#more toxic workplace shenanigans

[my-roooom]

Not pictured: Mihawk out of frame like 👁️👁️🍷

[wonryllis]

after hours, i can be whatever you want me to be ⭑ ( lhs. )

⭑ FEATURING horrendously down down bad lee heeseung x kinda naive philophobic fem!reader. where heeseung has no intentions of escaping your cages, forever remaining under the spell of your love. ( ARCHIVE? )

⭑ GENRE & WARNINGS fluff, toxic situation, almost kissing, mildly suggestive WORDCOUNT 0.834k

she's crazy but i love her.

heeseung's steps are slow and calculated, eyes glued on your figure trying to make your way to his car. stumbling and wobbly in heels you (kind of) seem accustomed to, feet clicking against the pavement in a hasty stride. he's worried. you were out with friends past midnight on a weekday, called him all drunk to pick you up from the bar and now you are barely able to walk straight, ankle on the verge of twisting at any given moment but you wouldn't let him hold you. he's worried sick.

"angel please just hold onto me hm?" he pleads rushing over when you visibly slip on an uneven part, hands almost gripping around your waist as you manage to keep your balance, staggering back into his arms in a couple of steps.

"you! who are you!" your hands push against his chest as you turn around startled. there it goes, again! heeseung sighs knowing what's to come. it's the third time in the last fifteen minutes, going over this exact conversation word to word.

"it's heeseung, your cousin's friend and your friend," he makes sure to emphasize on 'your friend' trying to stop this before it gets further into the loop.

"where's my cousin?" you ask, looking around the rather empty parking lot.

"he working," heeseung's explanation is dry because he knows you'll cut him off before he can say anything more,"and why are you here?" just like that. he remembers the first time this happened, when you were actually sober and met him at your cousin brother: jay's workplace. you showed up out of nowhere, without any notice and jay was going bonkers at how he'll get you back home when he has the most important client waiting for him in the next room. heeseung hadn't thought much when he offered to drop you off, a favor for a friend that was all it was to him.

"because you called me, angel," but god was he wrong, for he swears the moment he laid his eyes on you he was a goner. you were too darn pretty to be just a favor. you were younger, a party girl always running out to frat and sorority gatherings, bars and clubs. often calling jay to pick you up to avoid letting your parents know of your shenanigans.

"why did i call you and not my cousin?" everytime he had wished it was him and not jay, even though ultimately he was the one who went. carrying your cute drunk ass to your mansion and getting you to your room as discreetly as possible. you are a rich girl, two worlds apart and heeseung has felt it in many ways than not.

"because i'm your cousin's friend and you know me well," heeseung never thought he'd ever be more than just your cousin's friend to you. at least he hopes he is more. you have done things with him that you'd definitely not do with just your cousin's friend. a space curtaining acquaintance and lover, he hangs dangerously cold and heedless.

"so where's my cousin?" between days left ghosted and nights you throw your arms around him he stands unsure of his place in your life. at times he feels you know he's the one who could treat you better than any of the guys you cry for. yet there are moments when there's this sturdy wall you build, holding him away for the sake of not losing him like others. afraid of love is what you refuse you are but heeseung knows your conceptions of it are a little too twisted, broken he dare say. and his love for you is so far and conflicted to the things you have experienced, he understands the lengths and the time it will take for you to recognize and accept him.

"you know what, i'm getting you in the car myself," in an instance his hands grip at the back of knees and the curve of your waist, hauling you up in his arms. he walks quick to his car parked at the far end, smiling through the constant pouty mumbles of yours. eyeing you every two seconds, not being able to resist that pretty face of yours.

it is absolutely not in him to ever resist that pretty face of yours, your pretty eyes and your pretty lips as they graze against his own in gentle brushes. arms looped around his neck and thighs resting on the soft matress of your bed, albeit on each side of his own, yet again. sitting on his lap, so close, bodies pressed. "heeseungie, please stay," your voice a sultry whisper of a whine, a naive vixen, if that's even a thing.

lee heeseung knows he will never have the power to refuse you, he will be whatever you want him to be for how ever long you will want him to be.

you make him crazy and he loves you for that.

taglist ( open. ) @kangseulgithegreat @s00buwu @lilyuwon @pockyyasii @nctislifue @ashtxrie @miniature-tragedy @jayujus @brachives @thoughtsmeander2tumblingblindly @eeunoia @nxzz-skz @shawnyle @potato0579 @enhastolemyheart @ro-diaries @aaa-sia @okwonyo @enhabooks @jjunae @criminalyun @enhacrumbsss @oddracha @seochangbinnnnnnnnnnn @mxxnintheskyreblogs

[s1x-foot-deep]

Need more of Clippy, Kinito and their workplace. Bob, Dot, Hoverbot. Office shenanigans with a side of people looking at a toxic relationship and being like 😬

kinito & clippy aren't actually coworkers but here's more of these guys<3

[unnounblr]

I mean, FF7 remake actually got me to appreciate Nomura as a director, in a way I didn't before, because. Like, hes been trapped in Kingdom Hearts for A While, and we know he wanted to do a more 'adult' story, but that got taken out of his control.

The thing that gets to me is that. While Nomura was actually director for Remake (part 1, the one that first came out on PS4, the one with Intermission and Intergrade and all that, the one set entirely in Midgar, just to specify) didn't Nomura step back a lot for Rebirth? He's, not actually, Rebirth's director, anymore? He's like, Creative Director, for Rebirth, which officially and apparently means that Toriyama and Hamaguchi have stepped up and are handling a lot more of the day-to-day work of directing. Because Nomura is getting too old, and Square wants him to focus on Kingdom Hearts. He can't direct multiple games at once, so Square wants him to direct the other one instead.

And Nojima, who wrote FF7 originally. Is still the writer for Rebirth.

Nojima, who, along with Kitase, the director for the original FF7 and producer for Remake, Rebirth, and probably the third one, originally wanted to kill literally everyone in the party, until Nomura, who, even though he was officially only a concept artist, spoke up to these two, his bosses, his seniors, and told them that was a terrible idea, and didn't actually match the themes.

Which, to my understanding. Would have been especially difficult in Japanese culture, where politeness is so important, and there tends to be more deference towards superiors. Although FF7's original development sounds from interviews like it was kinda informal and freewheeling, so.

I dunno, maybe it's because I actually like metanarratives and time travel shenanigans and think. That even with that nonsense, a lot of Nomura's work is still, at times, able to be emotionally resonant. But I actually have come to respect and appreciate Nomura's work, even with its and his flaws?

Like, maybe I have some sort of, Stockholm syndrome for him from kingdom hearts, or I've gotten a weird parasocial thing for him after reading so many interviews.

But. Like, after reading that he cried drawing Noctis again for some promotional thing. That after old interviews where he viewed Sora as his favorite character, now he says he relates more to Xehanort, and his role is to create obstacles to 'defeat' Sora. That he was shocked and surprised when the President of Square Enix told him that he was going to be director of FF7 Remake, when he didn't even know it was happening. I don't know, it seems like, with the NFTs, and AI, and the troubled developments of FF13, the original FF14 1.0, and Versus XIII into XV, and how Tabata left, Square has had a shitty and toxic workplace culture, that hasn't always been kind to actual creativity and artists, and while Nomura's still there because of his seniority and time with the company. There have been negative effects to some of his actual creative ambitions.

Also, he just sounds. Kinda depressed. Instead of saying he's the arch-enemy of Sora Kingdom Hearts, a 15-year-old anime boy he made for Disney in 2002, because Sora needs to learn the world is hopeless and darkness will take everything from you, maybe Tetsuya Nomura should just. Go to therapy.

But. Also. Like. The thing they've been consistent on in interviews is that Nomura wanted the remake to be more faithful, more like the original, but Kitase and Nojima and the other directors Toriyama and Hamaguchi were the ones pushing to get. Weird. With it. And when he relented and agreed to do it weird, he still wanted to. Do it well.

Despite everything. I don't think Nomura's work ever feels, phoned in? Lazy? Whatever criticisms there are to be made of choices he or any of the other creative involved made, those were still. Deliberate choices.

I think the concept of audience desire vs creator desire could be interesting, and especially in the context of a remake. To make the tension between what was made then and what they want to make now a part of the game.

But such a thing is usually going to be insufferable at best and in this case Nomura is a fucking hack so.

[sadviper]

Drama Recommendation List

Things I Love:

Competence - #1 point of attractiveness

Hidden Identities - doppelgangers, multiple universes, superheroes, someone badass pretending otherwise, etc.

Protectiveness - bodyguards!!!!

Politics

Anything genre (action! thriller! mystery! romantic floof! saeguk! fantasy! sci fi! etc. The more mashups, the better.)

Goofy fun shenanigans

Found family, team-dynamics, bromance

Man tears

Happy endings - though not always required. I want justice in this life, not the next.

Noona romance (?)

Bad guys doing good things

Mean-looking dudes who are actually softies

Things I Hate:

Incompetence

Horrible unfairness or humiliation

When bad things happen to good people relentlessly

When the bad guys have an overbearing upper-hand and the good guys lose every step of the way

Toxic (modern) workplace dynamics - hits too close to home, yanno?

Physical slapstick, perverted innuendo, meanness

Infidelity

Rocks fall, everyone dies

All are kdrama unless marked otherwise. I did mix my absolute favorites with favs-with-flaws because sometimes it’s too hard to rank. To be edited whenever I feel like it.

Action Movies

The Man From Nowhere - Pure action schlocky comfort, it takes all the best tropes from the classic “The Professional”, from killer-in-hiding to helpless orphan girl, and remixes it with Won Bin’s lean muscular hotness and some of the most beautifully choreographed violence I have ever seen, treading that impossible-to-satisfy line between showmanship and effectiveness. Worth multiple rewatches, and rarest of rarenesses, I even recommend the English dub! There are a few corny-as-hell scenes that only get more embarrassing the deeper and slower Won Bin speaks. The English dubber barrels through and gets it over with. :P

Commitment - Before Woo Do Hwan, my first and favorite crush was T.O.P., whose acting abilities really shine for quiet, socially awkward roles like this one, where he plays a North Korean assassin infiltrating the south as a high school student to take out a rival North Korean faction of agents. The fighting is visceral, tight, and effective. The budding romance is sweet. His man pain is exquisite. The ending is...well, uselessly and predictably tragic, it Very Easily could’ve been a happy ending, but oh well. Also one of my favorites to rewatch.

Luck Key (action-comedy) - ahahaha Hitman gets amnesia in an accident and swaps identities with a failed actor. Cue shenanigans as the failed actor continues to fail as a hitman, and the hitman, in helpless confusion, somehow aces being a cook, an actor, and finally a lover.

Rurouni Kenshin:The Beginning - The Final (Japanese) -  Series of 5 movies, amazing adaptation of the manga/anime, if only all adaptions could be like this. Fantastic sets, costumes, performances, storytelling, and of course, the highly creative showdowns that strive to be as realistic as possible while still preserving the heightened excesses we expect from shonen manga. Even though The Final was released before The Beginning, I might suggest watching The Beginning first, Origins, Kyoto Inferno, The Legend Ends, and then The Final. Otherwise The Final will feel like a let-down because all character development occurred in the previous movies.

Rom-Com with Everything:

Are You Human Too? - robot love, incredibly subtle doppelganger acting from Seo Kang Joon, and delicious emotional turmoil as all the humans realize they prefer sweetheart, hyper-competant Nam-Shin III over asshole chaebol Nam-Shin, whether it’s for running a company to being a member of the family.

Healer - This is on the cusp of “too old” in terms of the warp-speed pace that kdrama production values progress, but it’s still solid in terms of storytelling heart. Ji Chang-wook’s turn as hapless and dorky Park Bong-soo will forever be imprinted on my psyche. As someone who adores superhero origin stories, Park Min-young falling in love with Healer while slowly discovering Park Bong-soo’s true identity was pure ambrosia.

Tale of Nokdu - First half is a hilarious reverse cross-dressing saeguk romcom where the guy is actually convincing as a female! Second half is pure throne-succession politics. The king, in particular, caught my attention with his charisma and inner turmoil as he goes from caring for Nokdu to having to kill Nokdu at all costs. The only weakness is the secondary villain, whose progression to villainy was literally a flipped switch.

Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung - Saeguk females in the workplace, vaccination drives,  historians being SUPER hardcore about taking meeting minutes, birth secrets and succession politics! The fluff romance hides just how serious this show goes.

Genre + Slice of Life:

Reset (cdrama) - A short (for a cdrama) time loop drama. Not a bit of flab as the leads apply real logic and morality to try to stop a bus from exploding. Fantastic acting by the veteran actors anchored everything, but everyone is good for their roles. The pacing, storytelling and cinematography were so effective. A perfect mix of sci-fi thriller and slice of life as it covers the personal stories of everyone on the bus while gradually upping the stakes as the loops continue. There’s an understated and believable romance, Liu Yi Jun as the lead cop was so compelling, and there is a happy ending! Shows like these ruin my expectations for other shows, absolutely recommend!!

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (Taiwan) - Another short drama (12 eps) that is simply incredible despite not having the aesthetics that current kdrama and cdrama boast. Gangster high schooler wakes up from a coma with supernatural powers, but that’s not the only thing that’s changed about his life. It’s a poignant and incredibly heartfelt treatise on coping with grief and loss, combined with paranormal case shenanigans, comedic friendships, team dynamics, enemy-turned-frenemy bromance, supportive and awesome parents, etc...ends happily and with a hook for season 2. It’s also an absolute tearjerker, but only because the main lead is so sympathetic that as soon as he teared up, I teared up. ;__; A must watch!!!

Missing: The Other Side S1, S2 - Supernatural team cold cases. Go Soo excels at being a happy, good-hearted bro, right up until the point that real dramatic emotion is called for. He has enough charisma to drag his younger co-stars down with him. XD That said, the storytelling is solid and enjoyable throughout, with great empathy, mysterious build up, and excellent characters in both seasons. I hope they make more!

Politics + Thriller + Adventure:

Joy of Life s1 &2 (cdrama) - transmigration story. A modern-day genius ends up being reborn in an old-day world, and when he grows up enough to get out of the house, he starts to realize that the world already has many, many plans laid out for him. Fan Xian is a bit of a know-it-all, and to be fair, he has a wealth of experience and knowledge most people in the show don’t have. As the story progresses, however, we do see him go from coasting to caring deeply, both from a human perspective and philosophically. Richly produced, cleverly written, fast-paced, and very well acted. Turns out Fan Xian isn’t the only smart dude on the block, and by the end, he is working very hard to manipulate events as he needs to. Ends on a cliff-hanger.

Nirvana in Fire 1 (cdrama) - An absolute dream come true for people who love politics and politicking. A hidden mastermind returns to the capital with revenge (justice) as his only reason to live, and he manipulates the ever-living-heck out of EVERYONE, friends and foes alike, to achieve it. The show is paced very steadily, opened with a melancholic theme song that forewarns the eventual ending. And yet somehow it wasn’t that devastating (for me), because all was accomplished gradually, carefully, so intelligently and with so many insightful and nuanced portrayals, that you don’t even end up hating any of the three antagonists. As for the good guys, wow, so many to admire. A masterpiece. @welcometothejianghu wrote a good rec here!

Nirvana in Fire 2 (cdrama) - This one obviously had an even bigger budget than NiF1, and even though I rarely see discussions about it, it also is a very ambitious and wonderfully made story of kingdom-building through the viewpoint of multiple generations of a family. In some ways, however, it’s sadder than NiF1, because unlike NiF1 where the protagonist is very much in control of almost every situation, NiF2 protagonists are forced to be reactive to plots that are being made against them and the kingdom. It also features an object lesson in how someone with all the potential to be heroic can slowly be corrupted into villainy. That said, NiF2 does feature an obvious happy ending, as well as a hopeful outlook that there will always be talented heroes who will step up in a time of need. Also a masterpiece, and also very slow and steady in pacing.

Designated Survivor: 60 Days - Ji Jin Hee!!!!! Son Sukku!!!!!! Heo Joon Ho!! That North Korean publicist guy!! Gosh, this remake is sooooo much better than the original American one. While I watched it, it restored my hopes and faith in modern politics, 1000% wish we had a quiet, nerdy, kind, ethical, and smart president like that even though I know in reality power corrupts, the system grinds up good people, etc. Tense and thrilling, whether it is terrorism or political power moves, and it’s so rewarding to see the out-of-his-depth scientist slowly come into his own strength to lead the country out of crisis, and for his support team to regain their hopes in making a difference for the better. Great review (with spoilers!) By @rain-hat

Money Game - A bureaucratic economic thriller!!!! I know no one will watch this, but pleeeassse, it is so sexy and intense, even with the weird English script + questionable foreigner acting! Still excellent even in rewatch, my heart pounded, and that is RARE for me, I almost never rewatch end-to-end. Lee Sung-min is a frozen-faced BEAST, Go Soo is a very likeable harried civil servant, Shim Eun-kyung was such a strong and dainty presence with her stubborn hardheadedness, and Teo Yoo was fascinatingly flexible at being mesmerizing, cringe, and adorkable.

My Heroic Husband (cdrama) - transmigration story with many of the side actors and probably same production team as Joy of Life. Modern-day hotshot CEO ends up in the body of an old-day derpy, twerpy little man who is being married off as a husband-of-convenience to a fabric maker entrepreneur. He earns his paycheck as he wiggles his wife’s business out from one sabotage after another, until by the second half, his efforts go from saving the family business to saving the kingdom from insurrection. It’s all fun until the stakes hit hard late in the 2nd half. Ends on a cliffhanger.

Sword Snow Stride (cdrama) - by the same writer as Joy of Life. Fascinating, cinematic, and very human as it follows the lead character’s adventures, who at first tries to push away his familial responsibilities only to slowly make his way to the top once he finally accepts the legacy his father built. Was badly critiqued by many (too slow, too blue, too boring?), but my family and I were riveted from the very first episode. It’s smart, gives generous space for each character to exist in the moment, has fun classical wuxia stylings, and is brimming with truly fantastic old men. Alas, there aren’t any old females, but the many young women are varied with their own personalities. Unfortunately, the pacing/editing/effects got weak at the very last showdown--I suspect it got drastically reduced in episodes and they tried to salvage an ending with hopes for a season 2. =/

A Dream of Splendor (cdrama) - pleasantly intelligent story about 3 friends as they struggle through life, business, politics, and romance. Quite female-friendly, with good acting and chemistry by everyone. Happy ending! Best summarized (with spoilers) by @silviakundera 's review here

Little Women - It bears no resemblance to its source of inspiration, and is instead a murder mystery thriller psychological horror investigative conspiracy corruption case of the rich eating the poor, only this time, the poor gets JUSTICE IN THIS LIFE, and it’s most excellent. Kim Go-eun is absolutely fantastic amongst an already solid cast. I also harbor lots of heartu eyes for Wi Ha Joon, though his role is relatively minor. This is a drama where women rule the show!

Reborn Rich - Fantastic reincarnation(?) political revenge story penned by the writer of Designated Survivor: 60 Days, where Song Joongki plays two roles across 3 decades as he wheels, deals, and leverages his knowledge of the future in his schemes to bring down the chaebol family running Soonyang corporation as well as reveal the murderer(s) who kill him in two lifetimes. As easy on the eyes as baby-faced Joongki might be, however, the master of this drama is Lee Sung Min, who crushes the already competent cast with authoritative charisma. A horrid capitalist pig, a terrible father, and a despicable husband, yet somehow by the end, I couldn’t bear to see him go. Watch watch watch!

The Glory - A revenge story tightly directed by Ahn Gil Ho. It was harrowing to watch high schoolers torture each other, but very satisfying to watch all the pieces come together and every terrible person get what they deserve. Heartu eyes to the tightly buttoned, go-romantic, sapiosexual Ha Do-yeong; his charisma and chemistry with the FL was off the charts and he deserved a MUCH bigger role than he was given.

My Journey to You (cdrama) - sumptuous, thrilling, twisty romance mixed with assassins, devious plots, circular story-telling, and a fine mix of sweet/smart/funny/emotional/sexy. The pacing is addictive, everything is beyond aesthetic, and most importantly of all, such fabulous characterizations and performances from multiple no name actors. There’s so much talent to look out for in the future, it personally makes ups for the info-dump villain reveal, sad endings for too many side characters, and the cliffhanger ending for a season 2 that may never come.

The Double (cdrama) - lurid, over the top, and absolutely cracktastic from beginning to end!!! The wind machine was it's own character. Succinct review here by @gizkasparadise

Cops/Prosecutors/Lawyers/Case Procedurals:

Stranger S1, S2 - Pinnacle kdrama quality, it can be matched but can never be topped. S1 introduced us to an amazing cast of characters, and is so smart, so well-acted, a thriller-mystery-inspirational rallying cry for Good that is tightly paced and shot with rare clarity. Sadly, S2 switched directors and IMO (I might be the minority on this) that switch destroyed the clarity and pacing that S2′s incredibly ambitious and sprawling story required. S2 is worthwhile to see at least once because of the nuance and layers, and the introduction of some fantastic new characters, but be prepared for confusion (unless you have photographic memory) and time-wasting obfuscating moodiness (it is pretty though). See my next recommendation, Watcher, to understand how S1 Director Ahn Gil-ho can take a stupidly twisty plotline and make it crystal-clear. (ETA: I recently rewatched both seasons and found myself enjoying both of them so much! My issues with S2 cleared up once I knew where the cases were going, and I was able to settle in and enjoy the performances and the complicated layers of the plots.)

Watcher - Three interesting and difficult characters enmeshed in a stupidly twisty serial killer case that nonetheless never confuses and pulls you along puuurrrrfectly. Seo Kang Joon transforms completely into a damaged and possibly dangerous young cop; Han Suk-kyu excels as the enigmatic mastermind who may or may not actually want justice; Kim Hyun-Joo--wow, I wanted to throttle her sometimes, but never did I not understand where she was coming from. Stylish, exciting, and compelling! I also adore the design of the opening screens.

The Good Detective - nothing groundbreaking, just really well done and enjoyable. Sadly S2 is a bit of a letdown in both tension, character-building, and plotting.

Signal - remake of Frequency. Old radio connects past detective to present detective to solve the same serial murder case. Bad points: Lee Je Hoon has a weird way of talking, the cool female cop kind of ends up just crying a lot, and that pointless cliffhanger ending! But still worth one watch. Great summation by @rain-hat

Tunnel - More rewatchable than Signal. Cop from past travels forward in time to solve serial murder case in both eras. Cute prickly bromance; does suffer from Female Too-stupid-to-Live syndrome.

Mad Dog - yoooo, WOO DO HWAN! Endure through the first two episodes, because once Woo Do Hwan makes his true entrance, the team is COMPLETE. The Shenanigans! The ANGST! The Found Family! This was the first time I experienced Woo Do Hwan, and the love his performance ignited in my cold shriveled heart was enough to make a social media pariah like me make an AO3/tumblr username dedicated to him. He is indeed a sad viper in this show, and I just. He was the first Insta I followed, okay? I’m going to follow him for the rest of my life.

A New Leaf - Kim Myung Min is an unethical asshole of a laywer, until he gets amnesia and reverts back to his wholesome former self. He then proceeds to try to fix everything his uglier self has wrought. The show pretends to be a rom-com at first, but it ends up being perfectly platonic and I love it for that. Not every case is won, so there is an element of ‘life goes on’.

Kill It - Veterinarian-by-day/assassin-by-night searches for the truth about his past (and kills bad guys) while his stunningly gorgeous childhood friend from the orphanage is the detective chasing him down. Hidden identities, hidden competencies, found family, protectiveness, wow, this show has it all.  I found the pacing good, awesome tension building, some surprisingly touching-if-cheesy Russian acting from David Lee McInnis, fantastic if sparse action scenes, great OST, lots of pensive staring, and a romance so understated I almost missed it (just the way I like it, honestly). Sad ending, but hardly unexpected and at least they save it to the very end of the last episode.

Bad Guys - Like the Dirty Dozen. A hitman, a gangster, and a psychopath grudgingly team up to take down criminals under the watch of an angry, bitter, spit-tastic cop with no chill. The resulting bromance is to die for. I rewatched 3 times, this is an absolute guilty pleasure for me. <3 (Warning: Stupid female cop) Too bad the sequel was unwatchable shaky cam and tiresome with endless betrayals on betrayals, because they really scaled up the action sequences to impressive levels.

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty (cdrama) - I actually almost dropped this 4 eps in from boredom but it gained a 2nd life when my family wanted to watch it together and we all got sucked in. The cases are forgettable and the politics not that smart, but the real money makers were the found family and friendships that featured around the most deliciously presented meals. Also, it has a really cool opening theme + sequence!

Taxi Driver - Exactly what you want in a team case drama. It has so much I love - team dynamics, hidden identities as the vigilante team works undercover to trick the bad guys, competencies galore! And the fighting!! A++ music as well. Perhaps most importantly, the show remains fixed in a moral universe--it addresses the wrong that the protagonists played a part in head-on, yet manages to serve a satisfying final revenge AND a perfect happy ending all in one. It does lean too heavy on the victims’ suffering in the earlier episodes, but its nothing that the 10 sec skip button won’t solve. 

Don't Call It Mystery (jdrama) - a highly observant, intelligent, oddball college student is framed for murder and changes hearts and minds in order to prove his innocence. He then falls into helping the police with multiple cases that follow.  Think Sherlock but with empathy! Slightly artsy, doesn't drag on, but does end on a cliffhanger. Can't wait for season 2!

Ancient Detective (cdrama) - A helpless-but-brilliant detective with amnesia solves strange, supernatural-esq cases throughout Jianghu while also searching for the the truth behind the death of his father. It’s a silly show that actually has logic in a lot of what is said. It also has much more solid wirework in the fight scenes than I usually see nowadays, reminds me of the kungfu dramas of the early 2000s! Shoutout to the himbo that gloms onto the detective early in the story, such a fun and charming dumbnut! Wraps up its open cases but ends on a cliffhanger.

A League of Nobleman (cdrama) - There’s a perfect review by PeachBlossomGoddess on MDL, but since I can’t find a way to link directly to it, I just have to say that this show is truly sumptuous and packed with some fabulous, and fabulous-looking, actors. The cases, perhaps, end up stretching further than a bungee cord in its attempts to stay logical and tightly interconnected, but it makes sense if you treat the show like a theatre performance. The setting and the plot merely sets the stage for the actors to emote at each other with increasing vigor and passion while the camera tilts slowly for maximum cinematic effect.

Mysterious Lotus Casebook (cdrama) - A sickly-but-brilliant fake doctor, a cute, hyperactive detective, and occasionally the doctor’s old nemesis travel around Jianghu solving strange, supernatural-esq cases while also searching for the truth behind the death of the doctor’s sworn brother. Slow start for me, but once all 3 leads appeared, their chemistry became overpowering and addictive. This show literally hits 9 of my 12 favorite things to watch. Definitely wished for more episodes to see many throwaway lines expanded on or for cases to be more show and less tell. Ends melancholic and open-ended...;__; All 3 actors are on my watch list now, but I’m especially impressed by Cheng Yi. At first he looked funny and squashed to me, but his charisma is off the charts!

Killing Vote - vigilante justice turned voting game - is it wrong to take justice in your own hands when the law clearly won't provide it? Incredible performances from everyone, even from someone like Kim Kwon who usually does not impress but who stepped up fantastically. The biggest draw is Park Haejin and Park Sung-woong's divorced couple chemistry and the cat-mouse game they play trying to suss out who is the masked Gaetal. Unfortunately, it ends quite bleakly and with an annoying hook for s2.

Slice of Life, Slow Human Stories:

Hospital Playlist S1 - warm and full of friendships while painting complete personalities of each of the cast

Mystic Pop-up Bar - supernatural, found family, divided into case stories that are extremely human and touching. Like a high budget jdrama.

I’ll See You When the Weather Is Nice - slow, moody, and pensive as  the protagonists heal from their traumas and fall in love in a small rural town

Reply 1988 - Like Hospital Playlist, only set in the 80s-90s around the daily lives of several families living together on the same street. Calming and interesting.

3 Star Bar in Nishiogikubo (jdrama) - itty bitty drama, just six 25 min episodes! 3 high school classmates take a break from life to run a bar together. An excellent palate cleanser for when you aren’t ready for a long commitment.

Just Between Lovers - Review by @beingjanee

Life - by the same writer as Stranger, and with nearly the same cast!! Fascinating exploration of the tension between the ethics of healing vs. the practical realities of running a business, and the compromises that must be made therein. Also the most nuanced portrayal of disability that I’ve ever seen.

Father is Strange - Watch a wholesome, healthy, supportive family take on the most ridiculous soap opera plots and be so Good despite their individual flaws that they end up rehabilitating all the problem people who enter their orbit. Feel free to fast forward through story lines that don’t speak to you.

2521 - Nicely made slice-of-life with a liberal dose of 90′s sports anime nostalgia and young people striving to be their best selves. Don’t watch for the romance--based on the tangential online chaos that erupted over the finale. Watch for the people, their emotions, their struggles, and their joy. It’s both real and highly romanticized.

Koi Desu: Yankee-kun to Hakujou Garu (jdrama) - Absolutely adorable romantic fluff. A scarred delinquent runs into a blind girl, and through exuberant wholesomeness, they fall in love and expand both of their worlds. They try to trick you into thinking there will be Drama (tm), but there’s none; this show zips right past what other shows would milk for at least another episode and goes right to the happy aftermath.

Meet Yourself (cdrama) -  lovely, slow paced and cozy. Superficially it sounds like a Hallmark movie, in reality it is a healing romantic slice of life tourism advertisement. Filled with intelligent people, all problems are realistic and dealt with in the nicest way possible without being too manipulative.

Hikaru no Go (cdrama) - wonderful remake of the manga/anime about competitive go. Shi Guang is a bit of a smart alec, but the story is beautifully told with many characters, full of human feeling and relationships.

Horror, Psychological Terror:

Save Me - going to sound like a broken record, but WOO DO HWAN!!! He stole the show in the most stunning way as the 2nd male lead, though it takes at least 4-5 episodes before he really emerges onscreen. Seriously, I want to marry Seok Dong-chul. In the meantime, the cult progression slowly and steadily details how vulnerable people get entrapped physically and mentally by evil. Claustrophobic, chilling, dark, and gross as you watch the cultists get their way far too often for comfort. But it does end happily all things considered.

Kingdom S1 - saeguk zombies, very cinematic. The zombies are fast!! Ends unfinished but I couldn’t watch S2

Revenant - moody, slow, appropriately horrific, packed with acting talent and a story that gives the actors room to crush it. Kim Taeri, and the evil ghost possessing her, are absolutely incredible!! Perhaps my only idle wish is that the chemistry between her and the Professor, and/or her and the young cop, might have been developed further. Alas, it’s not that kind of show! At least it ends well.

Defies Categorization:

The School Nurse Files - artsy, oddball, bubblegum horror, no coherent plot but there is an overall direction

D.P. - full of human feeling and absolutely devastating when it makes its final point. Sticks with you for a long time. Beware violence and horrible military hazing

Lulz, Fantastic, Bombastic, I Love It (Quality with Flaws(TM), but they spoke to me when I needed it):

The King: Eternal Monarch (romantic sci-fi faux-political fake-thriller) - do I even need to say anything about this? So much pretty, so much ambitious potential, so much star-power assembled only for it to taste rather flat and unfulfilled by the end. But it was the summer of COVID and the dawn of a creative awakening. I made new friends and had so much fun pondering whys and wherefores! I’ll treasure this hot mess forever. <3

My Country: The New Age (saeguk action war politics) - It pretends to be about politics, but it’s not about politics. It’s about Nam Seon-ho’s bloody, sweaty, love-hate desperation for his childhood friend, Hwi, against the backdrop of war and the changeover of imperial power. Also features some terrible fathers with powerful presences, a very sexy Prince Bangwon, an angry minion named Sung-rok, and some pointless females. I laughed a lot, cried buckets of tears, and then wrote fic. Woo Do Hwan’s flowing locks of L’Oreal hair and heaving bosom were that inspirational. <3

Meow: The Secret Boy (fantasy romcom) - some days, you just need a silly little romantic comedy about a cat that transforms into pretty, dimply Kim Myung-soo. Put aside thoughts of bestiality and voyeurism, this show is candy-colored and is not to be taken seriously.

The K2 (action thriller romantic politics) - Highly choreographed action scenes, shaky cam just shy of being unbearable, Ji Chang Wook’s muscles and predictable(yet effective!) arsenal of expressions that were ready to mesmerize as the nameless bodyguard-on-the-run, and a Noona Romance that buuuurrned smoked and sizzled like all that pork belly that gets BBQ’d in every kdrama. I endured Supreme Idiocy to watch more of Song Yoon-ah. And by Supreme Idiocy, I mean a wooden and moronic female love interest, embarrassing Middle Eastern war conflict flashbacks, a laughable portrayal of PTSD triggers, zero morality whatsoever....gosh. But hey! Bodyguard babe! Watch at least the first 5 eps. :3

Man to Man (romcom hijinks politics) - The Original Bromance(TM). Secret agent man masquerades as a bodyguard to an action star man-child in order to thwart international conspiracies. Terrible action, laughable fashion, zero chemistry between Park Hae-jin and Kim Min-jung, and the show feels like two different shows smashed together. It is DUMB and yet. And Yet. I laughed my head off and enjoyed myself so much. What more can you ask for?

The Boy Next Door (webdrama, BL(?) comedy) - two INCREDIBLY dumb guys are forced, through circumstances, to live together, and in the process, accidentally convinces everyone they're a couple. It's so bad, soooo bad, it fell off the edge of the earth and became good. Perfect for the days you need to nuke your brain cells!

Midnight (movie, thriller-horror) - so I watched Squid Game and I’m not gonna recommend it, but I did fall in love with Wi Ha Joon. He has the perfect face to be evil, and look! Here he is being properly evil, though there is no backstory to speak of. I learned some interesting things about  deaf accommodations, I was rooting for the girl! I didn’t find it scary; heck, this isn’t even that good of a movie. But I was in it for the lulz and I got it. :3

Sweet Home (thriller-horror) - I lol’d at the videogame monsters. It’s gory but not very scary to me. Anyway, Song Kang plays the sad, pretty monster boy that the show grants the entire hero arc to, but don’t believe it. The real superstar is the calm, practical, and devoted med student who takes charge of an infested apartment building and does his utmost to keep everyone alive whether they appreciate him or not. Eun-hyeok’s character is an ode to middle managers--he is moral, steadfast, never harms anyone, never resorts to threats or brute force, but simply sees a need and steps up to fill it regardless of the BS that gets thrown his way. He manages down like a champ and never stops making smart decisions under incredible pressure. He should’ve been the hero. ;___; Slick pacing and interesting cast, but don’t expect anyone you like to survive. =/

Psychopath Diary (serial killer comedy) - An extreme pushover witnesses murder, gets amnesia, and while clutching a serial killer’s diary, becomes convinced he is a serial killer and tries to live up to the hype. The villain stole the show for me, lots of understated panache as he first swings from hopeful heartu eyes (i can haz a bestie? to go on murders with?) to maniacal glee as he meticulously sets the pushover up as the fall guy. I wish he got away. I wish he had a (fake) romance storyline. I WISH HE GOT A FLOWER OF EVIL DRAMA!!!!! >_< The possibilities!!!!

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (tragical romantic thriller) - Seo In Guk...I may never like another role of his, but when it comes to sociopathic(?) bad boy romantic antagonist, he will never be beat. He’s amazing: subtle, manipulative, sincere, cruel, cold, vulnerable, affectionate, messed up. By the last episode, the plot takes a hilarious running leap for the cliffs to end in the worst way possible, and some of the drama truly felt unnecessary (less secrets, some more communication??...), but it’s quite the trip getting there. Great cinematography and music, and special shout-out to my favorite support actor Kim Dong Won, who slays as the chief secretary of a psychopathic chaebol heiress.

Vampire Detective (vampires! procedural schlock)- Came for Lee Joon, left with a newfound love for Lee Joon’s bromance with his bestie Oh Jung Se. Also was impressed with the fights (despite the shaky cam) and enjoyed myself despite (1) bad vampiress acting, (2) boring hetero romance, (3) one of the most emotionally unsatisfying endings ever >:(. Ah well. Lee Joon has a really lovely speaking voice..

Blood of Youth (fantastical adventure & politics) - bombastic and refreshingly idealistic power fantasy about young, talented fighters creating the world that they want to be in. Between the long stretches of videogame battles, there are beautiful costumes and sets, catchy music, gorgeous people, some decent overarching plot, and some boring side stories. Fun and easy way to pass time.

A Familiar Stranger (mini drama) - Face-off woo-hoo with romance, conspiracies, and obsessed lovers. Where the amazing Cheng Lei first caught my eye. It's like if you took Gong Shangjue from My Journey to You and wrote domestic fanfic for him.

Butterflied Lover (mini drama) - Crazy vampiric slaves, rival princes, fraught love lines, and sumptuous visuals. The first web drama that I saw that really pushed the ambitions of the medium.

The Killer is Also Romantic (mini drama) - Mr. And Mrs. Smith in old day China! Fast, fun assassin shenanigans.

Blossoms in Adversity (women in business save themselves drama) - like a budget version of Dreams of Splendor except somehow supremely engaging and fun? Expect overly modern feminism, issues cleanly resolved in about 2 episodes, some dubious acting from the ML, and an addictive good time!

[luna-rainbow]

hakozume

This turned out to be the biggest pleasant surprise of the season. The story premise sounded boring when it first came up - it's basically about a young policewoman trying to get better at her job under the supervision of an older policewoman.

It turned out to be a rare gem of portraying healthy female friendships, as well as examining the different facets of humanity that Japanese dramas are very good at. The cases are small and ordinary, so there's no big murders here, but even petty crimes are rooted in some sort of human dynamic that either reflects on the family or society that created it.

It's just such a refreshing portrayal of women in the workplace. From the top of my head, most popular J-dramas centering around 2 professional women, where one is considerably more seasoned and cynical than the other, often falls into the toxic trope of "cynical tsundere bitch" vs "heart of gold useless dimwit". You can see it as early on as Top Caster, and as recently as Mikaiketsu no Onna, Sherlock, and Oh My Boss. The older woman is frequently demanding, harsh, belittling and dismissive; the younger woman meanwhile is helpless, naive, gullible, and unable to see the big picture. It's toxic and I also think it falls somewhat into typical misogynist views (of Japan) on older professional women being independent = unmarriageable = mean/horrible.

Hakozume deals with it differently. Yes, Fuji is the typical cool-headed cynical senpai against Kawai's warm-hearted innocent kouhai, but there is real respect and tenderness between them. Pretty much as early as the second episode, it's clear that Fuji develops a soft spot for Kawai's shenanigans, and over time Fuji really becomes a mother hen while Kawai totally becomes the smitten chook. Kudos to both Toda Erika who brings the subtle affection to what would normally be a harsh character, and to Nagano Mei who manages to make a normally annoying character come across as sweet and adorable.

It is the cutest dynamic to come out of a J-drama about two women, and I could definitely do with a second season.

[i-need-entertainment]

Haikyuu!! Masterlist

Navigation

**The events are just more oneshots/scenarios, they were just for a specific event. 🎵= songfic**

Series:

Sweet Home Hyogo- Kita ~COMPLETE

Not Scary To Me- Washio ~on going~

The Count Of Aoba Johsai- Kunimi ~on going

Oneshots:

Aoba Johsai:

Picking Up The Pieces- Iwaizumi (comfort)

*Meeting the boss Pt.2 to picking up the Pieces

Wish I Were Heather...- Iwaizumi (angst)🎵

Wait- Hanamaki

Fukurodani:

THAT’S IT!! I QUIT- Akaashi (Kinda angsty, but fluff)

Insecure- Akaashi (slight angst but fluff)

'friends'- Washio

Life Changes- single dad Washio x single mom reader🎵

8 letters- Washio🎵

Speeding Ticket- Cop Washio x Paramedic reader

Itatchiyama:

All’s not lost- Iizuna

It’s my fault...right?- Komori, a little Washio x reader (ANGST/TOXIC)

MSBY:

Mother-in-Law- Adriah Thomas

Break up with him - Meian🎵

Nekoma:

Friend &lt; Boyfriend- Fukunaga

Nohebi:

Don't close your eyes- Numai angst🎵

Bruises- Numai

EJP: EJP Shenanigans #1: The one where Washio's love life gets exposed

EJP Shenanigans #2: The one where Sarukui is a traitor and Washio becomes a Twilight vampire

No character mentioned:

I love you, all of you - OCD/intrusive thoughts comfort fic

favorite shirt

Inarizaki:

The One You Love - Suna angst Pt.1🎵

Angeleyes - Suna angst Pt.2🎵

Scenarios:

Haikyuu!! Boys

Haikyuu!! Boys as stepdads PT.2

Haikyuu!! Boys and their biggest pet peeves

Haikyuu!! Boys and what branch of the military they’d be in/what job

Haikyuu!! Boys getting accidentally flashed by their girlfriend

Haikyuu!! Boys and what type of clumsy they are

Haikyuu!! Boys and how well they can cook

Haikyuu!! Boys and what rom-com they’d fit in

Haikyuu!! Boys and how flexible they are

Haikyuu!! Boys and their love rivals (kinda angsty)

Haikyuu!! Boys and what type of Old Men they’ll be

Haikyuu!! Boys and who’s sister they’d unknowingly date

Haikyuu!! Boys as Bad Dad moments

Haikyuu!! Boys and what drinks they get at Starbucks

Haikyuu!! Teams as what sport they would be if they weren’t a volleyball team

Haikyuu!! Boys and coffee mugs I think they would use

Haikyuu!! Boys and their wedding song

Haikyuu!! Boys getting stuck places and having to ask their GF for help

Haikyuu!! Boys and outfits I can see them wearing

Haikyuu!! Boys and whether or not they’re picky eaters

Haikyuu!! Boys getting accidentally hit ‘where it hurts’ by their kids

Haikyuu!! Boys getting caught cussing in front of their kids

Haikyuu!! Boys and the moment they thought their child came from satan

Haikyuu!! Boys and how they embarrassed themselves in front of your parents

Haikyuu!! Boys meeting their daughter's boyfriend for the first time

Haikyuu!! Boys being asked by their step children to adopt them

Haikyuu!! Boys meeting your family

Headcanons:

Secret dating with Akaashi in HS

Kita crushing on/dating the Miya twins sister

Akaashi with a drug addicted S/O

Adriah Thomas with a S/O who is 4′11

*Height comparison for ^

Shugo Meian comforting S/O who’s upset

Adriah Thomas Dating HC’s

Tatsuto Sokolov BF Headcanons

Mountain Men of Haikyuu!!

SMAU'S:

Haikyuu!! Boys accidentally confessing

EVENTS:

Valentines Day Event

Spin The Wheel: **On pause until I have my life together~**

Nicollas Romero + Workplace Romance

[princessshikky]

In case there is another person here who for some reason wanted a TGCF/TUA fusion plotbunny... This is loosely inspired by the TGCF fanfic Nude Dinner by the incredible hoarder_of_stories (btw, I highly recommend to check out their other works: very sweet and comforting, also you can just feel that the author is enjoying their work, it's always cool when the text transfers that feeling).

So. Jun Wu is the eccentric billionaire who buys and adopts seven kids with superpowers and they grow up in a toxic environment.

Mu Qing and Feng Xin are number one and number two respectively. They are constantly arguing with each other and with everyone else around them except for Xie Lian. When Xie Lian left home to live on his own, fengqing left with him, but Mu Qing couldn't handle this life for long and wanted to come back home, which lead to his argument and subsequent breakup with Feng Xin and Xie Lian. Mu Qing also spent years trying to "make amends" for his "mistake" and win back Jun Wu's favor. He's the only one who stayed with Jun Wu until the end.

Feng Xin quickly started an affair with a girl his age (Jian Lang), she got pregnant, Jun Wu found out and tried to pay her to keep the baby, give it to Jun Wu and never see the child again (he wanted to see whether the second generation would inherit the special abilities). Jian Lang wanted nothing to do with it, had an abortion, confronted Feng Xin about the whole story and broke up with him. They never saw each other after that. In the present timeline Feng Xin works as a coach in a local gym, he also participates in fighting matches sometimes.

Yin Yu is number three. He constantly felt underappreciated and ignored, angry that Quan Yizhen was praised more than him. Eventually he got so angry he had a fight with Quan Yizhen and ran away. In the present he works for Hua Cheng (who wanted to be closer to Xie Lian and grabbed the chance to meet Xie Lian's sibling, that didn't go as planned).

Quan Yizhen is number four. He adored Yin Yu, so after Yin Yu left Quan Yizhen also didn't stay home for long. He became a successful and popular athlete with a ton of endorsements. He also doesn't hold any resentments against his siblings.

Shi Qingxuan is number five, he can speak with the souls of the deceased. His ability is pretty useless in combat, so he didn't go to the missions all that often. When Shi Qingxuan was still a teenager his biological older brother, Shi Wudu, started looking for him and demanded the right to see him (Shi Wudu could only do it once he was of legal age, which is why it took so long). Jun Wu refused, so Shi Wudu started a crusade, went to the papers, to the Committee for the Affairs of Minors and to court -- all to get Shi Qingxuan away from the abusive environment. He eventually succeeded. The rest of the siblings desperately envy Shi Qingxuan since they don't have loving biological family willing to go through hell for them. Nevertheless, Shi Qingxuan is such a likable person it's hard to resent him. He is another family members who doesn't hold any grudges against his siblings and loves them all equally (except for Shi Wudu, who is his absolute favorite).

He Xuan is number six (deceased). Shi Qingxuan is the only one able to see him and communicate with him. He Xuan absolutely despises Shi Wudu because of jealousy: he used to be closest to Shi Qingxuan and believes Shi Qingxuan doesn't pay him as much attention now.

Xie Lian is number seven and Jun Wu's favorite, which didn't win him any favors among the other siblings (actually Jun Wu made a conscious attempt to isolate Xie Lian from the rest of the family and make him dependent on Jun Wu's approval precisely because Xie Lian is really his favorite). Xie Lian didn't have super abilities but still wanted to be a superhero and save people like the rest of his siblings, which lead to him constatly arguing with Jun Wu. Eventually he was the first to leave the Academy. He lived with fengqing at first, then they broke up and went their own separate ways. The first year on his own was the most difficult, as Xie Lian couldn't find any job and barely had any food to eat. Officially it was because the whole family was homeschooled and Xie Lian lacked any certificate of education, but actually Jun Wu secretly did everything in his power to ensure no one would hire Xie Lian, hoping Xie Lian would "come to his senses" and come back home. However, Xie Lian was stubborn enough to survive and eventually get a stable job. He still doesn't have higher education because it's expensive and time-consuming, but his living conditions are better in the present.

At the start of the plot Jun Wu suddenly dies and the whole family (including Shi Wudu as Shi Qingxuan's moral support) comes to the funeral. Mu Qing tries to say that something about the death is suspicious (some of Jun Wu's documents are missing), but no one is willing to support him (to be fair, even if Jun Wu died from fifty knife wounds, the siblings would be like "eh, what a tragic accident, nothing suspicious here"). There are no timey-wimey shenanigans, just Mu Qing trying to investigate Jun Wu's death and the rest of the family reluctantly working with him or refusing to cooperate (i.e. Yin Yu doesn't tell where he spent the night of Jun Wu's death or where he works because he hasn't seen his siblings in years, they're practically strangers, and he doesn't want these strangers to come to his workplace or something, esp. since he works for a stalker obsessed with one of the aforementioned siblings). The family communicates, unearthes some old grudges and family secrets (fengqing spend two hours yelling at each other over a broken gameboy personally gifted by Jun Wu).

Xie Lian goes for a walk and accidentally meets a guy named San Lang (it was raining, Xie Lian didn't have an umbrella, so San Lang walked him to his apartment, Xie Lian invited him in and made him tea etc). They start dating. San Lang is very supportive of Xie Lian, spends a lot of time with him, makes him insanely personalised gifts. Fengqing are suspicious and try to convince Xie Lian that this guy is weird and his social network profiles seem fake. They even break into San Lang's appartment but find nothing out of the ordinary (they didn't have time to sneak into the attic and discover the Xie Lian Stalker Shrine).

Xie Lian starts seeing nightmares of a man in white clothes and white mask. He used to have these nightmares often in the past, when he was a child, then Jun Wu administered him some pills and the nightmares stopped. Xie Lian thinks this is his psyche's reaction to Jun Wu's death. When San Lang finds out, he offers to pay for the therapist sessions (Xie Lian refuses) and maybe adjust the dosage of the medicine (Xie Lian agrees to try). Soon Xie Lian runs out of the pills, forgets to get a new bottle, and San Lang convinces him to try to quit. Xie Lian feels better and also starts to suspect that he may have superpowers after all. San Lang and Xie Lian work together to try and develop Xie Lian's abilities. It doesn't really go anywhere until a tragic accident: Xie Lian and San Lang are attacked at the street, San Lang is injured (and looses his eye in the fight), Xie Lian uses his abilities to protect San Lang. San Lang now wears an eyepatch.

Fengqing still keep their investigation, find out that Yin Yu works for "San Lang" and that "San Lang"'s name is actually Hua Cheng. They come to Xie Lian with this information, but Xie Lian refuses to believe them. Fengqing and Xie Lian have a huge argument, remember every one of their old grudges, Xie Lian hotly says that San Lang is way better to him than his family and even helps him develop his abilities. Hua Cheng arrives in the middle of the argument, takes Xie Lian's side and throws fengqing out. In a conversation with Xie Lian he either denies the accusations or gives a rational explanation (i.e. "San Lang is my childhood nickname, I like it better than my name, that's why I never used my actual name with you").

The next day, once Mu Qing had a chance to calm down, he starts thinking: how come Xie Lian has abilities now? He decides Jun Wu must have known something and tries to look at Jun Wu's documents, finds evidence of Jun Wu knowing, but most of the information was in the documents that are missing. The other siblings deny having anything to do with it. Mu Qing turns to Ling Wen -- the AI developed by Jun Wu. Mu Qing, Ling Wen and Feng Xin manage to break into Jun Wu's computer, decode his files and access the security camera records.

Turns out, Jun Wu also had superpowers: he could get into other people's dreams and control their minds. He was the one who sent Xie Lian nightmares and made everyone forget Xie Lian had powers. He also documented everything and placed hidden cameras all over the house. Fengqing watch the records of the day Jun Wu died (there is only image but no sound) and see Hua Cheng break into Jun Wu's study room, find and read some of the documents. Jun Wu enters the room, it looks like he and Hua Cheng have an argument, Hua Cheng storms out taking the documents with him. After he leaves, Jun Wu clutches his chest and falls on the floor.

Fengqing go to speak to Xie Lian again, this time with the records. Xie Lian is shocked, but he believes them now. Together they search Hua Cheng's house, find Jun Wu's documents, which hold detailed descriptions of Xie Lian's abilities and how to access them. They also find the stalker shrine with paintings of Xie Lian, pictures of Xie Lian obviously taken without his knowledge, a couple of statues and some pornographic images of Xie Lian. Fengqing demand Xie Lian dumps "this creep" right this second, but Xie Lian still insists there must be a proper explanation. He even tries to call Hua Cheng. Eventually they reach a compromise: they need to go to Yin Yu and speak to him, since he works for Hua Cheng and must know something.

Yin Yu tells them the following: a long time ago, when Xie Lian was trying to be a superhero, he saved a young Hua Cheng. Ever since that time Hua Cheng became obsessed with Xie Lian, started gathering all available information about the Umbrella Academy, but there was nothing about Xie Lian there. After Shi Wudu's campain against Jun Wu the Academy's dirty laundry got into papers, Hua Cheng figured Xie Lian had been abused and it was Hua Cheng's turn to save him. However, by the time Hua Cheng finally had all the money and resources Xie Lian had long left the house and built himself a new life. Hua Cheng found him and started stalking him, taking pictures etc. He didn't try to meet Xie Lian in person because he was ashamed: he failed and didn't help Xie Lian when Xie Lian needed it most. Hua Cheng still employed Yin Yu and regularly questioned him about Xie Lian because he wanted to know every little detail. One of their conversations made him think of something he didn't share and start a secret project Yin Yu wasn't involved in. That's all he knows.

Fengqing are furious with Yin Yu for doing something like that to his sibling. Yin Yu yells at them, saying that even though Mu Qing, Feng Xin and Xie Lian had each other when they left they couldn't hold out long, and Yin Yu was completely on his own and Hua Cheng saved him. Fengqing don't know Hua Cheng, he's actually a good person, they shouldn't judge him by his hobbies. Xie Lian interferes saying they need to talk to Hua Cheng anyway, to question him about the circumstances of Jun Wu's death. Xie Lian calls Hua Cheng and invites him to the Academy mansion, fengqing gather the rest of their siblings. Together they interrogate Hua Cheng.

Hua Cheng doesn't deny the stalking but he denies being responsible for Jun Wu's death. According to him, his conversation with Yin Yu helped him guess Jun Wu was super shady, Hua Cheng managed to hack his computer, couldn't decypher the files but accessed the camera records and saw where Jun Wu kept his documents. He broke into Jun Wu's room, read his diaries, found out about Xie Lian's abilities and confronted Jun Wu about it, promising to disclose that information to Xie Lian. Hua Cheng "accidentally" ran into Xie Lian at the street, stole his medicine, hired some thugs to beat him in front of Xie Lian -- all to help Xie Lian unlock his powers.

Fengqing still believe Hua Cheng must be somehow responsible for Jun Wu's death. Yin Yu stands up for Hua Cheng and suggests Shi Qingxuan uses his ability to talk to Jun Wu's ghost and find out for certain. Shi Wudu is against that: he doesn't want Shi Qingxuan to talk to his abusive father, and it's hard for Shi Qingxuan to use his powers. However, Shi Qingxuan is willing to give it a try, mostly for Xie Lian's sake. He cannot summon Jun Wu's ghost, but he talks to the ghosts of Jun Wu's former friends, whom Jun Wu murdered and buried in the mansion's garden. The ghosts have haunted the mansion for a long time and have seen the confrontation with their own eyes. They confirm Hua Cheng's version of events.

Fengqing are still against Hua Cheng and don't want him anywhere near Xie Lian, but Xie Lian says he's not a child anymore, he won't let anyone else make decisions for him, and if fengqing want to stay in his life, they need to accept that. He's fine with having Hua Cheng as a partner, and his opinion is the only one that matters in this regard.

Hualian leave. A few days later Feng Xin comes to talk to Mu Qing: he believes Jun Wu died because he couldn't stand the thought of losing Xie Lian's love forever. Mu Qing has a different theory: Jun Wu deliberately stopped his own heart and killed himself, because he wanted Xie Lian to feel guilty for his death and to come back to the Academy because of that. Xie Lian personally thinks it doesn't matter: he has stopped looking for Jun Wu's approval a long time ago. Whatever Jun Wu's motives, he will not be able to ruin Xie Lian's life.

...

Cue the second season where the whole gang timetravels to 800 years ago, Xie Lian becomes an evil overlord with Hua Cheng being his right hand, Ling Wen tries to get a human body, Lang Qianqiu can copy other people's superabilities and Jun Wu turns out to be a literal alien.

Miscellaneous:

Mu Qing and Feng Xin are based on Luther and Diego, so their superpowers are superstrength and the ability to control projectiles respectively. Yin Yu can turn invisible, Quan Yizhen has superspeed, Shi Qingxuan speaks to the dead, He Xuan could summon tentacles, and Xie Lian is based on Vanya so he controls sound waves.

As a child, Xie Lian was closest to fengqing, Quan Yizhen adored Yin Yu (he still does), Shi Qingxuan and He Xuan were inseparable. In the present Shi Qingxuan is the only one in touch with all of the other siblings. Quan Yizhen is close to Xie Lian and constantly tries to give him money (he is also looking for Yin Yu). No one else is on speaking terms.

BTW, Xie Lian is trans, because a) why not, b) it was inspired by a fic with trans!Xie Lian and c) Xie Lian's plotline is based on Vanya's and Vanya is trans, fight me on this.

[painted-starlight]

One more question, what are your thoughts on Merida as a character? I always thought she could have been a better character if Brenda Chapman was in charge of the movie.

Merida’s character is very weird for me. The rebellious princess archetype has definitely been done before, but that’s not a bad thing in and of itself. Unlike a lot of white disney princesses, she actually makes mistakes that affect the plot that she must account for and are directly to service the growth of her character. She makes bad choices that are acknowledged as bad and she must grow from them. 

I totally get what they were going for with her personality...but a decent character with a lackluster movie can only go so far when it is tonally inconsistent. The heart of Merida’s character is the relationships she has with the people around her. The main conflict with her mother is often, in my opinion, sidelined in favor of irrelevant shenanigans.  

And yeah, this is Pixar’s boy club at fault here. I hear Pixar is a very toxic workplace that is hostile to changes to the status quo. A lot of problems in the animation industry in general stem from the lack of willingness to change the work culture within studios. They won’t budge unless they are forced to kicking and screaming.

The people who replaced Chapman didn’t want to identify with the complex relationship between Merida and her mother because that isn’t something they are familiar with. So they changed it into something they liked: Boys silly antics, contrivances and cheap laughs. 

Brenda Chapmen certainly seemed to have a strong vision, and I do agree that without her, the movie’s themes stumbled.

[mattatouile]

Because @firesign23​ is a bad influence. Here’s the original outline for We Make the Rules from chapters 4-6. I would post the rest, but it’s close enough that it would spoil it. Bear in mind, this was all written prior to chapter 3 (if I’m remembering correctly). So, this’ll give a better idea of how I outline a fic at the outset and how much things change as I go. Also, despite some things shifting as I write, I gotta say, this outline worked pretty well so far. 

Chapter 4 - Jaime POV

Brush across the surface of Jaime realizing that he keeps stopping himself from telling her she doesn’t have to rush out. Because -- that’s not what they agreed to, that’s not what she asked for, etc. 

There is some level of awareness that hesitation is based on the fact that ...if he wants  something more than she does, then everyone at the office is FOR. SURE. GOING. TO. KNOW. SOMETHING. IS. WRONG. Because how could they go back to a totally normal working relationship with that between them. If I don’t bring that into it, then I do feel like I would be doing a disservice to the overall vibe of being upfront about the realities of the workplace. 

I want to throw the Lannister family dinner OR a confrontation of some sort with Tywin in here. I was leaning toward dinner (I have no idea WHY they’re having dinner. That’s a problem for future!Hannah?), and so he gets back late and there are two options:

It’s a Saturday night and he texts Brienne really late to come over because ...uh...horny. That’s it. He...can’t sleep...because boner! (Look, Jaime is pathetic in many ways.)

It’s a Sunday night, so it’s a work night, and Brienne is legitimately worried about the fact that he’s contacting her so late at night. 

But. She does go over. And it’s...weirdly intense, and slow, and there’s something...different about it. We don’t get it yet from her POV of thinking there’s something different about it. But from Jaime’s POV, he’s trying to distance himself from how much he’s not horny, he just needs comfort and his comfort right now is being with Brienne. 

I kind of want him to ~super casually~~~ tell her she doesn’t have to leave. He definitely tries to pass it off to her, and himself really, that it’s just that it’s so late and he doesn’t want her to have to drive home at this time (HE’S THOUGHTFUL, O.K.?) She could stay the night. If it’s Saturday, it’s more awkward that she says no, and I would have to think carefully about the way Brienne would say no that seems a little flimsy. If it’s Sunday, then there’s the whole, “TOMORROW IS A WORKDAY. DIDN’T BRING CLOTHES. DON’T HAVE THINGS HERE. BYE JAIME.”

And then I want the chapter to end on that awkwardness? Like, we leave Jaime stressed that he over-stepped, and the knowledge that next chapter we get to deal with Brienne’s POV about when he offered.

Chapter 5 - Brienne POV

Cue Brienne VERY STRESSED OUT about Jaime asking her to stay over. Fuckfuckfuck. Fuck. She was already feeling a little delicate about him and about the potentiality of feelings and the expiration date nature of their current arrangement. 

She thinks about pulling back a bit, maybe? But maybe that’s just blowing things way out of proportion. Would there really be a huge problem with staying over one night? On a weekend? What is it about that that feels like crossing a line when they have been boning for weeks now. Why is sleeping in the same bed something she can’t handle? It seems silly, really. Ridiculous. 

Also, at some point in this chapter, I need Brienne to ask Jaime if he wants to get together again. It’s sort of been in my head that since the first time, it’s mostly been Jaime being the “aggressor” in the dynamic. But he’s … been...reserved since Brienne went weird about sleeping over. Brienne doesn’t WANT to lose what they have. So. She brings it up. 

MAYBE ILLOGICALLY, I want her to show up the next time with like...a tote. With some clothes. Just in case. You know. In case. PREPARATION IS KEY. She just didn’t have like deodorant last time, Jaime. That’s all it was. It wasn’t pure fuckin’ panic. 

This is sort of the tipping point of them shifting into Friends with benefits instead of just fuckbuddies. Like, if she stays over, then in the morning there’s coffee. And showers. And sleepy puffy eyes. Waking up together. But it actually isn’t an every single time thing. Just sometimes. If they arrange ahead of time? 

I want to find a way to work in a workplace situation with Brienne here. We haven’t really gotten the office from her POV since the first chapter. Her navigating with her co-workers. Being extremely physically aware of Jaime. Also, bringing in other co-workers and maybe touching on Brienne’s relationship with the other partners in the firm

Chapter 6 - Jaime POV

FRIENDS with benefits shenanigans! Watching TV together! Watching sports together! Eating take-out together! Not every day. But...their hangouts are getting...more regular. Way more regular. 

I want a scene in here at some point where someone that knows Jaime well, but doesn’t WORK with Jaime … or oh, it could still be Addam or Ilyn (or Tyrion), they ask him, “Who’s the girl?” And he’s like……..what. But it’s pretty obvious to anyone that knows him that he’s getting laid on the reg again. He’s just more relaxed and there’s a pep in his step.

I think this is when I can bring up that Jaime had a really bad, really toxic, emotionally abusive (IDK how deep this will go) relationship that really fucked him up for a really long time. And he threw himself into work with gusto. He’s basically been using work as something of an excuse for a long time. Maybe I need to plant seeds before this, but little seeds. Not tulip bulbs. 

I think this is the chapter where I work in a time they’re watching TV together and almost bone in the couch before they’re like fuck fuck fuck, the condoms are in the bedroom. Dammit. Cue alternate forms of birth control in the next chapter (BECAUSE I’M GONNA GET SO TIRED OF CONDOM TALK, BETHANY. IT’S FUNNY NOW BUT IT’S GONNA GET OLD).

[curiousorigins]

I can’t speak to everywhere in the world. But in the United States... this sign is 100% illegal shenanigans.

Free speech extends into the workplace, and furthermore, the various labor movements in the U.S. and various unions have been doing all they can to keep this toxic crap out of the workplace.

It is illegal to even make you watch various anti-union propaganda and the like. Any place that tells you not to discuss pay, are exactly the kind of places you should be talking to co-workers and comparing pay. When it gets right down to it... they will pay Leticia exactly the least amount of money they can get away with. (all larger companies have paid to study how much money to raise wages the least to keep workers until the get expensive.) Meanwhile Juan is making more, but it’s also the least they can get away with paying him... and until Juan and Leticia talk to Sarah or Mike... they’re going to have no idea how much they should be asking for. Companies don’t want to have to pay their employees decently. Talk among yourselves.

I recommend looking up laws in your local communities and see what agencies you can make a proper report to.

The most important thing you can do if you’re thinking of whistleblowing this sort of toxic workplace crap.... is document it. Get a notebook and keep track of when you clock in and out. Report when people are told that they didn’t get hurt at work. When you’re told to work off the clock. When you answer your phone in your off hours for work. Write down any instances and document the crap out of it. Document anytime you’re asked to break the law, to do something that you believe is dangerous. Don’t sign stuff. Those verbal warnings and what not that you’re signing... saying you got talked to for blah-blah. That’s your employer building up a case to prove that you were fired for cause and to avoid paying out for unemployment.

This kind of place is also the type that will commit wage or payroll fraud. Which by the way is the most common kind of theft in the U.S., the least persecuted and usually has zero jail time... regardless of the amount.

Know your rights, educate others in them and insist on them.

[kpoptimeout]

My Top 10 K-Dramas of 2018 - What’s Yours?

2018 is ending soon and K-Dramaland has once again brought us so many goodies this year. As per our blog’s tradition [For 2017 faves click here], below are my Top 10 favs of the year (my faves in alphabetical order so it might not be yours so please don’t judge)

My only specific criteria this year is that the show must have had started in 2018 to be considered a 2018 series (Hence, Hwayugi and I’m Not A Robot were in last year’s list and honourable mentions)

Lawless Lawyer (tvN)

Every year we have a few stellar Korean legal dramas and Lawless Lawyer is one of them. Starring veterans Lee Joongi and Son Yeji, the drama details a gangster turned lawyer who used unorthodox techniques to win cases and a lawyer-childhood friend-love interest who got into trouble for attacking a judge. After his return from the military, Lee Joongi has acted in many internationally well-received dramas but “Lawless Lawyer” is the first since his return to gain massive commercial success within South Korea and becoming one of the highest viewed dramas on Korean cable channel history. Son Yeji was also able to show her acting chops and shed her pretty girl image through this drama. It is understandable why this drama did well - it was action-packed, had a well-plotted storyline and also the right laughs at the right moments. If you love an amazing legal drama, go watch Lawless Lawyer already!

Memories Of The Alhambra (tvN/Netflix)

You know it’s nearing the year’s end when tvN drops another high budget and experimental drama with a star-studded cast to steal you and the critics’ hearts. This year it is Memories Of The Alhambra, which is an ambitious project jointly produced by tvN and Netflix. Following the success of jointly produced Mr. Sunshine which also made the list, the two studios teamed up for an even crazier project - instead of the guaranteed tear-jerking historical drama they went for a sci-fi/fantasy thriller exploring virtual and augmented reality and business in the digital age. You know they are taking this project seriously when they got the writer for “W” (the Lee Jongsuk and Han Hyojoo hit about the collapse of a comic book world into reality) Song Jaejung to write this screenplay. The show with top cast featuring Hallyu stars and veterans Hyun Bin, Park Shin Hye, and EXO’s Chanyeol with exhilarating graphics and filming in Grenada has been topping online and domestic Korean viewership since its broadcast on December 1st. If you enjoy creative sci-fi adventures with Asian leads, this is the drama for you!

Mr. Sunshine (tvN/Netflix)

One of the first tvN and Netflix collaborations, Mr. Sunshine was an unsurprising hit starring world-famous Korean actor Lee Byung Hoon and South Korea’s favourite young actress Kim Taeri. Other main cast include skilled and popular actors like Yoo Yeonseok, Byung Yohan and Kim Minjung. Throw in the historical Joseon setting and the imminent colonisation by foreign powers, you have a recipe for an awards-sweeper and crowd-pleaser! Besides a plot that easily draws in audiences, the set designs, colour grading, music, and costumes are all phenomenal and is a feast for the senses. My only knit-picking critique is it seems unrealistic that a Korean man can rise to as high a rank as Lee Byung Hoon’s Eugene Choi character in the racist 1800s United States no matter how brilliant Eugene Choi was. But besides that, if you love a historical epic with romance and war, this is the drama you would enjoy!

Ms. Hammurabi (JTBC)

This drama sees Go Ara and Song Dong Il reuniting in their father-daughter/mentor-mentee like dynamic following hit dramas Reply 1994 and Hwarang, with Go Ara being an idealistic former music student who dropped out and self-studied to become a judge, and Song Dong Il being the old geezer and life mentor who only managed to become a judge later in life. They are joined by INFINITE’s L being a by the books judge who likes Go Ara’s wholesome character. The drama is exceptionally touching, not only for its realistic depiction of life as judges in civilian law countries but also as a reflection of people chasing their dreams in different stages of their life. The drama also expertly deals with real-world issues like gender discrimination in the workplace, prejudice to marginalised groups and the issues that come with an inflexible hierarchical structure in South Korea. While there is romance between the leads, this is shown subtly and naturally, without it becoming a distraction to the engaging storyline. If you enjoy a thoughtful drama about society with great acting, this is a drama you would enjoy.

My ID is Gangnam Beauty (JTBC)

Maybe I am slightly biased because I loved the webtoon but I think My ID is Gangnam Beauty is one of the best Korean rom-coms of the year. First I thought the casting was spot-on - ASTRO’s Cha Eunwoo perfectly encapsulated the cold and awkward Do Kyungseok and Im Soohyang was able to display the insecurities of Kang Mirae even after plastic surgery well. The drama does a good job of touching on Korean society’s toxic beauty visual standards - it still makes the female lead insecure even after she gets plastic surgery and she gets ridiculed before and after plastic surgery. Meanwhile second female lead Hyun Soo Ah, played by Jo Woori, also struggles as a natural beauty due to fears of people no longer liking her should she ever fall below their expectations in any way. This is a thoughtful drama that does not just demonise characters for the sake of drama but gives us lots of food for thought about why people act the way they do regarding appearances. If you like a drama that is fun and cute but also has a good message, you should check out this drama!

My Mister (tvN)

There are dramas where you skip some scenes because you want to get to the main point. There are some dramas where you want every second of it. My Mister was one of those dramas you watch every second of. It was that good. While many Kdramas still having idealistic female leads who slowly get jaded and turn badass only near the end/are always protected by men and never turn badass, My Mister finally does the move of making the female poor but super resourceful, brilliant and cynical, and already super jaded to begin with. Played by top singer and actress IU, the female lead Lee Jian reverses the usual female lead tropes by slowly learning to see some good in the world and learn to dream following a life of extreme poverty and hardship. The other highlight of the drama is the male lead played by talented actor Lee Sunkyun, whose relationship with his brothers and mother, as well as his crumbling marriage with his wife provide a lot of food for thought on the meaning of family and life. By acting as a mentor of IU’s character while also being saved by IU from lots of drama unknowingly, we see two broken souls learn from each other to be better people. The drama also showcased how romance is not the only meaningful love that exists between communities. If you love an insightful slice-of-life drama with realistic intrigues, betrayals, and character development, you would love My Mister.

Radio Romance (KBS2)

Honestly at this point HIGHLIGHT’s Dojoon is just nation’s drama boyfriend and he continues to pick the good scripts as we can see in Radio Romance. The drama is simple - the assistant writer played by Kim Sohyun’s radio show might get cancelled and she manages to somehow get the top radio star played by Dojoon to host her show. Shenanigans happen and romance blossoms. It is stereotypical but done well, with the right amount of twists and just knowing when it should bounce back from the laughs and side stories. If dramas are all dishes, Radio Romance is like that cheesecake that tastes sweet and light, not so filling that it will you sick. It is the dessert you would always go for to feel good. If you like to watch something that makes you feel warm inside, this is the drama for you!

Something in the Rain (JTBC)

I am usually not super into “the younger dongsaeng has a romance with noona who he knows growing up all of a sudden” stories but there was something special about Something in the Rain. When I first began watching this drama, it did not feel like watching a regular Kdrama at all and more like an indie film from the West. There is a feeling of emptiness at the beginning, possibly to signify the resident noona and veteran actress Son Yejin’s unsuccessful love life. There was a lot of dialogue and cuts and it felt like watching a documentary about the lives of the characters. But it was this formatting of Something in the Rain that makes it feel so genuine. The pace of the leads building up their romance was steady and natural. Hence, it made issues they faced feel all the more real too. If you enjoy a realistic slice-of-life portrayal of romance, you would love this drama!

The Guest (OCN)

When I saw the trailer I already knew this was some scary shit. Following its many successful thrillers last year, OCN decided to dive in the more horror side of a thriller in The Guest. To fit this aesthetic, the drama was broadcasted only at 11pm instead of primetime but still had massive success and rightly so. The acting by the three leads Kim Dong Wook (man who can see ghosts and the future), Kim Jaewook (the cold, exorcist priest), and Jung Eunchae (a detective who does not believe in the supernatural) is phenomenal, making their team up to catch criminal possessed by ghosts all the more exhilarating. The actors who play the possessed are also amazing, making for most of the scares in this drama. If you enjoy a mystery and the horror genre, this is the Kdrama for you!

What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? (tvN)

Being the most searched Kdrama on Google in South Korea this year, it would not make sense for What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? not to make this list. The drama revolves around the successful but extremely narcissistic company vice chairman played by Park Seojoon and his capable no-nonsense secretary played by Park Minyoung, with the latter quitting after paying off family debts and not being in the mood to work for her annoying boss anymore. The whole process where Park Seojoon tries to retain his secretary of course blossoms into romance etc. etc. One of the reasons this drama did so well was that not only did it have a strong and capable female lead but Park Seojoon defied expectations in his role. As another Kdrama based on a webtoon, original webtoon readers felt like he was not similar to the male lead and were not sure how he would handle the role. But Park Seojoon did a fantastic job, to the point I wanted to bang my head on the table or slap his character whenever he did narcissistic shit. If you want a high-quality rom-com with some unorthodox twists, this is the drama to watch!

Honourable Mentions:

100 Days My Prince (tvN): The fourth highest-rated Korean drama in cable television history starring EXO’s D.O and Nam Jihyun, the drama details the marriage between a noblewoman on the run and a crown prince who lost his memory during a failed assassination attempt.

Are You Human? (KBS2): With the actual development of AI in recent years, more Kdramas have embraced the topic of robot-human romances. Seo Kang Joon and Gong Seungyeon star in this story involving a bodyguard and the AI of a chaebol masquerading as the real chaebol who is in a coma.

Still 17 (SBS): A drama involving a 30-year-old man who doesn’t want to grow up due to trauma (Yang Sejong) and a woman who wakes up after a 13-year coma so acts like a 17-year-old even though she is 30 (Shin Hyesun).

Welcome to Waikiki (JTBC): A comedy-drama starring rising actors Kim Junghyun, Lee Yikyung, and Son Seungwon who run a failing guesthouse called Waikiki. Oh, and there’s a single mother and a baby in this crazy mix!

What’s your Top 10 K-Dramas of the Year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and may the drama sharing begin (and the road to more excuse for holiday procrastination!)

Also, if you want to check out underrated K-Pop songs of 2018, here are the lists for idol songs, artist songs, and OSTs!

[poachai]

This Year’s Jive Turkeys Revealed

Truth be told, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Top 3 for sure. The food, the football and the family are all things to be celebrated during this special time of the year, especially in 2020. 

It’s also a time for movies we get to rewatch year-after-year. And one of my favorites, Trading Places, also has one of my favorite quotable lines: “It ain’t cool bein’ no jive turkey so close to Thanksgiving.”

Billy Ray Valentine, Capricorn, but I digress.

In recruiting, it’s a good time to look back on the year that was and think about what jive turkeys really stepped in it. In addition to making for some good blogging, they also make for some fun podcasting as well.

Anyway, let’s review some of my personal favs in the recruitment industry.

CareerBuilder - The company that sort of embodies 2020, there wasn’t much this old school job board got right. While laying off employees in April (is there anyone left?), they spent real money on a half-hearted ad campaign, We Build for You, that no one remembers. Then they said they were investing $300 million on tech while dumping tech company TextKernel and saw their site downed by an alleged ransomeware attack that lasted over a week. Here’s hoping your ATS isn’t powered by these turkeys, because you got to share in their misery.

Heros Jobs - It never fails. A technology that captures the imagination of consumers gets the jobs treatment. MySpace, QR codes, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Groupon, Tinder, Snap have all been jobified, only to go nowhere. Now it’s TikTok and Heroes Jobs, an app that’s basically TikTok for jobs. Ugh. Employers aren’t going to post cutesy videos on some app that no one uses. 

Art Zeile - When tech hotshot and Harvard smartypants Art Zeile took over Dice and DHI in 2018, the company promised mad levels of innovation, which was badly needed. In the shadow of a stock price that’s gone nowhere since Zeile took over, the company recently announced instant messaging as its hot new feature for November. Sorry, messaging no longer qualifies as innovation. 

AllyO - Founded by a couple of Google dudes in 2015, the startup ended up raising $64 million and made waves as a future recruitment platform and AI powerhouse. Lackluster sales, a toxic workplace and competitors with a better feel for the industry drove the company into the dirt where it was laid rest by a pandemic and picked-up on the bargain bin by video interviewing solution HireVue. 

Unwoke.hr - Back in July, a job board that promised to be a place to list job opportunities without the burden of "wokeness” launched. The site promised to help companies "hire courageous, free thinking and freedom loving individuals. Not ideologues whose only agenda is to weaponize your brand and business to further a radical cause." Unwoke.hr encouraged hiring managers to "watch your woke competition implode" for hiring diverse staff. At the time, I thought it was either a joke, an SEO play or some phishing site that preyed on job seekers. As of this writing, the site is dead. Good riddance.

Cootbie - This Glassdoor wannabe, is a total poser. Not exactly sure what’s going on - mostly because I don’t care - but they seem to like highlighting bad reviews for companies in order to get eyeballs. Reviews are possibly scraped form elsewhere but passed off as unique. What’s more? Companies like Apple, however, have zero reviews while unknowns like Compass Rose Academy and Reef Technology have feedback, which doesn’t really pass the sniff test. They also let “users” trash recruiters by name, which is a tad yucky. 

That’s the list. That’s it. Pass the stuffing!

There are more. Our industry is never short of shenanigans, is it? Anyway, if you’re in the US, Happy Thanksgiving. If you’re in parts outside the US, have a slice of pumpkin pie on us.

Gobble! Gobble!

[riverheadbooks]

READER HOROSCOPES FOR APRIL 2017

Your monthly constellation of literary consultation

  ARIES

 Get those bottles popping and candles lit - it’s your birthday and the whole world needs to know! Aries season, your season, is upon, and heavens help whoever isn’t ready. That’s no joke - there are five retrogrades in store this month, so proceed with caution. Turning a year older and wiser is having an incredible effect on your ambition - your focus has narrowed down to number one! You have goals to pursue, opportunities to grab, and you simply don’t have the time to be anything but 100% committed to making those dreams happen. We won’t discourage you, but be aware of naysayers who may pop up trying to cramp your style. There will always be people who take personal offense to your capacity to shine, and regardless of their reasons, it’s in your best interest to do all you can to separate yourself from that negativity. That’s right - separate. There is a time to try to talk through someone’s issues with you, slow down your progress, and work through the reasons behind someone’s ire - a retrograde is not that time! Breathe deeply - inhale peace, exhale stress - and focus on how you can channel the wisdom you’ve accrued in all the years you’ve lived to help you make your mark on the world. And while you’re taking all of these deep, fortifying breaths, why not take in some amazing scents? Your lucky book this month is probably unlike anything you’ve read recently, or maybe ever - all the more reason to dive in! Let Mandy Aftel, master perfumologist, walk you through the history and philosophy behind the scents we love and love to hate, the scents that stir up emotions we weren’t even totally aware of. Best of all, she’ll equip you with the knowledge to create some delicious perfumes of your own - how’s that for some birthday self-love?

 LUCKY BOOK: Fragrant by Mandy Aftel

  TAURUS

 Go on, take a load off, Taurus. You’re feeling particularly zapped of energy this month, but don’t worry, it will pass - eventually. This month’s retrogrades are about to do a number on you, so be prepared! Retrogrades tend to force us to reflect on the past: what went wrong and how to set things in place in order to move forward smoothly. Where have you been avoiding closure? What divergent areas of your life could use better transitions? Take advantage of your need to slow your pace a bit this month by thinking about how to retrace your steps to clear your head and clear the air as your birthday rapidly approaches. You don’t want is to be caught in the same situations you know you should have outgrown a long time ago. Visualize your areas of growth like a long, winding body of water - where are the blockages? What do you need to filter out and clear away? No more cutting corners - if one area is clogged with toxicity, it will likewise ruin the entire stream. While you take the time to think about how best to tackle the lurking issues in your past, take some inspiration and knowledge from your lucky book this month, an eye-opening examination of the source of all life: water. Where does it come from, where is it going, and what happens when it’s threatened? You’ll enter your birthday season feeling infinitely more prepared for whatever is ahead - and with an even greater appreciation for .

 LUCKY BOOK: Where the Water Goes by David Owen

  GEMINI

 Well helloooo, hotshot! You’re in high demand these days, aren’t you? Your popularity is off the charts this month, Gem, so enjoy this time in spotlight. It seems that no one can get enough of you, and keeping up with your own dance card is quickly becoming another full-time job. Good for you: you’ve been working hard to improve your public profile and networking skills, so it’s great to see them paying off! Beware the retrogrades on the horizon, however. The temptation is strong to make new friends and ditch the old, but you know the old song: one is silver, the other gold - both precious. Keep your foundation steady and strong before you attempt to stack more on top. If there’s a friendship in your life that you’ve been ignoring in favor of your new acquaintances, it may be time to reevaluate your priorities and make sure your original friendships are on solid ground. This is a bad time for drama - not only are you more in the public eye than you’ve ever been, but you’re a Gemini: you know how quickly circumstances can flip and up can suddenly become down. Hold on to the people in your life who have been there from the beginning - if things go awry, they are the people you can count on. And if you find yourself craving some drama, your lucky book has your back. Badass female assassins, superhuman abilities, hilarious workplace shenanigans, all with a Buffy-esque flair - you’re in for a literary treat this month. Dive in!

 LUCKY BOOK: The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales

  CANCER

 All systems go, Cancer! You’re a busy bee this month, flitting from this activity to that with barely enough time to take a breath in between. There are places you want to go, new heights you want to reach, and the only way to get there is to work, seemingly non-stop. Your drive is admirable, Cancer, truly. But I must warn you, the retrogrades in store for this month will absolutely throw a wrench in your plans - but by being prepared, you can possibly mitigate their effects by knowing what to expect from yourself. Thus far, you’ve felt totally in control, on top of your game, and honestly, pretty fantastic. Making moves suits you, and you know it does, so you’ve got some swagger in your step. Great for your self-esteem, but it may bite you in the behind when the planets’ movements start to send your emotions haywire. You’re going to start noticing the flaws in your family and friends that you feel need fixing. It’s a lovely impulse, if a bit insulting; no one likes to be berated or make to feel inadequate for simply being human. You’re not Iyanla, they don’t need you to fix their life. Rather, avoid some unnecessary friction with the people you love most and suffer your opinions in silence. This is not the time to try to bring other people’s mistakes or shortcomings to light, no matter how fantastic you’re feeling in comparison - there is usually a log in your eye to deal with before you attempt to point out the speck in someone else’s. Instead, keep pursuing the things that are meaningful to you. Work hard to become a better you. But keep your eyes open for areas of potential growth. Your lucky book this month is a gentle, illuminating story of a woman who found love and new convictions in an unlikely place - let this be your respite from the frenetic pace of your day-to-day. You may discover something you didn’t know you were missing.

 LUCKY BOOK: The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill

  LEO

 Adventure beckons, Leo! Springtime tends to bring with it a quickening, the feeling of restlessness and impatience, and all you want to do right now is set off on a brand new path towards the unknown. Can’t say we blame you! However, if you’re currently find yourself lacking the means to jet off and escape your usual orbit at the moment, there’s nothing wrong with venturing out within your neighborhood, or maybe a town or two over, and exploring places you’ve never visited. There is always something new to discover, new people to meet, new experiences make memories of - so don’t feel beholden to taking trips you simply cannot afford in the name of wanderlust. Either way, whether you’re still home or abroad, you can’t escape the retrogrades on the horizon. One of your main concerns, Leo, is your desire to partner with other people for either personal or professional reasons. A wonderful thing, to be sure, but  your judgment may be just a bit skewed this month - hey, don’t shoot the messenger, blame the planets. Be careful before entering into any binding agreements this month - examine your relationships and the terms of your contract deeply to be sure that they aren’t taking advantage of you, or potentially putting you in a situation you don’t need to be in. Trust is a precious thing - treat it that way. The characters in your lucky book learn this lesson well: chock-full of scandal and gossip in a 16th century French royal court, this is the perfect primer on guarding your secrets until you can be sure of who to entrust them with - you never know who may not have your best interests at heart.

 LUCKY BOOK: The Devils of Cardona by Matthew Carr

  VIRGO

 This is a month of intense focus for you, Virgo, and considering your usual proclivities, that’s saying something! Maybe it’s a subconscious pre-empting of the chaos that accompanies a retrograde - much less five - but this month, you know exactly what you want, how you want to get it, and what the reward may be. At this point, there is precious little that can slow you down. You may not want to hear this, but this could be the perfect time for you to find that kindred spirit to partner with on this project. Two heads can truly be better than one, provided you choose your co-collaborator wisely. One word of caution - you’re placing so much stock into this passion project, so much time and energy, that it can become difficult to extricate yourself from your work. Try to be aware of when this is happening, because the inevitable setbacks and misunderstandings then have the potential to grow into major, insurmountable issues. Beware how quickly you can bypass ‘annoyed’ or ‘frustrated’ and dive straight into anger, despite your best intentions. Focus on summoning compassion - it’s free, it feels better in the long run, and it causes less wrinkles (seriously!). You’re in very capable hands with your lucky book this month - written by none other than the master of the arts of compassion and mercy, Anne Lamott. Retreat into a chapter or two whenever you begin to feel yourself spiral, and remember to take a few breaths. You’re going to get where you want to go, Virgo, one way or another. Believe that.

 LUCKY BOOK: Hallelujah Anyway by Anne Lamott

  LIBRA

 Hey there, lovely Libra. This month is all about relationships for you, and how to deepen your bond with your chosen #1 - whether that’s your partner, your BFF, or your sibling. With all of the retrogrades that are on their way, you may begin to feel a significant need to take a load off. Lean into this impulse; the planets have their ways of urging us to reset when there is unfinished business in our lives. What have you been holding in lately? What have you been trying to gather the courage to say, and what is keeping your mouth closed? You can only go so long feeling happy and fulfilled in a relationship that has become shrouded by lies of omission, no matter how you may try to convince yourself otherwise. Two is the most important number for you this month, so do yourself a favor and put some serious thought into how to unburden yourself - you may be surprised with their reaction! Your lucky book this month is the perfect accompaniment to your current struggle - it focuses on two young women in 1950s Houston, Texas - one of them the quintessential “it” girl who everyone either wants to date or wants to emulate; the other, her best friend, somewhere between babysitter and co-conspirator. When the it girl goes off the rails, it’s her best friend’s job to pluck up the courage to bring her back to her senses - and accept the attendant consequences. See what happens when a friend is confronted with a tough decision - and acts. Your time for inaction has passed, but that’s not necessarily reason to fear - you may find that saying what you’re really thinking is the best decision you ever made.

 LUCKY BOOK: The After Party by Anton DiSclafani

  SCORPIO

 Hello, spring, and hello, Scorpio! No matter where you live, the arrival of the spring months can have a serious rejuvenating effect on your psyche. It's a time for new beginnings, fresh outlooks, and clean slates. Clean, indeed - another impulse of spring is the tidying one, and it's hitting you hard this month. Excellent! Whether it be your home, your body, your mind, or all three (seriously, bravo), your number one focus this month is getting into shape, clearing away old clutter, and using the arrival of a new season as a reset button. Be aware: there are several retrogrades this month; be on the alert for their influence over your emotions. In the midst of the thorough emotional scrubbing you're doing, don't be surprised if you receive a surprise DM or late-night text from a certain someone you'd sworn off long ago. The funny thing about retrogrades is right in the name - things from our past tend to pop up and test our commitment to the here and now. Feel whatever emotion that naturally arises - there is precious little you can do about that - but then, move right past it. You don't owe anybody your time or energy, especially if you've already made the decision to stop giving it to them. Resist the urge to rehash old wrongdoings, put down your phone, and pick up your lucky book: a heartfelt and hilarious collection of short stories by a woman who has attended one too many weddings. Every union is a new beginning of sorts, and despite the flak perpetual wedding guests sometimes receive, witnessing the foundational moments of someone else’s love can be surprisingly instructive. If you need to scribble some notes in the margins, we won't tell.

 LUCKY BOOK: Save the Date by Jen Doll

  SAGITTARIUS

 Joy to the world, April has come! Okay, wrong season, same sentiment. You are one happy Sag this month - people have been noticing your glowing skin, sparkling eyes, and infectious laugh. Where did this energy come from? Who knows? (Who cares?) After being a hermit for the past few weeks, maybe it's simply the restorative power of being back outside and interacting with more people. Either way, take advantage of this positive energy and make the most of it - pursue that opportunity you've been watching and waiting to act on, make that scary phone call to the person who's been expecting to hear from you. But keep in mind that there are a fair few retrogrades in store for this month, which can throw your priorities for a loop. It can be easy to allow yourself to get carried away with this new abundance of energy; try to be mindful of this! Despite what you're feeling, you actually can't do it all, neither should you aspire to. What are the projects that have been sitting on the back burner? The ideas you've already devoted love and care to, and now just need to act on? That's where you should focus your attention, rather than spreading yourself thin by taking on even more. Your lucky book this month is a poignant counterbalance to your mood this month - a collection of essays about the seven years separating the author’s son’s birth from his father’s death, and the heartwarming, heartbreaking, hilarious moments that occurred between. Let it be a reminder of the unpredictability of life - and inspiration to live it as fully and as well as you can.

 LUCKY BOOK: The Seven Good Years by Etgar Keret

  CAPRICORN

 Hey, sweet Capricorn. That squashy chair sure is comfortable, isn't it? This month, you're all about that home life: maybe you're taking on a renovation project, trying out some new baking recipes, or maybe it means spending time with your tribe, the people you love and who love you the most. Either way, your ideal April looks somewhat like a huge Snuggie, maybe a cup of tea, and some quality catch-up sessions with friends and family. We support this wholeheartedly, especially in light of the retrogrades coming your way - you’re to want to be surrounded by people who understand and care about you. Because despite your comfy socks and sweatshirt, you are not totally at ease - your career is an area of particular concern to you right now. Take this time to reflect on your current trajectory. What are you headed towards? What are you moving away from? Is this the direction you wanted to go with your life, or have you abandoned a dream to pursue something you aren’t sure you actually need? It’s okay to second guess your decisions sometimes, and always better to think through those gut feelings than to ignore them. This is when being in the midst of friends and family can help - soliciting a second or third opinion can be invaluable when you’ve been stuck at a crossroads for quite some time. Be open about your fears, and receptive to the advice coming your way. And to give yourself a break from this intense internal restructuring, your lucky book is waiting: a highly addictive, spellbinding collection of short stories about the ties that bind, the flawed world we live in, and what happens when things go topsy-turvy. A perfect escape within your escape.

 LUCKY BOOK: What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah

  AQUARIUS

 Look at you go, Aquarius! Your April is already off to a rousing start, with all of the exploring you’re doing. Good for you! March was an insular kind of month for you - whether because of a heavy work load, emotional load, or you were just plain exhausted - but now you’re ready to grab life by the horns once more. Keep this up! Be proactive in doing the things you enjoy, the things that make YOU happy, regardless of what you fear other people may think. Retrogrades are brewing this month, Aquarius, and for you, they can come with a boatload of self-doubt. You know your own propensity for negative self-talk and not trusting your own desires, so rather than wait for those feelings to take over, do the important work of reaffirming your own self-worth and confidence. Use your outings to find like-minded people; kindred spirits who you feel comfortable turning to for some subtle validation on your more melancholy days. Treat yourself to a massage or a matinee - life is short, so why not be kind to yourself? There is no one right way to do things, no matter what you may be accustomed to telling yourself, so let your explorations be open-ended. Your lucky book this month deals with one of the most polarizing and contentious topics with a similar approach: she presents the case for agnosticism, and the freedom in acknowledging everything we don’t know. There’s no shame in admitting the limits of our knowledge, and wanting to be our authentic selves, whatever that means for you. Own it!

 LUCKY BOOK: Agnostic by Lesley Hazleton

  PISCES

 Time to get up and get going, Pisces! You have a lot of ideas, but thus far, not nearly as much follow-through - but this month is when you change that! Think about it: how can you kick your productivity into gear? Set more alarms? Write more to-do lists? Find an accountability partner? Whatever works best for you, start now and stick with it - it will be tough, but you can do it. Best to get this month off to a busy productive start than wait for the impending retrogrades to sap you of your creative energy. But when that time does come, and you’re feeling sick and tired of the same old, same old, here’s an idea: do a bit a tidying up. Not your room or kitchen, necessarily (although that’s never a bad idea), but specifically, examine your wardrobe, your haircut, your shoe situation. Maybe the slump you’ve been in can be attributed to a subconscious desire for a physical change. Hey, they say not to judge a book by its cover, but everyone does it anyway, right? And there is much to be said for the ways that outward appearance can transform inward confidence. There’s something undeniably powerful about looking into a mirror and being happy with what you see - it can add a spring to your step, it can make you more likely to speak and be heard, and just appreciate the world a bit more. Donate the things you’ve outgrown to a local charity and experience the immediate psychological benefits of physically removing objects that carry outdated negative energy from your space. Your lucky book this month is all about the enduring impact of past mistakes on a small town, and the ways that those mistakes can have a ripple effect on multiple families within that community. When tragedy strikes, who is to blame? How do you reconcile the reality of the present with the ignorance of the past? Sometimes a facelift can be the first step to a deeper reconfiguring within.

 LUCKY BOOK: Friendswood by René Steinke

[appinsta]

The Verge 2018 tech report card: Uber

2018 was supposed to be a recovery year for Uber. Sandwiched in between the disaster that was 2017, and the expectation that the company will go public in 2019, this was a year for Uber to put its sordid past behind it and stride confidently into the future.

Except it didn’t quite achieve it. Dara Khosrowshahi has certainly succeeded in putting a more grown-up face on Uber, but that wasn’t too hard given predecessor Travis Kalanick’s reputation for brogrammer shenanigans and the toxic workplace culture at the company’s San Francisco headquarters. All Khosrowshahi had to do was look apologetic when asked about Uber’s past scandals, and then quickly pivot to the company’s new ethos, which was safety and corporate responsibility. Easy,...

Continue reading…

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[mercurial-rosie]

Update

A little thing about what’s gone on in the last year in case anyone was wondering

So, a little over a year ago, one of my best friends from the internet was in a pickle and they wound up moving in with me.

Shortly after that, the relationship I was in went from toxic to abusive and I spent 6 months trying to figure out how to say no.

Then I was in a weird grey area where I was transitioning from that relationship and a bunch of friendships into a slightly more isolated place with the addition of my workplace being a place where I almost never interact with human beings made that feeling worse. Then I started having family issues because my stepbrother is a douche canoe and my stepdad is sick.

During all of this, I was trying to cope with the fact that I’d definitely fallen for the best friend turned flatmate who was involved with my other best friend.

So, when the best friends broke up, I felt weird because…well, feelings were involved but also, like, they were going through a break up with literally one of my best friends. After some deep contemplation and serious conversations, flat mate went from flat mate to partner.

And right now, I’m laying in bed with them because we have to leave early for my class and work and I am honestly happier than I’ve been in a long time.

Maybe it’s a little insensitive of me to be posting this here but I don’t even care cause I wanna be selfish for once.

They have the greatest smile and laugh and eyes and they make me laugh and they not only cosplay all my dumb shit they also roleplay it. They put up with my shenanigans and they help me make phone calls when it’s too scary and watch all my shows and listen to me talk about everything that I ramble about. I can’t even begin to say everything that I feel for this wonderful human. They’ve been there for me through all of this and they help me so much. I just…I appreciate them so much.

They are the Andy to my April, the John to my Sherlock, the Bob to my Linda, the Bones to my Spock, my partner in crime, my best friend, my movie-buddy, and I'm so happy.