#my main group dont know a damn thing about my special interests and its hard to get others into it

[high-metafive]

one thing about me is that i am literally always thinking about smtiv. the other thing about me is that i am literally always thinking about smtiv and actually smt in general im just always thinking bout it

w. would anyone like to be friends about this subject ,or..

[wickymicky]

wickymicky’s Top Ten Kpop Songs of 2020

1: Dreamcatcher - Scream

There was a point in the process of making this list where I really thought Scream had been surpassed. I was prepared to commit to that idea, and write this with another song being my pick for Song of the Year. But, the reason I’m still going with Scream as my number one is because... well... Scream is something special. I can’t predict the future or anything, but if I can make a guess, I would predict that this song will go on to have a certain kind of legacy that very few songs ever get. This wasn’t just one of the best kpop songs of 2020, it was one of the best (if not THE best) moment of 2020. 

I still can’t believe this song is real. I liked Dreamcatcher before it came out, in fact I loved them. They were my number 1 favorite group. But choosing a favorite Dreamcatcher song was always kind of difficult to me. I liked them all, but there wasn’t one that stood out more than the others and appealed to my taste more. Scream did immediately, though. My hype in the days leading up to its release was really high, I knew it would be good, and it did not disappoint lol. Usually when I listen to a song for the first time, my reaction is sort of like “huh okay, interesting”. Scream is the only song on this list that I loved immediately. It’s the only one that had me going “NO WAY.... OH MY GOD YES” during my first listen haha. La Di Da came close, but Scream is in a league of its own in that respect. I wound up loving all the songs on this list, but some took time, you know? Scream didn’t take any time at all, it was immediate. 

Before getting into kpop, I listened to a lot of metal and things like that. I still do, now and then. So you might think it makes sense that Dreamcatcher was my favorite group, but actually, that was kind of a barrier to me getting into them. See, I’m picky about that stuff, and I wished Dreamcatcher committed harder to that kind of thing. They don’t really have many metal-inspired songs, the furthest most of them go is just like hard rock, if anything. What ended up getting me into Dreamcatcher was the pop aspects of their songs, not the rock/metal ones. It was the catchiness of their songs, not the edginess or guitar or whatever lol. Their song “What” was the most up my alley in terms of metal-ness, but even then, that’s not the reason I love that song. With the Dystopia series starting this year though, they hinted that they would be stepping back somewhat from the rock/metal aspects. Not totally, obviously, it’ll always be a key element in their sound, but Scream is one of their least rock-inspired comebacks ever, and one of their most EDM-inspired. However, it appeals to my metal taste the most. lol. Funny how that works.

It’s dark. Their other title tracks had had some edginess in them, but for the most part they were kinda uplifting or hopeful, in the way that jrock can kinda be, that was definitely a big inspiration for their sound. But Scream… Scream is dark. I believe the lyrics are from the perspective of a witch being burned at the stake. And damn, the drop in Scream’s chorus is maybe the most metal thing I’ve heard in any kpop song ever. That thumping, bounding bass or percussion or whatever that is... it hits me the same way blast beats do in black metal songs haha. The guitar (or synth?) that makes up the main melody of the drop is so threatening too, it’s very, very good. There’s something about the “Devil. Eyes. Come. Nuneul tteunda” that I just instantly knew would be memorable. I think it’ll go down as one of the defining moments of Dreamcatcher’s entire discography. 

If I have one criticism of the song though, it’s that the verses and prechoruses dont necessarily give me the same rush that the chorus does. I know that’s kind of the name of the game with drop-choruses, but still, it makes listening to the song a bit of a disjointed experience, I’m really just waiting for that chorus for the first minute of the song. The verses and prechoruses are good too, but you know what I mean right? That’s just how drop songs are, they’re built around setting up for the monster in the chorus. I just think that songs like Tag Me and Mago are more consistent throughout, there really isn’t a part of either of those songs where I feel like I’m waiting for the next part, I’m always just savoring whatever is currently happening. That being said, the drop here is so good that it kinda makes up for it. Especially the final one, oh my god. I don’t have any problems with the bridge either really, for whatever reason I feel like that part doesn’t halt the momentum too much. 

But so, even with that criticism, I still have to pick it as my number one song of the year, because… it’s one of those rare songs that is more than just a song. Much more. The aesthetic of the video, the outfits, the choreo, the live stages, every single aspect of this entire comeback era was so immaculate lol. It was the most fun I had being into kpop in all of 2020, though that might also be because it was before quarantine... but uh, anyway... If I picked one of the other songs to be my number one song, something just wouldn’t feel right. I’m not sure why though, because as I said, I think there are songs that I enjoy more thoroughly for the duration of the runtime. So then, why did I pick this over them? Why does it just feel like the right call? I’m not sure, but I think it just comes down to bias lol. An intangible feeling of attachment to it. I love Tag Me, I love Mago, I love La Di Da, I love Cool, I love Kick It and Boca and Assa and Crossroads and Fiesta and Black Mamba and So Bad and Monster and Naughty and I Can’t Stop Me and Turn Back Time and aaaaaaaall the other great songs that came out this year, but I don’t love them the way I love Scream. They don’t mean as much to me as Scream does. 

This was one of those comebacks that feels like a real moment... like, I really can think of it as “what kpop was to me before scream” and “what kpop was to me after scream” haha, it changed the game. It’s not my favorite kpop song ever, that would be Picky Picky still, but at this point I think I can say that this is my second favorite, which in my opinion is like some of the highest praise I’m capable of giving lmao. It wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t pick this song as my song of the year, because it really defined this year. 

Congrats Scream! And happy new year <3

links to the rest of the list: 10 - Fiesta (Izone) 9 - Crossroads (GFriend) 8 - Assa (Cignature) 7 - Boca (Dreamcatcher) 6 - Kick It (NCT 127) 5 - Cool (Weki Meki) 4 - La Di Da (Everglow) 3 - Mago (GFriend) 2 - Tag Me (Weeekly) 1 - Scream (Dreamcatcher)

[rowanelliis]

hey hi hello i’m SLATER ( they/them ), twenty-five, currently living my worst life on the left coast ( pst ). i bring to you my twitchy, lonely son, ROWAN. he’s a part-time antique lover, part-time dishwasher, full-time ghost whisperer. ( or something like that,, we’ll get to it later. ) he fills the alone ranger plot, and you can find his bio/questionnaire HERE  &&  some quick stats HERE. follow me under the cut for a TL;DR bio and wanted connections !! @phqextras​

oh hello again ! as promised, here is the summarized bio, bc i get that it’s long and you have shit to do. that said ! if possible, i would really love if you read THE BIO before/instead of this. it’s just,,, better. and better is better.  anyway, here we go !

rowan was born in pleasance to a 22 yo anita ellis and a father who bounced shortly thereafter, but we don’t care about him

he sees dead people! always has. they vary in shape from faded human to amorphous eldritch horror, and they’re supremely unhelpful. they mostly dont talk and the ones who do dont really answer what youre saying, they just say whatever they want. they moan a lot tho. its annoying. he hates them. kinda.

anita was a fraudulent fortuneteller and genuine psychic. she just knew stuff. rowan figures whatever he is, he got it from her.

he loves her sm guys. she was the mf BEST MOM. we’re talking blanket forts. we’re talking homemade stews. we’re talking going to alby’s to try on outrageous outfits they couldn’t afford and then shoplifting some little treasure to delight rowan with on the way out. the BEST.

when he was eleven, he spent an afternoon in the sequoia grove and when he got back he learned that to everyone else, hed been missing for five days

so that was a whole thing

following a years-long downward spiral of her mental health, anita showed up at rowans high school in the midst of a full-on psychotic episode. he was taken away by cps almost immediately and sent to a group home a couple towns over.

when he got back to pleasance at eighteen, she was gone. missing, not dead.

since then hes been devoted to the cause of finding her but its been eleven fucking years and no one else seems to care so he do get down abt it sometimes

his main theory is that it has something to do with the sequoia grove. he thinks that maybe whatever happened to him as a kid happened to her, but on a larger scale.

he currently lives in the house that he grew up in and that his grandparents built, a giant ugly thing that hasnt been updated in any way since the 70s

hes bad at holding a job. hes bad at feeding himself. hes bad at sleeping. hes bad at forming and maintaining relationships. basically, hes bad at being an adult human.

ok so maybe he doesnt see ghosts. maybe his mom wasnt psychic. maybe theyre just crazy. that is a possibility. but its also possible its true. you dont know. leave him alone

ok now the fun part ! here are some connections id like to see for rowan:

actual friends (one or two, three TOPS. hes a loner ok)

i honestly debated whether i wanted him to have any close friends at all but yknow what! hes been in this town for nearly 30 damn years he can treat himself to a friend or two. these would be people who believe him, or at least have an open mind. they could be from way back or more recently. just people he’s comfortable around, and maybe goes to specifically for comfort. he needs a lot more of that than he’s getting.

hookups (past or present)

i think hes kind of slutty?? not in any active kind of way, hes definitely not aggressive or even confident, but he’s so starved for affection that i think he’d have a hard time saying no to anyone offering it. his sexuality is Undeclared but Not Straight, so he’s up for grabs. he’s also weak for...... how do you say..... les milfs. i mean he would never use that word but it is what it is. mommy issues doesnt even begin to cover it. on a related note! if your character is on the amoral side of the spectrum, this guy would be wildly easy to manipulate. just like, brush his hair with your fingers or call him good or whatever. he’s Weak.

exes (maybe one serious, no more than a couple more casual)

here are some great reasons to dump rowan:

will not remember your birthday or anniversary or anything

obsessed w his mom

sometimes sleeps with his eyes open which is creepy as Fuck

usually broke

lives in that fucking house

kissed someone else at your birthday party bc they had really pretty eyes and were standing really close and kinda smiled at him and he got overwhelmed

routinely talks to the air, sometimes aggressively. thinks hes covert abt it. is not.

love interests (look im not actually into planning ships it just felt fair to rowan to balance this out a little)

here are some great reasons to date rowan:

will never, ever laugh at you or make you feel small

will give small, thoughtful gifts for no reason

cute floppy hair, doe eyes

once he feels safe with you, he will do anything for you, any time, forever

lives in that fucking house

you never knew a kiss could make you feel so wanted

maybe he’s special, you know? maybe he’s just something special

( ok that was gay ! now back to your regularly scheduled programming )

people who think he’s crazy (as many as possible tbh)

i know weve got a lot of believers here but honestly,,, even among believers i think hes kind of an outcast. the mf talks to himself. there are like 8 agreed upon stories around town and hes seen waaaaaay more ghosts than that. and non-belevers?? fuggedaboutit. i kinda see this as part of the reason he was rejected from the mystery gang. maybe someone it was like ‘ok im into checking this stuff out but that guys fucking nuts’. idk. what is life without struggle?? without conflict?? boring.

people who are using him for the story (whoever wants)

this could be a writer or reporter, but it could also just be someone whos interested in this kind of stuff. OR again, could be a non-believer who just thinks its entertaining to watch him. could be honest about their motives or straight up manipulating him into thinking theyre a friend or whatever. pretty open, i just think he would be a figure of interest to certain people.

someone who was present when his mom showed up at the high school (someones?)

this isn’t even a connection really so much as just A Thing I Want. i want someone who saw a tiny, angry-crying sixteen year old rowan drag his screaming mother down the hall of the science wing with their own two eyes. student, teacher, visiting alumni, parent or sibling who was at the school for some reason idk. maybe they pitied him and approached him later. maybe it was the thing that made someone decide hes a lost cause. it doesnt even have to ever come up. i just want someone to have that image in their brain. i want them to see it when they see what a mess he is now.

a final note! when rowan was a kid he was pretty open about the ghost stuff, mostly because his mom always believed him w/out question and he didn’t know it was something to hide. after the whole woods incident and the reaction of cps + the cops to his story, he learned to keep that shit to himself. unless he knows your character well, he probably wouldnt have discussed it w them directly. however! anyone around his age might remember the stuff he talked about as a kid or his mom showing up at the school (honestly that was dramatic enough the story may live on in the halls of nwhs today in some form or another). anyone around his moms age (40-50) might know how woo-y and sketchy she and her child were. there are certainly rumors about both of them. also, most people have probably seen him behaving strangely, ie. suddenly rerouting on the sidewalk to walk around what seems like nothing, telling something to fuck off under his breath, or just flitting his eyes over to a seemingly empty space over and over. he really does try to appear as normal as possible, but it’s difficult. i think most people see more than he knows, and more than he would like them to.

[jess-21990]

Otome challenge!

I saw this challenge while looking around totally wanna give it a shot! Here it goes!

What’s your favorite game right now? 

I don't have a favorite more like favorites!

Kissed by the baddest bidder, Enchanted in the moonlight, Star crossed myths, After school affairs, Be my princess 1 & 2, Seduced in the sleepless city, Scandal in the spotlight, Butler until midnight, True love sweet lies, Love letter from Theif X, & Dreamy days in West Tokyo (I know its alot but these are my major favorites though some of the others I like to but I wouldnt say they are on my favorite list)

Who’s your favorite character?

Hidetaka Sera from After school affairs! DAT SMIRK DOUGH!!! lmao and ....

Werner Olivers butler from Be my princess 2 (YES HE DOESNT HAVE A ROUTE BUT HE SHOULD I SIMPLY LOVE HIM!)

Who’s your least favorite game?

A knights devotion & Rose in the Embers (Even though Kyosuke is totally sexy! I just cant get into it due to the dialouge)

Who’s your least favorite character?

Hmmm this ones tough....I'm gonna go with either Edward Levaincois from Be my princess (HEAR ME OUT! I just thought he was much cheesier in this dialogue then any other characters I've read which is funny because I like Max from Be my princess 2) & Noel from Seduced in the sleepless city (I just couldnt really get into when hes in the other characters stories hes cool but it was my least favorite route in the game)

Who’s the hottest characters?

Oh god we're gonna be here all night! This is not in any specific order and I really had to narrow it down it was pretty hard I've read and seen alot of routes in my time forgive me if my list is long!:

Icthys (Star Crossed Myth)

Joshua, Zain, Alberto & Luke (Be my princess yea I know Luke & Alberto are only butlers and only really have two special stories but I DON'T CARE!)

Sieg, Oliver & Werner (Be my princess 2 yes another butler but as stated above I SIMPLY LOVE HIM!)

Yosuke (Kings of Paradise)

Hikaru & Rhion ( Kissed by the baddest bidder)

Trevor (Seduced in the sleepless city)

Kyohei & Iori ( Scandal in the spotlight)

Yuma & Itsuki ( Butler until midnight)

Rui & Nozomu (True love sweet lies)

Hidetaka & Rikiya (After school affairs)

Who’s the funniest characters?

Alone to me would be Ichtys and Hidetaka (because of the things they say) HOWEVER I have 2 dynamic duos that make for really hilarious dialouge:

1) Ota & Baba (kissed by the baddest bidder) I think everyone who's ever read this group of stories can totally agree with me when I say they are the most hilarious comedy pairing out their. They way they play off of each other is PERFECTION! Comic gold!

2) Oliver & Werner (Be my princess 2) now hear me out cause some of yall are probably like huh!? Well to me they are hilarious for the same reason Ota and Baba are they play off of one another amazingly! It's like Werners the big brother and Oliver's the younger one. It's fun to see them two especially when Oliver is getting into trouble for sneaking out of his duties and Werner catches him because he's placed a tracking device on him. To me it's a cute funny not comic gold but really funny.

Who’s your favorite MC?

Hmm this ones tough because for the most part I dont really care for the MC in any of them. Mainly because I'm literally yelling at her while reading most of the stories for some stupid shit. But if I had to choose a favorite probably be between either the MC from Be my princess 2 (especially in Sieg's main story when she chews him out in his office) or the MC in Masquerade Kiss.

Kiss, Marry, Avoid?

Depends on the game but if were going as a whole I would

Kiss Icthys (Star crossed myth)

Marry Hidetaka (After school affairs) or Werner (Be my princess 2)

Avoid Shinobu (Serendipity next door) homeboys CREEPY AS FUCK!!! I read his story once and it freaked me out so much I dont really wanna read Serendipity next door again!!

Which has the best artwork by Voltage?

Damn! That's hard to alot of Voltages artwork is great! But I'm gonna have to say my top 2 that are actually tied for first is Kings of Paradise & After School Affairs.

Who’s route was most interesting?

Oh god again! Hmmm this ones another tough one most of the routes I've read in stories are really amazing and as you can tell already I'm a highly indecisive person! So I have a top 3 not in a specific order:

1) Hidetaka Sera (After school affairs) In the many stories I had read before this one I had never read any where it tackled bullying and attempted suicide I think it really hit home for me making it truly moving.

2) Mitsuru Sanada (First Love Diaries -A kiss on the beach-) Even though Mitsuru is up there on my list of least favorite characters (hes not my least favorite though probably would be #4) his story touches issues such as teen pregnancy. To me controversial issues being drawn out in a story and the way Voltage has it are very moving and amazing! It really sucked me in.

3) Nozomu Fuse (True love sweet lies) his story even though not dealing with controversial issues really it was quite the read and is on my highly recommend list. Sometimes Voltage has a tendency of making stories pretty easy to figure out but with Nozomus it shocked me in the end and left me on the edge of my seat I simply couldnt put it away!

Who’s route was most boring?

Probably Kyosukes from Rose in the Embers. I mean yes hes incredibly gorgeous but to me it really lack lustered and it was a pretty typical love story between social classes. The only part that truly intrigued me was the prologue and how she came to meet the guys and how she choose him. No judgement for the ones who love Rose in the Embers. It's just that after I read it I was pretty dissapointed.

What’s your favorite character type?

Sexy smirks & Abs always get to me physically (a.k.a Hidetaka, Rui & Yosuke!). However tbh I dont think ii have a specific type of character I go for I mean if you look at my two favorite characters both Hidetaka & Werner are very different from each other. So to me I think it's all about the way the MC and the character bounce off of one another so well it makes for some hilarious and yet amazing dialogue. When I feel like I'm saying in my head "hey! This sounds like the kind of conversation I could possibly have" then the characters got my attention. But a sense of humor is a total must for me even if it's small jabs here and there like Werner with Oliver from Be my princess 2.

Who’s the most annoying MC?

I dont have a specific because as I said alot of the MCs in different stories their actions make me wanna smack my damn head! And make me wonder how have they survived that many years in their lives. Lmao

What’s your favorite Otome moment?

This one is simple...I dont have one. In truth I read the stories to get away from the stress of my everyday life. So any moment I have where I can laugh or smile because I'm reading an amazing story or even a moment where I'm smacking my head over an MC to me is a time where I'm able to relax and breathe away from all the stress which makes every otome moment I have a great one.

THATS IT! it took sooooooo long!

[th3okamid3mon]

[SPOILERS] Review/Ramble on Roma (2018) Dir. Alfonso Cuarón

So i just watch Roma, a movie around the 1970´s (1971 to be precise) in México, Ciudad de México

For anyone who doesn´t know, there´s this suburb called Roma, that´s why it has that name, its not in Italy or anything jaja. 

By now, probably everyone has seen it or has been like ¨OH, SPANISH! i don´t want to read the english subtitles ¨ (i hope that´s not the case because SO HELP ME DOG), in my unprofessional and cinema student-ish opinion, I like it. 

The movie is recorded in black and white, not sure with what camera or why the decision was to make it that way but the image has great quality and it makes the focus more on the story and characters than the surroundings (not that the art wasn´t important, in fact, it must have been a hell of a work to make certain pallets of colors to make it contrast different to each, also to not make everyone blend together into a weird spot). Cuarón direct, write and was in charge of the photography (which is what he is known for) , his writing was actually really balanced between the serious main parts of the movie, the common daily basis humor and interactions between the characters. 

Most of the shots were master shots with panning, there were no medium shots nor close ups (At least not until the end of act 3) . Doing this type of shots gives the viewer a chance to see the surroundings of the characters and to view whats going on around. I think this is because, even if we follow the main family and the protagonist Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio), the main point could be that they aren´t the only ones with a life and with problems. We can see other people, we can see them doing their own thing, it gives the film a more genuine feeling about a really busy street, city or town, we can see there´s more life outside the house of the protagonists. 

The whole story has a lot of tragedy, in fact there´s 2 whole stories full of tragedies: Cleo´s (the maid) story and Sofia´s (the employer or ¨patrona¨) story. Cleo is working like a maid and nanny for a family, she doesnt seem to be miserable, just indifferent about that job. It doesnt mean she is uncaring towards Sofia´s children or anything, its just her usual routine that she already knows. It is really nice to watch 2 people which share the same language talking like a usual common thing, other than just spanish. In this case, Cleo and her friend talk in mixteco a native language of México, im glad to see it treated as something usual for them and not like a surprise because there´s still a big community of indigenous people that still practice certain traditions and still talk languages. This includes more people and shows the diversity in the country as well as introducing more talent to the filming industry (not just certain type of people). Cleo isnt mistreated by anyone at the house, which is nice to see (other than the usual racist comments and mistreament), however she has this impotence appearance when her employer gets angry at her (obviously anyone would be terrified, specially if you lived with them and you could be potentionally thrown out). At some point, Cleo gets pregnant and its horrified when she: a) cant convince Fermín (motherfucker 2) that he is the father, and b) isnt sure wether her boss will throw her out of the house or not. 

Sofia is the employer, her children are Sofia, Paco, Toño and Pepe. Her husband Antonio (motherfucker 1) is a doctor which she loves, but once the story starts developing you get to know in the background that their marriage is crumbling. He goes on having adventures with other woman and lying to Sofia, meanwhile Sofia tries to keep it together while her children are acting like children and pre-teenagers. 

One thing i found interesting is the decision the writer (Cuarón) took when he made almost every male character an asshole. You have Antonio which lies and cheats her wife and then you have Fermin who bails on Cleo once she tells him she´s pregnant, also he threatens to kill her and her unborn child with martial arts (it...got a bit weird...). I would add the kids Paco and Toño because they were acting like disrespectful asshats, but I´ll pretend it was the hormones of teenage years and the whole situation between their mother and father. There´s also el compadre (i think its brother in law) of Sofia who tries to ¨comfort her¨. In general, this movie has certain violence towards female protagonists. 

Another thing i found interesting was how everything was according the era, like everything around the characters was moving independently of the characters. Everyone had to move according to the circumstances around them which they didnt had control over. Most notorious example: 1971, 3 years after Tlatelolco 

[NOTE: the image above is a real picture took from the protests from 1968]

The characters move around while events like the protests of students are still going around, the children are talking in one scene bout someone who got shot and in another sequence we see Cleo and her patrona going to a store to buy a crib which is interrupted by the screams of horror from the students, then a pair gets inside the store screaming ¨They are killing us!!¨. Then a group of porros (people who are paid by the government to start riots and make the opponent side the responsible of the excessive force used by the police, AKA, making them the guilty ones) get inside and shoot them. That whole scenario is independent of the characters, yet they are involve in it because they are there, and they cant do anything because thats what a person would do in a stressing situation: nothing, besides, Cleo is pregnant at that point so she would obviously wouldnt make any dumb move, specially when she sees that one of the porros is Fermin. 

[NOTE: this shot is from the actual movie, AKA: ITS NOT REAL]

Including social and politic events in the movie gives it a more authentic atmosphere, it makes the viewer get inside the story and give a view and let us appreciate how México (my country) looked back then as well as giving us a look to everyones personalities during this different time period. 

The interactions of the children and Cleo was the sweetest most adorable thing i have ever seen. Cleo is looked like a human being and not like a third type character, she has a voice and a personality, which is something we dont usually see when it comes to maids. She shares fun with her friends, she has dates, she laughs, she cries, she is human. She also shares part of her culture, with the children and Sofia isnt bother at all. Cleo sings lullabies in mixteco to the little girl Sofia, who gleefully sings with her. Making it so common, so normal and such a nice moment normalizes it; in the shot Cleo and Sofia says prayers first and then Cleo sings her lullaby. Its great to see the interactions and intersections of cultures like that, both are mexicans but come from different homes and cultures, yes, cultures because at the end of the day México is very diverse, it doesnt have just one way to live. There are different cultures within the country. It is really important that we see it as the normal, our normal because we need to include more people, to make it ok for everyone to feel included in the same place, we are from the same place after all. 

Other important point is the fact that this women have each others back in some sense and in most of the movie. Cleo helps Sofia during her times of need when she is stressing over her husbands infidelity and economic state, while Sofia helps Cleo during her pregnancy. Teresa, Sofia´s mother, also helps Cleo by getting her to a store to buy a crib and Cleo´s doctor is actually a woman, so most of the movie is woman helping woman. NOTE: Im not saying the men in the whole movie are awful people, SOME of them are, the one who have more interactions with the main protagonists. I dont want a radical feminist group to take this movie and twisted like they usually do with EVERY fucking thing. The main point of the movie is looking the hard and tough lives of women from different cultures and how they move on, some man do help like the guy who drive them around or Ramon (a side character which i think it was Adela´s boyfriend, Adela is Cleo´s friend), END OF THE NOTE

CONCLUSION: 

It is a good movie that shows a common part of life which involve good and bad things, from tragedies like infant death or civil massacres to the hopefulness of a better way to live, because the end of the movie comes full circles with everyones life but with hopefulness of a bright future. In this case the saying ¨What doesnt kill you makes you stronger¨ fits perfectly. 

The photography and art departments did a great job making the ambient from the 70s and giving the atmosphere to each scene and sequence a heavy and light feeling depending on what was going on. My mom was delighted to see certain places during those times because she remembers during her childhood looking at those different signs and streets, so the ambience was on point. For some reason I feel Netflix sold their soul or something to make this movie cause THOSE CARS LOOK EXPENSIVE, or maybe it isnt as expensive as i thought (should look up that later). The only complaint i could think of is that it should have pass to movie theaters a bit longer or at least project it again cause it can be more appreciated in those places than in your home with a faulty internet (my internet went out at least 7 times); also the effects of the babies were... really awkward to the point of being distracting and funny. They really looked like dolls, they bounce a bit, specially during the scene where Cleo gives birth to the death child (I shouldnt have laugh to that scene...but that damn doll look so plasticy... ) 

All and all, it was enjoyable to watch, the acting was good, even for the children. They did a great job, some of the lines were spoken awkwardly by the oldest kid, as to sound more mature? i guess that was the direction they went for. The characters were likable, they could make you laugh or cry during different times and make you feel for them. 

I think anyone could watch this but it is, what everyone could consider, a slow movie. So make sure to have everything you got and take time to appreciate everything around them, because i think this is like a candy you need to look around, everything they put its meant to be looked at. I give the movie 8/10 

[LOOKATTHATDAMNFUCKINGSHOTHMMMM!!!!GOODSHITRIGHTTHEREIFIDOSAYSOMYSELF!!!HOLYSHIT!!!NOMAMESESTASUPERCABRONALABERGA!!]

[tumblunni]

Wow i had such a weird dream?? The story itself wasnt too unusual, just an emotional moment of an anime that doesnt exist, but the way the dream delivered it was really confusing!

The plot of this apparant anime was that there was some sort of ragtag group of monster people wandering the earth looking for a place they could belong without being hated. And i got the feeling here that they'd just found a place where things were going good, but the show's recurring villains appeared and revealed their secret to the town and now they had to flee again as everyone they thought was a friend took up pitchforks against them.

And the main focus character was really interesting? I dont think he was actually the protagonist but he got the focal role in this episode. Cos the monsters had to disguise themselves as humans to live in this town, and this was the youngest monster who didnt know how to do that yet. He had a really emotional struggle of pushing himself so hard to try and master this skill, because he was actually unique amoung the group for being a monster that was actually once human. So it was a combination of frustration at being a burden to his new friends, with desperation to finally see his own face in the mirror again.

And I feel like maybe before he became a monster he was bigoted against them and scared of them? Within the dream i recalled watching that other episode some other day, and apparantly it was super emotional. It started off just seeming like another 'we find the town of the day along our journey and meet some friends and/or solve a conflict' type thing. And this kid was mostly antagonistic through the episode, a dumb naive kid who believed everything negative about monsters and now struggled with the situation of being the only one who knew the truth that these guys are monsters but also now theyre doubting whether they should reveal it because these people seem so..normal?? And scared?? Starts to doubt whether all the other monsters executed by the corrupt church in their town were fully sentient too, and every time the 'nice' priest was teaching them how to spot liars he was really teaching them how to kill innocent monster people who were just as scared as the humans are of them. But the roots of gaslighting and abuse from this priest ran deep, so the kid struggled with the choice and ultimately made the wrong decision. Also i think maybe theres a reveal that the priest was actually their biological dad too, just for even more levels of why theyd make that wrong decision. And more reasons why its horrifying that the priest dad just treats his kid like shit once they outlived their usefulness. Im thinking something like the kid tries to make up for their mistake and save the protagonists but they get captured by their dad and like.. Ok holy fuck this dude is outright willing to murder his son and he's eminantly aware that these monster people are 100% sentiebt because he's using the threat of killing his son as a way to get them to lay down their weapons and agree to be recaptured. And then i think there was something super messed up when it was revealed all the monster attacks that happened to the town to get them so scared and paranoid were actually orchestrated by the priest as a form of control over his citizens. He had some sort of Ominous Doom Science to both turn people into monsters and control them to do his bidding. And like the predictable asshole he is, even after the protagonists gave up in order to save the kid he still killed him anyway. And after snapping his neck he threw him down into the prison cell with the protagonists and was like 'lets torment them by making them fight the kid they wanted to save'. Because it turned out he'd been doping the kid with a special dose of the monster formula ever since birth, and he was his 'secret weapon' all along without knowing it. Ultra super mega concentrated doom form of the artifical monsters he uses in his army, activated upon the moment of the kid's death. But then it turns out the ultimate experiment was too much for him to control and the kid was able to keep their mind in their new form, and turn against him to save their new friends. But when they realized what had happened to them, they broke down in fear. And everything was super depressing cos the protagonists knew this poor kid was now doomed to share their fate as monsters, and theyd have to take them away fron everythung theyd ever known in order to keep them safe. But also heartwarming at the same time because the kid had never known a truly loving family before, and as they passed out in the arms of main protagonist mom friend werewolf they felt like maybe this is what having a real family is like...

So anyway that led to a bit of an angsty team dynamic with this new recruit? The kid was obviously all new to monsterness and terrified of everything. But also even now they were struggling with that 'what if my abusive dad is right' instinct drilled into them from all those years. They still struggled with really believing that monsters arent evil, and like 'no i must have only disobeyed him because i was infected and i didnt know it, monsters are evil and i became one because i'm evil too'. Unwilling to believe that their dad did that to them and trying to find excuses where it would be their own fault. Maybe the kid was even tricked by another villain at some point who lied about having a cure? Like even whenthey became more able to trust their new monster friends they were still like 'theyd be happier if they became normal right?' Lots of angst and messing up and this poor kid feeling not only weak and useless to the team but also outright toxic to them.

So all of this led to this situation where disguising yourself as a human is a skill all the other team members already mastered and this kid is struggling real hard to accomplish it in order to save the day. Ans its extra depressing cos they havent seen their original human face in months, and theyre trying to cling onto the memories but scared they migjt forget what it was like to be human. And then i cant really recall all the details but i feel like the writing and cinematography were just super amazing emotional on this scene of the kid struggling to Do The Thing in time to save their friends, and like.. Atone for all their mistakes.

Also i think like the kid had this big super kaiju ultimate chimera form which was what their dad designed them to be, but also most of the time they were poofed into a tiny mascot sized version of that. And theycd never actually managed to control their powers enough to turn into their battle form willingly until now. Just this super depressing and also uplifting scene of this fuckin tiny monster kid being pinned to the ground underneath the villain's heel, trying desperately to turn human again to save their friends. And i think it was an awesome moment where they did manage to regain their old face for just a few seconds, but instead of actually learning to master the human transformation they learned to master their battle form instead. Like, accepting that that old face isnt who they are anymore, and it wont help like they thought it would. What they really need now is their REAL face! Some sort of dramatic badass speech about this that cuts the villain's philosophy right in half, and then a badass scene of tiny kid finally being able to control (and not be scared of!) their beast form, and fight the whole damn army singlehandedly to save their friends!

Also i think there was an extra emotional moment somewhere along the way where one of yhe villain generals was like 'no, stop, i want to see if they can do this', and actually started motivating the kid. Like i think they were a brainwashed soldier of the old priest bastatd who was sent to kill these monsters supposedly to avenge the priest's dead kid but they were actually starting to have doubts when this terrifying monster that 'killed them' seemed to act so much like a child. So this was the big moment of them finall believing the kid, and getting to see proof it really was them and the priest really was a manipulative evil bastard all along. So i think they switched sides and joined super powered up kiddo in fighting their fellow knights, giving them the keys to go free their friends. And possibly this knight person also joined the team after this and was the first proper human ally theyd ever had? And probably had loads of emotional plots of atoning

ANYWAY that was the cool really engaging story of my dream that i wish i could watch a real anime about!

But the weird part was that this was all delivered really fragmented cos of how little sleep ive had lately. I was seeing it in the form of (for some reason) laying down on the stairs at my abusive father's old house, listening to it playing on the tiny tv he had in his room. And you may have noticed i kept mixing up the kid's pronouns, thats because everyone in the dream was represented visually by a character from some other franchise and it was REALLY confusing! The kid was like an amalgamation of all the dudes from Wolf's Rain which i guess is where the concept of wandering monsters in human illusion came from. (Tho they werent all reverse werewolves like in that show) It was weird cos i knew this character was meant to be a child but they looked like five ripped teenagers smooshed together? Cos i havent seen that show in ages and couldnt even remember the protagonist's name. (Was someone called Hide or is that a guy from tokyo ghoul? I think they had the outfit of the tokyo ghoul guy.) And then predictably the evil priest dad was cornello from full metal alchemist mixed with my old doctor who had the same name. But less predictably the redeemed villain holy paladin knight guy was replica riku from kingdom hearts?? Ans specifically his medal from the app game, like he came with a floating medal attatched to his waist like a mermaid who was also a coffee table.

Also it just ended with a floating box of hair dye that turned to face the camera and it was actually coffee in a hair dye package. Like an exact replica of the blonding bleach i usually use, right down to every detail, but all the text was replaced with coffee info. I..i dont know what that has to do with anything else that just happened...

Oh also i think maybe one of the other teammates was a big cuddly 50-something circus ringleader type guy? He was the friendly comic relief but actually deep downn the most tormented of all of them. He'd been imprisoned as a circus attraction for most of his entire life and dressing up like a ringleader now he was free was kinda a way of coping? But yeh i think he bonded well with the kid cos they both didnt have much experience with being free and everything seemed new and scary. This guy also didnt have much experience of monster society either cos he'd been enslaved since he was a child. Man this anime sounds so fuckin intense and dark and emotional but also full of powerful friendship!! Why cant i watch any more episodes!! give me a sequel dream!!

[torinomonty]

Saga on Ice - Yuri on Ice Karatsu Tourism Collaboration

Saga on Ice is a special tourism collaboration held by the city of Karatsu in Saga Prefecture, as Karatsu was used as the model for Hasetsu, Yuri’s home town in Yuri on Ice. Saga prefecture is right next to me(I live in northern Fukuoka), and although I’ve been to Saga city I’ve never been to Karatsu. I’ve always been meaning to explore Kyushu some more given how much time I’ve spent living here, and given that this event was going on over Golden Week and @hideoutfromreality​ was visiting I figured it was a good chance. 

What I knew: The Karatsu tourism organization are really excited about Karatsu being featured in an anime and want to take advantage of it with some limited merch. What I didn’t know: The Karatsu tourism organisation are really, really excited about this and kinda went all out lmao. I was surprised at how much they did to attract YOI fans to the place.

Anyway, I bought a little Viktor with me, so here’s my photo report of the things we saw.

First here are some pics of the pretty scenery on the way to Karatsu from Fukuoka. The train runs along the Kyushu coast and is extremely beautiful.

Hey, what’s that in the distance?

It’s kinda hard to make out here, but its in the middle. We’ll see it again later.. Anyway, the train soon pulls into Karatsu station and when we walk down the steps this is the first thing we see.

They also had this poster up, the one used in-show to advertise ‘’Onsen on Ice’, the Yuri/Yuri showdown. I thought it was just in the station but it was actually all over the town, stuck on multiple buildings and store windows, in much the same way it probably was in the show itself. It made me laugh every time I saw it.

When you go through the gates you are greeted by these three in front of the Tourist Information Centre.

Um excuse me? Where’s the best boy?

It’s okay guys I found him.  All this art was specially drawn for the tourism collab. Makkachin is wearing the same helmet that the actual Karatsu mascot wears.

These flags were used out the front of restaurants/cafes/businesses that were participating in the campaign. there were...a lot of these.

(yurio never looks like he wants to be there lol)

Some merch/ You might notice Choromatsu is there. This is because a while ago Karatsu also had an Osomatsu-san tourism collab, and I have no idea why. I assume that it’s a mix of a) Karatsu sounding similar to Karamatsu and b) Osomatsu-san is apparently required by law to be everywhere in Japan at once c)Karatsu’s tourism agency will take what they can get to attract tourists. Anyway, there’s still left over merch from that, and most of it is Choromatsu, so every now and then I’d see him looking all sad and miserable next to the YOI stuff, and it made me laugh.

(The YOI merch above are tea cakes I believe) More merch;

I thought it was funny that they included those generic poodle plushies despite them not being official merch. The sign even says ‘Makkachin-ish plush”.

Heading outside the station, here’s the statue Yurio found so creepy.

And here’s the shopping arcade Yurio pitched a fit in.

They really want you to know that, too.

Here’s one of the participating cafes, you can see the flag out the front. All the participating eateries (and again there were HEAPS) had just one YOI-themed menu item. Most didn’t have a lot to do with the characters they were attributed to, but the point was to promote Karatsu specialities. We didn’t want to even bother trying to go to every cafe, just as long as we got katsudon and piroshki. (unfortunately the cafe doing the piroshki had completely sold out of their batch when we visited and weren’t due to restock for hours) Anyway, I can’t remember what this place had, I think it might have been the JJ baked curry. 

Karatsu is a really pretty seaside town - the air is really salty and smelled nice, and it reminded me somewhat of Coffs Harbour in NSW.

What’s that in the distance #2

Here’s the beach! Viktor and Yuri had a heart-to-heart here.

What’s that in the distance #3? I’m sure it’s obvious now, and that’s where we headed next.

But to get there we have to get up the hill. You can walk up the steps, or you can get the elevator here.

The elevator moved diagonally, and Skins found this so incredible she took a video of it. Here’s the amazing view from the top!

These guys are enjoying the view too.

“hey guys its your pal Karawan-kun, you know, the actual mascot of Karatsu, please dont forget me’‘

Karawan-kun is beckoning us into the gift store, which contained a lot of Karatsu souvenirs and also more of the YOI merch. Plus!

A signed poster! Photos were invited.

Apparently one of Karatsu’s products is colourful gum molded into animals and various other things, and they were selling a Makkachin version.

I wanted to get at least one of the collab items to commemorate the experience so I got a lil Makkachin keyring. They only had the one size bag though, which was kinda funny...

Anyway, if you haven’t figured out what’s up on this hill yet...

viktor voice: HASETSU CASTLE!!!

HASHTAG: NINJA!!!

“REALLY!? NINJA!?’‘ Anyway I’m not sure if you’re able to go into the castle but it didn’t seem you could at the moment. It looks like there are actually repairs being done there. This is also where the stairs Yuri does training on are. (They’re also the stairs we could have taken up instead of getting the elevator. We took the stairs on the way down though.)

These people here were also here for the event. I could tell because they were carrying maps, had merch with them and I also heard them talking about Yuri’s training montages. Actually, a good deal of the people here were YOI fans, they weren’t exactly hard to spot. Anyway before we go down, the wisteria.

Looking up the staircase from below:

We decided to catch the bus here cos it was getting really hot, but we got to see a lot of the town from the window. Here is the bridge that Yuri flails across on multiple occasions.

Fun fact: I missed getting a photo but a group of three girls, one of whom was carrying the Makkachin-shaped plushie tissue holder that Viktor has, were trying to imitate Yuri’s run when we went past...

(I took that pic earlier, but that’s the bridge from the castle)

Our next stop was a little harder to get to as it was outside the main town centre, but it was one of the most interesting. Kagamiyama Onsen!

Yep! It’s an onsen inn. Whether it’s the actual inn that inspired Yuri’s family’s ‘’Yutopia’’, I dont know, but it was the place serving katsudon for the collab.

A signed pic from Kubo at the counter.

Unfortunately, it turns out that the onsen restaurant had set times for lunch and dinner, and lunch was already over when we got there. Dinner wasn’t going to start for another few hours, and given that we didn’t get to eat anything else that day (due to the piroshki being sold out), we didn’t really wanna wait around for it due to being starving so decided to go somewhere else. It was kinda sad to not be able to have the katsudon, but it wasn’t a waste of time to visit the inn. Because..

There were cosplayers hanging out there! They were very very excited about us being fans and very very happy that we recognised them.

We decided to find somewhere else to eat before we died of hunger and it turned out there was a Hamakatsu right near the inn anyway. It’s not katsudon that comes with a YOI postcard but who cares it’s katsudon, and it was still damn good, and a nice way to end the tour.

aaaaaay And now for something kinda funny. When I realised that the inn was called Kagamiyama onsen, I was like “huh, that’s weird! So Saga has a Kagami Mountain too!” I’ve been to Kagami Mountain both as a field trip back in 2009 and again with my dad/sister when we went driving around Kyushu once. And for some reason I thought it was in Fukuoka, but...it’s the same damn mountain. I’d already been to Karatsu twice before and had no idea! Kagami mountain is a sacred mountain with a famous shrine (Kagami shrine) up the top, and thus the entrance to the road that leads up the mountain has this giant impressive gate you can see here.

Anyway, the tourism collab event was a lot of fun and it was a nice excuse to get to see Karatsu (or at least, more of Karatsu, seeing as I’d only seen Kagami Mountain and the beach near it before). The scenic train trip there alone was worth the price, and I’m looking forward to going again (which will be in another 3 weeks). Saga on Ice won’t be running anymore then but I’d still really love to try out some of the cute cafes we passed.

I really like when anime goes out of its way to draw attention to lesser known parts of Japan instead of just setting it in anywheretown, Tokyo. YOI has always been extra special to me for that Kyushu flair. 

[deadmantalking117]

SOME TIPS FOR THE FREQUENT FLYER

So you got yourself a brand new disease and you're wondering... Steve what should I be doing with this new and terrifying existence? Some person with a white coat is telling me that my whole life is going to change.. Probably for the worse. Should I be doing something more? Should I just lay in bed.. point my toes up and wait for the angels to come and claim me? Should I get a pedicure? Tell me what to do! Sorry.. I have no clue what you're supposed to do with your life! You certainly don't want life advice from me.. I'm a mess. But I have learned a few things in the past 35 years of dealing with this mess, that might give you some ideas! So throw a few of these up against the wall... see what sticks. I JUST GOT THE NEWS.. I HAVE A DISEASE. NOW WHAT? first thing is.. relax. Take a breath. I've said this before, but educate yourself. Try to get an idea of what is involved with your particular disease. Crohns. Cancer. Lupus. Heart Disease. Lung Disease. A.L.S. Arthritis. Multiple Sclerosis. I could keep going on for pages. But whatever is threatening your life or the quality of it... go on Facebook, join a support site. You'll be amazed how many others are right there with you! And all these groups have someone like me. Someone who's managed to cheat the reaper. Someone with years of experience that no doctor can give you. And they all want to help you. They've been right where you are. I don't really need support from others anymore.. It's my turn to be the support. And there are millions like me. Learn from them. Every disease has its own set of issues. Find out from people who've worked it out. Your doctor will give you all the information he has.. but he doesn't actually have this disease . Talk to someone who's actually been through it all before. And most importantly.. ASK! There's no stupid questions about your disease.. just stuff you don't know yet. Don't be embarrassed. I've said this before as well.. you're not as interesting as you think you are! All that humiliating poopy stuff I talk about.. that was hard learned information. You don't have to learn it the hard way. I've already made every mistake twice.. so you don't have to! SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY! Nows a good time to take an inventory of your life. Do a little navel gazing. When you get a diagnosis of a serious illness or you've been involved in a serious accident or some form of real bodily harm. Your life is going to change in ways you cant begin to imagine. Take these first days, weeks, months to think about the future. But while you are.. consider.. what do I really need? Not.. what do I want? But what are those things I have to have? Check out Maslows hierarchy of needs. (Google it) You need food, shelter, clothing, for sure. But you need hope, love, support as well. I'll bet you already have these things in abundance. See? Right off the bat.. you're way ahead of the game.. everything else is frosting on your cake. In my experience. Taking on too much is the path to madness. How many times have we planned and worked for some goal, only to have the legs cut out from under us because of my disease? And be clear, I'm not for a second saying don't make plans.. quite the opposite.. just factor in your disease and keep focused. Planning for the future is a necessity in life. Just be sure to take stock of what you have. SERIOUSLY KEEP IT SIMPLE I learned long ago that when you get sick or injured.. the amount of paperwork you'll deal with could fill a small forrest worth of trees.. in my case, a pretty good sized jungles worth. What to do with it all? I get a couple of those really nice file boxes they have at office supply stores. I write the year in big numbers across the front. Every piece of paperwork gets tossed in. Every reciept, utility bill, credit card statement, and all the doctors and government stuff. Everything goes in the box. If I need any of this information its in a small box. In 25 years of doing this.. I needed to search the box 1 time for a tax thing.. but there it was. I used to be more OCD about filing and organizing all my finances and medical information. But the fact is.. for all that effort. No one ever needed this info. After 5 years of sitting on a shelf.. burn the box!. Of course there are things that need to be specially kept.. your tax info. Current medical issues. But usually its the box. Do the same with everything in your home. Get rid of as much clutter as you can. I think it was Buddha who told us.. "You don't own possessions... they own you" you have enough to occupy your time now. Do you really want to spend any of it dusting? PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE! I know this has been said already. But try to keep your future in mind. Dont obsess and stress over every detail. Just the broad strokes. There's an old saying... "If you want to make God laugh.. tell him what you're doing tomorrow!" Your new disease will throw curveballs at you every day. Prepare to duck. STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES I hate that expression.. It's so hippy dippy and trite. But there's a core truth to it. You're life has suddenly and probably drastically changed. You're in pain and afraid. "Take a look around you, at least you got friends!" -Prince The little purple poet was right. If you're reading this.. you likely have all the basics already. And if for whatever reason you dont have anyone.. there are places to check out for that too. The internet is a vast array of groups with different interests. Find one that matches yours. Check out your local churches, mosques, synagogues, or social clubs. There are so many people out there looking for you.. now is a good time to go meet them. SHOWER THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE WITH LOVE... SHOW THEM THE WAY THAT YOU FEEL... again.. this is really sappy. But important. After you've taken stock of your life and your situation. Take time to really notice the people in your life. They're your greatest resource. Then let them KNOW how you feel! They love you and want the very best for you. Don't try to shoulder this weight alone.. it will crush you. It was very hard for me to ask for help.. the hardest thing in the world is to admit you need help, even from my wife or kids. But I did. The easiest part is letting them know how much you appreciate them. IMPROVISE - ADAPT - OVERCOME this is from an old Clint Eastwood movie called Heartbreak Ridge. We made it our family motto. It's great advice for anyone. But for you diseased maniacs.. It's should be your mantra. Situations are going to come at you SO FAST! your ability to deal with new realities will be one of the main things that influence your overall happiness and well being. You can't be rigid.. you gotta be very flexible. I'm freakin Gumby ! (Google it) My point is.. Adapt or Die! - Darwin I'm sure I'll have more sage words of wisdom.. but you get the idea. You're about to embark on a hero's journey through the United States healthcare system. For whatever reason, you or someone you love is busted up and likely to stay that way for a while. Take some time and learn how to cope with it. And like that old poster of the little kitten dangling from the branch always said HANG IN THERE! damn I'm old Be well my friends