#not the most interesting visual to pair with the vocals but I can’t do an amazing storyboard atm

[thanatasia]

It’s been a goal of mine to sing this song ever since I heard it the first time way back in 2019. I did this maybe a month or so ago. It may not be the best because I was lying on my stomach and my cat decided it was the perfect time to sleep on my back lol

The All-Maudra Funeral song is so beautiful yet haunting. I love how everyone (except Naia) lends their voice at different parts of the song and harmonize beautifully. The contrast between our heroes’ funeral for Mayrin and Seladon’s will always be a favorite of mine. All in all, the All-Maudra Ceremony scene is my favorite scene in the entire series.

Aside from drawing I enjoy singing and “voice acting” the voice acting is something I do occasionally like when I’m playing a game where everyone but the mc has a voice lol Maybe I’ll share the one video I have of me doing a voice

One of these days I’ll do a storyboard/animatic and redo the vocals.

[grigori77]

Movies of 2021 - My Pre-Summer Favourites (Part 2)

The Top Ten:

10.  ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE – one of the undisputable highlights of the Winter-Spring period has to be the long-awaited, much vaunted redressing of a balance that’s been a particular thorn in the side of DC cinematic fans for over three years now – the completion and restoration of the true, unadulterated original director’s cut of the painfully abortive DCEU team-up movie that was absolutely butchered when Joss Whedon took over from original director Zack Snyder and then heavily rewrote and largely reshot the whole thing.  It was a somewhat painful experience to view in cinemas back in 2017 – sure, there were bits that worked, but most of it didn’t and it wasn’t like the underrated Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, which improves immensely on subsequent viewings (especially in the three hour-long director’s cut).  No, Whedon’s film was a MESS.  Needless to say fans were up in arms, and once word got out that the finished film was not at all what Snyder originally intended, a vocal, forceful online campaign began to restore what quickly became known as the Snyder Cut.  Thank the gods that Warner Bros listened to them, ultimately taking advantage of the intriguing alternative possibilities provided by their streaming service HBO Max to allow Snyder to present his fully reinstated creation in its entirety.  The only remaining question, of course, is simply … is it actually any good? Well it’s certainly much more like BVS:DOG than Whedon’s film ever was, and there’s no denying that, much like the rest of Snyder’s oeuvre, this is a proper marmite movie – there are gonna people who hate it no matter what, but the faithful, the fans, or simply those who are willing to open their minds are going to find much to enjoy here. The damage has been thoroughly patched, most of the elements that didn’t work in the theatrical release having been swapped out or reworked so that now they pay off BEAUTIFULLY.  This time the quest of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) and Diana Prince/Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) to bring the first iteration of the Justice League together – half-Atlantean superhuman Arthur Curry/the Aquaman (Jason Momoa), lightning-powered speedster Barry Allan/the Flash (Fantastic Beasts’ Ezra Miller) and cybernetically-rebuilt genius Victor Stone/Cyborg (relative newcomer Ray Fisher) – not only feels organic, but NECESSARY, as does their desperate scheme to use one of the three alien Mother Boxes (no longer just shiny McGuffins but now genuinely well-realised technological forces that threaten cataclysm as much as they provide opportunity for miracles) to bring Clark Kent/Superman (Henry Cavill) back from the dead, especially given the far more compelling threat of this version’s collection of villains.  Ciaran Hinds’ mocapped monstrosity Steppenwolf is a far more palpable and interesting big bad this time round, given a more intricate backstory that also ties in a far greater ultimate mega-villain that would have become the DCEU’s Thanos had Snyder had his way to begin with – Darkseid (Ray Porter), tyrannical ruler of Apokolips and one of the most powerful and hated beings in the Universe, who could have ushered the DCEU’s now aborted New Gods storyline to the big screen.  The newer members of the League receive far more screen-time and vastly improved backstory too, Miller’s Flash getting a far more pro-active role in the storyline AND the action which also thankfully cuts away a lot of the clumsiness the character had in the Whedon version without sacrificing any of the nerdy sass that nonetheless made him such a joy, while the connective tissue that ties Momoa’s Aquaman into his own subsequent standalone movie feels much stronger here, and his connection with his fellow League members feels less perfunctory too, but it’s Fisher’s Cyborg who TRULY reaps the benefits here, regaining a whole new key subplot and storyline that ties into a genuinely powerful tragic origin story, as well as a far more complicated and ultimately rewarding relationship with his scientist father, Silas Stone (the great Joe Morton).  It’s also really nice to see Superman handled with the kind of skill we’d expect from the same director who did such a great job (fight me if you disagree) of bringing the character to life in two previous big screen instalments, as well as erasing the memory of that godawful digital moustache removal … similarly, it’s nice to see the new and returning supporting cast get more to do this time, from Morton and the ever-excellent J.K. Simmonds as fan favourite Gotham PD Commissioner Jim Gordon to Connie Nielsen as Diana’s mother, Queen Hippolyta of Themyscira and another unapologetic scene-stealing turn from Jeremy Irons as Batman’s faithful butler Alfred Pennyworth. Sure, it’s not a perfect movie – the unusual visual ratio takes some getting used to, while there’s A LOT of story to unpack here, and at a gargantuan FOUR HOURS there are times when the pacing somewhat lags, not to mention an overabundance of drawn-out endings (including a flash-forward to a potential apocalyptic future that, while evocative, smacks somewhat of overeager fan-service) that would put Lord of the Rings’ The Return of the King to shame, but original writer Chris Terrio’s reconstituted script is rich enough that there’s plenty to reward the more committed viewer, and the storytelling and character development is a powerful thing, while the action sequences are robust and thrilling (even if Snyder does keep falling back on his over-reliance on slow motion that seems to alienate some viewers), and the new score from Tom Holkenborg (who co-composed on BVS:DOJ) feels a far more natural successor than Danny Elfman’s theatrical compositions.  The end result is no more likely to win fresh converts than Man of Steel or Batman Vs Superman, but it certainly stands up far better to a critical eye this time round, and feels like a far more natural progression for the saga too.  Ultimately it’s more of an interesting tangential adventure given that Warner Bros seem to be stubbornly sticking to their original plans for the ongoing DCEU, but I can’t help hoping that they might have a change of heart in the future given just how much better the final product is than any of us had any right to expect …

9.  SYNCHRONIC – writer-director duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are something of a creative phenomenon in the science-fiction and fantasy indie cinema scene, crafting films that ensnare the senses and engage the brain like few others.  Subtly insidious conspiracy horror debut Resolution is a sneaky little chiller, while deeply original body horror Spring (the film that first got me into them) is weird, unsettling and surprisingly touching, but it was breakthrough sleeper hit The Endless, a nightmarish time-looping cosmic horror that thoroughly screws with your head, that really put them on the map.  Needless to say it’s led them to greater opportunities heading into the future, and this is their first film to really reap the benefits, particularly by snaring a couple of genuine stars for its lead roles.  Steve (Anthony Mackie) and Dennis (Jamie Dornan) are paramedics working the night shift in New Orleans, which puts them on the frontlines when a new drug hits the streets, a dangerous concoction known as Synchronic that causes its users to experience weird localised fractures in time that frequently lead to some pretty outlandish deaths in adults, while teenage users often disappear entirely.  As the situation worsens, the pair’s professional and personal relationships become increasingly strained, compounded by the fact that Steve is concealing his recent diagnosis of terminal cancer, before things come to a head when Dennis’ teenage daughter Brianna (Into the Badlands’ Ally Ioannides) vanishes under suspicious circumstances, and it becomes clear to Steve that she’s become unstuck in time … this is as mind-bendingly off-the-wall and spectacularly inventive as we’ve come to expect from Benson and Moorhead, another fantastically original slice of weirdness that benefits enormously from their exquisitely obsessive attention to detail and characteristically unsettling atmosphere of building dread, while their character development is second to none, benefitting their top-notch cast no end.  Mackie is typically excellent, bringing compelling vulnerability to the role that makes it easy to root for him as he gets further out of his depth in this twisted temporal labyrinth, while Dornan invests Dennis with a painfully human fallibility, and Ioannides does a lot with very little real screen time in her key role as ill-fated Brianna.  The time-bending sequences are suitably disorienting and disturbing, utilising pleasingly subtle use of visual effects to further mess with your head, and the overall mechanics of the drug and its effects are fiendishly crafted, while the directors tighten the screw of slowburn tension throughout, building to a suitably offbeat ending that’s as devastating as anything we’ve seen from them so far.  Altogether this is another winning slice of genre-busting weirdness from a filmmaking duo who deserve continued success in the future, and I for one will be watching eagerly.

8.  WITHOUT REMORSE – I’m a big fan of Tom Clancy, to me he was one of the ultimate escapist thriller writers, and whenever a new adaptation of one of his novels comes along I’m always front of the line to check it out.  The Hunt For Red October is one of my favourite screen thrillers OF ALL TIME, while my very favourite Clancy adaptation EVER, the Jack Ryan TV series, is, in my opinion, one of the very best Original shows that Amazon have ever done.  But up until now my VERY FAVOURITE Clancy creation, John Clark, has always remained in the background or simply absent entirely, putting in an appearance as a supporting character in only two of the movies, tantalising me with his presence but never more than a teaser.  Well that’s all over now – after languishing in development hell since the mid-90s, the long-awaited adaptation of my favourite Clancy novel, the origin story of the top CIA black ops operative, has finally arrived, as well as a direct spin-off from distributor Amazon’s own Jack Ryan series.  Michael B. Jordan plays John Kelly (basically Clark before he gained his more famous cover identity), a lethally efficient, highly decorated Navy SEAL whose life is turned upside down when a highly classified operation experiences deadly blowback as half of his team is assassinated in retaliation, while Kelly barely survives an attack in which his heavily pregnant wife is killed.  With the higher-ups unwilling the muddy the waters while scrambling to control the damage, Kelly, driven by rage and grief, takes matters into his own hands, embarking on a violent personal crusade against the Russian operatives responsible, but as he digs deeper with the help of his former commanding officer, Lt. Commander Karen Greer (Queen & Slim’s Jodie Turner-Smith), and mid-level CIA hotshot Robert Ritter (Jamie Bell), it becomes clear that there’s a far more insidious conspiracy at work here … in the past the Clancy adaptations we’ve seen tend to be pretty tightly reined-in affairs, going for a PG-13 polish that maintains the intellectual fireworks but still tries to keep the violence clean and relatively family-friendly, but this was never going to be the case here – Clark has always been Jack Ryan’s dark shadow, Clancy’s righteous man without the moral restraint, and a PG-13 take never would have worked, so going for an unfettered R-rating is the right choice.  Jordan’s Kelly/Clark is a blood-soaked force of nature, a feral dog let off the leash, bringing a brutal ferocity to the action that does the literary source proud, tempered by a wounded vulnerability that helps us to sympathise with the broken but still very human man behind the killer; Turner-Smith, meanwhile, regularly matches him in the physical stakes, jumping into the action with enthusiasm and looking damn fine doing it, but she also brings tight control and an air of pragmatic military professionalism that makes it easy to believe in her not only as an accomplished leader of fighting men but also as the daughter of Admiral Jim Greer, while Bell is arrogant and abrasive but ultimately still a good man as Ritter; Guy Pearce, meanwhile, brings his usual gravitas and quietly measured charisma to proceedings as US Secretary of Defence Thomas Clay, and Lauren London makes a suitably strong impression during her brief screen time to make her absence keenly felt as Kelly’s wife Pam. The action is intense, explosive and spectacularly executed, culminating in a particularly impressive drawn-out battle through a Russian apartment complex, while the labyrinthine plot is intricately crafted and unfolds with taut precision, but then the screenplay was co-written by Taylor Sheridan, who here reteams with Sicario 2 director Stefano Sollida, who’s also already proven to be a seasoned hand at this kind of thing, and the result is a tense, knuckle-whitening suspense thriller that pays magnificent tribute to the most compelling creation of one of the best authors in the genre.  Amazon have signed up for more with already greenlit sequel Rainbow Six, and with this directly tied in with the Jack Ryan TV series too I can’t help holding out hope we just might get to see Jordan’s Clark backing John Krasinski’s Ryan up in the future …

7.  RAYA & THE LAST DRAGON – with UK cinemas still closed I’ve had to live with seeing ALL the big stuff on my frustratingly small screen at home, but at least there’s been plenty of choice with so many of the big studios electing to either sell some of their languishing big projects to online vendors or simply release on their own streaming services.  Thank the gods, then, for the House of Mouse following Warner Bros’ example and releasing their big stuff on Disney+ at the same time in those theatres that have reopened – this was one movie I was PARTICULARLY looking forward to, and if I’d had to wait and hope for the scheduled UK reopening to occur in mid-May I might have gone a little crazy watching everyone else lose it over something I still hadn’t seen.  That said, it WOULD HAVE been worth the wait – coming across sort-of a bit like Disney’s long overdue response to Dreamworks’ AWESOME Kung Fu Panda franchise, this is a spellbinding adventure in a beautifully thought-out fantasy world heavily inspired by Southeast Asia and its rich, diverse cultures, bursting with red hot martial arts action and exotic Eastern mysticism and brought to life by a uniformly strong voice cast dominated by actors of Asian descent.  It’s got a cracking premise, too – 500 years ago, the land of Kumandra was torn apart when a terrible supernatural force known as the Druun very nearly wiped out all life, only stopped by the sacrifice of the last dragons, who poured all their power and lifeforce into a mystical gem.  But when the gem is broken and the pieces divided between the warring nations of Fang, Heart, Spine, Tail and Talon, the Druun return, prompting Raya (Star Wars’ Kelly Marie Tran), the fugitive princess of Heart, to embark on a quest to reunite the gem pieces and revive the legendary dragon Sisu in a desperate bid to vanquish the Druun once and for all.  Moana director Don Hall teams up with Blindspotting helmer Carlos Lopez Estrada (making his debut in the big chair for Disney after helping develop Frozen), bringing to life a thoroughly inspired screenplay co-written by Crazy Rich Asians’ Adele Kim which is full to bursting with magnificent world-building, beautifully crafted characters and thrilling action, as well as the Disney prerequisites of playful humour and tons of heart and soul.  Tran makes Raya an feisty and engaging heroine, tough, stubborn and a seriously kickass fighter, but with true warmth and compassion too, while Gemma Chan is icy cool but deep down ultimately kind of sweet as her bitter rival, Fang princess Namaari, and there’s strong support from Benedict Wong and Good Boys’ Izaac Wang as hard-but-soft Spine warrior Tong and youthful but charismatic Tail shrimp-boat captain Boun, two of the warm-hearted found family that Raya gathers on her travels.  The true scene-stealer, however, is the always entertaining Awkwafina, bringing Sisu to life in wholly unexpected but thoroughly charming and utterly adorable fashion, a goofy, sassy and sweet-natured bundle of fun who grabs all the best laughs but also unswervingly champions the film’s core messages of peace, unity and acceptance in all things, something which Raya needs a lot of convincing to take to heart.  Visually stunning, endlessly inventive, consistently thrilling and frequently laugh-out-loud funny, this is another solid gold winner once again proving that Disney can do this kind of stuff in their sleep, but it’s always most interesting when they really make the effort to create something truly special, and that’s just what they’ve done here.  As far as I’m concerned, this is one of the studio’s finest animated features in a good long while, and thoroughly deserving of your praise and attention …

6.  THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES – so what piece of animation, you might be asking, could POSSIBLY have won over Raya as my animated feature of the year so far? After all, it would have to be something TRULY special … but then, remember Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?  Back in 2018, that blew me away SO MUCH that it very nearly became my top animated feature of THE PAST DECADE (only JUST losing out, ultimately, to Dreamworks’ unstoppable How to Train Your Dragon trilogy).  When I heard its creators, the irrepressible double act of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs), were going to be following that up with this anarchic screwball comedy adventure, I was VERY EXCITED INDEED, a fervour which was barely blunted when its release was, inevitably, indefinitely delayed thanks to the global pandemic, so when it finally released at the tail end of the Winter-Spring season I POUNCED. Thankfully my faith was thoroughly rewarded – this is an absolute riot from start to finish, a genuine cinematic gem I look forward to going back to for repeated viewings in the near future, just to soak up the awesomeness – it’s hilarious to a precision-crafted degree, brilliantly thought-out and SPECTACULARLY well-written by acclaimed Gravity Falls writer-director Mike Rianda (who also helms here), injecting the whole film with a gleefully unpredictable, irrepressibly irreverent streak of pure chaotic genius that makes it a affectionately endearing and utterly irresistible joyride from bonkers start to adorable finish.  The central premise is pretty much as simple as the title suggests, the utterly dysfunctional family in question – father Rick (Danny McBride), born outdoorsman and utter technophobe, mother Linda (Maya Rudolph), much put-upon but unflappable even in the face of Armageddon, daughter Katie (Broad City co-creator Abbi Jacobson), tech-obsessed and growing increasingly estranged from her dad, and son Aaron (Rianda himself), a thoroughly ODD dinosaur nerd – become the world’s only hope after naïve tech mogul Mark Bowman (Eric Andre), founder of PAL Labs, inadvertently sets off a robot uprising.  Cue a wild ride comedy of errors of EPIC proportions … this is just about the most fun I’ve had with a movie so far this year, an absolute riot throughout, but there’s far more to it than just a pile of big belly laughs, with the Mitchells all proving to be a lovable bunch of misfits who inspire just as much deep, heartfelt affection as they learn from their mistakes and finally overcome their differences, becoming a better, more loving family in the process, McBride and Jacobson particularly shining as they make our hearts swell and put a big lump in our throat even while they make us titter and guffaw, while the film has a fantastic larger than (virtual) life villain in PAL (Olivia Colman), the virtual assistant turned megalomaniacal machine intelligence spearheading this technological revolution.  Much like its Spider-Man-shaped predecessor, this is also an absolutely STUNNING film, visually arresting and spectacularly inventive and bursting with neat ideas and some truly beautiful stylistic flair, frequently becoming a genuine work of cinematic art that’s as much a feast for the eyes as it is the intellect and, of course, the soul.  Altogether then, this is definitely the year’s most downright GORGEOUS film so far, as well as UNDENIABLY its most FUN.  Lord and Miller really have done it again.

5.  P.G. PSYCHO GOREMAN – the year’s current undeniable top guilty pleasure has to be this fantastic weird, thoroughly over-the-top and completely OUT THERE black comedy cosmic horror that doesn’t so much riff on the works of HP Lovecraft as throw them in a blender, douse them with maple syrup and cayenne pepper and then hurl the sloppy results to the four winds.  On paper it sounds like a family-friendly cutesy comedy take on Call of Cthulu et al, but trust me, this sure ain’t one for the kids – the latest indie horror offering from Steven Kostanski, co-creator of the likes of Manborg, Father’s Day and The Void, this is one of the weirdest movies I’ve seen in years, but it’s also one of the most gleefully funny, playing itself entirely for yucks (frequently LITERALLY).  Mimi (Nita Josee-Hanna) and Luke (Owen Myre) are a two small-town Canadian kids who dig a big hole of their backyard, accidentally releasing the Arch-Duke of Nightmares (Matthew Ninaber and the voice of Steven Vlahos), an ancient, god-tier alien killing machine who’s been imprisoned for aeons in order to protect the universe from his brutal crusade of death and destruction.  To their parents’ dismay, Mimi decides to keep him, renaming him Psycho Goreman (or “P.G.” for short) and attempting to curb his superpowered murderous impulses so she can have a new playmate. But the monster’s original captors, the Templars of the Planetary Alliance, have learned of his escape, sending their most powerful warrior, Pandora (Kristen McCulloch), to destroy him once and for all.  Yup, this movie is just as loony tunes as it sounds – Kostanski injects the film with copious amounts of his own outlandish, OTT splatterpunk extremity, bringing us a riotous cavalcade of bizarrely twisted creatures and mutations (brought to life through some deliciously disgusting prosthetic effects work) and a series of wonderfully off-kilter (not to mention frequently off-COLOUR) darkly comic skits and escapades, while the sense of humour is pretty bonkers but also generously littered with nuggets of genuine sharply observed genius.  The cast, although made up almost entirely of unknowns, is thoroughly game, and the kids particularly impress, especially Josee-Hanna, who plays Mimi like a flamboyant, mercurial miniature psychopath whose zinger-delivery is clipped, precise and downright hilarious throughout.  There are messages of love conquering all and the power of family, both born and made, buried somewhere in there too, but ultimately this is just 90 minutes of wonderful weirdness that’s sure to melt your brain but still leave you with a big dumb green when it’s all over.  Which is all we really want from a movie like this, right?

4.  SPACE SWEEPERS – all throughout the pandemic and the interminable lockdowns, Netflix have been a consistent blessing to those of us who’ve been craving the kind of big budget blockbusters we have (largely) been unable to get at the cinema.  Some of my top movies of 2020 were Netflix Originals, and they’ve continued the trend into 2021, having dropped some choice cuts on us over the past four months, with some REALLY impressive offerings still to come as we head into the summer season (roll on, Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead!).  In the meantime, my current Netflix favourite of the year so far is this phenomenal milestone of Korean cinema, lauded as the country’s first space blockbuster, which certainly went big instead of going home. Writer-director Jo Sung-hee (A Werewolf Boy, Phantom Detective) delivers big budget thrills and spills with a bombastic science-fiction adventure cast in the classic Star Wars mould, where action, emotion and fun characters count for more than an admittedly simplistic but still admirably archetypical and evocative plot – it’s 2092, and the Earth has become a toxic wasteland ruined by overpopulation and pollution, leading the wealthy to move into palatial orbital habitats in preparation for the impending colonisation of Mars, while the poor and downtrodden are packed into rotting ghetto satellites facing an uncertain future left behind to fend for themselves, and the UTS Corporation jealously guard the borders between rich and poor, presided over by seemingly benevolent but ultimately cruel sociopathic genius CEO James Sullivan (Richard Armitage).  Eking out a living in-between are the space sweepers, freelance spaceship crews who risk life and limb by cleaning up dangerous space debris to prevent it from damaging satellites and orbital structures.  The film focuses on the crew of sweeper vessel Victory, a ragtag quartet clearly inspired by the “heroes” of Cowboy Bebop – Captain Jang (The Handmaiden’s Kim Tae-ri), a hard-drinking ex-pirate with a mean streak and a dark past, ace pilot Kim Tae-ho (The Battleship Island’s Song Joong-ki), a former child-soldier with a particularly tragic backstory, mechanic Tiger Park (The Outlaws’ Jin Seon-Kyu), a gangster from Earth living in exile in orbit, and Bubs (a genuinely flawless mocapped performance from A Taxi Driver’s Yoo Hae-jin), a surplus military robot slumming it as a harpooner so she can earn enough for gender confirmation.  They’re a fascinating bunch, a mercenary band who never think past their next paycheque, but there’s enough good in them that when redemption comes knocking – in the form of Kang Kot-nim (newcomer Park Ye-rin), a revolutionary prototype android in the form of a little girl who may hold the key to bio-technological ecological salvation – they find themselves answering the call in spite of their misgivings.  The four leads are exceptional (as is their young charge), while Armitage makes for a cracking villain, delivering subtle, restrained menace by the bucketload every time he’s onscreen, and there’s excellent support from a fascinating multinational cast who perform in a refreshingly broad variety of languages. Jo delivers spectacularly on the action front, wrangling a blistering series of adrenaline-fuelled and explosive set-pieces that rival anything George Lucas or JJ Abrams have sprung on us this century, while the visual effects are nothing short of astounding, bringing this colourful, eclectic and dangerous universe to vibrant, terrifying life; indeed, the world-building here is exceptional, creating an environment you’ll feel sorely tempted to live in despite the pitfalls.  Best of all, though, there’s tons of heart and soul, the fantastic found family dynamic at the story’s heart winning us over at every turn. Ultimately, while you might come for the thrills and spectacle, you’ll stay for these wonderful, adorable characters and their compelling tale.  An undeniable triumph.

3.  JUDAS & THE BLACK MESSIAH – I’m a little fascinated by the Black Panther Party, I find them to be one of the most intriguing elements of Black History in America, but outside of documentaries I’ve never really seen a feature film that’s truly done the movement justice, at least until now.  It’s become a major talking point of the Awards Season, and it’s easy to see why – director Shaka King is a protégé of Spike Lee, and together with up-and-coming co-screenwriter Wil Berson he’s captured the fire and fervour of the Party and their firebrand struggle for racial liberation through force of arms, as well as a compelling portrait of one of their most important figures, Fred Hampton, the Chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the BPP and a powerful political activist who could have become the next Martin Luther King or Malcolm X.  Get Out’s Daniel Kaluuya is magnificent in the role, effortlessly holding your attention in every scene with his laconic ease and deceptively friendly manner, barely hinting at the zealous fire blazing beneath the surface, but the film’s true focus is the man who brought him down, William O’Neal, a fellow Panther and FBI informant placed in the Chapter to infiltrate the movement and find a way for the US Government to bring down what they believed to be one of the country’s greatest internal threats.  Lakeith Stanfield (Sorry to Bother You, Knives Out) delivers a suitably complex performance as O’Neal, perfectly embodying a very clever but also very desperate man walking a constant tightrope to maintain his cover in some decidedly wary company, but there’s never any real sense that he’s playing the villain, Stanfield largely garnering sympathy from the viewer as we’re shamelessly made to root for him, especially once he starts falling for the very ideals he’s trying to subvert – it’s a true star-making performance, and he even holds his own playing opposite Kaluuya himself.  The rest of the cast are equally impressive, Dominique Fishback (Project Power, The Deuce) particularly holding our attention as Hampton’s fiancée and fellow Panther Akua Njeri, as does Jesse Plemmons as O’Neal’s idealistic but sympathetic FBI handler Roy Mitchell, while Martin Sheen is the film’s nominal villain in a chillingly potent turn as J. Edgar Hoover.  This is an intense and thrilling film, powered by a tense atmosphere of pregnant urgency and righteous fury, but while there are a few grittily realistic set pieces, the majority of the fireworks on display are performance based, the cast giving their all and King wrestling a potent and emotionally resonant, inescapably timely history lesson that informs without ever slipping into preachy exposition, leaving an unshakable impression long after the credits have rolled.  This doesn’t just earn all the award-winning kudos it gained, it deserved A LOT MORE recognition that it got, and if this were a purely critical rundown list I’d have to put it in the top spot.  As it is I’m monumentally enamoured of this film, and I can’t sing its praises enough …

2.  RUN, HIDE, FIGHT – the biggest surprise hit for me so far this year was this wicked little indie suspense thriller from writer-director Kyle Rankin (Night of the Living Deb), which snuck in under the radar but is garnering an impressive reputation as a future cult sleeper hit.  Critics have been less kind, but the subject matter is a pretty thorny issue, and if handled the wrong way it could have been in very poor taste indeed.  Thankfully Rankin has crafted a corker here, initially taking time to set the scene and welcome the players before throwing us headfirst into an unbelievably tense but also unsettlingly believable situation – a small town American high school becomes the setting for a fraught siege when a quartet of disturbed students take several of their classmates hostage at gunpoint, creating a social media storm in the process as they encourage the capture of the crisis on phone cameras. While the local police gather outside, the shooters discover another threat from within the school throwing spanners in the works – Zoe Hull (Alexa & Katie’s Isabel May), a seemingly nondescript girl who happens to be the daughter of former marine scout sniper Todd (Thomas Jane).  She’s wound pretty tight after the harrowing death of her mother to cancer, fuelled by grief and conditioned by her father’s training, so she’s determined to get her friends and classmates out of this nightmare, no matter what.  Okay, so the premise reads like Die Hard in a school, but this is a very different beast, played for gritty realism and shot with unshowy cinema-verité simplicity, Rankin cranking up the tension beautifully but refusing to play to his audience any more than strictly necessary, drip-feeding the thrills to maximum effect but delivering some harrowing action nonetheless.  The cast are top-notch too, Jane delivering a typically subtle, nuanced turn while Treat Williams is likeably stoic as world-weary but dependable local Sherriff Tarsey, Rhada Mitchell intrigues as the matter-of-fact phantom of Zoe’s mum, Jennifer, that she’s concocted to help her through her mourning, Olly Sholotan is sweetly geeky as her best friend Lewis, and Eli Brown raises genuine goosebumps as an all-too-real teen psychopath in the role of terrorist ringleader Tristan Voy.  The real beating heart and driving force of the film, though, is May, intense, barely restrained and all but vibrating with wounded fury, perfectly believable as the diminutive high school John McClane who defies expectations to become a genuine force to be reckoned with, as far as I’m concerned one of this year’s TOP female protagonists.  Altogether this is a cracking little thriller, a precision-crafted little action gem that nonetheless raises some troubling questions and treats its subject matter with utmost care and respect, a film that’s destined for major cult classic status, and I can’t recommend it enough.

1.  NOBODY – do you love the John Wick movies but you just wish they took themselves a bit less seriously?  Well fear not, because Derek Kolstad has delivered fantastically on that score, the JW screenwriter mashing his original idea up with the basic premise of the Taken movies (former government spook/assassin turned unassuming family man is forced out of retirement and shit gets seriously trashed as a result) and injecting a big dollop of gallows humour.  This time he’s teamed up with Ilya Naishuller, the stone-cold lunatic who directed the deliriously insane but also thoroughly brilliant Hardcore Henry, and the results are absolutely unbeatable, a pitch perfect jet black action comedy bursting with neat ideas, wonderfully offbeat characters and ingenious plot twists.  Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk is perfect casting as Hutch Mansell, the aforementioned ex-“Auditor”, a CIA hitman who grew weary of the lifestyle and quit to find some semblance of normality with his wife Becca (Connie Nielsen), with whom he’s had two kids.  Ultimately, he seems to have “overcompensated”, and his life has stagnated, Hutch following a autopiloted day-to-day routine that’s left him increasingly unfulfilled … then fate intervenes and a series of impulsive choices see him falling back on his old ways while defending a young woman from drunken thugs on a late night bus ride.  Problem is, said lowlifes work for the Russian Mob, specifically Yulian Kuznetsov (Leviathan’s Aleksei Serebryakov), a Bratva boss charged with guarding the Obshak, who must exact brutal vengeance in order to save face. Cue much bloody violence and entertaining chaos … Kolstad can do this sort of thing in his sleep, but his writing married with Naishuller’s singularly BONKERS vision means that the anarchy is dialled right up to eleven, while the gleefully dark sense of humour shot through makes the occasional surreality and bitingly satirical observation on offer all the more exquisite.  Odenkirk is a low-key joy throughout, initially emasculated and pathetic but becoming more comfortable in his skin as he reconnects with his old self, while Serebryakov hams things up spectacularly, chewing the scenery with aplomb; Nielsen, meanwhile, brings her characteristic restrained classiness to proceedings, Christopher Lloyd and the RZA are clearly having the time of their lives as, respectively, Hutch’s retired FBI agent father David and fellow ex-spook half-brother Harry, and there’s a wonderfully game cameo from the incomparable Colin Salmon as Hutch’s former handler, the Barber.  Altogether then, this is the perfect marriage of two fantastic worlds – an action-packed thrill ride as explosively impressive as John Wick, but also a wickedly subversive laugh riot every bit as blissfully inventive as Hardcore Henry, and undeniably THE BEST MOVIE I’ve seen so far this year.  Sure, there’s some pretty heavyweight stuff set to (FINALLY) come out later this year, but this really will take some beating …

[plasticflowering]

A Unifying Theory of Loreography (Lore + Choreography)

(2/3/21) HELLO to all new folks finding this post! It is also now a YouTube Video, and I’m pretty happy with it so if you’d rather get your lore analysis visually please check it out! 

Preface: I don’t think it’s just coincidence that we got full choreography for an intro called “Devil is in the detail”, and I’ve made it my mission since 반박불가 dropped to pull apart the threads that might link everything, lore-wise. This morning I believe I had an epiphany about it, so here are my thoughts.

If this flops I will feel my soul exiting my body so please validate me.

Notes: In forming this theory I mostly considered the events of the storyline MVs and teasers as well as the choreography, but a very important part of my epiphanies came when considering the post-MV stingers for TBONTB and 반박불가. It’s using these stingers that I feel like I can better understand the thesis statements in the choreo. 

Part One: Now then, where were we? 

At the end of TBONTB, the monarchs are approaching monumental, pitch-black gates made of skulls and desperate, reaching hands. 

I can’t not interpret this as the gates of Tartarus, considering the Greek mythology in the canon lore already. Tartarus, however, is at the lowest depths of the underworld, and so my interpretation is that, while they reclaimed their souls from the necklace, they awoke physically in a realm beyond the underworld, and now have to make their way out of this psychological nightmare to breathe free the air, as it were. Through Tartarus, through Hell, this is not because I played 80 hours of Hades in the last three months but it might have a little to do with that. Stay with me. (Though if anyone is wondering, YES Leedo would be Zagreus, but that’s not why we’re here today)

Part Two: Devil is in the Detail 

What an opening formation. The imagery is not 100% clear to me, but I feel as if this entire opening formation sequence is dual-wielding imagery of a crown (much like the killing part of TBONTB), but also the gates of Tartarus. 

Look at this transition once Hwanwoong ascends to the top of the formation, and how the hands all come out, similar to the gates above. I’ll be damned if this is supposed to invoke anything else.

Rewinding a bit, this framing of Seoho being resuscitated and borne by their hands is stunning. Seoho’s journey in the TBONTB choreography merits its own post entirely, because there are a lot of moments that seem to be telling a story for him particularly, and this is just a continuation of that. 

Ravn and Leedo being separated for the rap line part seems like an obvious utilitarian choice, and I agree that it is. However, before we prepare to dismiss all “pairings” as serving the progression of the song itself, I have another theory that ties together a lot of the inciting moments of choreo. I promise you this is going to sound like A Reach, but that’s just how my mind works and if you enjoy it I’m glad.

Leedo, Hwanwoong, and Xion are the monarchs who have absolved themselves by the events of 반박불가, and fully reclaimed their souls as well as their conscience. Seoho and Ravn, not so much. They have a lot of work to do to free their conscience - especially Seoho. Oh, lord, especially Seoho. Keonhee is an extremely interesting case, as he seems to have a foot firmly in both sides, More on that later. 

For further paranoid conspiracy theorist proof of this, please note that their outfits in the choreography videos symbolically reflect this:

Light, Light, Light/Dark, Dark, Dark/Lightish, Light

If you need more convincing, may I point out that Leedo, Hwanwoong, and Xion are the only members who got those wonderful “all clothed in white” shots in the back half of the 반박불가 MV? I tried to make a gif, and I did make a gif, but Tumblr doesn’t want to post it in this text post.

(you rn)

The most interesting moments of loreography in DiitD are the following: 

1. These lotus hands. Again, the imagery, I die!! Keonhee is coming into his own, his character is blooming, expanding his consciousness, going sicko mode with the realization that he has power in the underworld. 

2. Directly following this, Seoho offers a hand to Keonhee and literally drags him down (again, the light/dark dichotomy of Keonhee), while the two good good boys Hwanwoong and Xion are back there just trying to maintain balance so they can get through this Hell/Tartarus thing. 

3. Good ol’ ONEUS Summoning Circle, but wait this time I think it’s actually meaningful beyond the imagery. Seoho is at the center because he has the vocal line, yeah obviously, but he stays there much longer than is objectively necessary without a formation change. This isn’t common in ONEUS choreography. As much as they love their Summoning Circles, they tend to move on to other formations quickly. This one has meat on its bones, and I think what’s happening here, loreography wise, are the other monarchs banding together in an attempt to save Seoho from the darkness. But Seoho is powerfully dark, y’all, even going so far as to overpower them in the moment above. 

4. This is flame imagery. Seoho has been engulfed in flames despite everyone’s best efforts. 

5. At the last minute, he gets yeeted via backflip back into Hell/Tartarus

6. Keonhee takes the initiative in going back for him...

7. We’re back in Hell, that’s just great. Thanks, Seoho. You’re lucky we love you and your extremely disturbed conscience. 

With this in mind, you can probably get way ahead of me, here. 

Part Three: 반박불가 

Perhaps not remarkably, the title track doesn’t have nearly as many loreography beats as DiitD. However, we know it’s part of the lore, and this was made abundantly clear simply with that opening move...

This is where we left off TBONTB, but not exactly. There is a slightly different formation of dancers here, which suggests it’s not picking up exactly where TBONTB left off, but rather that this is a cue to let casual fans know, explicitly: yes, this is a continuation of the TBONTB story. 

Some moments don’t have choreography allusions, but they are loud in the MV, such as:

- “Youngjo, would you stop playing with flowers, our lead vocalist is going to Hell.” Ravn, who barely scraped out of Hell last time, ostensibly with Leedo’s help according to the rap line break in the choreography, has a rough time of it in the 반박불가 MV, but Hwanwoong isn’t going to let him fall back into toxic behaviors and lose himself to that psychological prison again. Hwanwoong drags Ravn back out of Hell, but not before Ravn successfully makes contact with Seoho. Obviously, Ravn would be the one to make contact, because Ravn’s still a little on edge about his own conscience and can easily backslide if he wants to. Who does he find down there? Seoho.

- Keonhee, who led the charge to return to Hell, is staying on task but seems to be the chief of operations to Hwanwoong’s chief of intelligence here, exercising his newfound sicko mode. Those two are certainly working hardest at keeping the servants of darkness in check down in the depths so they can make a quick break for it. 

- Leedo’s actually having a grand time fighting his own demons - or rather, smirking at them and realizing that nah, he’s good. He can use his guilt and regret to motivate him towrd good things now. 

- Xion is literally just above all of this and can move between Hell and Earth with ease, so he’s just waiting to see if he has to pull any Fallen God-Prince cards here to save his friends. 

Now, for the key loregraphy moments. It’s obvious that 1Million was choreographing for a new direction in the ONEUS style, here, so it’s nearly bereft of the usual lyricism and formations, but they’re definitely there. Unsurprisingly they almost all deal with Seoho. 

1. God, this moment whips. They’re all working to free Seoho and lock the gates behind them, with Keonhee giving Seoho one final push. That’s not a normal choreography move. That is storytelling and it sticks out like a beautiful sore thumb with an entire sonnet written on it. 

2. With Seoho on lock, now Ravn may break out. He does so rather easily, but it’s not without Hwanwoong’s help. Please notice that Keonhee and Seoho are the two BEHIND him, and what that symbolizes. 

3. This fucking bridge. It’s amazing with the loreography. First of all we have Keonhee, and the Summoning Circle is using the same imagery/texture that was formerly used to represent engulfing fire. Uh-oh.

4. Keonhee reaches out...

... but gets dragged under.

5. (excited football commentator voice) but who’s that on the outside making it to the surface, literally with the support of the other monarchs? IT’S SEOHO (cheers)!!

And Seoho finishes things out in the center, as well he should because he got us into this mess.

Part Four: What just happened to Keonhee

I’m so angry at this post-MV stinger. It took me forever to wrap my brain around what is being suggested here, because I thought “hey wait, the red lighting represents darkness/hell, doesn’t it?? DOESN’T IT?? RBW???? I thought we just GOT OUT OF HELL????

So I leave the final interpretation in everyone's individual hands, but the thought that occurred to me today was: 

What if this entire scenario was a test of resolve and camaraderie, an illusion, a trick by the Devil (or that donger Helios, whatever). What if Keonhee was the only one who saw through this, and the only one who genuinely made it to Earth at the moment he appeared to have been dragged back to Hell? Because, as we know, Keonhee is a tactical genius, a monarch among the monarchs, and all his visual imagery in the MV suggested a sort of power cabal. 

What if he realized that they weren’t all strong enough to face the challenge of breaking this cycle, so he schemed to leave them behind, but leave them safe in the illusion, while he struck out with the power of God and anime on his side.

I... I think Keonhee is about to go kill and dethrone a God, y’all. 

[passionate-reply]

Are you tired of Great Albums being about music people have actually heard of? Do you want me to just go ape shit, and review obscure minimal wave cassettes from the 80s? Admittedly, Oppenheimer Analysis’s New Mexico is one of the most famous weird minimal wave cassettes, and for good reason: it actually holds up quite well as an album! Come check out what all the fuss is about. Transcript below the break.

Welcome to Passionate Reply, and welcome to Great Albums! Today, I’ll be talking about a very cultish cult classic, and an album that’s one of the definitive works in the very underground scene of so-called “minimal wave”: New Mexico, the only full album released by the duo “Oppenheimer Analysis.” The band’s namesake was actually lead vocalist Andy Oppenheimer, who became acquainted with instrumentalist Martin Lloyd at the 1979 World Science Fiction Convention, where the pair bonded over speculative fiction, Midcentury graphic design and propaganda, and the work of early British electronic pioneers like the Human League. 1982’s New Mexico was these two’s first recording as a group, but Lloyd did go into it with one credit--the year prior, he and David Rome of Drinking Electricity released a double A-side, featuring the jumpy, playful instrumentals “Surface Tension'' and “Connections.” They referred to their act as “Analysis,” making it feel very much a part of the Oppenheimer Analysis story.

Music: “Surface Tension”

Oppenheimer, meanwhile, was a true outsider artist, making a living as a nuclear science writer without any substantive musical background. While not all minimal wave is “outsider music,” and not all electronic outsider music is minimal wave, there’s certainly a correlation there. Oppenheimer’s reedy, somewhat strained voice lends New Mexico the punkish charm that only utterly untrained vocalists can offer: a vessel that cracks and buckles as it fails to contain the raw emotion within.

Music: “Martyr”

The addition of a singer is one major distinction between New Mexico and Lloyd’s earlier compositions, but they’re also very different in tone. As I said earlier, the “Analysis” instrumentals are sort of light-hearted and sprightly, a bit reminiscent of the jazzy synth experiments of artists like Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley. New Mexico is substantially darker and more gothic, as befitting an LP that’s at least partially a concept album about the nuclear age.

Music: “The Devil’s Dancers”

While nuclear anxiety is an indispensable theme of the album, it’s never a suffocating one that makes it feel horribly antiquated to modern ears. It’s a very aestheticized rumination on nuclear themes, that never jumps up and hollers, “bombs are bad!” Take, for example, the track “Radiance,” probably the best-known track on New Mexico...to the extent that any of them are that well-known. It’s one of the album’s most languorous, atmospheric moments, and paints a vividly desolate picture of ground zero after a detonation, with its fluttering, delicate, but ultimately frigid synth flourishes.

Music: “Radiance”

I think my favourite part of “Radiance” is actually its lyrical turn: an atomic blast isn’t like the radiance of a thousand suns, but rather, vice versa. The latter is the one that’s merely theoretical and dwells in the realm of poetic license, whereas the former is a historical fact that we all have to contend with. “Radiance” is quite solid, but in many ways it’s a pale imitation of the title track, a seven-minute sprawl that works exquisitely as a kind of musical landscape painting:

Music: “New Mexico”

Painfully evocative, with an eerie, almost yearning undercurrent, “New Mexico” is easily the track that feels the most grand and epic. I would really have loved for it to be given more of a place of honour in the tracklisting, possibly as the closing track, but it’s wedged somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the second side. I suppose we can’t expect quite as much from a gonzo underground mail-order cassette release, though. At any rate, while “Radiance” and “New Mexico” are absolutely about atom bombs, they remain very emotionally intimate--almost torturously so. A lot of the other tracks are less about the bomb itself, and more about the rise of “Big Science” in the Midcentury consciousness in the wake of the Second World War--chiefly, “Men In White Coats.”

Music: “Men In White Coats”

As in “The Devil’s Dancers,” Oppenheimer happily accepts the role of an evil or insidious narrator here, and sells us this megalomaniacal perspective with aplomb. A lot of early 80s synth, minimal wave and otherwise, is characterized by more deadpan vocalists, but I can’t stress enough how much Oppenheimer’s piercing lead vocals bring to this album. It’s perhaps the most critical on the tracks that delve into more traditionally emotional topics--chiefly, the standard romantic love numbers. Take, for instance, the harrowing, neurotic “Scorpions”:

Music: “Scorpions”

I’m certainly a fan of the title “New Mexico,” which just ties together all the right connotations. First and foremost, New Mexico is a place--a place you can visit. And this is one of those albums that really wants to ground you in a narrow and specific sense of place, a sonic landscape. New Mexico is mostly empty desert, large tracts of which have been government land even before it started being used more intensively for military research in the 20th Century...most famously, of course, on nuclear weapons. I like to think that the name also suggests novelty and recency of place. We are, after all, entering a “new” world, defined by the advances of science, and the upending of earlier ideas about the world.

The representation of the album art for New Mexico that I’ve been showing you is actually the imagery of the 2010 reissue of the album, which I’ve chosen because I think it’s a bit better known, and I simply prefer it, personally. The most striking thing about it is this colour--a ghostly green, that instantly evokes the common imagery of atomic phenomena. Radiation doesn’t really glow green, of course, but, like everything else about the album, it’s clear that this choice is meant to be a reflection upon the greater cultural imaginings and social impact of the Atomic Age, so I think it’s a perfect fit. At the center of the composition, we see a figure, head bowed and face shaded to provide some sense of anonymity, reaching a hand towards the side of his face in a gesture that’s almost reminiscent of using a cell phone at first glance. What exactly he’s up to is as unclear as his identity. Between the modernist styling of the architecture to his left, and his antiquated attire, the image is quite suggestive of a Midcentury setting. But the real narrative angle here comes from the right side--several figures are approaching that central character, possibly in hostile pursuit. Espionage gone wrong? A desperate attempt to silence a whistle-blower? Much like the music, there’s an ambiguous, mysterious, but also menacing ambiance to this cover.

For historicity’s sake, I’ll also discuss the original cover of the homemade cassettes of New Mexico. As we might expect from the nature of this release, it’s a fairly simple graphic, featuring a nude woman whose full-figured body type, popular on pin-up models, and short hairstyle convey that Midcentury aesthetic almost as well as her clothed counterpart on the reissue. Our eyes are naturally drawn to her exposed breasts, where they meet a pair of radiation warning signs censoring her nipples. A simple image, but a deeply perverse or twisted one. Is it a kind of union between the vulgar, crass profanity of pornography, and the depravity of atomic weapons? Is it a visual representation of the way Oppenheimer Analysis have beautified the nuclear landscape, conflating man’s inhumanity to man with something voluptuous or pleasurable? This cover is at least as complex a symbol for the album as the reissue one is. And while it’s easy to dismiss it as lowbrow, I think it’s worth noting how the salacious or saucy aspect of it would have helped it fit in with other underground cassettes of its era, many of which had lurid or provocative imagery.

Of course, this discussion of the differing incarnations of the album is a natural segue to addressing the release history of New Mexico. The story of Oppenheimer Analysis is deeply entwined with that of New York-based Minimal Wave Records, founded in 2005 by Veronica Vasicka, a radio DJ fascinated by underground electronic music. The label specializes in making obscure, self-published works like New Mexico widely available in digital form, so that more music enthusiasts can get a chance to hear them. Without her, I myself might never have heard this album, and certainly wouldn’t be in a position to make a review like this! Vasicka felt strongly about the artistry of Oppenheimer Analysis, and gave the honour of her label’s first-ever release, “MW001,” to a self-titled EP compiling several of the tracks from New Mexico. Later, in 2010, when she was able to rerelease New Mexico in its entirety, she gave it the honourary designation of “MW001D.”

Vasicka is the one responsible for coining the term “minimal wave” to describe the subgenre she was interested in, and, fifteen years later, I think it’s safe to say it’s had some staying power. While it may be a bit vague and subject to individual interpretation, that’s a problem all genre labels contend with, and I think fans of minimal wave ought to be proud that this term was at least coined by a passionate and dedicated fan, who made her favourite music more accessible to everyone, as a labour of love. It’s also not the only genre term to come about much, much later than the music it seeks to describe. At any rate, New Mexico will always have a place in the minimal wave hall of fame, and it’s a genre-defining work, if in hindsight. The stylistic hallmarks of New Mexico are, for better or for worse, now also those of a whole movement: harsh, tinny rhythm machines, strident synth lines, anxious, unmannered vocals, and technological themes.

But what actually happened to Andy Oppenheimer and Martin Lloyd? In light of the renewed interest in their work in the 00s, they actually got back together for a bit, releasing some archival material from the 1980s and laying down a handful of new tracks, very similar in style to those on New Mexico. Lloyd passed away suddenly in 2013, but Oppenheimer has remained interested in keeping their ideas alive. He’s been performing live as well as putting out new music, first as “Touching the Void,” alongside Mark Warner of Sudeten Creche, and more recently as “Oppenheimer Mk II,” with Mahk Rumbae of Konstruktivists.

Music: “You Won’t Disarm Me”

Something that I think really stands out about New Mexico, especially when compared to a lot of other small-time minimal wave releases, is that it’s a very consistent quality throughout. As you might expect with an underground genre, a lot of the music to choose from is varying degrees of amateurish and clunky, and it’s arguably better to listen to Minimal Wave compilations than the LPs that exist. New Mexico is an exception, though, and doesn’t have any particularly weak tracks. The favourite tracks cited by fans of the album tend to vary pretty widely. My top pick, though, is the album’s opener, “Don’t Be Seen With Me.” It’s a perfect marriage of dizzying, spiraling synth runs, and one of Oppenheimer’s most frenetic vocal performances, that creates a masterful portrayal of being swept up in infatuation with somebody you really shouldn’t be fooling with. That’s all I’ve got--thanks for listening!

Music: “Don’t Be Seen With Me”

[ofcloudsandstars]

Celestial Forecast

Week June 1 - 7

Highlights:

On Tuesday the 2nd, Venus rx will square Mars creating a need to Fight for Justice!

On Wednesday the 3rd, Vesta will enter Cancer

On Friday the 5th, the Sagittarius Full Moon will be a Lunar Eclipse! Mercury will sextile Uranus also creative a shift for change

Welcome to June!! The first week this month will be INTENSE as the themes for most of the days will be about protecting our values, re-evaluating our truths and philosophies, inciting change and cutting away old beliefs that are no longer needed. This energy is the massive tidal wave build up of energy I foresaw last week with the first quarter moon. Collectively these transits have a lot to say with the protests going on and collective disdain for the government and authority. Anyway get ready for the huge shifts to come along with a lunar eclipse! This week is not playing games!

Note: I am london based and most times are set to UTC. Take note with the VOC times. 

________________________

1st

Mercury in Cancer squares Juno in Libra Vesta in Gemini squares Sappho in Virgo ☾♎ Moon Opposite Chiron in Aries ☾♎ Moon Trines Sun and Venus rx in Gemini

Energy: Today's vibe will feel like when you need to match up your sock drawer but a lot of socks are not matching and it may feel a bit frustrating. Since the moon is in Libra the overall vibe will be focusing on balance, harmony and partnerships but some aspects may be bringing out kinks you need to work out and a re-evaluation of your values. The aspects flavoring the energy of the day are Mercury in Cancer squaring Juno in Libra, the moon in Libra opposite Chiron in Aries and the moon trining Venus rx in Gemini. Mercury squaring Juno will bring to the forefront any commitments or themes in your relationships or priorities that are not matching up to your values. This can be a triggering transit to those in relationships as it could bring up any dynamics that are not working out. With the tension of the square there will be a push to make these two aspects balance out with each other. If you can't find the matching pair to the sock, time to repurpose it and move to the next one. Moon opposite Chiron can bring up pain or aspects that need healing in a close partner or even unfamiliar emotions that you have repressed. The theme of this pain could be revolving around the self and how you relate to yourself especially in context with a relationship whether it be with friends, romantic or in a business. These painful feelings can help illuminate where you need to prioritize your self care and speak up on your needs. The Moon in Libra trining Venus rx in Gemini will bring up a positive flow that will look for harmony and balance especially when it comes to restoring friendships that you may have missed. This energy along with the Sun and Moon trining will make a positive balance that will help you to smooth out any misalignment of values that the previously mentioned transits may trigger. The moon in Libra and Venus rx really want to reflect and create harmony today so it's a good chance to observe and work on that.

With the Moon trining the Sun and Venus rx in Gemini our creative potential will feel a boost today. A notable transit to mention would be Vesta in Gemini squaring Sappho in Virgo. This energy could be interpreted that the areas of interests that we feel passionate about will feel a strong push to be expressed in our fields of work. With this creative push of energy we can make breakthroughs in areas where we feel blocked or venture into fields that have always interested us to explore.

Recommendations: Moon trining Venus in retrograde will make reconnecting with old friends great for today. It will also be a good day for self evaluation with the moon opposite Chiron and self healing. Meditation can be helpful today. With potentials for disagreements, Sweetening and harmonizing spells can help today. Being creative can yield incredibly positive results especially with the energy of Sappho in the mix. Focus on what deeply inspires you or even areas you were always too shy to explore and you will find new worlds you always wanted to venture to.

________________________

2nd

Venus rx in Gemini squares Mars in Pisces ☾♎ Moon Squares Pluto rx and Jupiter rx in Capricorn ☾ VOC 11:39AM - 5:05PM ☾♏ Moon enters Scorpio ☾♏ Moon Opposite Sedna in Taurus ☾♏ Moon Squares Saturn rx in Aquarius

Energy: Today will feel INTENSE as we enter the moon's transit through Scorpio. It will be about self reflection and transformation and especially our roles we play in society and how we can reshape the future. An overall theme of the day will be Venus rx squaring Mars which will bring up intense themes of passion and frustrations. If you are in a healthy relationship, love can be expressed through sex or other physically passionate means. Other than romance on a macrocosmic scale this square can bring up feelings of our values and justice not being respected and that being met with anger and frustration. Today we may notice more hostility across the globe whether it be due to the pandemic or police violence, it can be an explosive day. Before the Moon enters Scorpio it will square Pluto rx and Jupiter rx in Capricorn allowing us a window of time where we will feel the push to dive within ourselves and examine our deep seated fears, subconscious drives and inner philosophies. This time of personal Justice will allow us to reflect on how we need to evolve and expand within before we can move forward. When the moon is in Scorpio it will be opposite Sedna in Taurus highlighting themes for humanity on how we may feel victimized by our current circumstances yet also how we can transform the darkness into possibility and progress for our future. Attention towards helping and healing the collective will be brought to the collective mood with this powerful TransNeptunian Object being highlighted by this opposition. Additionally the moon will square Saturn rx in Aquarius bringing up an urge to take responsibility in our community (or on a personal level this energy will make us feel obliged to get tasks we may have neglected done or else face some consequences). There will be tasks that need to be completed and the energy today will make us feel compelled to take responsibility and complete them.  

Recommendations: If you are feeling the frustrations and the need to do work, take time to write down everything you need to do or things you wish that could work out in your favor and write what you can do to achieve that. If some feel out of reach, mark them and visualize a way the universe can bring it your way. The full moon is in a few days so it will be good to vocalize what you want to manifest in this time period. Other recommendations would be blessings for the collective to find justice and heal. Shadow work would be beneficial today with the moon squaring Jupiter rx and Pluto rx.

________________________

3rd

Vesta enters Cancer ☾♏ Moon Opposite Eros, Uranus and Psyche in Taurus ☾♏ Moon Trines Mercury in Cancer, Ceres and Mars in Pisces

Energy: Today will feel like a start of change (hopefully positive revolution?) with areas focusing on the community, our homes (like where we feel safe and secure) and within our emotions. The moon will create some oppositions today with Eros, Uranus and Psyche in Taurus inspiring change and surprises. With Moon opposite Uranus our personal lives can undergo sudden changes and surprises which may make us feel out of control. On the collective scale we may see changes that may influence how society feels. However the way we react can dictate whether or not the outcome of change is positive or not. It's important to take note on this day to not do anything too impulsive or else it may make a jenga collapse after effect that we might have not been expecting. With the moon opposite Eros we may discover something enticing that can incite our passions and drive. This ignition can also bring up the impulse to try something new which could also add to the Moon opposite Uranus energy. With Moon opposite Psyche external influences may make us either feel inspired to re-align with our soul purpose or feel like hiding from adversity. We may be faced with a dilemma today that may make us question our life path but this encounter can help us level up if we choose not to back away. There will be some harmonious energy with the Moon in Scorpio trining Mercury in Cancer and trining Ceres and Mars in Pisces. Our heads, hearts and fists will be harmoniously aligned as we will have the drive to create positive change that can benefit ourselves to feel safe, nurtured and secured on a personal level and create revolution that can bring security, stability, compassion and justice on a community level. Lastly Vesta will enter Cancer giving us a sense of compassion in our work and giving a tireless dedication and service in the areas of our home, family and securing safety and stability for others we care about. Often this source of energy can entice us to take on other people's pain to ease their sufferings and over exert ourselves to ensure other's safety. It's important to note for this cycle to not put everything on your shoulders and to learn to take time for yourself.

Recommendations: Today may feel like the start of a new shift that can go either way, so positive blessings for the collective could help ensure it goes a good way. Also taking time to care for your community and check up on loved ones would be great for today. Starting off the day with tarot to see if any sudden changes or towers are coming up for you could help you understand the nature of the energy that could be coming your way. Moon trine Mars can help us take charge in any area we'd like to progress in. The moon trining Mercury will boost this energy as we will feel mentally aligned. Moon trining Ceres will make this a great day for self care especially if everything feels overwhelming. ________________________

4th

☾♏ Moon Sextiles Pluto rx, Jupiter rx in Capricorn and Sappho in Virgo ☾ VOC 12:36PM - 6:16PM ☾♐ Moon enters Sagittarius ☾♐ Moon Sextiles Saturn rx in Aquarius

Energy: Today's energy will feel like positive change in the form of inner transformation and owning up to personal responsibilities. The moon still in Scorpio will make positive sextiles with Pluto rx and Jupiter rx in Capricorn which can help us evaluate which inner beliefs, deeply buried emotions and personal philosophies are good for us or no longer serve us and allow for positive self transformation on a deep level. With the moon sextiling Sappho we can have the opportunity to channel our genuine interests and beliefs and embody them. That window of time will create a subtle urge or portal where we can pull that energy into our lives to allow us to be our most authentic selves and choose the path that is the most genuine to our being. After the moon's void of course (a good time for reflection and straightening out your personal space both physically and metaphorically), the moon will enter optimistic Sagittarius entering it's full moon phase. Though it's not quite yet the full moon, the energy will start to feel very heightened here, Especially in expansive Sagittarius. The moon will sextile Saturn rx in Aquarius helping us to tackle any tasks, especially those neglected or procrastinated on with responsibility and patience. Also tasks to help us in the long term or help the collective may come to your attention today and you may have the energy to work on them.

Recommendations: With a lot of positive sextiles with the outer planets, doing some shadow work would be beneficial today. Meditating with some binural beats to help you with inner self reflection and transformation could help you work with this energy. If you feel lost with the Sappho energy coming to the mix, you could do tarot to help illuminate what interests you have that you should look into. Often Sappho may be hard to tap into if we may see our genuine interests as irresponsible, embarrassing or impractical and we write it off, but those what moves us is important. With the moon entering it's full moon phase it's good to get in order what you'd like to do for the next day and get your spells in order. The full moon will be an eclipse so it's not the best time for manifestations. Tonight would be along with the morning on June 6th. With the moon sextiling Saturn rx you should look at things you need to get done and find that you will have the energy to complete them!

_______________________

5th

Full Moon in Sagittarius, lunar eclipse Mercury in Cancer sextiles Uranus in Taurus ☾♐ Moon Opposite Sun and Venus rx in Gemini ☾♐ Moon Squares Ceres and Mars in Pisces ☾♐ Moon Trines Chiron in Aries ☾♐ Moon Sextiles Juno in Libra

Energy: WOW so today's theme screams CHANGE, REVOLUTION, TIME FOR ENDINGS and it's all under the Full Moon Power of Sagittarius that wants hard truths and authenticity. Today's full moon will be a Lunar Eclipse! This will bring sudden endings and changes that will suddenly shift us into a new timeline. With Mercury sextiling Uranus there is a potential for exciting news, new stimulating connections, important information to help expand our vision (or help others expand their visions), sudden epiphanies or flashes of insight and greater perception. Future-oriented thinking and open-mindedness will lead to original and ingenious discoveries. With this energy for the collective along with the full moon in expansive Sagittarius created an eclipse you can see there is a powerful tidal wave of energy for change, revolution, the spread of insightful ideas and new collective ways of thinking. Also remember what I said last week with the first quarter moon building up so much energy? We may see the result of that energy today especially with the situation of the protests in the USA (and globally) or in terms of Covid-19. There may be new insight to help bring a positive resolution today or force change and a new direction for the collective. The moon's transits will also be in theme with this. The Full Moon will also be opposite Venus rx in Gemini highlighting justice and values that the collective shares and what needs to be reflected on and re-evaluated in it's retrograde energy. This energy will be amplified with the Moon squaring Ceres creating energy that makes us feel a lack of nurture or that our needs aren't being met. Additionally the moon will square Mars that will create a fiery tension for us to feel motivated to go out and accomplish making our needs met in anyway necessary. This fiery square during the eclipse can really set the tone of the next timeline we get shifted into depending on how we channel the energy. The Moon will trine Chiron in Aries giving us the opportunity to look at past traumas and pain and find solutions or heal. With the moon sextiling Juno in Libra we will feel motivated to act out on our values and where we need to devote our energy towards. With this sextile this could highlight the collective struggle within and ask us on an individual level where we stand on the fight of injustice. These transits on a personal level want to bring change revolving around our personal values and where our needs are being met. With the full moon in Sagittarius we are going to be asking ourselves if we are being true to our personal philosophies and how are these beliefs lining up with our values and how we relate to others and the collective? Often if things are not matching up to where you need them to be, the eclipse will cut them out of your life, forever.

Recommendations: Full Moon is great for manifestations, however with this being an eclipse you may want to focus that energy into cutting chords and banishing instead. (It's good to look at terrible politicians or police chiefs in your area that are blocking justice and maybe get them removed or exposed? lol). Meditation with binural beats can really help bring in epiphanies and new perspectives. Today will be a good day for re-evaluing your values, truths, philosophies and seeing what steps you need to take to live your most authentic and genuine life. You could do tarot for this, shadow work, and road opening spells (breaking through obstacles). ________________________

6th

Sun in Gemini squares Mars in Pisces Uranus conjunct Eros in Taurus Mercury in Cancer trines Ceres in Pisces ☾♐ Moon Squares Neptune in Pisces ☾ VOC 5:10AM - 6:44PM ☾♑ Moon enters Capricorn

Energy: I don't know if all of you have seen Castle in the Sky by Hayao Miyazaki, but looking over these transits the first scene that came to mind was when Sheeta does the spell of destruction and we are graced with that like full minute long montage of the entire kingdom in the clouds collapsing into the ocean. That feels like the mood of today with the Sun in Gemini squaring Mars in Pisces after the full moon eclipse. The transits today will lead to tests of characters especially from competitors or enemies. On a personal level we may find that living authentically or to our values may be brought with opposition and on a community level we may find people in power being DICKS to progress. However today it's best to take a defensive position to guard our values and stick to our truths instead of looking for a fight. This transit can lead to a build up of anger, resentment, frustration and destruction. If you are personally feeling the stress good ways to release it (especially not blow up on another) is to go out for long walks, exercise, masturbate or channel it into a personal mini project. With Uranus conjunct Eros, the two energies will be combined where we may find desire and motivation to create change or cause a new shift in things. Eros joined with Uranus can also bring out new surprising desires, sexual interests and passions we would have never considered before. This energy could set the tone on a personal level for the new shift we may find ourselves in after the eclipse. Mercury will trine Ceres making it a good day to take care of our mental health and nurture others mentally. This week is going to be intense so it's a good time to reach out to loved ones and make time for yourself and make sure everyone is keeping mentally sane. The moon in Sagittarius will square Neptune in Pisces making us feel that we are stuck in a strange new dream world where things don't seem to resonate. We may feel more emotionally sensitive and vulnerable to deception. It would be a good day (along with Mercury trining Ceres) to escape healthily through sleeping in, story writing, watching films, paying attention to happy optimistic stories and entertainment since reality may feel a bit harsh or strange. Additionally this square will heighten our empathy for others and it will be good to help those you care about in need. After the void of course the moon will enter Capricorn bringing out our responsible and practical nature. After the chaos of the full moon eclipse it's time to get to business and harness the energy.

Recommendations: Focus on your mental health, channel anger into writing, exercise, masturbation (sex magic and charging items could be helpful today); with Eros conjunct Uranus creating new passions and desires and the Moon squaring Neptune you could selfishly dive into that new world if the current reality may seem too harsh. Doing some protective spells and setting up wards could be beneficial today with the Sun squaring Mars which can incite arguments and aggression from others.

________________________

7th

Ceres in Pisces squares Venus rx in Gemini ☾♑ Moon Opposite Mercury in Cancer ☾♑ Moon Squares Juno in Libra and Chiron in Aries ☾♑ Moon Trines Uranus, Eros and Psyche in Taurus ☾♑ Moon Sextiles Ceres in Pisces

Energy: Today we may feel like our needs are not being met and our perspectives are not being considered. It can feel pretty sobering today and we may feel like we need a hug. The overarching theme will be Ceres in Pisces squaring Venus rx in Gemini making us feel this neglect towards our values and also lack of love or respect in some way. With the moon opposite Mercury in Cancer we may be faced with opposing ideas and view points that can feel frustrating to understand and work around. A good way to work with this energy is try to see from the opposing point of view and either find resolution or if they are completely wrong, undo their thought process and stand by your values. (This opposition makes good energy for debates!) However if you are feeling overwhelmed by all the energy, it's a good day to take some time for yourself with the Moon sextiling Ceres in Pisces. You will feel more inclined to nurture yourself or others you care about. Today will make a good self care day especially with the moon squaring Chiron in Aries which could trigger painful emotions and memories that you may feel inclined to act out on. There can be positivity coming from this with the moon trining Uranus and Psyche in Taurus which can help provide circumstances for positive change and inner transformation and connection to be made. The moon will trine Eros opening a harmonious window of time where we may gain an opportunity to pursue our passions. This energy could be channeled into harmonizing the Ceres and Venus rx square and doing what you could to make your needs feel met. However if you are met with a lot of opposition you can use that energy towards self care and rest instead. With the moon squaring Juno it may highlight the themes of where we devote our energy towards and may compel us to pour our energy in a more fulfilling direction. If you are feeling disatisfied with your current state (especially with whatever this square may bring up) The moon and Juno square can help you get the aggressive push to figure out where you need to re-apply your energy that is worth your time.

Recommendations: Tarot for sense of direction could be beneficial today as a lot of energy is shifting after the eclipse. Also since the energies have been intense, today would be beneficial for a self care day, especially with the moon squaring Chiron in Aries. Having a moment of reflection to re-evaluate your values and where you are dispensing your energy can be beneficial for today. Your ideas may not be heard as well with the moon opposing Mercury. Instead you may face a lot of arguments, but it's good to stick to your values and defend yourself in this time.

________________________

[himitsu-luna]

✨Your Kpop group ship (overall edition) - @diannajasanders-love ✨

Helloo!!!! I'm Sorry for taking so long, but here is your ship!!! I hope you like It!! Thanks for requesting, and i hope you have an amazing weekend!!✨

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>> Your kpop group : Exo

Did you say ExTrA?? Did you say r&b?? Did you say cute and sexy?? Ohh yes, I'll put you in Exo, my beloved group!! I really think you would match so well with the vibes of the boys! And would be such a great add to the the group. Exo would be even cooler and amazing with you in it! (But I also see you with any nct unit!)

>> Main relationships

Your roommate: Xiumin

Your best friend: Chanyeol/ Baekhyun

The one who feels like a real brother: Chen/ Sehun

The one who takes care of you the most: Suho/ Lay

Your practice buddy: D.O / Kai

>> Your life with Exo

- ° Xiumin

Xiumin and you were pretty similar at first: Sweet and shy, you got close slowly into a solid friendship

Xiumin is your roommate, and seriously, it could not be better

He is calm and considerate, so your room is truly a space you can relax and do your activities with no problem

He also keeps everything clean and organized, which is an amazing plus

You discovered that he is pretty mischievous. Sometimes he convinces you to pair up with him to pull a prank on suho

He is also a good listener and a straight forward person, so he is good at giving advices

- ° Suho

Suho loves your personality

He specially likes your view on friendship, since Exo is his family, and he takes for himself the duty to keep the group strong and united

And your goofyness, he lives for it!

He is super goofy as well. Even though the boys don't acknowledge his jokes, you always laugh at them, which makes him happy

He is attentive and caring (savage sometimes, but yeah), and he takes good care of you

He makes sure you eat well, take your vitamins, and everything you need he buys for you, no problem $uho

And he is the biggest supporter of your art! He takes you to every art exhibit he knows about, and he loves to talk about art with you

- ° Lay

Lay now is in China, but you are really close and keep in touch

He is Sweet, and mentions you in every opportunity he has. He is extremely loyal, just like you

When he is Korea, he plans lots of activities with you

You watch movies, go shopping, go to the Salon, practice together

He also teachs you so many things. He is like a mentor to you. He wants you to succeed in life, and he will help you no matter what

- ° Baekhyun

Ohh this boy! He is one of you bff. You get crazy together (Suho is shaking)

When you first met, he immediately made you feel comfortable

He is chaotic, but he is also super hard working and serious when necessary. You two have these creative energy bursts sometimes, and you get so much quality work done

He teachs you to play all the games he play, because he wants to play with you

You often go on long late night drives, listening and jamming to some nice music

- ° Chen

Chen is now happily living with his precious family, but he treasures you a lot and he always visit the dorms, and you still meet at group activities, ofc

He is a Sweetheart. When he was still dating his wife, he always ran to you to Tell you about his dates, his feelings. You were the first one to know his next steps

You sure have in him a friend for life

He is also a troll. He is really playful, and you, chen and Xiumin are the underrated pranksters of Exo.

- ° Chanyeol

Chanyeol, your other bff

He made you watch anime with him. You spent an entire year just watching "One Piece"

You two love arcades. You spend long nights playing, then you go to his studio and he prepares a Nice meal for the two of you

He can be emotional and pretty sensitive, so you are the perfect emotional support for him

You're with him in bad and good moments, and he is truly grateful to you

He is always buying you little things, and he loves to have matching items with you

He recently got interested in art, and you help him a lot with it

- ° D.O

D.O has a soft spot for you

Even though he is serious, he is incredibly playful with you. Not an all over the place playfull, but a cute and caring playful

He helps you a lot with your vocals, and it's just mesmerizing to hear him singing

He cooks for you. You go shopping and buy the ingredients, and he will cook anything you ask

When you just want a healing and relaxing time, with some calming and good conversation, D.O is the right guy.

He also knows all the good movies for you to watch together (the actor he is)

- ° Kai

Kai and you are precious together, seriously

You are the sweet goofy friends

You play around and giggle all day long

But you are intense! When you're together, people can't help staring at you

The fashion, the visuals! What a match!

When you dance together, you can see jaws dropping everywhere

Kai likes to do mini vlives with you. They are always Sweet and heart warming

At holidays, he invites you to his house, to spend them with him and his family, since your far from yours

- ° Sehun

Sehun loves your company

He invites you to everywhere he goes. To go shopping, to the bakery, to the Supermarket, to the hairstylist, to the doctor, to filming settings, to fashion weeks, everywhere!

He was shy ar First, but it didn't last long. Soon he got mischievous and playful with you

He is thoughtful and loyal, and you can count on him.

You get along with his doggo, Vivi

But Sehun gets jelly when Vivi plays with you more than he plays with him

>> Other random things

You really are the life of the party! You are the star in reality shows, and Exo is even more chaotic and entertaining with you. The beagle line made you a honorable member.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[haus-of-wu]

Chung Ha - Querencia: Album Reaction

This was a jam-packed album full of ChungHa’s versatility. Querencia truly is an exquisite product of ChungHa’s many months mulling over this album in its entirety.

Normally, I wouldn’t put a “Keep Reading” on these, but this album is LONG and I don’t want to clog up the dash.

SIDE A {NOBLE}

Nice mysterious instrumental that would be fitting of a teaser trailer. ChungHa’s voiceovers of “authentic self”, “where my desires are protected”, “my own oasis”, and ultimately ending on “querencia” set the tone for the album’s concept.

Bicycle

The trap percussion pattern and the instrumental is super catchy. However, this is not my favorite ChungHa title track.

What is interesting about it for me is that this is one of the first times that I get to hear her rap (and in English). The Ariana Grande Side to Side references in the imagery are very intentional. If anything, this feels more like something Blackpink would do, which is why it’s throwing me off so much.

It’s a bit confusing that we’re talking about a bicycle, but we have motorcycle broom/vroom adlibs. I think the verses are fire, but the chorus is ultimately disappointing compared to the rest of the song.

Masquerade

The Latin vibes on this one though !! The horn line and percussion are very characteristic of Latin pop. The chorus does a really good job of weaving the melody of the horn line with ChungHa’s voice.

Introducing some acoustic guitar in the second verse is a nice change-up. Throw “Masquerade” immediately into the good vibes playlist, bc it’s a innocuous fun beat.

Flying on Faith

The plucky electric guitar - a Touch!

One of Chungha’s all-English tracks in the album, and one that really Feels like it could be on Top 40 Radio here in the US. The beginning of this reminds me of some punk pop from the mid-2000s, and the rest reminds me of something Aly and AJ-esque.

I love how the chorus adds in several more layers to the instrumental, which help continuously drive the song forward.

(Also beginning with guitar but ending with piano? N i c e !)

Luce Sicut Stellae

There’s Latin percussion rhythms in this one, with a nice mellow tempo.

“Shine for, shine for me tonight” - the chorus is immediately happiness inducing for absolutely NO reason. :)

It’s good music to study or work to. The instrumental is simple, and you just get to enjoy ChungHa’s vocals.

SIDE B {SAVAGE}

Very nightclub vogue beats for this instrumental. Fitting, since it’s basically taking us into the next quarter of the album which focuses on dance music.

Stay Tonight

“Stay Tonight” has such a great groove to it; it was an instant addition to my playlist the moment I first heard it. A very solid ChungHa dance track, paired with some really great visuals (I was a sucker for the blue extensions).

The instrumental introduction really just builds your interest all the way up to the verse. And the chorus? It drops, and the bassline gets grungy while ChungHa’s voice sails above the whole orchestration.  STAAAAAAAAAY~

Dream of You - with R3HAB

When ChungHa dropped this all-English dream of a song, I immediately latched onto it. It’s confident and honestly a bit of a tease.

“I can’t stand that you might be in someone’s bed, with some ____ all over you” - like OKAY we’re HERE

The build up to the chorus is suave - the backing instrumental that reverbs every time ChungHa sings the chorus just adds ante to it.

But also, favorite lyrics of the album: “I got whiskey, I got gin, and lingerie”

Bother Me

The “distant audio” effect at the beginning just makes the verse come in even HARDER - this is a Groove.

The spoken drawling verses that launch into quick rolling lines are such a nice contrast. The booming bass and funk make this a club hit.

Chill

Chill gives a cruising down the street in the summer with the roof down vibes.

It embodies its title - it’s Chill.

There’s a huge contrast between how much instrumentation the verses have compared to the choruses. The verses are pretty clean, with only percussive elements and one bass instrument, so ChungHa’s voice shines easily. On the other hand, the chorus of Chill has layers of backing vocalizations, much more instruments providing bass harmonies, which enables ChungHa’s clear timbre to give this song a burst of color.

SIDE C {UNKNOWN}

This instrumental is just the whacky percussive elements thrown together. It sounds like a mix of EDM and sci-fi video game music and sound effects.

Play - feat. Changmo

Summertime tropical beach beats - the metal drums really lend themselves to creating that vibe.

Changmo’s rap feature here is Legit and he gets a solid amount of air time - definitely a solid collab.

I think what I appreciate most about Play is how the chorus and adlibs allow ChungHa’s vocals to really shine.

Demente - feat Guaynaa

ChungHa in ESPAÑOL?? With a collab?? YES !!

It’s wonderful to hear how much she worked on her pronunciation to be able to put together a song with several verses and a chorus in Spanish.

The foghorn noises though - very on brand for the genre I suppose.

Guaynaa’s bars were wonderful, but I especially LOVE when the two of them sing the chorus together. Good harmonies folks, we love that

Lemon - feat Colde

This song immediately gives off swanky retro lounge vibes. The “Lemon, Lemon” chorus moves from ear to ear.

Overall, a soothing rhythmic tune to listen to when getting stuff done.

Honestly, I think one of the best things about this album is that Chungha’s collabs allow Byulharangs to find new artists - Colde definitely is up my alley for chill rap.

BYULHARANG (160504 + 170607)

The acoustic guitar chords immediately jerk me back into mid-2000s TSwift country pop. It’s comforting, a song directly for the fans, and it feels like a warm  throw blanket.

SIDE D {PLEASURES}

Synth noises? Also a candidate for sleek mysterious teaser music

X

Soulful, sultry, with good vocals - X has It.

It has a lilting, wistful vibe, one that reminisces on what could’ve been, but ultimately did not happen. The instruments gradually layer on in a neat manner as we approach the chorus, and continue building as we hit the last chorus.

“You should’ve loved me at my worst, now you just watch me on your TV screen”

All Night Long

The way the instruments wiggle between your ears is trippy - but this has a nice minimal setup for the verse.

In this chorus, ChungHa just croons, and it’s breathtaking.

Everybody Has

An almost drama-esque piano intro - it’s a calming conclusion to the amazing novel of work ChungHa has given us with this album.

The mixing on this track with the variety of acoustic instruments...very tasteful.

Comes N Goes

A clappy feel good pop anthem - it also has the elements of a happy-inducing girl group track. The airy pre-chorus, clear carefree chorus.

Querencia (Epilogue)

Hypnotic chord progressions with a snappy snare. Fin !

[0poole]

Humor in Writing

    Most of the time I feel like dismissing what might seem like “faults” in writing because I haven’t actually made anything myself, and especially haven’t gotten any attention to what I make, but every once in a while something really ticks me off. Of course, I still try to take it with a grain of salt because of my lack of true experience in writing, but considering I’m hoping to actually become some degree of a writer I feel like it’s worth actually trying to explain what I think is a fault with things and why. 

    There always seems to be one specific thing that bothers me a lot when reading/watching stuff, and it’s the hard switching of tone from comedy to sincerity, or something similar to that, or vice versa.

    Honestly, even though it sounds like the motive of a cartoon villain, I kinda think there’s too much humor in the world. It’s probably just entirely driven by opinion and preferences, but I feel like so many people are striving and looking for comedy that it hinders so many other things. I feel like, both in real life and in writing, having so much humor everywhere creates a pretty big gap between that tone and sincerity, which is pretty much always needed at some point. The big line between comedy and sincerity makes it so much harder, emotionally speaking, to feel good about the switch. I’ll try to explain…

    First of all, this whole line of thought, even though I’ve been thinking it forever, was spawned by me watching Epithet Erased. Took me long enough, because I’ve seen some of the characters around and really loved their designs, but I finally watched it all, and I gotta say… It was interesting. Also, this is probably just going to be very ranty and opinionated but I will (hopefully) have something more valuable to say after. But, anyways, for one, it felt just barely too close to some of the premises for the stories I’ve thought of in various ways, but I guess that’s just bad luck on my part. Second, I feel like its humor really brought it down for me. Some episodes felt so long winded (although not necessarily “boring” I guess) because I felt like I got the joke they were trying to tell relatively quickly after they started it, but carried it so far. It didn’t help that, at least for a few of them, some of the characters felt like archetypes that I’ve seen a lot around the internet, or at least were simple enough that I understood what they were instantly, and when they are carried out through long character-focused moments it felt like nothing was happening. I feel like some of the characters are fine enough, even if I may not like them, but Giovanni and Indus were the two big ones that I thought had a little too much time given to them…

    But more relevant to what I’m trying to say, sometimes the writing jumps way too far from the very comedic tone it’s trying to put out and into it trying to be sincere. The worst case of this was when Sylvie met Mera in the museum storage, and Sylvester tried to out Mera’s nightmares, only to see that her nightmare was the reality she was already in. With the scene change, and Indus becoming more serious with Molly, it felt like a good enough departure from the usual comedic tone to warrant the deeper motive of the character. But, then, of course, they had to trash the whole tone by adding the line about her also being afraid of ducks. There was absolutely no good reason to warrant that line and I will die on that hill. Not only was it just humor, but it was spontaneous “random” humor, and so on… I honestly hope people could just understand where I’m coming from there by how out of place it seems. I feel like the only defense they could use, apart from “just liking it,” would be that it’s comedic relief, but I genuinely feel like since practically the whole thing up until this point was comedy there was absolutely no need for comedic relief. The scene itself is like the opposite of comedic relief, like “Sit down and pay attention” or “Turn your brain back on” or whatever. The climactic point of the scenes before it were reached, meaning the sincere conflict there should be focused on, and apart from that one tiny little line it worked well enough. The fact that it was so tiny and insignificant is basically why I hated it so much. They literally could’ve just scratched it off of the script and only good things would have happened. 

    Something a bit similar happened before when Molly revealed her backstory to Giovanni. It wasn’t quite as bad, but when a scene goes from comedy to “my mom’s dead and my life sucks” you do feel the shift a little too quickly. I feel like it’s not as bad because it could just be Molly’s character, seeing the tragedy of her life as just sort of normal and not really that remarkable, meaning she’s more likely to just randomly bring it up. 

    But I definitely wouldn’t be going off this much about it if there wasn’t at least a little bit more. Zora was literally the reason I wanted to watch the show, because I saw a drawing of her a while back and thought she was just some random OC, but when I heard she was from this show I instantly wanted to watch it a lot more. I think the same thing happened with Molly, but I think I knew she was from the show to begin with. Anyway, Zora was the main character who I loved from the get-go and loved even more the more I learned about her. She’s such a perfect amount of diversion from being a generic cowboy in the little design details, while still being 100% cowboy material. Then, when I saw that her power was “Sundial,” or more generally just time powers, I loved it. The big thing that seems little conceptually is making her key term “sundial” instead of just “time” or whatever, because of how much it relates to her cowboy-ness, with it being associated with the “sun” people often associate with Death Valley and the Wild West and whatnot. Not to mention, it’s just a cool power.

    But that’s kinda the thing, though. She’s so insanely strong. She could literally kill anyone on a whim. I don’t see how anyone could be cracking jokes in her presence. It’s kinda more general of a gripe, but when she aged up Howie it was borderline terrifying, and yet… right after, they’re cracking jokes again. It’s just so jarring. She could have literally reduced him to dust, and they’re so casual about it. I know Percy is supposed to be kinda blind to some obvious things, but I feel like even she could see the horror. That said, though, Percy is also one of my favorites. Her powers feel so natural yet interesting for what she is for some reason. 

Frankly, the visual character designs alone for this show are all really good. Whether or not I’m into the writing, I can’t deny that the show kept me coming back just because it feels so good to just look at it, you know? The minimal animation, vocalized stage directions, and top-down scene view was really interesting to watch, since I’ve never seen it before, and seems like a perfect way to produce more content with less budget. It made everything feel super crisp and tidy, despite being animated so simply. Not to mention that the general lack of animation meant the few scenes where there was traditional-level animation felt really good. The voice acting was also amazing, (again not directly tied to the writing) especially when the voice actors carried their character and emotion from the scene into the stage directions, instead of just reading them out plainly. And, at the very least, the premise of the show is also really interesting (at least to me, mainly because I created 2 stories with a similar idea without even knowing anything about it. Simplified, specific superpowers are just perfect for character designing, you know?) 

But I am kinda acting like the writing was bad, but it really wasn’t all things considered… I’m just not really into comedy, and when the comedy I don’t like is paired with writing and practically everything else I do like it doesn’t sit right with me. Considering this idea and some of the story beats were adopted from a DnD(-esque?) campaign, I feel like it’s much more fine. Frankly, I’m surprised I didn’t realize it sooner. Once I read about that, everything just fell into place. I’m not really into DnD either, though…

So, I feel like there are things to gain from thinking about this. While Epithet Erased is still on the mind, I feel like I’ve realized something about the juxtaposition of comedy and sincerity, that being that comedic characters can exist in sincere surroundings, and vice versa. Zora specifically could be one of these characters, because she’s so powerful that she probably sees everything around her as trivial, while the other characters have more sincere reactions to her obscene power. She could easily crack a sick joke that no one laughs at because she’s the only one who can find humor in whatever’s going on. By contrast, the thing about Mera’s fear of ducks was a product of the scene and not of the character, so it just ruined things. Nothing about it was made to be funny to the characters, it was made to be funny to the audience, even though the audience should be in sincere mode then. 

Another character that I think works like this is Charlie from Hazbin Hotel, who is the sincere personality in a world of complete and total insincerity. She’s basically a more unique kind of straight man (despite being neither straight nor a man), who are always the grounding in comedic casts, like Squidward in Spongebob. I guess in sincere stories there are comedic relief characters, and in comedies there are straight men. You know, these are probably all things other people have figured out already… at least I can feel good knowing I sort of reached them on my own…

    I think a good solution for stuff that’s primarily meant to be a comedy is to make it almost entirely comedic, at least with the inclusion of a straight man if needed. The big name that comes to mind is good ol Monty Python, the backbone of 14 year old boys’ humor style. At some point I realized why I like the humor of The Holy Grail, at least above other comedic movies, is that they don’t hold back at all. At no point whatsoever do they pull back the veil and put in a sincere moment. And, of course, since I can basically recite the entire movie from memory I think it did wonders. I think when it comes to comedies like this, trying to be too sincere at certain points makes it feel even less sincere than if it didn’t have the sincere moment at all. This might be a product of the 00s American family-rated live action comedies who all feel like they fall into that same boat, where the entire movie is hijinks, but then at the very end they pull that all back and have something really impactful happen, with the idea being having some shoehorned message about “family” or whatever. I can group so many movies into that category that it feels almost corporate how many there are like that, and because it’s both overdone and geared towards too generalized of an audience, trying to capture the comedy-lovers and sincere-lovers, it really just fails in both ways. Or, maybe people love them because they’re just barely bad enough to enjoy it in a so-bad-it’s-good sort of way. I dunno. If I wasn’t a little nostalgic for the time those types of movies might be my all-time least favorite.

    But I’m a stick in the mud who hates comedy so I’m not really equipped to tell anyone how to do it right. Instead, I feel like there’s some seriously untapped potential in other forms of “feel-good” tones, like casual lightheartedness and just plain fun. I feel like those two things really work towards creating sincere stories that are still enjoyable, and not just one shot of sadness after another, while still having a dash of impactful emotion in them.

    I feel like this is where Pixar really shines. People say “It’s not a true Pixar movie if you don’t cry at the end” because I think Pixar movies are great at making the audience lower their guard, and when the moment is right, hitting you right in your heart to make you feel the right emotions. For example, what I’d call my favorite movie of all time (for intents and purposes, if not for real), Inside Out, is all about emotional sincerity, where it’s trying to get across how it’s okay to feel sad, even though the world around you tends to say happiness is always what you want. For most of the movie, it’s a pretty casual romp around the inner workings of Riley’s mind, with some jokes thrown in (because it doesn’t have to be completely without jokes). I’m not really sure how to explain it, but the various jokes in Inside out feel like they’re sort of blended with the interesting workings of this fantasy mind-world, like the fact that earworms are just the little blobby workers in our minds sending the memory of the song back up to the control panel for the hell of it, or that our dreams are a product of a Hollywood-like place in our minds. These things definitely are there for humor, but something about them feels much more fun than just any kind of generic comedy. 

    Then, I feel like the most important thing about fun and lightheartedness is that they feel like they blend so much better with the sincere moments. Obviously if it’s too quick it’ll still be bad, but I think it’ll be much less bad than with comedy. Maybe you could think of it like a spectrum with pure comedy at one end and pure tragedy at the other, with fun and lightheartedness just barely crossing the midpoint towards the comedy side. Since there’s less of a gap between it and tragedy compared to pure comedy, it feels less jarring. Plus, it just feels more reasonable logically speaking, since comedy sort of puts up this insincere barrier to sort of suspend the disbelief that the events in question are supposed to be taken seriously, which makes breaking that barrier harder once it’s established. With fun and lightheartedness, there may be an expectation of it sort of maintaining itself but there isn’t as much to say there isn’t something hiding in the background. In Inside Out at least, throughout Joy and Sadness’ journey they are pretty determined to get back to the control panel to save Riley, but they’re for the most part confident they can do it (or, you know, just Joy’s confident), so they sort of interpret the world around them in a more casual light, but with that lower-level need still there. But when Joy falls into the abyss of forgotten memories and the hopelessness sets in, you feel it much more, because it was sort of already there to begin with, and it was just made perfectly clear at that moment. I think Bing Bong’s emotions during the scene also make it pretty emotional, since he’s being casual about his death while also being sincere about his sacrifice for Riley’s sake. Not to mention his inner sadness was outed while talking with Sadness.

    I feel like if I were trying to write an actual essay I could probably phrase all this a lot better. I just think there’s a ton of value to lightheartedness in stories, as opposed to comedy, for the sake of “feeling good.” Pretty much all of my favorite things have that tone to them to some degree, like Wander Over Yonder, my for sure favorite TV show. It definitely feels fun in a way that can elicit laughs, but it’s not a lot like “This is a joke and you should laugh” most of the time (Disregarding the Evil Sandwich, my least favorite character in the show). I also think Steven Universe succeeds very well with that tone, creating an extremely comfy atmosphere when it comes to the less climactic episodes. 

    I also vastly prefer the lighthearted resolutions to the conflicts in lighthearted stories. Frankly, I am infinitely more likely to cry to a comfy and happy resolution than I am to the actual sad parts. I’m not really sure what it is about them, but I guess the characters finally being happy again after emotional turmoil warrants a happy-cry. I swear, if I think too hard about the scene where Riley finally admits her sadness to her parents and just sits in their warm embrace, I tear up. It feels so much better than hijinks-danger-hijink resolution. 

    But yeah, the stories I want to write the most will all inevitably have that sort of lighthearted flair to them, unless of course I choose to go more inherently serious with a story. There’s nothing wrong with that either. 

    With regard to the really big claim I made before about there being too much humor in the world, the themes of Inside Out, and what I said about comedy’s insincere barrier, I really think the world as a whole would benefit from valuing humor a little less. It feels like there are so many situations where people sort of want to maintain their good feelings with humor instead of more directly dealing with issues in a sincere mindset. For example, if people say something disagreeable (but not insane), It feels like too many people resort to making jokes at that person’s expense and not dealing with the issues directly. Obviously if someones saying some insane bullshit it’s fine, but when the more reasonable takes that are just barely put under the same umbrella as the insane shit are made fun of, it really deepens the trench between the people of different opinions. Of course, humor isn’t the only thing deepening that trench, but it really feels like one of them a lot of the time.

    Apart from that, I feel like using humor as a way to distract from general negativity and negative emotions like what Inside Out sort of warns against can be pretty detrimental too. Obviously happiness can still be around, but putting up that kind of barrier between you and the necessary sincerity for emotion with comedy just makes the unpleasantness of the unpleasant stuff that much more unpleasant. I’m saying this one at least out of personal experience, since I have sort of developed to be too subconsciously against super sad and sincere real world scenarios. I haven’t personally felt too many of them myself, but I definitely feel myself blocking off some of my own emotional vulnerability, especially around other people. I can consciously talk against it, like I’m doing now, but I feel like it’s going to take a long time for that barrier to really break. Is humor to blame for that sort of thing? Maybe, with a dash of toxic masculinity and other buzzwords people often avoid for reasons I mentioned in the last paragraph. 

    Even though this one is much more unreasonably generalizable than the last two things, I feel like the popularity of self-deprecating humor across the internet also (probably?) takes a toll on some people. Obviously some people might just use it to their genuine benefit, but since it seems so common surely some people are putting on a self-deprecating face to get along, and eventually maybe even believing what they used to joke about themselves. Either way, it might be a product of an extreme departure from any kind of narcissism, making being self-confident and self-loving just that little bit harder for people.

    But, while I’m not the most equipped to judge writing, I’m even less equipped to actually debate for the existence of all those things, so just know I’m kinda speaking with my heart and not my brain here. People obviously want and need different things, and I’m probably just projecting. Hell, maybe that’s me self-deprecating to not make me seem weird to everyone else. I dunno.

        No matter what, all this reliance on humor really just shows who is and isn’t funny. Sometimes, people really need to get a grip. Frankly, I don’t think I’m that funny either, which is why I’ve kind of had the humor beaten out of me by one too many awkward silences after a weird joke in my elementary/middle school days. I guess that’s my cartoon villain origin story. 

[unordinary-analysis]

Episode 175

Honorable mentions:

The news report that one student was trying to turn into Isen was titled, “Retaliation Against Jokers”

The two definitions of “hunter” are: 1. a person (or animal) who hunts game or other wild animals for food or in sport. 2. a person who searches for or seeks something.

Wasn’t expecting so much on Isen, but now here we are

Claire’s instagram actually exists @little_apple7 and the first post was created on March 14, so you can go follow her if you want haha

Blyke already knows that Isen likes to look at girls from other schools, I don’t know why Isen’s hiding Claire from him smh…

I'm so hyper right now jesus christ

I wanted these posts to be getting shorter smh

Wait-- do Arlo and Sera know about when the superhero posse became the superhero posse? Lmao

The fact that all Seraphina knew about Claire was her name and her town, and that Isen was able to find her ilffkjkeajsfgdsf

DOES ANYONE KNOW THAT JOHN IS A YEAR OLDER THAN EVERYONE IN HIS GRADE OR ARE THEY GONNA FIND OUT WHEN CLAIRE SHOWS UP it’s not that big of a deal i'm just interested

Not proofreading so hopefully I didn’t cut myself off mid-sentence anywhere rip

Isen:

    There’s actually a few things on my mind this week when it comes to Isen. First of all is his reluctance to be involved, which isn’t new and is actually something I’ve talked about before, but oh well. The second is his ability. I have also mentioned this before, but Isen’s ability has always seemed pretty vague to me, which is surprising considering that he’s one of the main characters and we’ve seen it a good amount of times.

    Anyway: his reluctance to be involved with any of the hierarchy drama. Isen is, at this point, notorious for wanting nothing to do with Arlo and his drama. Though he’s being more straight-forward with this currently, Isen has always displayed this. At the beginning of the comic, Isen was hesitant about investigating John for Arlo. And there was also that time when Arlo made Isen head of the newspaper, despite Isen not wanting the job. Also when Remi became a superhero, Isen was kind of dragged along and resisted participating (kind of weird example if I’m honest). These are some quick examples, but there are more. I’m just kind of lazy tbh. Anyway, recently, Isen has been vocalizing his discomfort even more. The best example of that is probably episode 164 where Isen directly calls Arlo out for not only involving Isen in things he wants nothing to do with, but also for involving others. I talk about the nature of that conversation, and how it highlights the character differences in Isen and Arlo, in my episode analysis for episode 164. Anyway, Isen has a big issue with this and explains this to Arlo.

    This theme of wanting to be left out of drama isn’t exactly specific to Isen, though. It’s a pretty common theme for people to be pissed off because they’re being forced into situations, usually by Arlo. Seraphina experienced this a little near the beginning of the comic when Arlo brought her along to turf wars even though at that point she’d stepped down from being queen. Elaine tends to experience this often, as well, though not exclusively with Arlo, whenever she is involved because of her healing ability. The big example is actually John, however. John has stressed many times that he just wanted to be left out of the hierarchy to all of the other characters, especially Arlo. This is his “reason” for taking down the school’s hierarchy. John didn’t want anything to do with the hierarchy, but when he couldn’t stay apart from it any longer, his remaining option to not be a part of the hierarchy was to destroy it.

    My point is, that if Arlo keeps forcing people into situations and responsibilities that they either don’t want or aren’t ready for, he’s going to have a real issue on his hands, like what happened with John. He does realize this, however, which we found out after he was dethroned and was reflecting on his interactions with John. Regarding Isen, I think that there’s a possibility Isen will either fail Arlo or turn on him (hopefully teaming up with Cecile, but we’ll keep our fingers crossed for that one). Isen’s been too vocal about his dislike of being involved with things (wording?) to continue to go along with it. Even though he is a very temperate character and doesn’t usually act up, I don’t think this trait alone will solidify his loyalty to Arlo. That also wouldn’t be utilizing his character’s potential in the current storyline, and the plot is probably the most detailed and worked on aspect of UnOrdinary. The thing about all of this is, Arlo can’t exactly just leave people alone when they want to be left alone because all of his decisions are made on the behalf of the school and if he can secure the school’s well-being at the expense of putting more pressure on a singular person, he’s obviously going to do that. This is what makes Arlo’s situation so complicated. There is no “correct” answer. Arlo is involving Isen because he needs his expertise to investigate characters like John and now Terrence. Nobody else would be as effective as Isen, which is why Arlo turns to Isen. There isn’t any way for Arlo to totally win.

    Anyway, like I said, I think that Isen will reach his breaking point relatively soon and Arlo is going to suffer from that. Whether it’s betrayal or not. This idea of forced involvement really involves both of these characters so any changes in their dynamic as it is right now will really affect the storyline, I think. We’ll just have to look out for this, however. 

    Their dynamic in this episode, though, is a bit too comedic to support any type of breaking point between the two, which makes me uneasy.

    Now, let’s move on to the second topic of Isen’s section: his ability. Isen’s ability “Hunter” is one of my personal favorites. Mimicking a “hunter,” Isen has a set of skills that help him to track down and take down his targets. The list of skills is listed on the UnOrdinary Wiki as follows:

Targeting

X-Ray Vision (involving people) (aka when Isen detects location/heartbeat)

Enhanced Strength

Enhanced Speed

Telescopic Vision (Passive (?))

Enhanced Precision (similar to Targeting)

Enhanced Hearing

    These are more of defensive traits, so here’s a bit of description on his offensive ability from me:

Built-up/wound-up punch: “He builds up his power into one punch, which, when let loose, is appallingly effective. His ability probably multiplies the force of his initial build-up, releasing when Isen’s fist hits his target.” -(my episode analysis of episode 126)

Visible “Target” on opponent: (Targeting from above, but used in a more offensive way)

“Isen’s general fighting style is a one-hit K.O. system. He attacks them with the strong attack, leaving his opponent weak, then rushes in for the “kill,” a kind of animalistic instinct… His method doesn’t require much strategy or stamina. It is efficient and precise. Strike to take down.” -(my analysis for ep 126)

Isen’s offensive is strong enough to hold up in a fight against Blyke (before Blyke started to level up) because in one of the first episodes, they have an ongoing battle over Isen’s pen that neither wins. This puts Isen’s offensive at relatively high (because Joker’s obvious power advantage didn’t really show this off when Isen and John fought)

    Anyway, there’s the base of Isen’s power and kind of what we already know about it. But in this episode, we get to see it again, like I said before, it’s always kind of fascinating to me whenever we get to see Isen’s power. His is one of the more interesting ones in the comic by far. It’s animalistic nature paired with human mechanics creates an interesting blend that we don’t see in any other character really. The idea of Isen’s power is so alluring to me for some reason. I don’t know. I’m not really going anywhere with this lmao. Anyway, we learned a few things about Isen’s ability in this episode that we didn’t know before.

    One: Isen does not have the passive ability to sense people/auras like John is theorized to have (this isn’t canon, right?). This isn’t anything surprising seeing as John’s ability is literally called Aura Manipulation, but it’s pretty exaggerated in this episode that Isen really needs to activate his ability to be able to sense people, even having to close his eyes, but the eyes part might be more about the execution of his ability, which is my third thing.

    Two: Isen can sense people!! Lol this might seem a bit redundant after my last point, but this is something new from him that I haven’t really noticed before even though we’ve technically seen it before. In episode 124, near the end of the episode, we have a scene where Isen is running around the school scanning through walls and people looking for Seraphina. He is technically “sensing” people and is even able to identify them as not Seraphina, so obviously he has some way to distinguish people. This makes Isen almost like a walking Marauders' Map, for lack of a better explanation. I’m not really sure how to go deeper into this because I’ve never really been all that confident in talking about the UnOrdinary Characters’ powers, so I’ll just leave it here that I think Isen being able to sense/find people is really cool.

    Three: Echolocation. This is something really new to this episode. In episode 175 (this episode lol), Isen is shown mentally standing in a black void/abyss along with Sera and Arlo with puddles like ripples around each character’s feet, when he activates his power to try to sense anyone else in the room. This visual is very similar to how bats, and other animals, use echolocation to “see.” Echolocation is, “the location of objects by reflected sound, in particular that used by animals such as dolphins and bats,” according to the Oxford dictionary. If Isen is truly using echolocation, then he locates people by soundwaves, which would make sense considering that sound seems to be the thing Isen is usually shown to be involved with (wording was bad but idc). I do think that this detail is a bit weak in comparison to echolocation because there have been times where Isen has sensed/tracked people where it would have been difficult to rely upon sound, like the school or the mall, but if his hearing is really that enhanced, it could still work. I’m also up for looking for things besides sound that Isen could be sensing with his ripple thing. I know I labeled this as echolocation, but it’s very possible he uses a more supernatural trait to utilize these. I just liked the idea of Isen having echolocation if I’m honest. I found this whole concept interesting because of the animal ties and Isen’s ability being named “Hunter.” I also might be tempted to look into bats specifically in the future if we get more details on Isen’s ability that make it worthwhile. I want to compare the two, but not if it’s unprompted. 

    Terrence:

    We get some new information about Terrence in this episode and it is as follows:

Isen would put Terrence around a 2.4 ability-wise

Terrence only started attending Wellston at the beginning of the year

    Along with this, we also get some less straight-forward, but just as meaningful, information. Isen says, “So the invisible guy at the mall… That was him too?!” which from a storytelling standpoint basically confirms that it was in fact him. This quote would not be included if it were not correct because it would only add confusion if it were incorrect (which is its possible intent, but I’ll talk about that in a second). Another quote from this episode was Arlo’s quote, “Then he, or whoever he’s working for… has some sort of fixation on hightiers.” Because of the same reasoning from above, this basically confirms that Terrence is working for somebody or else it would be a very random thing for uru-chan to include in the comic especially since there is no evidence for the characters to even suspect that Terrence is working for somebody. Same thing with Sera’s quote, “I’m almost certain that… Terrence is connected to my ability-loss.”

    But, like I said, there is a possibility this is all a juke by uru-chan to get us to believe these things so she can successfully trick us and reveal that Terrence has been fighting EMBER this whole time or some shit, but I don’t think that is likely because if that were true, I feel uru-chan would have stressed this Terrence and EMBER connection even more than she has already. But this is still a possibility, though I will be ignoring it in this post. Because that would be just awful. 

    Anyway, now that that’s all out of the way and we are caught up, I don’t want to waste my time talking specifically about these things because they’re either too small of details or I’m not getting inspired because of them. The only interesting thing that we really learn this episode is that Terrence transferred to Wellston at the beginning of this school year (which is around when the first episode takes place), but I’m not sure what to think about that so I’m going to give it a week or two before discussing that. The rest is either unimportant or we basically already knew (or at least suspected).

    What I am going to talk about is Terrence’s involvement with EMBER and my thoughts on it. I’ve been pretty clear in the past when I say that I think that Terrence is part of EMBER. I’ve made whole posts on this, okay? I think. I don’t know. It feels like I have.

    Anyway, I’ve talked about this a little in the UnOrdinary chat here on tumblr, so come join if you haven’t. But basically, I think that Terrence works under EMBER to some extent, or however that would work, but on a lower-tier. He’s a lesser employee, I guess. I don’t really know how to phrase this, though it should be easy. I think that Terrence works at a level low enough where he is not directly being made aware of EMBER’s true intentions or actions, and that he’s probably been given some bullshit reason for the jobs he’s done that makes it seem to him like he is doing a good thing. EMBER might be really convincing too and have him thinking that the things EMBER is actually doing are good. Whatever it is, I think that Terrence thinks he is doing the right thing. This could be his incentive for working with them, though I like the thought that Terrence wants some of EMBER’s ability enhancers for either himself or someone he knows, because that has more potential as a motive.

    So, I just said that the things mentioned in this episode are basically confirmed because of their mention, so I’m going to use them as examples of what Terrence has done under EMBER. The same goes for when, in episode 172, Seraphina thinks, “Invisibility? That day, on our way back from Kovoro Mall… the person following us also had invisibility. Is this just a coincidence?” That’s part of this for the same reasons.

    I think Terrence’s main job is to spy on whoever he is told, but that from time to time, he is also required to do some other small jobs like being a lookout or the get-away car person (I don’t know what it’s called). He’s spied on John and Sera on their way back from the mall, he’s spied on the main characters in hallways at schools, etc. And he was the driver with the superhero posse’s mall incident.

    Something brought up by the UnOrdinary chat was that Terrence would solve the problem of EMBER having to give out teddy bears to track high-tiers, but I think that giving Terrence the task of tracking the high-tiers at school would be way less efficient than direct trackers. Also, you don’t really want to rely upon a second-year in highschool for your entire scheme, now would you. So that’s why I think EMBER doesn’t use him to find high-tiers. Also, Terrence only has access to Wellston’s students, which is a very small pool compared to the literal rest of the world.

    The only thing that I can’t exactly figure out is Terrence’s connection with the school newspaper. The best thing I could come up with was that Vaughn, the principal or whoever he is, is working for EMBER and is giving Terrence instructions on what to do, but that doesn’t make sense when you take into account that Vaughn hates the authorities and EMBER are probably working with or even are the authorities. Shame, though, this would’ve been interesting. Terrence does, however, go out of his way to publish his stories in the school newspaper, which needs an explanation… This makes me think that EMBER as an organization are focusing on Wellston specifically. Maybe because they know about John’s history and want to see what he would do to Wellston (which is another thing that could be a possible connection to Vaughn and why he’s so lenient about John’s actions). They might be using Terrence as a way to fuel/spark any conflicts or climaxes. There’s also the interesting detail that ever since Isen became the head of the newspaper, Terrence hasn’t submitted anything that big, at least according to Isen in this episode.

    Anyways, I think that Terrence’s presence in the comic is a very big deal because it is the most direct connection to EMBER and their activities. Terrence, himself, might not play the biggest part, but he is a way for the other characters to dive into EMBER themselves, and a way for the audience to be reminded of the big, underlying plotline.

Claire:

    Claire’s mention in this episode is one of the highlights to most people. And to me. I am most people. God, I love Claire. In 2018, the only two comments I made on UnOrdinary were, “Petition to transfer Claire to Wellston for drama,” and, “#TRANSFERCLAIRETOWELLSTON.” So, just the fact that we’re getting Claire is just blowing my mind right now. Obviously, I know she's not transfering, but I don’t care. We’re getting Claire. And I am screaming.

    Anyway, we’re getting Claire interaction between Seraphina and Claire, which is not only very entertaining, but interesting considering how similar their experiences with John were. This is actually why Seraphina is reaching out to Claire. Seraphina is going into this interaction with the knowledge that John accidently views her as this person, which is bound to make an interesting dynamic between Claire and Sera. And dynamic. Is. Everything. Anyways, I don’t really have an analysis for this, but I want to make a bunch of kinda predictions because I feel like that’s all I can do. 

    I don’t think that Claire is going to want to talk to Seraphina at first, because she obviously wants to leave that part of her past behind. But they do eventually have to talk to each other so-- I think that Claire is going to be very serious towards Seraphina when explaining to her everything about John. This is why I think they will meet up in person right away, despite them having the option of texting and despite Claire living far away. Something else I’m excited for is all of the new things we’re going to learn about John. I think that Claire is going to be very interested to hear about how John became a cripple for about a year, because that’s just something I think Claire would find hard to believe. I’m interested in seeing what Claire knows about John’s dad and what their relationship is. I don’t know, just--John’s dad has gone for too long, especially considering what happened recently. Anyway, I think that Claire and Sera are going to end up as good friends. Either that or they’re going to hate each other, which would be amusing, but kind of unlikely. The thing about all of this is that we literally don’t know anything about Claire’s personality and what happened to her after John. She is unknown to us.

    I also think that Adrion is going to play a big part in the comic as well, because his presence was focused on along with Claire’s a lot. Adrion was in, I think, every photo shown of Claire and John (in this episode). We also don’t know a whole lot about him, which is unusual because you would expect that we would at least know his ability, but we don’t. We know the abilities of almost every minor character, but Adrion is a recurring and important character. This is why I think he’s going to show up, and why I think he’s going to be different than he seems. Like, maybe he’ll be introduced to Seraphina as all friendly and stuff, but then we find out that he’s evil. I don’t know. I just like stuff like that.

    This section is hella short for the topic it’s on, but because I don’t have much to add to this Claire thing and also that my feelings have kind of numbed out during the past week (because this is being written/posted really late), I don’t know what else to add. I’m just really excited and it’s hard to get your thoughts together about something you're really excited about. I don’t think we’ll get any interactions with her in the next episode, but the one after seems likely to me.

[jemimaboultonmessagesmultiverse]

Ransom note style collaging

Today I created some compositions in a ransom note style by cutting up articles and writing, changing the order of the words and what they mean, before developing onto these with different medias for a mixed media outcome. The inspirations for this task are “Tomato” (a design collective including John Warwicker and Karl Hyde), Linda Zacks, Meg Hitchcock and Steve Mccaffery. Another source of inspiration for how to start these compositions was David Bowie’s “cut up technique” which he used to write songs. 

By using words in this way within our art the messages we are trying to communicate can be in plain sight without people realising.

“Tomato” John Warwicker and Karl Hyde 

Tomato is a design collective made to “support individuals on their exploratory journey”. The particular pieces I am focusing on today are from John Warwicker’s collaboration with Underworld, where he visually responded to the content of the music to produce album covers and artwork which portrays the themes and sounds of the music in a visual format. 

To achieve this he replicated some of the techniques used in the music into his art, such as layering many elements, which can also be heard in the album. Another important part of the music to tie into the art was to make the art almost indecipherable, as Karl Hyde’s music is also indecipherable in ways from the sounds used being enigmatic to his “stream of consciousness vocal poetry” which he pairs with it.

The art is all monochrome and typographic. This works really well when paired with Underworld’s music as they have a very electronic industrial sound which has so many elements but overall a cohesive sound, so by using black and white throughout but then having many elements within, it visually shares the messages of the album. 

The black shapes on the front cover of the album remind me of the “threshold” technique I have used previously in photoshop and therefore it is something I could possibly implement in my photoshop lessons. I really like how distorted and mysterious most of the imagery is in this and how you can’t really tell what they are of and they appear more as misshapen objects. I could use this in the future in my own work to display glitches and hacking.

I also really like the way all of the type is duplicated and overlapped in this part of the cover and I was heavily influenced by this in one of the pieces I created. My favourite element of this is where the text “30 feet above” gets cut up and squashed with lines as it reminds me almost of an elevator as you see yourself go past all the lines which are different levels. The use of different fonts is also something I am heavily inspired by as it adds lots of intrigue and could represent all the different sounds and stories that Karl Hyde is trying to communicate in this album.

Linda Zacks

Linda Zacks is a contemporary artist who’s visual storytelling uses many different mediums to create compelling, vibrant mixed media outcomes. She describes her work as “part paint, part poetry” and sends her messages on a usually large scale, making installations in cities or working on very large canvases to maximise the mediums and details she can add.

I really like the use of colour within her work especially where she sticks to one colour and uses many different tones of it to create her composition, and I used this in my own work in areas to try and replicate some of the use of colours I saw here.

Zacks’ work contains many layers and textures which I really enjoy as there is always more to notice in her work. It appears that she starts with a base layer of colour before adding type and illustration on top of it which is something I tried to do in my work. Her work makes me wish I had stencils as her use of them works in a way I really enjoy as it contrasts something uniform against the scratchy hand written words in what is presumably oil pastel.

I also like how the words in this piece are all black and white on their colourful backdrop, as that could be to emphasise the message of the piece. The piece to me seems as though it is highlighting the control that places and the government have on how we live our lives, telling us “no” we can’t do things. The colourful background is counteracting the serious words and voices we have to put up with on a daily basis.

As said previously, I really like how this piece only contains one many colour and uses many tones of it. I really like how colourful the silhouette is and how the type within it can share the message of the piece. The bright red which is paired with the pink could be to share the violence in the city and how living in a city can aggressively affect your life and perception of the world. The text “boxed in” can be seen which could be Zacks’ way of communicating her feeling towards cities to her audience.

In my own work I tried to create some mixed media outcomes similar to Zacks and I tried to make my words appear as different textures to communicate something within my message.

Meg Hitchcock

Meg Hitchcock is a text based artist who works with sacred texts as part of her lifelong interest in religion, literature and psychology. In her work she takes texts and cuts them up letter by letter to rearrange them into a pattern and abstract shape. She mainly uses curved, flowing lines and creates her work in such a way that the trail of letters is one continuous line. The messages in her work could be perceived as religious due to the words being that of actual religious passages, but could also be perceived as very anti religion, as you aren’t typically meant to “destroy” religious passages like this. She spends hours cutting and sticking to produce “visual matras of devotion”.

Personally, I see her art as a respectful visual presentation of these passage which still tells the audience the original message, just in a different form.

I really like the way she cuts up the letters to create new compositions with them, and I attempted to use this in my own work but it didn’t work very well or as I intended. The scale in which she works sometimes is extremely large and the intricacy that she achieves is phenomenal. I think the way she makes these letters swirl and curve is extremely captivating to look at and follow. I also like how she manages to create smooth curves with small rectangles and straight lines. 

The way her shapes chosen are influenced by the passages she uses are very interesting to me, as the piece above contains many words about direction and guidance, so her choice to make them centre of the composition a spiral may be so that the piece has a direction.

The piece above is a small extract from a composition which contains so many curves and is very large. By the way that the words are arranged it looks as though the words are almost crushing eachother, like the words on top are weighing down on the words below. this could be Hitchcock’s way of send the message that the passage chosen for this piece is very heavy and not a joyous read.

Steve McCaffery

Steve McCaffery is a poet who uses typography to create abstract typewriter art that captures the concept of the poem in an abstract way. He sticks to a black and red colour scheme with a white background throughout all his pieces, and he uses many different scales of type and repeating letters. A common occurrence in his pieces are circles or semi circles of type of a single word, highlighting the importance of this word in the overall message of the typographic compositions.

The pieces contain the poem along with additional letters overlapping and producing new shapes and additional elements to the page which help to push forward the message McCaffery is communicating. I like how he uses this artistic format to emphasise and display pats of the poem in a way which isn’t just reading it from left to right. An example of what i mean is above where text says “coral reefs and later a land bridge” it is in a wave shape, not a straight line, to visually represent the coral reefs and bridges mentioned.

I was very inspired by the repetitive use of “O” within this piece and it reminded me of binary code so I used that  within one of my compositions about robots to send the message of technology and robotics.

I really like how he repeated words and shows them facing directions which aren’t the way words typically face. I also like how he joins the verses of his poetry together by overlapping them, as that way they keep their original message without being cut up but still create a new appearance and this creates some darker areas within the composition. Another thing I took inspiration from in this piece is how there is one area where all the ink and type is concentrated, and everything builds off of that until the edge of the page where there is little to no type. In my own work I tried to have areas where there was more type that then gradually built out to nothing, but it was not as effective.

David Bowie’s “cut up technique”

David Bowie utilised a technique when writing songs which is similar to this art as he would cut up words and phrases and put them back together to make some abstract lyrics unlike any others at the time. It was this technique which would bring him some of his most famous songs and deem him unforgettable in the future. He would take is weird and wonderful thoughts, write them down and put them back together like a puzzle to see what fits and sounds good and what doesn’t. The more bizarre the better, at times. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1InCrzGIPU

The technique was originally made popular by William S Burroughs, a French poet who would cut up and rearrange his text to create a new one. In my own work I cut up text in a similar way to this to create out of context pieces of text that I could then put into context with the art I chose to apply on top of it.

My ransom note collages

In my own ransom note style pieces I took inspiration from all areas of these 5 artist’s ways of working to create my own pieces relevant to my news articles.

To start with on this piece I decided I was going to use one colour along with black and white in a similar way to McCaffery, however I put the the black and green in the background and made the white the foreground. I really like the texture I created by using a dry brush to spread the ink as it is similar to some of the textures seen in Zacks’ work. I didn’t want the background to be entirely black and green so I left some of the white of the paper, but in hindsight that wasn’t the best idea as you cant see some of the type I added as it is white on white. I chose the colour green as green and black is a colour scheme commonly associated with spies in the media (for example, it is used heavily throughout “The Matrix”), and therefore the message of spies is instantly recognisable as I chose to focus this first piece around my article about the CIA creating robot fly spies.

Before I added type I added some cut up extracts of the article I was representing to add to the image, in a similar way to Meg Hitchcock. I created the shape of eyes with these people so that they would stand out and send the message that the fly is watching you. I don’t particularly like how this turned out as I don’t think the representation of eyes is very understandable, I wish it were more obvious what it is.

I also don’t like the elements I added after this. I tried to make the fly out of binary but it isn’t very obvious what it is due to the lack of detail added. I also added some type in a binary font but the white in the background makes it unreadable. 

If I was to do this again I would make sure that the background was slightly more saturated with colour and I would make the fly the only focus so I could add more detail to it. I would also make this on a larger scale for the same reason.

For this piece I was heavily influenced by John Warwicker’s work on the album cover for Underworld and the way David Bowie would use the cut up technique. I cut up my article into fragments which made little sense without context and arranged them in a way which I thought would represent a corrupt file, as the article I worked with for this piece was also a technology based one, this time themed around robots displaying human emotions. To create the look of corruption I staggered the lines of writing and also left extremely large gaps between parts of it to make it look out of the ordinary.

When adding the type on top of my article cut outs, I decided to pick out words and phrases from the composition that were already there and enlarge them and duplicate them. I also added some black areas on the page and wrote on them with a white pen. which I think worked really well to add some deepness to areas of the composition which I felt were unbalanced. I also really like the area where I created a mirror image of the type of “artificial faces” as I feel it could send the message of how these robots are mirroring our facial expressions but are not real, just a reflection of how they have been produced.

I am much more happy with this piece than I was the previous one as I think it works well as a representation for the article and it highlights the important phases to communicate the message. I also am really glad I chose to leave white space and I didn’t add any colour as the lack of colour and harsh contrast between black and white acts as a communication of the difference between human-like robots and real humans.

For my 3rd piece I made the subject of my composition the article about mammoths being resurrected by scientists. I started by applying colour to the background and brown in the rough shape of a mammoth. I tried to keep my brush dry so that some of the texture could be seen, in a similar way to Linda Zacks’ work. I chose the blue as the background as mammoths were alive in a cold climate and blue is usually associated with freezing temperature.

To represent the scientific element of this story and also to show that the mammoth could be living, I collaged a simplified anatomical heart and I used the news article to create a skeleton for the mammoth. The idea to use the words for the ribs was inspired by how Meg Hitchcock and Steve McCaffery create shapes with their words to illustrate the meaning behind them.

I was inspired by Zacks’ style again when adding words as I tried to use different medias to create words in different textures. The dark blue words have a more calm feel to them since they are written in ink and therefore aren’t scratchy, whereas the words in blue and white are scratchy due to them being done in acrylic paint very quickly. I wanted to have this effect to communicate the time period that mammoths are from as they could represent cavemen’s inscriptions onto walls and other writing forms from a long time ago.

Overall I am extremely happy with how this piece turned out and I think the mixed media approach I took to it worked very successfully to emphasise all the elements I wanted and included many textures within.

[youngboy-oldmind]

DISCOGRAPHY REVIEW: 1) THE INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY ft. My Girlfriend

“Tell me what I wouldn't wanna give for a life like this, arm and a leg quite like this/ Fuck around wanna fight like this, take a hike like this/ I might just, might just, I don't know/ Reinvention, that's my intention/ Want so much more than this third-dimension/ That's not to mention my true ascension is a bigger picture/ No metaphor, I’m being real with ya”

Overall Thoughts

After the success and impressive display Under Pressure, Logic follows up with his sophomore album The Incredible True Story: A perfect embodiment of Logic as a person, rapper, and artist. Here, he is at his most creative, telling an entire story through the lens of a futuristic fictional sci-fi story. Filled with narratives, skits that give insight to the crew’s personalities, and an overall message that resonates even after the album concludes, The Incredible True Story is the perfect reflection of Logic as an artist.

If someone asked me to introduce them to Logic, I’d start with this album. If you start with a deeper, more experimental album like Everybody or a project not quite as unique like Under Pressure, they may be left unsatisfied or unimpressed. But it’s near impossible to dislike his most rounded and well-constructed project.

I’ve said this with every project of his, but the production was excellent. The techy, spacey instrumentals perfectly parallel the theme and tone of the project. The vocal inflections on “Fade Away”, “Young Jesus”, “Run It” and the choir in the first half of “City of Stars” were all brilliantly executed. Also, Logic allowed collaborations on some tracks and they were some of the highlights on the album: Big Lenbo on “Young Jesus”, Lucy Rose on “Innermission”, and Jesse Boykins III on “Paradise”. Overall, the construction of each song on this album was near perfect. It can’t be overstated.

Logic branched out stylistically on this project. On Under Pressure, each song had a relatively similar tone, which made that project very consistent yet unspectacular. The fixed tone was good for the purpose of that project but restricted him from reaching a high peak. Here, his delivery, instrumentals, and lyrical style varied and was less consistent, allowing him to reach highs like “Fade Away” and “City of Stars” while also allowing him to reach lows like “I Am The Greatest”. Despite that flaw, the unique style of the album improves its overall ranking and separates him from the issue of his last project; the issue of being indistinct and being a carbon copy of his influences. 

That’s one of the biggest strengths of this album. While I can think of other artists that could do Under Pressure or No Pressure, I don’t think anyone can do The Incredible True Story. Logic has a niche combination of lyrical talent, production skills, and geekiness that shines profusely. 

The main theme of this project is doing what you love and finding life. This theme paired the fictional nature of the album’s structure loosens the restraint on Logic. Before, he was limited by discussing his experiences and thoughts in an autobiographical way, whereas now he’s allowed to discuss things from an outside perspective and speak more prophetically.

Album Breakdown

Side Note: I will be adding comments and thoughts from my girlfriend who also loves this album. Her comments will be bolded.

1. Contact

This was extremely creative. I was instantly drawn into the music. Sounded like a soundtrack I'd hear in a movie. And the introductory conversation between the two men established a very interesting and compelling start to the album and makes it feel like I'm getting ready to start a story book. Solid start, can't wait to see what happens.

2. Fade Away

Off the rip, this track had me excited. As I mentioned earlier, the composition and instrumental is excellent. He also comes through with an intense flex of delivery and rhyming and syllable scheme construction. This is the first song I’ve ever heard from Logic and it still gets my hype every time I hear it.

The flow in this song just hit me like a truck. The lyrics were pretty good and not necessarily a brag, but more of a showcase of pride. The music was also very catchy and had my bobbing my head before he started rapping. But the flow! Absolutely loved it. Def a hype song for me.

3. Upgrade

This track transitions well from the previous song discussing kai upgrading his system. Logic discusses “upgrading” from his old life and mindset. The space background with a simple drum pattern is satisfying.

Loved how the intro music played off of the space theme established by the intro. The music was already banging, and the countdown had me anticipating what's to come. Liked how the lyrics also incorporated space elements. Somewhat simple song with somewhat basic lyrics, but overall still quite enjoyable.

4. White People (Scene)

This was super fun to listen to and I was laughing when the black guy made fun of the white-man-horror-movie stereotype. I was almost wishing for them to investigate. I am really liking this album so far. Who knew Logic was such a innovative storyteller.

5. Like Woah

Although this song doesn’t say much content wise, the vocals were pretty slick and the instrumental was constructed well. Verses were average and I found the chorus a little iffy. But overall, it’s one of the more mid tracks.

The others definitely fit the theme of the space, but this song felt more of a Top 100 hits song. The flow was not as stellar as the songs so far, definitely no Fade Away, but still steady and impressive nonetheless. Nerdy comment, but the music reminded me of something I'd hear in a video game with the female singing--maybe Zelda or Fire Emblem.

6. Young Jesus

Although this song isn’t in my top 3, it’s still one of my favorite on the album. The boom bap 90s throwback mixes well with the modern, techy sound of the album. Logic and Big Lenbo both flow perfectly; this some of the best chemistry Logic has had with another rapper, the only other contender being Big Sean. Instrumentally this song stands out the most because its composition derives so much from the rest of the track list.

This throwback to the 90s flow with a slight modern twist was fresh as hell and a very fun listen. I actually very much enjoyed Logic's flow in this song. "See I'm a self diagnosed hypochrondria/ Either at the crib, or on the tour bus, is where you'll find me at" was a fun, funky flow that had me smiling as I listened to it. Would have definitely enjoyed if he did this flow and slight drawl in words a bit more. Big Lenbo was perfect for this song. His voice has that 90s feel and his lyrics fit the bragging feel seen in old hip hop songs.

7. Innermission

Another top track on this project, “Innermission” features Logic discussing his life’s purpose and “inner mission”. Lucy Rose on the chorus is beautiful. The mellow beat allows Logic to truly dive into his thoughts without being overwhelmed by the instrumental. And I loved the skit at the end.

Not gonna lie, the music initially reminds me of elevator music, but the lyrics hit hard. Hearing his story of his home life and his friend in prison was...heartfelt? It made me introspective of my role in my friend's lives and my own background. This song has a nostalgia to it as Logic retrospects his life before reaching fame, yet an almost hopeful undertone as he contemplates why he wanted this lifestyle and how he managed to actually accomplish it. And, of course, ending the song with a child continuing the space them fully establishes the air of wistfulness as I hear the kid's innocent tone reminiscing about his home. Genius move.

8. I Am The Greatest

There are few songs that make me rush to the skip button. “I Am The Greatest” is one of them. I hate this song. The different voice clips have no rhythm or syncopation, seemingly haphazardly tossed together. The beat is underwhelming and the yelling is obnoxious. And logics lyrics and delivery are really bad. I strongly believe this should’ve been cut or put on a project like Bobby Tarantino.

9. The Cube (Scene)

As someone who can rap and solve a Rubiks cube, I found this very funny. But also ironic, since I pulled exactly 0 girls from solving it. But, Logic is a nerd and this skit fits his personality well.

So this didn't make much sense until I looked up "logic the cube" and saw some videos of him solving a Rubik’s cube. Cute that he inserted a past time into this.

10. Lord Willin’

Logic has a very distinct flow throughout this album. It's very similar in each song with similar rhythm--I find myself bobbing my head at the same speed as his other songs. Not a bad thing, but just an interesting note. I actually quite like it, though. It makes the songs in this album more harmonious and makes it feel like one long story, rather than several songs thrown together onto one album. The lyrics themselves were actually quite inspirational. I felt a sense of pride in myself swell as I listened to him overcoming and living a full life and encouraging me to do the same. 

11. City of Stars

Arguably one of the best on the album, “City of Stars” features Logic discusses his negative/toxic relationship with the hip hop industry. The spacey beat and echoey chorus vocals area AWESOME. The echo on the snare paints a visual of singing in a wide open space. Logic’s singing is above average, his use of auto-tune isn’t bad either. The beat switch to an intense boom bap and going in sent shivers down my spine. Although this has been done before, its definitely an excellently put together concept.

Also, only hip hop fans will notice but Logic incorporates patterns and lyrics from other songs: Drake’s “Forever”, Kanye West’s “Last Call” & “Two Words” of The College Dropout, and Talib Kewli’s “Get By”. Logic isn’t one to shy away from nodding to his influences, but here it feels like paying homage instead of stealing. Top 3 track.

12. Stainless

This song is 100% dope. From the vocals on the chorus, complex background in the instrumental, Logic’s intense flow and delivery, along with the content. Another top 3 on the album.

Bruuuh, this song slapped from the moment it started. The music had a flow different from the other songs, and his energy from the first few lyrics was solid as hell. I was hype and smiling not even 20 seconds in. This is a riding-with-the-windows-down-with-the-volume-blarring-on-the-highway-as-you-flaunt-your-youth-and-just-jam-hard kind of song. I would have def played this before a basketball game to get myself hype.

13. Babel (Scene)

“Babel” was the best skit by far. I think this plays well into the theme of the album: The concept of doing what you love and finding life. This skit mentions how “paradise” may not be something you find, but something you make and maintain. And on the flip side, you can also turn paradise into “purgatory”. So this journey is about creating the best and making your own incredible life instead of trying to find it. It also transitions well into the next song both musically and thematically.

14. Paradise

This was an interesting song. When he described Paradise initially, he spoke of it as a land of racial equality. I had not expected race to play a major role in this story, but it makes sense, given his background, why he would consider this Paradise. As a fellow biracial person born without a silver spoon, I can relate to his struggle. So hearing him describe this planet called Paradise, I can see why it earned that name. But the beat change. I find it interesting that he switched the message behind his lyrics up. It changed to perseverance and strength to overcome haters and obstacles and doubt. It gives me this feeling of self-worth as I push through the negativity to achieve Paradise. Interesting that he decided to include this message after describing what Paradise looks like. Did he do this to highlight the struggle it would take to get there? The challenge? Saying how "Of those around me that down and pray on my demise/But it only makes it that much better when I rise" definitely encapsulates his ability to attain Paradise. I'm not sure, maybe he did so as proof that he finally reached the top.

15. Never Been

Years ago, I used to be a hater of Logic. I used to despise when people complimented or praised him. So this song about remaining positive and persevering while blocking out negative hits even harder. He battles with fears of being inadequate while projecting a message of not letting those fears control your life and potential success. Amazing message. Musically, the track is very solid. The sped up, high pitched vocals on the chorus and outro remind me of Kanye’s style, and the simple beat isn’t distracting emphasizes the introspective nature of the song.

"Talk all you want about me homie, I'mma let it live/Hater this, hater that, say I sound repetitive/ Hatin' in your blood, you was born to be negative" now THAT is how you diss someone. If someone said this to me, I'd just walk away because what do you say to that? I appreciate that he is able to both dis and praise in a song, yet not come off as cocky and arrogant and braggy. Listening to him, it truly sounds like he worked his ass off to achieve his fame, so hearing him brush off haters and telling me I can do it too actually makes me feel like he's right. This songs has an introspective vibe as he recounts his insecurities of failing, yet how he can't afford to "let the devil in."

16. Run It

“Run It” is another very good track on the album. The flow and beat were dope and simple yet effective and pleasing. I think this song’s placement was strange. After hard hitters like “Stainless”, “Paradise”, and “Never Been”, “Run it” feels underwhelming by comparison. I could see this after between “Like Woah” and the White People Skit. But this late into the album, this song’s tone sit right. Ultimately a great song though.

17. Lucidity

“Lucidity” gives good insight on the theme of the album. Thomas describes taking for granted people on Earth having dreams and wants instead of living to find paradise. I like the concept of one’s life and story being defined by pursuing what you want. Mostly a set up for the final song, it’s still a solid scene.

18. The Incredible True Story

This track can be defined by one word: epic. From the first half with Logic’s vocals and singing, encapsulating the whole question in this album “Who Am I?”. The instrumentation is beautiful. Then the second half with the crew landing on Paradise is so powerful and well constructed. As a listener, I feel like I’m there with the crew. You can feel everyone’s fear, nervousness, excitement, anticipation, and hope.

What. An. Ending. I had no idea how Logic was going to end this and he did not disappoint. His lyrics in the beginning. The sub-sequential inspirational message of following your desires. The 2 men as they get ready to land on Paradise. All of that was flawless. My favorite part was the music change as the female finished her countdown of the landing and it changed to this soft, exploring sound full of hope. Hearing the 2 men talk in wonder as the sounds of nature slowly encompassed the music before hearing the woman say "Life" literally made me so fucking emotional, I'm tearing up thinking about it.

Final Thoughts

The Incredible True Story is the embodiment of Logic as an artist. It is strengthened by being unsafe. Under Pressure felt like bowling with the rails up. You’re definitely gonna score, and you may hit a strike on your own, but it’s just not as good as bowling without safety rails. And yes, you may hit gutters (”I Am The Greatest”), but putting everything on the table and living/creating unrestrictedly allows you to reach highs in life/art you wouldn’t otherwise reach. And I think by allowing himself to create riskily and unhindered, he fulfilled his own theme.

As an avid bibliophile, I will tell you that most sequels are shit. But damn, this album was fucking amazing. I have been sleeping on Logic. Honestly, 12/10 ending. Logic wanted to leave a statement that he could still be one of the best even after his debut album and, trust me, he proved it. This ending alone proved that he knows how to do this shit. I feel like I just finished reading a great book. Who knew rap could be like this?

Top 3 Tracks:

1) City of Stars                      1) Stainless

2) Paradise                            2) Paradise

3) Innermission                      3) Incredible True Story

Overall Grade: A+

Album Link:

https://open.spotify.com/album/5dOpbgAmJeyoakKQ0QLWkR?si=bAQ0FEA4RMupkUEspycH1Q

[insomnihan]

han’s Entire Thoughts and Feelings on Dreamcatcher’s “Deja Vu”

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

MY TIME HAS COME 2.0!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FULL INSOMNIA MODE DONT. LOOK. AT. ME.

there are no read mores here so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ALRIGHT SO-

THE SONG OKAY LETS JUMP RIGHT INTO IT i wasnt expecting something lowkey sad BUT im not mad at it!!!!!!!!!! i had conflicting emotions when i desperately wanted to cry but also headbang?????? HOWEVER thanks to force and air the tears in my eyes were drying as i headbanged- LIKE this song really PUT ME THROUGH IT like that chorus didnt have tO DO ME LIKE THAT™!!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT THEN THE VERSES AND THE PRE-CHORUSES WERE SLOW (and the bridge but bridges be like that in nearly all songs) WHICH IM ACTUALLY REALLY INTO it was like being in a roller coaster with the verses being the slow hill and the chorus was the fall THAT PIANO GOES HARD...................... but like in a soft way????? DONT ASK ME WHAT IM SAYING IS IM A HOE™ FOR PIANO THOSE DRUMS DURING THE CHORUS STOP IT I CANNOT I FELT THEM VIBRATE THROUGH MY BONES

like i DEADASS have nothing to criticize or change about this song its PERFECTLY FINE AS IT IS (except for like more gahyeon and dami????? pls??????)

siyeon starting the song.......................... thank you.............. I STILL STAND BY SAYING I WOULD LISTEN TO HER VOICE FOR LITERALLY FOREVER HER VOICE DURING THE CHORUS QUEEN OF SINGING CHORUSES OH BUT THEN THAT HIGH NOTE ARE YOU KIDDING ME??????? SHE DIDNT HAVE TO KILL ME LIKE THIS BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH I- and now....... im in the deja vu P L E A S E

gaaaaaaaahhhyeeeeeooonnnn her voice is so pretty!!!!!!!!!!! BUT I WANT MORE!!!!!!!!!! HOWEVER youre the second one to sing with this beautiful gentleness of a part and to be honest this part paired with siyeon starting it really eases you into the song and its quite the blessing to hear thanks- and then yknow this part right after handong........................... Heaven™

SPEAKING OF HANDONG LISTEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE AMOUNT OF LINES SHE HAS MAKES ME WANNA CRY OKAY THIS PART RIGHT HERE............................. PLS.............. (i think its just me but theres a smaller voice singing like right under her voice????) HER PRE-CHORUS PARTS ARE LITERALLY THE BEST PARTS IN THE WHOLE SONG TO LISTEN TO pls believe me when i say this its NOT bc shes my ultimate bias like i genuinely like her parts the most

sua pls i was already prepared for softer vocals and you really gave that to me and then this is absolute perfection they were beautiful and amazing OF COURSE got me feeling like i was floating on actually clouds god TAHNK YOU AND THEN YOU JUST HAD TO HIT ME WITH YOUR PART RIGHT HERE???? i understand its just the chorus but I Felt That™ okay!!!!!!

JIU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i stand by saying how your voice be powerful as hell still even during these lines VERY short but VERY effective and very good leading into the chorus i love- and then your bridge....................... B I C T H really put me in my feelings but i welcome it with EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING and with open arms.......................

YOOHYEON AKA THE OTHER QUEEN OF SINGING CHORUSES I MEAN..................................... I LITERALLY DUNNO WHAT TO SAY!!!!!!!!!!! LIKE THEIR BEAUTIFUL SOUNDING HER VOICE GOES WELL WITH THEM like i really like the parts she sings after siyeon like................. Y O O F if a feather became a voice-

i need more dami too..................... P L E A S E like obviously with their other songs i was expecting dami to be in the second verse and with a smooth rap section and the former was correct HOWEVER to my pleasant surprise SHE SANG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! her singing voice suited this SO MUCH and im actually glad there wasnt a rap part at all in this song especially that SECOND PART.................. Heaven™ 2x

my favorite lyrics (x): i know i said handongs were my favorite to listen to but i like these lines dont hurt me

난 이 숨결이 허락되는 날까지 As long as I can breathe 다신 너를 놓을 수 없어 I can’t let go of you again 우린 모든 순간 함께 할 테니 We’ll be together for every moment 내 곁에서 beside me

THE DANCE OKAY IM GONNA DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT ill be referring to THIS PERFORMANCE can we pls talk about how loud the fanchant is im crying and really take it in and all of their talented glory ANYWAY OF COURSE the choreography F UKCING SLAPS just so many different position changes and just alwaYS SO IN SYNC WITH EACH OTHER ITS INSANE ill just list them briefly and keep the points short this is long enough:

THE BEGINNING AND THE END BEING THE SAME...................... CERTAINLY DEJA VU-

SIYEONS TUTTING THING THANKS

handongs majestic spin

this and this with how the formation changes and how their arms swing AND the kick

ALSO in those parts in the last bullet i dunno why but i like that move jiu does when she sings IT HITS

i recall sua spoiling literally the first move of the chorus dance in that vlive THE CHORUS DANCE ALL THOSE FORMATION CHANGES LITERALLY MESS ME UP and THIS most important move in the entire choreography and they line up and its SO COOL to look at

when they lie on each other doing yoohyeons lines

handongs part again when theyre in the line and how satisfying it is to watch

THE ENTIRE BRIDGE

LITERALLY THE ENTIRE DANCE FROM START TO FINISH

QUEENS OF STABILITY

sidenote: can we talk about how handong and dami?????? literally spin during their parts????? and they sounded super clear??????

THE VISUALS SO.......................... if you had asked me two days ago (maybe a little bit of yesterday) about how i felt about this video.................. i wouldve mentioned some unpopular opinions regarding the videos look............ i mentioned to gwen @loonapunk that i wasnt TOO into it............ BUT- after finally sitting down to do this long ass post i dont hate it!!!!!!!!!!!! i think bc i have to remind myself that this song (album???? well song-) is for that kings raid game and all the visuals AND story are based off that????? i dunno BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS I LIKE TO WATCH IT

IM TOO BIG STUPID™ TO COMPREHEND THIS STORYLINE AND COME UP WITH MY OWN THEORIES EVEN NOW AND I WOULD L O V E TO EXPLAIN IT TO YOU BUT THIS IS LONG ENOUGH AS IT IS SO ILL REDIRECT YOU TO THEORY POSTS (TWO (2) FROM MY GALAXY BRAIN MOOTS) THAT I LIKED:

@highsomnia NITAS POST WHICH I PERSONALLY FOUND ENJOYABLE TO READ SO IF YOU COULD READ THIS YOU SHOULD ALSO READ THAT

@in-somnias ELENAS POST WHICH WAS ALSO AN INTERESTING READ RIGHT HERE

AND THEN THIS ONE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY FROM TWITTER i dont follow her so im not gonna @

AIIGHT IMMA GO CRAZY WITH THESE SHOTS (with only small one/two sentence captions this is LONG ENOUGH):

BICTH I SAW THIS AND KNEW I WAS GONNA GET GOT™ like its just super duper INCREDIBLY PRETTY TO LOOK AT

THIS WILL BE FOREVER ICONIC™ DONT ARGUE WITH ME

this is what the calm before the storm looks like

went back to the mv film making video and turns out they got slippers on under that table love that for them

how in the hell am i supposed to interpret this exchange

okay longer section i think im supposed to interpret this more as a sister bond than a romantic one?????? i remember being taken aback and believed this to be something gay BUT 99.9% OF INSOMNIAS say its gay subtext so ill just put it like that i dunno but like i just wanna say they have beautiful smiles and im love them!!!

a youtuber reacting to this mv saying it just looks like theyre shading each other.................... anyway-

i CANNOT i repeat I CANNOT EXPRESS TO YOU how Shook™ i was when i saw this for the first time i basically jumped out of my chair i couldnt i-

this mv really led me to believe jiu was the evil one.............................

POETIC. CINEMA.

THE WOMAN. THE MYTH. THE LEGEND. THE FIREBENDER. THE WOLF. LEE SIYEON. pls light me up

Symbolism™................ SYMBOLISM I CANNOT COMPREHEND GO TO THE THEORIES

MORE SYMBOLISM GO TO THE THEORIES

T H E M

NOT ONLY IS THIS VIDEO SUPER AESTHETIC™ BUT THE SEVEN (7) MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN THE WORLD BLESSING US ONCE AGAIN WITH THEIR PRESENCE AND ALLOWED THEIR ROYALTY VIBES SHOOT INTO THE MESOSPHERE INTO REAL LIFE KILLING ALL OF US

THE DANCING SCENES WITH THE TEASER OUTFITS...................................... AT EASE.....................

LITERALLY NO COMPLAINTS MOVING ON:

JIU

L I S T E N KIM MINJI YOURE A FULL PRINCESS this pink fluffy dress with the flower crown in this picture............................ i may have cried- like a lot of people were trying this look to persephone and im HERE for that concept for her and like the white outfit AND black outfit is probably super symbolic again im too Big Stupid™ anyway when i saw that black outfit in the teaser........................... i was attacked jiu with a sword is just EVERYTHING i wanted and more

SUA

LITERALLY I CANNOT- her hair being wavy looks SO GOOD on her THIS BLACK DRESS WITH THE FLOWERS she is always a Serve™ WE KNOW THAT but her visuals just HIT DIFFERENT this time lighter colored hair really suits her and then of course she looks FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC in the dance scenes in the white and the black that low pony tail pls

SIYEON

purple on this woman just shoulders and collarbones out being Beautiful™ ALL THE WHILE staying ON BRAND with herself and was wearing pants good for her G O D i just love the way her hair looks in the white and gold outfits like it just LOOKS PRETTY to me i dunno how to describe it also her with a pony tail WHAT ARE YOU SO PRETTY FOR-

HANDONG

i just................... want closer shots of this.................. CLOSER SHOTS IN GENERAL OF HER ACTUALLY like LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL™ SHE LOOKS HERE I WANNA SEE MORE OF IT??????? PLS??????? nothing gets me weaker than her hair being styled exactly like in the picture i just love that her royalty and regal vibes and looks were FINALLY realized and WAS BROUGHT TO THE FOREFRONT

YOOHYEON

THIS MV MUST CONVINCE ME SHE IS EVIL BY SHOWING HER FOREHEAD first of all the first outfit turning her into an Actual Entire Princess™/Queen™ that red one i dont really understand SHE MAKES IT WORK THO THEN THAT BLACK OUTFIT LISTEN yo it was like getting hit by a whole truck full speed i wasnt ready and i just wanna admire that yoohyeon and gray colored hair is an actual match made in heaven i just have to say-

DAMI

i love this suit and the patten on it so much this outfits color (what is that teal????) and her hair color is such a GOOD PAIRING and on her SHE JUST KILLED ME WITH HER SOLO SCENES i wish i had more to say about her and her outfits but what else can i say other than that she is INSANELY ATTRACTIVE AND I WANT HER TO STEP ON ME???????

GAHYEON

she really broke my neck when i saw her the first time LIKE DEADASS LOOK AT THIS PICTURE i had fallen for her and i cannot get up when i saw this outfit in the other shots like the black top and the see through sleeves but her skirt is like different colors she really Served™ in this outfit bangs usually look cute but in her solo parts she was coming for my heart like miss lee gahyeon pls-

BONUS TIME: B-SIDE TRACKS (just short thoughts and point out specific parts i liked lmao)

Intro:

their intros always slap are you kidding me-

The curse of the Spider

i wasnt ready for this bop to slap me in the face on my spotify that chorus didnt have to do that to me THAT GUITAR DIDNT HAVE TO DO THAT TO ME i love the way dami and handong sound in this song i mean wrow-

favorite lyrics (x):

소름이 끼칠 만큼 It’s chilling 도망치고 싶어질 it makes me want to run away 그런 두려움일 테니 such is this fear

Silent Night

B I H C T i knew when i heard this in the highlight it was going to be my favorite one IT REALLY WOKE SOMETHING IN ME these lyrics i cant- gahyeon and handong hurted me with their lower registers Y AL L YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE HURTED ME THAT D R O P DID

favorite lyrics (x):

겨눈 칼 끝은 a blade directed at someone 결국 돌아오게 돼 eventually returns 더 다가오지 마 don’t come closer

Polaris

this song is as if i was wrapped in the thickest blanket i got and im resting on the softest bed in the world with a fireplace going nearby and i could finally rest peacefully bc the lord knows i need it- i really cried a little bit listening to this pls leave me be i legit cant pick a specific member i liked the most for this song i just love it and everything it got

favorite lyrics (x):

그게 너라서 행복해 I’m happy that it’s you 그 많은 인연 속에 Among those numerous connections 수많은 사람 중에 Among those numerous people

LIKE im so completely satisfied with every song on this album and im completely in love with it!!!!!!!!!! the only ‘issue’ i really had was with the mv visually but as you read i warmed up to it lmao LIKE IM JUST SO PROUD OF THESE WOMEN AND HOW TALENTED AND HARDWORKING THEY ARE like i have to say the japanese release?????? and this????? being so close to each other????? you telling me they learned TWO (2) different choreographies one after the other???? i absolutely love this album and i desperately desperately DESPERATELY want so much more success for them bc ITS WHAT THEY DESERVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is supposed to be just about the overall mv and deja vu but i might as well just type what i feel lmao

IN CONCLUSION: MY INSOMNIA ASS IS BOTH ALIVE AND DEAD BUT MOSTLY ALIVE I LOVE THIS IM STREAMING

i have to bring this back its relevant again:

[chenoehi]

I have read your rant and I agree with most of them, but there is one thing I disagree with. As we know, Jin will go to the military next year. This means Big Hit can start release duet singles. Just like the artists of other companies do.(eyeing EXO) I think pairs must at least be popular to do that. Before Kookmin became popular, they only had TK, but since last year they've been promoting KM, make them get more fans. So they will have more pairs, more money. It's just buisness.

Hello 💜

Thank you for the ask. I don't want to harp/rant on this subject, but I'll answer some asks about it if that can help clarify my point of view (and hopefully this will be a healthy discussion). I don't get many asks anyway so I have fewer opportunities to air my opinions. That's probably why these rants are turning into dissertations. Sorry anon 🤷‍♀️🤐

If you don't want to suffer through all of this, just skip to SALIENT POINTS down below. I have no idea how to use the read more on mobile.

I have a different perspective on a few things you mentioned, but first, I agree that in a business sense BH have recently and will continue to promote subunits (with exceptions, more on this). They have to prepare for the next stages of the boys' careers as an incomplete Bangtan once Seokjin and Yoongi go into the military. I don't think that the company hasn't been doing what any business does which is capitalize on what's popular and give fans what they want (BTS World game anyone? It gave the y/n people what they wanted, and everyone else got a fun little game out of it).

What I don't think is that BH has necessarily pushed KM in front of people's faces to *make* them popular any more than they've done with other pairings. At some point in time, all of the boys have each had photoshoots with one or two members. All have been paired up visually or for a game or for hotel rooms or whatever rooms they're on for the Run! episodes and what the fans get is to see the different members interact with each other. It's not always the rapline and the vocal line hanging out together, or the hyung line and the maknae line hanging out together.

I didn't agree that some things lately have been done to bait KM fans. That's not the same as me saying I don't think that BH is a business that acts like a business and capitalizes on what they can. I'm also not a blind defender of BH. I've been disappointed with some things, mostly with the lack of control over antis and the lack of defense for their artists (I'm thinking of Jimin's two t-shirt *scandals*). But all of that is off topic and not related to KM in the slightest.

Is BH responsible for KM's popularity?

You mentioned that you feel like BH has helped make KM popular (paraphrasing). I don't see it that way. I think people of all types are seeing how close they are and reacting accordingly. If anything, KM have made themselves popular (loudness on tour, GCFs, vlives, spending time together, etc.). Or at least that's how I see it.

With how obvious they've made their affection for each other (platonic or romantic), Jimin and Jungkook themselves have, over the years, inadvertently alerted everyone to how close they are and they naturally make a good pairing. They spend a lot of time together and so the documentaries, docuseries, Bangtan Bombs, and variety shows just reflect their bond. The fans get a ton of moments and some begin to notice this pairing whereas they may not have before. I think this process has been natural. More and more people 'see' them each day and it's mostly because of how they act around each other. When you're in love, people notice.

I don't think KM's popularity has been fabricated; what I mean by that is, I don't think they've become popular because of BH. Let's not forget about what happened with the Black and White performance video, or how long it took to get a Bangtan Bomb of behind the scenes. People began to think we'd never get it and it was obvious that KM was being isolated for whatever reason. Who knows why it took so long or what went on behind the scenes. Did they acquiesce to the fans' demands for the video when they published it or was it always planned but just delayed? We'll never know. But if BH really wanted to play up the pairing to help it gain popularity I'm not sure they handled it the best way; all they really did was irritate fans, and only the people who attended muster and filmed it really got to enjoy it.

Would BH or have BH promoted shipworthy subunits? Does this make total sense, considering both a business and artistic perspective? Bangtan's creative agency (past, present, future)?

Putting aside rapline and vocal line units and any songs released on SoundCloud, Jamais Vu and the OST are really the first times we've got an official series of Bangtan subunits to listen to (Jungkook, Jimin, Namjoon, Taehyung, and Seokjin have collaborated with various arrangements but only on songs they've released on SoundCloud, done for Festa, for dramas, etc.).

These subunits were a surprise to most people, especially the Jamais Vu and Brand New Day subunits. So far we've gotten subunits that a lot of us probably weren't thinking of or asking for. I know a lot of people want to see Yoongi and Jimin do something or Jimin and Namjoon (minjoon is gaining popularity real fast, but more on ships in a minute) and people have been asking for a Taehyung and Jungkook subunit for who knows how long. <- these observations are based on what I've seen people say since I became a fan. I haven't even touched on Sope and Otsukare because frankly, that is a very popular pairing, ship, and both Yoongi and Hoseok know it and they have fun with it. Ships aside, pretty much everyone agrees that Otsukare is hype and it's a travesty it's not on SoundCloud. (It just makes me smile, ilovethemsomuch).

I said all that ^^^ to say this:

I have no idea how SM decided on their subunit pairings for EXO (insert other applicable idol group and agency).

I have no idea if other companies pair their artists for subunits based solely on their popularity in the fandom.

^ This seems unrealistic for various reasons. That's a cash grab. There's no consideration of the artists voices, how they fit stylistically, their range, etc. etc. Please, no one bring up SuperM. We haven't even seen them in action yet so we literally can't judge anything (not to mention it's a whole group, not a subunit, and we all know how different Bangtan's individual styles are).

I have to assume from the randomness of the MOTS/OST album subunits we've gotten from Bangtan so far that they haven't been thrown together just because they're popular pairings; if anything these were unusual choices and not really anything I've seen people asking for (I don't mean that they aren't good pairings, only that I'm not sure anyone saw those subunits coming).

When it comes to subunits on albums I would think Bangtan has a say in who does a song with who. They have, after all, had creative license to write and produce their own music this whole time. I don't see them being forced into doing a subunit song they don't want to do. If anything, we know at least once they were told not to do a specific song with a specific member (vmin/Christmas duet) and that was an issue of content.

Subunits have to make sense.

-> -> -> In order for a subunit to be successful and make sense, the 2 or 3 (or 4) individuals have to have vocal chemistry. Their voices and styles have to compliment each other and they have to sound good together. Rappers can get away with this a little bit but they still have to flow. Vocalists have it harder because in a duet or small subunit they'll be harmonizing, etc. etc. A company can't just throw two vocalists against a wall like spaghetti and see if they stick.

-> -> -> -> -> Subunits based on looks or to satisfy shippers et al. don't make much sense unless the subunit makes sense without those factors.

Since you mentioned EXO, I'll use the recent Chanyeol/Sehun EXO subunit as an example:

I'm not that well-versed in the EXO fandoms shipping culture, however, I do know some of the popular ships. And I'm not entirely sure if C/S are one of those (Chanyeol/Baekhyun? Huge.). The subunit makes sense since they're both rappers and the song is a rap song (I haven't actually heard the song but I saw the promotions). I have no idea if people were asking for that pairing or not. Likewise, I have no idea if they're a really popular pairing. They may be, either because of shipping or because they're rappers.

Popularizing/Monetizing/Exploiting/Fabricating

Saying that BH monetizes KM implies that they're deliberately trying to make money off of their bond and their popularity as a ship (more on this next). This can imply many things but one thing it implies that has a very negative connotation is that BH would fabricate things or deliberately mislead fans to make money (I've already explained that I don't see either the 2018 Memories or the Bring the Soul docuseries episode as KM bait, and I'll just have to agree to disagree with those who feel that way). Saying that BH can capitalize or make money off of KM implies to me that KM are popular, BH sees that, and BH may give us more moments of them together on film, etc.

In order to do that though, BH has to advertise the KM content. Are they actually doing that? I'm not convinced.

But this all still goes back to my point in the other post that BH actively promoting KM content in the interest of *winning* KM fans popularizes the ship and that's dangerous if they are actually together. It's dangerous because it opens them up to more scrutiny and puts them at risk of being outed. This would be devastating from a business sense unless the fandom culture changes (not going to happen) or they ease us into it. Maybe they are trying to do that now, I don't know how I feel about that, sometimes it seems that way but the reality of that is unrealistic. Before they could even remotely come out Bangtan and BH would have to take an obvious step toward supporting the LGBT+ community. They can't just skip over that to letting their artists come out.

KM are popularizing themselves with the way they act, and the video content we get continues to show how they interact. There's little BH can do at this point to avoid aiding KM in coming off as couplely. I mean, Seokjin deadass asked them if they were dating without a care in the world and teased their giggly asses on a Run! episode; he said it to tease them and everyone kind of brushed over it so it ended up not being very *dangerous*. It can't get much worse than that unless they were caught doing. . . something even remotely naughty and it got included in a show or film. We can infer things from their moments together and everything can seem couplely to us but each moment watched in isolation (with notable exceptions *cough*Rosebowl*cough*) isn't all that bad. They don't seem to be backing down in the slightest.

The only thing that I would think of as recent deliberate KM content (disregarding the *hearts* in their captions on episodes, photoshoots, etc. etc. because ALL members get that treatment) would be the VCR for 5th Muster. KM were in several scenes alone and Jimin was hella flirty. But that's just the thing: Jimin was flirty and Jimin is always flirty. He laid it on thick for the VCR but it's not unusual in and of itself. There's also the fact that they went to Busan this muster, and along with the KM being in the VCR they also did a photoshoot and even had photocards if I'm not mistaken. We know from the reaction of the city of Busan that people were pumped. Jimin was all over buses, etc. Busan got hyped. I don't doubt that BH may have done that deliberately because they were going to Busan. Could they have done it to deliberately excite KM shippers/fans? Sure. Did they capitalize off it? Well, the VCR was only available to people who'd already bought their tickets and no one was 'allowed' to film anything because muster would be available on vlive+, but they can never stop people from filming and within no time we already had the VCR or at least we had the KM bits immediately. So people don't really have to buy access to watch the VCR to satisfy their KM craving.

Basically, I'm neutral on that topic, I don't agree with the comments about 2018 Memories or Bring the Soul, and I'm not sure what else has been *done* recently to give off the impression that BH is trying to either exploit, capitalize from, or fabricate KM content. I could be proved wrong tomorrow but it seems like business as usual to me.

If BH wants to increase the popularity of certain pairings for subunit opportunities later, from a business perspective, why are they not capitalizing even more on already popular pairings?

I think we can all agree that taekook seems to be the most popular ship. Other popular ships I notice are sope, taegi, yoonmin, and taejin, with minjoon increasing in popularity; I see vmin mostly discussed in friendship terms with relatively little discourse on the 'realness' of the ship. My impression from this fandom has been that kookmin's popularity has been largely in the background until mid to late 2017 and really unleashed in 2018 when everything exploded.

And we all know this was partly because of two things: KM's increasing *loudness* and GCF:t. Neither of which had much to do with BH or any intention to make them an even more popular pairing for subunit/etc. purposes.

The way I see it, GCF:t was the straw that broke the camel's back for this fandom and at that point people *really* began to voice their opinions about this ship. After GCF:t people really began to question in earnest whether something was going on with them. The people who already suspected #jikookisreal were just cemented in their belief.

It seems to me that Jungkook's video (and his subsequent favoritism of #mainmodel Jimin) was the catalyst for this ships burst in popularity to where it is now.

But that being said, KM are still either less popular or soon to be on equal ground with TK. And yet, despite years of intense support for this pairing, Jungkook and Taehyung have yet to do anything creative together. Vmin is popular as a ship and in platonic terms, but Taehyung was told not to do a song with Jimin because of the content. If they'd done the song BH could have boosted the popularity of the pairing and capitalized on that subunit. Yoongi and Hoseok did Otsukare, and while it's a fun song it has never to this day made it officially to SoundCloud, despite the popularity of sope pairing as a ship.

More importantly, Jimin and Jungkook already are a subunit. They've done "Christmas Day" and a cover of "We don't Talk Anymore" together. Albeit, these were offerings for SoundCloud and Festa, but the two have already worked together of their own accord and established themselves as one of the 2-singer subunits in Bangtan. The fandom hardly hypes them as a subunit save for jikookers, and we already got a dance subunit performance so the fandom at large doesn't really push for them to perform together again at the moment. Yes, people might be noticing them more and they may be gaining in popularity as a ship and a pairing, but the amount of fans who see them as #busanbrothers as opposed to #busanboyfriends, a.k.a. the non-shippers who think the mere idea is crazy, is still large.

Salient points:

1. TK is still more popular than KM no matter how much of a bubble some of us are in,

2. TK fans (shippers or otherwise) are very vocal about wanting a TK subunit,

3. we still don't have it,

4. BH promoting KM for the purposes of officially debuting their subunit actually makes sense and doesn't come off to me as exploitation or monetization because they are already a subunit.

5. not many of the album subunit pairings so far have been very expected and/or made up of popular pairings or ships [jinjikook, vhope, and yoonmon aren't obscure by any means, but uber popular ships on the level of TK/KM/yoonmin/sope/taegi they are not (I would say that vhope would be the most popular ship out of these three, but that's just my observation)].

My general thoughts are that as far as music goes BH has neither made a concerted effort to push pairings that have a large, dedicated fanbase nor have they made strides to popularize subunits well in advance of the impending military enlistment of two members.

Yes, we now have 4 new album subunits between MOTS and OST and that's a lot, but only because we didn't have any before this year. Using the example of EXO again, they've had subunits for a while now and their group members only started to complete their service in the last few months (I know Xiumin/Minseok was in a subunit with 2 other members I believe, maybe Chen and. . Kai or Baekhyun, idk). Seokjin and Yoongi may be enlisting late next year, who really knows, and we still have to wait for two more albums to get the Namjoon/Jimin/Yoongi/Taehyung unit/s and these are only songs on an album. These aren't actual subunits that have been promoted separately from the group like Xiumin et al., Chanyeol/Sehun, and any of their other subunits.

From a business perspective, looking to capitalize on ship/pairing popularity, BH should be doing what exactly?

With how popular ships like TK and yoonmin are, to me it would make sense for BH to monetize and pair together the members that are already popular and who already have a very large fanbase practically begging for a subunit. When I say beg, I mean I see TKers really begging for a subunit on the daily. And other major ships like yoonmin are really desired subunits too; people still freak out over rapper Jimin and want a recycle of Tony Montana, and that compared with their *ship power* means it's pretty desired.

From a business perspective, wouldn't it make the most sense to capitalize even further on these popular pairings and satisfy fans who are just waiting to spend their money to see or hear their favorite members together?

I think it was obvious that BH was capitalizing on the ship popularity thing when they did the Hyundai ads. They paired sope and taekook together for those. It seems kind of clear. But other things like giving fancafe members a taekook selca among the other photos--I'm not exactly sure if the fans got all of that content as part of their perks of being a member or how that works, or if they had to purchase that content, I'm not really sure. But it seemed to me that they got all of those selcas and photos because they were members. When that happened I saw the KM community commenting and making fun of TKers for "having to pay for their ship's selcas" (which, honestly, is just fucking childish and rude and I'm kind of tired of hypocrisy--what do you say to jikookers who would "pay" for content if they thought they would get something KM related? Do you mock them for "paying" for their ship's content? Pot -> kettle -> black). But that's a rant for another day.

My point is, BH has done things along the way to capitalize from ships or to make fans happy by giving them content with their favorite pairings, of course they have. I think that's just idol culture and the industry they're in, and it can't be helped. They pretty much pander to fans when it suits them and it's all tied into the toxic culture where idols can't date and a bunch of bullshit I'm not interested in talking about rn.

What I don't think is that BH has queerbaited us with KM. I'm familiar with being queerbaited, both when it's deliberate baiting and when it's not and people just get offended because they're ship wasn't real.

As for subunits, if KM are debuted as a subunit the last thing I want to hear is that BH pushed that and helped them become popular. BH can absolutely still capitalize on a KM subunit with or without interference because we all know KM do the work themselves.

More importantly though, KM are already a subunit. So I don't even see BH debuting them as a move to capitalize on their relationship or their popularity with fans. They've worked together and fans like them together vocally. It makes total sense for them to be a subunit and frankly, that has nothing to do with whether or not they're together. The subunit would make sense without BH doing it to pander or monetize.

Rant = over.

💜

[vapormaison]

2019 Best Japanese OST Press/Repress: Elfen Lied by Tiger Lab Records

Like many late millennials with artistic pretensions, I used to have an “Anituber” channel back in the wild west days of youtube. From 2010-2013 — roughly corresponding with my first three years in university — I reviewed DVD releases from ADV, Manga Entertainment, Central Park Media, and Geneon — all the big players in Western anime releases at the time, all dead and gone now with the rise of streaming. Everyone but Funimation — a sad irony and perhaps telling about the nature of the dubbing industry that the studio with a serial rape problem and established casting couch was the only one to survive.

In the interest of maintaining my personal ethics, posterity, and sanity I’ve long since deleted that channel. While there was definitely a “moment” on the platform for a nineteen year-old cokehead film student in front of a MacBook webcam doing his best Slavoj Zizek impression, that moment has long since passed. I’ve long since cooled on “substantive” media critique anyway. The world doesn’t need another Eisenstein-aligned Marxist analysis of Neon Genesis Evangelion — or, a 6-part series on using Lacanian techniques to develop a leftist praxis for Fate/Stay Night. Media exists in the present moment to be a salve for the postmodern hellscape we inhabit together.

As an interesting sidebar, the most popular video on that channel — raking in just north of 10k views over its lifetime from 2011-2015, was a twelve minute video essay on the 1995 anime Elfen Lied, where I asserted that it was the ultimate expression of contemporary Japanese anti-modern rage. While I don’t find myself particularly nostalgic for any of the content on that channel, I’m actually kind of proud of that one in particular.

While most of my analysis was fixated on the visuals, narrative, and recent oeuvre of its mangaka, Lynn Okamoto, and series director, Mamoru Kanbei, I did lay out a framework on why I consider it to be one of the most successful soundtracks ever produced for an anime. I did not heap this praise lightly, as that roughly fifteen year period of 1995-2010 was bookended by the OSTs of Evangelion and K-On! — and certainly proved to be one of the most sonically iconic periods that the medium has ever produced.

it was also one of the first soundtracks that spurred my own history of Japanese OST collection.

And, then, almost a decade later, I found out that Tiger Lab was releasing a vinyl of Elfen Lied.

In spite of this, when I originally the news, I felt a tinge of trepidation. This is not to throw shade at Tiger Lab, however — but at the reputation of previous releases of the Elfen Lied soundtrack in Japan. A quick adventure with google translate across the Japanese net for various Elfen Lied OST roleases — especially on CD — will reveal for you a lot of contempt from Otaku and anime-enthusiast audiophiles for any number of reasons. Most hinge on the quality of the physicals. This is often because Japanese physical media releases of anime soundtracks are often laden with fresh, exceptionally crisp and clean-sounding masters for CDs, and usually exclusive posters and other content geared toward the “collector” nature of many Otaku. This has usually not been the case with Elfen Lied.

A friend of mine in Kanagawa quipped “Sometimes it sounds better on the DVD” in regard to a number of OST releases of soundtracks from anime produced by Studio Arms with CD releases published by VAP. Admittedly, some of it must have been born in resentment, but I’ve always trusted the man’s opinion — as he’s invested a small family fortune into building a shrine of sorts to that studio’s output. He chalks up the poor release quality to the studio’s inability or lack of funds to master the content properly for a CD or HQ digital release, and VAP’s decline in release quality during the early 2000s roughly corresponding to a sale to another Zaibatsu. “Studio Arms made hentai for many years to stay solvent, maybe they could not send a good master to VAP [the publisher]” he told me. While I can’t know if it’s VAP, Arms or another studio handling the CD-master work, a cursory check of their oeuvre seems to confirm confirms that claim of his — but I acknowledge I’m wandering into uncharted waters here.

In spite of all that — I ordered the wax from Tiger Lab and was duly impressed. In lieu of reviewing each track as per my usual review format, in the following section I want to talk about my listening experience from the two formats I own the soundtrack in — the SA/VAP published CD from 2004 and Tiger Lab’s release. Once we finish going into the core differences — and why this vinyl is absolutely worth your purchase over competing physicals — I’ll go into the virtues of the listening experience on the whole.

Part 1: Comparisons of Select Tracks

I suppose the expectation is that I start off by taking about the most iconic recording from the series — the OP, Lilium. In the spirit of defying expectations, I’ll begin with what I consider a better litmus test.

My personal shit-test for a good master and press is how well it can handle a track that is sonically robust and diverse, crossing genre and form — requiring an intensive, sufficiently wide mix and refined master. You don’t get that on every OST album — but Elfen Lied offers one such potential track in particular, and that particular track happens to be my favorite composition on the entire album. Uso Sora, composed by Kayo Konishi and Yukio Kondo is a truly magnificent piece, and it’s used brilliantly in the series — for those familiar, I only need to quote one line: “M-m-mommy…?”.

It begins with lulling piano chords that gradually build in tempo and energy with the addition of percussion, and then it undergoes a full metamorphosis in its last minute or so to become an aggressive, frenetic techno piece with distorted lows and an angry drum kit. Mirroring the evolution of its subject in the show with understated aplomb, and functioning as a robust and enjoyable composition divorced from its source — it really deserve more recognition than it receives, but I do not doubt it will ever step forth from the massive shadow cast from the haunting chorals of Lilium, and the brilliantly directed visual intro that accompanied it.

Needless to say, Tiger Lab more than passed muster here, to the point where I’m almost blown away by just how good it sounds compared to the rest of my Elfen Lied related physicals. I experienced a definite brightness from the vinyl master over my stereo that I don't get from a lot of other Western label releases, like say Milano, which tends to cash in on a Westerner’s preference for warmth.  Tiger Lab deserves credit for this approach, because it genuinely feels like a more authentically “Japanese” sound. In my experience, the Western labels that care the most about the dedicated audiophile adhere to this sonic profile, and Tiger Lab deserves all due credit here.

Finally, I might as well include my thoughts on Lilium. In short, it sounds fantastic. The mix here really brings out the most of the chorals, and provides crisp and clean sounds where you want them most. It’s also one of those tracks where you can just feel the dynamic range before you even hear it. I ended up listening to these on my Cambridges, and I’ve got to say that’s there’s something in the way they treat this particular profile of song — strongly vocal dominated, extremely muted piano, and supporting string inhabiting the negative space — absolutely incredibly. It put the KEFs to shame. I’ve always asserted that you’ve got to pair certain songs with certain speaker pairs. I’ve never been a huge devotional music guy, and I’m not entirely sure that the Cambridge or KEFs provide ideal profiles for the track. That said, Lilium sounds great anyway.

But I can envision these on a pair of high end Yamahas, or a pair of vintage Blaupunkt bookshelves sounding as stone-cold killer as Lucy when Kouta’s threatened.

I sent a rip to my friend Hiroshi, the StudioArms Shrine man, who immediately snapped up a copy after listening. I also learned that it was actually the first vinyl purchase he’s ever made after two decades of serious collecting. So perhaps that is a testament in and of itself!

Part 2: Physicality

I rarely devote an entire section to talking about the vinyl/OBI itself, but then again, Tiger Lab has put out a release certainly worthy of this. First off, the cover, which pairs perfectly with the overall aesthetic of both the series and previous soundtrack releases. I can imagine this being a release that has already attracted some attention by Japanese collectors, as the cover seems to tap into a certain sense of continuity that I know are a huge hit with that community. It certainly pairs well with my two releases from VAP, and a laserdisc set that I have. They all opt for that very iconic Klimt Vienna Secession style with appropriate creative flourishes — but I like Tiger Lab’s take on it the most. The side characters populating the back in a choral array reminiscent of the Beethoven Frieze is also a really nice touch for any enthusiast of the fin-de-siècle style.

I picked up the pink vinyl on release, one of the few pink vinyls that I’ve bought that at least feels thematically consistent with the release and not just a default “vaporwave” or “city pop” or “future funk” styling. Diclonii rock the pink hair, after all. That all said, I’m wishing now that I got the “metallic gold” edition, as its another color that feels both apropos and stunningly beautiful. With all that in mind, this is also one of the better waxes that I’ve felt in-hand, and manages to feel robust. I’ve yet to find specific info, but it certainly feels like a 180g.

In conclusion, I’ve got to give immense credit to Tiger Lab for handling this release with a class and vigor that few Japanese publishers have given it. It certainly bodes well for the future of anime releases on vinyl, and makes me eager to fill out an emergent collection.

[kpopreviewcafe]

BIGBANG 'MADE' Album Review

BIGBANG is the ultimate Kpop group and MADE was their crowning glory. VIP or not, this album is a MUST listen for anyone who’s even remotely interested in Korean music. What more can I say? Let’s get into the review.

There are no words that accurately sum up how tragically beautiful the first song on the album, called Loser, is - you just have to listen for yourself. The lyrics are introspective & self-deprecating, yet the angelic vocal flourishes and catchy raps make this song somewhat hopeful. This song was made for Taeyang’s voice to shine especially - his vocalisations in the ending chorus are to die for. This is really one of BIGBANG’s finest songs, reminiscent of their older hits like Lies and Haru Haru which propelled them to stardom. I could listen to this song forever.

Honestly, I’ve never fit in with the world, I was always alone It’s been a long time since I’ve forgotten about love

Bae Bae is one of the craziest, sexiest & weirdest songs I have ever heard. It is extremely catchy and addictive, with a funky beat that is strange and dream-like. This song will have you jumping out of bed and rocking out even when you’re too tired to move. The vocalists belt out amazing tunes whilst the rappers give the verses their all. The best part of the song is definitely T.O.P’s rap, which is honestly one of his BEST verses of all time. Bingu Tabi is BACK and he’s weirder than ever! (Check the live performance for the full experience). Also, this whole song is just one large ongoing innuendo tbh.

Pretty eyes like a deer, you’re my princess… My body wraps around yours so perfectly, You’re forever 25 to me

Bang Bang Bang is the title track to end ALL title tracks. It is the ultimate party song, one that is good enough to compete with Fantastic Baby for the most iconic BIGBANG song. I generally dislike the use of the word “epic” to describe things that aren’t literally epics, but to be honest, this song deserves it. I mean, it was so good that it was even played in North Korea as an example of the pinnacle of South Korean pop culture. BBB has a legendary beat, an iconic dance and a stunning music video to match. Each member had their time to shine, both vocally and visually. Music video highlights include: a T.O.P skit featuring an altercation between a sexy cowboy and an astronaut (him playing both roles, of course), Daesung’s iconic hair-covering-his-eyes look and G-DRAGON on a leash. What more could you ask for?

B.I.G Yea we bang like this, everyone together! Like you’ve been shot, BANG! BANG! BANG!

BIGBANG like to party, and We Like 2 Party with them too. This song is laid-back and fun - the perfect song to jam out to. The strong rhythm and catchy chorus just gets you moving. This is exactly the type of song to blast out on some nice speakers and just kick back with a beer. Take it easy, and enjoy some quality music while you do!

Let’s play with fire for the first time in a while... Being sober is against the rules WE LIKE 2 PARTY till the sun rises above our heads

If You is very different from anything BIGBANG has made before. The instrumental consists mainly of a simple acoustic guitar. VIPs get the pleasure of hearing BIGBANG’s voices in what almost feels like a cappella. G-DRAGON’s voice in the chorus is emotional, unmistakable and so crazily unique - he really is one of a kind. However, the person who truly owned this song was Daesung, who’s voice came powering through in the second verse, and was definitely the highlight of the song. This is a wonderful ballad - both sincere and warm.

If it’s not too late, can’t we get back together?… I should’ve treated you better when I had you

Next we have the cool and swag-filled Zutter from BIGBANG’s resident playboy rap duo GD&TOP. I’m honestly so glad this iconic pair came back with another song, because their subunit album from way back in 2010 was just so phenomenal. This song is sexy and arrogant, just like a good hip-hop song should be. Both rappers had unique and enjoyable verses, but I have to say that T.O.P came out on top (ha. ha. ha.). He switched up his flow in almost every line, and you can tell that each word was so carefully placed. T.O.P even referenced his legendary character from his movie Tazza The Hidden Card. (Whether you’re a VIP or not, PLEASE watch this movie - you won’t regret it). The intro and outro section of this song originally appeared on G-DRAGON’s Niliria… even HE thought that it was so good that we needed to hear it again!

Tonight we’re getting freaky freaky yea Baby give me some, give me give me some yea

Let’s Not Fall In Love starts off with T.O.P’s rarely showcased and unexpectedly beautiful singing voice. This song takes you on an emotional journey, and the music video allows you choose a BIGBANG member to fall for. Let’s Not Fall In Love perfectly showcases the members’ impressive vocal abilities and emotive rapping skills. In my opinion, the bridge and ending chorus are the best parts of the song, due to the heartwarming acoustic guitar and the wonderful harmony between T.O.P’s deep singing voice and Taeyang’s vocalisations a few octaves higher.  

Let’s not fall in love, we don’t know each other very well yet Actually, I’m a little scared

I don’t really know why Sober struck such a deep chord in me, but from the moment I first heard it, I knew I would never hear another song with such a unique colour. It’s probably my favourite song on the album. BIGBANG really outdid themselves with this track - they reached a level of craziness, pathos and talent that I didn’t even know they had… and they’re BIGBANG! Sober is the perfect rock ballad, with a twist. The lyrics are heartbreaking and painfully relatable. Party away the pain with BIGBANG, that’s what they’re here for.

It’s hard for me to be sober, I can’t fall asleep without you… I have so many damn things to do, but I have nothing that I want to do

In my opinion, FXXK IT was the climax song to the masterpiece that was the MADE album. This track propelled the album from outstanding to literal legend. I absolutely cannot get enough of this song, it perfectly displays BIGBANG in all their glory, from Taeyang’s angelic voice to T.O.P’s unforgettable rap. The wise words of Taeyang come to mind “ain’t no party like a BIGBANG party”. After hearing this song, you will realise that is true. This song manages to simultaneously be cool, sassy, reflective, cheeky and swag. I really don’t know how BIGBANG keep coming back with such gold.  

Haven’t felt this nervous in a while, I can’t do anything Before the night is over, I want you in my arms

Last Dance is so unbelievably sad that honestly sometimes I have to skip it when I put on this album. Its release marked the countdown to T.O.P’s mandatory military enlistment, and was therefore the last time that BIGBANG would perform as a whole team. Even though it’s painful to listen to, I am glad this song exists, because VIPs will always have this last dance.

I will listen to this song with you... Remember this moment. Until always, just one last dance

Girlfriend was an unexpected gift that came with the full MADE album. When this track was released, I was so overwhelmed with FXXK IT and Last Dance that I almost overlooked it! But with time, I have grown to love Girlfriend so much - it captures that cool, happy and care-free BIGBANG that I crave. I really liked the cool electric guitar, sexy raps and playful vibe.

When my heart is sad... Girl you always pick me up You know that I love you ma baby

The MADE album has such incredible musical diversity - it’s impossible to believe that all these songs came out as part of one album. Literally every track is good enough to be another group’s best song - yet BIGBANG owns them all. They truly are the kings of Kpop. If you’ve read any of my other BIGBANG reviews, then you will know that I always say this… but I stand by it. VIP until whenever. Peace.

Kpop Review Café's Overall Ranking: 10/10 (this scale was literally created with MADE in mind as the gold standard)

[spiftynifty]

How come it seems like lm and jds can talk more candidly about their intentions regarding other ships like allurance and even k/l but not sheith? I don't understand why they can clarify things like allurance and how it was there from the beginning or flat out state that they never intended for k/l to be a thing, but when it comes to the topic of shiro and keith they won't just clarify what they did or did not intend/want their relationship to be? I'm confused by it. :(

Ooof this is an excellent question and I suspect a complicated one. 

First off, they can be candid about Allurance because 1) it’s a hetero couple (and therefore “acceptable” to executives and conservative parents) and 2) it was strongly implied and built up for almost the entirety of the series before they officially, canonically, became a couple. There’s no ambiguity there. They can be candid about kl because Allurance technically “kills” the ship by virtue of existing, but more importantly kl is the fanship that they have been directly asked about on more than one occasion and probably straight up badgered about it more times than we’re aware of. When your production studio gets blackmailed in the hopes of making k/l canon, that ship is being brought to your attention. 

Also, Afterbuzz is run by kl fans who have anti-like tendencies. They angle kl questions in nearly every interview, and I was pretty miffed by the way in this interview they heavily, heavily implied that only Sheith fans hated s8 “because their ship didn’t become canon” and yet in the same breath talked about how Allurance wasn’t good and came out of nowhere (something JDS delightfully shut down). In the live chat for the recent interview, people from all ship alignments kept begging the hosts to ask about why SK’s friendship wasn’t included in the final season. In the saltiest tone you can imagine, one of the more vocal kl hosts decided to answer the question (”they helped each other grow and evolve and since they’ve done that, we don’t need to see their friendship anymore, it got lots of screentime in other seasons”) and never let the showrunners actually speak on it, instead moving swiftly to another topic that aligned more with the hosts’ own interests. It was almost like she was afraid of what the answer would be. Was she afraid they’d say “well actually, on the matter of that, Sheith was our intended endgame” or was she trying to save them from having to talk about something NDAs prevented them from talking about? 

So why CAN’T they talk Sheith? I have a few theories. This gets long and a little rambly, so I’ve thrown it under a cut. 

1) Don’t ask, don’t tell. Except for post-s7, the showrunners themselves have never been asked about Sheith’s relationship in an interview. I think most Sheiths were afraid of rocking the boat and potentially upending a SK endgame by drawing too much attention to it. We were/are definitely the quieter side of the primary vld ships and honestly most of us were not expecting our ship to be canon. 

But vld ships and the ship wars are notorious across geekdom for vitriol and death threats, and the creators didn’t want to add any fodder to either side. In the middle of production it would have benefited no one for the EPs to say, “yeah sheith is meant to be viewed romantically” or “no, we can’t go back and change the story to make that true”. Either one would have resulted in an uptick of harassment from antis towards them, towards other fans. And nevermind the production side where DW/WEP weren’t ready for even a hint of m/m until right before s7 dropped. It was only AFTER they got the greenlight on gay Shiro that showrunners could finally be vague and say “some people will interpret [sk] as brothers, others will say it’s 100% confirmed they’re in a relationship”. Which is, in my opinion, a pretty interesting way to respond to that question. But again, if that interviewer hadn’t been brave enough to ask it, I highly doubt it’s something that the showrunners themselves would have ever brought up.

2) Sheith was actually intended to be romantic, but was blocked. We know now that Adam being greenlit as Shiro’s boyfriend happened right before (like a week or less) before s7 dropped. This was a show that had been in production for almost 4 years by this point, and the showrunners stated they picked Shiro to be their rep early on in the process. When they planted that idea in executive’s heads is anyone’s guess, as is when the proper fight for it began. I suspect their immediate team of directors, writers, and in-house producers were well aware and supportive, but kicking that up the chain was another story. I also have a suspicion that it wasn’t until season 6 was complete that the matter was brought up because greenlighting everything we got in s6 knowing Shiro was gay the whole time puts a lot of eyes on Keith. 

And really, it was Keith who was the problem all along. 

In every version of Voltron, Keith is the main protagonist. He’s the leader of the team, the primary “image” of Voltron, and thus, certain things about him need to be maintained. I’m not sure if this is sheer coincidence or not, but he is the only person on the team who stayed visually the same to his OG counterpart. All of the other paladins have gone from white dudes (and a white lady) to POC, or have had a genderswap. There is much debate about Keith’s race with people creating their own headcanons but ultimately Keith can pass as white. While the handbook states Lance is Cuban, Hunk is half black-half Samoan, Shiro is Japanese and even Pidge gets “Italian”, Keith is just listed as... human. Which is a surefire way to not upset fans who have HC’d him as POC while also not-NOT saying he’s white. Everybody “wins”. 

In addition I’m confident a major stipulation of the OG Voltron owners (the “gatekeepers”, as a few of the VAs and the showrunners themselves have darkly alluded to) was that Keith could not be LGBT. We know now he was meant to end up with Acxa, a fact that was already obvious to many of us from their Weblum meetcute. But that relationship was never scripted. 

Setting aside the fact that the OG Voltron owners (WEP) didn’t want Keith to be LGBT, I’m sure executives at Dreamworks would have struggled with the idea as well. Shiro stans can come at me all they like about this but Keith was always meant to be the primary protagonist of the show, of every version of Voltron, and making the main, masculine hero of a well-trodden, oft-rebooted franchise gay/bi would have been an ENORMOUS move for animation. Making him end up with the other main, masculine hero would have honestly broken the internet and the minds of countless conservative executives, and been a major benchmark not just for cartoons, but ALL media. Animation often trails behind TV and movies in terms of social progress because something something “protect the chillllldrennn”. And right now I’m struggling to think of a popular live action TV show, or movie, with an older audience, where the main masculine hero is lgbt, and in a relationship with the other main masculine hero. Feel free to offer me examples in replies but the fact that I’m struggling to think of anything is pretty telling. In short, if this revolutionary move still isn’t happening for the live action 13+ audience, asking for it to happen on a cartoon with a 7-11yo boy demographic is like asking for the moon. Keith couldn’t be gay, because immediately it would have been obvious to anyone that he was already very much in love with the other LGBT character on the show. Hell, it’s already pretty obvious in canon that this is the case, and dodging the question about his sexuality is dodging the confirmation that he’s in love with Shiro. 

I’d like to believe that one of the solutions to the Adam Problem that was proposed was that KEITH ends up with Shiro, but they were laughed out of the office. The pair’s incredibly close bond aside, it would have been the absolute easiest fix production-wise. They already have their shared history doing most of the legwork, all that’d have to be changed is:

-adding Shiro to the L/K scene in 8x01, just sitting there as Keith encouraged Lance.-Re-recording a couple of Shiro’s lines in 8x05 to make him seem at least somewhat upset that Keith was kidnapped-Showing Keith and Shiro hanging out in the video episode. You could just use the shot of Keith and Pidge but replace Pidge with Shiro.

And the best part is, you could change just one or two of these and then do the wedding epilogue you always intended (but write something that doesn’t insist Shiro retired) but with Keith instead of Rando. Not to mention, there is a slight, slight possibility there was a S/K scene (or two) cut along the way. I strongly disagree with the theories that have floated around about the “massive edits” done to s8, but I think there could be truth to the idea that a Sheith scene was cut to make room for Crew Member, or an effort made to downplay the Sheith friendship that comes off way more intimate than any interaction Shiro has with [man]. It’s more likely that SK scenes never existed at all in this season as the showrunners had to cave to pressures to “have more action”, had no idea what to do with Shiro besides relegate him to a stiff cardboard general, and perhaps had to follow strict instructions about the kind of friendliness an out & proud gay man could show to the men he’d enjoyed good interactions with before. 

All this to say, the Sheith battle is messy. It’s fine for the showrunners to say “getting the greenlight for Shiro was a battle” because it’s a battle they won that makes everyone look pretty good. It makes Dreamworks look like they Learned Something and are going to be more open to LGBT content in future properties. It makes WEP look not-terrible because they can add “allowed a character who wasn’t really an OG Voltron character to be gay” to their list of “generous” things they allowed for this re-envisioning of their property. It’s self-congrats all around.

Blocking Sheith has the opposite effect. It reveals that WEP is homophobic because they could allow Pidge to be a girl and Allura to be black but making the hero a non-straight man? That’s TOO FAR. It reveals that Dreamworks higherups are homophobic because they weren’t ready for two LGBT protagonists, just one plus a background character with 3 lines who is literally never named. No one wins, and to be asked about Shiro and Keith and be honest about it could potentially be the showrunners saying, “god, we wanted to, but we were blocked at every single turn”. And thus DW and WEP are the outed villains of the story.

3) Shiro and Keith were never meant to be read as romantic. The showrunners don’t say anything because there’s simply nothing to say. Sometimes the most incredible ships are happy accidents. Sometimes people genuinely don’t realize what they’re doing. I felt a little disheartened watching the AB interview because the way they talked about wanting to include more [man], or how they “hoped viewers would read between the lines” re:Shiro/Curtains, was so casual and flippant it was like they genuinely thought most people would be fine with Shirando if only there had been more scenes between them, as though completely severing Shiro’s relationship with Keith and instead only showing scenes of Shiro bonding with a new character would come off as a good move rather than a baffling (and somewhat hurtful) one. 

I do believe that certain directors were absolutely fans of the pair and angled in what they could. Chris Palmer is behind the famous “shiro loves you baby” art and responsible for the eps that include Shiro’s gay panic, the Sheith hug, “As many times as it takes”, Shiro falling into Keith’s arms, and “We have to stop, Shiro’s out there!!” among others. Steve Ahn was the director behind 2x01, 3x01 with heavily grieving Keith, Blade of Marmora, and the episode where Keith screams Shiro’s name so loud he astral projects and then Shiro holds his hands over the controls. He also got really soft when he talked about the pair in an episode of Form Podcast (before JDS kinda hastily shut him down). And even Eugene Lee, he directed The Black Paladins which is an episode so Sheith I still can’t believe it’s real, and 7x01, the other episode so Sheith I can’t believe it’s real. All three of these guys were the original series directors, which is pretty inchresting. 

But that doesn’t mean the showrunners were necessarily onboard. Maybe it was really important to them to show a positive male friendship since that never happens in media, just as they felt having Allura sacrifice herself was a powerful feminist move. However the thing I keep circling back to is JDS’ early interview about The Winter Soldier and how if he ever got the chance to do that, he hoped it would be in the future when things could be more progressive, hinting that he wanted to throw more overt romantic undertones if he himself ever got a fight like that to write or direct. It’s pretty interesting that he wrote the Black Paladins, which mirrors the Stucky fight in Winter Soldier so much that it actually rotoscopes one of Bucky’s moves. I’d also point out that JDS’ favorite characters are Shiro and Keith, and I find it impossible to be a fan of both and not also be a fan of how much they love each other, and how much that love straddles the line between romantic love and friendship.

This got long, but I hope it was helpful. The likely final-ever showrunner interview will be on Let’s Voltron sometime this month, and I do hope that now that the series is over someone is brave enough to ask them, “so... what was going on between Shiro and Keith? In a perfect world, what would have happened there?”. In a way it doesn’t matter though. There is always the risk of them saying “nothing was going on there” and us agonizing over whether that was a lie to protect their careers or bald-faced honesty in the face of an NDA or fucks-given that might have expired with their contracts. 

But I think the best we can hope for is the same situation that happened with the Avatar creators and that live action movie: 3 years from now when the NDAs are well and truly expired, JDS & LM may come out and say, “SO, on the matter of Shiro and Keith, it’s time to come clean.”