#on the one hand the songs can be pretty catchy and weird

[spectrearia]

got more PinnochioP songs for Project Diva recently and my fingers are dyingggg lol why are his songs always so freaking difficult xD

[zoozvie]

Engagement?

♡ Levi/gn.Reader ♡ ao3 link ♡

You cheerfully hummed as you walked around your apartment, keeping busy with cleaning up and organizing the kitchen. It was a pretty lazy day for you two, accomplishing mundane chores that weren’t very important.

“Are you ever going to stop singing that creepy song?” Levi’s flat voice sounded from his chair in the sitting room. He had a book in his lap, but instead, he’d been watching you for the last few minutes with his perfect view into the kitchen.

“It may be weird, but it’s catchy.” You shifted to your other foot, flowing to non-existent music.

“You’re weird.”

Without looking at him, you waved him off, “Whatever.”

More humming filled the air. Harpy hare, where have you buried all your children? You looked over your shoulder discreetly at your boyfriend. Tell me so, I say. 

Your hands wrung a dish towel over and over between them, awkwardly leaning your hip against the cabinets. “So what did we say we’d do regarding marriage?”

Levi paused before he could take a sip of his tea. “Why are you thinking about that?”

“Nothing, no reason. I just wanted to remember what the plan was.”

Levi sighed, sitting back against his seat and placing his tea and book aside. “Well, we both said we’d sign the papers if it made sense legally and financially. And then later on, when we felt secure and ready, we could get ‘emotionally’ married and have a ceremony with a few friends.” His attention was trained on your face, which was purposely facing elsewhere. “Is that right?”

Your head bobbed in agreement, “Yeah, yeah, that sounds good. So we’re just kind of waiting, right?” At his furrowed brows, you continued, “We established from the beginning that we weren’t really into casual dating and wasting our time. Both of us want life partners and to take things seriously.” He nodded. “So we’re just kind of waiting for the benefits to outweigh the potential drawbacks to actually get married, legally and everything…”

“Do you not want that?”

“No, well, I do. It’s just…” you sighed, setting down the towel. Your behavior strongly showcased your anxiety, and Levi reflexively reached out his hand to you, gathering your attention with a small ‘Come here.’

His calm energy pulled you in without a choice. Your hand slid into his, standing before his chair as his thumb stroked your knuckles.

“I guess we won’t have those exciting proposals where it’s a big surprise.” Levi tilts his head to the side curiously when your eyes only look at your hands. 

“Do you want to be surprised with a proposal?”

“No! I mean, the culture around someone begging for their partner to propose and then being disappointed when it isn’t how they wanted or when they wanted it is terrible and unfair to have that job be put on one person in a relationship. It is better when it’s collaborated and communicated.” Your lips pout a bit when you finally look up at him. “Also, I don’t expect you to propose. I could propose to you.”

“I know, dear,” he blew air through his nose in amusement, “We’re equally responsible for each other.”

“Exactly.” Embarrassment fills you once again as you lay it out for him. “But I guess there are appealing parts of a traditional relationship. At least the surprise and excitement of it all. And since we decided from the beginning that we’re in it for the long run, engagement isn’t really anything new or different that needs to be…” 

Levi gently cuts you off: “You can still care about getting engaged. It’s still a title we can decide has importance—as long as, you know, we are the ones who decide that it matters.” His other hand smooths up your arm to pull your shoulder towards him. Always so gentle and kind with you. You end up arranging to sit on the meat of his thigh, on his good leg. He never voiced any bother regarding your proximity.

You bend down to wrap your arms around his shoulders and pull him close. “I think I’m just tired of calling you my ‘boyfriend’ all the time.” Your voice muffles a bit in his shoulder. “We’re getting old, I feel so juvenile talking like that.”

His smile is beautiful when you lean back to look at him. “Yeah? Look at me; I use a cane. How do you think I feel when everyone assumes my partner is half my age?” You chuckle in amusement along with him. Thankful that he’s gotten over, or gotten better at joking about his physical disabilities and appearance.

“Just call me your fiancé.” He shrugged as if it was the most easy thing in the world.

“I can’t just—Levi, people will ask questions—”

“So what? What do they know about our relationship anyway?” He frowned. Still as cute as ever. “Tell them we’re saving up because I only want to get married once, so it should be a nice gathering ‘cause I know you want that.” Your fingers interlaced with his. “So we don’t know when to have our wedding, but people can be engaged for years without knowing that.”

You hum, “My coworker has been engaged for seven years, has been since she had a kid, but doesn’t have a date for a wedding because, yeah, they want to have proper funds for their house and her daughter’s needs.”

“Right, there’s nothing wrong with that. And I’m sure you��ll get all that surprising proposal excitement from everybody when you start calling me your fiancé.” He paused to study your face closer. “I’ll get you a ring, so don’t worry about that.” 

You pull back, “What? No, you have to do that. It’s the whole point of saving money.”

“I never said it would be expensive. You know I don’t care about that, and I’m glad you value sentimental shit more than money.” You scoff, ‘duh,’ but you are smiling on the inside at his thoughtfulness.

He pulls you back closer to his chest, although with you on his lap, his face rests in the crook of your neck. Like he immediately needed to fix the wrong of separation you created. “Our anniversary is next month. That’ll give us enough time to get whatever symbol of engagement we want,” his injured hand on your back carded through your hair. “Whatever you want.”

Your smile couldn’t help but show with his words. You pressed your face into his hair, trying to get impossibly closer. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

Both of you slumped together, backs bound to ache after slouching for so long. But this space was yours, this time was yours, this home was yours. Partners in every way.

You were his, and Levi was yours.

dividers by saradika-graphics

Self indulgent because this is my exact situation? Yeah.

Harpy Hare has been in my head all week, lol. I wish I could have finished this earlier to kind of fit in with the Levimonth24 post-war marriage day, but oh well.

Masterlist

[journey-to-the-attic]

rating all of the om songs (so far) to pass time on the train LET'S GO

i was going to split these into separate posts but Ah who CARES they're all here now. for the intents and purposes of this post i am leaning more positive to the romance aspects (usually i'm more ambivalent). looong post ahead!

(i'm considering the lyrics based on the direct unofficial translations credited to Maon_ObeyMe on twitter, rather than the official english versions)

CHARACTER SONGS

Arcadia (Lucifer) -> Sonically: 7/10 I'm oddly into that one synth that comes in after the chorus. The violin stings are cool. Fun to vibe to! Points knocked off because he kind of doesn't sound like Lucifer, though. -> Lyrically: 5/10 Points removed (derogatory) for "lady", other points removed (affectionate) for the hilarity of "I'm fall in love u baby". You can tell it was written when they were still clinging somewhat to the dominant diet Christian Grey thing, but a lot of the lines are still genuinely romantic (while also being very Lucifer.) -> Overall: 7/10 I scrunch my face when I get to That One Line but otherwise I do pick this to listen to semi-regularly.

Are You Ready? (Mammon) -> Sonically: 6/10 Banger, but repetitive. Good rhythm to walk to. Hirotaka Kobayashi's delivery makes it. -> Lyrically: 6/10 Points docked for repetitiveness, but it's cute to see this side of him verbalised. Gender neutral high heels are a serve. -> Overall: 6/10 I don't relisten to this one quite as much as Arcadia, but I think that's just a genre preference.

My Chance! (Levi) -> Sonically: 8/10 The mixing on his voice is a bit weird, but it fits in with the chiptune sound, which I adore. Really catchy chorus. I also really like that soft bell insturment that's playing along with the main melody. -> Lyrically: 8/10 Really cute! Levi's characterised really well here. I love his little spoken interjections - Satoshi Kada is one of my favourite VAs in terms of delivery. (Levi's lines are some of the best in either of the voiced pop quizzes.) -> Overall: 8/10 Cute and fun to listen to. It's really easy to imagine a music video for this one.

Read My Heart (Satan) -> Sonically: 8/10 Really pretty piano instrumental, but I feel like there could've been a bit of variation. On the one hand, layering in some strings could've sounded really nice, but on the other, it does feel more personal as a solo piano ballad. Shinya Sumi has a really nice voice. -> Lyrically: 9/10 Very sweet, almost poetic, very Satan. The reference to cats doesn't feel heavy-handed. It feels like he wrote it. -> Overall: 9/10 I really like the bridge. It has a sort of lullaby quality as well, so it's nice to fall asleep to, or listen to when you need to calm down.

Pomade (Asmo) -> Sonically: 7/10 It's better-produced than some of the songs I've given a higher sonic rating, but this is more a matter of preference - this song isn't super my style. -> Lyrically: 10/10 EXCELLENT. The journey Asmo goes on? Starting out singing about himself and tempting you, then shifting to singing about you (You are my captive -> I am your captive) - the way it basically reflects his arc in OM S1? Chef's kiss. Beautiful. -> Overall: 7/10 I don't listen to it that often but I do think about those lyrics. They're so good. This is how you write a character song.

Hungry Six-Pack (Beel) Sonically: 8/10 I'm a sucker for that 'wah' effect on the guitar. I really like the rock sound, but I think it was done better in Barbatos's song. (Sorry, Beel.) Kyohei Yaguchi also does a really good job on the performance - you really get the feeling that this is how Beel himself would perform in a band. The interval in "darou" in the chorus is to die for, as is the "forever, forever-ah-ah-ah" in the last chorus. Lyrically: 6/10 Even in songs Beel cannot escape the "they only know how to write him with one character trait" allegations (/hj). To be fair, it'd be hard to get into his deeper character without dipping into lyrics about survivor's guilt, which I feel wasn't what they were going for. Overall: 7/10 I like to imagine him performing this at a bar. Also, total aside, but I really don't like that title.

Dreamscape (Belphie) -> Sonically: 9/10 I'm not usually a lo-fi person, but the vibes are perfect for Belphie and I really like this composition. -> Lyrically: 7/10 Really cute, but pretty basic - then again any of the songs' lyrics seem so when you compare them to the Queen Pomade. I do like how much Belphie's needy little-brother nature comes through here. "Hey, come see me, please?" Makes me want to pinch his cheek. -> Overall: 9/10 The sound alone carries it. I listen to it pretty regularly.

No.1 (Diavolo) -> Sonically: 9/10 Takuhei Yamamoto is giving it so much oomph and it's fantastic and also very in-character for Diavolo himself. He would be that enthusiastic. He would throw his head back and belt like that mic was made for him. (I find the "Sā, hora!" before the chorus really cute.) -> Lyrically: 6/10 It feels a little weird that he's doing the dominant thing in the lyrics here, but his sin attribute is apparently pride, and it's interesting that they chose this characterisation for him given he's usually so affable. (It's not like it came out of nowhere, to be fair - Diavolo basically admits to it on occasion, he seems to just hold it back, usually.) -> Overall: 7/10 Solid song that I don't listen to all that often for some reason.

Crazy About You (Barbatos) -> Sonically: 10/10 Absolute banger. The guitar solo makes me want to run through walls. Masayuki Harada's performance as Barbatos is also both spot-on and pitch perfect. That "Ahh-" leading into the chorus is gorgeous. I'm not the biggest fan of the spoken lines, but I appreciate that they're there for those truly starved stans who don't get nearly enough of him in the main story. -> Lyrically: 8/10 Perhaps oddly I really like his mix of servitude and sternness here. Feels playful in a way that I think really works for his dynamic with MC. (If only they'd utilise it in the game.) -> Overall: 10/10 It's just that much of a banger. Barbatos I'm so sorry for what the NB remix did to you. You were too powerful.

My Wish (Luke) -> Sonically: 6/10 Gonna be honest I completely forgot how this song sounded after I finished listening to it for the first time. I'm not the biggest fan of Luke's voice direction and there are parts in this where I just fully see a full grown man doing the voice. I do really like the chorus (the part that mentions sweets and cream) though. -> Lyrically: 8/10 Just very cute. Pretty much exactly what you'd expect from Luke - another one of those where you can easily imagine that the character wrote it themselves. -> Overall: 6/10 I don't think I've listened to it more than five times, to be honest. I actually quite like the NB remix for this one.

Question Love (Simeon) -> Sonically: 4/10 Simeon what the hell did they do to you. The production is fine, it's just... the autotune? It isn't like Yu Hirata can't sing. Why did they do that? Presumably it's a stylistic thing, which I'm not against, it's just not executed well. (Though it's cute to imagine Simeon himself being responsible, as tech-illiterate as he is.) It's a weird genre for a character like him, too. I was expecting another ballad, maybe with a harp... -> Lyrically: 6/10 Feels quite generic - I feel like Simeon of all characters would have had a more poetically written song, and his relationship with MC could have been particularly interesting to write about. (Though I'm not sure how long ago this was released.) -> Overall: 5/10 He deserved better. I do like the instrumental on his NB remix, though. That deep bass synth in the back is great

Our Destiny (Solomon) -> Sonically: 7/10 Really like those violins on the chorus. The blend of the strings with the more lo-fi adjacent sound is actually really fitting for a character like Solomon. Kazuki Kawata has this really nice smooth voice, and his ad-libbing at the end is pretty charming. The "hey!" on the chorus sometimes veers into youtube_kids_going_yay.mp3 territory for me, though. -> Lyrically: 7/10 I really like that he calls back to one of his in-game phone calls. It's kind of funny that he sounds so sure of himself when there's an almost insecure nature to his affections in NB especially. -> Overall: 7/10 All around good song. Another one who got done dirty by his remix.

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UNIT SONGS

Choose Me (Mammon, Levi, Asmo) -> Sonically: 6/10 I like the big brass sound, but... eh. Feels like something's missing. I like Hirotaka Kobayashi's delivery on Mammon's rap lines, but the chorus in particular feels kind of lacking. -> Lyrically: 7/10 I don't know what this 'love game' is but I don't think I want to participate. I also fully hear "gay" every single time. That aside, the verses are pretty good. -> Overall: 5/10 Not really for me, but I'll listen to it on shuffle sometimes. This one's remix was criminally bad.

Telepathy (Beel, Belphie) -> Sonically: 10/10 Such a pretty instrumental. Is that "ooooooo" in the background Belphie? It does sound like Satoshi Onishi's voice. The twins both sound perfectly in character and in sync with each other (though I would've liked for them to have a verse together.) Their spoken bridge is adorable. -> Lyrically: 7/10 It's hard to gauge the vibes from the lyrics. They're definitely singing to/about each other (they say so in the bridge), and that's clear in the chorus, but there are a few parts where it's like. Is that something you say to a brother?? Did a songwriter miss a memo? Also what does "your muscles are mood" mean. -> Overall: 9/10 It's such a comforting song to listen to. I just get a bit distracted by "your muscles are mood" every time. Belphie. What does that mean. Please

Passion (Lucifer, Satan) -> Sonically: 8/10 Really big fan of the piano. The breathing sounds caught me off-guard at first, but I know to expect them now. I really like both VA's performances. Lucifer sounds like Lucifer again! -> Lyrically: 7/10 I find Lucifer's line "I said that I’d listen with patience and silence, but you've got some nerve to actually continue" kind of out-of-place - it's more consistent with his characterisation in early NB than anywhere in OM when this was released, which is interesting - but the rest is pretty good. I really couldn't imagine singing this alongside your own sibling though. -> Overall: 8/10 I don't tend to choose this one a lot, but I don't skip it if it comes on in shuffle.

Take It Easy (Satan, Belphie) -> Sonically: 8/10 Really fun bouncy instrumental. I really like the rapport between these two here. (Would you say Belphie's in falsetto? Either way, I love how he and Satan take the higher and lower registers respectively.) -> Lyrically: 10/10 God I love these lyrics. They're so funny. The brief moment of sincerity before they go right back to singing about how much they love pranking Lucifer. "Makes me happy" makes me so happy. It's so sweet. These little rascals. These absolute rapscallions. -> Overall: 9/10 I like the sound of Rock On better, but the LYRICS. They're so great.

Rock On!! (Lucifer, Mammon) -> Sonically: 9/10 This one's another banger. The VAs do a great job with the back-and-forth delivery in the spoken bridge (I especially love how Lucifer and Mammon both sound like they're pretending really hard that they don't give a shit on "Yoroshiku douzo negawakuba" together". Lucifer also sounds like he ran out of air on "...omae wa" a little earlier. Lol -> Lyrically: 8/10 It's really funny to listen to them both strut their stuff singing about themselves in the verses and then suddenly get sincere to each other on the bridge. Though I think this song could've really benefited from the "feels like it was written by the characters" approach. -> Overall: 9/10 I just really like it!

Trigger (Levi, Asmo, Beel) -> Sonically: 8/10 This used to be my favourite of these three unit songs sonically, but solely the delivery of "Trigger!" bothers me a little bit. It could use more force, is all. That aside, everyone did a fantastic job and Satoshi Kada in particular served on Levi's verse. -> Lyrically: 7/10 I'm not even entirely sure what's going on in this song, but I like it. I didn't like Asmo addressing you as "kitten", but I did really like Miura Ayme adding a sort of cutesy whining tone to "I'm the cutest demon in the world, right?" - Ayme in general does a great job with Asmo's character in songs. -> Overall: 8/10 Still good! I think my tastes have just shifted since I first listened to it.

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OPENING SONGS

Sinful Indulgence (OM!:SWD) -> Sonically: 9/10 It really is a bop. Miura Ayme's performance is great. -> Lyrically: 8/10 Pretty strong! "Oh baby, obey me!" is clever and very catchy. I only ever use the word sexy as a joke so it catches me off guard when Asmo says it, but that's not really a complaint. The dark-and-sinful nature of the lyrics is really funny when you compare it to the stuff these guys actually get up to in-story. -> Overall: 8/10 It's a good listen and a good opening to the game, even if the lyrics don't really reflect the content all that well.

Devil's Way (OM!:NB) -> Sonically: 9/10 Ohhh whatever that metallic bell sound in the intro+outro instrumental is, it is a tasty sound. Shinya Sumi is performing his heart out and he's doing fantastic. I still can't fully tell if that's Belphie or Levi on the start of the second verse, but whoever it is did a really good job of making it sound subtly unsettling. The bridge starts shifting into edgy territory, but the whole song is teetering, to be honest. Also, I've mentioned this before, but the "sekai de-eeee" just before the bridge is still so good. -> Lyrically: 8/10 I adore the use of "sweetiepie" in the chorus but it does detract a little from the dark vibe they've got going on. Lucifer using 'boku' in this song of all places is bewildering and hilarious. The darker tone definitely fits in with S1 and S2. -> Overall: 8/10 Something about that bridge bothers me. Other than that, banger.

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BROTHER ENSEMBLE SONGS

It's My Party -> Sonically: 9/10 It's a bop. -> Lyrically: 6/10 Relatively basic. From a cynical perspective, the brothers basically each tell you their One Assigned Trait that the writers fall back on when they can't be bothered to do deep characterisation, but that's not the fault of the songwriter. I take psychic damage every time I hear "haters gonna hate." -> Overall: 9/10 I've listened to this quite regularly since I had my friend edit me the version with "haters gonna hate" cut out. (It's a 7/10 with the hater line left in.)

Eternal -> Sonically: 9/10 So nice. I can't unhear the first few notes as See You Again, but the rest of the track is definitely a credit to itself. I feel like there could've been more orchestral build-up, but that might also make it feel too dramatic... as is, it feels more candid and personal. Like you could imagine this being performed to you in a small local theater. -> Lyrically: 10/10 There is definitely bias at play, but hearing this as OM's first sincere ensemble love song made a pretty big impression. The lyrics are so sweet. "My love" is one of those terms of affection that I love so much I don't even mind when it's used on me. -> Overall: 10/10 Again, biased, but this song just has a special place in my heart.

On Your Way -> Sonically: 6/10 It's.... fine? I like the instrumental, but the chorus feels a little empty. Shinya Sumi hitting that high note on "Let's get you on your way" each time is kind of inspiring, though. Belt it, girl! -> Lyrically: 7/10 The "eeny-meeny-miny-mo" is so silly but I love it. -> Overall: 6/10 Pretty standard stuff.

With You -> Sonically: 9/10 Gosh, another really pretty instrumental! I think the seven VAs are definitely more comfortable singing as an ensemble here, though it would've been nice to get some more harmonies... -> Lyrically: 10/10 They're so sappy but that's what makes it work, especially delivered in all sincerity like this. Something about that last line (and its delivery) feels so earnest. -> Overall: 9/10 I'm just a sucker for whatever genre you call this and Eternal. Also, I really like title callback to S2's play (I don't think it was necessarily intentional, but still).

Spooky Night Parade -> Sonically: 7/10 It's a really fun instrumental. I love the little "hehehee....... trick or treat?" in between choruses and verses. They're just little guys. -> Lyrically: 6/10 Just sort of standard Halloween-y lyrics that don't mean too much. -> Overall: 7/10 it feels more like a novelty song than something I'd listen to regularly.

Magic Moment -> Sonically: 9/10 Oooooh that's a nice instrumental. The swelling dynamics are so satisfying, the vocal performances are all lovely. I love that glockenspiel in the back. (At least I think that's what it is.) (I've imagined IK playing it while the brothers perform this before.) -> Lyrically: 9/10 Another "it's so sappy I love it" moment. "I'm so happy I could cry" Like GUYS!! Aw man I love you. They drop three I love yous and they're all great. -> Overall: 10/10 I know the maths doesn't add up but I just really like this song.

Anniversary -> Sonically: 8/10 Strong instrumental, but I feel like the delivery on the raps in the first verse are a little lacking? Asmo and Belphie's verses feel incredibly satisfying for whatever reason. Though Belphie(?)'s little "come on baby" at the end just makes me laugh. I feel like the chorus could've benefited from splitting the brothers up a little (at least for the first two) rather than having them all sing at once. I love hearing them all talk to each other at the beginning, like a behind-the-curtain moment. -> Lyrically: 9/10 "We can't live without you" AWWWWWWWW -> Overall: 9/10 Feels nostalgic even though it came out this year. Another one where the overall rating is based on pure vibes and feeling

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TRIWORLDS

All the Feels -> Sonically: 10/10 Certified banger. Is it something about Barbatos? (His "one more time" in the final chorus is kinda hype.) Feel like there could've been more variety in the instrumental, though. -> Lyrically: 8/10 The verses feel more personal to the characters than in e.g. It's My Party, but the chorus is still pretty basic. It's a little upsetting that one of Barbatos's lines here has more depth to it than most of his characterisation thus far. I find it really funny that they call the listener "buddy." Probably would've been too weird for Luke to say "honey". Also, the "We are dancing, we are dancing (uh, uh)" bridge is so dumb (in a cute and funny way) -> Overall: 10/10 Just a great song to listen to (and imagine choreography to.)

[lauvgoods]

head over heels  ︱  jj maybank

SUMMARY : jj makes it his mission to find out how you feel

WORD COUNT : 851

GENRE : fluff

WARNINGS : none

𐙚₊˚⊹ 🦢 you’ll forever deny it, but it’s clear to anyone who has ever seen the two of you that jj maybank is your kryptonite. 

even before you realized you liked him, he would be the first to make you crack a smile, rolling your eyes at how absolutely stupid he was being. he knew how absolutely stupid he was being, but if it got you to laugh, he’d do anything. there was just something about those big blue eyes of his and that dumb, dumb grin that would chip away at your annoyed exterior, and you hated it. 

for jj, on the other hand, he had already been planning out in the back of his mind a thousand ways to ask you out if he could just get a foolproof sign of you liking him. 

it takes a little over three months in for you to realize how much you’re genuinely falling for him and, as you’ve told yourself, how could you not? lots of people go on rants about how much the person they like is different from everyone else, but with jj it’s undeniably true. this boy, oh this boy, shows more interest in you as a person than anyone you’ve ever met, friend or otherwise. he knows how to poke and prod at you without crossing any lines, which you find odd since he isn’t exactly known for having the best verbal filter. 

It’s like he somehow keeps track of everything he can find out just to surprise you out of nowhere with just how much he seems to remember (yet somehow can’t keep track of the date). the book you talked about wanting to read three weeks ago? “you ever get to that? talked about it nonstop for half an hour, how ‘m i supposed to forget that?” that one song you’ve randomly mumbled the lyrics to while cleaning? “yeah, looked it up ‘n it seemed pretty catchy.” even down to what you talked about wanting for your birthday months in advance. this boy makes it his mission to know every single little thing he can about you. he totally doesn’t put it all down in his notes app to come back to later on.

the point is, jj’s never seemed to be a romantic, and maybe at first he’d thought of you as a challenge. a mission. a puzzle to work out. and damn if he’s not determined. there hadn’t been a sign that you were interested when he would start calling you all these little nicknames in a hope to get even the smallest reaction out of you, though it’s clear he doesn’t know about the silent screaming WHATTHEFUCKWHATTHEFUCK looping in your head every time he calls you “baby” with, again, that stupid smirk of his. as far as he knows, it just makes you get this weird look on your face and you freeze up before pretending like it never happened.

it’s one night when he’s going on and on (and on) about this after a few drinks with john b. where his best friend just starts looking at him with the most deadpan look on his face, like he’s an absolute idiot. which, after he realizes, he can’t help but agree with, since he’d never thought of your lack of reaction as a reaction. thinking back, he doesn’t know how he didn’t see it sooner, seeing as the guys you usually rant angrily about to him later on for even thinking they’d had a chance. he was the one you always went to even though kiara would probably have been more than happy to agree with you on every bit of it. 

the next time he calls you princess, he doesn’t let it go. he doesn’t go along with you trying to switch up the conversation, doesn’t even have that smirk this time that’s always made you think he was just being, well, jj. he just looks at you with a look you haven’t really noticed before, probably because you’ve been a little too in your head to pick up on it. that, and he mostly saves it for when you aren’t looking, when he can really take you in for everything you are. 

it’s that look, that deep gaze that makes you feel like he’s staring into your soul and like you’re the most incredible thing he’s ever laid eyes on, that finally gets the reaction out of you. the one he’s been hoping for. the moment your cheeks start to go warm, start to turn the slightest shade darker, is when he breaks out into the biggest grin you’ve ever seen. you’re so caught up in it that you haven’t even noticed how close he is, how close you’re getting to him. 

but it’s when he whispers in what’s probably the softest tone you’ve ever heard, asking if he can kiss you, and you’re nodding before you can even realize what’s happening because your heart is suddenly pounding and you can barely focus with how your stomach is doing backflips, that you truly realize how head over heels you are for him. 🕯️⋆˙ᝰ.ᐟ

[a-not-so-clean-blog]

Nu carnival x shy gemless reader from Eidens world

Yakumo

What's better than one pretty shy boy? Two pretty shy boys! He's so comforting and supportive and works hard to get you little gifts to make you feel welcome in this world. He thought it was scary moving from the country to the city so he can only imagine how scary it was moving worlds. He just wants you to feel comfortable around him. Silence with him is comfortable, you never feel forced to talk if you don't want to. He's happy to just vibe with you.

Edmond

It's his “duty” to protect you while you're in Klein continent. Yeah no one else believes it either. He thinks it's impressive how you made it this far with no essence at all. He is awkward and doesn't really know how to approach you without coming off as a scary military captain. He relaxes more around you if you ask him about local food. You can see him open up when talking about local food and that makes you feel better. Sometimes he “accidentally” buys a second portion that he can't eat, you might as well take it so it doesn't go to waste.

Olivine

A little confused but he got the spirit. This applies to both of you by the way. You have no idea how a preacher got so jacked! And he has no idea how you got here without essence. He wants to help in any way he can. It's nice how genuine he is and that makes him easy to open up to. You wind up helping at the temple to thank him for his kindness. Just avoid some of his crazy fans and you'll be fine.

Quincy

Honestly couldn't care less where you come from, what you look like, or if you have essence or not. As long as you respect his forest. He may get a little annoyed if you try following him and can't keep up. He does appreciate it when you cook or do things for him but for the most part he's self sufficient. He won't push for conversation if you don't want to talk which is nice. Honestly it's going to be a little rough until you figure out each other's social cues. Topper is going to be your best friend!

Kuya

He already teases Eiden about not being able to use essence, and you are definitely not an exception. He is relentless in his teasing and sometimes takes it too far, especially in the beginning when he's testing your boundaries. It's not all bad though. He likes making things and clothes and often asks you to try out what he makes. It's his way of trying to be welcoming. He'll also ask about your world, different things about culture or really anything interesting. Maybe tell him something he can use against Eiden, I suggest the first line to a catchy song.

Blade

There is no such thing as being shy around Blade. I'm sorry but if you want no human interaction you are going to have to tell him and explain why. Besides being a little…energetic, he is so sweet. He asks a lot of questions about where you came from, and he'll ask Eiden if he can't find you. He will do his best to make you feel at home and welcomed with him. Absolutely no judgment with him either so you're free to express yourself however you want. He can be a little much but at the same time he's so cute. Like a big puppy curious about what's in your hand!

Garu

He is very good about your boundaries and will not cross them intentionally. He will also get between you and others if you look uncomfortable. It took some time to get used to his appearance but he was kind and patient so you pretty quickly warmed up to him. He doesn't know much about Klein culture because he grew up alone in the dead zone, but he's happy to explore and learn with you!

Karu

Similar to Garu but turn up the intensity. He almost bit someone in the market because they bumped into you and you got spooked. You were shocked when he called you slave #2 but Eiden explained that Karu doesn't really mean it. He got into a fight with Garu about it so now he just calls you human. As long as you put up with some of his weird mannerisms you get a free guard dog though.

Dante

Do not expect a sugar daddy with him. If you want something he is going to make you earn it, he does not believe in handouts. No it doesn't matter where you're from, or how kind, or weak you are without essence. If you want to stay in Solaria and not in Asters mansion than you will need to follow his rules. It's rough for the first week or so, but eventually you notice how you've changed. He'll have you interact with his servants and slowly you will become more social and have less anxiety and have started coming out of your shell. It's hard to see it in the moment but he's tough on you to help. At least help in what he feels is the best way.

Rei

He understands how Eiden got here because of the rainbow gemstone, but has absolutely no clue how you came? Sorry but he will want to study you. It's weird and awkward, especially because he doesn't talk while he does it. If you stay with him you won't have to go out much which is good for your shyness. When he grabs things for research he'll bring back stuff for you, snacks or food. He says it's to see how you react to stuff with different properties, but if you like something you don't even need to say anything and he'll get more.

Eiden

Oh he would be so protective! He remembers how sweet you were in his world, plus he remembers his scared he felt when he came to this world. He will have Aster let you stay in the mansion and you'll get your own room. He will introduce you to all the clan members, and warn you some of them are a little…unique. Big brother mode is in full force. If he can't protect you in this scary world then he will ask one of his clan members to help.

Aster and Morvay

[itsjusbleh]

sam zablowski x reader oneshot

a/n: GRRSRRSARTA sam is so under appreciated and his actor is just… ughhhhh anyways the time is set when reader and sam are juniors in highschool.

It was first day for eleventh grade and Sam felt muggy. He attempted to walk into school with one bag strap off his shoulder but ended up aggressively putting it on his shoulder because it was just too damn uncomfortable and awkward. Walking alongside Gabe and almost tripping on the stairs to the entrance, his mind was in a tired blur. Summer break went way too fast and he felt like he just couldn’t keep up.

Barging past people, he hooked a hand around Gabe’s shoulder to avoid losing him in the ocean of teenagers.

“Ouch, my nipple,” Gabe seethed after getting barged by a random passing through. Sam suppressed a laugh from spilling out as he grinned at him.

Losing the traffic finally, they reached Sam’s locker and Sam tossed his bag onto the floor with an exaggerated groan. Gabe resumed his gamblings as he leaned against the other lockers. Sam turned his head to see Anna and Maya chatting away, smiles cheesy and wide. His stomach churned a little. Things were always a bit weird with Maya after they had stopped going out a year ago.

“Back onto my theory that Darth Vader was actually dead all along. When Vader says to…” Gabe’s words went through deaf ears as he watched the two girls break into a funny dance splitting apart slightly and revealing another girl in the middle of them doing the same thing.

His chest tightened and his heart did a little spin. With a dry mouth, he muttered, “Who’s that?”

“Huh?” Gabe says, following Sam’s eyesight. “I dunno.”

She was really pretty. He’d never seen her before, ever. Her smile was capturing and her style was dope. He sucks in a tight breath.

“She must be pretty weird if she’s talking with Maya and Anna,” Gabe adds with a scoff.

“Yeah,” Sam looks away, pushing down his thoughts with a forced laugh.

*

Moving schools was hard for you. Like any other person, it’s different and new, something that humans don’t like at most times. You parked at your locker with awkward insecurity and were lucky enough to have a blond girl named Anna’s locker next to you, with her friend Maya talking to her.

After exchanging names, Maya tilted her head at you. “You’re new, right, because.. I’ve never seen you around, right, Anna?” She looks to the blonde, to which she nods in response, shifting a piece of hair from her face.

“Yeah, no, I haven’t seen you around…”

“I just moved. I used to live two hours away,” you say, looking down at Maya’s blue shirt and seeing Bratz printed on it. “You like Bratz?”

“Yeah,” she drags out, smiling as she exchanges excited looks with Anna. “The intro song is like, so catchy cause it goes like…”

Both her and Anna start moving their bodies in a little dance, going, “Ooooh, Bratz.”

You giggle, mumbling the song too and moving your shoulders like a wave. You all burst into laughter, backs hunching over. First friends, maybe you aren’t gonna do so bad.

Your first class was history, and you piled yourself into a chair blindly, a bit anxious to start your first lesson at your new school. About forty minutes into the class, your pencil’s led had gone flat. Rummaging through your pencil case, you frown to see no sharpener in there. You bite your lip, turning your head to see a brunette boy.

“Excuse me,” you mumble, and his eyes flicker to you. Gosh, they were such an intense colour of brown, it actually took you aback. “Um, do you have a sharpener I could borrow. Please?”

He stares at you for a second, but he snaps out of it, muttering, “Yeah, let me just.. grab it for you.”

When he hands the sharpener to you, your fingers graze and while your sharpen your pencil, you can feel his eyes at your shoes.

“I like your shoes.”

Looking down at your converses, you smile. “Thanks, my mum got them for me last Christmas.”

When you look up, he’s staring at you again. His head turns away really quick and he looks to something, squinting his eyes a little.

Looking back at your book, your nose crinkles. He’s a bit weird.

“I’m Sam, by the way.”

You look at him again to see he’s not even looking at you but at the board. You say your name as well, turning your attention to the teacher. For the rest of the lesson, you strangely had a fluttery feeling inside of you.

A few weeks later, you’re settling in more than you thought you’d be. Anna and Maya were really good friends to you, and you were understanding your classes pretty well.

On a Friday, you had history last, and you were paired up with Sam for your assignment. There was a specific sort of tension between the two of you. Not awkward, just.. odd. Odd tension.

“So my house?” Sam asks while the class packs up, flipping his book in his hands.

“What was that?”

“Do you wanna come to my house. For the assignment, I mean. We’ll get some done this afternoon, maybe. If you want to,” he explains.

The bell rings. “Um, sure. I’ll just go quickly ask my mum,” you reply with a smile.

“Cool,” Sam points a finger gun at you, but he retracts it within an instant. “Fuck, that was so bad.”

You break out into a laugh, walking out the classroom doors with him. “I just cringed, like, so bad.”

When you got to his house, you knocked at the door and his mom opened it. She was really nice and your nerves eased at the homely welcome. She led you up to Sam’s room, and that’s when the nerves came rolling back in.

“Now, I’m leaving the door open,” his mum scolds in a joking manner, and your skin burns with the embarrassment of the implication behind it.

“Mom, oh my god—“ Sam yelps, slapping a hand to his forehead in stress. She leaves with a few giggles, and he looks to you with a sympathy felt expression. “Sorry about that, she’s so…”

“No, no, it’s okay. She’s nice,” you wave your hands. Your eyes skim around his room, head turning. “Your room’s cool.”

“Thanks,” he sighs, leaning back in his chair a little. His legs spread out slightly, and the motion makes you look somewhere else. “So,” he pats his thighs. “The assignment. You can come sit on my bed if you want.”

You have to fight the butterflies spawning immediately in your stomach. You were so pathetic that sitting on Sam’s bed was excruciatingly extreme for you. You awkwardly sit on his bed near him, flipping open the assignment sheets and taking out a pencil from your case.

About thirty minutes pass by of work when Sam gets up from the chair and stretches, groaning a bit. He moves to sit on the bed as well, even more closer to you as he leans up against the headboard with his legs in a pretzel.

It’s probably been a hour and a half and you’re tired. You keep on yawning and your eyes itch every two seconds. Your concentration disappears by the minute and you’re ready to head home for dinner and bed. Wanting to finish the last paragraph on the page, you turn to Sam. “Hey, how should we word the last sentence?”

He licks at his lips as he leans over to you and your sheet, looming over your shoulder. “Um…” As he thinks, you feel his breath fanning at your skin, making goosebumps arise. He smells of clean laundry and grass, stirring the mushy gather of butterflies in your belly. “Link it back up to the first sentence, so be like… yada-yada proves this accusation to be false due to what’s-his-name’s quote stated above.”

The air is still and it’s all quiet for what feels like for an eternity as he looks to your face. “Yeah, okay,” you quip, writing just what he had said.

What you don’t expect is for him to still be there once you’re done writing and you audibly suck in a breath when you turn to see him so close. He blinks a few times, and you catch the way his eyes drop a split second to your lips. Your heart begins to speed up, the tension now clear to you.

His head moves and he captures your lips in a kiss. You accept it as you let go of your breath, nimbly placing a hand on his knee to stabilise yourself. Breaking apart for a second, he kisses you again, this time with a tad more energy.

His hand comes up to hold your neck, as his tongue prods at the slit of your lips. You allow access to him, shyly allowing his tongue to slide along yours as his head tilts at an angle. You turn yourself more to him, and his other hand moves to grip at your hip, thumb drawing circles on your jeans.

You can feel your insides melt to a goop, can feel the tiny pulse beginning in the middle of your thighs. His lips are feathery and his mouth is warm, and you can feel your heartbeat now pounding against your ribcage.

You’re the one to let go, as your lungs feel like they’re going to burst. Or maybe it’s your heart, you don’t know.

There are his gorgeous brown eyes, staring so deep into you. “Sorry,” he mutters with a few puffs of ragged breath, and you could just melt right there.

“Why are you sorry?” You whisper back, unable to keep the unevenness of your breath at bay as well. He looks down for just a moment before he looks back up at you.

His shoulder lightly shrugs, “I dunno.”

You can’t help the way your lips swirl into a tiny grin, cheeks at a temperature of a burning oven. “You shouldn’t be.”

His eyes run around the map of your face, awe shun clear in them. “Then I’m not,” he states softly, smoothing his hand around your neck to support the back of it. He lets his fingers skim through your hair as he pulls you in for another kiss.

[okkalo]

hellooooo. could you pls do a scenario of reader unintentionally hearing bllk boys singing for the first time and finding it cute? ft. rin, kaiser, isagi, reo, nagi pls. TYSM LOVELOTSSSS

hi anon! thank u for the request and i hope u enjoy

characters: rin, kaiser, isagi, reo, nagi

rin

- i want to go dad rin for this one but i won’t 😣

- jk i changed my mind.

- i feel like this is one of the only scenarios you could catch him singing

- ok so you’ve had a lot on your plate recently and rin noticed and told you to take the night to yourself and let him handle yua (ifykyk;))

- and so that’s exactly what happened

- once you had enough you-time you immediately wanted to check on yua

- rin was a great dad and all but it just felt weird leaving yua for so long

- quietly, you snuck to her room, knowing she was probably already asleep

- it came as a surprise when you instead saw rin holding her while sitting on the rocking chair, singing her a small song

- your heart? MELTED

- you tried your best to not gasp so you could enjoy the moment for a little longer

- rin, however, noticed quickly </3

- he set the now asleep yua back in her crib before walking over to you, acting like he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary

“welcome back, how was it?” rin greeted with a kiss on your forehead. he pushed you both away from yua’s room so she didn’t accidentally wake up due to your whispers.

“rin, you have the prettiest singing voice and you only use it for yua,” you looked up to him with a pout on your face. you watched the different stages of rin’s realization show on his face. at the end he was covered in blush, looking away while speeding up his pace to go to your shared bedroom.

“rin! you should start singing to me sometime! and slow down!”

“shut up or you’ll wake up yua,” rin warned from basically a mile away from you. yeah, he didn’t slow down nor did he look at you for the rest of the night.

kaiser

- i feel like he sings a lot when doing tasks

- like chores? there’s a good chance that he’s singing

- he always sings low though, so it can be hard to tell

- it’s always absentmindedly too!

- so you noticed it pretty quickly into your relationship with him

- he was opening a few boxes he got from some companies he partnered with and some fan mail that had made its way into the pile when he was once again singing

- meanwhile, you had wanted to sneak up on him

- which, was going well until you abruptly stopped in your tracks at his low smooth voice

- that’s when he noticed you, completely oblivious to your earlier actions

“what’s wrong, liebe?” he questioned, his attention all on you now. a small frown made it’s way to your lips at the lack of his singing.

“were you just singing?” you asked even though it was obvious he was, just hoping he would go into more detail about it. a smirk appeared on his lips at the question, now turning his body to you.

“yes, aren’t i a good singer? do you want me to sing to you, my little bird?” he got closer with each word until his lips were next to your ear, letting out his seductive whispers. as much as you didn’t want to, you went red at his teasing, giving him a pout before pushing him away.

“you can’t say that when you have someone’s love letter to you in your hand!” you fought, both you and kaiser’s gaze dropping to the card with a heart on it. maybe it was bad timing.

- btw he’s not a good singer. he’s just full of himself.

isagi

- any song that has a catchy tune will get stuck in his head and he sometimes sings it out loud

- he has sang body by megan the stallion once because aryu played it as a joke

- but anyways you guys had the idea of creating a shared playlist the other day

- and isagi had been cleaning the dishes with a song stuck in his head

- and lucky for you, you caught him in the act

“isagi, are you singing a song from our playlist?” you recognized the love lyrics the song had. his eyes widened in shock, not even realizing his earlier singing, before turning to you with a red face.

“yeah, it was one of the songs you added,” he admitted sheepishly, hand going up to his nape, “it’s been stuck in my head recently.”

you only smiled at his shy confession, turning off the water to the sink before wrapping your arms around his neck. you both met for a gentle kiss, before going in for one more.

“you have a good voice,” you told, a smile now forming on his lips as his cheeks turned into a darker shade of red. instead of another sappy sentence, he met you for another kiss, this one longer than the rest.

reo

- he’s not much of a singer at all

- meaning it’s VERY rare to see him sing

- but when a song has been stuck in his head for awhile he slips and lets his singing voice out

- this time the song had been a slow one, really accentuating his nice vocals

- it had happened when he was filling out “boring” paperwork, naïve to his own singing

you snuck up on the purple-haired male, making yourself known by snaking a gentle hand up his back, resting your head on his shoulders. you had even gotten a startled jump out of him in the act.

“what’s wrong?” he questioned, head turning so that his still widened eyes met yours. you only have a chuckle at his reaction, your smile easing his tensed body.

“you should sing to me some more, you have a good voice,” his eyes widened once more before a smile made its way on his face. his arm slithered around your figure, pulling you to sit on his lap.

“so you heard, your wish is my command,” he whispered before planting a kiss on your nape, eyes going back to his paperwork while his singing voice started up again.

nagi

- he would hum a lot of game background music

- it was rare to hear him singing actual lyrics, seeing he was not the best music enjoyer

- however, if the song is from a game it’s more likely to happen

- you both had been laying together on your shared bed, doing your own things

- nagi had opened his game and it reminded him of the one song he heard from them

- so naturally, he started singing absentmindedly

- while you were like ????

- you probably thought it was his game at first because you never expected nagi to be singing??

“nagi, is that you?” you questioned, confused if he was just lip syncing or actually singing. once he processed your question and his lips stopped moving, you had your answer.

“yeah,” he answered, not knowing what else to say. his focus stayed on his game, showing his lack of care at your new discovery.

“keep singing, you sound good,” you snuggled up to him, head resting on his shoulder as your eyes fell to his game. his body gave you easy access, a natural response of his for his love of cuddling.

“too much of a hassle,” he sighs, a light stroke of pink coating his cheeks. he secretly loved that you were impressed. so much so, that he might just start singing again later.

unedited thanks for reading!

[twistedtummies2]

Top 15 OTHER Disney Villain Songs

A couple days ago I went over my Top 15 favorite villain songs from animated Disney movies (not counting Pixar or previously non-Disney properties). However, as anybody who knows Disney is doubtlessly aware…yeah, they’ve got a LOT more you can look at than just those movies. Disney has expanded its mighty empire of media to all kinds of outlets: animated television, direct-to-video features, video games, musical theatre shows, and live-action screen productions. Just about every outlet, somewhere and at some point, has featured its fair share of villainous musical numbers. While the majority of these tunes aren’t as renowned as any of those in the theatrical animated pictures, some of them are pretty good villain songs in their own right, and I feel they deserve to be recognized. So, I’m going to go over just a few of those musical numbers today: terrifying and traitorous toe-tappers that come from all across Disney’s expanded media. Once again, I should point out, I won’t be including things from Marvel, LucasFilm, or other such properties that have sort of fallen under the Disney banner over time: these will be for things that were always directly Disney-related. With that said, however…just about anything goes. From the theme parks to the silver screen, these are My Top 15 OTHER Disney Villain Songs.

15. The Happiest Home in These Hills AND Every Little Piece, from Pete’s Dragon.

This entry is the one and only entry on this countdown where I decided to count two songs instead of just one, both from the same feature. Why? Well, not only BECAUSE they’re from the same feature, but because both are actually pretty similar in terms of tone and approach! “Happiest Home in These Hills” is sung by the Gogans - a rowdy family of violent mountain folk who have become the abusive surrogate family of our titular character, Pete, right at the start of the film. It is merrily performed by them as they hunt down a runaway Pete through the forest. The Gogans are the secondary villains of the story; the main baddies show up later. They are Dr. Terminus, a wiley con artist, and his right-hand stooge, Hoagy. When the two find out about the titular dragon, Elliot, they plot to capture the creature and chop him up, using and selling his body parts to make a fortune. (YIKES.) Both songs have this sort of “overlay” of being chipper, catchy ditties that have an upbeat tone…but when you really look at the lyrics and what’s going on, it’s actually VERY messed up in both cases. Songs like this can be hit or miss, and it’s weird how both primary sets of villains in the movie get such numbers. I like both songs, and I couldn’t decide which one I really enjoyed more, so I decided to just lump them together.

14. Brimstone & Treacle (and its Reprise), from Mary Poppins: The Musical.

The original movie of “Mary Poppins” doesn’t really have a villain to speak of. The closest thing one could argue fits is the creaky old Bank Chairman, who acts as Mr. Banks’ boss, and even he doesn’t really count. In the stage musical, however - which takes more from the books than the film, really - things change. Enter Miss Andrews: a nasty old hag who is the antithesis of Mary Poppins. While Mary can be strict and prim, Miss Andrews is just pure nightmare fuel: a foul-smelling woman who delights in tormenting children for the very slightest offenses, her “Brimstone & Treacle” elixir a direct contrast to the “Spoonful of Sugar” philosophy Mary has. While her time in the story is brief, Andrews makes quite the impression, as it’s revealed that she was Mr. Banks’ nanny AND the Chairman’s nanny when they were each children (which explains QUITE a lot, I fancy). When Andrews first appears, she sings the titular song as a means of justifying her actions: claiming, essentially, that one has to be cruel to be kind. Later, the song is reprised, as the two nannies face off, with Mary using her powers to humiliate and defeat the wicked old screw, and revealing her for who she really is: a bully with no soul. In the original staging, Mary even goes so far as to BANISH MISS ANDREWS TO HELL. I am dead serious. I…would be utterly SHOCKED at this, but frankly, I say good riddance to the sadistic witch!

13. Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf? From The Three Little Pigs.

Hey, no reason I can't include songs from the old cartoons, is there? It is pure iconography and stubborn catchiness in the popular consciousness that lands this little ditty on the countdown. This classic song BARELY qualifies as a villain song, when you really look at it: it’s really just the same few lines repeated over and over, but somehow it’s managed to become just as recognizable and well-remembered as many, MANY other Disney Villain Songs, and Disney songs, in general! People quote it all the time, reference it constantly, and so on. I think it’s the irony of the tune that makes it so memorable, above all else: In the original cartoon, when the Pigs sing this song, it’s usually either just before or just after the Wolf attacks them. In the former case, it serves as slightly humorous foreshadowing: “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Let’s see if YOU are!” essentially. In the latter case, it’s kind of funny, because the Pigs were very, VERY clearly afraid only SECONDS ago. Personally, I’m a little more afraid of Virginia Woolf…but that’s another story.

12. Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me), from Pirates of the Caribbean.

Yep, a song from the Parks! I also considered including “Grim Grinning Ghosts” from The Haunted Mansion, but I decided against it because, while that song is certainly a “spooky” song, I don’t really think it’s a “villain” song. The ghosts aren’t singing about doing evil things, they’re basically just having a nice after(life)party. This song, however, I DO think qualifies as a villain song. Yes, it’s a fun tune - bouncy and merry and all that good stuff - but the lyrics literally have the pirates singing about how much they enjoy being absolutely awful scoundrels. They make no secret of the fact they’re crooks and thugs, and just revel in their own mad antics. It’s a humorous sort of villain song, but it’s still villainous in its lyrical content, and even its context! In the ride, the pirates are singing this WHILE BURNING DOWN AND RANSACKING A CITY. If that doesn’t make this famous little sea shanty a villain song, I don’t know what else will do it!

11. The Frigate That Flies, from The Pirate Fairy.

TOM HIDDLESTON SINGS. Did I get your attention with that? Good! In “The Pirate Fairy” - one of several prequels to Peter Pan made as part of the “Tinker Bell” film series - our main villain is…who else? Captain Hook! Of course, he’s not CALLED Captain Hook YET. Here, he’s simply “James.” In the movie, James and his crew of pirates manipulate an outcast fairy called Zarina, planning to use her powers to make their pirate ship fly, and thus allow them to go anywhere in the world and steal anything they want. However, for the first half of the film, Zarina and the audience are unaware of James’ villainy (I don’t think saying he’s the villain is really a spoiler, for various reasons, hence why I didn’t bring it up earlier). When we first meet the pirates, they sing this jaunty shanty as a way of celebrating their impending victory, as they make plans for what treasures they’ll go after. Much like the two tunes I mentioned from “Pete’s Dragon,” the song is very upbeat and humorous, which makes the underlying menace of these thieving scoundrels (and their later-revealed manipulation) all the more intriguing. For me, though, the highlight is when Hiddleston, as a young James, sings: he somehow makes lines like, “No wicked deed cannot be done!” sound so pure and wholesome, it’s absolutely insane. Not a tune many people are likely to recall, but definitely one worth looking up.

10. It’s Our House Now! From Mickey’s House of Villains.

If you’re a major Disney Villains fan, chances are you’re EXTREMELY aware of this song and its source material. “House of Villains” was a TV movie spin-off of the series “House of Mouse”: the show focused on the cartoonish happenings inside a Toontown nightclub, run by Mickey Mouse, where…basically every single2D  animated character in Disney history (and even a few characters from the Parks, surprisingly) would congregate to eat, drink, be merry…and watch various cartoons, with the stories of each episode really just being framing devices that happened around the presented shorts. In this Halloween special, literally ALL of the Disney Villains - both major and minor - join forces. Led by Jafar, they take over the House of Mouse at the stroke of midnight (what better time?). As they lock all their nemeses up in the backrooms, and throw Mickey and his friends out into the streets, the villains all band together to sing this short but very fun song, rejoicing in their success. While the song is great, and it’s really, REALLY cool to see SO MANY VILLAINS all onscreen at the same time…my one complaint with it isn’t so much the song itself so much as the context. And it’s really my major problem with the special as a whole. See, once the villains take over the House of Mouse…well…nothing happens. Like…literally. The cartoons they share don’t take on a more villainous theme, they…don’t seem like they’re doing anything especially illegal or diabolical, when you really think about it. Literally all that seems to REALLY change is the lighting turns red and Jafar becomes the host instead of Mickey. (pauses) Like…that’s it? That’s really it? You have characters like Hades, Ursula, Captain Hook, and so on all working together and…all they do is sing, dance, and then just go back to watching cartoons like nothing happened? LAME. Again, the song itself is fine, and it’s a shining moment in Disney Villain history as far as seeing all the baddies together…but it’s REALLY a shame that all this story and the song itself led up to was…absolutely freaking NOTHING, really. I don’t know what I expected, exactly, but just about anything would have been more interesting than the final result.

9. Do What You Gotta Do, from Descendants 3.

Ah, the Disney Channel Musicals…I guess I couldn’t avoid THEM entirely, could I? As just about anybody can tell you, most Disney Channel Musicals are essentially cookie-cutter products that amount to the same thing: a bunch of teenaged stock characters trying to “stick it to the man” and singing pop-style songs that range from “okay, that’s actually pretty fun and catchy!” to “someone silence this vapid excuse for music IMMEDIATELY, please.” Needless to say, not a fan of a lot of these…and the Descendants films are no exception. These movies focus on the lives of the sons and daughters of many classic Disney Villains…and those sons and daughters are mostly teenage stereotypes, with the actual villains mostly depicted being about as out-of-character as it gets. I really WANT to like these movies, to be honest, and I know the series has its fair share of fans…but for me, these are just so utterly, UTTERLY disappointing. I will say this though: there ARE some good songs strewn throughout all the films, and given the subject matter, nearly ALL of them can qualify as villain songs. I debated what tune I’d place here - other options which arguably would have been more fitting were “What’s My Name?”, “Queen of Mean,” and “Evil Like Me.” (Because even if I can’t stand Kristin Chenoweth as Maleficent, I’ll admit that WAS a catchy song.) After some consideration, I went with the arguably more controversial “Do What You Gotta Do,” from the third film of the series. This old-time-rock-and-roll-style duet is sung by our main protagonist, Mal - the daughter of Maleficent and Hades - and her father…whose name I just mentioned. :P Hades is played by Cheyenne Jackson, and is admittedly one of the villains I felt was handled okay in this reimagining, which is part of why this song gets the vote. The song takes place when Mal tries to get something from Hades to help her on her quest, which leads to a confrontation between the two, as Hades left Mal and her mother many years ago, and the two have had almost zero contact since then. The fact that Mal has joined the heroes’ side doesn’t really sit well with the Lord of the Underworld, either. Hades tries to convince Mal to give him a second chance, not out of any real desire to connect with his child, but mostly because he wants to leave the island he’s trapped on and find new ways to commit evil schemes. Mal, however, is onto him, and is in NO mood to do him ANY favors, under the circumstances. While not STRICTLY a villain song in the typical sense, I felt it qualified enough to gain some recognition, and it’s also quite possibly my favorite song out of all these films. Therefore, I selected it for the coveted placement on this list. I can’t stand the movies, but this melody and sequence is a fun one.

8. I Want It All, from High School Musical 3: Senior Year.

I don’t remember enough to say if the “High School Musical” movies INVENTED the formula for the Disney Channel Musicals, but I think I can safely say they became the debatable gold standard for every single one that followed. Pretty much every Disney Channel Musical after these films has felt like it was basically the same story and characters, just with little tweaks here and there to give them their own unique gimmick, so to speak. While I really didn’t like the first or the second film of the series, I will admit that a.) all of the movies in the franchise have their fair share of fun tunes, and b.) call me crazy, but…I legitimately kind of like the third film. I wouldn’t say it’s perfect, or one of my favorite movies ever, but it’s a slight guilty pleasure for me. I could go into the reasons why, but that would probably take all day: suffice to say, it stands to reason, with that in mind, that my choice of villain song from the trilogy would come from that picture. “I Want It All” is unironically a GLORIOUS villain song, in my opinion: it’s catchy, has a great sense of humor, but also has this wonderful vein of manipulation and even underlying danger. The setup is that the main antagonist of the series - Sharpay Evans, who I can only describe as a G-rated version of Regina George - creates a scheme to sabotage her rivals, so she can get a special scholarship. To this end, she turns to her brother and former henchman from the past two films, Ryan. However, Ryan has seen the light by now, after several years of Sharpay’s knavery, and refuses to take part in whatever villainy she has in mind. So, Sharpay decides to try and persuade Ryan to join her in one last plot. How? By using the one thing she knows she and her sibling share: delusions of grandeur. Sharpay enthusiastically entices Ryan with the idea that, if he helps her this one final time, they could both benefit, and the results could catapult them to stardom. Ryan resists at first, but eventually he’s lured in by the temptation. Not only is the song really fun, but it shows some intelligence on Sharpay’s part: we’ve never really seen her manipulation on display in a MUSICAL form before, and it actually makes sense this would work, since while Ryan may be more or less reformed, it’s known that he’s a bit of an attention-seeker…and also isn’t necessarily the brightest bulb in the bunch. Plus, being an over-the-top, musical-loving thespian sort myself, I can’t deny that the ambition and flamboyance of the number speaks to me in its own way.

7. Tree of Life, from The Lion Guard.

There are MANY great villain songs in “The Lion Guard” (and many great songs in general…seriously, the people behind the music for this show really brought their A game to it). Some marvelously fun tunes I considered that didn’t make the cut were “Outta the Way,” “Panic and Run,” “Let’s Bring Back a Legend,” “When I Led the Guard,” “Lions Over All,” “You Best Not Mess With Mama,” and “Beware of Poa.” I ultimately decided, however, to go with this tune, and not only because of the ironic title (although that certainly does give it some extra points). The song is performed by the central antagonist of Season 3 of the show: Makucha the Leopard. Makucha was a recurring villain in a couple episodes of the first two seasons, but it was in the third and final season where he really stepped up his game, becoming the leader of an army of villains out to take over a mystical place called the Tree of Life. Why does he do this? One word: gluttony. Makucha is interesting because his entire motivation is based around the fact he’s a giant greedy guts. He’s not out to take over the tree for power or glory, and even though he convinces others to join his cause by offering them a chance at revenge on the Guard, among other possible benefits…all that is secondary or even tertiary to him. In this song, he makes it very clear what his plan is: he wants to take over the tree for the simple and singular purpose of eating every single animal he can catch there. That’s it. I don’t know why, but the fact this character becomes such a threat, gathering a whole army to his side and becoming the main climactic antagonist by the end of the series, with such a simple and basic motive is kind of fascinating to me: other villains were ravenous before Makucha in this franchise, certainly, but most of them were either followers of greater foes, or had other motivations besides their hunger that were more prominent, or both. Makucha is just a voracious pig of a leopard, who takes delight in eating animals that are rare or one of a kind in particular, which would be something the Tree of Life is absolutely teeming with. The song has a fun rhythm and some good lyrics, but what I think sells it most is the performer: Makucha is voiced by Steven Blum, of all people, and he’s a surprisingly good singer. He sells this number deliciously, and I think that, above all else, is what gives this tune so much credit in my books.

6. You’re Only Second Rate, from The Return of Jafar.

As I think I said in my previous list, while I do love the “Prince Ali” reprise Jafar sings with such maniacal and mincing passion in the original film, I’ve always felt it’s a little sad that he never got a full and proper villain song all his own in the movie. Thankfully, later Aladdin spin-offs and materials have amended this problem: in the Junior Edition stage show, for example, Jafar originally had a song entitled “Why Me?” In later editions, as well as the Broadway musical, he and Iago gained a duet called “Diamond in the Rough.” And there are several other Jafar-related tunes you’ll find in other places. However, in my opinion, the very best is this one: in the sequel to the original film, Jafar got his own belated musical spotlight. Now with the powers of a genie at his disposal, the villain gets into a sort of magical spitting contest with Genie, and soundly defeats the comical blue fellow, mocking him relentlessly the entire time. The lyrics are wild, the visuals - considering the budget - have a lot of creativity to them, and it’s just great to have Jafar get a song all to himself that allows him to do what he does best: derisively mock people while losing his mind. A somewhat underrated entry in the villain song catalogue for Disney, in my opinion.

5. Snuff Out the Light, from Kingdom of the Sun.

This song is unique on the list, and if you don’t know about it already, you might be a bit confused. For example, you may be saying, “Hey, why is there an image from Emperor’s New Groove here? And what is Kingdom of the Sun?” Well, to make a long story short: “Kingdom of the Sun” was the movie that BECAME “The Emperor’s New Groove.” Originally the film was planned to be a sort of more “traditional” Disney movie, with a plot that combined elements of “The Magic Flute” and “The Prince and the Pauper,” with the familiar Aztec-or-Incan-inspired aesthetic motif that the final film had. However, somewhere along the line, the project changed…but one thing remained the same: the villain, Yzma. At least, a few things about her remained the same: her design was largely kept about the same (albeit handled by a different animator), her name was the same, and her voice actress - Eartha Kitt - was also the same. However, the character’s role in the story did change: in the final film, of course, Yzma is the Emperor’s advisor, and is depicted as a mad scientist who wants to - of course - take over the world. Originally, however, Yzma was a witch, who commanded all the creatures of the night, and her goal was to try and gain eternal youth. In this original version, she had a villain song…but when the film’s script and plot changed, the song was removed, as it no longer had a place in the story. While Yzma would get some other songs in later spin-offs, such as “Feel Like a Million” and “Yzmopolis,” her original song - in which she conjures an army of the night after making a deal with the demon Supei - is ironically her greatest moment in music, in my opinion. While I do like the final result of the film, it’s a shame such a brilliant song never got to see full fruition.

4. My Lullaby, from The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.

“Tree of Life” was great, but when it comes to Lion King-related villain songs…well, let’s face it, nothing beats “Be Prepared.” BUT, I dare say this tune comes relatively close. In the direct-to-video sequel to the Lion King (which is actually one of the better Disney sequels out there, though still not as good as its predecessor), this song is performed by the utterly demented Zira: a former follower of Scar who acts as the mother to the dark lion’s chosen heir, a mysterious young cub named Kovu. After an encounter between Kovu and Simba’s daughter, Kiara, Zira begins to work out a long-reaching plan to take over the Pride Lands: as Kovu goes to sleep, she plots to train him to be an assassin, who will kill Simba, trick Kiara, and allow her return to power. The resulting “lullaby” is frankly one of the most bloodthirsty and sadistic villain songs not just from any Disney movie, but frankly just in general. Zira is basically fantasizing a bloodbath the entire song through, imagining the murder of Simba and his family and the glory Kovu will bring to her and her pride. It’s a delightfully dark and twisted tune…but in my opinion, it has one major stumbling block: the visuals. The setting, angles, colors, and even the “pattern” of the scene - where interjections from other characters take place, how they happen, when certain shots occur, etc. - all feel EXTREMELY close to “Be Prepared.” It’s pretty obvious that’s the intent, but I wish the visuals had taken a few more risks and gone for a more original approach. There’s a few good moments, mind you, and the song itself is fantastic, but it is a nitpick I cannot overlook.

3. Professional Pirate, from Muppet Treasure Island.

I debated whether or not to include the Muppets, but they’ve been part of Disney much, MUCH longer than Marvel or Star Wars, and this film was released under the Disney banner, so…eh. I’ll give it a pass. “Muppet Treasure Island” is quite possibly my favorite Muppet movie. While other films like “The Great Muppet Caper” are great showcases for the Muppets, and “Muppet Christmas Carol” is a fine adaptation of a classic story I love, this film is BOTH of those things, in my opinion, and balances the elements in a way that I think is more…well…balanced. This song is performed by the great Long John Silver: our central antagonist who leads a band of mutinous pirates on a quest to retrieve long lost treasure. Silver forms a bizarre bond with the main hero of the story, Jim Hawkins: the young boy who discovered the treasure map. In this song, after kidnapping Jim (and while some of his gang work on taking over the ship in the meantime), Silver and his closest confidantes (most of whom are Muppets) try to convince Jim to join their side. They claim that pirates really aren’t as bad as people think…with the irony being that, throughout the song (and the movie as a whole), they’re shown to be completely false in these claims. What I love about this song - aside from the fact it’s…well…just a darn good song, frankly - is two things. One, Silver is played by Tim Curry. Automatic win. Two…Silver actually MEANS what he’s saying. What’s interesting about the character in the Muppet film is that he genuinely and truly believes in a sort of “honor among thieves” mentality: he’s quick to turn on Captain Kermit-I mean, Smollett, but when it comes to the other pirates, he only seems to turn on them or get nasty when they aren’t following his personal code of honor. He also admits that he genuinely cares about Jim, and the two form a sort of father/son bond, which gets strained as the film goes on. He’s genuinely sincere in everything he’s saying, which makes the irony of the truth both hilarious and kind of tragic: it’s telling that, at the end of the film, he reiterates some of the lyrics from this song by saying to Jim, “You’re honest, brave, and true. You did learn that from me.” Jim’s response, “I learned it from my friends, Mr. Silver,” has to cut him to the quick.

2. Ready As I’ll Ever Be, from Tangled: The Series.

This song is very similar to “Savages” from Pocahontas. (Which makes sense, since I THINK this was written by the same people; feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, I very well could be.) Only about half of the song PROPERLY belongs to the villain, but it’s the villain who really drives the song and context of the scene, so I think it counts. “Ready as I’ll Ever Be” occurs in the final episode of season one from “Tangled: The Series” (which would later be retitled “Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure”). The villain of the hour is my favorite character from the show, Varian: a young alchemist who - for a LOT of reasons - has kind of gone off the deep end into crazy-ville, and kidnapped Queen Arianna - Rapunzel’s mother. The heroes form a plan to attack Varian from two different routes - one side trying to sneak into his castle hideaway and ambush him, while the other leads a frontal assault - but Varian, who is one step ahead of the heroes, is making his own preparations. There’s a lot of gret things about this song, but it really is Varian who sells it: first of all, he’s played by Jeremy Jordan. Again, like the previous pick, automatic win. Second of all…Varian is maybe 15 years old, at best, when he does all this. And it is taking an ARMY, and a LOT of strategy, to even TRY and beat him. And it’s made pretty clear that both of those attempts from either side are not going to be as successful as they hope. Something about those facts ALONE just makes the whole song, situation, and the character himself SO fascinating to me: the tension, determination, and desperation of the song are only intensified when you realize it’s literally a battle of the villain against the world…and, shortly after this number, the world nearly LOSES. Later villains would follow Varian, as well as later villain songs, but for me, none of them ever TOPPED this moment. It’s my favorite song in the entire series, and for good reason. That reason, in a nutshell, is Varian.

1. I Put a Spell on You, from Hocus Pocus.

If any “other” Disney Villain song arguably equals the iconic status of nearly any from their animated movies, I think it’s fair to say this would be it. Which is ironic, since the song isn’t even native to the film. “I Put a Spell on You” (originally the work of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins) was a staple of many a Halloween-themed music compilation long before “Hocus Pocus” came out…but nowadays, it’s hard to think of the song, for most people, without specifically thinking of the version performed in the film by the wicked and wonderful Sanderson Sisters: the trio of soul-sucking witches whose devilish antics are the crux of the story. The Sisters - played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker - have the power to hypnotize people with their siren-like voices. They use this to their advantage when they find themselves at a Halloween costume party, where the parents of their victims are all dancing the night away. The witches perform the song to cast a spell on the rest of the partygoers, keeping them under their thrall for the rest of the night, and have a rockin’ good time while doing it! For many, it’s the most famous scene in the entire film, and the sequel tried to replicate it with a similar scene, which had the Sisters singing a cover of “One Way or Another” by Blondie. That scene was fine, but nothing can really top the original. It’s arguably become just as well-known as songs like “Hellfire” or “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” and for that reason above all else, it easily takes the top spot on this list. Case closed.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

Things Are Not What They Appear, from Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World.

Don’t Fall in Love, from Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas.

Chow Down, from The Lion King: The Musical.

Run, from The Jungle Book Groove Party.

Petey's King of France, from Mickey, Donald, and Goofy in The Three Musketeers.

Impress My Professor, from Phineas & Ferb. (Dr. Doofenshmirtz has a LOT of songs, I chose this one simply because it was the first I thought of.)

[dollywheeler]

September 25th, 1996

Dear diary,

Things have been crazy busy as we've been training a lot to prepare for homecoming. Not only have we upped our cheer hours in preparation for the halftime show, but I've also been helping Whitney out with preparations for the dance on Saturday - mostly with crafting decorations. I'm probably the worst person she could have asked, because crafts are so not my thing. Pretty sure my lanterns would have been trashed if it hadn't been for Elena's help - she's one of the new Sophomores on the team this year.

The dance is setting up to look great, however, and I've been practicing the homecoming routine as much as possible before school. Sandy and Selena altered one of our routines from last year for this weekend. It's very flashy because we can be more creative with it, and not too difficult because people don't really care about technique or tumbling all that much. They just want a catchy song and a good show - which it definitely is in my opinion.

It also means I've been able to practice it better because there aren't too many parts I have to skip when practicing in the basement.

Because I've been getting home late each day, I've barely seen mom or dad. I can tell mom is still on cloud nine from last Friday though, as she's jumped into 'fall cleaning' with vigor. It's always a little terrifying when she comes around with a moving box and a 'donate first, regret later' attitude. I figured out years ago that the best strategy is to just get a few things to donate set aside beforehand so she'll leave your actual stuff alone. This year I just picked up some clutter from the dollar store and a teddy bear we got for free at the fair last spring. And Whitney was planning on throwing some stuff away so she gave it to me for this very reason. It wasn't much, but she hadn't given me much warning. She seemed more than happy with it though, so I guess I have Mike to thank for that.

I don't know if she told dad about the dinner next Friday. I sure as hell haven't. It feels weird keeping something from him, but I can hardly tell him we're going to dinner but he's not invited. I'm pretty sure he isn't, anyway. I know they've always had a weird relationship, but he's still his dad right? And like, it's not like he ever gave him a chance. Besides, even if your parents are cringe or annoying you can still sit through dinner with them for one night and bite your tongue! It's not that hard and just for one night!

For now I'm just going to focus on this weekend, though. I'm so excited for the dance - my dress is gorgeous and I can't wait to wear it. I'm nervous though; I've never had a date before.

OH, I haven't even gotten a chance to write that down yet!

Daniel asked me to the dance!!!!

I was waiting for the gym to clear out after basketball practice on Monday so we could get our extra hours in, and when the team was dismissed, Daniel gently grabbed my hand and pulled me behind the bleachers. Not behind-behind the bleachers, just hidden from view a bit so we could talk privately. My heart was pounding but he seemed relaxed as he asked me if I wanted to go to the dance with him. He just had that same dorky expression, clearly hesitant for my response even though he had to know what my answer would be. He looked so relieved when I said yes even when he hadn't looked all that nervous to begin with, so I know he'd just tried to be stoic.

Anyway, it was really, really sweet <3 He's taking me to dinner before the dance, so we can have a proper date with just the two of us but can also enjoy the dance with our friends. I'm so excited; I seriously cannot wait.

Love, Holly <3

[millepara]

himitsu no aipri episode 1 (a week late)

it's been so long since I've written about a priseries (or any other idol) show... I'm realizing that I legit didn't think I'd ever get the chance again. I got tired of doing it before because I felt like I was either complaining too much (planet) or just happy abt everything that was happening (primagi) and thus had nothing interesting to say either way, but ever since watching aipri on sunday I've been looking forward to this... I think I'm just happy about new idol anime content after such a long drought tbh but it's something good that aipri has already brought us, no matter what you or I think of anything else about it.

I missed the first 5 minutes bc I was reading bad fanfiction in bed to wake up (nigh daily routine) and totally forgot abt aipri... then I did remember and had to sprint to my computer, but the stream kept stopping so I missed some critical stuff throughout. I liked the ep okay, but maybe actually seeing all of it will improve it?

ohhh ok it starts off with those cute lemon coords in the op. actually this does help, those coords are easily my favs that I've seen in aipri so far. esp Mitsuki's blue one is sooo cute... I am saying this as a person that buys every single blue gingham item of clothing I come across though haha. I will say that the coord & dance totally don't match the sort of sweeping fairytale (just mistyped that as dairytale. hm) majesty that the bgm and voiceover is going for, but...

oh, I didn't know that Mitsuki had a snippet of performance in here. I've seen it in gameplay videos already, I like it ok---wow, it's already over.

the way Mitsuki is pausing for her viewers to answer is just like shows for preschoolers... they're really going after that age group, huh. (do actual streamers do stuff like that....?)

oh, I already saw Himari get a call from her sister. looks like I only missed 1 minute.

that is the ugliest anime dog I've ever seen, hands down, but Hiiro is cute. I'm sure she's well on her way to being the Non or whoever the prichan little sister was of aipri, in terms of popularity.

I do think it is very, very interesting that in this pretty series anime which is aimed at perhaps the youngest audience yet, they have put the mc in a dorm, away from her family. weird. actually I am for the first time realizing exactly how many anime have schools with dorms. you'd think japan is overflowing w boarding schools but idk of a single one lmao...

Mitsuki: it sure was the right decision to move into the dorm!

Himari: (completely ignores her statement to bring up aipri)

Himari's look out of aipri is really cute, I've finally decided. it's a shame that her twintails as an aipri are such a weird shape??? why do they curve up on the outside like that, all I can see is a large intestine when I look at them...... :(

the first time I watched this my internet cut out just as Mitsuki's face was approaching Himari's. I knew what she was doing bc of the comic in the aipri fanbook, but still it was like, oh! looks like it's gonna be another totally straight pretty series show!

oh man, the op. the song itself is cute and catchy, but this vtuber's voice is just too much, and it gets more too much as the song goes on. I get the appeal of her being a "real-life aipri", and presumably she's popular so her fans might be drawn to watch, but I hope she doesn't sing the next op too..... oh you know what would be kind of cool is if every op was sung by a different vtuber. that way if one sucked we wouldn't have to hear them again, and they'd showcase a lot of different people.

Meganee is especially exceptionally cute in her op cameo!!!

oh. A Crush. let it be insignificant 🙏 but if they become idol princesses too I'll allow it.

I like Chii's voice a lot, and her passion regarding aipri, but on the list of things I'm finding myself saying "oh. shame :( " about is her unfortunate hairstyle. also speaking of things that remind me of other things, her name Chii Mamiya sounds like "chi mamire" (blood-soaked) or "chi mame" (blood blister). surely I am not the only Japanese understander who hears this.

Yusa Kouji-sensei has by far my fav character design in this show. he is officially my favorite aipri.

wow, it's the classic post-covid tv broadcast opening ceremony... a chillingly real element in this fantasy rich kid school. irl this is the first year since covid we've had in-person opening ceremonies in many schools, it's a shame they don't get to at paradise academy yet lmao

I'm not even going to touch this whole welcome speech. I'm just going to slowly back away and pretend like I didn't see anything.

I love the aikatsu-level background character design in this classroom!! bicolor twintails is cute.

I wonder if these elementary schoolers are relevant or are just there to show how many people are watching Himari.

lmao despite what I said about Chii I think we were sharing the same braincell when she said "Her Victoria levels are out of control!!" they totally are!!

am I misunderstanding this or did Victoria not ban aipri? didn't she say "in moderation" only...? this is literally the same kind of thing schools say irl abt cutting down on screen time. just more dramatic.

so the elementary kid is relevant. Yuma... will he be an aipri too? if not, why would he even exist?

I didn't catch the first time around that this bracelet was the one uh, Candy Motif was fiddling with in the student council meeting. where'd she get it from?

this is the least amount of love I've ever seen put into a commercial break eyecatch.

are the aimus... cute? I can't see it...

it's very funny that the lipstick immediately disappears when they go 3d. they knew it looks bad, and they've still gotta cram it in there for that single second to sell toys.

this cgi. I think everyone's said it so far, but it's really not the best... I think I might like the game's graphics a little better, even. I do like seeing the coords lit up at least.

P.O.P.P.Y is a cute enough song. it's just barely on the listenable side of the line for me, but I do think it's a great match for what aipri is going for. also that is definitely a dance that was made for preschoolers to imitate.

buzzalyume... idk if anyone is aware or not, but buzz is a word that's in really common use regarding social media in japan atm. like you would say "that's buzzing" (literally I mean, figuratively it's more like "that's all the buzz" like the english use of the word) about something that's all over your timeline or whatever. so it's not totally out of left field for them to choose that word in particular, but it doesn't mean that it sounds any less forced, that's for sure!!

Bear Bear Bear's voice is cute.

I don't like these emoji reactions all over the screen. not cute.

the ed is cute.

...finally, I watched it all. whew. I have to say, I was not wowed by it! but it was fine. it's far better than having no pretty series at all. I keep thinking "I'll put off my opinion till I know more about it" about aipri and I'm tempted to say it again now--in this episode we barely met the main two characters in favor of worldbuilding. it kind of makes sense as the first ep of a little kid show, but will the rest of the show stay at this same level of character depth? it's way too early to say. but for me, that's what'll determine how much I like it.

[pardonmydelays]

~ VIVO Review ~

Cute movie! I can see why you think it's better than Encanto.

Lin-Man's voice is so recognizable in both talking and singing, and rapping 😂 (it's a good thing!)

*thinking to myself* Of course the monkey's gonna rap, and I wouldn't expect anything less of My Mans™

The first song was catchy. His singing is pretty good, especially with the high notes! It wasn't Broadway-esque kind of high, but he hit the high notes that works for his singing style. Does that even make any sense????

L-M's accent. That's it, that's the bullet point. F*ck me up. 🫠🥵

"I cannot go to Miami. I'm an old man." // "Yeah, great point. Know your limits." The sass. 😆

"I always assumed you were an old man." Damn, Vivo...

I love the 3D animation and then the way it turned into 2D animation with neon colors in the night time?? Gorgeous!

"WHO'S MARTA?!?!"

Vivo wasn't having it with Andrés going to Mambo Cabana. He locked himself in the suitcase and I found that kind of funny, and dramatic.

Gotta stan that witty and dramatic, melodical little kinkajou. Lin-Manuel Miranda being the voiceover made Vivo even more entertaining and likable.

"What difference can one song make?" Me, thinking to myself: Oh, you have noooo idea...

Gabi trying to talk to Vivo during the memorial service. 😆 Great first impression of the character.

"One More Song" almost had me in tears! The way he held out 'song'... ugh. Sing it, Lin!!

"Ugh, it's the weird kid." 😆

The accordion scene.

"You're going to the cookie sale. You're going to take selfies. And you're going to have fun and bond!" We love a parent forcing their kid to do things they don't want to do.

The entire clip after Gabi opens the circle suitcase. Vivo: "pEaCe!"

"Are those little gravestones?"

"Oh, plastic birds. Florida's weird."

Not Gabi thinking Marta sang "Despacito".

"You won't have the blood of mother nature on your hands." // "I'm not a bad man... I just want a cookie."

Eva just eating away at those cookies. Same, girl, same.

I love how feisty and determined Vivo was (sounds a lot like his voiceover actor, hmmmmm????).

"M-I-A-M-I running out of time?" Clever, Lin-Man, clever. 👌🏽

That's my second favorite song to be honest ("Running Out of Time"). My first favorite is "One More Song".

The car scene after Vivo gives Marta the song.

Gabi and her mom adopting Vivo. 🥺

Gabi singing Andrés's part in the first song.

THIS, THIS, THIS! 👆🏼

(not me reading this & grinning like a goddamn idiot)

ahh, i'm so happy that you liked it & i totally agree with all of the above! this is such a great review. thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! now i really hope this will force convince more people to give it a chance ❤️

[hectorisagoodboy]

Hey I saw that you were curious about Hazbin so I wanted to give you a pitch from someone who likes the show and is in the fandom, taking some common complaints into account (with no spoilers!)

The premise is that Charlie Morningstar, princess of Hell, is running a hotel slash rehab center meant to get citizens of Hell redeemed and into Heaven (because Hell is majority overpopulated), alongside her girlfriend and a handful of friends and some allies who are definitely not friends.

The pacing is a little fast and occasionally inconsistent, but it's not narrative-breaking. There are roughly 2 songs (it's a musical!) per episode and many of them do a lot of narrative heavy lifting, which is a strength of the musical format that I'm glad the crew took advantage of. If the premise sounds interesting, look up "Happy Day in Hell" and give it a watch to see if you like it! It's a song from the first episode and it's a great introduction to characters and world. (Unfortunately Sir Pentious isn't in this one, but you won't have to wait long for him! His song is one of my favorites.)

A lot of people complain that the show's humor is just "sex, swearing, and violence." I wouldn't say that's NOT true, because it definitely earns its 18+ age rating and can take a little getting used to, but it does it better than a lot of shows in the same genre. Some adult shows read like they took a clean script and just added as many curse words as possible, but the swearing in Hazbin feels a lot more natural and the amount of swearing varies from character to character, which is a fun mode of characterization that a lot of shows can't do. There's violence, but I wouldn't describe it as gory. (If Invincible is a 10 on the gore scale, Hazbin is maybe a 5.) One episode (prefaced with an extra warning) deals with physical and sexual abuse, but the violence is never pointless, it's handled respectfully and in-character, and that episode has gotten lots of praise from real people who have survived those situations.

On the fandom side: internet communities surrounding Hazbin largely consist of two groups: the fandom and the "Vivziepop must die" crowd, which is a vocal minority. "Issues" tend to be stuff that's petty, quickly debunked, was always wrong, or is actually very normal in the animation industry but people just blame Vivzie for it despite it being much bigger than her. You can do your own research if you'd like, but take everything with a grain of salt. The general fandom is actually pretty chill, if slightly feral. Lots of theorizing, lots of art and fics, every shipping combination you can imagine, very few flame wars. Fandom hostility tends to come from outsiders rather than insiders.

I hope this helps you decide whether or not to give Hazbin a try!

Hola! 😁

Thank you very much! I'll definitely be checking out the series next week!

At the conventions I attended recently it was everywhere so I'm definitely curious. I don't have too many problems with violent or sexual content, as I've been a "Game of Thrones" fan for a long time! 🤣

I've already heard some of the songs and yes... They're very catchy!

But returning to the "comics and games" and conventions I recently attended here in Italy and the "weird fandom" subject, I must say that I found myself a little alarmed by the large number of fans of the series who were under the age of 18 (some of them were actually children)... 😐

Yep... That's weird! 😶

[tgammsideblog]

Tgamm S1 Ep 16-B ¨The Internship¨ Episode analysis

Molly is assigned to be Weird Larry’s intern as part of a school project, something she isn’t thrilled about. Meanwhile, Scratch looks for an intern that can easily follow his orders...

Episode Writer: Cynthia Furey ¨The Internship¨ is an episode that is a bit complicated to talk about because it does gets some things right while other things are excuted poorly, leaving bad implications as result. Molly’s plot is pretty good but Scratch’s plot feels forced and out of character. So, to analyse this episode, i’m going to first talk about Molly’s story and later discuss Scratch’s story, explaining went wrong with it.

First, Molly’s story: Molly is assigned to be Weird Larry’s intern, the character that asked Molly to helped him searching his pet skunk on ¨All Systems No¨. Molly isn’t fond of Larry, probably because she considers him too extravagant of a person. She mentions a few times in the episode that Larry’s workshop is ¨where happy memories go to die¨. She sees it as a place that doesn’t make other people happy, only miserable.

Molly has a hard time understanding what is the purpose of Larry’s workshop. She doesn’t know how she could enhappify other people with broken watches and old antique. She gets frustrated with the place so much she asks her teacher to change her to other mentor than isn’t Larry. The teacher reminds Molly that she is always able to see the bright side of things, which inspires the teen to ¨enhappify¨ the workshop.

The song sequence involves her cleaning and changing Larry’s work place into something she considers more ¨happy¨. The lyrics of the song capture Molly’s personality pretty well in how she tries to be optimistic and help her community. It’s a positive nice catchy song that i often find myself listening to. Other aspect that makes the sequence work is showing this flaw that Molly has of pushing the way she sees the world into other people without trying to see things from their perspective. Since she is still a teenager, she still struggles others point of views.

Weird Larry is shocked when he finds out his workplace got completely changed. He explains to Molly that he has his own system to find things easily. Later Molly sadly expresses that things aren’t working out between them. Seeing her reaction, Larry shows to Molly the project he has been working on: a big dragon built out of the materials people bring to him. He lets her play with it and later puts a crown on her for ¨defeating¨ the dragon.

With this, Molly is able to understand that Weird Larry is an inventor and, much like her, he uses his inventions to ¨enhappify¨ others. The difference is that Molly does it with multiple people while Larry prefers to doing it one person at time. I think it is nice lesson to learn for a character whose goal is making the world a better place. There are different ways to do that depending on the person and their skills.

On the other hand, there is Scratch’s story, which is the part that made some fans feel uncomfortable while watching it. Scratch’s B plot is about him taking advantage of his mentor powers and abusing them to make Reggie, his intern, do what he demands. In the first half of the episode, Scratch’s actions make more or less sense for his character: He is someone who struggles empathizing with people outside his social circle,unlike Molly, and he has terrible example of bosses who push him around, make fun of him and are constantly abusing him emotionally. This leads him to copy their behaviour, thinking that is the correct way to be a boss. The issue comes the second part of the episode when he starts yelling at Reggie for trivial things and chasing him for giving him a very specific food. There is difference between him making Reggie do his chores and treating him so poorly. Scratch rarely goes this overboard when it comes to being rude to others.

What makes this B plot fail is when Reggie goes to report to the Ghost Council about Scratch’s mentorship and it ends up potraying his poor treatment as a good thing that helped him learn some skills. I’m sure this wasn’t part of the writer’s intention but Reggie’s dialogue comes off wrong in this scene.

Another issue is that Scratch doesn’t get any serious consequences of being abusive to Reggie aside from Reggie becoming his superior and being yelled at to make him a sandwich. It doesn’t help that this wasn’t given any proper continuity in the season, which feels like wasted potential and makes the B plot kind of worthless. If it had some continuation, it would probably be less harsher with this episode.

In conclusion:¨The Internship¨ is mediocre episode that leaves a mixed impression after watching it thanks to Scratch’s side plot. It’s still worth of watching for Molly’s plot, which is well executed, and even for Scratch’s behaviour despite of not having a satisfying conclusion to it. It’s the weakest episode of this season if you ask me.

[a-moth-to-the-light]

Current Top 10 Bleachers Songs

Though I can't exactly say I grew up with Bleachers--I was 14 when I first heard of them--I feel like I did. Maybe it's because I actually did grow up with Bruce Springsteen, and didn't someone once call Bleachers a glorified Springsteen tribute band? I couldn't find the original reference, but I love Bleachers almost as much as Springsteen (who's only my favorite artist ever--sorry, Alba Reche, you're a close second I promise!!!), so I can't say that label is a bad thing. The Springsteen energy happening in their music is FANTASTIC, with some interesting electronic influences to spice things up! They released a new album last Friday, so it's time to do a top-10-so-far before I find any new favorites :)

1. Wild Heart

This is for all the kids who lived off the Love, Simon soundtrack in eighth grade, who huddled in their room and listened to "Wild Heart" over and over and over again and tried to work up the courage to ask their parents to take them to see the movie... but what if they guess? What if they figure out I'm gay? I'll just watch the trailers over and over again, listen to the soundtrack on repeat... Look, I like so much about "Wild Heart", especially the echo-y vocal effects and the way the chorus crashes in and the grumbling bass and the outro, but really this is my favorite Bleachers song as a salute to my past self. I'm sorry. And thank you. And I'm so proud of you.

2. How Dare You Want More

This song is layers and layers and layers, it's all the chaos and glee of a really great party, and I feel tipsy by the time that sax solo hits.

3. Hate That You Know Me

I thought this one was pretty weird for a longggg time, but it got me eventually. The production here is emptier than what I was used to from their first album, but over time, it started to feel less empty and more immediate to me, like I could just be hearing a couple of people giving the performance of their lives across the street. Speaking of which, shoutout to the backup vocalist who does those riffs--they bring out the best in this song's rhythm. Also, these might be my favorite Bleachers lyrics. They're fantastically fun to sing, without losing any meaning to the sonic whimsy!

4. Don't Take The Money

This is my comfort scream-it-all-out song--it has the perfect blend of genuine humor and equally genuine agony that I love so much in my favorite Taylor Swift songs. Experiencing the mortifying ordeal of being known? Singing, "I SAW YOUR FACE AND HANDS / COVERED IN SUN AND THEN / I THINK I UNDERSTAND / ... OH I UNDERSTAND" is the most effective cure I know.

5. I'm Ready to Move On / Wild Heart -- w/ Yoko Ono

Okay, sure, this is kind of just "Wild Heart" again. But I think it deserves its own spot, since it really does have its own thing going on. I'm not as much of an experimental production lover as I want to be--though I respect attempts to expand the range of sounds we think of as 'music', I still have a hard time actually enjoying the more out-there electronic stuff. But I'll listen to this one any day, weird buzzing noises included, because Yoko Ono's melody instantly cheers me up, and I find myself singing it constantly. Snow is falling! All the time! Snow is smiling! All the time! I'm ready! I'm ready! I'm ready! To move on!

6. I Wanna Get Better (cw: sui)

This one is... intense. I think that's what I love most about Bleachers, though, is that you get all this emotion wrapped up in these ridiculously catchy rock anthems. There's so much feeling that's fighting to get out of these songs, and so much in my heart that's fighting to get out when I listen--but then I can free it by singing along. These are songs that want to be sung along to, that invite your shared experience of things that are too heavy to carry alone. Hell, maybe that's what drew me to Bleachers, specifically, out of all the artists on the Love, Simon soundtrack. Because their music felt like coming out, even before I actually did; it gave me an escape, to a place where I felt like my secret, my big terrifying secret, had already been shared. Even for just a few minutes, I could get that weight of things unspoken off my shoulders. And suicidal ideation is hard to talk about, too. And I didn't talk about it for a long time--not for years after coming out. But I had this song to process it with, and for that I'm eternally grateful <3

7. Like A River Runs

Okay, this spot could belong to a whole bunch of songs on the Strange Desire album, but I'll go with this one, which was my most-listened song on Spotify Wrapped 2020. I don't think I've ever been able to relate to this song--I'm lucky to never have experienced the death of a close friend, or of a family member I knew well--but the production always manages to capture me instantly. I guess this song gives us another good explanation of why I feel like I grew up with Bleachers: their music sounds like how my growing up felt--this overwhelming rush of reckless joy in the present, combined with intense fits of yearning for the past.

8. Everybody Lost Somebody

COME ON MOTHERFUCKER YOU SURVIVED YOU'VE GOTTA GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK !!!!!

9. 91

I never really know what to do with this song, honestly--it's not let-it-all-out fun, like I usually expect from Bleachers. Rather, it's mysterious and reserved... but that makes it uniquely captivating, too. Its lyrics have beautifully executed time skips, and I love that string instruments are made central to the arrangement, rather than left to a low-volume layer in the chorus.

10. Rollercoaster -- w/ Charli XCX

I mean, Bleachers has some of the best hooks out there, and Charli XCX has a voice that makes any chorus a punch to the gut. A dream collaboration, for sure, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is my most-listened Bleachers song ever!

Honorable Mentions: Reckless Love, You're Still a Mystery, All My Heroes, 45, Big Life, Don't Go Dark, Anti-Hero (Taylor Swift feat. Bleachers)

[quarantineroulette]

10 Things That Somehow Didn’t Suck This Year (with a horror films sub-list).

2022 has been an unbelievably surreal and disparate year for me. On one hand, I achieved three long-running goals, visiting Barcelona, becoming a home-owner, and going on a mini-tour with my band. On the other hand, I was plagued by some of the worst periods of depression of my life and endured at least two solid months of virtually nonstop distress in which things got better for a little bit before going really hard on the mental strife. 

Due to so much weirdness going on, I didn’t listen to much music this year and I feel pretty ashamed about that (if you’re a friend and you released music this year, I intend on listening to it very soon, I swear). I’m also a little put off by critical writing in general right now but I still wanted to do some sort of year-end ranking for tradition’s sake. So here’s 10...entertainments? I appreciated this year - whether TV shows, movies, or going to gigs, even though there were a lot of those I unfortunately missed as well. Also throwing in a sub-list of favorite horror films, as those are one of the few things I can focus on even when things are completely haywire elsewhere.

*Atlanta: I really don’t consider a lot of art truly *perfect* but the Atlanta series finale -- and the entire 41-episode show, really -- absolutely was. Out of anyone in my generation, Donald Glover is far and away the *~creative~* I’m most in awe of, most of all for this singular and very special show. I’ll forever be grateful for the intelligence behind Atlanta (I really can’t think of a show James and I have discussed more), it’s unpredictability and the insane level of talent that could be found in its ridiculously stellar cast and crew. I loved everything about every minute of it, but my secret favorite episode was the one where Van has an identity crisis in Paris and Alexander Skarsgard cameos as a cross between an exaggerated version of himself and Armie Hammer. Utterly surreal, totally hilarious, and unquestionably brilliant. 

*“Punk Rock Loser” by Viagra Boys: I didn’t totally love Viagra Boys’ 2022 release Cave World but it still somehow became the album I listened to most this year, and “Punk Rock Loser” had no contest in terms of being my most listened to song. The band excels at songs about decidedly unsavory dudes, so “Punk Rock Loser” isn’t entirely new territory but it is catchy and weirdly groovy in its own little way. Plus, the music video is an instant classic, right down to the Adidas western shirt and completely silly synchronized dance routine. 

*The Rehearsal: This one is a bit of a cheat because I just watched the whole series in like three days so it’s at the forefront of my mind. But something tells me even if I had watched it three months ago I’d still be fucking reeling from it. Like, my sense of perception has been irrevocably scrambled. I need to sit in a dark room and question every interaction I’ve ever had with another human up to this point. I related to this show more than I’d like to admit and also found myself weirdly moved by it at times. Also, massive respect to Fielder for getting HBO to pay for, well, the entire thing, but especially the replica of the Alligator Lounge (although we all know Nate’s Lizard Lounge is really where it’s at). 

*Playing a show with The Veldt: We started working on new music this year so we didn’t play many shows, but we still had a fair amount of success on that front and played our first-ever gigs in the midwest (including a sold out show in Chicago). But being asked to play with criminally underrated shoegazers The Veldt was truly a high water mark (on what was unfortunately a very watery evening in Brooklyn). Had gone to see The Veldt in Philly a month prior to sharing a bill with them, and was wowed by Daniel Chavis’ stage presence and vocal delivery both times around, a pretty powerful counter to the head down aloofness that genre designation typically suggests. Totally cool and lovely guys to boot.

*Warren Ellis - Nina Simone’s Gum: See my previous post, but in short, this book is mesmerizing. What I assumed would be a fairly straightforward rock memoir instead was a loving tribute to Ellis’ idols, providing a lot of insight into collecting and the power we imbue certain objects with and why. Absolutely solidified my opinion that Ellis is one of the most beautiful souls (I mean, he started a sanctuary for wildlife with special needs for god’s sake!) 

*Aldous Harding at Union Transfer: Pretty much the only new music I listened to this year was the aforementioned Viagra Boys, Fontaines DC and Aldous Harding, and I was fortunate enough to see two out of three of these artists live in 2022 (Viagra Boys, maybe next year). Aldous Harding had been at the top of my gig-going wishlist pre-pandemic, so I feel especially grateful that seeing her became a reality this year. It often feels a bit weak to say “OMG I went to see (x) and they sounded just like the album,” but in Aldous’ case, this is kind of an extraordinary compliment, seeing as she sings as about a dozen different characters on her new record, sometimes flipping back and forth over several different vocal styles in a single song. Add to this Harding’s obscure yet very purposeful stage presence and that equals me being enraptured for 90 minutes straight. Had an excellent time pre-gaming at the awesome go-go cocktail bar The Trestle Inn beforehand as well. 

*Intermission: My 10 (actually 11) Favorite Horror Films of 2022

Yeah yeah yeah. Everyone has said it, it’s been a great year for horror. It’s always been my favorite genre and I’ve embraced it even harder since the pandemic for whatever reason. So, just like everyone else is doing, here are my 10 favorites that I’ve seen this year. I didn’t see everything, but I’ve seen enough to have some authority on what was good, maybe...

1) Pearl - Mia Goth’s unblinking stare over the end credits = haven’t been as frightened by a face since Laura Dern running toward the camera in INLAND EMPIRE. Deserves all its accolades and then some. 

2) The Menu - The cast, the setting, the dialogue, Colin Stetson’s score: everything about this was a horrible delight from start to finish. Watching Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy act together was thoroughly electrifying and I will never get Fiennes lobbing the insult “you donkey” at some rich asshole out of my head. 

3) Smile - I saw the trailer for this a zillion times and thought it honestly looked hilariously stupid. Zero expectations and threw me for a complete loop. Still didn’t find it that scary but it was fun as hell and the sound design was excellent. Also, I’m sorry to say I had no idea who (PA native!) Kyle Gallner was until this year but loved him in both this and Dinner in America. 

4) Men / Resurrection - Resurrection walked so Men could run, I guess. Overall, I preferred the former just because I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes for the last 20 minutes and I appreciated its mash-up of folk horror / home invasion / psychological horror / cosmic horror / body horror to the max. Resurrection had Rebecca Hall giving the most insane monologue of the year and my forever crush Tim Roth being a gaslighting sleaze-hound, and those are two things I will never shrug at. 

5) What Josiah Saw - If you ever longed for a southern gothic version of Fire Walk With Me, then head over to Shudder and take this fucked up baby for a ride immediately. Had a scene, totally free of violence or gore, that made me want to squirm right out of my skin. Robert Patrick FTW and was nice(?) to see Nick Stahl again too.

6) Watcher - Great Hitchcockian throwback with great performances by Maika Monroe and Burn Gorman and some beautiful shots of Bucharest. Tense enough that I was nervous going into the bathroom by myself when it was over. 

7) We’re All Going to the World’s Fair - To be honest, I didn’t love this when I was watching it, but jeez did it stick with me. Months after and I still feel a great sense of discomfort whenever I think about it. Not for everyone, but will thoroughly creep you out and fill you with a sense of crushing loneliness, if you’re down for that kind of thing. 

8) Something in the Dirt - Pretty much will be open to anything Moorhead and Benson do just because I find their grassroots approach to cosmic horror and world-building really inspiring. Their latest threw about a million different interests of mine into a pot so I found Something in the Dirt especially delicious. Some really low-key funny moments and I’m still trying to piece it all together but I’m so so happy these guys are out there challenging us and doing it all in such a home-spun way. 

9) Barbarian - Almost didn’t add this because the hype really got to me, but, I know -- that first half was super tense and Justin Long gave his all as perhaps the douchiest character of the year. 

10) Nope - Really wasn’t a fan of US but this was quite a return to form. Loved the set pieces and the unique take on alien design. The spoken word “Purple People Eater” bit was pretty ridiculous but I laughed all the same. The blood house was marvelous, though.

***

*“Turn Off Your Brain and Yell” by Suede: I often get anxious whenever a long-running band or artist I love releases something new, even when it’s a band I love as much as Suede, and was honestly not expecting much from their 9th release Autofiction, as it was being touted as more stripped down and less high concept and dramatic. The record is just fine but live the songs are phenomenal, particularly the fittingly cathartic “Turn Off Your Brain and Yell.” The Autofiction closer served as the band’s opener at their headlining show at Philadelphia’s The Met and it was like an emotional wildfire had just ignited. I’m certain every single neck hair of every person in that venue was standing on end from this song onward. Simply put, it fucking slammed. Anyway, this Suede / Manics US tour seemed like the ultimate dream to me on paper but unfortunately turned out a little bittersweet, but at least I can say for probably the only time ever that Michelle Obama possibly had a hand in preventing me from going backstage like I was supposed to (long story!). 

*The Bear: Didn’t think this could possibly live up to its hype, but really what a touching, funny, intense and lovingly made show. Jeremy Allen White, he seems a little like a himbo, but was completely captivated and moved by his portrayal of the emotionally complex and overwhelmed Carmy. Loved when Richie did or said pretty much anything and the (I cringe at the term) *~needle drops~* were spectacular. Ready to drink down a second season like Xanax-laced ecto-cooler. 

*Kendrick Lamar performing “Savior” at Glastonbury : I feel a bit of a faker listing this as I haven’t watched Kendrick’s Glastonbury 2022 performance in full yet (doing that over the weekend, hopefully), and I’ve only listened to Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers once. I have, however, been returning to this video over and over for months now and I love everything about it -- the lighting, minimalist stage set up -- in such stark contrast to an event as overblown as the Glastonbury festival -- the dancers, and of course the fake blood and glittery crown of thorns. Most of all, I love that the message takes precedence, as it should be but so rarely is these days. So, thank you Kendrick and all the preceding makers on this list for saying or doing something meaningful in a year that frequently felt meaningless. 

[puppys-rhythm-heaven]

i got bored and so out of adhd impulsiveness i compiled a list of random rhythm heaven facts that i think are neat but don't see anyone talk about so uh. enjoy i guess. :3

there's a few differences in cosmic dance between tengoku and megamix. most noticeable is the fact that in tengoku, the pause in the middle is a random length, while in megamix, it's always the same length (and also longer than on tengoku's ost for some reason), which is due to how the music's stored (that's all the wiki says-). less noticeable and also idk why the wiki deems this noteworthy is that in tengoku, cosmic girl's sitting animation has her facing forward, but in megamix, she faces to the left. riveting, i know. even more riveting is that in tengoku, during cosmic girl's posing(/turning i guess-) animation, her socks shorten in length. these are both still on the wiki by the way-

the color of the space dancers' hands is inconsistent and yes i know how weird of a sentence that is. in tengoku, they're consistently yellow in-game, including in the epilogues, with the same going for in space dance itself as well as the icon in megamix; however, elsewhere in megamix, including the art used in-game and the epilogues, they're white, with the same going for their official art from tengoku's website. given that this doesn't apply to the paddlers at all and they're consistently white for them i feel like they are meant to be white but idk. also for some reason this is on space dance's wiki page and not the space dancers' page and idk why.

i think the existence of voice tap is pretty common knowledge? but just to go over it anyways, in ds, there's unused songs called seqarc_tap1 and seqarc_tap2. idk how we got voice tap from those. but anyways, the cues from them are reused in several games' japanese audio, namely space soccer, board meeting, fever karate man 2, and pajama party. also in fever there's unused sprites for tap troupe that look like ds' art style so it's possible that this could somehow be related to tap troupe idk why they'd port the sprites to fever and then completely remake it tho tbh klsfdjsklfdsf-

most of the singers for ds' korean lyrical songs aren't known, due to rhythm sesang releasing after the cd with all the other languages' songs coming out. notice how i said "most." the korean singer for that's paradise is known. through like, THE most unconventional source: a youtube comment on a video with the korean version of airboarder. i'm not joking. this is hilarious to me-

okay rapidfire round of character names: the tap trial girl is named yuka, the pajama party girl is named mako, the vegetables in rhythm tweezers are hair vegetables and the onion specifically is harry onion, the catchy tune guys are alaline and plaline, the street (basketball court??? the rhythm item calls him a street so-) in fruit basket is named courtney, the tiny ghosts (in big rock finish) are named boo-boo (the player one), ecto (the green one) and spooky (the red one), i had to check but the sumo brothers are individually named toba kaido (the blue one) and tenno hondate (the red one), why is this the kind of knowledge ingrained in my mind-

side note but do you ever think about how the space dancers aren't ever actually referred to as that in english. like they'd definitely be called that but megamix never refers to them by name so. anyways.

though also speaking of that in the korean version of megamix, fruit basket 2's rhythm item description states that "There is a table tennis club belonging to the Space Dancers in the gym next door." i think that's neat but also fruit basket 2 is like way before space dance sfldjfdsklsfjdklfsd-

during the zoom-out in flock step, the planet from rhythm rally 2 that looks like a paddler head can be seen and megamix forgot to actually change it accordingly to cosmic rhythm rally's redesign. it's barely noticeable in gameplay though so who cares really-

in the japanese version of ds, in lockstep, during the second farthest zoom out, during the offbeats, there's a noticeable amount of missing pixels on the left side of the screen. like it's super noticeable how did they miss this- also also another lockstep fun fact: in ds, the last ten steps don't actually count, meaning you can miss them during a perfect and still get the perfect. megamix removed that though because they hate fun (/j i'm guessing it was a mistake in ds).

in the korean versions of the games, lots of things are redesigned due to association with japanese culture, such as the wandering samurai being redesigned, shrimp shuffle's prologue and epilogues being recolored, and other things. the most interesting of these is ninja bodyguard, though; in megamix, the ninjas are redesigned as you'd expect,,, but only in ninja bodyguard, and not in their cameo in freeze frame. i'm not sure if they just forgot to redesign them or if it's to keep it consistent with ds.

there's lots of neat facts relating to rhythm sesang/the korean versions of the games tbh. for example, rhythm sesang wii is inconsistent with what language it uses for audio; some games use english audio (screwbot factory, see-saw, air rally, catch of the day, launch party, bossa nova), some use japanese audio (donk-donk, cheer readers, mochi pounding), while most do have korean dubs. the songs are also all kept in english, though the lyric cards have korean translations.

in exhibition match, the city in the background during the zoom-out is a grayscale image of new york city pre-9/11. i have no idea why. rhythm heaven has new york real??? (not clickbait)

basically every rhythm heaven lyrical song has a full version, with the exceptions of karate rhythm (tengoku karate man's song), bon odori, bon dance, that's paradise, and sono hitotsubu no ōkina namida ni wa (machine remix's song), but of these, the only two to have english versions are thrilling! is this love? (in fan club 2) and i'm a lady now (since it's always being in english). wack.

also speaking of karate rhythm the literal only source for its name is, of all games, wizard's waltz's reading material, rhythm poem collection. megamix doesn't give it a name. and it also doesn't call tears of a dog ninja by name which annoys me to no end-

tengoku remix 1, 2 and 4 have unused full versions that aren't used in game. if you thought tengoku remix 1 was long, well lemme tell you, the full version is FIVE MINUTES LONG. could you imagine if it was the full length in-game- oh also i think it's fairly common knowledge but it's still neat to me: there's an unused version of tengoku remix 1 called dance lesson 1, which has tap trial instead of rhythm tweezers and is also longer than remix 1 is in-game. the name is presumably because the remixes' music was used to train the development team's sense of rhythm by having them dance to it. as you do-

yea i have brainrot-