones you get on the roadside ugh

Jalebis are my all time fave sweets but but but i’m kinda particular about this one. The best ones are the ones that are fresh and piping hot and straight from the uncle ka tawa. It tastes really good with rabdi too which is………..idk ig it’s made out of cream (?) and nuts and it cuts through the sweetness of the jalebi a little.

Candy floss! Or cotton candy as the Americans call it, but also i’ve never had a good one in the US fight me. The candy floss you get in India is incredible dude and i haven’t had it in years

And lastly, some special mentions of my favourite drinks i associate with the summertime. No, lassi isn’t on this list, but you know what is? Chhaas. It’s basically made with dahi (yogurt) and some spices and served cold and it’s super refreshing. There’s khus syrup which you mix in water and add ice and it is 💯. I was also always a Frooti girl. Keep your Maazaa and Slice to yourself, i still get so excited when i see Frooti. And finally…maybe a weird choice given that we had Rasna and Tang, but I really like Glucon D??? I have a pack somewhere in my kitchen rn too i need to go find it actually. I liked Rasna, Tang was trash, and nothing beats Glucon D for me.

Menu: what’s one summer type dish you like?

Pffffft i’m about to give the most Indian answer and it’s not even a dish. It’s mango. Listen. Indians are fucking obsessed with mangoes and if you ever taste any of ours, you’ll see why. I know it’s a thing that a lot of poc cultures love mangoes, but Nanu, no one does it like us. I refuse to eat a non-Indian mango. We literally go insane with them when summer comes around. A Very Normal Thing to do is to send people whole crates of mangoes when they're in season. The house would be overflowing with them. We just sit around the table and eat mango and talk about how good it is. The frooti/mazaa/slice ads are everywhere. The mango milkshakes and fresh mango desserts. Can’t not mention aamras even though it’s not my favourite. The best way to eat it (in my opinion) is to leave the mango on the skin and pull it out with your hands and teeth, and then you gotta suck out all the flesh from the pit aka the gutli. My favourite types of Indian mangoes are - alphonso (a classic), langda (this is a bit on the sour side, it reminds me of the mangoes in south east asia, like the type i ate in Thailand with sticky rice), and pairi (this is a fun one, you basically squeeze it and soften it up, cut a small hole at the top, and just suck the juice and flesh out).

Shoutout to mango’s younger brother, kairi because oh lordy have you ever had raw mango? It’s sour and extremely good i LOVE kairi!!! Also aam and kairi ka achaar ugh chef’s kiss whoever came up with that is a genius

Send me a summer ask

[fayesdiary]

What are your thoughts on the Hoshidan royals after finishing up Birthright? And do you have any favorite characters from this branch of the Fates game?

I’m feeling a bit better so I can finally answer this, it took me way longer than it should have but hey, to compensate the reply is really long Since the Hoshido family is a huge part of my faves I’ll talk about them first!

For starters, I love this family so much I’m not sure who my favourite is, because one day it’s Hinoka, the other it’s Takumi and then it’s Sakura. But on average I’d say I like them equally! Hinoka is a bit of a guilty pleasure, because she’s not that fleshed out and she gets forgotten in her own route despite being a royal and yes I’m salty, but at the same time? I love her personality, the mix of her being a tomboy but also being incredibly caring and emotionally intelligent, her design is great and she’s so fun and strong to use during gameplay! (Then again, all the royals are) Takumi is probably the most relatable character of both families, the way he’s so insecure about himself and his place in the family which turns into him acting abrasive even though he doesn’t mean it (or rather, he’s impulsive and often the words come out of his mouth before he actually thinks about what he’s saying), but at the same time? He’s not an asshole for the sake of it, and he knows how to apologize and to admit when he’s wrong! (See, his scenes with Corrin and Azura in BR, but also his supports with them) Also, ironically, with his skepticism of Corrin in the prologue he’s ironically the only one of the family who considers they actually have a life in Nohr and aren’t just brainwashed or whatever, which means they’re not just gonna do a 180 and join Hoshido because “they’re their true family”. Dunno, just something I always found funny. Sakura, like Hinoka, is someone I feel is also really underrated. She’s insecure and incredibly anxious(seems to be a trend in this family, everyone is insecure about at least something save Ryoma),  but at the same time she has an incredible resolve she often shows that makes her really compelling! Her personal skill isn’t called “Quiet Strength” for nothing, after all. Also, just like the previous two siblings, everything about her makes me want to give her a huge hug. I’ll be honest, Ryoma is the only one i don’t like. Or rather, I just feel neutral about him, I think he’s not that interesting? He doesn’t have any worthwhile faults or conflicts, and he just feels... too perfect? Even in gameplay he’s an absolute monster not that I’m complaining about that mind you , but there’s very little that makes me interested let alone attached to him. The only fault I can think of is that he’s a garbage parent even by Fates standards, but even then while Shiro constantly lampshades it it never gets addressed properly, and when that happens it usually makes me like a character less. (see: Xander in this very route, and Emperor Santa Claus) I got to say though, he sure loves keeping stuff hidden from his loved ones for no reason, examples being never telling Shiro he’s the king of Hoshido yet still somehow expecting him to be prepared to inherit the throne, or never telling Corrin the truth about Mikoto and their relationship with the Hoshidan family unless they marry him.

(Dunno if it’s an hot take or not, but I feel that Corrin not actually being Hoshidan would be a great source of conflict for them if it wasn’t used merely as an excuse to marry your siblings? A headcanon I have is that BR!Corrin feels like they’re not really part of the family due to a variety of reasons, like cultural dissonance, the lack of shared memories [think about it, the only memories Corrin has about Mikoto and Sumeragi is their deaths, ouch] and the fact they’re around people they didn’t even know until a week ago, but also constantly throw shit at their Nohrian family, the one who raised and loved them. Honestly, I’m suprised it never gets addressed in any supports, or at least the ones I read, and it’s something I’d love to touch on when I start writing Fates fanfics) Other characters I really liked were Oboro (female spear fighters are always great, add an interesting personality, great voice and design and being realy fun to use? What’s not to love about her?), Scarlet, Hana, Felicia (I know she’s available in every route, but I’m including her in here since she is more prominent in Birthright. And you know, that part with Flora that makes me wish Fates had base conversations), Silas(kinda the same argument) and... hm. I expected the list to be longer, to be honest. Then again, the royals alone take 6 slots of the character rosters and you can’t bring that many units into a single chapter, so I guess it makes sense. I would love to try using Saizo, Kagero, Setsuna (I would have reclassed her as a Balistician if that class wasn’t male-only for some stupid reason) and Hinata, honestly. Maybe in Rev or a next playthrough?

[puppy-phum]

get to know me

am going to mix these two different tag games into one post so thank you a lot for tagging me @jazthespazz and @i-am-just-a-kiddo ♥

it’s somehow funny to do these same games again after a while so let’s see what I come up with:

Part I

name: real name petra but i prefer vish/vishie over here ^^ 

pronouns: she/her

star sign: aries ♈

height: 178cm (which am coming more and more proud of while i realize how damn tall every cdrama actor is lol)

time: 10:37pm as am answering this one

birthday: 10th april!

nationality: finnish 

fave bands/groups: ah well this is always a hard question but let’s go with these: BTS, DAY6, OneRepublic, Hurts, Oneus, Hoppipolla, TXT, Red, Mamamoo

fave solo artists: (forgive me if i’ve assumed any of these wrong) Novo Amor, Talos, Crywolf, Liu Yuning, SYML, EDEN, PVRIS, Joker Xue, NF, Halsey, Sleeping At Last, Nuz, HyunA, Sam Smith, Taemin

song stuck in your head: it’s OneRepublic’s Rescue Me bc of the song tag game i did earlier today :’D that one always gets stuck in my head whenever i as much as see the title lol 

last movie you watched: i think it’s The Yin-Yang Master (2021)? I haven’t watched any movies after that bc am so busy with all of my dramas haha

last show you binged: i think binged would be The Journey Across the Night! I watched that as a whole in 4 days

when you created your blog: in 2013 

the last thing you googled: ummm i think it was “what is a ball of wool called” bc of fic purposes haha as a non native speaker i always get a bit lost with words like this 

other blogs: none, i just dump everything here like the idiot i am 

why i chose my url: dates back to my intense summer of binge reading J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Vishous was my favorite of the brothers haha. i first used this username in some random game on my nintendo ds lol 

how many people are you following: 358 which somehow feels like a lot but also like way too few?? i should probably search for some new blogs with other topics than cql, bts and/or dmbj bc i do love a lot of things at once 

how many followers do you have: over 800 

average hours of sleep: i’d say around 7h

lucky numbers: i remember answering 5 previously? i don’t really have a lucky number but 5 pops into my head

instruments: nope, no. not touching those tyvm. i admire everyone who can play any instrument tho

what i’m currently wearing: black jeans, socks with foxes on them (plus my woolly socks), a gray cardigan (my fave thing ever!) and an orange/brown top

dream job: writer would be ideal but that is very faaaaar into the dream zone 

dream trip: around different parts of asia to taste all the amazing food ;; maybe a road trip of sorts through europe? or inter railing? another trip to london bc i miss that ;; a trip to the very northern part of lapland to see all the auroras etc! i’ve never been that far north :’D 

fave food: if i need to quickly name something then sushi. otherwise am pretty fine with anything spicy 

top three fictional universes you’d like to live in: i remember thinking about this a lot the last time i answered this but hmm. currently i’d say dmbj still bc that world is fascinating AND i would love to talk to the characters. mass effect would be the second one currently bc i miss those games and the space stuff is super cool! and the third one would be assassin’s creed rogue bc that is my fave ac game and i like the northern sea and the places in it AND i could probably be one of abstergo’s employees instead and just test/play those simulation games haha 

Part II

Last Song: am currently listening to my playlist with just everything so i have Andrew Belle’s The Enemy playing right now (also I only just now realized that Andrew Belle also sings Pieces which is one of my fave songs? my bff linked that to me after it played in some tv series she was watching)

Last Movie Last Stream: i didn’t want to mention the same movie again or skip this question and i’ve wanted to talk about this anyway so! i watched Liu Chang’s bday live last night :’D it was so much fun even if i couldn’t understand anything. it was just nice to watch him being himself and have fun and chill with his fans. also the songs were amazing ;; i cried with Liu Sang’s character song as well as the ending. and all the while i couldn’t turn my gaze away from his eyes! he has such pretty eyes and they were absolutely Sparkling throughout the whole stream, it was so nice :’)

Currently Reading: Devotions by Mary Oliver (i adore her poems! they’re a very nice change after Siken haha) and then some uni stuff for a course about culture and mental health plus my thesis

Currently Watching: Douluo Continent, Word of Honor, The Long Ballad 

all of these are amazing and make me feel different things! i started Douluo Continent just a while ago and am now on ep 16 i think? it’s been very pretty and very chill and i watch it during the weekend while i wait for new episodes to the other two :’D it’s nice to see Xiao Zhan again and i’ve enjoyed the rpg game type of feeling in it? the group of seven is doing amazing and it’s interesting to watch them craft their team work! Word of Honor again has reached the ending and i just hold my breath with it. am not too far gone with it so i am not getting as heavy feelings about it as i probably could but i enjoy it  alot still and i do cry at times ^^ and then The Long Ballad has just blown me away! i didn’t expect to love it this much and be this invested in it but everything about it has been such a positive surprise and it keeps making me super emotional! i love the characters and the story and the romances even! it’s a great accomplishment for me. also yes i cry on the daily bc of hao du and bc of ashile sun’s hair haha

(i am also rewatching Ultimate Note kind of and been thinking about getting into rewatching Reboot bc it has been on my list ever since i finished it)

What is antipoetry to you: okay hmm i had to google this too and have to agree with Kiddo here. i don’t have strong feelings about poetry tbh, i wasn’t into poetry that much before maybe a bit over year ago? Siken has really blown me away haha. but i have always loved song lyrics which i never thought as poetry but then Kiddo said to me that they consider them poetry and yeah ok. i agree? so idk poetry can be whatever i suppose. i’ve never seen any rules in it anyway. i know there are many rules for different types of poetry but then again. i feel like poetry has always been just words put together to feel things and i guess that is the core purpose of every written type of art in the end right? 

Currently craving: a drama as good and as personal as The Journey Across the Night. that show really just stole my heart and i want that feeling back. i think about that show every day. i miss Li Jia and his two partners. i miss the vibes. i miss sitting on my floor watching it and just sobbing my heart out haha. also! craving a properly subbed, whole version of Anti-Fraud League. only the first 12 eps are badly subbed out there. wetv has... blocked? deleted? the whole show??? i need it to my life, i wanna see Xiao Yuliang being cute as Mi Ruo and i wanna know where the story goes smh 

thank you so much for these both! i had fun ^^ also am sorry this is so long but haha if you’re asking me to talk about myself and my interests then this is what you get :) 

tagging (to do which ever part you want or both!): @cross-d-a @jockvillagersonly @humanlighthouse @kholran @xcziel @minmoyu and @leonzhng ♥

[ermbabyel]

hi hi hi !! may i please request a personality ship with bts and ateez !! i apologize in advance bc it's super long </3

I’m a 5’9.5 (basically 5’10) girl with dark skin, jet black hair (currently in long twists rn!!), and i’m on the curvier side (esp hips and my thighs) !! some of my favorite features are my plump lips (and i have a beauty mark on my bottom lip!), my long legs (that look so so so so good in skirts and dresses), my kempt and pretty fingernails, and my eyelashes !!! i’m a virgo (and surprisingly i get along with all the signs, i cant think of a sole zodiac sign i DONT mix well with), and i am an i/enfj (i got 51% extravert 49% intra the first time, then 50% for both the second time!! ) and i honestly agree—i’m an ambivert all the way! i often come off as cold/shy when meeting new people (one of my closest friends avoided me for a month before meeting me because i looked so intimidating LMAO), but once you get close to me i turn into a bundle of warmth and love: i will never stop texting them the <3 emoji every morning or buying my friends/s/o their favorite starbucks order when they need a little cheer-me-up.

  i’m extremely passionate about the issues and people i care about and the goals and dreams i have. I’m creative, patient, an extremely good listener, caring, a social butterfly, and extremely hardworking. my friends always told me of my heart of gold and how perceptive i am of the people around me—noticing immediately when something is wrong and trying to make them feel better. I’m also very headstrong, detailed, and determined!! my friends also call me a nerd since i’ve had all a’s since kindergarten—i LOVE school and would describe myself as intelligent. i really like that i’m empathetic and motivational to those around me. it’s really easy for me to show my affection, adoration, and support for someone because i just want everyone to feel loved and safe :( i HATE seeing my loved ones sad, and when people usually have problems about anything (from family to just school), i’m the one they come to talk to because of my warm and openminded heart. I love sharing happiness with my friends in their goals and always hype them up no matter what, and it makes me so so so so happy seeing my loved ones content. im also really, really funny (my fave personality trait of mine tbh)!! I’m always cracking jokes and laughing (sometimes for no reason LMAOO). i would be in the library at like 7 am with my friends and struggle with stifling my laugh from jokes i told </3

  I also love to go out and explore—whether trying out a new restaurant in the city or a newly opened amusement park or trying something new, like skydiving (or some other crazy but fun idea), trying recipes from around the world, or trying sledding for the first time! at the same time, i like really chill, mellow spending-time-alone-or-with-one-other-person activities like baking (my favorite treat to bake is red velvet cupcakes and cheddar bay biscuits) and dancing !! (i’ve been a dancer for more than 12 years!!). i can also speak more than 5 languages (including korean!) and i’m always saying random phrases (like thank you, i love u so much!, gtfo my face, that sucks ass) in a random language too LMFAOOO. i often think being a coffee/cafe lover is a personality trait (i love love love love love coffee) i also love accessories (earrings, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, rings, etc) and would die of happiness when the day i can wear matching accessories with my s/o comes.

besides being my bestfriend who i can kiss and whatnot (hehe), my ideal type is a TALL (THEY DONT HAVE TO BE but 5’9+...i’m already tall but pls .5 of an inch taller would be enough) man who has eyes for me and only me !!! they may look cold/cool/mysterious/laid back at first glance (like “i dont like u lol” or “yeah haha 🙂" to any other girls but “hi baby what can i do for u today to please the loml” with me <3)  but turn into the sweetest, warmest, cutest honey bun once i get to know them! (kinda like me)!! ALSO a man who can pull off all black outfits like those are my FAVORITE omg. he needs to have a BIG sense of humor (like i want to laugh every second i’m with him and laugh so hard that our stomachs start hurting and we beg each other to stop making jokes type of humor), fashionable (so i can learn fashion pls and wear coordinated outfits with him). i just want a boy who i could talk to and listen to for HOURS. like i would follow him into the bathroom as he showers and sit on the toilet and just listen to him talk about his day or vent to him, but also a boy that loves comfortable silence!! like just cuddling with each other or im studying, and hes working on a personal project so that just being with him makes me feel warm <3 i want a s/o who’s willing to go out and travel with me so i could take off guard pics of him and make him my wallpaper until he begs me to change it. im also not good at conflict so if conflict arises, id love a boy who knows how to talk me down and open up the room for conversation and make me feel safe and not as if im confronted or wrong, someone where we can just talk, resolve our problem, and make it up with a hug or night out!! this kinda leads to me wanting a relationship where we both help improve each other and our flaws (for example some of my flaws are callousness, taking things to heart sometimes, and not opening up easily, etc), so i’d really appreciate a relationship where my partner and i can help each other grow as people. i also love love love to cook, so i’d love an s/o that loves cooking with me and teaching each other how to cook each other’s cultural foods (i would love to teach my bf how to cook jollof rice and have a cookoff one day). I like ALL 5 of the love languages but my top 3 tied for 1st are quality time (THIS i want to spend everyday with my bf at chinatown or a new city exploring), words of affirmation (someone who reaffirms me of their love continuously, supportively, and in sweet ways), and acts of service (cooking my favorite food when i’m down, doing chores that i cant do when tired). men who are really expressive through touch are also ideal <3 i'd shy away from pda, but inside the house i’d be so happy yet so shy and flustered when they express their love through touch (like laying in my lap so i can play with their hair, holding my hand while watching tv, cuddling while talking about whatever). OR like the SLIGHTEST compliment or act of love (LIKE BACKHUGS OR HOLDING HANDS OR KISSING MY BEAUTY MARKS OR FOREHEAD KISSESJSJSJSJ). i love a man who's goal oriented, know what he wants, and makes the move first (kinda like taking control of the relationship!!) in all, i’d just love to be really appreciated and loved and also show the same love, support, warmth, closeness, and happiness to my bf <3 tysm <333

Hi hi~! You sound like such a sweetheart and so cute 😍💕 I’ll be super happy to ship you~!

Bts

Yoongi 🥳

I thought of Yoongi right away while reading your submission. You sound like such a sweet and supportive person that I think Yoongi would benefit from being in a relationship with you. You also remind me a lot of hobi when I was reading your description so I think you two would be best friends too~! Yoongi would be intrigued by your appearance, your intimidating aura around you would make him want to know you more. Surely there’s more than meets the eye...and Yoongi was correct. After getting to know you more. He soon learned how such a happy and sweet person you are. He would love the duality of you. It’s keeps him on his toes and yearns to learn more o about you~! Yoongi is a very passionate person as well, especially with his career and his members. And I’m sure he’d be passionate with you too, but he’ll show you in his own little ways. For example, writing songs about you for bts’ new comeback, getting you your favorite foods and drinks when you both have had a long day...he just loves you so much. I can see you, and sope being the three musketeers of bts, you three would do SO much together. Yoongi can be a silly and goofy person as we’ve seen, but only certain people can drawl that aspect out of him, so you and hobi would do SOO well at making him feel comfortable to let loose and have fun~! I can see you and hobi goofing around at the studio with each other and Yoongi would shake his head and act unimpressed, but we all see right through him and he truly adores you in that state~! Yoongi would also think it’s super adorable how flustered and shy you get when he gets touchy with you 👀💜. Just a very cute and wholesome relationship~! 🥰

Ateez

Seonghwa 🥳

You love when your partner takes control? You don’t need to tell Seonghwa twice! The boy would LOVE to take care of you and take the lead in the relationship. I think he’s also naturally dominate, so it would be no problem for him~! I can see you two going on cute coffee dates to local cafè shops close by. Seonghwa would absolutely adore how excited you are about coffee~! He would also think it’s hella attractive that you’re a dancer 👀. He LOOOOVES to watch you dance for himself maybe he would create a dance for only you two to perform. Your legs and lips are how absolute favorite physical traits of yours. Seonghwa would always have a hand on your leg or knee whenever you guys are sitting down. And if you’d let him, Seonghwa would kiss you all day long~! He just loves the feeling of your soft lips against his 💜. Seonghwa also adores how happy and cheerful you are. Especially on hard long days full of practices and performances, your cheerful and loving nature always makes him feel better and soooo much more relaxed. I can see both of you mothering the other members too~! He appreciates you taking care of him at times, but he’s also take opportunities to take care of you too~! Overall a very sweet and loving relationship~! ❤️‍🔥

Again, I am very sorry for the long ass wait 🥺. I hope you enjoy your ships love~! Stay happy and healthy~! 🤗💜

[oftheflamingheart]

KCS Two Princes Podcast QnA October 17, 2020

Part 1

Transcripts below each image. Slight edits made to some questions for clarity.

Q: How will Amir’s and Rupert’s relationship change in the final season?

A: I think the boys do some growing up in this season, especially in terms of what it means to be in a relationship. in the past they’ve had to deal with monsters, but this season focuses a bit more on dealing with the ups and downs of being a couple.

Q:  should I grab the tissues?

A: Grab ALL the tissues...

Q: Rupert is my fave and he always gets made fun of. Will he have his moment of validation?

A: Who makes fun of Rupert??? I want names! That said there’s definitely a fun change the dynamic between Rupert and Amir this season.

Q: Will we see more of porridge in season three?

A: Yes, lots of porridge this season!

Q: how many songs will be in season three? (Eyes looking left emoji)

A: The incredibly talented Matt Schatz has written 9 amazing songs (plus 2 reprises).

Q: Who’s more nervous for the wedding? Rupert or Amir? (Eyes emoji again)

A: Rupert. 100%

Q: Someone asked about porridge, but will there be more Fitzroy?

A: Yes, Fitzroy is back too!

Q: Will there be more of Cecily and Joan?

A: Yes, Joan and Cecily have a lot more to do this season!

Q: Who’s your favorite character in the two princes?

A: Impossible to answer. I absolutely love that Rupert is a hero who leads with his heart. But I also have a soft spot for lovable sociopaths like Barabbas, Percy Junior and Lavinia.

Q: When people didn’t want the Royal Wedding was it homophobia or because two kingdoms were together?

A: A little of both. People who are against different cultures mixing often tend to be the same people who don’t like homosexuality or gender non-conformity. The series has always tried to show that all forms of discrimination are connected and that you can’t overcome one without overcoming them all.

[pynkhues]

Hi! You’ve said you’re really into movies before and now I’m curious about a few things. If this makes uncomfortable, please do ignore me.

Aside from english speaking movies (by that I mean any american, english, australian, etc, movies). What movies were you really into? What film industry to you wanna check out next? Have you ever watched Bollywood films? Asian film? Arabic films?

All in all, I just wanna get some insight on your film brain haha.

Hi! Yes! I love movies of all different languages and cultures, anon, and I watch pretty widely.

I’d say I’m definitely more versed in English-language films of course, but I’ve also watched big chunks of the back catalogue of many really iconic international filmmakers. I’ve watched pretty much all of Ingmar Bergman’s films for instance, and a lot of Akira Kurosawa’s, Federico Fellini’s, Kenji Mizoguchi’s (Ugetsu is p great in particular), Vittorio De Sica’s, and more, but I also watch a lot of newer films too. Recently I’ve seen the German film Land of Mine ago which I found deeply affecting, the Kenyan lesbian romance Rafiki which I also really enjoyed, and the pretty terrible, but also pretty fun Chinese eco-thriller The Wandering Earth, among many others!

Generally speaking, I try to watch three to five movies a week, and of that, I try to make sure at least one is a foreign language film and one’s a documentary.

For instance this week I’ve watched four films so far!

The Dry which is a new Australian film starring Eric Bana about a man who returns to the small town he grew up in after his childhood friend commits a murder-suicide, killing his wife and young son and then himself. It was very good, and a thriller that managed to be both tense and kind of meandering? Which is a really interesting mix to pull off!

Blindspotting, which is an American dark dramedy about an ex-convict three days away from finishing his parole who sees a cop kill an unarmed Black man. I loved it and was really affected by it! I’ve thought about it a lot since watching it and highly recommend it!

Harlan County USA, which is a 1976 American documentary about the unionisation of the Brookside Miners and their subsequent year-long protest after many of the miners died of black lung. Beyond that though, it’s also very much about police brutality, poverty and capitalism. It’s extremely good and even though it’s almost 50 years old, feels as relevant now as it was when it was made.

Rafiki which as I mentioned above is a Kenyan lesbian romance and somehow manages to be incredibly cute and sweet while not shying away from the complex political context of being LGBT+ in Kenya.

And I’ve also bought tickets to see the English horror film, Saint Maud at the cinema tomorrow night which I’m very excited for!

In terms of what I’m into, I’ve watched a lot of French films, a lot of Japanese films and a lot of Greek films, but at the moment, I’m particularly watching a lot of South Korean films, especially horror (over the last few months I’ve watched The Call, The Wailing, I Saw the Devil, Red Eye, The Host, Train to Busan, and re-watched A Tale of Two Sisters which is a fave), and I’ve recently started watching a bit of Israeli cinema (Waltz with Bashir, Foxtrot, I Love You Rosa and The House on Chelouche Street being the ones I can name off the top of my head).

I haven’t actually watched a lot of Indian films or Bollywood films though! It definitely feels like a major canon I’m missing – particularly given I’d say Deepa Mehta‘s Elements Trilogy is in my top 100 movies.

So yes! I hope that’s interesting, haha. I’m always open to movie recommendations too or questions about movies. I’ll watch pretty much anything and feel like I’m a known rambler on here at this point, hahaha. 😊

[felixnation]

THE TOP 10 WORST KPOP SONGS OF 2020

(WARNING: I DON’T LIKE THESE SONGS AND WILL BE MEAN AT THEM. I DO NOT HAVE ANY PERSONAL BEEF WITH ANY OF THESE GROUPS OR ARTISTS SO DON’T COME FOR ME IF YOUR FAVE MADE A STINKER TRACK THIS YEAR.)

Ah, 2020. The year where disco came back, the 80s came back, and everyone was titling their songs after nonsense words. It was a good year for k-pop overall, with a lot of new trends entering the game towards the end of summer. However, there were some real clunkers that refused to get out of my head this quarantine and pissed me off to varying degrees each time I heard them. This list is an attempt to chronicle all of those.

So without further ado, let’s get this shit done.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

NCT 127 - PUNCH This isn't actually a bad song, hence it only making it to the honorable mentions section. In fact, I think this could've easily made the best list had it not been for one thing, and that's the presence of NCT 127, namely their rap line. The instrumental on this thing is absolutely killer and one of the best productions to come out of SM in a long time. The entire thing is bizarrely structured and incredibly gutsy, and therefore I think it's a travesty that an instrumental this incredible was drowned in ASMR-esque whispers and EYYYY WE BALLINs. There are a few salvageable sections, namely the first post-chorus, and we see glimmers of NCT 127's true potential, should they choose to explore this sound further.

CIGNATURE - NUN NU NAN NA Similar to Punch, I admire the production choices here - there are a few sections that blast you with 100gecs-esque womps, and that's always something I enjoy. The vast majority of the song rarely dips below decent territory, but since the entire thing hinges on the titular hook, it ends up falling apart right when it needs to bring the hype the most. I mean, building a hook around those notes was...an interesting choice, I guess. It reminds me a lot of fromis_9's FUN!, which also constructed the entire song around a terrible set of notes. Listen to them yell that hook at you and tell me it doesn't sound off. Most frustrating song of 2020.

ONG SEONG WU - GRAVITY Have you ever heard a drop this weak? I sure haven't. I hate the way he says DIVING INTO YOUR LOVE, the over-enunciation kills me and there's one syllable too many. Also, thanks Ong Seong Wu for giving CRAVITY the promo they deserve.

BTS - FLY TO MY ROOM I can't relax while listening to this, the beat is so sparse and has this nauseous sway to it that really makes me feel like I'm reliving these past 9 months of quarantine all over again. And just like quarantine, it really feels like this goddamn thing never ends. That final set of choruses is really a chore to get through, and I'm not the only one who thinks so - shout out to Taehyung for serving taste and I'm sorry Jimin convinced you to sing out of your natural range yet again.

TREASURE - MMM Ew.

I*ZONE - FIESTA It's a pretty standard girl group song up until that chorus hits and oh my god, who on earth produced this? Are they actively trying to trigger my psychosis? There are so many sounds happening that it feels like three or four demo tracks laid on top of each other, it makes me confused even trying to figure out what's going on here. And that post-chorus drop is horrendous, it's like the instrumental is literally screaming into my ear STREAM BLOOM*IZ!!! STREAM BLOOM*IZ YOU DUMB CUCK!!! YOU LOVE IT!!!

NOW FOR THE REAL LIST.

#10: TAEYEON - HAPPY

I do not like this. Taeyeon has one of the most powerful voices in the industry and instead of putting it to good use, she decided to put out the musical equivalent of eating a stick of butter. Bland, horrible texture, seems to go on forever and ever, you know you shouldn't be consuming it and you don't know why you're doing this to yourself, etc.

The MV contributed to my dislike, with Taeyeon whitewashed all the way into uncanny valley as she lounges around her beautiful apartment. Well of course you'd be happy if you lived in a place like that, I know I would. The sad thing is that there's some really nice vocal work here and there, but for the majority of the song, Taeyeon decides to serenade us in the most nasal tone that she can muster. I know she can sing better than this, and I'm disappointed in her for creating this and unleashing it on the world.

#9: WEKI MEKI - OOPSY

Whereas Picky Picky was annoying in the best way possible, Oopsy is annoying in the worst way possible. The instrumental legitimately sounds cheap, the drums sound so tinny and artificial that it's hard on the ears. Not to mention the hook, wherein the girls force their voices as high as they can go as they proclaim OOPSY! 

I'm a huge fan of cute concepts, but when it comes to putting out a high-energy sugary track like this, you're walking a fine line between adorable and irritating. Weki Meki didn't even try to walk the line, they just dove headfirst into irritating territory without a care in the world. It literally feels like the audio equivalent of having to hold a whiny toddler and then it pisses itself and the mom is just cooing about how her little darling made an oopsy.

#8: VICTON - MAYDAY

It feels like for most of the year, the vast majority of boy groups were stuck in a rut, knee-deep in sludgy EDM and leather harnesses. You know the songs I'm talking about, and I could've put any one of them here, but I chose this one purely because that chorus makes me feel like I have a concussion. I don't like this song nor the trend it's representative of - I spent most of quarantine having the same dark BG concepts thrown at me over and over and I'm glad things are starting to take a bit of a turn.

The bridge on this is actually pretty great, and the guys in VICTON do know how to sing, as can be seen in the final post-chorus. But man, there's just nothing fresh being brought to the table here, just the same stale trends in their worst form yet. The hook is so slow and drowsy, the same few notes just repeated over and over. I have not seen the MV because I feel like I can picture it well enough in my head just by listening. Are there harnesses? Don't forget those, boys.

#7: MCND - SPRING

Only Pentagon are allowed to do these concepts.

#6: HYO, LOOPY, SOYEON - DESSERT

This is genuinely unlistenable as soon as the drop hits, with a vocal stitching job that might be a horn synth, I'm not sure. That's how annoying it is. The producer is clearly incompetent and the performers are oozing with personality, though not the pleasant sort. The hook is  bratty and the raps here are beyond generic. After the halfway point, there are a couple interesting sounds thrown into the mix, but it's not enough to save things.   

Soyeon in particular sounds awful here, with her iconic nasally tone morphing into something genuinely irritating and borderline spiteful. Age up the toddler from the Oopsy comparison to around 7 or 8 and that's basically what you've got here. All I can hope is that this song is not influential in any way, shape or form, because I just had a vision of Blackpink imitating this production style and I felt a shiver run down my spine.

#5: SECRET NUMBER - WHO DIS?

I'm not sure how many Secret Number fans are out there, but I'm about to make all of em real mad at me right about now. However, it must be said.

This is basically Your Turn by Kaachi again.

I don't think I need to explain that hot take, just listen to the song. It's surprisingly amateurish, to the point where I feel like the vocals aren't in sync and they just used the first take they got from each girl. The raps in particular are awful, and I swear they even sound like they go off-key a couple of times. How this blew up in any aspect is bizarre to me. Anyways, stream Photo Magic and stan Kaachi.

#4: BAEKHYUN - CANDY

Did you want a k-pop version of Yummy by Justin Bieber? No? Well, Baekhyun decided to make it anyways! At least Yummy was sort of funny in how bad it is, this is just...a somber affair. Inexplicably, he manages to oversing the final third of the song, which I don't get the point of, but okay. Lazy, underproduced and overproduced at the same time, bland, boring, annoying...

Wait, did he just say...

Okay, I changed my mind, this is hysterical. Like Pop rocks, strawberry, bubble gum...

#3: (G)-IDLE - DUMDI DUMDI

I'm so sick of this group's 'ethnic' schtick, it's like they never learn. They just don't give a fuck - after a string of genuinely great tracks like Hann, Lion, and Oh My God, they just decide to put out this shit and expect me to listen to it? They're a group with a lot of potential, with some brilliant vocalists and the talent that is Soyeon (who really loves being on this list, apparently) but if they continue down the path of using different cultures as concepts I can't support them any further.

The song itself has salvageable parts, a recurring theme on this list, but the over-the-top tribal influences are so obvious and tropey that even listening to it feels gross. (G)-Idle have more creative control than most groups, and the fact that they're capable of creating works of art like Lion is what makes me harsh on them. Instead of moving forward, they continue to regress into their comfort zone of cultural appropriation.

#2 YOOA - BON VOYAGE

Speaking of cultural appropriation...are we gonna address this? Nah? Okay.

Oh My Girl, YooA's parent group, has a history of blatant cultural appropriation (and arguably some legit racist moments depending on how you look at it) and they seem like they're not changing anytime soon. That's why this particular song stings even more than it probably should. If you thought Dumdi Dumdi's tribal influences were a little too on the nose, take a listen to this chorus.

YooA has a bad voice, is wearing tribal face paint, and is running around the wilderness whitewashed into oblivion while a choir of nameless voices chant vaguely tribal things behind her. Even in an industry like k-pop, this sticks out as something in bafflingly poor taste, and I can't see how she got away with this in 2020.

#1 BLACKPINK & SELENA GOMEZ - ICE CREAM

Well, this is a predictable pick. 

I don't know why or how Blackpink thought they could get away with drip-feeding blinks content for 4 goddamn years in the lead-up to their first album, only to drop this big fat clunker on them. I honestly felt insulted by the song, from its cheap, tinny production to the god-awful lyrics. I don't know how anyone could find any value in a piece of music this soulless and hollow.

Lisa's raps are by far the worst part of it, with FIRE BARS such as "you're the one been chosen, play the part like moses" and "mona lisa kinda lisa". Unfortunately, these raps take up a good portion of the song, and there's nothing going on in the instrumental to distract you from them, save for that little ice cream truck jingle. (or at least I think that's what the producer was going for)

Selena is a non-presence and essentially blends in with the girls, who WAIL that awful hook like their lives depend on it. Also, there's some really cheesy innuendos here that're sung with all the sex appeal of the actual ice cream truck driver from literally your neighborhood. 

I loathe what this song represents - the only good thing about it is that the girls look stunning in the MV. And that's exactly the thing - this song represents the exact moment in time wherein Blackpink admitted to their audience that music is no longer their main focus. This is the peak of their influencer-ization, and only time will tell if they'll redeem themselves. (Spoiler: They sort of did, goddammit.)

[yoimeta]

Hi everyone! I noticed recently that the "KAZAKHSTAN 101 OR HOW TO OTABEK" post seems to have been taken off of tumblr? The author's whole blog seems to have been wiped. Do you know if this is archived anywhere? Is there a mirror, say, on Ao3?

Hello!

Thankfully, I managed to find what I believe is the original post. Here it is! The post is archived in plain text under the cut.

Hope this helps!

- Ji

Source: @sawyer-aik

KAZAKHSTAN 101 OR HOW TO OTABEK

THERE YOU GO YURI ON ICE FANDOM.

Disclaimer: this is in no way a fully comprehensive guide. This is just me trying to put together basics for people who are unfamiliar with Kazakhstan/Kazakhs to start their writing/research.

I am an ethnic Kazakh female, citizen of Kazakhstan, Almaty, bisexual, upper middle class, currently in college in the US. My experience is in no way representative of all kazakhs and Kazakhstan citizens. However, I think it’s pretty close to Otabek’s.

This is really, really long and kinda convoluted, but if you can bear it –– welcome!

Name: Many people have talked about Otabek’s name. This is how you shorten it –– “Bek”, “Beka”, or “Beks” if you wanna be really familiar and laid back.

Kazakhs don’t have middle names, we have patronymics. They are formed like this: the father’s name + ‘uly’ if the child is a boy or ‘kyzy’ is the child is a girl. For example, Otabek’s childrens’ patronymics would be Otabekuly and Otabekkyzy.

About Almaty and almatinians: Ok I’m so happy Otabek is from Almaty, I really don’t know much about life in other cities or rural areas. Almatinians rarely do. Comparing Almaty lifestyle to the rest of Kazakhstan is the same as comparing NYC to the rest of America –– it’s not representative of the quality of life in the country, like, at all.

Almaty has 2.5+ million population, and it grows every year. It’s a cultural and economic centre of the country. Apples originate from Almaty (!!!), hence the name from “Alma” –– apple. Almatinians are usually stereotyped as fast, brash and snobby –– kinda like New Yorkers, right? Almaty is much more tolerant and progressive, and also more ‘Western’ than the rest of the country in terms of mindset. Almatinians kinda look down on non-Almatinians, and really dislike the capital Astana because of all the funding and attention it gets.

Almaty has a great ethnic diversity –– main groups are Kazakhs, Russians, Uygur, Koreans, Germans, Jews, Uzbek, and many more. Though stereotypical jokes are generally acceptable, outright hate and discrimination against an ethnic group is not tolerated. Many foreigners visit here for business –– mostly Americans, Western Europeans and Chinese.

Almatinians love: coffeeshops, mall sales, cool cars (Hello Otabek’s motorcycle), smoking hukkah and vaping. They are usually concerned with status and try to show off their wealth. You can see people of all kind of different style and background in Almaty, fashion shows are held there, contemporary art and indie-music congregates there, along with all kinds of fancy ass crowd. It is a really interesting and kinda exhausting scene, especially if you are young and wanna have fun.

Language, culture, food, etc.

As an Almatinian Kazakh, Otabek is definitely fluent in both Russian and Kazakh, and probably has a very good grasp on English. He is a master of shala kazakh. Shala kazakh is a magic language that only city Kazakhs are privy to. It’s basically a wild mix of kazakh, russian and some fashionable english slang thrown in there. It’s usual for me to start a conversation with “OMG bro” and then kinda pull my speech together, substituting kazakh and russian words with each other and pepper it with “cool”, “ok” and other english exclamations. It’s not grammatically correct and is kinda lowbrow, but we all do it. Yes, even our parents. This is how Otabek sounds when he is talking to someone from home. Terrifying.

Nuclear family: City Kazakhs usually have two or three kids. That’s less than people have in rural areas. Children are important in Kazakh culture because they carry the family’s bloodline and history, especially boys. If you headcanon Otabek as having brothers and sisters, you are probably right! His family should be at least sort of wealthy to afford all the expenses of having a professional athlete for a child. Otabek has an expensive bike and his clothes look high-end –– he is definitely not poor.

Family in general. Kazakhs are close, VERY CLOSE to their family. Mind you, family is not just parents and siblings but also your grandparents, aunts and uncles and like all 173 cousins and nieces and nephews. Everyone is ridiculously involved in your life, always there with advice and complaints. You stay connected to your parents when you move out, when you get married, when you have kids, when you DIE. When Otabek misses the weekly skype dates or check-in phone calls, HE IS SHAMED SO HARD. Do you know grandma is worried about you, think about how old she is! Otabek’s relatives brag about his achievements like they moved him up the career ladder personally, with their own two hands. There’s nothing Otabek can really do about it tho he gets annoyed

Food: city Kazakhs have a very diverse cuisine. Traditional kazakh food is like 50% batter and 50% meat and takes long ass time to prepare so we reserve it for the holidays. My family loves fish, russian dishes such as borsht and blini, Uzbek lagman, Korean kimchi tho we try to avoid pork. And it’s not like we choose one day as a “Russian cuisine day”, we just kinda??? Deside to have some borsht today?? Almaty has lots of different restaurants, almatinians love sushi, pizza and pasta, shashlyk, all kinds of experimental foods and trying new things. Kumys –– mare’s milk –– is one of the things you should try in Kazakhstan as a turist, but I know many kazakhs who have never had it or don’t like it. They say it’s really good for you tho.

Holidays: ethnic Kazakhs in Kazakhstan celebrate: birthdays, New Years, Eid al-Adha which we call Kurban Bairam, Independence Day on December 16th and Nauryz on March 22nd. Young people kinda have get togethers on Halloween because it’s fun and a reason to hang out. Nauryz is one of my faves, it’s a pagan holiday of coming of spring and new life. On Nauryz, Almaty is adorned with flowers, yurts and giant swings are set on the city square, people wear traditional clothing and dance and play and eat a lot. My family also ended up celebrating Eastern Orthdox Christmas and Easter because each year our Russian friends invite us to hang out and celebrate with them, lol.

LGBTQIA+

Main principle is “Don’t ask, don’t tell”. General conflict avoidance protocols are in place. I personally know like 3 LGBT friendly hubs/clubs in Almaty. Nobody explicitly says “gay clubs” but people just kinda know what and where those are. There are get togethers and meetings you can attend to meet people, you can hang out with your significant other in public, hug, hold hands and no one would probably say anything. Colleges and universities are generally safe places, many of my friends are out in their college and don’t face any trouble. PDA will be frowned upon, but all PDA is generally frowned upon in Kazakhstan, even hetero. Feminist and sex-positive initiatives try to educate the populace and break the status quo, and are doing really well but the government’s disposition is homophobic. If your family is religious or traditional, they probably wouldn’t go as far as disowning you, but will probably pressure and guilt-trip you. LGBT+ youth generally plan to move somewhere else or just not settle. All of this is Almaty situation tho. Being LGBT in rural area is much more dangerous.

THE BEST PART: VOCABULARY

Ok this is what I find to be the easiest way to explain Kazakh to English speakers: think Turkish but written in cyrillic, with words borrowed from Arabic and Russian.

Endearments:

zhanym, жаным: my soul. Zhanym is everything to a Kazakh. You can use it for your family, friends, SO, I called my laptop zhanym today. It can be flirty, it can be serious. If you need Otabek to be affectionate with someone, use zhanym.

ainalaiyn, айналайын: really hard to translate but something like my precious?? Usually used towards small kids, but also if a Kazakh finds something really cute.

altynym, my golden baby. I love this one for obvious reasons, lol, hi, Otabek.

Mahabbatym, махаббатым, my love +

Suiktim, сүйіктім. my love, my dear. Kinda old fashioned but really romantic. I can see Otabek using this, but he will be teased and called an old sap if he does.

Kazakh have a lot more endearments, but most of them are for children.

Basic interaction and exclamations:

Iya. Ия. Yes.

Zhok. Жоқ. No

Rakhmet. Рахмет. Thank you.

Keshir. Кешір. Sorry.

Salem, Сәл��м. Hello. A familiar greeting.

Sau bol, Сау бол. Literally “Be well” but actually means goodbye. Pretty familiar too.

O Kudai, О Құдай/O Allah, О Алла! Oh my god, obviously. Used in all kinds of different situations.

Oibai, Ойбай! How does one explain oibai. When a friend jump scares you, when you receive bad news, when you check your bank account –– oibai!

Abai bol, Абай бол. Be careful, is what your mom tells you when you go out.

Expletives and Swear Words. Yeeaaah the juicy stuff.

Zhyndy, Жынды. Crazy. If someone is being stupid or inappropriate, you call them zhyndy. When you tell a dumb joke at the familty table, mom smacks you upside the head and hisses “Ooooi, zhyndy!” When Jean-Jaques is acting a fool and makes out with his reflection, Otabek rolls his eyes and mutters “Zhyndy”.

Akymak. Ақымақ. Idiot. When someone is just dumb and not worth your time.

Ittin balasy. Иттің баласы. Child of a dog. It can be as harmless as “you pup” and as offensive as “son of a bitch” depending on the situation.

Kotindy kys. Көтіңді қыс. Squeeze you ass. God I love this one. When someone being an obnoxious wannabe, tell them they should squeeze their ass and check themselves.

Jean-Jaques: I am gonna be the King of the Grand Prix!

Otabek: Kotindy kys.

Shygasyn ba?! Шығасың ба?! You wanna go bro?! Ohh, someone is gonna catch these Kazakh fists.

Sigil. Сігіл. Basically go fuck yourself.

Sheshen ahmy/Sheshen sigem. Шешең амы/Шешең сігем. Your mother’s c*nt/Imma fuck your mother. REALLY FUCKING OFFENSIVE. Say this to a Kazakh if you have a death wish.

——————————————————————————————-

AND THEEEEEEERE YOU GO.

Again, this is just the basics. Do more research and talk to as many Kazakhs and Kazakhstani people as you can. We are a different but usually an interesting bunch. Thanks for your attention, Sawyer out!

[bluephoenixdruidicprincess]

I want to get into kpop but i don't have any idea where to start? There's so much out there, do you have any tips or recs?

Why hello friend and future Kpop cohort!

I totally get you. The genre is pretty expansive and it can feel overwhelming. Especially if you’re brand new and you have no idea what’s good and what’s not. I got into it with a slight bit of advantage because I got into it about 10 years or so ago, before it really started getting big in western pop culture. So I was able to kind of grow into it and watch the genre grow with me and from there I could figure out my tastes when it comes to that industry.

How did I originally get into it? Well, like the total weeb I am, I am an anime lover so I would listen to their opening theme songs and a lot of it I really liked the sound of, so from there I kind of got into jpop (Japanese-pop) and then I started experimenting more with Kdramas, jdramas, cdramas, tdramas, etc. And just like with anime, I would listen to the music being played and think, “ok, I like that, where can I buy it?”. The downside is that 10 and 15 years ago, the Asian pop industry was not big in western culture so it was super hard to acquire the music through legal means. A lot of the music wasn’t available on the US Itunes or any of the other venues. I would literally have to make playlists on youtube for those songs or illegally download them, etc. But the thing with finding the music on youtube back in those days was that youtube was still relatively new and copyright issues was a seemingly never-ending battle there (I mean, it still is but that’s beside the point, youtube needs to hurry up and get with the times!). So you could create playlists of your favorite Asian drama songs but the videos had a tendency to be blocked frequently because of copyright claims (especially with the Japanese songs, Japan takes no prisoners when it comes to copyright). There was also a time when I would go on Amazon and just purchase the physical soundtrack CD as well.

But thankfully, those days are now over. I am so happy that this music industry is starting to make more of a wave over on this side of the world so I don’t have to jump through all of these hoops trying to find music that I want to listen to. i can typically find everything I’m looking for on Spotify these days.

As for any tips on how you can get into it, there’s really not much I can say. Like with all music, its completely subjective, based on your own music tastes. A lot of it is going to be trial and error. If you have Pandora, I would recommend listiening to a Kpop station and that should kind of give you a feel for the type of music you’re into and which bands and artists you would like to follow. You could also take my approach -- you could watch anime and the various Asian dramas and listen to those soundtracks and that can also give you a feel for the kinds of music you like. What I’ve taken to recently is creating two Spotify playlists. One playlist is designated for putting all the music in for all of the artists I’m interested in potentially following (Asian Pop is what I titled it). Then while I’m at work, I’ll turn on the playlist and whenever a song comes on that I’m really vibing with, I add it to the second playlist (Asian Pop Faves). And after a while, you start building up a good playlist full of songs you’re really vibing with.

As I don’t know what your music tastes are, I can’t really recommend music that you’ll definitely like. But I can give you some of the bands and artists I listen to.

Here are a few of the more popular bands that are getting pretty big right now:

-BTS (I’m not a huge stan of BTS but they have a few songs I like)

-Twice

-Red Velvet

-Blackpink

I’ll also give you some of my faves.

BoA (K-Pop, J-Pop) – Of course, if you’ve been following me a while, you knew there was no way I was not going to include her as a recommendation. I love her so much, I think her voice is super unique and she’s an absolute powerhouse when it comes to performing live. She’s been dubbed the Queen of Kpop and no matter what, no matter what the next big thing comes out of the industry is, BoA will always by my Once and Future Queen of the industry.

2NE1(K-Pop) – If you like Blackpink but have never listened to 2NE1, what even are you doing with your life? So much of Blackpink is heavily inspired by the era left behind 2NE1. 2NE1 sadly isn’t active anymore but they have left a permanent mark on the industry for sure. NO ONE interested in Kpop should sleep on 2NE1 in my opinion.

AAA (J-Pop) – This is a J-pop band and much like BoA, I’ve been following them for the past decade or so. They’re kind of unique in the sense that the band is a mix of both men and women. This is actually a rarity within the industry. You don’t see it too much. I suspect its because the industry often caters their music to different fanbases. All male bands will cater to a specific fanbase in their music, while all-female bands will cater to a different fandom with their music. So when you have both grouped together, you kind of have to find a middle-ground in that area and I think AAA has really succeeded in that area. I love their sound and they are so much fun to watch live.

Back-On (J-Pop) – Another J-Pop band. This one is all-male. If you’re into a little more of a rock vibe, this is the band for you.

Hikaru Utada (J-Pop) – If you’re into Kingdom Hearts, then you’ve already heard her but definitely don’t sleep on any of her other projects. I think she’s really great and has more of an R&B style approach to her pop.

Pentagon (K-Pop) – An all-male band. They got the nice boy-band pop sound if you’re looking for that

IU (K-Pop) – Female artist. She has a very clear soprano voice and she often mixes jazz style into her pop which creates a really unique sound that I enjoy.

Punch (K-Pop) – Along the same lines with IU, a really very clear beautiful voice

KARD (K-Pop) – A mix of male and female artists, they don’t have a lot out right now, but what I’ve heard so far I really like.

Also, if you’re looking for a soundtrack to listen to, I recommend the You’re Beautiful kdrama soundtrack. It’s really great and also if you want to watch a kdrama, You’re Beautiful is also a fantastic drama as well.

Here’s some individual songs that I like a lot:

Cool Hot Sweet Love – Red Velvet

RPM – SF9

Drama – AAA

Horizon – AAA

Milky Way – BoA

Masayume Chasing – BoA

Woman – BoA

Manhattan Tango – BoA

Make Me Complete – BoA

Everlasting – BoA

The Shadow – BoA

No. 1 – BoA

M.E.P – BoA

Implode – BoA

Romance – Boa

Hurricane Venus – BoA

Etude – BoA

One Shot, Two Shot -- BoA

(alright, that’s it with the BoA recs; I told you guys, I love her)

Grip! – Every Little Thing

Dejavu – AAA

First Name – AAA

Next Stage – AAA

Thank You – AAA

Hide-Away – AAA

Find You – AAA

Get Chu! --- AAA

Strike Back – Back-On

Bad Boy – Red Velvet (there’s both a Korean and English version, both sound great!)

It’s Me (Pick Me) – Produce 101

Just Do It Yo! – Pentagon

Make It Right – BTS

Boy in Luv – BTS

Done For Me – Punch

DNA – BTS

2NE1 – Happy

As If Its Your Last – Blackpink

It Hurts – 2NE1

Ugly – 2NE1

Psycho – Red Velvet

Don’t Leave Me – BTS

Scary Fairy Tale – IU

Come Back Home – 2NE1

Lost Child – IU

Havana – IU

Dinosaur – AKMU

Fake Love – BTS (both regular version and rock version)

With you – Back-On, Me

Yes or Yes – Twice

Endless Fighters – AAA

Peter Pan -- EXO

3-6-5 -- EXO

But anyway, I think that’s it for now. This list in no way encompasses everything that I love in the industry but this should give a good starting point!