#my first amv so it might be kinda bad... but this has been on my mind for a bit so I wanted to do something with it

[brightlightsdeancity]

I Bought Myself a Liarbird

[my-beloved-lakes]

1, 4, 5, 10, 17, 19 for Forever, and 1, 5, 9, 15, and 19 for White Collar?

Forever:

1. what got you into this story?

We have @ghostlyarchaeologist to blame thank for this one. Saw them posting about it several months ago and was actually in the mood to try watching a new TV show (which is rare). Out of all my mutuals, I think I trust them the most to have good taste in TV, so I decided to give it a try

4. assign this story a hyper-specific genre name, e.g. "inspirational religious semi-horror sci-fi western" (yes, that's Trigun)

Um... Idk I'm bad at this. Romantic comedy modern-fantasy crime-drama?

5. do you have a favorite character? who?

I mean they're all so great it's hard to choose but I gotta say Henry, followed shortly after by Abe.

10. if you made an amv about this, what song would you set it to?

@we-have-a-flying-sword pointed out to me the other day that Twenty Long Years by Lord Huron reminded her of Henry. It's not perfect and there are other songs that might work better, but it's a song I love and I do think it works really well.

17. compare this story to your usual tastes. how does it differ from what you've already enjoyed?

Honestly, aside from the fact that it's the first show about a medical examiner I've seen, it's pretty on brand for the kind of shows I like. Nice balance between funny lightheartedness and serious stuff.

19. pitch an idea for a sequel or spinoff novel for this story!

Gosh! I think it'll be a long time before I stop fantasizing about this show getting a reboot. I guess a reboot would start with a recap of what happened immediately following the last scene in the show. Then like, just more of the same I guess, only now there's more trust and transparency between Henry and Jo. I'd like to see them get together. It'd be a long time coming, but they had to wait till they had all their individual issues worked out.

White collar:

1. what got you into this story?

It all started with the show Chuck actually. Matt Bomer played a character in that who was pretty easy to dislike but at the same time I wanted to like him. I just couldn't. Later I decided to look him up to see if he was in anything that looked interesting where he played a more likeable character. I found White Collar and remembered that one of my sisters had said it was pretty good so I started watching it.

5. do you have a favorite character? who?

As I'm rewatching it now I'm remembering how much I love Sara Elis. But also Elizabeth Burke is and always will be absolute wife goals! Mozzy's great too... and Neal. I love a lot of them, really.

9. give the most UNHELPFUL and/or SILLY summary possible.

Tired FBI agent tries desperately (and kinda fails) to keep his crime child out of trouble.

15. what time are you most likely to be found reading/watching this story? (time of year, time of day, season of life, whatever makes sense to you)

Time of day: evening or night cuz I almost never watch TV during the day.

19. pitch an idea for a sequel or spinoff novel for this story!

I don't know what they have planned for the reboot that is actually happening but in a perfect world: Neal found Sara in Paris. (That's why he chose Paris, duh) (Wait she did go to Paris right? Idk it's been a while since I've seen it. I could be miss remembering it) And they are now living happily as a semi-normal couple. Neal is using his unique set of skills and knowledge to help Sara with her insurance recoveries and also doing a little crime on the side. Mozzy has found Neal and is there helping out and encouraging Neal to do more heists/cons. They keep in touch with the Burkes and visit them in the states all the time. Peter let's the world continue to believe Neal Cafrey is dead cuz he knows Neal deserves to be free and that's the only way for that to happen. But any time he needs help on a tricky case he'll call Neal for some unofficial help.

But Honestly I don't want there to be a reboot or spinoff. I liked where it ended and I feel like bringing it back now is a bad idea cuz it'll ruin what, in my opinion, was a satisfying and happy conclusion. I'm really not jazzed about the fact they're working on bringing it back, especially since Willy Garson won't be in it. What's the point without Mozzy!? And apparently Hillary Burton won't be in it either, so that ruins my idea stated above.

[peculiar-potato]

My Art Fight 2024 Stats & Summary!

(This might be really boring but I like numbers and this is my tumblr so too bad)

For starters, here’s my progress on the Art Fight Bingo card, almost blacked the whole thing out! I hit a lot of categories with the same attacks, so to avoid too much repetition I decided to fill in the blocks with attacks I thought fit the brief the best, even if they weren’t the first one to check it off.

A few things of note, compared to previous years:

I had 28 level 1 attacks I needed to revenge (not counting chains). This most direct revenges I had to do so far! (Previous record was 21 in 2021). Essentially a lot more people attacked me first this year!

My attacks to defenses ratio this year (including mass attacks I was included in) was 42.2%. This is my lowest ratio of all the years, and the first time it fell below 50%. I did revenge everyone but I got a lot of attacks back for my mass attack so I technically received more art.

I did 38 attacks, which is my second-lowest amount of attacks (I did 31 in 2018). This was because my mass attack took up a ton of time, and now it just takes me longer to make attacks of the quality I want to.

18 of those attacks were friendly fire, which ties for the most friendly fire attacks in a year (I also did 18 in 2020), but friendly fire overall made up a higher percentage of my total attacks this year.

I had at least one character included in 19 mass attacks, which beat my record of being included in 12 in 2021. (Worth noting that between both 2022 and 2023 I was included in only 8, so I was not used to this many ahah).

This year my mass attack scored 9609.75 points, which absolutely destroyed my previous personal record of 3750.25 in 2021.

That helped my total points scored this year land at 12445.75, which is way more than previous years, my previous record being 7340.75 also in 2021.

In general, my fan characters took my art fight by storm, receiving wayyy more attacks than any of my original characters, which hasn’t happened before! I think a big contributing factor to this was all the mass attacks I was included in, but still, it was really interesting!

This year’s “fan favorite” (character who received the most attacks) was actually a tie between two characters- Twelve and Cyrus, both being included in 12 (aha) attacks each! Gray was a pretty close second being included in 11 attacks.

New/different things I did this year:

A lot more animation! I’ve done tiny bits here and there, but this year I actually fully animated a few attacks (including my mass attack)

Also my giant amv mass attack lol. So much fun but so much work ahah.

A traditional art attack! I’ve never actually submitted a traditional art attack in all my years of art fight despite originally being a traditional artist before I got into digital art in like 2017.

More comics! I did quite a few comics as revenge, (usually as revenge for others’ comics), and those were really fun too.

A lot more character interaction! I included my characters in attacks on other characters more, usually as revenge for people who already drew our characters together. Building off of other attacks and kind of “continuing the story” when I got a coupe comics was really fun.

Bonus doodle reward! Whoever was the first to draw one of my characters for the year got a bonus mini-doodle in my cartoony style of the character of theirs I attacked/revenged with. This was in an effort to try and get more of my characters attacked instead of people just focusing on some of the same ones. I don’t know if it actually made that much of a difference in getting more of my characters attacked, but it was kinda fun. I almost forgot to add the doodles though sometimes ahah. I haven’t decided if I’ll bring that back next year or not

Overall I had a great time! I would say this has been my favorite year of Art Fight so far, beating 2021 which was my old favorite. Only disappointment is not getting to do quite as many attacks as I wanted to due to time constraints- there were a few people I wanted to attack but didn’t get to. In general though, this year was awesome, and I’m sad to see it end. Already cooking up some fun ideas for next fight though!

Here’s a few screenshots from my overcomplicated spreadsheet that break down some of the numbers!

[johannas-motivational-insults]

Jo’s Top 10 of 2020

I see lots of artists doing that thing where they post a piece from each month of the year... unfortunately my content creation isn’t necessarily consistent and it’s hard to track what month individual fic chapters were posted in, but I figured I’d do something similar and post my Top 10 pieces of content I created in 2020, what they’re about and why I love them. I actually did get a fair amount done this year thanks to the lockdown, but I’ve narrowed it down to these ten that I’d like to reflect on. (To be fair, I’m probably forgetting something huge. Feel free to leave comments if you think I passed over something important lol.)

10. Friendship in the Horde (meta): This is something I’d wanted to write for a while but finally got around to finishing in February. It’s basically a sociology paper lmao, an analysis of the social hierarchies and systems of the Horde. It was also a convenient excuse for me to gush about Catralonnie, an underrated (friend)ship. But honestly this was an important piece for me because I have always identified with the Horde characters way more than any of the rebels (other than Adora, who grew up in the Horde) and part of why is how they are in an unsafe environment and end up forming relationships that are helpful for survival but hinder them psychologically. And I think to understand the Horde characters and really evaluate their motives and choices you need to understand this first.

9. The Sting in My Eyes: On the surface this is just a run of the mill hurt/comfort oneshot, but it was a really important post-canon processing fic for me. I had a lot of feelings about Catra’s relationships with Shadow Weaver and Melog in season 5, particularly about how Catra must have felt really conflicted after Shadow Weaver told her what she wanted to hear all those years but in a way that felt unearned and out of the blue. It was really cathartic for me to write a scene where she struggles with those mixed feelings but has Adora and Melog to help her process them. And I had long associated the song the title is from with Catra and Shadow Weaver’s relationship, and the way she died trying to redeem herself really solidified that connection.

8. Hail Mary, chapter 6: This was supposed to be a short chapter mostly about the backstory between Catra and Scorpia in this au, with some Catradora yearning thrown in. It evolved into a massive, sprawling thing that is very atmospheric in terms of how the setting and vibes are described and how in the moment it feels. Hail Mary is like that sometimes but that type of narration is usually about football games rather than parties, so this chapter was a fun change of pace in many ways. It was really nostaglic for me to write too, the nerves of being a teenager at a party with your crush and how intense everything feels. And the Scorptra stuff really is delicious, it was nice seeing them have that conversation they never got to have in canon and truly make up, and the tiny sliver I added of Catra’s earlier history was heartbreaking in the best way. So this was not what I intended to write, but it turned out way better for it.

7. A Better Son or Daughter (AMV): I’ve done other Adora AMVs, but this one is really my iconic piece. The song is perfect for Adora, so perfect it’s on Noelle’s Adora playlist. The vid itself is a character study about Adora’s mental health struggles and the way she represses them, as well as a tribute to her resiliency and her eventual triumph of getting to a better place in her life. This is a song that gives me a lot of feelings and once I was making it about Adora it gave me even more, so this was a very satisfying piece to complete. I wish Noelle had gotten a chance to see it but oh well, maybe down the line.

6. Hail Mary, chapter 12: This is the chapter that much of the fic had been building to, Catra and Adora in conflict because Catra finally got the chance to be Adora’s hero and Adora shot her down. It’s painfully analogous to canon, both in terms of how (I suspect) Catra felt in Thaymor and Adora’s tendency to victim blame because she’s so pragmatic. There’s definitely some tones of Taking Control in there but Lonnie does a much better job of examining Catra’s psychology and needs than Glimmer did in canon (a writing error imo, Glimmer should have had more insight). Adora just wants to help but sometimes in her quest to do so she disenfranchises others, and this was a much needed look at that aspect of her character. It’s also an excellent illustration of what it’s like to play a peacekeeping role in an abusive household and how stressful it is trying to protect others while also protecting yourself.

5. Unstoppable (AMV): This is not my favorite Catra AMV I’ve ever done, but it might be the cleverest. The soundtrack is a song about mental illness masquerading as a song about being a bad bitch, which is basically Catra in a nutshell. The lyrics are incredibly fitting for her and her arc as it develops over seasons 1-4. The vid itself takes a hard turn in the interpretation of the lyrics, going from talking about how no one can stop Catra to how she can’t stop herself because she’s in such a terrible sunk cost fallacy spiral, and I think I got several death threats over that twist lmao. As someone who primarily deals in angst, there’s hardly a better compliment to be paid.

4. Demons, chapter 31: This one got real dark on me. The concept of this chapter was originally an examination of how comparing abuse can get really dicey but you also have to respect that other people have had different experiences from you and you have to be careful not to equate things or make it sound like you’re talking over someone else. I guess it’s also a bit of a look at how autistic people (like myself) will often explain why they can empathize so others know they understand rather than saying empty platitudes, but that can come off as insensitive or like they’re making things about them. I mean, in this case Adora kinda was making things about her, but she was provoked into it by a parade of comments insinuating she didn’t suffer at all, which was also unfair. Anyway it’s one of the more important Catradora fights in Demons and something I’d written bits of over a year prior, it was that important to the plot, but it also took a turn I was not originally planning. I finished the chapter when I was in a really bad depressive and self-loathing spiral and that bled onto the page, but it worked perfectly for Catra in this scenario... that push and pull of feeling like the world has hurt and victimized you mixed with knowing you’ve done some bad things yourself and feeling like you don’t have a leg to stand on when mourning the ways you’ve been hurt. It’s intense as all fuck but it’s excellent.

3. Hail Mary, chapter 11: Speaking of dark Catra content, this chapter... whew. It was really something else, to read and to write. I have written flashbacks in Demons that are more detailed and even include explicit violence but because those scenes are always in flashback form I never really got the chance to sit in the head of an abuse victim waiting for the other shoe to drop for an entire chapter like I did here. It’s quite different from the rest of Hail Mary stylistically and is both highly sensory and extremely internalized. It took me back to some terrifying moments in my own life so it was difficult but also extremely cathartic to write. It’s important too because it really sets up where Catra was at mentally heading into her big fight with Adora, and that chapter is in Adora POV. This chapter is ranked so high simply because it’s... polished, as @malachi-walker put it. It almost is its own story within the story and really noteworthy as a piece all its own.

2. Demons, chapter 26: This chapter is very similar thematically to Hail Mary 12, just based in the canonverse. It deals with one of the core (but highly neglected by fandom) conflicts between Catra and Adora, where they both need to feel like they can take care of and protect the other but also detest feeling weak or vulnerable themselves. It leads to Adora’s ego making Catra feel disrespected and Catra’s behavior confusing Adora and making her think she’s an ungrateful brat rather than someone who needs so badly to be needed, just like her. There’s definitely some power struggles in this chapter but finally they’re able to get to the heart of it and seeing them talk it out is so satisfying. Getting this chapter published was also important to me on a personal level because, like I said, this aspect of their conflict and relationship is rarely acknowleged for how important it is when really it’s one of the deepest conflicts between them in the series. It’s a scene I started writing pretty much as soon I knew I was extending the fic into something longer because I just needed them to have this conversation, so finishing it was so satisfying.

1. Satisfaction, chapter 3: This chapter took me a really long time to write, both in terms of time to get it published and time I actually spent working on it. It’s the crown jewel of a fic that’s really important to me and I had to get it just right, so I spent more time agonizing over every detail and rewriting things to get them absolutely perfect than I usually do (I’m a perfectionist anyway, but this took it to a whole other level). But in the end it was worth it, because this chapter is damn fine. It’s really hot, as you’d expect from a smut fic, but it’s also an excellent character study of how both Catra and Adora were affected by their abuse and trauma and the issues it raises for them in terms of sex and intimacy. Also, come on, we need more BDSM fics out there that focus on the actual point of it all (the trust involved) and promote communication and do the character work to explain why they might be into it in the first place.

BONUS (from December 31, 2019): One of my favorite pieces of 2020 technically came out in 2019, but I posted it on New Years Eve so most people first saw it in 2020. It’s an absolute banger of an AMV called I’m Not Jesus that’s all about Catra and Adora’s anger towards Shadow Weaver and their refusal to forgive their abuser. Funny enough this came out before Adora’s iconic “I will never forgive you” line, and Shadow Weaver definitely made things more complicated with how she went out, but I think the sentiment still applies.

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh Ep33 S4 pt 1: Deus Ex US Military

Been a little distracted but was reminded--yo--I gotta finish S4 of Yugioh this year. I think I can do it. There’s like...what...two episodes left? Three? Like I don’t want to tempt 2020, but like...I think I can finish this thing.

That and a bunch of my Photoshop files corrupted, I don’t know why, I’m very scared for my hard drive, and I need to do a big ol defrag and hope that’s enough. Really hoping this is my bad and not my computer’s bad. I’m pretty hard on this computer when I paint digitally.

and I was immediately gifted by the anime gods because yo, it’s my favorite storyboarder! They're back to carry me through my election burn out, every episode they touch has so much style and no matter how freakin weird or confusing the plot is, this storyboarder/animation team doesn’t seem to care. They will this kids show about cards with this attention to detail. They just have a lot of enthusiasm and that’s a thing about anime that I really like to see. No matter how weird it is, you gotta go 150% without any shame. Love it. Love to see em back.

First off, that earthquake from last episode?

Just a little bigger of an earthquake than I originally thought, coincidentally, this is when Roland shows up, only to realize that he’s like...10 minutes to late.

Well, maybe a little longer than 10 minutes when you consider that Mai freakin died and Yugi almost died, and Joey is absolutely dead and being carried across Tristan’s back.

Anyway, Roland just walked into a whole lot and is just trying to process his life. Roland is all of us in October/November of 2020.

If Roland only knew how many times Seto and Mokuba have totally biffed it when he wasn’t looking.

Like for reals...how is Roland still alive? Like...I don’t think the guy has ever died. Not even once. Maybe that’s Roland’s superpower as the secret FourthKaiba, by just being the only one to stay very far away from the constant BS strewn at this family.

Roland is just...too inept to die. He’s always too far away, he comes after the big bad has already murdered a few people, he’s just...too bad at his job to ever be a target. Live long, Roland. The Kaiba who was the smartest of all by actually being the dumbest.

Also, look at him parking far enough away on the actual helicopter landing pad. He is the only ‘Kaiba’ that follows the law. This could also be the other reason for his secret to longevity.

(read more under the cut)

Faced with a stairwell between their freedom and this weird earthquake chasm that just opened on the top story of this building, Yami decides it’s his job to carry...................

...................Raphael.

(Never forget that we know the exactly weight of Yugi Muto.)

And like Yami is weirdly strong because of magic powers but like...maybe Yami should take Joey and then Tristan should pick up Raphael? I’d say Tea could also pick up Raphael, but I feel like she just wouldn’t want to.

TBQH maybe the reason that Yami is carrying Raphael is because literally no one else feels like it? Like no one likes this guy?

Just kinda feels like Yami is holding onto Raphael out of a sunk-cost fallacy. He’s already done so much work to this guy, can’t lose him now. Gotta save Raphael to make up for killing Gurimo, Weevil, and Yugi. Can’t fail a fourth time.

Anyway, you know what else this storyboarder is good at?

How did they even get reference for drawing this? They didn’t, right? They’re just so good at art that they were like “I can draw ANY person in ANY outfit straight up the crotch, I dare you.”

Seto decides to...not help out, much like virtually all of Yami’s other friends, who also just kinda...yelled and cried at this situation instead of...helping.

Which is fine, because the stairwell gave out and then Raphael decided to uhhhh throw this directly at me.

Just one more yeet for the road. Youknow this guy has yeeted the Pharaoh not once but twice in one season, and both times he just chucked him like he was made out of foam core. (Also, please admire the millennium puzzle in this shot going out at like a 90 degree angle. Just...A+, this storyboarder is hilarious)

At first, I really thought Yami was dabbing his way over that ledge.

In a moody shot with his hair and his jacket swaying in the breeze, almost designed for you to lift and stick into your Youtube AMVs, Seto looked onward and seemed...kind of bored because no one’s throwing any cards. And like who can blame him, he has been on the top of so many ledges and so many buildings that he’s seen Yami make this same speech of “DON’T DO THIS DAMN LEDGE THING I SWEAR TO GODS” like...so many times.

He just immediately accepts Yugi died and is like “Well I guess that makes me king of games.”

And Raphael, after like several minutes of begging Yami to just let him die, decides to let go of that ledge on his own, because this is Yugioh, and you gotta fit in that suicide within the first 10 minutes of the episode. Which, PS, is not the weirdest thing that happened this episode.

And because Roland is freakin late to everything, he showed he could have done this the entire time. Honestly I think Roland just didn’t want to deal with Raphael. We can blame this on Roland, right?

PS we never see this building again in this episode.

I don’t know........why they bothered showing this. If anything it makes the next plot twist more weird because it’s like...what was the point of the random ass earthquake and the random ass concept art building if we, in fact, aren’t coming back here???

I mean I guess it’s a nice shot for your Artstation portfolio, good on you, Yugioh background artist.

Unfortunately this chip contains Seto Kaiba’s greatest weakness. (SanDisk card? Jump drive? Which PS--if they had jump drives this whole time, why was Seto using floppies earlier in the season? Like what happened there?)

And then, with the hatch of their helicopter just wide open, no one in a seat belt, and walking away from the destruction of one of the largest buildings in San Fransisco, finally the cops showed up. Real cops this time, not possessed cops. Also, it’s the Marines.

Am I going to get my Monty Python ending? I mean...if cops can recognize these kids in this universe...I might get my Monty Python ending. :) :) :)

For some reason, back on the mean streets of San Fransisco with no people left alive in it, Rebecca just kinda started losing her mind. Maybe this was to make up for the 2 seasons I had to watch Duke Devlin flirt with a 12 yo? That now we have to suffer Duke saddled with this small crazy person?

This small crazy person who is painted as this intolerable person next to Duke Devlin, but is also a love interest for the main character? Like Yugi’s into some weird ass angry girls.

PS the orcs were no longer needed for the plot so they have turned into streams of light in order to join with the Leviathan mass. So now Rebecca and Duke Devlin will just have literally nothing to do for the rest of the season. I guess they can go to Ghiradelli square...someone’s gotta eat that ice cream before it melts.

Also this happened.

In case you were like “Wow Rach, you didn’t update the Death Count, how dare you”--it’s because I uh...completely forgot that the Oricalchos crew is immune to fall damage. Raphael’s just fine now. He fell down 50 stories...and then 50 stories fell on him...but don’t think about it.

Meanwhile, on the back of some aircraft carrier, far into international waters, the kids get recruited into the military of a foreign country and it’s just as weird as you think it is.

Hey guys.

So, Bandit Keith was weirdly in Hell this season for no reason, right? What if he died offscreen because, earlier in the season, the US military threw him at Dartz because they couldn’t get a hold of Yugi or Kaiba? What about that headcanon? What if that’s why his angry ghost wanted revenge?

Anyway, they join the ranks of Shadow T. Hedgehog, which makes sense because...these guys look like human OC’s of Shadow the hedgehog already.

Sorry I just had a moment because Shadow uses guns a lot despite not needing them at all so “people won’t get uncomfortable with how powerful he is” while in Yugioh they can’t even...show a gun. That really is...you ever think about how weird that is? That Shadow the Hedgehog, a strange remix of a 90′s sega mascot, has a million giant guns but Kaiba’s actual gun (which, apparently he does have in the Japanese version of this show) got edited out completely?

Sometimes it just dawns on me and I have a moment.

Now the US Military just hand delivering them to Dartz is so wild because their reason for the USA not doing anything on their own with their fleets and fleets of ships is:

Have you MET the US? I live here, and if we were like given the choice to shoot the ocean...or just die...we’d be like “wait...for reals? So no one gets hurt, we just shoot guns at the water? You mean we finally found our true calling? For REALS? I just shoot this water bucket!??? FOR REALS????” and it would become a national holiday. All pop songs would be devoted to it. Our ancestors would make movies about it.

I mean, our dumbass president considered nuking a hurricane in 2019...in case you forgot because damn, it’s been a STUPID 4 YEARS. (And you better have voted already because for reals do not make me go through 4 more years of this. I do not think this blog would survive it...or the hurricanes that will keep getting nuked.)

Also....the show actually threw the word “proof” out there. Seriously show? You OK?

I figured the mind control situation would be a better reason not to arrest Dartz other than “Dartz is just so good at covering up his tracks” when the TRACKS have a broken down Caltrain on one side of them, and the other side of the tracks have the rest of that same Caltrain at the bottom of a river.

Seto is not amused but he never is. He will take this Nobel Peace Prize and step up to the microphone at the UN and be like “I WANTED IT TO BE A CARDS PRIZE.”

PS--we HAVE a map already, right? Raphael died to give us this map--and then didn’t die, but it’s not like anyone else here knows that. So like...why did we need the US Military to show up at all? Why is this scene important? Other than to look cool, I guess? Like...

...why is the US military here we already have a Deus Ex Machina delivered by Raphael? At least that one was deserved--the whole point of that duel was to get this MAP.

A map that we are never going to use.

...There’s a good chance that two writers wrote this episode in two different buildings and just...glued the two halves together. Animation is wild. Weird ‘Cinema sins’ things like this happen...all the time. This one though, this one is kind of funny because it’s a ton of wasted effort on the very best storyboarder.

Anyway I broke this up into two segments because I’m tired, and also, while a lot of people like long posts, the smaller posts are kinda easier to read. More will be upcoming in like...I dunno it really depends on a lot of things right, now, I’ve been having a time, but at least Yugioh is always there to enjoy. Maybe I’ll need so much distraction you’ll get an update tomorrow? Good things can happen, and it’s not like I get to do anything else for Halloween.

Happy Halloween Y’all! Lets make the most of it!

(here’s a link to read these in chrono order)

https://steve0discusses.tumblr.com/tagged/yugioh/chrono

[yewphoric]

Character meme. DIOOOOO and jotarized

oh he he he oh hoho ok thank you :imbaby: 

these are gonna be long fair warning. u picked two top faves so i’ll talk forever

we will do Dio first

Favorite thing about them: I think my favorite thing abt him is. well besides He Sexy, his like flair?? idk he’s so dramatic and talks and stands weird and does weird things and i think that’s pretty neat

Least favorite thing about them: WELL he’s a pretty shitty person lol. he does many bad things but 2 pick one....his flagrant disrespect for life in general. like. he just kills animals and ppl for no reason. that’s not good, Dio, stop that

Favorite line: ah he says a lot of funky iconic things. ig it’s not a line but is it too cheesy to pick WRYYYYYYYYY? bc i’m picking that. it never fails to make me laugh bc like what the fuck. he’s just makin those noises. go ahead you rabid gay vampire

Random headcanon: this one might count as an unpopular opinion as well since i’ve seen how ppl react to this headcanon BUT i hc him as aroace. yes he fucks to survive but did he feel any sort of attraction to those many, many people? absolutely not. he fucks to fuck and that is all. i will die on this hill

Unpopular opinion: i think high Dio (short hair Dio) is the ugliest version of him. idk if this is unpopular but short hair does Not suit Dio, at all

Song I associate with them: OK this is kinda unoriginal since i got it from an AMV about him BUT Oh No! by Marina and the Diamonds is a Dio song. here’s the AMV it’s really good 

Favorite picture of them: Hard choice! he is very sexy. i’ll go with this panel from Stone Ocean, though 

now for Jotaro :3c

Favorite thing about them: ohhhh god i have to pick huh. OK i thought of one thing: i love that he canonically has a soft spot for kids. like if people hurt kids he gets REALLY mad and he’s generally just got a dad vibe when he has to take care of kids. love the protective dad energy

Least favorite thing about them: i love him with my entire heart so i don’t hate anything abt him BUT i really do wish he handled raising Jolyne better. i understand the canon reasons and i know it’s completely in character for him to think that not being there is the best way to protect her but please,,,, be there for her, sir

Favorite line: ok i really love a lot of his stupid one-liners in stardust crusaders lmao. i think my favorite was when Dark Blue Moon’s user tried to predict what he was thinking about and then after he defeated him he was like “Nope. What I was thinking was... [dramatic turn] If you pissed yourself when you lost, it’d be gross since we’re in the water, old man.” like how iconic. he thinks he’s so cool. i love him

Random headcanon: ok i finally thought of an original headcanon of mine: he has his hands in his pockets all the time even when it seems inconvenient (like. when he’s about to fight Dio, for example) because he’s Incredibly Uncomfortable if he’s not doing something with or holding something in his hands and putting them in his pockets is a way to conveniently alleviate that AND look cool and chill at the same time

Unpopular opinion: idk how unpopular this is But i’m okay with the fact that his marriage to his wife was never developed? like she’s not given any characteristics other than “good mother” and considering that she doesn’t even have a name and that Jotaro never even mentions caring about her when he talks about caring for Jolyne,,, idk i don’t find myself longing to see what their relationship was like since i don’t think there was much there

Song I associate with them: ok i just decided this on the spot BUT.... thinkin about the lyrics a lil...... Interlude by EDEN. especially “so i push it back down cuz i never wanna let out that i’ve been dying since i saw you were gone”.... sad cat face....might go draw some sad fanart to this song.... :thinking:

Favorite picture of them: hm ok another hard one bc Jotaro’s top notch character design and Araki’s beautiful art style combine very often to form some Excellent pieces that are very visually appealing..... i’ll go with This One from Stone Ocean though...... i realize perhaps i’m just a bit of a slut for the Stone Ocean art style lmao

[chibalein]

Kalafina Live Review - 10th Anniversary

Finally it’s available and I watched the whole 10th Anniversary Live (again and again), so I thought I’d give a review on it. Here is my original Live Report -> click. My opinions didn’t really change much, though, so I’ll be repeating myself here and there :p Here we go!

Ring your bell ~ in the silence

I love that intro, especially with those flags opening

other than that, boring entrance -> the 9+ONE intro would have PERFECT for that occasion

Ring your bell

fuck that song

However, I like the performance, surely one of their best, I love their bright smiles and movements

 BUT it gave me reminder of why I don’t like this song: the final “ring your bell”s, Wakana always makes me cringe

Quick opinion: I really came to hate Keiko’s dress. Not the colors or the golden/black pattern, that’s pretty cool: it’s those lace shoulder pads and the leather corsage. They make her chest area look super bulky and the chest part of the dress is not form-fitting at all. She has such a beautiful body but this dress just doesn’t support it.

Mirai

Fuck that sooong and everyone who voted for it

But even I have to say, I have a lot of fun watching them perform, they move around, interact with the audience, it’s lovely and more carefree

Lirica

Definitely one highlight of the night

I realized for the first time that the Strings are actually plucking their instruments lol I thought it was a background sound by the manipulator

I barely hear Hikaru in the chorus, is she singing high or low? xD

Keiko is the best here, so deep and dramatic!

Booooring stage show. No movements by the girls is one thing, but no special light show or anything? They could have been so creative with this dark piece..

Manten

OMG some choreography

Wakana is greeeeeat

Yane no mukou ni

First performance where I almost cried during the actual live, perfect and emotional

Still don’t like Hikaru here, she sounds like she is shouting which kills all emotions she might have had while singing

Cool plucking violins at the end, never noticed they do this

Hikari no senritsu

overplaaaayed

OMG light dude, DO SOMETHING

Best flute solo of all time

Quick opinion: all the performances where I criticise the lack of creativity, movement etc. look actually great on the DVD, because we have the cameras. Changing angles, focus on each girl, their faces, the audience and the band give variety and it makes it look a lot more interesting. But sitting in the actual audience is absolutely tiring, because there is just nothing happening on stage. It’s just like you listen to a CD, especially if you had a seat in the far back and could only rely on the screen. Such a shame and waste.

Storia

oh god no

their steps in the middle part are all over the place XD

fun and good performance

Quick opinion: almost all songs by now have been completely or partly illuminated in blue light. Uncreative? Yes.

Natsu no Ringo

Hikaru again sounds strange and shouting, she definitely was edited

Other than that super beautiful performance, Wakana was in top form that night

Serenato

Another big highlight, one of the best performances Kalafina ever did

Actually a nice, refreshing intro by the accordion, but I personally find it kinda dominant throughout the song, which was a bit distracting and which I didn’t really feel in the actual live

ARIA

Hikaru sings lower and I like it a lot, although they definitely enhanced her voice to sound a bit “prettier”

she did such an emotional and sad performance, you could see that is not struggling as hard as e.g. in Red Day

Sprinter

that Keiko hug

finally some action on stage and interaction with fans!

super fun to watch and OMG Keiko is using the pedestal

Oblivious

still bad place in the setlist

great AMV and surely also a highlight, sadly this is the only special treatment for their debut song, should have been celebrated more

Poor Hikaru gets always ignored during WaKei duet lol

Kizuato

Great performance, I adore that song

Keiko’s voice a bit too cute for me here

Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaeteyuku

Keiko’s stupid cutesy voice

Very emotional and those sad faces at the end kill me every time

I just realized that they have sung all Kara no Kyoukai songs in a row XD

Quick opinion: It’s like they only have red, white and green filters, all while the light technician’s finger is apparently stuck on the blue light button. This is BUDOKAN! This is ALL you can deliver?!

Kantankatan

I honestly wonder why this song made it into the setlist. Hyakka Ryouran sure, being their most recent single, but why this B-side song (and e.g. why not Tombo?). Since fans couldn’t vote for it, it makes me think that the girls just really love this song and wanted it included in their last recorded live performance.

Wakana is simply perfect, Hikaru... well... she’s there. Where has her “neverending” voice gone to?

Where is the second violin dude? Toilet break?

This song becomes so much better when the Strings join in the last part

Symphonia

I still hate Keiko’s dress

omg girls, please move around or something

good and nice performance

Red Moon

finally SOME DARK SONG and finally something for the eye with the video

Hikaru still sounds kinda weak, but during the actual live she was barely audible, so I guess that’s a plus here

Keiko is amazing, you can hear her so clearly! Wakana too! Epic performance

Waaaaay too much blue for a song called Red Moon

Adore

Flashback to After Eden with Red Moon -> Adore xD

Wakana is suuuper!

What the hell is wrong with you Hikaru? What happened after After Eden? She’s sooo shouty, this is definitely her weakest performance of the night

Great violin solo

OMG they use the pedestals FOR THE FIRST TIME and they use it for GODDAMN 12 SECONDS

And I noticed they actually played some video -> good!

To the beginning

finally after way too long, an upbeat song since Sprinter (which is 6 songs ago)

It took me years to realize that they sing “down to zero we go”, however Hikaru sounds suuuper strange singing that line

finally some light action, took you long enough, eh

That Keiko punch at the end xD Not enough of those cool shots

Progressive

YEAH SOME REAL ACTION

also one of the best performances of the night, I love Keiko here, she’s moving so much and having so much fun, it’s infectious

Hikaru killed it and that very last line is awesome

Ongaku

Aaaaw that hug in the beginning

of course, Ongaku is a must, I still think this would have been a better entrance or encore song

look at this power, fantastic

those band solos are the best thing of the whole concert, honestly I love them so hard

however, accordion solo is so out of place and unnecessary beyond belief

Bongo duuuuuuude, LOOK AT HIS FACE I can’t even xD

KONNO HITOSHI VIOLIN EPICNESS!!!!!!! With great justice he got the best reaction from the audience

They edited that Keiko jump/hug, it took her much longer to reach Wakana xD

The interaction between the girls is gorgeous, something we have been missing overall a bit

they included the flute at the end too, very nice (I suppose the accordion too, but fuck that)

that was the best Ongaku performance they ever did

Heavenly Blue

they still should have gone to MC after Ongaku

other than that, good performance I guess

Into the World

well hello there blue filter, it’s been a while

is it just me or has Keiko been made more dominant than she is supposed to be in the beginning?

Nightmare Ballet

come one, at least do that Zaregoto BGM THAT SOME ASSHOLE CUT FROM 9+ONE!

Great intro by accordion though, her duet with Sakurada is so cute

I feel I should take that blue spotlights to a date by now, because I have spent more time with them today than with my boyfriend

Great performance by the band, though too late into the concert in my opinion

Hikari Furu

best performance of this song of all time

Wakana kills it so hard, I feel bad for the others

fantastic mix of normal and acoustic version

that epic pause, THAT EPIC PAUSE

Quick opinion: I am not the biggest fan of those white “wedding” dresses. While their “final” version is pretty cool, I don’t like the veils, simply because they serve no purpose, especially since they’ll be thrown away immediately afterwards.

Hyakka Ryouran

nice flute intro

Red-Blue-Red-Blue-Red-Blue FUCK YOU

Ah, that middle HiKei dance, now you finally can see what I was talking about in my live reports. Wakana would have been better standing on the middle stairs though... #needless nitpicking

the flags are waving, that’s admittedly pretty cool

great performance of everyone, good that this song made it into the setlist

Alleluia

this doesn’t have many live recordings I think, so I am really glad that Alleluia made it as the last and most popular song of the night

definitely a marvellous farewell song for Keiko

look how powerful she sings, she knew this was her last big performance and she delivered

- Why is the manipulator celebrated to heavily? Is he particularly popular or something? XD

- Ehm, Wakana’s dress are actually pants? Do I have that correct? XD

- They should have thrown in “snow falling” as a surprise encore, just for the joke

-------------------------------

+ the musicians brought in so much variety and creativity even in highly overplayed songs, they made this truly a special concert

+ very good camera work, some great and cute shots and not so many cuts like in 9+ONE for example

- apparently an intern did the lighting here, I can’t explain this amateur work otherwise

- it’s a pity that there wasn’t any extra content included like some kind of Making Of or something on the Commemoration Lives. Sure, they reserved it for the movie, but still, at least something would have been nice

I really love this Live, although I had a lot of criticism. Kalafina delivered and they gave some of their best performances of their career. It was worth it all and it’s simply sad that this is their last concert. They deserved better treatment for this and it should have been even more special, with more effort and creativity by the staff/the agency.

Oops, that became longer than intended, sorry! Thanks for reading!

[allnewalldifferentwildspider]

Badass Blondes & Dorky Brunettes #05

Sunset Shimmer & (Science!) Twilight Sparkle (My Little Pony’s Equestria Girls franchise)

“I want to understand.”

I know her hair is red-orange or whatever, but there’s some blonde in there so I’m counting it. I know that brunette and purple are two different things but this is the closest I’m going to get so whatever. Valentine’s Day already past but I still have at least five more of these I want to do. I underestimated how long it would take me to write up one of these.

Back around 2011 I was a big time brony until I actually met other bronies. Then I decided it would be best to just enjoy the show at home by myself without interacting with the rest of the fandom. That being said I had a hard time keeping up with the franchise after a while. The Equestria Girls movies are so few and far between so I had an easier time there. Also they’re so much fun to riff. Go on Netflix and MST3k that shit.

Originally a one off idea to sell dolls, Equestria Girls became so popular that it spawned sequels, shorts and maybe even a series. They even changed the focus character. Instead of following Princess Twilight Sparkle the story follows Sunset Shimmer, a pony who left to another world when she felt she wasn’t getting the power she deserved. Her quest for power failed spectacularly and has since been on a quest of redemption and understanding. Enter the human counterpart to Twilight Sparkle...Twilight Sparkle. Her pursuit of knowledge leads her down to a very similar path and outcome. Now they both are trying to learn and understand more about friendship.

The Badass Blonde

There’s some yellow in there so it counts! Again. Equestria Girls. Not an action show. But you probably already knew that. And again, I might be stretching the badass moniker a bit. So what makes this on so badass if she’s not beating people up everyday?

TV Tropes describes Sunset Shimmer as The Ace. As Princess Celestia’s student she was studious and intelligent. This carries over to the human world, being top of her class and all. She also seems to be fairly athletic, able to compete in a motocross race. Sunset Shimmer has also been instrumental in defeating other baddies including Glorisa Daisy and the Dazzlings.

However, the thing that stands out the most about Sunset Shimmer is her ambition. She has a drive that continues the push her to the forefront of all of her goals. As Celestia’s student her goal was to become an alicorn princess and match Celestia. When she wasn’t getting the power she felt she deserved the fled to another world. In the human world, Sunset rose to the top of her class and the top of the social hierarchy. In a high school, but hey, we all gotta start somewhere. Now Sunset Shimmer’s drive is pushing her to try to discover how magic from Equestria works in the human world. 

She’s not without her flaws, aside from being evil and turning into a demon. Sunset Shimmer’s ambition pushes her to be more assertive than her friends which can sometimes come off as aggressive. She also has a bad habit of bottling things up when they don’t go her way. This leads her to eventually explode and lash out or yell at someone.

The Dorky Brunette

In the first movie, Princess Twilight Sparkle (again, the pony) traveled to another world where she met human doppelgangers of her friends. Then we all asked the same question: is there a human Twilight? Yes. Yes, there was. This character we call Science!Twilight or sometime Sci!Twi was introduced as a post credits stinger for the second movie. She got a complete introduction in the third movie as a major character. Now I’m not quite sure if dorky really describes her. There’s another word for it. It’s on the tip of my tongue. You know, an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially one slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits who’s purpose is to provide monetary compensation to others who are more adept in the field of athletics for the use of purchasing their midday meal. What’s that called? Oh right! She’s a...

I love that joke. ANYWAYS, Sci!Twilight is kinda like what Twilight was like at the beginning of the series. She’s not anitsocial, just asocial. Sci!Twilight prefers studying and reading over going out and socializing. She doesn’t hate it or have a serious problem with it. She just likes one more over the other. A true introvert.

Sci!Twi tends to be more awkward, not knowing the ‘correct’ way to react to certain social situations. Her shyness can even be compared to Fluttershy’s which is a big deal because the word ‘shy’ is in her name. She’s only comfortable with people she’s very familiar with. Her goal in the third movie was to get accepted into a research program. The kind of program where you go out and do research alone. 

She also had a tendency to panic in stressful situations.  Twilight had to participate in the archery challenge in the third movie and when started crying when she couldn’t do it right. Kinda reminds me of when I was a little kid. In Legend of Everfree she was too scared to tell her friends about her magical abilities or her recurring nightmares.

She’s more open after meeting her new friends and is willing to give friendship a shot. Twilight is still Twilight though, still chasing intellectual pursuits and trying to understand how magical energy reacts in the human world. That’s actually the same thing Sunset Shimmer is trying to do, now that I think about it...

Their Relationship (Canon)

Again I have to preface, Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle are not in a romantic relationship in canon. They are just really close friends because, well, you know. Hasbro has also found it necessary to pair Sci!Twi with Timber Spruce (I can taste vomit in my mouth a little). It’s annoying and very hard to sit through. 

They have both made the same mistakes with trying to harness magic. When the rest of the group lament or joke about fighting another magical adversary, Sunset is the one who stops Sci!Twi from feeling like an outcast. Sunset is protective of Sci!Twi more than she is for the rest of her friends. Sunset was very suspicious of Sci!Twi’s love interest (I just gagged a little) until the very end of the movie. 

Sunset takes an almost mentor or ‘senpai’ role. Her ‘been there done that’ attitude is surprisingly comforting. She becomes Sci!Twi’s emotional support. Sunset encourages her and tries to be more optimistic about their new magical abilities where Sci!Twi is more reluctant.

Their Relationship (Fanon)

Fans take what they see of their relationship and dial it up a bit. Sunset Shimmer goes from being protective to being overprotective. She keeps Timber Spruce and Flash Sentry away at least at arm’s length. Twilight is portrayed as admiring Sunset’s strength. The two bonding over science becomes their PDA. 

One very common headcanon across the board is that Sunset will want to pursue an more intimate physical relationship with Twilight. Twilight is always flustered or embarrassed, but ends up going along with Sunset’s advances.

All fan art by Crydius

Theme Song

“Perfect For Me” by Show Me the Skyline

I got this song from an AMV of the pairing. To be honest, I’m surprised how well the lyrics match. Call it cheating, but I like it. I would have preferred a different sound but what can you do?

Thanks for reading. The next one will be...whenever I get to it?

[themanicgalaxy]

SPN 4X2 Are You There, God? It’s Me, Dean Winchester

eyyy Rock n roll AMV!

also that title is fun! song is fun! promising!

I got my hot cocoa with the peeps

grIpPed YoU tiGht

SERIOUSLY HOW DID THEY GIVE THESE THE SAME VIBES AS AN AMV THIS IS BOTH HILARIOUS AND SO GOOD AHAHA

oooo hunter lady! interesting girl character!

oh she gets possessed doesn’t she

oh great she gets killed by ghosts

GroPed bY an ANgel

Sam is seriously trying not to make fun of Dean it’s so funny

Oh ok I see where the religious trauma comes from, wait I want more

they’re fucking googling castiel

HE’S CLUTCHING HIS SHOULDER HE’S CLUTCHIN-

THE MICRO HALF SMILE AT THAT

“vegas money’s on yeah” IS SO GOOD

“I’m just a regular guy” oh no 

doesn’t like getting singled out oh no

he looks fucking DESPERATE and GUTTED 

JESUS did Hell do a number on him

DAD BOBBY! IT’s SO GOOD

“smite first, ask questions later,” interesting

HE FORGOT THE PIE

oh my god it’s going after hunters

and that’s a BRUTAL way to kill someone

...if this is a knock at the “doing good” of hunters...oh boy

THE DESTROYED RIB CAGE AAAAA

oh god no not the hunters, there’s already not that many

uh oh shadowy figure

and goes after Sam in specific interesting 

Dean is sleeping, he’s a pretty easy target

oh it’s people they know

NOOO I MISS HENRIKSEN

OH NO IS THIS THE FIRST TIME no wait they did show it, aw Sam hoped he’d gotten out

dammit I really loved season 3 didn’t I 

no no, he does have a point, they wouldn’t have died if not for the winchesters

...kids? why are kids on for Bobby

ok, genuinely spooky

Bobby’s cap adds a HELLA visual

KIDS??

no

no not fucking Bobby no I’m going to FUCKING RIOT NO

the car yard

ah jeez poor Bobby

Meg??? with longer hair??

oh come off it Meg’s sense of style was Cool

ok see...this one...really wasn’t their fault? like maybe this would have made sense later

AH THERE IT IS THE “why didn’t you help me”

I knew it there it is 

oh the “you think you’re some kind of hero” “No i don’t” 

post-hell Dean is....an experience of Terrible Self Esteem and Fuck You it’s....

painful

oh good they both have little siblings

...look this wasn’t really them though? I mean kinda but?

ooo lots of stunts in this one

eyyy Bobby called them idjits again

I love the Bunker Thingy

“you built a panic room” with the smile and “I had a weekend off” BAHAHA

Dean please talk to your brother

no not God why is this where you go

ah the “what’s wrong with God, what was the point” 

no see HE HAS A POINT

Bobby: No fuck this conversation

~just for tourists~ Bobby I love you

HEY DEAN DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD NOW

eyyy look apocalypse time

see now I’m older, 5$ a gallon gas is Horrible

Dean: I wanna Live

the “not their fault” seems important here, like they have valid points

OH NO Ronald RESNICK or whatever his name was

I also don’t think this one was entirely their fault? 

ok but this would have been a NEAT recap episode 

NO FUCK MEG HAS A  P O I N T WITH RUBY

First name basis with ~victor ~henriksen oho

goddammit no I see it

and it’s NOT Fair that he gets saved from hell and others don’t

interesting that Dean forms connections and Sam doesn’t feel as bad about shooting them

thinking bout stanford era

ooo Bobby getting to Magic Power it is a Nice touch

~wings flutter~ 

OHO FUCK YEAH

Cas why

disheveled angel boi I love it

oho I LOVE HOW THEY FUCK WITH WHAT ANGELS ARE

also they’re kinda angry now

If there is a god

aHAHA 66 seals has WAY TOO MANY CONNOTATIONS NOW

lucifer? uh oh

CAS’S HALF SMILE WITH “you thought there was no such thing as me” 

hearing “we tried” from an angel is so funny

MISHA’S F U C K I N G HAIRCUT

he has a point Dean fix your damage

“I dragged you out of hell, I can throw you back in” 

AND JUMP CUT TO BEING AWAKE OHO HO WAS IT A DREAM WAS IT-

okieokie! wrap up!

1. ok ok ok, here’s the thing. As far as a recap episode(specially because they HAD to make the premiere that whodunit as to what raised Dean out of hell), this was interesting. Like grappling with guilt over the ones they couldn’t save is an INTERESTING plot, specially for hunters. HOWEVER. I think this might have been too early? Like(and don’t shoot me) I kinda wanted Bela. Or at the very least, something later. Because since it had to set up so much(which it did pretty well) it didn’t really address their screw ups. Like even when the victims had a point I would go “but it wasn’t really their fault” WHICH IS HOW THE SHOW CONDITIONS YOU! Like if they’re interrogating hunters more this season(with Cas? I presume?) then that would have made sense. Like all this showed me was how skewed this show is towards the boys and their successes. We’re in their heads, and I really wish they’d ACTUALLY addressed it properly more. Interesting, but a bit ham fisted in places

2. The interesting thing is that Dean didn’t shoot! he formed a connection quicker, or he knows what it’s like to be tortured, but he was way more empathetic than Sam! (thinkin bout that one Stanford Era Dean Post on my dash today about how this guy desperately yearned for a connection when his brother was gone, and-)

no nope not today

I do see where the Arrogant!Sam thing I saw on Tik Tok came from, at least early seasons. I’m still not that far in and I do think it’s an interesting dichotomy.

3. ANGEL! ANGELANGEL! I do like how Dean, cuz of his ~damage, is snippy to Castiel(and religion in general) and he responds by essentially putting him in his place. It’s good to have a balancing act, and hopefully it sands him out a little? or at least this connection ends up being a good thing? whatever, I think having Powerful Angel trying to Motivate Human and Gets Pissed Off because he’s ANNOYING is REALLY GOOD! I REALLY LIKE THAT!

also worth saying the costume REALLY fucking good, you can tell it’s Castiel SO quick

other than my gripes about how this episode was set up and handled in places, I enjoyed the New Lore! Having Castiel around makes it be that the plot keeps yeeting forward. 

yeet!

[50cyg]

Taiyama week 2017, Day 1: When and why you like Taiyama?

Sorry I’m late... okay I’m seriously starting to see spots at this point from staring at a computer screen for too long... I have to apologize though cause there was this post that either @CourageSun or @Rainbow09 wrote that sold me on Taiyama which I wanted to link to in this post. I know one of them wrote it and it talked about episode 51 but I just cannot find it... if you have been following me long enough you will know I am absolutely terrible for this. I never bookmark anything and then when I want to find it again I spend hours scrolling through posts and usually still never find it... I’m really very sorry

Anyway, this might be overly detailed, apologies if it just seems like I’m rambling at some points.

Like many Digimon fans I did not ship them as a kid, I was a Taiora shipper. But, like with most of my ships as a kid, I didn’t ship Taiora hardcore and didn’t really care when they didn’t end up together in the end. I mean I was so done with 02 by that point I don’t think I cared about much of anything to do with the series which I think is part of the reason I never learned about Tamers and Frontier until years later.

Unlike many fans though, heteronormativity had nothing to do with my not shipping Taiyama, I was just as exposed to the lesbians and gays as a kid as I was as an adult (and was exposed to bisexuals, asexuals, transsexuals, etc as a teen). Honestly, I didn’t really like their dynamic as a kid, I thought their rivalry was contrived and held that belief firmly into adulthood. As for their friendship, it was fine, I liked some moments but was disinterested by other moments. I loved both Taichi and Yamato, but I liked them independently, not as a duo.

Fast forward to 2011ish, I’m talking to a Digimon fan and debating whether the Dub is really as bad as everyone claims (I still firmly believe it’s not) and then he starts talking about the different seasons and then about how he actually liked Frontier better because the kids turned into Digimon and therefore were more involved in the fights and I was like

“you know? Frontier, where the kids had spirits instead of partners”

“wait what?”

“Season 4”

“Season 4? They made 4 seasons?!?!?!?”

“They made 5… and the 6th is currently airing”

“What?!?!?!?!?!”

“but like every season after 02 has a new cast”

“WHAT?!?!?!?!”

Anyway, I rushed home to watch them (only ended up watching Tamers and Frontier, still haven’t seen Savers… can’t remember why)

So, Tamers was amazing and all but something interesting happened while I was watching Frontier

I met these two

And I fell in love with their dynamic and I started shipping them pretty hard. It was one of the few times I liked a ship enough to seek out additional fan made content like Fanfics, AMVs, etc.

Well I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but people who ship Takuya x Koji often overlap with people who ship Taiyama because of the similarities in their dynamics, I mean Takuya and Koji were basically designed to be Taichi and Yamato 2.0 (now whether that was done successfully is up for debate). Basically, where I’m going with this is that I was confronted with the fact that Taiyama is a pretty popular ship and started seeing them around a lot because people would have AMVs dedicated to both pairings… and my reaction may surprise you.

My reaction to Taiyama was

I didn’t get it at all, I didn’t like it and it was very strange to me (again I think I was just biased because I couldn’t get away from my childhood opinions of the duo). I was very surprised by it, I was genuinely surprised to see Taichi paired up with anyone but Sora because I had never encountered someone who was not a Taiora shipper (at least so I thought, I would latter find out that the girl who got me back into Digimon in high school was a low key Taiyama shipper). I ended up ignoring it and moving on.

Fast forward about 3 years (sometime in 2014), and I meet a girl at University who also loves Digimon and was once again drawn back into that world. I started re-watching the episodes of 01 and looking up fanart and I stumble across this image

And at first I assumed it was fan art (because it’s drawn in a completely different art style) so I move on

But then I see this image

And I go “wait, wait, hold the phone!!!!!! They are making a sequel with the original chosen children!?!?! NO WAY!!” and I get super pumped and wait impatiently for the first movie to be released on Crunchyroll (I wasn’t a fan of the animation, but as soon as I saw it actually in motion I was sold)

Then I started watching the movie and I see these scenes

And I think “aww yay, Taichi’s jealous of Sora and Yamato and want’s Sora to come to his game, aww it’s so cute, the Taiora feels” (I feel very differently about these scenes now, especially that first scene)

And then suddenly this scene happens

And I’m like

And then this scene happens

And I’m like “is Yamato gay for Taichi?”

And then this

What is going on? What is happening?

And then this

Anyway, I left thinking “well that was like super gay, and kinda weird, and out of nowhere, and like... for real what is going on?”

And then I watched Determination months later and this happened

And I was like “Okay this is too weird, like where is this coming from? They were not this gay in 01… but also I think I can get behind this pairing because it’s actually really cute in Tri” (I had fallen in love with Superhusbands at that point and I think the similarities between them and Taiyama played a part).

So, I googled Taichi x Yamato and as I found more and more fanart I got more and more on board, but I still didn’t like their dynamic in 01 and it made me unable to really fully ship them. Then at some point while scrolling through Tumblr and casually reading Taiyama stuff here and there I came across this one specific post that talked about episode 51 and I had this epiphany and finally started to appreciate the Taiyama dynamic in 01. I was sold from there on out.

Then I started reading more and more Taiyama analysis and I just fell in love with the whole idea that people had spent hours creating these amazing metas and headcanons and breakdowns of the boys interactions and it was so interesting and beautiful and the more I read the more I fell in love with Taiyama. I was particularly obsessed with @CourageSun and @Rainbow09’s works and am pretty certain I’ve read the majority of what they’ve written on the topic of Taiyama.

I used to hate Yamato’s fight with Taichi in ep 45 but after reading so many explanations, headcanons, and breakdowns of the scene I’ve grown to think much more highly of it (I still think it could have been better executed but I definitely don’t hate it, not even close). Also, I’ve grown to like and understand the two boys much better since being introduced to the Taiyama fandom.

So, unlike most Taiyama fans I wasn’t immediately on board after being introduced to it, I actually strongly disliked it, but Tri and even more so the Taiyama fandom, completely changed my mind and now I’m neck deep in it 😝 Taiyama is my OTP of OTPs

If you want a little more on why I love them so much you can read this post I wrote a little while ago

[canvaswolfdoll]

CanvasWatches: 5 Centimeters per Second

Got there.

Kind of.

Makoto Shinkai has other works listed on his wikipedia page, and maybe I’ll get around to those someday, but for now, let’s sit and be satisfied I’ve watched all the important ones!

Reminder that the score is two good films, two bad films, and two average ones.

Making this a tie breaker!

Also proof that any claims that Makoto Shinkai is the new Miyazaki are unfounded and dumb.

Anyways, time for 5 Centimeters per Second!

It’s a middle of the road story. Backgrounds are beautiful as always, character are flat, and a lot of good ideas that deserve more exploration.

It fits very nicely in the Auteur arc Shinkai went through to get to actual masterpiece Your Name. It was produced after the unwatchable The Place Promised in our Early Days[1] and works off the themes of a relationship stalled by time and distance first used in Voices of a Distant Star. What it lacks is the character complexity he sorted out in Garden of Words and plot structure and humor finally inserted into Your Name.

5 Centimeters per Second is draft three is what I’m getting at.

It’s also not a singular feature, but instead three short films (OVAs? Not sure how to use that term) that share a male lead and played in order, covering four phases in his life: Middle School with recollections to Elementary in part one, High School in part two, and adulthood in part three. Each also have their own title, so let’s go in sequence.

Episode 1: Cherry Blossoms

‘5 Centimeters per Second’ refers to the rate that cherry blossom petals fall. Mystery solved! Go home everybody! We’re done.

Okay, okay, there’s more than that. Basically, our story concerns a boy named Takaki Tono who meets a girl named Akari Shinohara during elementary school. The rest of the class ships these two, but being literal children neither actually have the capabilities to provide any romantic progress, so that’s fine.

Then Akari moves away, and that’s a real bummer, but they can communicate through letters, and if there’s one thing I can credit this film for is igniting a romance for sending mail to a sweetheart.[3] It’s very charming seeing the words and doodles on a page.

However, Middle School comes around, and Takaki’s family is moving to the opposite end of the archipelago,[4] so now it’ll be even more impractical for the two to meet up.

That’s okay. Takaki can make the trip now. They can meet one final time. At Akari’s home station. At 19:00! This is practical!

Unfortunately, snow storms conspire to make Takaki about 4 plus hours late. And the wind takes his love confession letter away! And this is set in the 90s, so he doesn’t even have a fun app to kill time on the train![6]

Eventually, the train arrives, very late.

And Akari had waited.

Could this have been resolved if they met in the middle and saved some time? Yes, but that’s not important! What’s important is Akari brought a homemade meal, and she waited all that time, and the two have a kiss under a snow covered tree like two stupid kids.[7] Takaki realizes they’d likely never meet again.

Due to the bad weather, the two spend the night in a random shack, then Takaki[8] heads home in the morning.

Akari looks wistfully at a letter she’d brought herself.

It’s a fine segment. The train journey is a good concept, but I feel like it could’ve been slightly lonelier. Open with him on the train, stalled on the last stretch, Takaki reflecting on what brought him here, cutting from him sitting on the train reading Akari’s old letters to the elementary school days to him pacing the aisles of the train to him explaining to his middle school friends he’s moving away. Or something better. Something to make the audience feel the agonizing wait and desperate push to see Akari one. Last. Time.

Episode 2: Cosmonaut[9]

I like Kanae Sumida. She deserves better. I hope she gets her life figured out.

So, we jump ahead to Takaki’s final year of high school. He’s in the archery club. But this isn’t his story to tell, because the kid is not actually a compelling character. Yet he’s captured the heart of Kanae Sumida, a shy girl who’s trying to learn to surf, get the courage to confess her feelings, and plan for her future. The final year of High School is a worrying time.

So Kanae narrates the middle act.

Now this isn’t a distant pining. Kanae often returns to school after attempting to catch waves in order to ‘happen’ to head home when Takaki’s heading out himself. They ride their scooters to a convenience store, where Takaki always gets the same coffee milk drink and Kanae takes her time picking out a drink. When Kanae catches back up with her own drink, she’ll find Takaki texting... someone...

Obviously Akari, but when Takaki takes over narration duties for a short time to reveal a great truth, we learn that the boy hasn’t been sending the messages about dreams of standing with her on an alien world, because it wouldn't be a Makoto Shinkai film without a lovingly rendered night sky and space stuff. It’s also implied that the two haven’t communicated in some time.

Back to Kanae, she’s unable to fill out the future planning worksheet that’s deeply entrenched in slice-of-life anime,[10] and it contributes to her melancholy.

However, when she asks Takaki his plans, he gives a vague answer, revealing he doesn’t have a trajectory set. Kanae finds peace in this, since if the object of her affections doesn’t have things figured out, why should she?

Y’know, it’s that whole unhealthy habit of placing your crush on an unreachable pedestal thing that gets to her.

But hey, it helps. Soul lightened, and between typhoons, Kanae catches a wave. She successfully surfs! Atta girl.

Riding high, she returns to the school to wait for Takaki to finish his archery. She decides that if she can’t confess the same day she rode a wave, then she’ll never be able to.

They go to the convenience store, and Kanae buys a smaller version of Takaki’s drink of choice, because she’s building her future on the afterimage of Takaki, but isn’t fully committed. They drink, then attempt to ride the scooters, but Kanae’s not starting. Takaki offers to walk her home.

On the walk, Kanae attempts her confession.

Only to be interrupted by a rocket launch, which is going 5 kilometers a second.[11] There’s kind of a theme of hearts moving in relation to one another.

Kanae can see in Takaki’s eyes that he’s focused on something. And it’s not her and never will be.

So she abandons the confession, but feels she’ll always carry a flame for Takaki. Which, unfortunately, is what happens when you put someone on a romantic pedestal but lack the courage to confront it. Eventually you decide it’s not worth an attempt, either because you view yourself too beneath them, fear rejection, fear discovering the person isn’t the portrait you’ve composed, or a mixture.[12]

The two reach Kanae’s home, and she cried herself to sleep that night.

It’s a bittersweet story, and yet another good seed that could blossom into a fuller piece. Again, Takaki himself is bland, but if we give him personality, a subplot about an interest in aeronautics and cosmonautics and how he doesn’t even notice the world around him for the ideal girl he drifted away from, and it has potential to be a melancholic full film on its own. Or even keep it as a short film, just build the male lead.

Cosmonaut is my favorite of the three parts, though.

Episode 3: 5 Centimeters per Second

I don’t feel bad for Takaki. He deserved this ending.

Takaki is a working man now, fresh out of an unsuccessful three year relationship, wherein the woman broke up over text, saying that in all their time together, their hearts had, at best, moved a mere one centimeter closer, because might as well complete the trilogy with the analysis.

His hang-ups on Akari still lingering thirteen years after she moved away during elementary school, and a long term relationship ended because of it, and a depression setting in, Takaki quits his job. Then he just kinda floats about, stops at a convenience store, looks at a magazine article about the rocket launched back in the second act, which is leaving the solar system. What a distance it’s managed to cover, and Takaki’s still got no solid plans nine years since it left the atmosphere.

Takaki and Akari share a narration about a dream of their childhood promise to watch the cherry blossoms someday.

Then the two suddenly cross paths walking over some train tracks. Was that? Could it be? They turn to double check. A train passes, cutting them off.

Then there’s a musical interlude, because it’s a Makoto Shinkai film and you’ve got to have a random AMV just before the conclusion.

We see scenes from the rest of the movie cut together! Takaki and Akari as children! Train ride! Kanae catching a wave! (I hope she’s moved on. Met a nice guy. Forgot the stagnant mess that is Takaki) Takaki’s dull, meaningless life!

Then the train passes.

Akari’s gone. Because of course. They haven’t talked in over a decade, and even if she found that undelivered letter from Act One it doesn’t mean she has to linger. She’s apparently engaged now, and Takaki is a dumb kid from when she was a dumb kid waiting at a train station five hours after the two agreed to meet.

Because nothing waits. The earth turns, the waves crash, rockets leaving the soolar system, and Cherry Blossoms fall at 5 centimeters per second.

So just move on.

Takaki, seeing his last hope of reclaiming the past vanish behind a passing train, smiles and walks off. Did he learn anything? Who cares, he’s unflavored frozen yogurt. Cold and devoid of sweetness.[13]

Takaki refused to live in the present or look to the future, and what do we have? A nothing.

Takaki’s dull.

This act isn’t even a good seed. It’s the conclusion to a narrative I don’t care about. I can’t even offer any advice on it that isn’t ‘cut it, expand one of the previous episodes.”

The Film

It’s fine. It’s an okay movie. Critically lauded, so if you feel like watching it, you won’t feel cheated. But I wouldn’t put it on a list of must watches. It’s not hilariously bad, it’s not specifically boring, it’s not particularly deep, and it’s not Your Name.

It’s the middle of the Shinkai scale of quality. Don’t avoid it, don’t pursue it.

If 5 Centimeters per Second was a person, it’d be Takaki Tono. Defined by the females its features, and not giving the proper due to Kanae.

Thanks for reading. If you like this analysis on an anime film, check out my other reviews (including other Makoto Shinkai films), my webcomic about a living muffin, and maybe support my patreon. I’ve got a Digimon review series that’ll be living there until I finish the first season at least. The show had an effect on me.

Until the snow clears and the train brings my next work,

Kataal kataal.

[1] Do you know how hard it is to get me to quit a movie? I’ll wait for a conclusion. Heck, I sat through 2001: A Space Odyssey![2] You need a whole lot of nothing to bore me off a paltry 90 minute journey. [2] The movie will have its day eventually, I promise. [3] Not that I have a sweetheart. Or the address of any distant friends. Or stamps. [4] Which is fun to say. Say it with me. Arch-i-pel-a-go.[5] We should find excuses to say it more. [5] What’re you, 6? This is a written essay! No one’s talking along with you! I bet you feel real silly. [6] And it doesn’t seem he brought a book. Must’ve been a boring trip. [7] Fun fact! Not only am I pessimistic about any young love (IE, starting in middle or high school), I actively root against them. Because I’m a monster. [8] I’m just now noticing how similar these names are to two Digidestined. Huh. [9] Back in the fourth grade, we did a class play about the California Gold Rush. I was stuck into three songs in a row. The middle one was called Argonauts. I liked it, but not the other two, which I scarcely recall now. It didn’t occur to me that I could simply refuse to perform the other two songs. I also didn’t like my long term sub at the time. Anyways, that’s what I think about whenever I hear the ‘-naut’ suffix. [10] I don’t know how true to life such worksheets are. It’s possibly as accurate as Sailor Fukus in High School. [11] As some who completed a Couch to 5k, that’s official fast. [12] Suffice it to say, there’s a reason Kanae appeals to me. [13] I keep meaning to get frozen yogurt. There’s a place theoretically within walking distance. But then I have to remember to go there.

[telekineticmaniac]

Another Anime Convention 2017 — A Review

When I went to AAC this year, I had a moment in my vlogs where I realized just how much I didn’t get to share with you all in my con vlogs. I have a lot of fun filming amusing moments and recounting things that happen but the actual convention and all the bad things that may or may not happen at it, are never really caught on camera. So instead of just not acknowledging everything you don’t see in my con vlogs, and instead of taking up more space in my video schedule with a convention review for every con, I thought I would do some little reviews here on this blog so that you can know the nitty gritty of every con I attend. 

Also, I know it’s kinda of a boring first blog post after saying I wanted to get back into blogging, but I think do it’s important to address. And hey, there will be some totally new things coming your way soon so if you aren’t about this life, you only have to wait a little bit longer. If you are about this life though, totally keep reading!!

The Convention Programming:

Anyone who attends this con can say immediately that is a “beginning” convention. It is very small in both attendance and venue size, but has been growing at least throughout the few years I have attended. I’ve heard people have questionable things to say about staff and the organization of the con in the past, and I personally have had some questions and confusions with the layout and programming, however this year I noticed a huge improvement in all of those things. 

For example, to avoid people flaking out at the last moment, it was actually required for panelists to preregister before submitting a panel. A really simple rule set in place but and effective one as I heard much less stories of friends showing up to panels they were excited to see only to find an empty room. After a glance over the convention schedule, I saw that the content for the panels was however much the same as it has been in years past—lot’s of in character ask panels and joke-y panels. Although it’s not a huge variety like for example a con like Anime Boston may provide, it offers a type of panel that I find a lot of people immersed in specific fandoms really enjoy. 

And then of course there are the events that the convention is known for: the AMV contest and, to a lesser extent, the masquerade. As far as the masquerade goes, I’ve personally always found the numerous judges, categories, and awards to be more a friendly environment than most con’s masquerade atmospheres. It’s usually a very fun show that is more about getting on stage and having a good time rather than showing off the most incredible of costumes. That being said, I think it is incredibly successful at doing that and is usually a highly anticipated event of the convention. On a the completely different end of the spectrum, the AMV contest at this convention is insanely competitive for a “beginning” convention. One might say it even rivals the AMV contest that Anime Boston holds (which is saying something). The people who compete in it produce some of the best AMVs I have ever seen and it is wonderful to pop in a watch a few—or even just watch the winners broadcasted at the end of the masquerade!

Here’s my personal favorite of the AMVs I’ve seen at AAC over the years to show you exactly the ride you are in for with the AAC AMV contest:

The Crowd:

I’ve always loved the crowd at this convention and this year did not disappoint. I will be perfectly honest, I’m sad to see that the days of AAC being “Homestuck Con” are fading away. However the crowd of the convention continues to be rather accepting of non-traditional genres, like webcomics and podcasts. Although I tend to cosplay whatever the hell genre I want at whatever con I want, whether or not that falls under the over arcing genre of the convention, this can prove problematic at some cons. When I attended Boston Comic Con back in 2014 I received some nasty comments for being a Homestuck instead of cosplaying as someone from a traditional comic book. At Arisia, I have received comments about being a stupid kid who should go back to my anime conventions. This isn’t to say that the every attendee of BCC and/or Arisia was bad, but dealing with hate like this or even dealing with even microaggressions that prioritize specific attendees over others based on what fandoms people are in and what cosplay someone may be wearing certainly affects the overall tone of the crowd.

AAC remains kind of a safe haven for all parts of the nerd community, which I find rather interesting and wonderful all things considered. In a time where we as convention goers have to keep pushing things like “Cosplay is not consent” and reminding people that there is no nerd hierarchy, and continuing to instill the fact that people should absolutely be treated with respect, it refreshing to attend a small convention where overall the crowd is accepting. 

The Surrounding Area:

I have one immediate complaint and that is T H E P A R K. For those of you who know the convention and/or area well, you probably know that there is a beautiful park across the street from the Radisson, where the convention is held. It is where most cosplayers go to get photos because it features pretty stone walls, bronze statues, and a lovely fountain. One might even argue it is the only place to get photos (unless you have an odd and specific location in mind—like one year I got photos of Kaneki in the parking garage becasue that was the tone I wanted). So. WHAT THE HELL WAS THEAT GIANT, GROSS, YELLOW TENT RUINING EVERY POSSIBLE SHOT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN GOT IN THE PARK. I am bitter about the tent. It was honestly a huge let down for me because I was really excited to shoot by the fountain and the tent made that impossible. I’m hopeful that maybe it won’t be there next year, but if it remains up that will be a huge loss for cosplayers looking to attend this convention. 

Also random note, if you know Manchester, NH well and want to share with me what the purpose of the tent was, that would be appreciated. Maybe I’ll end up hating it a bit less.

But yeah, moving on to just talking about Manchester and the people there. I am a resident of Boston, so maybe it’s just me, but I always find Manchester to be so smol. The main strip of road the convention is placed on only has a few restaurants and shops and don’t think I’ve seen more than one hundred people out enjoying the nightlife at one—and there are even less people out during the day. Other than that being different than my Boston lifestyle and that throwing me for a loop, the people are generally friendly and curious about the convention. I have had some really horrible experiences when I have attended conventions involving people harassing me, stalking me, and worse, so generally this is pretty awesome.

This year however my friends and I (and many other attendees) had some serious problems with pedestrians sitting outside the Radisson and taking photos up people’s skirts without their consent. Usually people don’t sit around outside the hotel unless they are involved with the con, however this year the weather was so good it seemed that many people felt that they had a right to just invite themselves onto the hotel grounds, have lunch, and harass cosplayers. This was not okay. It upset a great many people—who were right to be upset. Cosplay is by no means consent and sniping photos that people may not be comfortable with someone taking is not okay. Con security was very helpful in trying to escort the people from the premises, but it was still upsetting and changed my view of the atmosphere of Manchester.

My Personal Experience:

Overall this con was very chill for me this year. I pretty much hung out with my friends and wandered the dealers room for the two days I was able to attend. We didn’t get to involved with the convention itself—we only attended the masquerade—but we did manage to meet new people and enjoy the crowd, which was just lovely. Other than the gross photo taking by passersby, it was quite a wonderful experience and a great end to my official 2017 convention season!

And obviously if you haven’t seen them yet, my convention vlogs can give you a real taste of my personal experience:

Bottom Line: Would I recommend this con?

I feel like this con is a very niche con. However it’s not one I wouldn’t recommend. To anyone looking for a really chill time—so first time con goers or people who are just looking to end their convention season with some relaxation—I would recommend you this convention. If you like anime or non-traditional genres that will certainly help your convention experience, but if you attend I would have to encourage you to make it what you want. It is chill. You are probably not going to stumble into the best event ever that will totally make the convention for you. But that’s not to say you cannot make your convention experience wonderful with a few good events, a nice place to eat, and some good company!!

And thus ends my first convention review!! I hope you found what I had to say informative if not enjoyable. If you have any questions about this review or suggestions for upcoming reviews, feel free to send me an ask (because Tumblr does not have a functioning comment system at all—yikes)! Until next time Manic Fam!

—MadDog