#oh look that extra commentary i mentioned XD

[kezibun]

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[ralfstrashcan]

3x22 Reaction / Commentary

Fair warning: Despite all feelings of nostalgia and melancholy with this being the last episode and all, this contains the usual amount of salt. Just, consider yourself warned XD

Impressive. Quick question though, why didn't Lilith pull this neat trick before going to Magnus and begging for an opening in the rift? We'll never know. Possibly because she's dumb.

Why would he give away his element of surprise with that stupid roar? Wtf man.

Istg if they kill Meliorn off just after I fell in love with him last episode imma riot so hard. Wtf.

1) Jeliorn Shipper: It's not actually clear who he's addressing XD 2) Am I the only one who feels like Meliorn's feelings for Izzy skyrocketed after they broke off their little mutually beneficial arrangement?? Because I sure do. Very convenient for the plot too.

This is both hilarious and infuriating XD

Boo Team Warlock. They can see that Meliorn is lying on the ground, obviously wounded, and all they do is stand around. Why do they all suck at first aid?? I mean, man down! What more do you need to know wtf.

Also what is that? Lorenzo actually being helpful? Wtf haha. Btw I made up my mind, he's lost bits of his character along the way. I don't like it. He's suddenly supposed to be a good lizard baby? Sure. *scoff*

I like that bit where Lorenzo and Magnus pool magic for a more effective attack but I'm doubtful they're perfectly synchronized since they never fought together. Or is this like a standard warlock fight maneuver? Are those a thing? I need answers.

Lilith shooting her fancy fire spit ball five meters to the left is both an overused cliché and ridiculous.

THIS is their plan of attack? They're all gonna die haha.

Script: Close up of female shoes with heels so everyone knows this is a woman.

RIDICULOUS

So did I understand that correctly? Lilith flew right into the line of literal fire? Whyyyy?

RIDICULOUS PLASTIC EYE IS RIDICULOUS

Wtf why isn't Lorenzo loudly objecting??

That circle reminds me of Guardians of the Galaxy in the worst way. Wow. I can't believe I just watched this. Wtf this was so bad *weeping* Btw note, considerate CGI flames only burn on torso and arms not on legs. Riiiight.

...................................................................what.

I mean, yay. All shadowhunters are jobless now. Guess all problems are solved. We just have an entire (slightly racist) race on our hands that's out of an occupation and also, militry. Those things don't mix well. Wtf. I cannot. comprehend. Wtf.

Also wtf. This was supposed to be the boss fight. And they finished it without a plan with one player literally before the opening?? UHHHH???

But, anyway. I guess I should be glad Alec didn't have to make good on his promise of living in Edom with Magnus, because as @intezaarlily so hilariously pointed out

The Alliance rune was temporary and wore off in like 5 hours, and Nephilim can’t survive in Edom because of their blood once the rune wears off, but Alec says he’ll spend the rest of his life with Magnus in Edom … I mean, I love the romantic sentiment! But that will be a very short life.

XD XD XD

Uhhhh yeah, the fact that Sizzy get a sex scene (ugh, could have done without that honestly) Clace get cute cuddling and Malec get................ lying five feet apart even though THEY ARE LEGIT A MARRIED COUPLE WTFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Honestly, I mostly skirt the negativity that surrounds the issue of how Malec always get shitty kisses and intimacy etc. But this is ridiculous. RI-DIC-U-LOUS. At this point, who knows if they'll even kiss at their wedding? We'll be lucky if they hold hands. Honestly. WTF.

Yeah agree to disagree. I'm not even sorry for my extra salt. Wtf. Still hung up on Malec. At least Izzy's runes glitter prettily in the morning light.

“I mean like relationships. Everyone that I've been in has magnificently imploded like the Death Star.”

SIGH. This is clearly not true. He stayed good friends with his exes (Clary, Maia) so that's a lie. And Saia was working out really well until the series needed it to stop, so it's not like he's inept. So either he's exaggerating because he's hella unreflected or he says that to get some pity from Izzy, either way I hate it.

Uuhhhh Izzy, you were never interested in having a relationship. That's not the same as screwing up a relationship wtf.

...............Does the show want to tell me Magnus is left-handed or what. Wow.

I

hadn't

noticed.

I guess Canon wants to use this last opportunity to tell us that Magnus is ambidextrous *shrug*

Also why the hell did Lorenzo give them back the loft? Oh right, he's a Good Lizard Baby now. The heck.

Anyway I did a very thorough reaction to this sneak peek scene already for a private correspondence, so enjoy ahaha ;)

- Me being deprived of Malec Morning Cuddles (and LittleSpoon!Alec) is unfair and I'm Not Over It.

+ Magnus excitedly writing their wedding invitation though <3<3<3

- Cheek kiss wtf man where are my REAL morning smooches WTF

+ CHEEK KISS SO CUTE OMG MAGNUS'S FACCEEEEEEEE I CANNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

+ MAGNUS'S FRAKKING FACE WHEN HE GIVES ALEC THE INVITATION SCRIPT THINGY, RAISED EYE BROW AND THAT LIP THING HE DOES, LIKE IN THE TRAINING SCENE HAHAHAHA I LOVE

+ MAGNUS'S FACE AS ALEC READS THE INVITATION OUTTTT

+ A L E C S  FACE AT “TONIGHT” LIKE OMG HE LOOKS LIKE HE JUST HAD A LOBOTOMY HAHAHAHAHA I CANNOT

~ Okay I am conflicted about this. While I can buy both, Magnus wanting to move ahead and Alec wanting to plan (because I think it fits them both in terms of being in character) in this particular matter I kinda headcanon the reverse: Alec not able to wait another minute to Lock Magnus Down and Magnus wanting everything to be absolutely perfect and losing himself in planning.

That being said, Magus being like “Gotta get married while we still can and there's not a disaster on the horizon” is.... idk, isn't that kind of sad? He's all about cherishing things in life so you can remember them. And stumbling through his MARRIAGE, with must mean a real real lot to him, being his first in all his 400/800 years, that's... not really uplifting? He deserves better than that.

+ Magnus's clap tho at “location” XD XD XD

+ ALEC'S FACE AT TAJ MAHAL HAHAHA HIS FROWNY MOUTH

~ Quick question, how the hell does Magnus want to hold a whole ass marriage ceremony at a public mundane place?? With glamor? Without? Sounds like an unrealistic mess either way

+ “THE INSTITUTE” I CAN'T MAGNUS AND ALEC KILL IT BOTH WITH THIS WTF HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I CANT

- Alec's reasoning. Honestly, I don't like it that much. Don't get me wrong, Alec being aware of the political dimension and liking it is 100% ic. But. This is their wedding. Their. Wedding. They do everything else for others, for their people and for the mundanes and the frikking world as a whole (3x20 being a prime example, basically screwing their personal happines to hell and back (pun intended) to close the rift saved the world because those wraiths wouldn't have stopped after Alicante let's be real). And their wedding, this should be just for them. How they like it, how they envision and how they've always dreamed about it. It shouldn't be held so others can benefit from it.

I want the wedding to be at the Instutite. In my mind no other venue even comes into question. But I would have loved if the motivation was differently nuanced. If Alec would have said that he's imagined it there, because yeah, Magnus's loft is his home and his heart, but the Institute must hold sentimental value for him, too. He grew up there. It's basically all he's known his whole life up to like three months ago. It's the embodiment of him being a shadowhunter and he loves being a shadowhunter, it's his identity. And Alec is a traditional guy. He wants his classical shadowhunter wedding and those are held at an Institute. He must have envisioned this after he started dating Magnus: exchanging vows in a ceremony held by a silent brother and with their wedding jewelry, in the chapel of the Institute, simply because this is the only marriage proceedure he's ever known.

Pissing off the clave, or rather, having the clave begrudingly accept him with his true self presented to the world should be a welcome byproduct, but not the main motivation.

From Magnus I would buy this line of reasoning sooner than from Alec because Magnus has hated the clave and its injustice since forever, has suffered far harsher under them than Alec, so he has a lot more personal interest to stick it to the clave than Alec, who, sorry, literally discovered their falseness three months ago. But then again, I don't think thoughts like that would be on the forefront of Magnus's mind and so it makes sense Alec would be the one to bring up this aspect. I just don't like how it was nuanced.

In any case, rewatching that scene I'm amazed at the amount of time Alec flounders before catching Magnus's attention, it's hilarious to watch XD

+ MAGNUS'S CONSIDERING POUT THOUGH WTF MAN WHO ALLOWED THIS

Another missing scene waiting to be written, of Magnus wearing a tux around Alec (and Alec drooling over him lol).

“It's just... all these hundreds of years... I can't believe you've never been married.”

Yeah, dito. How about you expand a little more on your personal stance on marriage, Magnus?? It's for science.

NOT ANYMORE APPARENTLY WTF CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS SOME MORE PLEASE

1) Wow this was quick 2) Uh-huh, guess that's why they mentioned them before this episode, oh, never.

1) Then ralf would quit watching this show and who would make dumb comics then? 2) Lol I guess her poor ex warlock boy toy got dumped

HAHAHAHA THE WAY HE DELIVERS THAT LINE I CAN'T XD XD XD

TMI bro

Good. At least he's not completely delusional then.

Gal you said “focus” like once, that's not a lesson wtf.

Yeah, creepy creepy feelings.

But this is actually interesting since she can't lie, and she says in no uncertain terms that she wants to split her power with him, or at least the rule over earth. Buf if she's so afraid of him she even wants to rule beside him and relinquish part of her might, then I don't get why she didn't just kill him off when he was in his cocoon. Why risk making an enemy of him? Makes no sense. (Except that this would have been anticlimactic lol.) Also my question of what happened to Lucifer still stands.

Uhhhh apparently they just slept together, turning into a child is majorly creepy wtf dude. Also, where does her changed wardrobe come from? Absorbing clothes during a transformation is a skill werewolves would pay real money for, I can tell you. Market niche. Patent while you still can.

..................really? *sigh*

#vulnerability #abandonment issues #give jace wayland (or whatever you want to call him) a hug dammit

Finally, happy parabatai. What a sight for sore eyes.

Biting back more Sizzy salt, wow I'm impressed at myself.

HOW ABOUT YOU BOTH FRAKKING SAY THAT ABOUT MAGNUS WTF

(Btw the German Dubbing: “I was just thinking of asking you that!” lol as if the thought had crossed Izzy's mind in that exact second, making that whole thing even more ridiculous.)

Anyway.

“You know, I always thought I never needed a parabatai, that I was at my best when I was on my own.”

No that was because you disliked the weird codependency it produces. And it's fine if you change your mind on that and decide that the benefits outweight that, but please don't do it offscreen during an action screen but like, throughout a whole season? Consider sharing a thought or two about that fundamental change in your world view with the audience? Otherwise people (me) can just laugh their ass of at how ridiculous and ooc this is. Wtf. WtF. Then again she literally changed her stance on relationships in like a week and her stance on Simon in half a day, so I guess it's kind of consistent?? *snort*

There's a joke about missing hair in here somewhere. These poor, poor men. They were ROBBED. (And so were we XD)

Since when can Clary order around the Head of Security?? (Also look at her manic face in this shot ahahaha. Was that deliberate on my part?? You can't prove a thing!!)

Also Luke missing Alec's wedding again is history repeating itself.

IMMORTALITY RUNE ON THE RUN!! EVERYBODY DROP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND CATCH IT!!!

Clary, gal, if you keep slinking after the rune like that you'll never catch it. Srsly. And you wonder why you lose track of it all the time? Move your butt, man!!!

WOW GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENT EVER. Can I skip this scene? Please?

Wow that was less painful than expected

Oh damn I knew this was too easy.

Btw apparently they have styling opportunities wherever Jocelyn's soul went after her death, because the clothes she wore when she went west

and the ones she's wearing now are similar, but decidedly not the same.

“Btw we'll talk about that creepy ass behavior later, and no supper for you tonight young lady!!”

Uh-huh, and what, pray tell, is Jocelyn? A zombie?? Just wondering.

These so-called “angels” are racists and you can quote me on that.

HAHAHA YEAH EXACTLY, SO RIDICULOUS AMIRIGHT

I mean. “Never draw another new rune or we'll take away your ability to create runes” basically translates to me “You have one last shot.” Right?

(Premonition!Ralf: ..........................you know nothing, Past Ralf.)

HAHAHAH SO FRAKKIN EXTRA I LOVE HIM

I think the white one is the prettiest <3<3<3 And now I wanna eat cake. Dammit.

LISTEN I KNOW HE SAYS THAT TO BE SASSY BUT!!!!! WHAT WAS MAGNUS GONNA EAT FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY???? ROASTED SHAX DEMON DRUMSTICKS??????? I NEED ANSWERS!!!!!!!!!!!

This “beauty” clearly is from his mansion, so he obviously only says this to gloat. What a tool. Or is this like, a different size? And he has the same three pictures of himself plastered over all his homes, but in different sizes??

LOL this feels like splitting household goods with an ex. And they didn't even date (uagh the mental image *shudder*)

Mostly for each other, but continue.

Also, is this Lorenzo's formal request to be adopted into that weird ass Protagonist!Family? Because loooool the position of sassy shady uncle is still vacant. I'm sure Peter Hale will teach him some tricks.

Don't get me wrong, I like the scene itself but...... what happend to the evil lizard baby? It seems that just like Maryse he got a character makeover between one scene and the next. This change of heart comes out of frakkin nowhere. He goes from “good riddance magnus i hate your guts” to “pls love me” in literally half a day. And I don't like that. Wtf.

Also, another thing: Why do they always imply warlocks are completely unable to find a lasting relationship / family / even some level of happiness that isn't “sitting in my plush villa and drinking overpriced alcohol”? As if all warlocks are inapt. Tf.

I mean, he's been showing that through absence, but I guess that's more because of the same reasons that persistently keep Catarina from showing her face than him actually not caring about his kids, there's no real grounds for this level of desinterest in Show!Robert's character. But anyway, I like the sentiment, that conflicts between the parents don't necessarily inevitably destroy the relationships between one parent and the children. And Maryse was always good at compartmentalizing things, so this is very fitting.

Wow I had really hoped I wouldn't have to see this particular face again. Guess we can't always get what we want *sigh* also what's the shit with those glasses? *snort*

Also, I mean, I'm by no means an expert, but even I know that you don't actually store a bow with the string attached? You unclip it so it doesn't wear out? But whatever, what do I know about angelic weaponry, right.

Wtf he was cleared for missions seasons ago. Did they forget? Apparently? Ugh but I don't care so, moving on.

“You'll be save on this balcony.”

*SIGH* Honestly I'm wondering what they even learn at their dumb Shadowhunter Academy. Since common sense, first aid, and make sure your frikkin enemy is dead by slitting their throat and !never! turn your back on them are obviously not on the curriculum. SMH.

Ngl though, good riddance on the Max front XD

Guess I cheered too early. You had one job, Jonathan. One. Job.

HAHAHAHA HONESTLY HAHAHA THE GUY NEXT TO HER FALLS AND SHE DOESN'T EVEN TWITCH, JUST KEEPS RECORDING LOOOL

Btw all the people running away, they're screaming their heads off but they're not really like, running? They're barely even jogging lol it's so funny XD

Let me just....

Yes. This.

Also that whole “I've never been to Toronto” totally clashes with Izzy asking Clary literally three minutes earlier if she can open her a portal to Los Angeles. I mean, they don't even try and pretend that their portal travel is consistent anymore. Sigh.

I mean. He. Hehehe.

Amazing that Magnus has been in this exact street in his exact spot. Luck-y.

Same, Jonathan. Same.

Wow she's smart trying the spite approach to get Jonathan to want to prove her wrong.

.....or not. Wtf Clary. You had him. Even after all this, you could have salvaged this. But there's just No Happy Ending for Jonathan. It's so unfair. Rest in peace, my poor misunderstood murderous incest baby.

Also

Wing Rune? Death via Crushing Wing Hug??

Btw if the runes are gifts from the angels and they don't approve of her use then why do they keep sending them to her?? Just, don't? Problem solved? No need for a Jocelyn!Scolding?

Edit: As a smart person pointed out to me Clary's ability to create runes isn't a direct gift from the angels that they gave her specifically, it's a result of Valentine's neat experiments. But then I wonder a) why the angels even allowed those blasphemous experiments in the first place (since apparently they can long-distance-derune people no problem, then I guess they could have stopped Valentine too?) and b) if they have the power to long-distance-derune people and they have the power to form some sort of resistance against Clary inventing runes..... how does that add up? Why the heck can't they forge a resistance strong enough against Clary's attempts to create a specific rune? It makes no sense. You can't be ridiculously powerful in one rune-aspect and ridiculously weak in one other rune-aspect. Either the angel has power over the runes (since they were a gift from him) or he doesn't. But this is rubbish. Or, y'know, plot convenience. Ugh.

Buhuu, they didn't use the stupid ass angelic rune ever so whatever. Until Raziel doesn't come down and exchanges her spinal marrow I'm writing this off as Consequenceless Dramatics.

Malec Wedding Ceremony. Phew. Originally I thought I'd keep this short but I changed my mind. Since this is my last reaction post I might as well go all out (with the salt, among other things), so. Here we go.

Music choice and the general everything-is-muffled-under-the-song was absolutely wonderful. I really love that song and it's very Malec-y.

UGH

AWWW WOULD YOU LOOK WHO DEIGNED TO SHOW UP

The suit suits him (ahahahaha I'm so sorry) but I'm kinda bummed he's not wearing Shadowhunter Gold?! I mean?!

Whoever that is, she has kickass hair and I love it, and I kept looking for her in the background the whole time. To some success I might add.

Yeah please show me Lorenzo's face instead of, idk, Jace's wtf haha. Also who invited Meliorn.

Is it even a real wedding ceremony when the groom is already wearing his ring??

U G H

Cat should have been the one to give Magnus away. Maryse could have given Alec away if she must (honestly, it should have been Jace, not Robert or Maryse, but whatever). But Maryse giving Magnus away? The Fuck? She HATED him two months ago. She literally gave up on him after he SAVED ALL THEIR ASSES AND WAS STUCK IN EDOM after like half a day. Also I kind hate her ridiculous redemption. But sure, have Cat, his best friend for centuries, stand on the sidelines and only show her face for a second. Frikkin Madzie had more screen time than Cat wtf. I hate that Shadowhunters infiltrate every aspect of Magnus's life and force his Downworlder friends out of it. That's the real oppression wtf. I'm so angry at this. The frikkin audacity.

Awww, the other half second of Cat's screen time. Let me fawn over it. I love her dress, especially the arms, the necklace is a bit much but she rocks it anyway, I love her hairdo and her smile is the sweetest.

*cough*

Ngl I laughed my ass off at this. Because, y'know, communication. Is totally their thing, isn't it. They're so good at it. This is sarcastic in case you can't tell.

I really really loved this line though.

HAHAHA I LOST IT. I mean, I found their interlaced speaking ridiculous already, but this?? PFFFF HAHAHA. No. Just, no. But I guess the one good thing I can take away from this is that since they both say their “always” together it is in fact the same “always” so thanks for more Immortal Alec Foreshadowing.

Whoa those are a lot of candles. I approve. Lexa does, too.

Magnus throwing confetti is too cute for this world.

And then they just.... leave? Am I the only one finding that weird???? This was so short? Where are they going?? lol????

Okay, apparently Clary's runes are all gonna disappear. Uh. Okay. I don't see where this makes sense, but anyway. Her acting in these last moments was absolutely awesome.

I really love that Magnus and Raphael got the scene together that they deserved. I just enjoy that Downworlder Dad Magnus and Grumpy Son Raphael aren't treated as a Plot Devices and only interact when some Stupid Plotline requires it, but outside of it too. It's so refreshing.

Ralf: “Oh God please spare me.”

........not my lucky day apparently.

Hahahaha love ya.

DAMN RIGHT

Jace and Maryse dancing in the background tho. Cute.

BTW wtf, I didn't undestand Annoying!Ghost!Jocelyn in the way that Clary was gonna die. Just, she wouldn't have her fancy rune powers anymore. And okay, apparently she won't have any rune powers but... uh, death? That's a whole different dimension we're talking here. And why tf can't anyone be precise on this show for once wtf!

1) Helen is valid and for probably the first time in her life said something smart. 2) They started dating 3 days ago, wtf gals, I mean I heard of the u-haul cliché but honestly wtf. lol.

Ralf: *hits pause* NO. Kay, in the same room as Ralf, fully aware that the latter is watching the last half of 3x22 with the Malec Wedding (with headphones, I'm considerate and don't want to spoiler my sister): What is it? Are they adopting a child? Ralf: No, WORSE. Kay: Are they pregnant?? Ralf: NOOOOOOO Kay: Tell me. Ralf: ........no. I want to see the look on your face when you see this.

You had one job dude. One job. And you failed.

Ralf: I'm going to be sick.

Honestly. WTF. Sorry, but Lorenzo is probably the un-gayest character on this show. Wtf. No. I refuse. I also refuse to believe that anyone looks at Lorenzo's self-important pompous ass and thinks hnnnngh relationship material. Or worse, one-night stand material. No! No! Punching bag material! Sleek antagonist material! That's all he is dammit!!

I REALLY AM GOING TO BE SICK WTF. UGH NO. NOOO WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE (aka screen writers) WHO THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. And also, can I give the biggest anti-compliment to the Max actor for the absolutely shitty delivery of this line? It's as if he's as dead inside as I am, because he says this as if he honestly couldn't give a single shit about Magnus and just ??????????????? wtf

Yeah, that one time she glanced at him in the Ops Center really gave it away. What the actual ffkk. Alec was preoccupied with other things then, wtf, he wouldn't even notice that on a good day. Sorry, show, but less is more sometimes. Not everyone needs a frikkin significant other and this is just ridiculous. What's next, Max and Madzie? UGH.

Lol this would be less ridic if apart from 1x05 this wasn't their first interaction.

NO NO NO NO!!!!!! I hate that I can't stop scanning the background for them! It's like the countdown on a bomb, you can't look away even though you know you should just turn and run. WTF. NO.

bitch what's alec been doing his whole life huh huh huh????

“Every single cell in my body loves you. And when those cells die and new ones are born those cells love you even more. So Jace, no matter what happens, my love for you will never die.”

Ridiculous Shadowhunter Biology Knowledge striking but I'll let it slide because that was really sweet.

Also ahahaha shouldn't that rune be gone already???

Shadowhunter #1 in the Background: *biting back a sob* I'm so crushed I wasn't invited to Malec's wedding and saddled with active duty instead. Shadowhunter #2 in the Background: *wiping away tears* Yeah, me too.... What did we ever do to deserve this </////////3

Again, how did she understand that from the weird AF scolding??? TF.

Uh, yeah, blatant contradiction, whatever. Btw since I know how that goes in the books (for Simon) I'm really wondering if they're gonna pull the same thing for Clary now. (Ugh.)

Also, following both a hint and innate curiosity I paused on the letter that Clary supposedly actually wrote AND WTF HAHAHAHA. I CAN'T.

Dear Jace, forgive me for leaving all of a sudden. I came to the realization that it's time for me to move on. I don't know what is motivating me to take this action but I must act on my feelings. From the first day we met we had a connection from ??? my introduction to the Shadow Hunters World. Alec, Simon, Izzy, the institute and all of the Shadow Hunters opened up skills and experiences that I could never imagine I had. You and I spent many years together and have experienced many adventures together which I will never forget. Many times over they have put our lives at risk but we have always managed to survive in the end. You have saved my life on many occasions (screen end, but I guess sth like “you have looked”) after me and taken care of me (same, “which I'll never”) forget. Your love for me I will always (“treasure”?) May our Shadows meet again, Love Clary

WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL HAHAHAHAHA WTF

........................I paused here and I was this tempted to just, stop watching. Honestly, Shadowhunters, what have you done to me. Making me honestly consider to ditch the last ten minutes of a show that I dearly, dearly love. Wtf. I just, I can't. Wow.

Where's the beard, Luke. It's been “a year” so uh you've had time to grow it back.

1) Magnus “left handed” Bane again writing with his right hand. Mysterious. 2) Honestly I kinda spaced out on this scene after this shot because those blue smears? I was so SURE those would be fingerpaint clumsily smeared on Magnus by Malec's Baby of Horrors. I was so focused on there being any hints of them having adopted a baby already, dreaded anguish kinda making it impossible to taking in anything else. The only thing I really noticed is that they moved with their whole ass loft and I love that.

Honestly, this and the “High Warlock of Alicante” are the only two acceptable things about this whole terrible fever haze dream I have entered. Not that “High Warlock of Alicante” makes any sense. It just has a nice ring to it, that's all. I really can't put into words how ridiculous and, yeah, almost offensive I find it that they actually pretend that blatant racism can be wiped out of the minds of people in the matter of a single year. Sure. The whole Clave changed their racist beliefs and Alec skipped from being a mere Head of an Insitute over being a Clave Envoy to being an Inquisitor (which doesn't even make sense, since an Inquisitor seems to be going from Institute to Insitute and acting as a judge for Shadowhunters on trial, not negotiating how the Clave treats Downworlders). And which warlocks exactly does Magnus represent in Alicante? It makes no sense for the Clave to allow Downworlders to just, randomly live there? And that's got nothing to do with discrimination, that's just logic if you run a military organization: You don't allow civilians to mingle. They don't belong in the Ops Center of an organization they have no part in? I'm all for Downworlders being allowed to participate in legislative etc. but living in Alicante (as more than the significant other of a Shadowhunter) makes no sense. And sorry, I don't believe that in one year there formed SO MANY Shadowhunter/Warlock relationships that SO MANY warlocks moved to Alicante that they need a HIGH WARLOCK for representation. There's SO MUCH wrong with all of this that I have no choice but to move on.

Hmmmm it only took Maia one (1) year to realize that carefully painting over blood splatters with yellow (and not even removing pictures while doing so) isn't in fact enough to cover them up and she needs to get a completely new paintjob, prefereably in a dark color.

Okay that made me laugh at least.

*rolls eyes so hard* And again with the pointless coupling up of characters. Are singles even a thing in this world? Apparently not. *SIGH*

“The Drevak Demons in Long Island?” “The hunt continues.” “Don't stop until they're gone. Is that clear?”

As much as I love Izzy, I'm not sure this dialogue really assures me of her competence as Head? I mean? “The demons are not dead yet? Kill them until they are, understood? And don’t argue with me on that, I’m super serious!!” It's not as if this isn't literally all that Shadowhunters do all day. I just don't see Izzy working a desk job. She's meant to be out in the field, slaying demons and cracking jokes and her whip while doing that. Sorry, but that's just how it is.

I could even tolerate that Sizzy scene because I was sooooo relieved Underhill didn't mention having a significant other or anything of the sort. Dodged a frakkin bullet there.

Edit: Nope, no, I can't. It's been two weeks and I have regained enough of my strength to be salty about Sizzy. But let me keep it to a minimum because time. 1) Simon not wanting to kiss Izzy in the hall is ridiculous, as if it hasn't been common knowledge since before that whole Downworlder Deputy Stuff started that they are a thing. So obviously this was just to pepper in the fact that he is in fact one of the Downworlder Deputies, whatever that should mean.

2) Nice to know that Simon continues to exploit his girlfriend's authority. Some things never change I guess, first with Saia and now with Sizzy. 3) I just find it ridiculous that while Simon wasn't able to keep a relationship running for more than two weeks before, suddenly this one works out a whole year without a hitch. Oh right, this was The Endgame Pairing, the other's weren't. *sigh*

<3<3<3<3<3 The Jimon Friendship we deserve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS THE CONTENT I WANT TO SEE, NOT WHATEVER THAT OTHER NIGHTMARISH STUFF WAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Uh-huh, and what was Simon doing, exactly? Oh right.

Anyway.

I mean, as much as I love this dynamic and the fact that Jace managed to form a friendship with Simon who he kinda hated / pitied before, and as much as I love this scene itself..... the implications for Jalec are terrible. Jace is obviously not coping. At All. He's one wrong word from having tears running from his eyes in any given situation. And Alec just, effs off to Alicante to sip martinis with Magnus? Thank you for nothing, Alec. Wtf. I'd like some details on when exactly he decided to leave his parabatai alone in New York with all his heartbreak.

A toned down version of events would have been better. Alec still being Head of the Insitute, fighting tooth and nail against the Clave to implement Downworlder Involvement on more levels. Magnus being the High Warlock of Brookyln (because obviously Lorenzo got sacked for misconduct, come on). Simon and Jace growing closer over the shared devastating loss of Clary. Izzy slaying demons like a Queen. Underhill being single.

We could have had it all.

“You know, I pray every day, every day to the angels that they will see that our love is stronger than their spite.”

Lol Jace I'm not sure that's the way to phrase a prayer you want heard.

Okay, I'm gonna need several explanations here, ranked by importance:

1) WHY THAT HAIRCUT WTF

2) How exactly did Clary go from “complete memory loss, homeless, no money, no family, no friends, no nothing, literally just the clothes on her back” to “well-adjusted human being attending school, being super successful with her art, having an appartment and an astounding lack of depression” in a year?

????? ???????? ???????????????

???????

3) I really don't know a lot about either fashion or art, but both differ greatly from what we've seen from Clary so far. Neither her clothes match what she used to wear, nor her art style. She never drew abstract things. It was always portraits of people, or very detailed and realistic looking buildings / demons / sigils. So this doesn't really make sense either. I don't think they intended this to be the opening of a profound philosophical discussion on how much of your personality is laid down in your DNA and how much is just environment and experiences shaping you, so I really REALLY wonder why the f they did that, instead of having Clary draw Shadow World related stuff like before, when Magnus had her memories locked away.

Love the throwback. Also love Jace's reaction of running away, it's so relatable in this situation of utter emotional overload.

Okay, the end. I'm trying my best to end this on a slightly positive note okay, because otherwise I'll just make myself sad. First off, I HATE open endings with a passion, so this left me enraged. Second off, I can't believe the Clace Shippers were left with this as the last scene of their OTP. I kind of get it from a meta stance, they wanted there to be a point of contact for a possible pick-up, but still. They didn't even kiss. They didn't even have clarity what exactly Clary remembers. I hate it! Third off, how ridiculous is it that after a year Clary randomly remembers? Uhh? Why does the angel's punishment suddenly not work anymore? “Because love conquers all” etc. Uh-huh. Then why did it take a frakkin year? Huh, Jace?! If this had been the first time Clary and Jace see each other again, fine, I would have bought it. But “random” is such an unsatisfying explanation. Just, don't. So if you'll excuse me, I'll happily pretend none of this happened. Or it happened one month later, not a year wtf. Or I'll just follow through on my rewrite and rectify all the things I didn't like about these last two episodes.

And now that all the rage is out of the way, the good things. I loved both of Clary and Jace's acting in this scene (which lolllll I specifically point out because mostly in their couple scenes one of them fails XD). The careful way Clary touches Jace's rune and the way he almost flinches back, too raw for it, but also his vulnerable helpless smile, and how Clary smiles back. I also really liked the song. And the final shot, of the camera pulling away and into the nightsky, that was nice. It felt like an ending, so at least that gave me some closure.

I love this show. Even with all its infuriating plot holes and ooc-ness. It means a lot to me. It has inspired me to write fic like no other fandom. I plan to stick around for a long time to come, with both fics and tumblr posts. I'll rewatch episodes, obsess over details and grumble about shit I disliked because that's just what I do. It's how I show my appreciation. I guess what I'm trying to say is

Thank you

[rockmiyabideusexmachina]

2019 Megaman Valentine’s Day (Talent) Contest Results!

Part two of results day, even though I always label the Talent category as Cat. 1, these results are in reverse. Oh well.  Again, raffle prize winners will be contained in both posts, so keep an eye out after my commentary on your art. Not all raffle prize winner are contained in this post. I’ll be contacting all winners soon enough, so sit tight!

To see the Humor category results, please head to THIS POST.

Will any of our Iron Chef contestants be able to create an artsy meal with these ingredients?:

To find out, along with your Talent category winners and full gallery of entries, click here after the break:

Category 1 (Talent) - The Way To A Mega Man’s Heart Is Through His Stomach

This category had the larger amount of participants, and was honestly a lot harder to judge. I really was going back and forth on where to place people, because I love so much about all of them! Your delicious culinary character combos were all delectable in their own right, whether they were actually edible pieces of art or not. I did leave this category up to interpretation a bit more, despite the initial description wording it as a food-themed pinup. As long as it contained some sort of food with a character, it technically fit the theme. 

Thank you once again to all who participated. You all make holding these events fun year after year!

I know imgbox gallery gave people some issues before, so as always, let me know if images or links appear broken. Crossing my fingers this works smoothly this year! XD

After each entrant’s name, there will be a link in the character description to the entry, too, just in case the external inserted images don’t load for you.

[Full Talent Gallery]

1.) @prar-draws​ - Zero and Ciel

While most entries focused on sugary sweets, such as pastries or candies, prar thought outside of the box just enough to stand out against the rest. Taking Zero and Ciel’s already long hair and turning it into ramen and soba noodles, the pair are relaxing together in an overflowing hot tub bowl of their pasta-y strands, broth, veggies and then some, while they enjoy their own bowls of noodles. Despite being heavily layered in clothing, *warning* this is one steamy, saucy pic! XD

*For coming in 1st (in back-to-back years, no doubt), prar has won $100 via Paypal, or a prize of their choice up to that value.*

2.) @digitallyfanged​ - Tron Bonne and Megaman Volnutt

Ever the tease, Tabby’s Tron is wooing Volnutt with a sugary-sweet sensory overload at the hands of both her, and her Servbots. Or maybe at the head, too, based on that 2-tier strawberry cake that doubles as a hat on happy Servbot. While including so many treats were definitely eye candy in this piece, so too is Tron in that dress, causing Volnutt to deeply blush. 

The soft glow of the lighter transparency background, along with the usual shine of your lighting on the pair in the foreground, help them stand out. Even if my mouth is watering more at all the Servbot’s treats. Hahaha.

*For coming in 2nd, Tabby has won $50 via Paypal, or a prize of their choice up to that value.*

3.) @irischroma​ - Nana

Nana is ready to split her banana split sundae with you. I see what you did there. Your mission is to follow her every command as she feeds you, in her bonus rpg/sim screencap. I really liked the use of multiple halftones to accent the shading on both her and the background of the full image. The background itself is really cool, to incorporate the ice cream mounds, syrup and sprinkles, which also actually align nicely with the sprinkles on her apron. Truly adorbs.

*For coming in 3rd, Iris has won $25 via Paypal, or a prize of their choice up to that value*

And the remaining wonderful entries, in alphabetical order by alias:

@bracedshark​ - Marino

The first entry to embrace food-themed clothing, Marino is the living embodiment of the chocolate peppermint sundae she is holding. I love mint chocolate chip ice cream, so Marino’s green hair and clothing accents fit that ice cream color perfectly. Also while tying in your traditional peppermints as accessories on her, as well as the sort of melty pinkish mascara dripping down the side of her cheeks. 

*Bracedshark is the winner of Raffle Prize #1 - The cel of Duo*

@drewblossom​ - Ice Man and Roll

Another great use of food-styled clothing, Drew made a precious cinnamon roll dress for Roll, and an ice cream cone vest with a more whipped topping trim for Ice Man. Ice’s hair also adds to that whipped cream feel, yet despite dancing around, does a good job keeping that cherry from falling off the top of his head. XD This is a super cute scene, and has even better apparel style. 

*Drew is also the winner of Raffle Prize #4 - The Tamashii Nations Zero figure and Zero emblem wristband*

@hyperbole1729​ - Tundra Man, Top Man, Snow Robbit and Eye Ice

The first of two yummy cookie entries, which I’ll assume were baked around the same time, feature both real world treats, and 2D ones. I give Hyperbole big props for making the Snow Robbit and Eye Ice enemies into cookie shape form. They look super delicious, and I’m a guy who loves cookies with tons of frosting. XD Taking the pic on a wintry snowflake plate makes them stand out even more, so I totally loved your creativity with that. 

That baking didn’t only take place in Hyperbole’s kitchen, as Tundra and Top also spent the day making the same treats. I think their cookie cutter shapes have given me a clue to how you made yours. LOL Very cute!

*Hyperbole is the winner of Raffle Prize #3 - The Zero plush and framed X 3D sprite art*

@larytello​ - Zero and Ciel

Strawberry cake seemed to be the most popular choice of romantic treats, and here lary has Zero feeding Ciel her slice. Your digital airbrush shading has really improved, and it shows in this piece! It really gives a nice depth and definition to their arms and legs, not to mention the folds in Ciel’s dress, or the shine off of their helmets. Even with the heavily pink background, with all the hearts, they both still stand out nicely against it, despite their color schemes. Super cute!

@papillonthepirate​ - Roll.EXE

Our other real world food entry is a sugar frosted Roll.EXE cookie, complete with rosy cheek sprinkles and lemon-flavored ribbon candy antennae attached to her. Again, like Hyperbole’s submission, Papillon had the perfect heart decal plate design to help accentuate her creation, along with the doily it’s sitting on. I’m sure she was delicious! I appreciate the extra creativity taking the theme of the contest literally and making an actual tasty Mega Man character treat!

@peach35​ - X and Zero

A very cute scene of X and Zero sharing desert and a drink with swirly-shape sippy straws at a quaint little bistro off the shores of Dopple Town. And I’d imagine the pair of strawberries left snuggling on the table also sort of symbolize the hunter couple cuddling up after their cake and conversation, too. Pardon the pun, but I like the slice of life feel to the scene, that sort of gives it this Norman Rockwell-styled feel. The detail on your strawberries and lemon slices really turned out quite great; they look pretty real!

SockMonkii - Ashe

Ashe is so busy devouring that chocolate/strawberry filled cake slice, I don’t know if she fully realizes how much she has missed on her face. XD In fact, I think she’s likely eyeing the rest of the whole cake as the booty she’s after, rather than of any admirer. LOL The ribbon and bow background, along with all the hearts, help emphasize the cake as a romantic gift. Again, I see a lot of growth and improvement in your art style after a year’s time, and I think this pic turned out great!

@star-crossed-swords​ - Blues and Tempo

While definitely a sweet and romantic drawing, this entry felt like it fit in more with last year’s humor category theme, Beauty and the Beastman.EXE, that I almost wondered if you got mixed up with an older contest post. ^^; So I decided to go with the assumption that Quake Woman/Tempo had something delicious leftover on her hand that Blues was kissing off of her, to fit it within the content requirements. :D Their formalwear looks very nice on both of them. I like the sparkles on her dress coordinating with the starry sky outside the window. 

SubZeroIceSkater - Tundra Man

I totally read that tagline in Tundra Man’s voice. And the more bittersweet, the more pure chocolate, so it sounds good to me! Containing most of his stage enemies in cacao form, this box of chocolates is like a your chances at an extra life in item roulette. You never know what you’re gonna get. That’s sort of reverse Forrest Gump logic...right? I love how the box is designed just like his helmet’s rupee with icicles protruding, along with all the beautiful sparkling snowflakes and hearts in the background. I want a box, badly!

[doodlingadventures]

Spirits be with you pt 1 - beta

Hey! this is a transcription of the questline “The fallen chieftain”, regarding Vol’jin’s fate in Battle for Azeroth. It includes the quest texts, but also a few screenshots, the dialogues in between, and a bit of commentary. This is as far as we have in the beta, and there is a missing quest line between the end of this one and Talanji and Vol’jin’s cinematic, so remember that what I’m showing you now can change once it hits live.

It’s spoilers for BFA, so if you want to avoid them, stop reading and come back at a later time! (and if you’re on the app… i’m so sorry. this is going to be long).

After completing the Scenario “Zandalar Forever” and turning in the quest, Rokhan will appear on the Great Seal, offering the following quest

Zalzane returns.

Rokhan: Hero, I’ve never needed your help as much as I do this day. My home be under attack.

I only just heard myself, Master Gadrin be callin’ for aid. Zalazane, an old enemy of da Darkspears, has returned to da Echo Isles and has brought with him an army of da dead.

Zalazane be a traitor who has slain many Darkspears and defiled their souls. Will you come with me to defeat him? We can take da ship dat departs da Port of Zandalar.

Rokhan (to Talanji): I gotta borrow da champion for a bit. An old enemy somehow escaped Bwonsamdi and now be threatenin’ my home.

Talanji: My dear Rokhan, de Darkspear tribe has more than earned de aid of de Zandalar. I will join you to help as I can.

Once you take the ship and arrive to the Echo Isles, you can already see hostile undead trolls attacking the Darkspear NPCs.

(the only thing I don’t like about this is that they took the red feathers from the urn :C now it looks less like Vol’jin)

Broken Bargain.

Master Gadrin: These mindless undead just keep coming. They be far stronger than they were last time Zalazane walked this world.

Please help us drive these undead back.

The Glaive of Vol’jin.

Zen’tabra:When fighting someone who has escaped the grasp of Bwonsamdi, as Zalazane has, it is best to bring weapons that can hurt him.

In Darkspear Hold you will find the Glaive of Vol'jin. It should have enough bond with Vol'jin's spirit to aid us in this fight.

As you kill the Undead Trolls, you can hear Zalazane yelling.

Zalazane: Search, minions. Find da ashes of Vol’jin and bring them to me.

When retrieving the glaive, you can notice one of the undead just observing it.

Broken Bargain. Completion.

Master Gadrin: The dead should stay dead.

The Glaive o Vol’jin. Completion

Zen’tabra: The bond between Vol'jin and Zalazane was one of magic and bargains with loa.

The bond between Vol'jin and dis weapon was also great. Dis may be what we need to finally destroy that spirit.

Vengeance for Vol’jin.

Master Gadrin: If we mean to destroy Zalazane then we gonna need something that can damage that spirit.

Da Glaive of Vol'jin might be what we need to do this.

Zalazane be hovering near where he fell so many years ago. Rokhan and Talanji have already gone to face him. Go, slay Zalazane, and then plunge da glaive into the spirit before it can escape. Let us hope de bargain Vol'jin made be powerful enough to destroy this enemy.

When you head towards Zalazane’s fall and engage him, he has a few lines.

Zalazane:Ya not be hidin’ him from me forever. I’m gonna have my revenge on Vol’jin and all of da Darkspear!

Zalazane: I have learned much by watching Bwonsamdi as he tortured my soul. Let me show ya some of his style of voovoo.

Zalazane:Ya be tinkin’ ya can win? Ya can only delay ya destiny.

Spirit of Zalazane: Ya tink destroyin’ my body… that’s gonna stop me… from ripping ya apart?

Once you kill him, his spirit appears and starts attacking you. This is when you can activate Vol’jin’s glaive effect on use.

Spirit of Zalazane:What? Vol’jin… you could not have grown so strong without becoming… a…

(Vol’jin does not show up. Zalazane just glows for a moment and then banishes in the same effect Bwonsamdi uses to appear and disappear)

Before turning in, the characters have a few lines.

Master Gadrin: Da dead, dey be fallin’...

Rokhan: Zalazane not gonna come back from dat. Even in death, Vol’jin be watchin’ over us.

Talanji: Few spirits have ever shown such… power. Master Gadrin, I invite you to bring dis chieftain’s ashes to Atal’Dazar. If his spirit is worthy, he may have a place of honor amongst our greatest kings.

Vengeance for Vol’jin. Completion.

Master Gadrin:Da blade... it be glowin'. It never did dat before.

Squad goals.

Honoring a true leader.

Master Gadrin: Vol'jin. I have often felt our old chieftain's spirit whisperin' to me. His strength was da lifeblood of da Darkspear tribe. Some would even say he was da spirit of da true Horde.

Princess Talanji's offer is a great one. I shall travel with Vol'jin's ashes to Atal'Dazar. If ya be wishin' to join us for dis procession, meet us upon da famed Golden Road.

We take back the ship and head towards Atal’dazar’s flightpoint. Master Gadrin and Talanji are waiting for us.

Honoring a true leader. Completion.

Master Gadrin: Da power here... it be in da very earth. Da spirits be strong and ancient in dis land.

Vol’jin, son of Sen’jin.

Master Gadrin: Even in da Echo Isles we have heard of da traditions of da Golden Road. We must walk in da presence of royalty and hail da accomplishments of Vol'jin so dat his spirit be welcome here amongst da ancient kings.

I shall carry da ashes, if you light da fires. Know that any member of any other tribe may contest us. As our champion, we will need you to fend them off if they do.

The quest starts, and you follow Master Gadrin and Talanji.

Master Gadrin: We come bearin’ da ashes of Vol’jin, son of Sen’jin, ta be honored in dis sacred place.

Talanji: Dis is an honor seldom awarded to one not of Zandalar. Come, walk de path with me and share dis Vol’jin’s deeds.

There are three Braziers on the path that you must light. Each one shows a familiar scene.

First brazier lighted.

Master Gadrin: Vol’jin made a deal wit’ Bwonsamdi ta defeat da powerful Zalazane.

Vision of Vol’jin: Aid us, Bwonsamdi! Help us regain our home! Return de Darkspear to d Isles and hear your drums again! Drink your ritual offerings once more! Dis, as de Son of Sen’jin, I swear (with his old voice. It’s the scene from the old event on teh Echo Isles during Wrath).

As you try to continue your path, two sandfury challengers appear, yelling : No Horde filth gonna be worthy of dis place. We of da Sandfury challenge ya!

Master Gadrin and Talanji will simply wait for you at the next brazier while you kill these idiots. You can take your time.

Before reaching the second brazier, a Gurubashi berserker appears, bellowing: No Darkspear! No dumb trolls in fancy troll place!

Second brazier lighted.

Master Gadrin: When Zandalar tried ta unite da troll tribes, Vol’jin chose da safety of his people over da prophet’s dar powers.

Talanji: At de time, Zul’s vision of a grand troll empire was very tempting to my father. I must commend your chieftain for seeing de bigger picture.

On your way to the last brazier, a couple of Amani challengers yell : Ya not gonna be bringin’ dat Horde lovin’ traitor to dis sacred place! (bitch eat my shrapnel bombs)

Third brazier lighted.

Master Gadrin: When it be clear dat our warchief, Garrosh, be unwillin’ ta lead with honor, Vol’jin led da rebellion ta depose da warmonger.

Talanji: It is a hard thing to do what your leaders will not.

Vol’jin, son of Sen’jin. Completion.

Talanji: Vol'jin. I must admit, I am impressed with his deeds. Had we met in dis world, I am sure he and I would have had much in common.(blizzard pls)

Atal’dazar; Ashes of a Warchief.

Talanji: I have learned much of de Darkspear lately. Truth is, I have quietly admired dem since I was a little girl, hearin' of Vol'jin's defiance of Zul's reckless call to action. (girl HOW OLD ARE YOUU?!?!?!?!)

Vol'jin was Warchief of the Horde, chieftain of de Darkspear, and more troll den most can claim to be (thank you). His ashes should be honored in a place of kings and queens.

Take de ashes to Atal'Dazar with my blessing and honor your former Warchief as he deserves.

If you’re not a rogue or a hunter, you’ll need a group for this.

Past  the first boss, starting at the right, there’s a small, tranquil lake where you can see the glowing silhouette of the urn.

Once you place it, Bwonsamdi will materialize.

Bwonsamdi: No, no, no, my little hero. Ya not be leavin’ dat here.

Atal’dazar; Ashes of a Warchief. Completion.

Bwonsamdi: You and I need be talkin'.

You owe me a spirit.

Bwonsamdi: Ya not leaving that here. Ol' Vol'jin not be dancin' in my house. I not be seein' his spirit for a long time. 

Its absence has broken de bonds dat held Zalazane in my control. So... I want you to lift dat heavy urn, and bring it to my necropolis.

Vol'jin and I gonna have a face to face on my ground.

Then you have to go to the Necropolis, in Nazmir. The only thing different is that Zalazane’s spirit is no longer dangling at the entrance.

You owe me a spirit. Completion.

Bwonsamdi: I have waited some time for dis. Long overdue hee hee... wait a moment.

As for now, you only get the achievement “The fallen chieftain” (first half of the “spirits be with you” questline). There are no following quests to this one, yet, but if you stay, Bwonsamdi has a few extra lines.

Bwonsamdi: Be off, hero. Ain’ nothin’ for ya here now.

Bwonsamdi: Ay, Vol’jin? Come one outta dat urn. Wait… wait, wait… no! Where be da spirit?! Where be Vol’jin?

Bwonsamdi: No! No! Impossible. Da boss ain’t gonna like dis.Ol’ Bwonsamdi not be losin’ a spirit in… oh, dis be bad.

This raises a lot of questions. Like, a lot XD but for now it’s all we have. I am curious as to where they are taking this.They keep mentioning Vol’jin’s past deeds as a leader, and also the union of the tribes keeps being mentioned; in this questline, in other as you advance the story, and by a couple of “predictions” a certain NPC on the Zocalo give us. (Madame Konawla)

(I mean, she gives a lot, but these two are the most interesting regarding our current topic)

Uniting the troll tribes (this I have repeated enough on my theories xD) and “ressurection of former friend”. I can only think of Vol’jin or Zalazane , since she  mentions “it will depend on your friend” (although Zalazane would only makes sense if she was talking to a darkspear, and she gives this to any race I’ve tried) If you can think of someone else please say, I get stuck very easily

Well, you know where the inbox is 8D I’ll say as soon as I find the second questline avaiable!

[japanessie]

MY FIRST STORY MMA Tour Final The Premium Symphony 2017 in retrospect

On 23rd December 2017, MY FIRST STORY made another milestone by performing at the same venue which was supposed to have been the place where their rival brother band ONE OK ROCK was originally scheduled to perform with Linkin Park in November. Looking at the visuals presented to us so far, it was a roaring success.

Photos by Masanori Fujikawa and Taka Tallman except *

Here are my thoughts .... for my reader who requested. Basically a continuation of what I had said in a previous post before.

1. The stage looks like something inspired by Jules Verne novels combined with the Parthenon. 

That’s impressive!!

Then, similar to OOR, they also used a runway heading out to the audience. OOR normally use this for their acoustic set where the band members would gather together with their instruments. MFS used the end platform for Hiro where the digital piano was mechanically raised from below the stage. For a rectangular concert hall, you have to have this kind of setting for the audience's optimal viewing.

Look at the laser lighting! It was among the elements that worried the s**t out of their boss GEN back in the Shinkiba Studio Coast show because it was expensive. But looks like he’s not worried anymore based on this elaborate display.

Ready to go “Around The World In 80 Days” or “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea”! XD

2. The attendance at Makuhari was higher than the Budokan.

From the TV clips shared by Japanese fans, 18,000 people came compared to 12,000 for the Budokan. Reading through fans' reports, it looked like Blocks A & B were the most packed or the crowds consisted of the hardcore fans. One girl in Block B said she wished she could transfer to Block C where she could breathe.

Looking at the crowd placement, I started to feel doubtful whether choosing a seated ticket for this venue is worth it for someone like me (154cm tall) because unlike the multi-tiered Budokan or the Makuhari Event Hall, the Makuhari Hall 9-11 are flat. They're exhibition Halls after all. How high were the seats raised from the main floor if they were raised at all?

* Photo: Makuhari Messe Hall 9-11 when empty. Making me wish that it had a premium ceiling seat XD

3. It was MFS first attempt at using a full orchestra + a full choir

When they first announced the MMA Tour Final, they said this would be MFS as we had never seen them before. The ALL SECRET TRACKS album obviously had been arranged for this. The Live was not named The Premium Symphony for nothing. To me MFS music from the start has always been heavily layered. It was inevitable that they would arrive at this point.

Photo: The moment the curtain came down. Aaaahhhh!!! That’s 終焉レクイエム (Shuuen Requiem) making its debut everyone \(^^)/

  When MFS did the acoustic set for Itsuwari NEUROSE Final at Shinkiba Studio Coast, my mind actually wondered whether they would one day tackle the violin-cello string arrangements. Would have been slammed with the "OOR copy" moniker big time if they did it back then, wouldn't they? The difference is MFS actually created songs with orchestration right on their album rather than pick a few songs and re-arranged them with a string section for the Live show.

You know what’s beautiful about the above photo? The backup musicians were smiling as they looked at the band members giving it all. Despite the different genres they come from, all artists know passion when they see it.

4. The Surprising setlist :-o

More like shocking to me!

The most striking thing about the setlist is the fact that they had excluded their signature Live songs Second Limit, The Story Is My Life, 最終回STORY and Awake :-o. Seriously?? WTF! You know what this means??! This means they were signalling the beginning of a new era. Up to this point, an MFS show would not be complete without those songs. This is them presenting the fans the new-phase MFS!

The Setlist

1. 終焉レクイエム (Shuuen Requiem) 2. ALONE 3. Black Rail 4. 悪戯フィクション (Itazura Fiction) 5. Missing You 6. REVIVER 7. この世界で一番の幸せ者にはする事など出来ないかもしれないけど... (Kono sekai de ichiban no shiawasesha ni wa suru koto nado dekinai kamoshirenai kedo...) 8. 失踪FLAME (Shissou FLAME) 9. See you again 10. Love Letter 11. monologue 12. 虚言NEUROSE (Itsuwari NEUROSE) 13. LET IT DIE 14. "BOOM" 15. Zero Gravity 16. The Puzzle 17. CHiLD -error- 18. Tomorrowland 19. モノクロエフェクター (Monochrome Effector) 20. 不可逆リプレイス (Fukagyaku Replace)

(Encore)

-Nori Ohtani marriage proposal- EN1. 「花」 -0714- (Hanarenai yo) EN2. Merry Christmas EN3. REVIVER

While I understand their wish to move forward with their music, it's sad for me to see 最終回STORY go because that's the song through which I fell in love with MFS (T_T). 

5. Hiro debuted his piano solo performance

My wish came true \(^^)/! Back in 2014 when MFS released their Taylor Swift remake We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, I told another fan on my friend's MFS FB fanpage that I hoped to see Hiro perform with a piano. 

I guess it wasn't the right timing for it then because it was the time when Hiro was still so heavily criticized and ridiculed as being Taka's copycat. Hiro with a piano onstage would be a bad move a few years ago. Nowadays, the comparison with his famous brother is much kinder as MFS music is speaking for itself more and more. So I think Hiro picked the right time to finally do it.

By the way, Hiro played See You Again solo. For Love Letter, he played solo halfway and then joined by the others. Can’t wait to see these (^^)

6. Hiro’s vocal performance

You see this one coming. My MFS concert commentary wouldn’t be complete without me talking about Hiro’s vocals, would it? True that I wasn’t there at the Hall BUT I have come to the point were I can slowly trust him to nail it around 90 to 95%. While I wasn’t expecting perfection, I know Hiro had worked really hard as he was confident enough to again include the song I directly and openly criticised him for through the band’s social media back in 2016, 失踪FLAME . Though they did not respond to me directly but Hiro did acknowledge on STORYTELLER that the song was hard.

When I saw this visual for 失踪FLAME , I felt good because I knew he still kept his determination to get that song right. I believe he handled it well. He wouldn’t have made this visual display if he couldn’t do the song right, could he (^_-)?

7. Former drummer Masaki came (^^)

Their friendship remains solid and Masaki once again showed that he wouldn't miss his former bandmates' big moment for the world. He tweeted saying it had been awhile since he went to see them, how awesome the show was, apologizing that he was giving an impression of an elementary schoolkid’s excitement and then attached his old photo wearing his underwear with producer Nori with a congratulatory message. Because that’s the only two-shot photo he ever had with Nori XD

8. "Men In Black" (^^)

Who wasn't taken by the fact that the band performed fully in suits? 

I think rather than setting themselves apart from the backup orchestra + choir members, the look they chose tied the whole thing together. The formally attired orchestra + the choir that coloured the overall feel of ALL SECRET TRACKS and their visually impactful LET IT DIE MV from ALL LEAD TRACKS. It was "MFS The Premium Symphony" and not "MFS with some guest musicians for some songs".

Oh, yes. To me Teruki Nishizawa is the most dashing of them all in black suits. They’re all cute guys but Teru actually has that “prep school + white collar” aura which transcends well with that outfit. I don’t think I’m biased at all. Just look.

9. Hiro & Blouson Chiemi

I'm a bit blurry with this one, did he do something like her comedy skit onstage or what? I saw a few Japanese fans mentioning her name along with Hiro’s. Knowing that Hiro likes her, I was hardly surprised. But MFS always edited out extra things like this when the concerts went to DVDs. So, if he ever impersonated any celebrity at all, it probably wouldn't go on the official release (-_-)

But at least we had seen Hiro posing like her during VAMPS Halloween Party 2017 XD

*Photo: From BREAKERZ Daigo’s blog

10. Sho Tsuchiya did not perform with them this time

Though he did appear here and there on the MMA Tour, he did not perform at the Final as I previously had expected. Well, they already played up his surprise appearance to the MAX at the Budokan. Anyway, I'm glad I wasn't at the Budokan because I swear I would have pissed in my pants the moment I saw his face on the screen XD. But it wouldn't have the same impact doing it the 2nd time around, eh? The only way Sho’s re-appearance can top the Budokan is if they actually announce him coming back to them.

* Photo from iTony Entertainment (it’s JMS subsidiary too!)

11. The biggest surprise of the night ..... Nori's getting married!

Their producer Nori Ohtani proposed to his girlfriend and after which, the band launched into their wedding anthem 「花」 -0714- . The fans, including yours truly XD, flooded the band's social media with messages congratulating him and wishing him well.

My thought :

Dating a rock band's manager / producer has its perk, eh? If things go well, you may get an epic marriage proposal with an orchestra, a choir and 18,000 eye witnesses too XD

Overall

One fan commented on IG that after watching the Makuhari show, the Tokyo Dome now doesn't seem like a dream anymore. I agree with her. I mean, if a band or any artist can hold a packed show at a venue like Makuhari Messe, with glowing reports and feedback afterwards, then the Tokyo Dome is not a dream but already a given.

[drakorn]

Tanz der Vampire St. Gallen - Act 1 Spoiler Review

Following my little commentary about the St. Gallen production, I have decided that I would actually like to make a full review. Now, back in April, @kahorifutunaka and I watched the St. Gallen production of Tanz der Vampire, directed by Ulrich Wiggers. At first, our opinions were quite mixed. Now we are closer to an agreement: The St. Gallen production does have some great solid directing and the cast is EXCELLENT, but the modern concept is wasted potential. But...why leave it here? You saw the title, right? Let’s get into full spoiler territory! To those who would like to still see the St. Gallen production without being spoiled too much, turn away right now. Everyone else, let’s go :D

Overtüre: Ok, here we can get a first positive: The Orchestra is actually full live in St. Gallen. You WILL get your goosebumps here...in the first few seconds. Remember how magnificent the animations in the original Tanz are? Well...here we get a forest graveyard first and most, followed by a gigantic castle that looks a bit like Bran Castle in Transylvania. The castle actually looks quite nice, but one would wonder “Why is the castle being shown now?” Well, this question is going to be answered in a few minutes. We then see...a much MUCH younger Professor Abronsius running onstage into the fog. We now see two gigantic rat statues with red eyes standing onstage. I am still unsure why they chose RATS of all things. I can imagine this famous Harry Potter meme being inserted here. “Let’s put rats in front of Krolock’s castle!” “But why rats?” “What other creature would you put there to be associated with vampires then?” “Oh, I don’t know...maybe a bat?” Anyway...Abronsius proceeds to examine those rats when he is suddenly...stuck in one of them? Yeah, I still don’t know what that was about...

He, ho, he: Only then does Alfred enter the stage. He is pretty much the same age as in the original version, just dressed entirely differently. He proceeds to sing his song until he discovers Abronsius in the grasp of one of the big bad rats! He frees him and together they proceed to walk...into the castle? Huh...weird...

Knoblauch: Ok, here is where things might get a little confusing at first glance. There are no more signs of a warm and cosy inn where the villagers hide from vampires. No, no, no...they are WITH the vampires already. Yeah, the inn and the castle have been merged into the same place. On the walls, you can see “Sanatorium K” written in fancy gothic letters. So...Krolock owns a Sanatorium...this version of Tanz is, therefore, taking place in an asylum? Jeesh, am I glad they mean the resort kind of asylum. If they would have shown Krolock and his cohorts merely THINKING that they are vampires because they are all cuckoo in their heads...I wouldn’t even know how to react tbh XD Anyway, the thing that ultimately takes the cake in this scene is the gigantic Garlic head in the middle of the room, with taps attached to it...wait...does it mean that the humans ACTUALLY drink garlic juice in this version? Holy moly, THEY are the crazy ones here! But anyway...there is actually something I like in this scene and that’s the costumes of Chagal and Rebecca. They don’t look like stereotypical jews anymore. Rebecca actually looks like a normal person here. Yeah, she’s a bit big, but she dresses nicely, has red hair, glasses and doesn’t look like a cartoon. Chagal looks like a hotel manager here, so...he’s in charge of the asylum? Does it mean, he is in direct communication with Krolock? Uh, this might make for some interesting change! Anyway, let’s see how this goes. So, Alfred and Abronsius stumble in and are taken care of. It is to note that Magda looks more like a nurse rather than a maid in this one. So...it IS an asylum for the mentally ill? I am SO confused. Anyway, Abronsius is woken up by something that looks like a very steaming liquid. And it must smell nice since he actively stretches out his nose. We also see some dark figure lurking in the upper floow...looks like a hotel page...uniform...strangely emo hair...and a hunchback? Is that Koukol? Yes, Koukol already features in Knoblauch here, where he is upstairs and runs away as soon as the two travellers arrive. Does it mean, he is already informing Krolock? That should be interesting. And then the dialogue happens...Abronsius asks “Is there a castle nearby?” Uuuuhm...you kinda JUST walked into the castle! Or perhaps he didn’t notice that this was the castle as it was dark and foggy...but I don’t know. And then Chagal says “No, no castle, nope, what are you talking about? We’re clearly in a castle but naaah, never heard of a CASTLE nearby, lol.” (He didn’t actually say that XD) Then we have the ONLY text change in the ENTIRE musical. The Dorftrottel says “But this place used to be a castle once.” Aaaaah, so Krolock renovated at least parts of his castle in order to build an asylum. Actually, the more you look into the scene, you can actually see vampires amongst the humans. You can point them out by their evil grins and white contact lenses, which I admit does look pretty good.

Bitte, meine Herren: Chagal leads them into their rooms. Ok, STOP! Is this a HOLIDAY asylum, therefore a hotel, or a MENTAL asylum? The word Sanatorium can be used in quite a few variations! Or is it a combination of both? I am SO confused! PLEASE EXPLAIN YOURSELF, MUSICAL! You already changed ONE LINE, it can’t be that hard to include some extra dialogue to match the modern setting! Anyway, Alfred and Abronsius get TWO beds now (wow, how nice of Chagal!) And this time, they sleep stage right, while Sarah’s bedroom is stage left. Ok, let us talk about Sarah’s bedroom, because there is quite a few things to mention. First of all, she has Marilyn Manson posters, along with things from (I think) Twilight and Vampire Diaries. And Sarah has considerably darker hair in this version...OH. MY. GOD. They have given Sarah the Bella Swan treatment! She KNOWS about the vampires and WANTS to be bitten by them! THAT IS...actually really smart. I mean, think about it! Krolock is using the vampire romance hype of the 21st century to get his victims. This makes it all the more easier for him! And it also perfectly parodies the whole “immortal love” aspect. But then there is the other aesthetic thing...WHY are the rooms so dirty? Seriously, the colour is coming off the walls, it looks like a toilet XD Maybe that’s the intention, but I remember the cosy wooden inn...yeah...that was nice.

Eine schöne Tochter: This one is actually pretty entertaining and is one of the best modern transitions of this version. Chagal not only uses a hammer to lock Sarah’s door, no, he also uses a drill! I really like that idea! Perfect inclusion of modern elements.

Nie geseh’n: This is where the entirety of the stage gets used. I actually quite like this scene as well. Chagal finds Magda on a sort of balcony, smoking a cigarette. Her “sewing” remark is treated as sarcasm here. That’s a nice creative way of getting around without changing the lyrics. Also, instead of a Salami, Rebecca uses her walking stick (yeah, she has one here) to beat the shit out of Abronsius and Chagal. What I also enjoy is that the Orchestra pit is incorporated, as in, the actors actually walk through it in order to get to some parts. But here is something I don’t enjoy: Ok, Rebecca has been given red hair in this production...WHY would you change Sarah’s hair then? Come on, you had THE opportunity to create more resemblance and you tossed it out of the window. Shame....Shame....Shame....ok, that’s enough Game of Thrones. Look at the Finnish version, they did it better with the resemblance!

Gott ist tot: Ok...where do I begin to describe how Krolock looks like in this one? He dramatically appears on the rooftop over Sarah’s bedroom and begins walking around on it...dressed in a very thick fur coat. Also, this Krolock looks much older than the one in the original version. But I actually quite like his hairstyle. It is not as wild, it is more civilised. He looks like you would expect a contemporary aristocrat to look like. However...the fur coat and the song make him look like an (and many people have said this before me) undead sugar daddy. And his seductive cat-like movements on the rooftop, followed by a 30-second creepy as fuck stare into Sarah’s window, watching her sleep (ehehe, Twilight, ehehe), don’t really help the case XD Overall, I think Krolock’s first appearance in this version is a bit underwhelming. Remember how in the original version, he glides through the audience, spends the first part of the song in darkness and casts a giant shadow over the entire stage? All of that is unfortunately missing and nothing really makes up for it. The Finnish version had dying couples singing the “Sei bereit...” around him while he was still covered in darkness, THAT is a way of making up for it. But here...no, I didn’t really feel it tbh.

Alles ist hell: One of the biggest changes so far. It takes place in a gym hall (huh, so it IS a hotel then, because I don’t see why a mental asylum should have such a fancy looking gym). Again, we have vampires as well as humans in the gym. Sarah is also allowed outside in this one...well, I hope she is only allowed outside inside the building where her parents can see her, otherwise Draußen ist Freiheit would loose a bit of its impact. And here we have the now second appearance of Koukol. I don’t know, I really hate his hairstyle here. He looks like an emo. But I like that the entire bargain for candles gets a bit more obscure with the modern setting. Why would someone order so many candles when they have electric lights? This leads to the belief that Krolock has only refurbished a certain part of the castle and himself dwells in an older one. Quite an interesting idea here.

Wahrheit: I actually really enjoyed this scene. Abronsius is younger here and they take full advantage of that. A lot of this song is sung on the stationary bicycles of the gym, with Abronsius drinking water, and also breathing into an inhalator...huh, I...guess, he has asthma here? But I appreciate the hard work the actors put in here. It can’t be easy to sing a song like this on bicycles! Also, I like that instead of the wood falling down, a lamp explodes when Abronsius does his high note here. But again, some of the script (”Und dabei schlüpft meine Säge durch Zieder”) would have been up for a change. But at least the Nobel prize makes sense in this context, I guess.

Du bist wirklich sehr nett: I can’t really say that much about this version because it nearly plays out the exact same way. The only difference is that Sarah walks through the orchestra pit to get to Alfred. But yeah, this isn’t one of the scenes where you can change that much.

Einladung zum Ball: Holy moly, THIS scene, however, is a totally different story! First of all, Krolock’s teleportation is grander here. He has two doubles this time, one high up stage left and one further lower stage right. The light shines on them without revealing Krolock’s face, which makes it really believable. However, we also have the stage direction where Sarah gets out of the bath, goes behind the set, in order to sit in a bigger bath in order for the scene to play out.  Krolock appears and delivers his invitation. The difference here is that Sarah isn’t frightened or shocked at all...she is happy. This Sarah REALLY wants to get bitten by Krolock. Also, she is actually naked in this one, and she even stands up, with her back facing the audience of course. Krolock quickly takes his fur coat and wraps it around Sarah, which looks quite hilarious actually. It looks like he’s saying “Sarah! This is not a PG15 show, and you are 17 for crying out loud! Here, have my coat and cover yourself!” He then walks away, leaving a magnificent impression on Sarah. We don’t actually see Chagal spanking her in this one, we just hear it. Oh, so we can have naked Sarah, but we can’t see her getting spanked? This show must have had a weeeird risk assessment XD

Draußen ist Freiheit: This version is totally different to the original What I find interesting is that Koukol actually opens the door so that Sarah can get out, which actually makes sense rather than her randomly being able to exit her house in the original version. But the real interesting thing is that Sarah in this version really seems to be annoyed with Alfred. It is so obvious that she wants to get away from him here.

Die roten Stiefel: This time it’s not just red boots but also a red corset. This is...interesting, but ok. And here is the part where I don’t like the look of the new vampires. In the original version, we had this magnificent dream sequence with red curtains and dance pairs. Here it is a bunch of people in leather clothes, pretty reminiscent of the Finale II vampires, which makes it look more dangerous, I’ll give them that, but also less dream-like. But there IS actually a good, even a great addition! This version has a Dream!Chagal coming out to fight Dream!Krolock over Dream!Sarah, which ensues in a battle with the two figures pulling her back and forth. THIS is something I would legitimately like to see in the original version!

Das Gebet: This scene, however...I did not like. In the original version, we have this entire inn, everyone holding candles, a moon shining, the Count standing on the rooftop, Sarah getting all emotional at the front. This version, however, looks like they were thinking “Well...we can’t cut it, so we need to have it somehow.” Everyone is praying in the centre, with Sarah further back and the Count is not even in it.

Trauer um Chagal: What is quite amusing here is that Chagal doesn’t really look that worried when he finds out that his daughter ran off. It actually looks like he’s being like “Oh come on! Seriously? Alright, let’s get her back.” He even drinks a bit of Vodka instead of eating Garlic, like he’s saying “Oh boy, will I have a chat with my boss now.” What follows next is the animation of a long and dark staircase...uhm...whooooooooo...gruuuuuhuhuuuuselig! And then we have one of the most unintentionally funny scenes in the show. Remember how I said that they didn’t change the lyrics? Well, okay, so all of the action, therefore, happens in a single building here. So WHY ON EARTH WOULD THE VILLAGE PEOPLE STILL INSIST THAT WOLVES WERE THE CULPRITS??? Is this a thing in Transylvania? Is it normal to find WOLVES strolling around INSIDE the building? Come on, this is a direct insult to Abronsius’ intelligence here. Also, the vampires among the people really act out their diabolical nature here as they really smirk and smile at the dead Chagal. Then we have this other thing...Chagal seemingly serves Krolock here...so why would Krolock kill him if he wants to bring back his daughter? I mean, I guess he could have found a replacement...but oh well, I’m getting too deep into this. Next scene!

Tot zu sein ist komisch: This is where Magda’s dark side is shown. Why? Because she LAUGHS when she sees Chagal’s dead body. Wow, that woman must have REALLY hated him. I mean, understandably so, but JESUS! And she doesn’t really seem that terrified when she’s bitten. I guess her working for a vampire Count makes her mentally prepared for what is to come eventually. She uses a bible instead of a cross against Chagal. And then...the next best unintentionally funny scene happens. And to this day I STILL don’t know what the creative decision behind that was. Okay, so we have Abronsius and Alfred wanting to impale Chagal, which leads to the chase sequence...only here it is accompanied by disco party lights. WHAT was that for? XD WHY did they do that? XD It’s so hilarious XD “UUuuh, yeaaaah, da vamp’s in da houseeeee, yeessssss!” 

Durch die Wildnis zum Schloss: Right, cancel the “Wildnis” part, because nobody is going outside here. And again...”Bestimmt entdecken wir durch ihn das Schloss von diesem Grafen!” YOU ARE IN THE CASTLE, FOR GOD’S SAKE! Jesus Christ, they really should have changed the lyrics because this makes them look like absolute idiots now XD And then the travel sequence comes. I don’t know why, but I had a desire to burst out laughing during this. It shows empty rooms that clearly belong in a mental asylum (SO WHAT IS IT NOW, A HOTEL OR AN ASYLUM??? MAKE UP YOUR MIND, SHOW!) The funny thing is that it has a slow-motion sequence of a black figure running into the distance. I don’t know why, but this really made me laugh so much XD

Vor dem Schloss: Or in this case “In an older part of the castle”. We obviously get the vampires in the audience. They just don’t seem as creepy because of their leather clothes. Then Krolock comes in, wearing a shiny grey suit. Krolock and the amazing shining grey suit! XD Actually, I do admit that this scene is pretty well done. Krolock clearly is annoyed by Abronsius and CONSTANTLY stares at Alfred. When they have their moment together at the end, Krolock grabs his shoulders and stares him right into the soul. Overall, the contact between Krolock and Alfred is done much better here than in the original version, so props to them for this one. But again...please change the script occasionally. Königsberg is no longer the name of the city Abronsius comes from. It’s Kaliningrad now. Yeah... And Herbert...wow, Herbert looks great XD He has this purple suit and long open hair, which make him look like Legolas visiting a gay bar. And then we finally get to see Krolock’s shadow! Hooraaay! He walks up the stairs before the curtain comes down, stretches out his arms, and a giant shadow comes up, opening all of the castle windows. That was quite neat as well. Also, I love how he gets a short moment where he opens Abronsius’ back, sees what’s inside it and nods like he’s saying “I have work to do.”

So, overall, Act 1 wasn’t bad but it wasn’t that overwhelmingly great either. I will see you all in Act 2 which will follow soon enough :D

[bitchfacetokiya-archived]

Report: 6th Stage Concert Day 1 Experience

So sorry for the huge delay, everyone! I’ve been spending most of my time trying to earn back the money spent on the Tokyo trip and taking care of other duties.

As reports about 6th Stage are released in magazines and over social media, I’ve decided to detail my personal experience attending the concert, rather than the concert itself. 

Since Lisa and I weren’t planning to get in line for goods on Saturday, we decided to do some window shopping in Lashinbang on Otome Road. Ikebukuro Station was a stop on the way to where we needed to go for the concert, and since the concert didn’t start until the afternoon, we had a few hours to spend. There wasn’t any trading for me to do, since Kyukyu still had my items and was trading at the concert venue.   

Around noon or so, we headed for the Seibu-Ikebukuro line to board the train. I had heard about the advertisement on display for the new Quartet Night singles so I made sure to take pictures of those! 

There were so many people waiting to board that the train platforms were crowded and special express trains were running just for people heading to the concert. Kudos to Seibu Railways for doing that, I was impressed! Even though my friend and I had to stand for the whole ride, it was still a pleasant trip, especially being surrounded by other UtaPri fans. 

Arriving at the stadium train station was an incredible sight. To see so many people there all for one concert was just a dream. 

So getting into the concert venue was an experience I’ve never had at other concerts. Rather than just entering by showing a ticket, we had to enter a separate area where we had to show tickets (and a picture ID!!) in order to get wristbands, which were used to buy goods and enter the concert venue. 

Why was showing an ID necessary? Likely it's to relieve scalping. If there were no names on the tickets, people could freely resell them for a higher price. But since everyone is aware that the tickets must be presented with an ID, they know that even if they bought some random tickets online, they’d be useless. Since Lisa’s name was on both tickets, she had to present the tickets with her ID (passport in this case) and tell them that I was her +1 for the other ticket. What happens if someone has an extra ticket but has no one to go with them? Or what if they have a single ticket but can’t go to the concert? For the first situation, I know that people would plan to meet the ticket buyer at the venue, and then they could enter the wristband line as normal, the same way Lisa and I did. For people who couldn’t go, I think I’ve heard of cases where ticket owners would plan to present ticket and then pass their wristband to the other person. I never actually witnessed that happening, but the UtaPri Twitterverse has managed to think of pretty much everything, and tickets for the concert were in such high demand that I’m sure everyone (if not, most people) managed to find buyers for their tickets. 

Buying goods at the concert venue was not something we even attempted to do. After the hours of waiting we had to do on Thursday and Friday, and seeing how long the line was at the venue that day, we didn’t bother. Instead we spent our time looking at the floral/balloon arrangements sent by fans! That was certainly something I had NEVER seen before and I was so impressed with the amount of dedication that some of these fans have—way more dedication than I have ever put into this series! 

After we finished looking at the arrangements, it was time to enter the venue and find our seats. We went to the gate, showed our wristbands, and looked for where we were sitting. Kyukyu and her friend had seats that were somewhat closer and more towards the center of the stage, and she was able to spot us. We had an amusing time waving to each other from so far away. 

We didn’t have the greatest view, and we were pretty close to the back. I was kind of disappointed but I reminded myself that I was here to write a report, and that maybe the lackluster seat would keep me from spazzing out and forgetting to take memos. But the venue was already much smaller than I had expected, and they really did work hard to make sure that the concert was an unforgettable experience from any seat! I think it was helpful to consider that even having the least appealing seat at the concert was still better than having NO seat at the concert. 

I won’t outline everything that happened at the concert since that’s been covered so many times, but I’ll list some of my favorite moments: 

When they performed DAY DREAM and it took until the first chorus for me to realize what the song was, and my first response was to freak out because I knew that NIGHT DREAM would be next XD I really didn’t think they’d perform Shining Dream, and NIGHT DREAM is one of my favorite songs. I love it so much that I made an itabag for it!! 

When it was time for Be the Light! and “Tokiya" said that he’d be performing as HAYATO this time. I was screaming and nearly in tears when he said that. Before I had heard commentary on that song, I had guessed that it was Tokiya’s returning to his roots as HAYATO, seeing that he’s in a much more comfortable spot in his career renewal now. I think HAYATO’s departure left a void in a lot of fans’ hearts (my friend Kyukyu being one of them) so I was so happy for what may have been a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

The “unplugged” version of Tears in Love. I had been looking forward to hearing the original, but instead Kisho sang with only a keyboard and a viola backing him, and it was incredibly powerful. I was definitely shedding tears until…

…the moment was ruined by a saxophone, Suwabe, and an orange hoverboard. I bust out laughing during the first few seconds of Give Me True Love (my new favorite Ren solo by the way) and couldn’t stop thinking about how the hoverboard seemed to be his answer to not moving around enough at 5th Stage last year.

While Lovely Eyes is not a favorite of mine, I happened to have been sitting in a row that was VERY close to where Suwabe had entered when the song began, so as he made his way in, I was murmuring “Oh my god Suwabe-san…Suwabe-san…” until he was less than 10 feet away and then I was screaming “REN-SAMAAAAAA” like my life depended on it.

After seeing Suwabe up close, I don’t think any other moment after that topped it. Not to say it wasn’t enjoyable, but the entire concert had gone pretty much without a break. I learned a few days later why that was the case, and it was mentioned on the official website.

The concert was scheduled to start at 4pm. By 4pm, there were still people coming in. I’m used to seeing concerts start a little late so I didn’t really mind the extra wait. But even when the concert started at 4:30, there were STILL people filing into the venue.

There was a written apology on the website in regards to the late start time and the shortening of breaks.  They had decided that they couldn’t delay the concert any further because of the risk of noise complaints later at night, and apologized those who had missed the first few minutes of the concert because they couldn’t enter in time.

My guess is that, other than people who waited too long to finally go through the gates, there were probably a LOT of concert-goers who had still been in line buying goods until the very end. So towards 4pm there may have been a flood of people trying to get in, and the crowd just wasn’t moving fast enough.

After the concert ended, we didn’t bother looking for Kyukyu because everyone began to leave at once, and we were going to see them on Monday anyway (I had a 4-person reservation for the UtaPri Animate cafe). On the way out, we could hear the idols saying their goodnight messages, which caused some of us to stop and listen. I managed to record part of it (you can hear it on my Twitter), and then we headed to the train station.

So that was my experience at the first day of 6th Stage! I wish I could have gone both days but I have absolutely no regrets, even if we did miss a lot of emotional crying from the seiyuu at the end of the second day. I’m excited for the DVD to come out so everyone can see Suwabe on his hoverboard! XD

My next report will be about the UtaPri Maji Love Legend Star Animate Cafe! Hopefully I’ll have the time to complete it soon!

[lady-divine-writes]

Klaine Valentine Challenge Drabble - “Coping” (NC17)

Kurt is away. Blaine is alone. And Blaine is having one of the worst days of his life. But a few words from his Dom and a little self-confidence go a long way towards turning things around in the end. (1560 words)

This takes place fairly early in their relationship, so we see Blaine working as a teacher, and we see his anxiety as a bit more extreme than it's been in later installments. But we're focusing on how Blaine handles being a submissive with his Dominant away - how he copes, how he serves Kurt, how Kurt's schedule and structure help him, the way they keep their D/s relationship going even though Kurt is away, etc. Written for the Klaine Valentines Challenge prompt Day 8 "The Way You Look Tonight" but originally inspired by the Klaine Advent Drabble prompt "universe" xD

Dom Kurt, sub Blaine. Warning for anxiety, and mention of bondage and cock cages.

Chapter 3 of Blaine Alone, a sub ficlet of Taking a Journey Together, written for the amazing @itallstartedwithharry <3

Read on AO3.

Blaine is having a fucking awful day.

It’s not just that the weather is lousy; his luck kind of sucks. His bus broke down, meaning he had to run the last two blocks to school in the pouring rain. He’s absolutely overloaded with work. Back to back parent-teacher meetings monopolize his entire afternoon before the sure-to-be-crowded Open House tonight, and oh, did he spill mustard down the front of his shirt - the only shirt he has with him?

Yes. Yes, he did.

Normally he carries a spot treating pen, and brings extra clothes along for hectic days like this just in case, but he’s been so overwhelmed, it slipped his mind. He manages to swipe a forgotten bottle of flat soda water from the fridge in the teacher’s lounge and gets the mustard mostly out, but it still leaves a faint yellow-brown shadow that makes him self-conscious about how he looks. Someone’s bound to notice tonight. They’ll notice and make a comment, then the principal will find out and he’ll make a comment …

This isn’t like Blaine, and Blaine will say that, except that today, it is, and he can’t fix it. There’s nowhere he can go to buy a replacement shirt, and even if there was, he has zero time.

Blaine feels useless. Pathetic and useless.

Useless because there’s no Kurt around to be of use to.

Blaine woke up this morning to an empty loft. He did his chores per usual, as if Kurt were there, but Kurt wasn’t there. Kurt is on a business trip … in France. Kurt is away on business and Blaine is alone. And he feels that alone-ness in every inch of his skin, every muscle, every bone. He goes about his daily schedule the way he’s supposed to, continues to serve because service to his Dom is service to his Dom whether Kurt’s there or not. But there’s a part of him that feels ridiculous kneeling beside an empty chair or sleeping on the floor beside an empty bed.

He didn’t really sleep at all last night, which adds to the misery of his day.

Kurt not being there doesn’t mean that Kurt doesn’t keep in contact with him. Blaine still does his check-ins at pre-determined times every day, telling Kurt when he eats and what he eats, when he exercises, every time he goes to the bathroom – basically everything he does from sun up to sun down. There are the pictures he needs to send and the tasks he has to complete. They Skype in the morning and the evening, and it’s almost enough.

But it’s not the same as Kurt physically being there, watching him, touching him, commanding him.

Holding him.

This feeling of loss weighs Blaine down, makes it hard for him to function. It’s as if the universe realized his Dom was gone and declared open season on him in the form of anxiety.

Blaine has to get past this. That’s actually one of Kurt’s tasks for him – to be more comfortable alone. Kurt would rather take Blaine with him on all of his business trips, but between Blaine’s job as a teacher and his Kinky Boots rehearsals, Blaine just couldn’t get away. Blaine has coping mechanisms in place – his Master’s monogrammed plug up his ass, his Master’s cock in a cage (new, and slightly annoying, but still a comfort since it comes from Kurt), and the harness he’s managed to tie by himself around his chest, perfectly hidden by his dress shirt and sports coat. But they’re not helping the way that they should because, without Kurt to come home to, they’re just things.

Objects.

Blaine tries to escape by becoming an object, too, but his mind constantly drifts away, wondering where Kurt is, what he’s doing, how he’s handling being without his submissive.

Does Kurt miss Blaine as much as Blaine misses him? Is he handling things better than Blaine? Of course, he is. Kurt’s completely independent. He’s an expert at creating structure for himself as well as others, better at keeping calm under pressure, at improvising when he has to. He probably would have made himself a new shirt in five seconds using the old curtains in storage. Kurt doesn’t need Blaine the way Blaine needs Kurt.

Assuring himself of that, Blaine ends up in the bathroom in tears.

It’s a long eleven hours from the time he gets to school till parents start showing up for Open House, flooding the halls in search of their children’s homerooms, examining their art on the walls or the assignments teachers have left on their desks for parents to see. Being a part time A.P. teacher, Blaine shares his room with another teacher, but they haven’t made an appearance yet. So Blaine’s alone with a room full of parents he’s only interacted with one at a time before. But now they’re all together, like a gaggle of ex’s, whispering to one another and, in his mind, judging him. He’s probably overreacting, but he knows that one or two of them are. He overhears one mother comment to the mother sitting next to her: “He’s so young … and attractive … but he dresses like my Uncle Rupert. I mean, a bowtie and a cardigan? At least it’s not a vest. But look at those pants! They’re atrocious!”

Blaine doesn’t know what to do. If this was happening during the school day between students, he would tell his kids to ignore comments like that, then he would remind the class that rude remarks have no place in his classroom. But these women are adults. He can’t call them out for hurting his feelings. Aside from being adolescent, that would kill his reputation at this school.

Kurt would tell him that those women are immature, beneath him, not to pay them any mind, but Blaine feels like he’s back in high school – at the public school he attended before his parents put him in Dalton. The anxiety that’s been tickling the back of his mind starts to grow, overshadowing things around him, turning conversation into noise, making the lights too bright, transforming the dull pounding in the front of his skull into a full-blown headache.

He’s about to excuse himself to the bathroom so he can splash cold water on his face, catch his breath, when he feels a buzzing in his pocket, perilously close to his cock cage. He fishes his phone out before it can cause any discomfort. He didn’t expect a message from Kurt just yet. Kurt had said during this morning’s Skype call that he would be busy all day today. Blaine has made all of his check-ins so far (the only thing he’s managed to pull off perfectly today), so there’s no reason for Kurt to demand an explanation for a missed one. Even though he should be getting the ball rolling, Blaine decides to take a peek. He wants to know why his Dom is thinking about him.

After the day Blaine’s had, he deserves it.

He opens the message, reading with a poker face so as not to elicit anymore unnecessary commentary.

From: Kurt

You are gorgeous today. Positively stunning, pet.

Blaine rolls his eyes. He feels guilty immediately after, but it had been a reflex.

From: Blaine

I beg your pardon, but you haven’t seen me since this morning, Sir. Trust me when I tell you, I’m not holding up that well.

 From: Kurt

Don’t argue with me, pet. I don’t have to see you. I know you, inside and out. Even if you sprouted a face full of acne and gained thirty pounds, you would still be gorgeous to me. You are an amazing human being, Blaine Anderson. And I don’t need to see the way you look tonight to know that.

Blaine bites his lips together. It suddenly doesn’t matter that people are watching him or what they think. He realizes it never did. The only person who matters just called him amazing.

He also scolded Blaine, which makes Blaine’s skin prickle all over in the best possible way.

From: Blaine

Thank you, Sir. You’ve just made my day.

 From: Kurt

You’re very welcome, pet. When you get home, we’ll Skype, and you can make my day.

 From: Blaine

Yes, Sir. But just so you know, I might be later than usual.

 From: Kurt

Do you think I care about the hour, pet? The time doesn’t matter. You do. Have to go. Talk with you later. Love you.

 From: Blaine

Love you, Sir.

 “Hey! Mr. A!” One of Blaine’s students calling from the doorway, walking in with his folks in tow, reminds Blaine that he’s in a room full of people – students and parents waiting for him to speak. “Lookin’ sharp.”

“Thank you, Tyrell,” Blaine says, slipping his phone back in his pocket.

“Op! But you’ve got mustard on your shirt, man.”

“Yeah, well, I needed to take attention away from my atrocious pants.”

Tyrell laughs, but from the front row, Blaine hears a dual gasp.

It’s a petty dig, but it feels excellent. Blaine only glances at the women in the front who had been discussing his pants moments before. One woman blanches, the other turns bright red. Blaine’s sure Kurt would be proud, and after that, Blaine knows he can handle the rest of the evening.

[80alleycats]

The Gang Turns Black Thoughts

I’m a black woman of color, so I was kinda nervous when I first learned about the episode. But after seeing it, I gotta say that I think they did a pretty good job. I could tell that were trying to be intelligent and respectful with how they handled the subject matter and I really appreciate the effort.

I’m always iffy when it comes to musicals, but I really enjoyed the songs. It was just the right amount of singing and dancing and I could understand the words. LOL.

The episode, as a whole, was entertaining and felt refreshing. I’m very excited about the rest of the season. :D

Anyways, there were some parts that I liked and some parts that I had “mixed feelings” about. I’ll list the “liked” parts first and then the “mixed feelings” parts.

SPOILERS below:

Things I Really Liked:

“Old Black Man” (OBM for short) sleeping between Frank and Dennis all of them bundled up in a blanket. Awww.

Dennis checking to see if OBM was asleep before launching into the “all lives matter” stuff had me weak because it’s SO REAL. XD

“I don’t know why it took them so long to realize their lives matter.” JESUS CHRIST, DENNIS.

Sassy finger-wagging Charlie! :D

When Dennis first starts singing “Where are the rules” and gets even sassier than Charlie. Dennis has never been this cute before. XD

Dennis: “Wait, what is this?” Charlie: “It’s a wallet.” Charlie is precious.

Mac: “Oh, right, that’s the lesson we have to learn: that black people will ruin your credit!” Mac’s habit of firing off stupid thoughts never gets old.

Frank: “I’m gonna say the n-word!” I LOVE the running theme of Frank coming up with an incredibly stupid and simple goal that he tries his absolute best to accomplish.

Z popping up out of nowhere with “What’s up, my niggas.” I loved seeing Z again. He’s one of my fave side characters.

Loved that Z’s nickname for OBM is the same as the Gang’s but the difference is that, for Z, it’s literally just a description whereas with the Gang the fact that he’s black is the main thing they notice about him.

Dee: “How much does this guy sleep? Is he a cat?” XD

Loved the reveal that OBM’s actual name is Carl.

The entire scene with Charlie and the social worker. Charlie playing with the train, describing his life, trying to empathize with black!Charlie, and realizing that he made a horrible stereotypical assumption made me cringe/laugh/aww all at once. XD

Dennis: “Or maybe I’m a French chef.” Mac: “And that’s why you’re so fat!” MAC, TURN IT DOWN A NOTCH.

Mac and Dennis: “We’re Church Blacks!” Such a stupid line. I want this on a shirt.

Frank’s dancing in the alley was SO adorable. :D

“But if you look inside our souls, sir, you’ll see that we’re white men.” GODDAMN IT, MAC. XD

Dee: “That’s a nice white man!”

Dennis: “You know why he’s calling the cops? He’s calling the cops ‘cause he thinks we’re insane people. We’re singing and talking about switching bodies and shit.” I love when Dennis gets all self-aware and meta.

Charlie: “We have a lot in common. But too much of it is fear.” SUCH A GOOD LINE.

The fact that the Gang has movie nights with Carl/OBM. My standards for the Gang are so very low that such feats bring tears to my eyes.

Scott Bakula. I don’t know that much about him but he played a great woobie version of himself.

The black actors who played the black versions of the Gang. They had limited screen time (especially black!Dee), but they all did good. I really liked Black!Mac and black!Charlie because they were extremely adorable and I’m a simpleton.

I think it was a brilliant idea for the episode to be from Carl’s/OBM’s point of view. We learned so much about him. We learned that he has a wife (?) named Ruth that’s in a nursing home and that they have at least two adult children. (I wonder if black!Dennis, Mac, and Charlie are friends or family members?) Does he want to reunite with them? I love that he has learned SO much about the Gang and yet he still sees the good in them and still has hope for these horrible people. When he asked the Gang “Does this mean you didn’t learn your lesson?” it just about broke my heart and I wanted to hug him. ;_; I hope we get to see more of him (and maybe even his family) in the show.

Things I Had Mixed Feelings About:

Black!Charlie getting shot. I knew it was going to happen because of the spoiler pics, but it was still a shock to see it. It might be the darkest moment on the show. I do get why they did it, though. I do know that the scene would have had less of an impact if we just saw Charlie get shot. And one of my favorite things about the scene is that it happened in Carl’s/OBM’s dream (and, as I mentioned above, this child might be related to him or someone he knows). The fact that a black man was imaging this happening added an extra and very powerful layer to it. But, yeah, seeing that was just a little too much for me.

The ending. Like, I get the Scott Bakula/Quantum Leap tie-in and I know RCG like to do weird shit occasionally (FLYING SPACE TURTLE!), but it felt a little bit too weird for me. Like, I started overanalyzing everything and I was like is Carl/OBM just really into Scott Bakula/Quantum Leap or is he actually Scott Bakula (which would completely erase his character and the social commentary of this episode)? And then I started having flashbacks to “The Gang Hits the Slopes” and the weird meta announcer guy. And my brain broke. I don’t watch IASIP for my brain to break. LOL.