#not because their fanbase remind me of my mother

[colorfulwastelandvoid]

I’m just gonna post this now cause I saw something that irritated me and I’m about to spiral. Mel thee Medarda😍.

What this fandom has done to her… Is the exact reason why existing as a black fem in a predominantly white ( including white gay) fanbase should come with reparations. This woman is a child of war and pilgrimage. It doesn’t matter that she was a Medarda. she was still a child! That ish will change you and it’s clear in her interactions with her mother she at the very least saw the endings of wars and campaigns, I can’t imagine those being pretty. Mel being the black sheep and lowkey scapegoat child of her family is not talked about either. As a teen she is sent away from the only support system she knows doesn’t matter if it was toxic, it was still familiar, to a brand new land where she had to build herself up again as a TEEN (probably since they never stated when she was casted out)! She spent her formative years in Noxus, where the strong survive. It is not surprising that while she detest violence and aggression, she uses her guile/ persuasion aggressively. By the time Arcane season 1 starts Mel is a young woman in her 20s on the council (the youngest council member too) and like Tok’s said Mel is a young woman who is extremely sure of herself… as a front. Mel is a woman who actually hates herself or at the very least is an extremely aware of how little all this means to the people that matter to her. We see this in the first scene of Mel in the show, where Elora reminds her of the fact she is the richest person in Piltover and Mel quickly remarked saying “And yet I remained the poorest Medarda”. The fandom quickly took that as Mel being power/money hungry when in reality that self depreciation was coming from a real place of insecurity. She knows how the Medardas’ are and how little they care for the fox and it bothers her. She’s not doing this for power in the way that it is presented. She’s doing this to prove a point. That her mother is wrong and the fox can be powerful. She is also trying to convince herself of that too.

From what we can gather in the show through her flashback and interactions with Ambessa, it’s clear that Mel definitely was considered to weak willed and soft spined for Noxus. I mean Ambessa says that to her before she casted her out. The fact that Mel apparently can still say the quote verbatim shows how scarring it was.

Mel is a woman caught in the extremes. She wants to uplift Piltover to prove herself to her family but also knowing what that means she also wants to protect Piltover from Noxus.She is a woman who has a love overflowing but has nowhere to pour into until she meets Jayce ( I’ll save that for a MelJay post though). I think because of how reserved Mel is,due to her upbringing and Ambessa literally discouraging, it’s not really discussed how Mel is probably emotionally stunted.

I have a lot more I can say about Mel as a character, she is literally my number 1 since season 1 but this post is already long and all over the place but this is a tip of an iceberg of how I digested her as a character.

Ps someone on TikTok said Mel was the Arcane version of Apollo and it makes so much sense(she is the beautiful child of an affair but is also the light bringer and a patron of the arts). Her and Ambessa was definitely a Greek Tragedy, at least to me.

[soulfulazrael]

Stolitz is a disease

Last post for today dedicated to this mental illness.

Because yeah. Somehow a character who may I remind you all was open to the idea to having SEX with Octavia in episode 2 surely will be (or maybe even already is) a great dad to Octavia despite that the only time they shared screentime together was when Stolas brought Blitzo for the day Octavia was meant to have her mind off of the fucking divorce this imp contributed to.

But it's okay. Her mother is an unrelenting piece of garbage that deserves no sympathy and Blitzo is in fact SO CARING about a girl he never shared a word or two with.

Ship whatever you want. I get why you ship Stolitz, it has potential that is pretty much thrown into the trash in this show, but for the love of God. DO NOT try to push this idea that Blitzo somehow already is "a great dad" to Octavia. This is fucking weird. On so many levels. And my brain just makes me think of this whenever I see people like that

Appropriate reaction if I do say so myself. Stolitz fans like that and this ship as it is in the show are a disease that poisons the mind of anyone who witnesses it. I would beg God to save us, but there is none to be found here. Only despair.

I feel bad for Octavia. Not only because of the circumstances I can relate to, but also because of THIS being the fanbase her character will have to endure. Good luck little owl... peacock... thing. This will be one helluva year for you. Fucking kill me.

[alicethenobody]

OMG SAME 100% FACTS TRUE i fucking hate how the dmc fans online keep making the same repetitive unfunny dante in debt jokes while being more empathetic towards both nero and vergil. like dante tends to have isolation habits or isolate himself from others to protect others, that's a common trope in fiction in general (especially japanese fictional stories but some western stories like The Boys or Spiderman has this trope too). These people are actually fucking stupid sometimes. Not to mention without Dante - Vergil and Nero wouldn't exist in the series. I'm also glad I'm not the only one who thinks Dante is one of the more realistic responses to trauma I've seen.

The way the DMC fanbase treats my boy Dante sometimes also reminds me of how the Tekken community treats my man Jin Kazama (especially on websites like reddit, twitter, and the YouTube comments section). They always show more empathy towards his father Kazuya (who is very similar to Vergil and Sasuke, man loses his family and goes down a dark path obsessed with power. also is the father of another character but is absent in their child's life) and Heihachi (who is literally just evil...like dude fucking killed his own wife, his own father, Michelle's father, Lidia's father, Leroy's entire family. dude unleashed shrek and killed innocent people.). Yet they mock Jin's mental health issues of survivor's guilt and low self esteem and make shitty jokes at his expense a lot. Jin lived a peaceful humble life with his mother Jun until Ogre attacked and Jin wanted to defeat Ogre to avenge his mother and also avenge the other fighters who were hurt by Ogre (ex. Hwoarang's master, King's adopted father). Then Heihachi who Jin trusted for years just betrays him by almost killing him via being shot multiple times. Then Jin finds out he was born with the Devil Gene thanks to his dad and has a hard time controlling it. His father Kazuya only cares about power and wants to kill Jin to get the rest of the Devil Gene for himself and Kazuya mostly cares about revenge against Heihachi. Most of the terrible shit in his life is out of his control. Like Dante, Jin also isolates himself from others out of fear his devil gene might hurt them or they might get dragged into the problems of the dysfunctional Mishima bloodline he's trying to end.

It also doesn't help that the creators of Tekken also lowkey hate Jin Kazama too, Harada blatantly stated in multiple interviews that he prefers villainous characters (ex. Heihachi aka Harada's favorite character), and Harada always wanted Jin to be a villain like his precious Heihachi Mishima but the team disagreed at first for obvious reasons (there are already too many bad guys/morally grey characters in Tekken, Jin is supposed to be the good mishima bloodline member he is supposed to be the good guy who doesn't let his trauma or family history make him bad, and it'd just be a repeat of Kazuya's story). Then Harada also assassinated Jin's character and made him OOC in Tekken 6's shitty scenario campaign story. Jin's potrayal in Tekken 6 completely contradicts his characterization in the older games (especially his Tekken 4 ending) and Jin is just out of character in that game, but the fanbase are usually idiots who don't realize that. So the fans bash Jin even more, and oh don't get me started on all the horrible fanfiction on ao3 where Jin gets r*ped by multiple characters because he hasn't suffered enough.

Both Dante and Jin deserve better, i hate it here it's always my favs are cursed lmao. (Ｔ▽Ｔ)

YEAAAH like I’m sorry but I think people are so overly critical of his actions in DMC5. I’m always gonna be of the belief he did nothing wrong in that game except for not telling Nero Vergil was his dad but he had reasons for not telling him like… the fact that he was afraid of cursing Nero with the same life he was living if he got too closely associated with either twin. And the fact that Nero most likely wouldn’t believe him (which Dante himself said) unless he had definitive proof for him. Dante is a man weighed down by the responsibility of protecting all of humanity, something any other person would completely crack under. So he thinks he can only let people in a certain amount or else they could get hurt. It happened many times, after all. Like I’d understand the criticisms of his behavior if he acted like a toxic asshole the whole time but… he really doesn’t. At worst he’s said something insensitive a couple times which… who hasn’t done that in their life and he felt bad about it both times it happened lmao (when he upset Nero in 5 and when he accidentally made Patty cry in the anime. Like he was actively miserable the entire episode because of it.) I’ve read such a weird amount of posts bashing Dante or fanfics that do the same.

Btw I’ve never played Tekken but that sounds shitty :(

[tessarionbestgirl]

"I don't think he was the sole reason they had Alicent hand KL over to Rhaenyra but he was most likely one of the reasons."

Alicent Hightower is the poster girl for Team Green, since the first season HotD has always advertised the show as Alicent vs. Rhaenyra rather than Aegon II vs. Rhaenyra I so there would have been a lot of reasons to pull the rug from under the audience and have her switch sides. It would have been discussed at length, weighing out pros and cons, deciphering how best to do it etc. It wasn't a last minute decision, they would have put thought into this.

At the end of the day all roads lead back to Rhaenyra Targaryen and their refusal to make even slightly morally grey.

So the reasons they had Alicent betray Team Green:

Rhaenyra the Cruel

Helaena's suicide

Rhaenicent

Jace

They hate Alicent

They love Rhaenyra

Rhaenyra the Cruel: they've already used this name in 2x02 with the purpose of showing it was undeserved, Rhaenyra had nothing to do with B&C so how could the people give her such a horrible name? 😢 But as we know she was given this moniker for raising taxes as the Greens hid all the gold and even after being mutilated by the torturers Tyland Lannister refused to tell them where the gold was. By having Alicent betray the Greens all blame will be placed on her because she should've known this was their plan. I bet they'll even have her suggest raising the taxes and thus be called "Alicent the Wicked" instead.

Helaena's suicide: her son was violently decapitated in front of her leaving Helaena an emotional wreck. Once Rhaenyra seizes Kingslanding she'll be forced to play nice with her son's killers, worsening her mental state. In the books what ended it for Helaena was Myseria telling her Maelor's dead, he doesn't exist in the show so it will probably Daemon cruelly telling her Alicent's the reason Rhaenyra's on the throne. Finding out your own MOTHER colluded with your son's executioner is enough to tip anyone over the edge, and that's exactly what's going to happen. Helaena's suicide now has nothing to do with Rhaenyra, it's all because Alicent betrayed her.

Rhaenicent: well this is an obvious one, they're obsessed with this ship and for some dumbass reason think this is what viewers want. If they have to destory George's work to force this doa relationship to work then so be it!

Jace: I don't think this was the no.1 reason simply because even if Alicent didn't betray the Greens they can still have Rhaenyra seize Kingslanding without Jace dying, he doesn't have to be the trigger. That being said, when they were having the brainstorming sessions I'm sure this came up as one of the justifications for the change. Pretty boys make money, and he's all Team Black has in the pretty boy department.

They hate Alicent: it cannot be said enough, never in my life have I seen writers hate half of a ship so much, it's so peculiar to me. So they've reduced her to nothing, she's lost her fanbase and every single positive character trait, she's been downngraded from Queen Dowager to Rhaenyra's "pet". Her existence is a neverending punishment for daring to turn on Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen, she needs to be humbled and degraded! Now she's the reason Otto's executed, Gwayne's killed and Helaena commits suicide, everything that happens to Team Green is solely her fault because she's a traitor.

They love Rhaenyra: Rhaenyra must be 100% perfect, to suggest otherwise is blasphemy! Forget about morally grey, they can't even make her off-white because she has to be pure with no real flaws. Episode 8 was all about Alicent being humbled and the writers reminding the audience why Rhaenyra is 100x better than her awful stepmother as both a mother and a Queen.

You breakdown perfectly. 💯

What better way to break team green as valid choice than break the head of it?

If the show wasn't bias as claim to be they would make Alicent the one that pushes and plan things with Aegon like the books hint at. Even Aemond betrayal is more forgivable when you put into context the parallels between him and Daemon.

But Alicent? She is the front figure they use to promote tg and then destroying her breakdown all the base for tg. Humiliating her, means humiliate team green. Making her betray her own faction and saying nothing of this matter, makes any team green claim invalid.

Now there is only one claim that is some what valid, and a bunch other people with their own agendas.

[ninjawitdaddyissues]

15 years of Dan & Phil - Major Arcana

It struck me that there has been 15 years since Dan and Phil met and my little goose brain connected that to the devil card number 15 (symbolised in dnpcrafts video) and so now you get a large post of me analysing year by year dnp in the major arcana.

DISCLAIMER: this is just for fun and because i am a silly jester who needed to feel joy while on video call with a friend. do not take any of this seriously, i am just a goofy guy with an internet connection and too much time.

The Fool - 0

we start at the fool, 2009.

"The Fool is young and vulnerable. He has not yet experienced the ups and downs of life, leaving him unaware of the magnitude of life's challenges, as well as the potential he holds. When The Fool comes up in a Tarot reading, you are encouraged to take on his open, willing energy and embrace all that lies ahead of you without worry."

The year dnp meet. The start of the journey. The fool is considered the main character of the Major arcana journey. Thus Dan and Phil are the main characters of this story, their story.

Both unaware of what the future holds for them, their life™ was only just at conception. I feel like this one is very self explanatory in context of them just having met, we as the audience are just introduced to the concept of Dan and Phil.

The fool energy (open, willing) is especially evident in videos like PINOF 1 and The Interactive Christmas Adventure where their silliness, and creativity really shine. This is an era of open, easy (almost naive) energy.

The Magician - 1

The year is 2010...

"The Magician card is a reminder that you are unique and have many gifts. These skills set you apart from the crowd and can help you begin new projects or overcome adversity. When The Magician comes up in your Tarot reading, it's a reminder that you already hold everything you need to move forward and accomplish what you've set out to do."

The year of Dan moving to Manchester and starting his Law Degree and Phil getting his flat in Manchester, PINOF2, Jamaica trip, and the conception of the forbidden video. We also have creative bangers such as "the inflatable lion of destiny", 'Blindfolded Catface Game', 'Dan and Phil get down' and 'The TREE'.

The boys are creating core parts of the Dan and Phil universe without knowing it. Together they have all the ingredients needed (see in the card imagery; the wand, cup, pentacle and sword) to create a fanbase and a successful career.

The High Priestess - 2

2011 baybeeeeee

"The most intuitive, connected card in the whole Tarot deck, The High Priestess is a card of awareness. This card urges you to listen to your inner voice and follow your instincts. Your mind knows far more than you think. When this card arises in your Tarot reading, stop looking for answers in the outside world. Turn within for the guidance you seek."

We have the Manchester apartment™, PINOF 3, the forbidden video leak and the first radio show. The relation to this, to me, really comes up in the forbidden video response. Having to turn inwards, the boys became insular, guarded and a wall was really put up between them and the audience to protect themselves. We can't speak to exactly what was happening for them internally and only make our assumptions based on what they outwardly expressed at the time.

The Empress - 3

2012

"The Empress is the most feminine card in the Tarot, and greatly encourages compassion, beauty, and love. She is deeply connected to Mother Nature, and her influence is powerful when you absorb the energy of the natural world around you."

"This supreme archetype of femininity also symbolizes fertility. It is The Empress who provides us nourishment and security. She is also sometimes seen as delighting us with flowers and fruit."

We have entered younow era. They also move to London this year, Dan officially drops out of uni, we get PINOF 4 and a second radio show. We also have the iconic tweet 'FYI i like vagina'. This year is known for being a difficult year in the Phandom. It has a reputation for 'no homo howell' and generally the boys being more reserved and insular with what and how they shared their lives.

In relation to The Empress card I think we can draw particularly on security. We know they had a stalking problem at the London apartment - a threat to their physical security, fans being hectic about their sexualities (particularly Dan) - a threat to their privacy. We also have Dan getting an influx of 'are you gay' on younow and having to reassert his ' straightness' lends itself to the femininity of this card. He had to play straight in order to keep himself safe. This card being for 2012 when we know they really withdrew from sharing themselves with us is quite the oxymoron but despite the withdrawing of their sharing with the audience we know they still had great success (got their flowers) in the coming years.

The Emperor - 4

2013

"The Emperor is a card of leadership and power. He is an authoritative force who has been through many experiences to achieve this status. He represents structure and solidity, and reminds you that you, too, hold immense amounts of power over your own life, and what happens to it."

THE BRITISH VLOGGER BOOM IS UPON US. The boys have gone through some shit™ at this point and are starting to establish themselves as Entertainers. They are on the grind, they are moving in the direction of establishing themselves as entertainers/presenters in the mainstream space marked by the beginning of the request radio show. Their Youtube numbers climb as does their power in the online world. As for them holding power over their own lives, I know Dan has mentioned not feeling in control of things like his audience at this point. But I think this card speaks to them really gaining control over their future career wise as a duo - even if they didn't fully see themselves as such yet.

We also have the Charlie Skies twitter fiasco this year - another threat to their privacy. Through this Dan in particular had to trust in the power he had over his own narrative in redirecting attention and deflecting Charlie's online attacks. He blocked him and protected his peace and as a result not a whole lot of the phandom knows about this beef. Dan and Phil are nothing if not good at diversion, distraction and hiding things from the internet (good for them).

The Hierophant - 5

2014

"The Hierophant is like a messenger from the heavens. He is experienced in spirituality and guidance, and his job is to bring these lessons down to us here in the real world. When The Hierophant comes up in your Tarot reading, you're encouraged to follow the rules, and to find a spiritual perspective on your current situation."

"Before him kneel two followers. The Hierophant’s task is to pass down his spiritual wisdom and initiate the two into the church so they can take up their appointed roles. This imagery speaks to a shared group identity and a rite of passage to enter the next level. The crossed keys at The Hierophant’s feet represent the balance between the conscious and subconscious minds and the unlocking of mysteries, which only he can teach."

This year brings us the first Brit awards hosting, the radio show transitioning to the Internet Takeover, Dan and Phil Games and the channels continuing to grow. This card in particular I think relates to them and their relation to the BBC. In this card they are the two people in front of the Hierophant, learning and having knowledge bestowed upon them. This was a year of developing their careers into a new phase of mainstream TV palatability. Dan and Phil are stepping into previously unchartered spaces for just a couple of guys on the internet.

The Lovers - 6

2015

"The Lovers card represents the close relationships in your life. If it comes up in your Tarot reading, your love life is in need of extra attention. However, this is just as much a card about your values and decisions. You may find The Lovers come up when you are at a crossroads. Consider all the possible consequences of your choices."

Significant events this year include; TABINOF, TATINOF, Dan and Phil crafts, Japhan part 1, Brit Awards hosting and the channels growing. Japhan happening this year with the lovers card showing up is very sweet. Dan and Phil knew they had big events coming up for them in their lives so they carved out space for them to enjoy existing together by going to Japan.

We also know that at this point Dan and Phil were looking to move on from the TV Host type of space they found themselves in with the BBC. A crossroads of where they wanted to take the world of Dan and Phil™ . That gave way to TABINOF and TAINOF, stepping into an unknown space of Youtubers doing stuff in the real world once again. Phil mentioned in his video, 'Draw my LIfe 2' that they really had to trust that this was the correct move for them. A crossroads where they had to consider the consequences when investing their money into TABINOF and TATNIOF.

The Chariot - 7

2016

"The Chariot card is connected to your natural drive and determination, and can indicate an upcoming victory. This card reminds you that your greatest successes won't come through limited thinking -- when you combine the knowledge of your mind with that of your heart and spirit, you are an unstoppable force."

This year brought alot of reaping on benefits of putting trust in the crossroads that the Lovers card presented. We see the end of the Internet Takeover, the final Brit Awards hosting and the end of the TATINOF era. They combined their mind, heart and spirit and came out successful, winning 4 awards this year and having the huge success of TATINOF. They didn't allow themselves to be limited (by the BBC) and they succeeded. So, if they could achieve a world tour and a best selling book on their own... well what could come next??

Strength - 8

2017

"The Strength card represents courage, the fortitude of your heart, and your ability to withstand anything life hands you. If this card arises in your Tarot reading, you are reminded that you're strong enough to handle whatever you are facing and will come out of it with even more power than you had before."

This year, the boys move to their new London apartment (the fake apartment), Interactive Introverts is announced, Dan goes curly and the end of danisnotonfire branding.

We know from the video 'Dan and Phil Finally Tell the Truth' that Dan had begun to realise he couldn't stay in the closet any longer, which led to his mini breakdown on the balcony. He stated that he was worried if they went on tour with introverts he was going to have a very public meltdown. We also got the video 'Daniel and Depression'. Between the two of these things we can see how the strength card really came into play this year.

Phil has also talked about how they didn't know how they were going to get everything done this year. With Introverts tour looming, they were inundated with work and they really had to grin and bare through it. They had to trust their strength as a duo that they would come through this time together.

The Hermit - 9

2018

"The Hermit yearns to be alone. He knows that the only way to process what is happening in life is to withdraw from the noise of the world and create a quiet space of solitude. When The Hermit comes up in your reading, the answers you need will come from within. Be very still, and listen..."

This year is the year of the Interactive Introverts tour, the final PINOF, the gaming channel hiatus and Dan's video 'trying to live my truth'. The Hermit coming up in a year of them going into hiatus, is just very nail on the god damn head. I mean what card could be more relevant? It seems so self explanatory, I don't even know what to say.

The boys had to turn inward once again to assess where to go next in their careers. They talk about pausing to take stock of what they have done and where they will go.

Dan took a huuuuuge step back to go inwards and process everything he had been holding in and pushing through in the previous years as they were so busy with their career building. This was a year where they gave themselves permission to slow down and finally look inward for where to go next. This introversion beginning is seen at the start of 2018 in Dan's 'Trying to Live My Truth' video.

We also have Phil with his dizzy spells during this year meaning there was less amazingphil content. This could also be seen as an introversion. He had to slow down his public career of take care of himself and focus on his health.

The Wheel of Fortune - 10

2019

"The Wheel of Fortune is constantly revolving -- sometimes you will be at the top, and sometimes you will be at the bottom. This Tarot card reminds you that nothing is permanent, and, good or bad, you must cherish the lessons that this moment is bringing you."

"Good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point"

Bare with me while I desperately try to refrain from top and bottom jokes due to the concision of the wheel of fortune card and dnp coming out in the same year. But truly this card represents a turning point and a destiny fulfilment. If BIG and COTY are not a destiny fulfilment and turning point then I don't know what is! The boys are living their truth, they are moving into a new era.

Justice - 11

2020

"Justice is your firm-but-fair reminder that there is a consequence for every action. Whatever life is handing you at this moment comes from decisions you and others have made in the past, reflecting natural cause-and-effect. When this card comes up in your Tarot reading, make sure you are acting fairly in all your interactions with others."

Libra card!!!! This year we have covid hitting, a quiet year for content all round. We have the stereo shows starting up at the end of the year along with the phouse announcement. This year also featured Steve the pigeon (pigeon fest/rescuing a pigeon video).

When we look at cause and effect, the phouse is what comes to mind. They worked themselves so hard in the years previous and they were able to buy and design their forever home. The cause and effect of them coming out is also seen in their ability to be open with the audience that they are continuing to not only live together but purchase and build property together. If they had not come out, things like buying a house together would've raised so many more questions and possibly caused more issues for them and their privacy (fan speculation). This new era really hinged on them coming out and setting themselves up as an ambiguous couple. In this case the cause and effect really benefitted them.

The Hanged Man - 12

2021

"The Hanged Man tells you that sometimes small sacrifices are required to benefit the bigger picture. When The Hanged Man arises in your reading, you likely want to make a move but don't know where to begin. Lightening your grip on what's no longer working for you, or detaching from the outcome of your situation, can help you release yourself."

This year gives us the first joint video since 2018 in the form of 'something we want to tell you'. This marks Dan's return to being perceived online. Subsequently we have the book release in May, YWGTTN, and they move into the somewhat uncompleted phouse.

We get many iconic videos this year showing a shift in their on camera dynamic - a loosening grip on the wall they built up with the audience during the early years. They let us in on alot more of those moments that drive us absolutely insane, the smiles were off the charts and we started eating good again. They have begun trusting the audience with more of their authentic selves and silly dynamic. In Phil's recent video where he looks at old profile pics, he talks fondly about the silly icon pic from him and Dan during lockdown.

I think the sentiment of no longer caring what people think is really echoed in this years content. The boys are self assured and care less about what people have to say because they are successful and have nothing to hide.

The hanged man is shown in this loosening grip on hiding parts of themselves and allowing themselves to trust the audience more knowing that whatever the outcome they have each other and that in enough.

Death - 13

2022

"One of the most misunderstood Tarot cards, Death is not a card about physical death. The Death card speaks of cycles and is a reminder that all things must pass. Hanging on to situations from the past will hinder you from allowing new, better things to enter your life. In every ending lies a chance for a new beginning."

wad year/DD/wiqy

What can I say. Death card for WAD year? It just makes sense. A year where Dan and Phil spent the most time apart since they met in 2009, taking a break from the cycle of their everyday life.

We also got Dan's WIQY video, again reflecting on the last few years and essentially announcing his burn out. Giving up on being Youtube's 'golden boy' by speaking his mind about how he was effected by circumstances beyond his control.

Then we have WAD. The show being reflective of his past and the future for the earth. This year truly felt like a rebirth for Dan specifically. He was back on the internet, Dystopia Daily, being able to openly make gay jokes. He went back out into the world and found meaning in existence again. And once that meaning was obtained, he went back to Phil. A new beginning in how they both show up online, unapologetically themselves.

Temperance - 14

2023

"The Temperance card is a master of moderation. She encourages peace and patience, and reminds you to go with the flow of your life instead of trying to force its pace or direction. When Temperance turns up in your Tarot reading, it is a message to take things as they come, and remain flexible enough to change with the changes."

2023 brought us more DD, end of WAD, The 3rd Japhan trip, the Phude, and the return of the gaming channel.

This is a year of things slowly going back to routine for DnP. Dan comes back from tour, they go on holiday to Japan. Up until the gaming channel coming off hiatus 2023 was seemingly a chill flux and flow for dnp. The flow (this is a water heavy card) of their life returned to normal.

While DnP certainly didn't make this comeback with moderation (leaping straight into spooky week and then gamingmas as well as merch drops) they wouldn't have come back without a serious plan to keep their workaholic tendency's in check.

The Devil - 15

2024

"The Devil card carries themes of restraint and powerlessness. When it comes up in your Tarot reading, you are likely feeling stuck. The Devil has convinced you that you have no options, but this couldn't be further from the truth. You hold the keys to your own freedom, but it's up to you to open the lock."

So we all know the crafty video from this year has direct symbolism to the devil card. There have been many great analyses between the two so I won't go into that as much here. But what I will say is that I see this card for this year as an unshackling of themselves. We see them far more open and willing to trust the audience to be in on the joke rather than and us vs. them situation of the 2012 era. So rather than them feeling stuck I believe this symbolises them no longer being stuck and stepping into their most honest selves while still maintaining their boundaries.

That concludes my wee dive into dnp lore and how it relates to the major arcana. I am not someone with a huge amount of knowledge on tarot (just a wee bit from my own experience of doing a card read every so often but certainly not someone who has ever studied tarot), so if you are big on tarot absolutely chime in and add to this!! I am also so sure I missed dnp lore but hey I did what I could! Also big ty to @boardgamedanny for being on video call with me for 2 days in a row to suggest things and pipe in and also distract me horrendously. Also biiig thanku to my friend, Peter, who isn't on here but sparked this whole thing, with their tarot knowledge and my dnp brain encyclopedia.

now sources!!

[darling-i-read-it]

A Slytherin's Gryffindor

George Weasley x fem!Slytherin!reader

Word Count: 3.9k

Warnings: Draco being an asshole (he breaks up with the reader, makes crude/cruel jokes at George and her), physical violence, slight insinuations to smut 

Author’s Note: HELLOO

If you remember this story you probably read Horrid Ex Boyfriends which I wrote in 2020 but I feel like I’ve grown a lot since then and wanted to take my hand at rewriting some old fics. I loved this one much more in its current form <;3 

The original request: by anon, Hello love, your pinned post made me all fluffy inside: I’ve dreamed of this story for so long!! Could you do a Draco Malfoy’s Slytherin ex-girlfriend hating the Weasley twins but amidst the break up, finds herself drawn to George and falling for him? Just so you know, I even read the stories about fanbase I do not know because your writing is A+ !!! ❤️

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director 

(not my gif)

Draco gave you a look you didn’t recognize. You knew his face by now. You knew his expressions better. Dating the Slytherin heir came with its perks but it also came with its downsides, like having to know exactly what he was feeling for the sake of yourself and everyone around you. 

But this look seemed unfamiliar. You sat together at the table in the Great Hall, across from Goyle and Crabbe. You didn’t particularly like either boy but you tolerated them for the sake of Draco. 

“What’s wrong?” you asked, gently, trying to coax out some sort of emotion. His face wiped of any disdain. 

“Nothing,” he snapped. You widened your eyes. 

“Alright.” You cleared your throat, putting down your fork. “Do you want me to meet you after the Quidditch game tonight?” 

“Don’t bother,” he said. “I have things to do.” 

“Oh? What kind of things?” you asked, defensively. 

“Nothing that concerns you.” 

“What is your problem Malfoy?” There was a loud bout of laughter coming from the Gryffindor table. Your eyes followed the noise, landing on the familiar group of redheads. George Weasley’s head was resting on the table. He was shaking from laughter. You found yourself longing to know what they were laughing at. They always seemed to be having more fun than you were. 

“Damn Weasley’s think they’re the only people in the world,” Draco grumbled. “Don’t they know we can all hear them?” 

“You didn’t answer my question,” you pointed out. 

“We’ll talk later,” he promised, voice sneering. He reminded you of his father then. You had the displeasure of meeting Lucius on multiple occasions and the more you watched Draco grow the more he became like him. Was that his goal all along? Did he strive to be the heir his father wanted him to be? Or did he want to be his own person, more like his mother? 

You got up from the table and grabbed your bag. If you could sit with the Gryffindors you would, if only to annoy your boyfriend. You left the Great Hall and Draco didn’t even bother to watch you go. 

George did, only because you caught his eye. Dinner wasn’t even halfway over. You had a determined look on your face that intrigued him. No matter how much your boyfriend attempted to put the Weasley’s down, you never were able to join him. You usually stood, a bystander, which implicated you only in your silence. 

George stood abruptly. 

“Where are you going?” Fred questioned, still laughing about the tail end of some other joke. 

“I’ll be right back,” he promised, the light hearted smile never leaving his face. He rushed to the doors, suddenly eager to follow you. 

The silence outside of the Great Hall was sometimes deafening. It always surprised you when the loud voices became muffled. You never felt more alone than when you were no longer part of Hogwarts student body. You were just a girl inside a large school, far too large for her own good. 

It was easy to hear that someone had followed you. The door opened, creaking, and the voices were loud once more for just a moment. You leaned between some pillars, against a stained glass window. You should get your books for your next class. Forget Draco entirely, focus on the schoolwork you knew you had to get done. 

You expected Draco to round the corner, a forgiving look on his face, knowing that you would mend things with him again. You were startled to see a gentle look and some red hair. You squinted, confused. 

“Miss Slytherin, what on Earth are you doing out here?” he questioned. He crossed his arms. He wasn’t here for some other reason, he had followed you. You glanced behind him, attempting to find Fred. Surely they were here to tease you mercilessly, just as Draco would’ve done to them. 

“Where’s your better half?” you asked, bitterly. He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. 

“He’s still eating, just as we both should be.” 

“Who’s stopping you from going back?” 

“A very solemn look on a very not solemn girl.” You hardened your face defensively. You looked down at your shoes, hoping not to reveal anything else to him. 

“I’m fine. Just getting some air, Weasley, don’t worry about me.” 

“I’m not worried. I’m curious. There’s a large difference.” You found yourself grateful for his care. Draco should’ve been the one to follow you but he never would've been inquisitive on your feelings. He would’ve told you his, begged you to forgive him, promise it would never happen again. 

“I’m fine,” you repeated but it sounded less true this time than it had the first time. 

“I can sniff out liars. It’s a skill I have, courtesy of Ron being best friends with the boy who lived and such.” You eyed him, guarded. “Alright, well you can’t say I didn’t try.” 

He started to back away. 

“It’s Draco. Though I suppose that gives you satisfaction doesn’t it?” 

“I can’t lie, it absolutely does.” He smiled slyly. “But you don’t deserve whatever that twat has dished out.” You looked back down at your shoes. 

“Thank you Weasley,” you said, quietly, like saying it any louder would mean you’d have to confront the situation. 

“Do you know which Weasley I am?” he questioned, hands in his pockets, a familiar trickster look on his face. 

“George,” you said, without missing a beat. “I’m not stupid.” The smile he gave you was genuine. It felt like he had handed you a small promise, a gentle secret. 

The doors to the Great Hall opened. Draco emerged, showing almost no reaction to you and George speaking. Almost. You knew his face and you knew the twitch in his lips and the anger boiling within his eyes. 

“Get lost Weasley,” he said, enunciating clearly. 

“Come to beg for forgiveness Malfoy?” George questioned. 

“I don’t need to tell you twice,” Draco promised, walking between the two of you. George put his hands up in surrender. 

“Not my circus, not my monkeys,” he joked. He sauntered away, throwing you a wink that only you caught. You tried not to smile. It wasn’t until he had returned to the Great Hall that Draco spoke. 

“We need to break up,” he said, clearly. The smile on your face fell into despair. What had you done to warrant this? The question seemed to be painted all over your face because he answered without you saying anything verbally. “We don’t work anymore. It’s nothing you’ve done.” 

Your face twisted. 

“Clearly it is.”

“It’s not. There’s no need to be emotional about this, we both knew it was coming.” You wished you could disagree with him. But you could tell he was distancing himself for this moment. You just thought you could play this game a little bit longer. 

“Alright,” you breathed. “Fine.” 

Draco showed nothing on his face other than awkwardness. He shoved his hands into his pockets. How long had he been wanting to do this? You crossed your arms and turned away, walking farther away from the Hall and back to the dorms. You weren’t going to class this morning. 

“You aren’t going to fight?” he questioned, annoyed.

“Why would I? Clearly you’ve given this a lot of thought. We’re better off without each other.” His jaw set. He wanted a spat. He wanted a fight. Draco and you did nothing better than fight. You two could fight like no one else, screaming, throwing things, kissing and making it all better. 

You wanted to fight him. You knew how it would end. But you also knew you were better off without it this time. 

“Fine,” he said. You were still walking away. Draco had been part of your identity here at Hogwarts. It would be an adjustment without him. 

“Fine,” you repeated and rushed away, turning a corner so you could allow your emotions to flow. 

-

The next morning you made it halfway to your potions class before giving up. Sitting in the hallway and fake studying seemed so much more appealing than sitting in a classroom with Snape and Draco. You had no energy to make your way to the common rooms or a library so you sat on the steps beside a window, a book in your lap that you weren’t reading. 

You could hear footsteps making their way towards you and you quickly searched for some sort of excuse to be on stairs instead of in class. You were pleasantly surprised to not find a teacher when the footsteps emerged. Fred and George Weasley gave you curious looks. 

“Oi! What are you doing over here?” Fred asked. He seemed a little annoyed that they had run into you. You couldn’t blame him. Draco was cruel to the Weasley family and you couldn’t say that you were any better. You at least, never stopped it. 

“Just ignoring potions,” you said truthfully. You wiped your eyes, just in case any stray tears from your small homework crying session had lingered. 

“What’s wrong?” George asked.  He seemed genuine but you didn’t want to give him the immediate satisfaction that Draco had broken up with you.

“I want to apologize. For being so rude to the two of you, it isn’t something I pride myself on,” you said changing the subject. It had been itching at you since yesterday and you were happy to finally get it out. 

“It’s alright,” George started.

“We rarely think such things personal,” Fred finished.

“I would personally blame the most of it on that horrid boyfriend of yours,” George said. You locked eyes with George. The sympathy on his face led you to believe he knew. He hadn’t been told. He had guessed. 

“Well I suppose you won’t have to worry about him influencing me any longer,” you promised, voice hard. You attempted to ignore the emotions that came with speaking it out loud. He wasn’t worth the tears, you tried to tell yourself. 

“He finally did himself in,” George observed. 

“After I spoke with you yesterday,” you explained. 

“Good to be rid of him then,” Fred said.

“You always did deserve better.” 

“Truly so.” 

All three of you heard footsteps coming down the hallway at the same time. A panicked look came across your face but they remained entirely calm. George grabbed the book off your lap and helped you up. You gazed at him, confused, as he led you to a hallway that hadn’t seemed to be there before. You gasped, looking around, somehow within the walls of Hogwarts. 

“How did you know this was here?” you questioned in awe. 

“Lucky guess,” George promised, hand still holding your arm. It was a tighter space than you had been in before. You heard whoever was walking go past. You remained where you were, looking up at him with curious eyes. 

“This wasn’t a guess. What do you two know?” 

“More than you,” Fred assured. You scoffed, though the laughter was pleasant. You moved away from George, leaning against the wall. 

“You Gryffindors act like Slytherins are the sneaky ones,” you mused. 

“To be fair, a Slytherin created the Chamber of Secrets didn’t he?” You shrugged at the observation. 

“Alright Weasley’s let me out of the walls.” 

- 

It was unexpected, just how drawn you felt to the twins. Especially George. You had never bothered to give them the time of day when you were with Draco. George was easy going when you needed emotional attention. They were light hearted and funny. You needed light hearted and funny. 

The Hogsmeade trip was the highlight of everyone’s month. Getting to leave the school was exciting, even if your school was a literal castle. You had always gone with Draco, even before the two of you dated. Still you forced yourself to get ready, bundle up into a scarf and hat, promising yourself a good time. 

“Hey!” You turned to find George, a smile plastered on his face. He was cozied up for the cold as well, though he was without the twin that usually trailed behind him. 

“Well if it isn’t my favorite Gryfindor,” you mused. “Where’s Fred?” 

“Fred had to stay behind and make up a test for Snape. I offered to help him cheat but he’s already on the terribly bad side of that teacher and decided to fend for himself,” George explained. 

“Well better that than to end up having detention for the next month.” 

“Would you care to be my companion on this trip?” he asked, bowing dramatically and offering a hand. You laughed gently, shivering. It was starting to snow. You took his hand. 

“My red knight,” you teased. He threw his arm around you. You tried not to lean into him, or feel anything at all. You had just broken up with Draco. 

Well, Draco had just broken up with you. 

“Honeydukes?” he asked. 

“I thought you’d never ask.” 

-

You stopped in for some butter beer and walked around until you were too cold to be outside. By the time you entered Honeydukes you were full and George had a butterbeer foam mustache. You pointed at it, shivering from the new warmth of the shop. 

“I’ve been trying to grow one,” he admitted, not wiping it away. 

“It is a good look,” you admitted, laughing. 

“You think so? Perhaps I could draw one on with some make-up pencils.”

“They’ve got to have some fake mustaches around here somewhere.” George gravitated towards the candles which had some prank ones mixed within them. 

“Which should I bring back to Fred?” he questioned. “I was sorry he had to miss today.” 

“One of those,” you said, pointing at the ones that explode when you light them. “He’d love that.” 

“You’re absolutely right Miss Slytherin. I’m glad you’ve got to come along with me.” 

“Me too,” you said earnestly. You couldn’t remember the last time you had so much fun at Hogsmeade. Your smile lingered more now. George could almost swear you were glowing. It made him want to take you aside, keep you to himself. He refrained and offered you a candle to smell. You leaned in, a serene look going over your face as you breathed in. You made a twisted face. 

“What is that one?” “Firewood.”

“That’s an awful candle!” 

You were laughing when Draco saw you. It was odd, going to Hogsmeade without you. He found himself unable to figure out what he wanted to do. Usually you dragged him around the shops and he ended up buying something you didn’t need. 

Seeing you so happy made his stomach churn. With a Weasley no less. He had thought you would still be heartbroken. He would be lying if he still wasn’t a tad torn up himself.  But you looked immensely unaffected by the lack of him around. 

You looked happier. 

“Goyle, go see what they’re getting,” Draco spat. His friend nodded, eyeing him suspiciously before slinking through the crowd of people. 

“Smell this one,” you said, offering another disgusting one. “You should get this one for Fred, if you’re going to get him the chocolate frog like a good brother. It’s only…” you trailed off, feeling Draco’s gaze. You caught his eye. At the same time George saw Goyle, coming to do Malfoy’s dirty work. 

“Oh bloody hell,” George muttered. He gave you the things he was holding and turned to Goyle who looked like a deer caught in headlights. George grabbed him by the scarf, dragging him over to Draco. 

Draco had never noticed how tall George Weasley was. 

“Made your minion come and do your dirty work, did you?” George questioned. You rushed forward, leaving your things on the table where you were at. 

“What’s your end goal here Weasley? Have you gotten into her pants yet?” Draco questioned, voice like venom. George shoved Goyle at Draco, almost causing both of them to fall over. 

“Listen here Malfoy-” 

“George he isn’t worth it,” you promised, grabbing his shoulder.

“Oh no, let him speak.” Draco stepped up, sizing up the twin. “What, did she call my name instead of yours?” There was nothing you could have done to stop George. He was already throwing the punch before you could even register Draco’s words. 

Draco staggered, hand up to his nose. 

“Watch your tongue Malfoy,” George seethed. You had never seen him so worked up before. You weren’t even sure he knew how to get angry, let alone through a punch as good as that one. Draco’s nose was bleeding, dripping down his chin. Goyle turned to his friend, eyes wide in shock. Hexes were one thing. An actual assault was something completely different. 

“George come on,” you hissed, pulling him away. This time George listened, allowing you to drag him out of the shop. You didn’t speak until you had left the scene completely, landing on one of the hills just outside of Hogsmead. The snow had piled up. You could see the footsteps you took here.

George had calmed down, the red almost completely gone from his face. 

“God George,” you hissed, grabbing his wrist. You looked at his knuckles, now slightly bruised from the impact on Draco’s face. 

“I don’t regret it,” he promised. His general joy was back. 

“Why are you being so nice to me? After all Draco and I put you through, I didn’t deserve that,” you questioned. 

“Fred and I agree, it was always more Malfoy than you.” He paused, gazing down at you. “And I always did think you deserved better than him.” His voice was quieter now. 

“Like who?” you asked before you could even process his words. “You?” You meant for it to come out like a joke but your tone was too soft to have it be read as one. There was a moment of silence. You smiled at his stunned face. You had caught him off guard and he wasn’t sure how to answer. 

“Well yes. I suppose,” George said finally. You smiled. You could feel the cold on your face, making your movement slower than usual but the joy was there either way. 

“Good then.” 

“Good?” he asked. You were still holding his wrist, so close to his hand. 

“We’re in agreement.” He scoffed.

“Agreement then.” 

“Yes. Agreement.” 

“Love, I’m going to kiss you now.” The words sent shivers down your spine. 

“Alright,” you breathed. His lips were warmer than yours. He didn’t allow you to get away with just a peck. He said he would kiss you and he meant it. You were smiling against the kiss, too stunned to do much else than kiss him back. 

When you pulled away you noticed one of his hands were on your side and he had started to hold the one that was once holding his wrist. You could see your breath in the cold but you could see him more clearly. 

“Let’s go back to the school and get a bandage for your hand,” you said quietly. He nodded, keeping your hands intertwined. 

“Just a moment.” He took off his scarf, the red and gold one that signified his house colors. He took off yours, the Slytherin green and black. He wrapped his own scarf around your neck and you watched him with wonderstruck eyes. The scarf smelled like him. It was warm with his body heat. He lazily put yours over his neck. “Alright we can go now.” 

-

Fred was in the Gryffindor common room when you got back. The school was empty, sans the portraits, ghosts and a few stragglers. Everyone was still going about enjoying their day outside of the grounds. 

“What did you bring me?” Fred questioned, standing up from the couch beside the fire. You had started to shed your layers, taking off your gloves and hat. “You have a severe case of hat hair Slytherin,” he noted. 

“George punched Draco in the face,” you explained brightly. 

“Good for him.” He patted George on the back. “He had it coming.” 

“So we had to run away,” you explained. “Hence, the empty hands.” Fred rolled his eyes. 

“You could have stolen something but alas.” George gave his twin a gaze that caused Fred to pause. There was a beat of silence. “I think I left something in the dorms...” he said, slowly, eyes squinted. 

“Yes that sounds right.” 

Fred backed away, a cheeky smile on his face. 

“Faster Fred,” you said, smiling. You couldn’t remember the last time you had smiled this much. He took the hint and scurried up the stairs. George sat in front of the fire. You looked around for some bandages, finding a familiar box of supplies that you had in the Slytherin common room. You sat beside him, helping him take off his large jacket. 

“You can help take off the rest of my clothing if you would like Slytherin.” You flushed, unable to meet his eyes. 

“I’d like to wrap up your hand first.” 

“First implies a second thing,” he mused. 

“Yes, yes it does.” You finally looked up at his face. He was gazing at you with a look Draco had never even understood. George’s eyes had softened, the lines on the side of his face turned downward. His lips were parted expectantly. “Thank you for today,” you whispered. 

“I’d like to do it again, if you’re up for it.” 

“Punching Draco or kissing me?” 

“Honestly I wouldn’t mind doing both again. But I was talking about the kissing thing.” You giggled. You actually giggled. 

“I already promised that. Don’t be so eager George.”

“I will be as eager as I want to.” 

You gently joked at each other as you wrapped up his knuckles, getting warmer by the fire. He played with his scarf around your neck. He distracted you by trailing his fingers across your jaw. He promised to memorize your face. 

You promised to memorize his.

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[mexicangela]

okay. so. about tedbecca.

this is long and i apologize i just have thoughts. first, the fakeout in the beginning was cruel. BUT i was willing to forgive because tbh it was kinda funny and i’m not convinced that the “morning after” tension between ted and rebecca didn’t make everyone, everyone, think for just a second that they had slept together. y’know, like, if there was never any chemistry there, why the fakeout to get tedbeccas excited/cut them down and antis worried? did the reason for ted, beard, and jane being there really make a ton of sense? no. therefore, it really does feel like it was just something they wrote in to be mean and, like. come on, guys. why be mean? second, their talk in the stands??? you gotta be fucking kidding me. rebecca welton poured her fucking soul out to ted and he didn’t have a thing to say about it other than that “i’ve already made my decision” bullshit? didn’t even offer her a hand or hug of comfort? how out of character was that? he seemed so stoic through the whole episode, like he was stunted. which, maybe has to do with his being sad about leaving but still it threw me off. jesus, talk about “subverting expectations” or whatever. also, the things rebecca was saying? “you go, i go”? the ultimatum of “either we both stay or we both leave” and then her saying they’d both go only to take it back in the end? be so fucking for real right now. the offer to pay him insane amounts of money then telling him there was really no kind of monetary compensation that could represent how much he meant to the club (and her), the proposed solution to bring his child and his child’s mother over to london for him to stay (it is one thing to offer to get henry over, but to extend the offer to michelle is something else)? those aren’t things regular old friends say/do for each other, i’m sorry. listen, i love my friends but that’s a lot to offer anyone. you really have to love someone to be willing to do all that and cry real tears while begging them to stay, to choose you, to choose the home you’ve made for yourself. third, the airport scene gutted me but AGAIN i was kind of at peace with it. it would have at least left it super open ended and allowed the fanbase to imagine what could have happened afterward, y’know. like the whole “rom-com leave-cute” thing was another mean thing to do because where was the rom or the com about that?? why do that? but like i said, i would have been at peace with it because, dear god, the way rebecca was looking at him (again, ted gave us almost nothing but whatever. not even a tear? ugh.). i mean, she was looking at him like she wanted to say “stay. choose me. choose your own happiness.” also i know she’s loaded but WHO BUYS A FIRST CLASS TICKET JUST TO GET PAST SECURITY ONLY TO SAY GOODBYE TO A GOOD PAL? doesn’t make sense to my little pea brain!!! sudeikis, make it make sense (unfortunately for me and everyone around me i still love him)! there really should have been an “i love you” and not even necessarily in a romantic way. these two are supposed to be soulmates, cosmically connected, there’s not supposed to be one without the other and all we got was…”thank you” and a head nod? like, yes, thank you. thank you for showing me warmth and kindness and grace. thank you for reminding me what my strength looks like. thank you for being there for me. yes, yes, yes, thank you! but an “i love you” really would have been wonderful and i’m actually sad they didn’t get to hear it from each other. fourth, the way nameless boat dude came back in like a fucking generic ass early disney prince was just lame. i thought it was lazy. here we have a rebecca who is devastated that this weird, funny, kindhearted american football coach who shoved himself into her life and her heart has just left to go back to kansas and this little dutch girl trips and suddenly rebecca’s found happiness? it’s frustrating. really, it is. like i’m happy rebecca has a shot at happiness and a family, but she just as well could have had it with ted, who is admittedly very similar to this dutch man. i don’t get it. this is where it well and truly lost me. fifth (this one’s a three parter, sorry), where’s ted’s happy ending? because i don’t think it’s a life of volunteering to coach children’s soccer. i know people have been implying/worrying that ted and michelle reconcile but i don’t see that happening. ted, at his core, is still the man michelle left. he’s still overly optimistic (although we didn’t see that in the finale, like what?), he’s still punny, and let’s be real, he’s still a mess. i didn’t see the resolution to his arc. in fact, returning to kansas feels like a regression. he literally ran from kansas. that’s the whole reason he went to richmond in the first place. what changed? why is he going back now? for henry, yes, of course, that’s understandable. and at the same time, within the show we’ve been shown that the bond of a father and child is not always enough to get dad to stay/be a good and decent father (i.e. ted’s father, i.e. james tartt sr., i.e. rebecca’s father). this isn’t, of course, true for ted and henry, but i think it’s a point to make concerning everyone saying things about the child-parent bond being end-all, be-all. for some people, that’s true. for others, it isn’t. it isn’t a jab at anyone or the parent-child relationship in general, it’s just the truth. this is a coin that has two sides, y’know. got off course there but anyway, henry also could have gone to london, which i think might have been the best thing for him anyway, he seemed to have a good time there and he would have had a whole band of new brothers with all the himbos. michelle isn’t a bad mother by any means, but she’s got her own shit to work through if the whole doctor jacob thing was anything to go by. i also don’t think the show did all that great of a job showing us that henry had this super deep connection with his dad, but maybe that was just me lol. regardless, i still understood the bond and its importance and of course ted wanted to be there for his child. that part does make sense. the way it was gone about felt like a disservice though. ted’s expression at the end there doesn’t scream happy. he looked rather sad to me, like something was weighing on him still. and i’m sure there was. i don’t think he’s at peace with himself yet, or happy. maybe he’ll get happy in kansas. i hope he does. but getting to see rebecca’s “happily ever after” and not ted’s hurt my heart. guess i was hoping they would actually subvert the expectations and have him stay in the home he’d made for himself instead of going back to the place where he lost so much. why did he have to give up his found family and the job he loved (and was still actively learning about!! offsides!!) and the best friend he made and the support system he found (which, no matter your age or your progress, you always need a support system) and the community that had come to love him andandand- all ted did was sacrifice to make other people happy and better and this feels like another sacrifice because his mom guilt tripped him by saying something he already fucking knew (sorry i’m not a fan of dottie). i just don’t get it. how is his happy ending going back to the root of all his problems and staying there? just sucks, really, even if it was always the obvious outcome. sixth, i’m just mad all the signs lead to nowhere. the matchboxes, the army man, the bantr fakeout (will never, ever be over this one), the hotel room fakeout where they cut from rebecca to ted in the room and then he opens the door and it’s sassy, the romcommunism, the soulmatism. it wasn’t all for nothing, of course. their friendship is so important and i love it, but this ending felt like a big fuck you to it too because ted was so…distant. it almost felt like he didn’t care that much that he was leaving rebecca and it makes me super upset. all of this is based on the one-time watch from last night but tbh i don’t know if i can handle watching the episode again right now. it really did hurt, especially the way rebecca looked at him at the airport. tbh nothing can convince me she wasn’t at least a little bit in love with him. and, yes, i know. henry is ted’s everything and that’s so admirable and it’s not all about romance, and it’s not. but just let me believe what i want to believe. let me find the joys in the media i consume and if it’s the hope that two attractive, single, middle aged leads could have gotten with each other in the end and figured out how to be happy together, then so be it. i just hate seeing the hate from all sides, honestly, and a lot of people are legitimately really mean about it when this show is all about being kind. ted lasso is a beautiful series and, at the end of the day, it’s just another piece of media that the audience is free to interpret and pick apart however they want to. me, personally? i will continue to live in my delusional little world where ted and rebecca figure out that they belong together/i will pretend the last 10 minutes of the finale didn’t happen. thanks for coming to my tedtalk.

[keischreiber]

A reminder that Reiner's main goal to be a hero was not to save the world necessarily, but to be accepted by his parents. It's just... if saving the world is what it took to be accepted, he'll gladly undertake hell or high water just to be the hero that he felt would grant him the love, acknowledgement, and acceptance of the people meant everything to him.

So, you know, as I rewatch his scene with Eren during the start of W. Tybur's speech, I can't help but think about this. And how this could have added why he mentioned that he was a bad person. That it wasn't about the environment he grew up in... but that he was just a bad person. Because, if I factor in his desire, I can feel that at the back of his mind... his own selfishness was the reason why they are where they are now. Why so many was killed, why so many innocent people had to die.

It's not just about being brainwashed.

Because remember, he tell Eren that he just wanted to be a hero, he wanted to be respected. Which is true. And while he didn't say it out loud, making it seem like he wanted to be seen as a hero and respected by the majority, he does want the to be a hero to earn the respect of his mother.

Who never once (at this point at least because it was never shown, and based from her personality, probably never did) told him that she was proud of him for any reason. For coming back, for winning the war, for surviving, etc. The most that Reiner probably had in terms of acknowledgment from Karina would be two things: Him becoming a warrior candidate, and him being chosen as a Warrior.

When I think about how Reiner would have felt during his first meeting with his mom after being extracted from Paradis, I feel like crying. (My tears are very shallow for this man. He gets hurt in any way, I cry.) Because if you look at how he was acting when he told Karina he no longer has the Armored Titan... he looked so scared, even apprehensive about telling her, looked so expectant of rejection, looked so expectant of his mom's disappointment... that he couldn't even look her in the eye. This literally screamed to me that during the time he returned to Marley, his mother could have given him a look of disappointment or a lecture on how they had achieved nothing in those six years, threw him a bit of slack because they at least managed to bring back the Jaw. How horrified she must have looked when Reiner mentions that he might be stripped of the Armor. And despite how, she would not lash out at him, she would give him a look that reflects disappointment.

I still remember that scene where they come back from Liberio and Reiner's looking on at how happy his uncle and auntie were when Gabi came home safe, expressed how proud of her they were.

I feel like... during his entire stay in Marley after the extraction from Paradis, he has never been hugged by his mother.

Which is why, as much as majority of the fanbase dislike Karina (god, even TV Tropes had nothing good to say about her), I'm glad she made it out alive. Because it's her acceptance that truly cements Reiner's happiness. It's the one goal he worked so hard to achieve. IF she had died, Reiner will eventually learn to be happy, but there's always going to be a gap there that no one would ever be able to fill.

[redrandomposts]

Hello I’m the anon from the abo Ivan dies timeline ask u just responded to (btw I see everyone is like picking emojis so can I be 🖤?)

my first idea is that post death they eventually get approached to do a documentary about his life and death (maybe go like increase awareness about the complications that killed him so more people can be safe) and all of Ivan’s loved ones get interviewed- and I just, I wonder what they would say !! What words would they put to him?? And how does Till sum up all his mixed feelings into one interview

also I was thinking about the kids and since no one saw it coming Ivan definitely didn’t update his will- so Till can be extra confused as to why everything went to him instead of some one else. Since he doesn’t know the kids are his yet- he can’t comprehend why he would get all this (all this stuff that normally goes to a mate) I also have a lot of thoughts about single dad till raising two kids all by himself and being floored by how similar they are to Ivan. I do think both kids would look more like till in my head because that means till will never have the solace of seeing those features he loved so much look back at him again

The features that made Ivan - Ivan are gone, Till seethes as he thinks that the kids must look exactly like their father-no their sure because whoever abandoned Ivan had no right to that word-because their resemblance to their mother is completely gone. And till hates it sometimes- sometimes he looks as his beautiful children who have slowly become his whole world and loathes them for daring to look like the awful alpha who caused this mess. The alpha who’s absence arguably killed their mother

and once he knows that the kids are his? He won’t know what to do with himself. Because now he looks at the children and all he can see is himself- and no matter how much he strains to see the pin pricks of Ivan in them- he can’t escape the fact that they are his children. That Ivan died because till failed to be there for him- and that in the scheme of things Ivan’s life is forgotten and only his death remains , he’s remembered as a bright star snuffed out too soon and Ivan’s legacy is nothing but an echo of tills greatest mistake.

but the kids act a lot like Ivan once they are older! They are very curious and smart but aren’t the most emotionally intelligent- and they always have their curious eyes turned on till! Plus they will buy at their lips when they are thinking hard in a way that reminds Till of Ivan’s snaggle tooth (and maybe once they get their adult teeth they with get snaggle teeth of their own) (altho till can wonder with how long it’s been how much of these traits Ivan truly had and how much of it is grasping at straws to make his heart hurt less)

At some point Ivan is just a footnote in Tills story of stardom, and he is only rembered by the world as the omega who produced Tills children, and a title to one of his albums. And it makes till sick. —————————

I went kind of overboard but I hope this isn’t like cringe to send 🫥

xoxo🖤

hey its not nice to hit me with this first thing in the morning 🖤

you have to spare me okay? i was thinking happy thoughts from my happy dream ready to make a nice happy once-in-a-lifetime tillivan au and then suddenly bam documentary never see ivan again even in his children and ivan only being known as an omega.

i refuse! ivan will not only be known as "ivan an omega," because his fanbase is large. alright? and mizi and sua and luka and hyuna and till and everyone else in the whole damn industry won't let that happen! ivan deserves respect!!!

on another note, no its not cringe to send otherwise im a cringey creator... which is bad for the both of us.

guys i think its time to retire dead ivan au. my heart can't take it. i love him too much to just discuss what happens after death.

...in the documentary, it mentions how ivan was briefly a musician who mainly collabed with till, or was apart of till's band at the time. and till breaks down when he realizes that ivan learned the piano, and maybe the guitar, to play it for him and with him.

[crookedkryptonitebeliever]

HELLO BELOVED CKB!! I have been restraining myself for months (hypothetical since I have no sense of time) on the topic of fictional characters that remind people of Yves. Because Oh Boy do I have a big one.

Have you seen Vil Schoenheit from Twisted Wonderland? There are so many parallels it makes me go absolutely bonkers. I might get his character wrong but oh well.

- Vil is insanely rich & a model/actor. Very influential and worked his way to that spot. His skincare and makeup routine is fucking impertinent to him; he must look flawless at all times. He makes sure that he is in prime condition and pushes to make sure that the people in his dorm are of similar regimens.

- Vil is based off of the evil queen (he’s not related to her in any sense btw.) He, by nature, is very nitpicky and motherly towards the people that he cares about even though it can be seen by them as smothering and overwhelming sometimes.

- He specializes in making potions and specifically poisons.

- Oh My God he is so mother and honestly one of my favorite characters and so is Yves which honestly says a lot about me. I need help. Canonically calls his right hand man “dear/darling.”

If I had to relate Yves to another TWST character it would be Malleus Draconia but only looks and obsessiveness and the whole “I want to be with you for eternity” thing.

- 🌷

Oh hell yeah i know Twisted wonderland, I follow a couple of blogs who specialized in making Yandere Fics about them, my favourite is Malleus Fuckin Draconia my man. Im pretty sure you can see my type (Long black hair, green eyes, calm, lithe and vampiric types)

I didn't know shit about twisted wonderland at first, I fr thought it was a yandere dating sim, but I had to learn everything bit by bit from the bits and bobs of canon those authors would sometimes post about, so it was like learning a language from scratch.

I was partially interested in Vil Schoenheit, but I guess most of the fics wrote him as mainly focused on his fanbase and not the reader- like he needs the world to have their eyes on him or he will throw up and die. So that kinda killed my yearning boner off for him because reader's attention is not enough and he requires love from the masses too.

Like fr i appreciate the maternalness of Vil, but it just feels... surface level since I doubt he would be interested in personally wiping reader's ass when they're incapable or cleaning up your puke on himself with a straight face without making a big deal out of it.

and IMO i think he's a little too loud, a little too naggy and his nitpicky comes from a place of self service, not really in the reader's best interest. Like Yves would listen to you and observe 100%, whereas its the other way round for Vil, where you gotta drink the yappuchino he serves. Dont come for me Vil simps i think he is swell despite this </3 I just don't think he would be the parallel of Yves </333

but for MALLEUS tho,,, mans a quiet, antisocial loner from what I saw, only yearning for the attention of the reader (or "yuu"), he's super calm, a recluse, and has like 4 friends. I have read fics that painted him in a maternal light that tickled my heartussy, and I guess thas why i like him more. Because to me, I headcannon he would take care of you himself as if you're paralyzed from the head neck down without complaints or feeling icky when he gotta handle with human bodily fluids. He would mostly listen and observe, maybe infodump about gargoyles but I think he would be a closer match to Yves than Vil in vibes and looks.

Though might wanna consider Jamil Viper from Scarabia, he hates standing out and mans was always depicted as the caretaker to Kalim. And I would like always have the biggest crush on him because,,, hehe caretaker

But he does so begrudgingly and like has a deep hatred for Kalim, I was like damn what if he loves caretaking for me,,, that isn't gonna happen because Jamil comes from a background of injustice and he isn't going to like being subjected to the role forced upon him since birth,,, aha ... unless...

and he's hella smart, but he's moving in silence just like Yves, gritting his teeth but keep on trucking no matter how angery he is. He is calm and quiet, and he listens because he need that information to succeed in his goals, but my delulu ass would be like omg he is so attentive

but theres that spite in Jamil that do be present in Yves though, ironically I would say that Yves is closer in character to Malleus and Jamil than Vil, but i could be just biased and say that because of both appearances are similar to that of Yves rn (Malleus and Jamil has like long, straightish dark hair and them sharp eyes)

[roo-bastmoon]

The odds we faced, with FACE

Just as a reminder for the record:

Antis and cult members began systematically targeting Jimin-focused accounts two weeks before his Set Me Free Pt. 2 prerelease, resulting in some key, experienced ARMY getting suspended right when their wisdom and fanbase alerts were needed most.

Ramadan meant that practicing Muslim ARMY could not listen to music during the release time.

The stores ran out of pre-orders multiple times.

Most physicals shipped on time, but some did not. It was a challenge for Target to keep physicals in stock.

We got less than 0.1% radio play, practically nothing in the US at all, it wasn't even a request option for any station that feeds Hot 100.

True OT7s also had On the Street, Smoke Sprite, and People Pt. 2 to support.

Jimin had only 10 uninterrupted days to promote his first solo album. No blame, no shade, I am just saying it's been a challenge for our artists that their timelines are condensed and overlapping like this due to military service.

Fake ARMY boycotted Jimin altogether and came up with bullshit reasons to attack Jimin funders.

Antis dragged Jimin to hell and back online because of a technical in-ears issue that resulted in 10 seconds of a less-than-perfect live encore performance.

Spotify froze streams.

YouTube froze and deleted MILLIONS of streams, not just for Jimin but for all of BTS and ONLY BTS, with no explanation whatsoever.

Other Kpop stans and Jimin-akgaes joined forces to mass vote against him in MCountdown out of pure spite for him topping Hot 100.

His own media began commenting in articles on his inevitable free fall.

The haters also started up again mass-reporting his Insta account to continue his shadow-ban and try to get him suspended.

All that, and Jimin has beat such odds that his success is untouchable.

So I just need to say this...

It has been an exhausting three weeks, filled with extreme highs and lows.

Whatever happens in the charts now, true ARMY worked hard to show Jimin we love him and his work. Nothing will take away the fact that he made history with Hot 100 #1, and won 3 MCountdowns, and raised stocks for Hybe, the Kpop music industry, and South Korea with his solo debut.

All that, and Jimin still made history.

Jimin says he didn't do this for charts or awards, but he got them anyway, and they will forever be proof that true ARMY adore him. So thank you for your hard work.

Whatever happens now for the second and subsequent weeks, everyone reading this can feel peace in their hearts, knowing they will always give their all.

Well done, puppykittes!

Please rest up because we need to ensure FACE has longevity in our playlists going forward and begin doing our due diligence for D-Day, too. And since YouTube is being a word my mother wouldn't want me to say out loud, we need to focus heavily on Pandora in the US and Apple and Spotify everywhere.

Let's get it for chimchim and lil meow meow, y'all!

[freshdickies]

For the character asks! Azuma: 4, 8, 9, 20, 24 / Shimazaki: 1, 2, 12, 25, 26

Thank you so much for answering my need for memes, Elcie-! /;0; AZUMA: 4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

I would ABSOLUTELY fuck with a manga side story about how Azuma first found out about and then pushed to join Border. YES tell me more about him! I wanna know how his education in military history made him an ideal candidate for recruitment! I wanna know how Sniper technology was developed and furthered while he was there! 8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

I don't know about 'despise,' when it comes to World Trigger fandom... the ENG fanbase is small enough that the antis are easy to avoid, and I don't think the antis care enough about 25-year-old Azuma Haruaki to have opinions about him that I can really hate [especially since he's one of the VERY few 20-something anime men about whom I DO have 'he's a single mother' feelings]. I guess the closest I can get is like... not vibing at all with Azuma as a top, especially a predatory top? He's so gentle and nurturing and innately yonic to me. 9. Could you be roommates with this character?

Y'know, REALISTICALLY... probably no? I think Azuma is probably a REALLY good roomie, honestly, probably very tidy and keeps to himself and pays the bills on time. But he's also a 25 year old professional Mom Friend, and that's a category of human being that I'm historically INCAPABLE of handling in my space for too long. 20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter?

Ohh, the ideal best friend... :0c I dunno! I would love to see him interact more with Izumi under friendly, we're-both-dating-Beltiston-Boys circumstances, and I would LOVE to read more fic scenarios where he has extensive personal conversations with Hyrein, also in your-brother-is-in-love-with-me circumstances. But that's pure fanon for me. Overall I think it'd be fun to see more on-screen canon interaction between Azuma and the mahjong squad. 24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

Azuma's pretty singular, I think, especially for a male character! His poised, serene, nurturing and supportive character archetype is such that he's more similar to female Yamato Nadeshiko characters in any other manga or anime setting, and unfortunately, not a lot of those women are permitted the nuance to ALSO be coldly pragmatic, tactically minded to the point of being manipulative, and capable of shutting off their emotions so completely in battle.

SHIMAZAKI:

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

Asking me this feels like asking me why I like autumn, or the smell of amber, or why cyan is a favourite colour of mine. He's just a character I like deeply, because he's fun and cool and sexy and interesting and great! 2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

His way of speaking in the original Japanese! He has a habit of speaking very politely, while also sprinkling in very deliberate and precise use of impolite words and forms of address, even down to something as simple and subtle as switching-to-katakana when he refers to Teru as 'kimi.' It's SUCH a fun detail and adds so much richness to him as a character, that he's so casual and not at all uncomfortable being polite and even complimentary towards his opponents, even if he's ALSO very comfortable making it clear when he's annoyed with, amused by, or doesn't respect them. 12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

I've always enjoyed fanfics from Shimazaki's POV, where he describes the way that he perceives his own powers and the powers of other espers. One headcanon that I've taken on through inspiration by fanfic is that, while Teru's aura and energy is dense and bright, Shimazaki's is extremely elastic and essentially clear - I just like the idea that, while he cannot condense his power and use it to physically annihilate things the way that a telekinetic like Teruki can, the fine grain and flexibility of his power allows him to do things that Teruki cannot [teleportation, sensing subtle and minute energy without getting drowned out by what is essentially the energetic light pollution of his own aura, etc]. 25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

Oh, I loved him the instant I first saw him, and I love him still! I don't think my feelings about Shimazaki have changed all that much, so much as they've deepened as I've gotten more insane about him over time 26. What's something the character has done you can't get over? Be it something funny, bad, good, serious, whatever?

Honestly, the omake where Minegishi is bullying Serizawa so hard on his first day with Claw that Shimazaki has to say 'hey man, chill' lives rent free in my mind. SHIMAZAKI being the adult in a situation and telling someone that they've gone too far is just wildly funny to me.

BONUS ANSWER FOR SHIMAZAKI, SINCE I ACCIDENTALLY ANSWERED IT WITH HIM FOR THE FIRST AZUMA QUESTION: 4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

This is kind of a tough one, because I'm not by my nature a videogame player, but I think it'd be REALLY fun if Shimazaki showed up as a Special character in videogames, like one of those 'we're collaborating with X anime, so here's Blorbo in fully rendered art style and quality 3D game animation, available as a log-in bonus or gacha pull for a limited time!' situations. Mostly because I'd love to see his cutscene animations, in-game dialogue, and all the fanart that would spring forth from another officially endorsed AU scenario.

[izzythehutt]

I think about the conversation between Lucius and Rowle.

.

"Who, Sirius?" Alan snorted. "Oh, yes. We used to see quite a bit of each other—before school. Families travel in the same social circle, you know. He was never popular with the other boys—even then."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Probably something to do with none of our fathers liking his." He smirked. "I think because our mothers carried a torch for him. I know mine did. Apparently Orion Black was quite the 'catch' in his day."

"I get the impression there was some resentment there, among witches of a certain age—they all wanted to marry him, but—" He shrugged. "None of them were good enough for Black—had to go for his cousin, instead." He laughed. "Women never forget a slight."

Lucius tilted his head, thoughtfully—Rowle continued, without prompting,

.

I imagine someone bringing this up in the hospital with Sirius and Regulus (and even Walburga). Oh my god. It's funny to imagine the reactions of all three. Should we expect a flood of flowers from former platonic lovers?

Can I just say? I really liked my OC Alan Rowle. This is reminding me how much I enjoy him. Not a Death Eater, just kind of a Slytherin NPC.

I don't think the boys know much about their dad being a desired catch...and the family will probably be trying to keep this under wraps, so I doubt they'll have to deal with his middle aged fanbase.

[terrible-titles]

A Hodepodge of Older Shows to Watch During the Strike

We support the writer’s strike here, and in a Culture of New, TV execs are going to use the “impact” to currently running shows in order to try to shift your support to them. But here in Tumblr we have revived century-old novels and put them firmly in the mainstream by having a Tumblr-wide bookclub, so I think we can do the same to older shows--not only to keep ourselves entertained, but to remind us all why writers are so important to begin with. Now that AI is coming dangerously close to replacing writers’ work (and is indeed one of the issues the writers are striking over), I think it’s important to remember that our favorite lines (one of mine is “Everything is confetti” from Haunting of Hill House) couldn’t have happened without a writer creating and then fighting for it. Writers deserve healthy workplaces, fair compensation, and recognition for their talent.

Disclaimers: 1. As with all shows, but especially older ones, there will be problematic content. 2. I will try to avoid obvious recs that still have an active fanbase like Star Trek or Buffy, but I don’t have my finger on the pulse of pop culture so maybe I rec something that’s still pretty popular and I don’t realize it. I’m also not necessarily going for “obscure” or “you’ve never heard of this,” but just shows people might have overlooked. Yes, I’m from the US (sorry!) and yes, I would love to hear from non-US people about the best shows from your country that I’m missing out on! Please feel free to reblog and add your favorites to this!   3. Maybe my taste doesn’t align with yours and you disagree. Maybe I missed something because I didn’t want this to be 500 pages long. That’s fine! Again, reblog with your own recs. The more, the better! 4. Genres are weird. I tried. 5. I chose not to add where you could find these series because it can vary country to country, but if all else fails, check your local library’s media collection! (And if that fails, you might sail the seas...) 6. Please be cool... please. 

Comedies

Better Off Ted (2009, 2 seasons) A workplace comedy in an evil corporation. Perfect for fans of The Office or Arrested Development. Happy Endings (2011, 3 seasons) It’s like if Friends was just every so slightly more diverse. Takes place in Chicago, which is cool.

M*A*S*H (1972, 11 seasons) You’ve probably heard of this comedy/drama that stars cultural icon Alan Alda as a cynical army medic just trying to survive the Korean War, but have you watched it yet? You should.

NewsRadio (1995, 5 seasons) A workplace comedy in a news radio station starring Phil Hartman. A less cringy Office and a less sophisticated Frasier. Vicar of Dibley (1994, 3 series + specials) Dawn French plays the first-ever female vicar in a small English village. Watch out for an utterly amazing Spice Girls reference and Richard Armitage. Keeping Up Appearances (1990, 5 series) A British woman from a lower class family attempts to social climb to predictably hilarious results. Was apparently one of the Queen Mother’s favorite shows though I can’t for the life of me figure out what she got from it.

You’re the Worst (2014, 5 seasons) Just two really toxic people in a relationship trying to make it work. Definitely has dramatic undertones in addition to being pretty funny.

Side note: If you like comedy, get a subscription to Dropout TV. I’m not a shill. Nobody’s paying me to say this. I just really love it and they’re a great company to support.  Science Fiction/Supernatural

Babylon 5 (1994, 5 seasons) Was Deep Space Nine your favorite Star Trek series? Watch this. (Watch it even if it wasn’t.)

Sliders (1995, 5 seasons) An updated Quantum Leap. Jerry O’Connell and John Rhys-Davies star. A couple of scientists and their unfortunate friends are stuck sliding between alternate universes trying to find their way home.

Wynonna Earp (2016, 4 seasons) The great-great granddaughter of Wyatt Earp is tasked with sending reincarnated outlaws back to Hell. Often called the spiritual successor to Buffy, this is a real campy adventure in the Wild West and everything Supernatural wished it could be. 

Lost Girl (2010, 5 seasons) This show is about a bisexual succubus named Bo. I don’t know what else you need to watch this.

Drama

The Darling Buds of May (1991, 3 series) The British Little House on the Prairie if Pa were a con man you like to root for. An early Catherine Zeta-Jones stars as the oldest daughter who kidnaps and marries a tax inspector in order to avoid paying taxes. Incredible. Icon.  

Midsomer Murders (1997, 24+ series) Technically, this one is still going (and I’m sure everyone’s heard of it), but there’s so many back episodes to get through, I still feel okay recommending it because it’s great for binge-watching when you’re sick. You’ll never run out of episodes. Cozy murder mysteries that take place in England’s most deadly village. Joyce deserves better.

In the Heat of the Night (1988, 7 seasons + films) A crime procedural in the Deep South in the US, a big city Black detective is hired as the head detective in a small town in rural Mississippi. Progressive (for its time), this show dealt with racial issues, police corruption, poverty, and more.

Six Feet Under (2001, 5 seasons) Two brothers work together to run the family business, a funeral home, in the wake of their father’s death. The show’s finale is considered one of the greatest of all time, so you can go in having confidence in a satisfying conclusion.

Historical Fiction/Fantasy

Rome (2005, 2 seasons) A collaboration between HBO and BBC, one of the most expensive series of its time. Has so many incredible character actors. You will constantly be on your phone asking where you recognize That Guy from. Polly Walker was instrumental in my discovering my sexuality. 

Xena: Warrior Princess (1995, 6 seasons) Okay, I know this is another popular one, but it also feels like a show people have heard of and never watched, so this is your reminder to do so. Brideshead Revisited (1981, 1 series) British schoolboys doing what schoolboys do best (falling in love with each other). Adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s novel by the same name. Galavant (2015, 2 seasons) Hilarious musical comedy about a downtrodden knight trying to rescue his girlfriend from King Richard, even though she is actually pretty happy being Queen. Catchiest theme ever. SUPPORT WRITERS.

[soleminisanction]

I have seen the new Knights of the Zodiac movie and must now scream into the void about this fandom no other English-speakers care about. General thoughts above the cut, spoiler-y thoughts below it.

In general: it's fine. Fun even. I'm not gonna sit here and tell you it's a masterpiece, but I'd watch sequels. I'd be interested to see how they interpret other stories in the series given what they've set up here.

It's basically a reworked, movie-original origin story designed to give Seiya and Sienna actual character arcs, and it does that. Pretty much all the weirdness comes from the fact that they're clearly using the Netflix series as the basis of deviation, not the original manga or anime.

Despite the multinational cast, being filmed in English, and everybody trying to talk it up as a "Hollywood" take on the franchise, I honestly don't think it felt like a Hollywood movie. Something about the pacing, editing and special effects reminded me way more of Japanese cinema, specifically high-budget tokusatsu productions like Gatchaman and Shin Ultraman. Which is honestly what I wanted so I was perfectly happy.

The central cast is great. I'd like to see them come back.

I liked the special effects and designs, personally.

They made some great use of music that was either based on, remixed from, or just completely new orchestral arrangements of the music from the original anime.

Sean Bean made it to the second-act climax before his inevitable death.

The choice to make Guraad, the military leader from the Netflix series, a woman, and also Kido's ex-wife, was a fascinating choice. But hey, it meant the movie passes the Bechdel test, because she and Sienna have this interesting, antagonist mother/daughter relationship that has absolutely nothing to do with the men in their lives and everything to do with the existential horror of humanity confronting the gods so. That's fun.

Marin was appropriately badass. I really liked her chemistry with Seiya's actor.

Honestly in general Mackenyu was a real highlight of the film? Him and Diego Tinoco both, they were great. Madison Iseman and Mark Dacasos were both more Hollywood-y, but they put in good performances, and once Sienna went full Athena the effects and performance were pretty spot-on.

Cassios shows up as a henchgoon and jobber. He's got an Ophiuchus tattoo, which was an interesting little detail.

But speaking of little details -- unsurprisingly, Nero is the one with the most interesting potential for sequels. He's the only other Knight besides Seiya and Marin that we get to see and acts as Guraad's "dragon" and mystical-stuff advisor throughout the film. They don't really explain what his deal is, aside from wanting to kill Athena and steal the Gold Cloth, so he could be there on Sanctuary's behalf. But at one point during their fight he says to Seiya, "Humans don't need any gods." And throughout the movie, he's wearing an earring that is super obviously Shun/Shaun's triangle chain. That has some really interesting potential for sequels, particularly in parallel with what they do with Seika/Patricia protecting Seiya.

Oh, and it ended with both Seiya and Nero shirtless and showing off their very nice abs so hey, kudos for remembering the secondary fanbase that's kept this franchise alive.

So yeah, overall: I see why it only got a limited release, but it'd sure be nice if it was popular enough in Latin America to fund a sequel. I've seen worse movies. This is a cheesy-ass franchise, I never get my hopes up too high, if it entertains me for the length of the film I consider it a success.

Still think it's hilarious that Sean Bean wound up here. How the hell did that happen.

[strawbellyx3]

Hi, I’m a girl and I love apothecary diaries and many aspects tick what I like. But unfortunately I find a very huge obstacle in my way, which is why this is a huge rant with lots of words. The obstacle being the setting women in. Does it get better in the novels and manga? I find myself more relaxed when the subjects aren’t in the setting including forced sex workers, hostage concubines, the constant reminder that women are beyond powerless and how it’s all in a rom-com setting as well. Iam able to watch typically triggering stuff without being triggered when the story very clearly indicates we see it as a bad thing. Like law and order SVU, the handmaiden tale and so on. But in this story it’s like a slice-of-life mixed with a setting we’re all women are limited awful fates by the system.

I’ve even seen redditors say they love how even though misogyny is so rampart in the world building, it’s accepted by the characters and there aren’t any man-hating women there. Like they all accept their place as women in that society without rebellion and move on with their jokes and story. Some even saying they loved how maomao put the biggest blame on her mother when that origin situation with her dad occurred, that they hold women accountable in a setting that gives and I quote “awful bunch of sandwiches to choose from”

It’s really upsetting to me because while I could tell the complex female characters were written by a woman before knowing who the author was, I’m overthinking her going about this things.

It’s goes female character A is a woman in one the multiple bad situations they are forced to be put up with > she is attractive and voluptuous or/ and smiling and appropriately submissive to the situation (doesn’t dare to object it, or tries to finess it in a way appropriate for the system)> a mini monalog from Maomao/or the character herself about this is it to navigate this life as a woman there > a light-hearted joke the next minute and so on (I’ve seen the theme with princess fuyo, maomaos mother, the emperors fav consort and so on) it almost works to normalize it and I feel like male viewers find it comforting in that sense. a lot of the male fanbase mentions this being the favorite part of the story, the repressive regime that women have to navigate without making them uncomfortabl.

To the extent where some confidently say this shows target audience is men. That’s it’s set in an unfair world for women but they are sort of submissive about it and it has the fanservice to keep them intrigued

Do you see what I’m getting at? I’m not saying why aren’t the female characters miserable 24/7. The difference between this piece of media compared to others that have female characters in this setting is that it almost works to normalize it, while the others have a clear indicator that it is wrong, it clearly displays the darkness and unsettling environment the women are facing, it’s why a lot of men don’t venture into those pieces of media, because it makes them uncomfortable. While TAD is the total opposite, it has all the same elements of the oppressed women setting, but the oppressed women never dare display a hint of resentment towards men, They can never show a strong resentment to the system. They are appropriately over-proportioned female characters submissive to the system and the submissively try to navigate the system while smiling and acceptance and a hint of fanservice.

I am ranting because I’ve seen multiple blogs say how the shows is for the girls and true maomao is one the utter best female characters ever written, but the setting dims anytime she shines a light :(

I agree with what you're saying and no it doesn't really get better in a general sense. It's just a series that doesn't focus on that (even though it could totally do that because of this setting), it's more being historically accurate to how hard it was to be a woman at the time. It's also a seinen, so targeted towards men so I'm not really surprised.

I think people say it's for the girlies because of how it reflects modern problems in itself and well – Maomao. She's a strong woman who doesn't need a man and is an independent capable woman. When it comes to great worldbuilding, TAD isn't exactly my go-to choice because the series is pretty narrow in what it wants to tell; mystery stories. There's of course inconvenient things shown like women not being allowed to be doctors (and the characters finding a solutions to bypass it) but the characters aren't driven by feminist motivations. The narrative just lets us see and digest the oppression and wrongdoings ourselves (Like the 9 years old getting r*ped, which is intentionally framed as bad, no question) or Ah-Duo who always feeling trapped by the Emperor who can't let her go because of his one sided love.

I'm a bit 50/50 on it, I don't hate that it doesn't focus on feminist messages but I also wonder how it would be if it did it a tad bit more.