#one gif per ep/one set per season

[books-are-my-life-stuff]

Finished series, Fall 2023: Akuma-kun (2023)

"What is happiness to all humans? Are they happy if there's ample food, clothing, and shelter? Do they want self-fulfillment? Recognition from others? The psychologist Maslow said--" "Hold on. Hey, Ichiro. What is happiness to you?" "To me?"

[colleybri]

Cassian x Bix and Rebelcaptain: Please let these ships be friends !

I ‘ship’ Cassian x Bix AND Cassian x Jyn. I see there has been some conflict in the past when the “new woman” was first brought in with the series, some that remains now, and I’m both saddened and bemused by that.

Rebelcaptain for me is a canon relationship… to a certain extent. I have no doubt that these brave heroes would have ended up together had they lived. That’s why I love it… the whole beautiful tragedy of what might have been, and the loyalty that binds people together when making a sacrifice like this. Were they actually in love, in canon? For me – no. Not yet. And that’s important for my personal enjoyment of Rogue One, especially its ending. As the novelisation stresses, Cassian dies without knowing Jyn as “There wasn’t the time”. And I simply don’t believe you can love someone without knowing them . But I enjoy the idea of exploring what would have happened had they lived. They are a perfect loyal “battle couple”, definitely my favourite fanon SW couple and great to imagine together. I see Rebelcaptain also as a way of giving them the happy ending they deserved. Oh - and the chemistry between Felicity Jones and Diego Luna on-screen is absolutely electric. In short and again: I have no doubt that they would have fallen in love had they lived and would have been perfect for each other. And they are a perfect fanon ship.

(^^ And I I think this is the exact moment in canon when they both acknowledge the loss of what might have been. It’s just heartbreakingly beautiful… )

Cassian x Bix - I don’t even think of it as a ‘ship’ per se as it is a 100% canon relationship, and one that is currently ongoing as we wait for Andor S2.. It’s fascinating to me – 17 years of friendship that has occasionally blossomed into a romantic/sexual relationship. It’s a genuinely unusual set up too. I’ve read a few takes that they are “over each other” by the time of the start of the series, to which I want to say … watch again, closely! They certainly have moved on to date different people, but it’s also very clear from their interactions (especially in the intense scene in Ep 7) that there is still a lot of extremely deep feeling between them – even if some of it is very negative. In the S1 production notes, the show’s creator Tony Gilroy says that they “are meant to be together… but it’s been impossible all these years. Now, she’s done with him … he’s burnt every last bridge .” Why? The series also provides the answer – Cassian is in many ways an absolute mess at the start of the season and Bix was quite rightly fed up with him as a boyfriend. He’s completely unreliable, likes short-lived affairs (often with married women - so no risk of commitment!), isn’t working regularly and has debts all over the place. This largely stems from his “unresolved childhood trauma”. He has a fear of “leaving people behind” and despite having a lot of love to give “ is so scared of being loved”. But he and Bix nonetheless prove to be incredibly loyal friends and their love in this platonic sense clearly runs very deep indeed. They have known each other since he was 10 so she is also something like a sister figure. Bix is still very protective of Cassian and takes personal risks for him… and he finally comes to appreciate this and pay back his metaphorical debt to her in the finale. The question now is what season 2 holds for them, if anything.

(^^ I love the way she is using her fingertips to push his hand off, as if to avoid the risk of too much touch. The gesture and look that says “Please don’t try and get close to me again because we both know how bad that is for us… but I’m such a total idiot when it comes to you that I will still very unwisely go out of my way to help you, especially when you look at me like that so please just don’t”)

Does loving their messy and complicated relationship mean that I want Cassian and Bix to ‘end up together’ ? No, and the obvious additional point is that they don’t! They are both going to be very different people at the start of S2 and over the following years of the story . Bix has been traumatised; Cassian has been radicalised. And that’s just the start. Perhaps they quickly drift apart. Perhaps some kind of betrayal is involved. Perhaps one or both of them will want to commit again to a relationship, but it’s impossible because of the demands of the rebellion (like Vel /Cinta). Perhaps Bix “ends up with” someone else (Brasso, ideally, especially if they both survive the season). Perhaps they will get back together at least for a while and enjoy a little last happiness before inevitable heartbreak. Perhaps all, some or none of these. But none of that stops me from loving and appreciating what they do have, what they have had up to now, and the intriguing dynamics of when they do interact on screen. Bix x Cassian attracts me as a fanfic ship because it’s all about exploring what is there and how it came to be, which is why I currently don’t write them beyond the present time of season 1. I’m waiting to see what happens next in Canon, as it were, because that to me is an important part of writing them. Meanwhile, I’m enjoying analysing the relationship by imagining them in the past.

So for me Bix x Cassian in no way impacts on Jyn x Cassian or vice versa, especially if you apply… real life principles rather than the ideals of fandoms: “soulmates” and OTPs. Many people – most people – will have a beautifully intense and loving relationship with more than one person at different times of their lives. I’m old – trust me on this one.

^^ Both relationships in these two scenes go way beyond romance. In the first - many years of close and loyal friendship. In the second: a bond created through brave and selfless sacrifice together. And for both: Cassian’s absolute hatred of being “someone who leaves people behind”: the quality that I love best about him. And saving each other. Literally and metaphorically.

And oh… it’s beautiful. Both moments are beautiful.

Edit: I won’t do any speculating here about the content of the trailers and articles. Except to say that there’s nothing in them that detracts from the emotional power of both ships. They can continue to happily coexist. 

[cecilysass]

Milagro Fic Recommendations

These are good for any time of year, of course, not just February 14. But here are my favorite fics related to the season 6 episode Milagro, a long time favorite. (And @sisterspooky1013's favorite episode of all time: happy VD, girl!) I’ve been reading and sifting through these for some time, and I have tried to include some from all eras: newer AO3 fics, some written right after the ep aired, etc. But I'm sure I've missed some, so hit me with your own faves, please.

Because of Milagro's ending, this entire genre of fic tends to be heavy on the hurt/comfort and angst (which is fiiiiine by me), but that’s not all that’s here. Many of these are smutty, but not all.

Adagio - Terma99 A meditative, peaceful take on the aftermath of Milagro by a veteran author that includes both agents realizing something they had learned. Lovely.

Alma - 6hoursgirl (@sixhours) A lovely hurt/comfort Milagro piece. This one is Mulder POV, which is a little less common for post-Milagro, I think, and I like this characterization of Mulder as desperately wanting to help Scully, desperately wanting to protect her, but also a tiny bit scared of the intimacy and relationship he feels they’re on the cusp of. He’s so good-hearted and also a little dysfunctional here, and I love it.

Bated Breath - dreamingofscully (@dreamingofscully) This one has an original take on Scully's experience; it leaves Scully with clarity and new direction in her relationship with Mulder. DreamingofScully tends to write a more confident, in-charge Scully in the MSR than some do, and I appreciate it.

Beyond the Strokes of a Typewriter - storybycorey (@storybycorey) When Scully is stricken and ashamed that it’s been so long since anyone has seen her as a woman as Padgett did, Mulder is pushed to revelations. Mulder 3rd person POV. Very good smut build up. And nobody does a gorgeous feelings reveal from Mulder like storeybycorey, man.

I Believe - Diana Battis There are a lot of lovely, heartfelt hurt/comfort fics about the aftermath of Milagro (for obvious reasons), but this one is especially well done. Viewed from Scully’s third person point of view, it focuses on Mulder’s capacity for tenderness and guilt. Plus some smut.

Don’t Look Up - ArtemisX5 After Padgett's hallway revelation, Scully is horrified that she has no secrets left. But you know, Mulder is much slower on the draw than she gives him credit for. There is also such moving hurt/comfort in this.

Intimacies with Strangers -mldrgrl (@mldrgrl) This mid- and post- Milagro piece has Mulder and Scully simmering in tension and then boiling over. Their relationship is complex and painfully entangled, and I love how it plays out. There is also excellent Scully characterization. This one helps me to get more fully why she might have been drawn to Padgett initially, something I struggle with in the episode.

La Madrugada - h0ldthiscat A carefully told tale of RST that takes both characters seriously and is sincerely moving. Excellent.

Lacuna - Aloysia_Virgata (@aloysiavirgata) This is a longer work, not really a classic post ep per se. But I love this moody, angsty casefile set right after Milagro. This Scully has not come to terms with her emotions, is thoroughly freaked by how she reacted to Padgett, and hasn't even entirely worked out how she feels about Mulder. There is Scully/other here, but the ship is steering home. The end of this is so moving, but cw: dark themes in the casefile, extreme violence against children, traumatized agents.

Still Life - Seek_Its_Opposite (@seek-its-opposite) Ah, this is such a thoughtful and exquisitely written Scully character piece — and it contains some truly beautiful insights about Mulder, too. It suggests the heartbreaking idea that Mulder’s way of showing Scully respect (giving her distance) is continually hurting her. So tragic (and consistent with canon, e.g. Never Again.) One memorable line: “Every one of their fights is about how to care for one another, every last one.”

Alma Gemela - matchingfabric (@matchingfabric) After the events of Milagro, Scully (and Mulder) get accustomed to platonically sharing a bed for comfort. This is a slightly different take on post-Milagro. Exceptionally, irresistibly sweet. Oh, and smutty.

What did I miss? Tell me. And yes, I'm working on my own short Milagro fic that will be coming soon-ish.

[lost-in-fiction-like-ur-mom]

I’d love to request a fic with a female reader and a angsty/comfort storyline with the Bad Batch.

For a broad storyline I was thinking something by along the lines of a female reader joining the Bad Batch (per Hunter’s idea) and Crosshair and/or Echo not being very happy about it. However they eventually they come around to having another girl in the group.❤️

Winning Approval

Clone Force 99 x Platonic!Reader

Summary- You felt as if you were living a purpose-less life, so when Hunter asks you to join his crew, you say yes! Not everyone on the force is as happy though... Takes place during and after Season 1, Ep. 2.

A/N- Thank you so much for requesting! I appreciate it so much, but I think I'm done writing platonic xD. This was sooo hard for me to write. I love the challenge, but i'm not sure how great my platonic writing skills are!

Word Count- 1,454

Growing up, helping people seemed natural. You remember discovering this when your old friend Kaiya fell and scratched her knee. It was second nature to dress her wound and comfort her. You were nine at the time.

Your mother enrolled you in medical classes as much as she could, you learned how to set bones, stitch holes, and treat infections. Amongst many other skills.

The city you lived in was soon taken over by the empire, but you found a way out before it was too late. That's where you found yourself- living with Suu and her husband Cut. The two had taken you in when they found out your home had been destroyed.

It didn't hurt when you found out you and Suu's parents knew each other in their youth.

When you had stumbled onto Hunter- he and his crew had set off a trap you had set in the fields. Your gun raised at him was lowered by Cut, claiming he knew them.

Things blurred together since then, everything moved so fast. Having to relocate away from the empire again was not something you fashioned. You were tired of running, and expressed your concerns.

Hunter initially suggested dropping you off at the planet of your choice, (a repayment for taking care of one of Omegas wounds).

Crash landing on a moon wasn't on anyone's roster, but it happened nonetheless. It did, however, give yourself an opportunity to prove yourself to them.

You helped Tech repair a part of the hyper-drive, earning his favor.

You shared your rations with Wrecker, earning his approval.

You played and entertained with Omega, earning her and Hunters trust.

Last was Echo. You wanted him to like you, as you enjoyed everyone's company. They were so kind to you, and didn't pay any mind to flaws. They knew themselves that they were defective- what was one more defect?

Maybe you were in over your head, would they really accept you as a member of their squad? They just met you a week ago. For all they knew you were an Empire spy... You couldn't deny that you wanted to stay though. You felt like you belonged- finally.

When Echo still avoided you like the plague and the ship was ready to fly again, you felt like you had run out of time. You sulked around the ship for awhile, waiting for Hunter to ask where you wanted to be dropped off.

That was until you noticed- he hadn't asked you. It had been hours and he had said nothing about you leaving.

This made you crack, anxiety like ice through your veins.

"Hunter, I mean this in the least selfish way possible. But, why haven't you asked where I wanted to go yet? What planet?" You thought you messed up when his face fell. He looked dissapointed?

"Well, we were hoping you would want to stay. We were going to formally ask, but Wrecker and Omega are still making the poster." He rubbed the pack of his neck and chuckled a little bit. "Would you like to join us? If not, that's completely understandable. Just name the planet and we will be headed there." He stated, making sure you knew you had options.

"R-really? You guys want me to join you?" You wanted to smack your head at how cliche you sounded. Though, you didn't have time to think on it, as Hunter started talking again.

"We don't have an official medic. While Tech possesses all the knowledge needed, he doesn't have a, uh how do I put it? A steady hand when it comes to medical means." He reasoned.

"You are more than capable as we've seen, and between Wrecker and Omega we need a medic- bad." You smiled at this. You felt a purpose. Someone needed you! You would be able to help your squad and civilians you came across on any journey.

Before you could respond, Omega and Wrecker barreled through the mid-section of the ship. Omega held a small banner in her hand, and Wrecker a large sheet of paper. It was full of colorful pictures, drawn by the two.

Your heart warmed at the effort they put in, all to make you feel welcomed.

"How could I say no? You guys have been so perfect to me, and I want to help you guys as much as I can." You smiled up at Hunter, he patted you on the shoulder. His way of officially letting you on the squad.

After that day, things started to move more smoothly. Yeah, you had some bad run-ins, almost got captured a few times, and had many near-death experiences. But, you were with your family through it all. The only problem was Echo.

Maybe 'problem' wasn't too nice of a word. Echo never did anything wrong. He just, never seemed to like your company. You guessed he didn't have to like you, not everyone would. Because of this, you pushed back your guilty feelings surrounding him. That was until you over-heard a conversation between him and Hunter.

"Something feels off about her." Echo told Hunter. You couldn't see either of them, and didn't want to expose your position by moving.

"Yeah, and what's that?"

"I can't place it. I don't understand how everyone can just accept her, no questions asked." Echo sounded confused.

"She's shown us many times that she can handle herself. Plus, Omega needs another female on the ship.'' Hunter defended you, but still wanted to hear Echos concerns.

"She's not a clone. She doesn't think like us!" Ah, so that's why he's been so put-off by you. It was because you weren't a clone. You assumed he was so used to clones, that of course you were an odd piece in their clone family.

You slowly moved back to your sleeping cot. You sunk down slowly. It wasn't your fault, really. You can't control where or how you were born. Thoughts surrounded you. Was it that obvious? Were you that different from them?

As much as you wanted to pack your bags and not burden anyone else, you decided to talk to Echo first.

After landing on a planet to resupply, you asked to speak to Echo alone.

"Uh, sure." He replied, skeptical. You both exited the ship, though keeping close.

"Echo, I didn't really know how to bring this up. I figured I should just get straight to the point?" You asked, not wanting to waste his time.

He nodded, looking straight to you.

"I overheard you and Hunter talking last rotation..." You nervously picked at a nail. He still stared, not wavering.

"I can't help that i'm not a clone. I'm not sorry either, but I do want to know what I can do. To gain your trust." You dropped your hand, eager for his response.

He licked his lips, thinking. "I'm sorry you heard that..."

"Echo, I don't care. I just- I want to be a part of this family..." You mustered out. Now or never!

This surprised him, "What are you talking about. You already are!"

He seemed, mad? Was he really that disgusted by 'normal' humans?

"I can't help that i'm not a clone!" You regrettably yelled, throwing you arms up.

"That doesn't matter, everyone accepts you anyways!" His words were strained, like he didn't want anyone to know.

"Why don't you?" You whispered.

He sighed and took a step back. "When I first joined force 99, it wasn't as easy."

You couldn't imagine what he was referring to. You knew he was a regular clone before joining Hunter, but what did that have to do with anything?

After seeing your confused look, he continued. "I wasn't born a defective clone, I became one. It took a lot of time to understand how to use this. But you fit in so easily." He gestured to his mechanical arm.

"I had no idea you felt that way... I wasn't trying to mean anything-" He cut you off.

"I know, and really, we do need a medic. I was just being resentful, I'm sorry."

"I'm not trying to take anyone's place. The team wouldn't be the same without you. Besides, Omega adores you, and I think Hunter will do whatever it takes to keep her happy." You laughed, he luckily gave out a chuckle as well.

"Thanks. I think It'll just take some time to get used to the difference." He said, honestly.

"I get that, just let me know if there's anything I can do... Ya know, to speed things up?" You smiled up at him. It was then that you knew everything would be fine. That you really had found your family, and nothing could take you from them.

A/N- Thank you so much for reading! I am sorry if this isn't what you had in mind! Feel free to send in another request if you would like a more specific plot! Again, sorry that my platonic writing skills aren't that sharp! Tags- (lmk if you want to be tagged as well!) @thethreeeyed-raven @knight-of-flowerss

[gingergofastboatsmojito]

Just a matter of timelines

I 💯 believe Storer never envisioned The Bear as a love story per se but romance was rather a closure/ending for his original movie script. My reason to believe this is quite factual: He said The Bear was actually thought of as a movie about dysfunctional characters finding each other -found family- in a dysfunctional (realistic) kitchen. Not a rom-com. I already talked about that here quoting his interview with the Enquirer.

That being said, I also figured by 02x01 that he had been converted (I assumed by Calo, but ultimately doesn’t matter how) and turned into a Sydcarmy shipper. I go over that here. That’s why his constant gaslighting makes me sick! When I found out that Kasama means together in Filipino and that its owners are married IRL, I was soooo ready to sue this guy.

Anyway, my point is that now with S2 under our belts we can read more into S1 than what Storer wrote originally when all he had was the movie script adapted for TV and no guarantee about the show being picked up for a 2nd season, however, the fact that the ending of the movie/S1 was about leaving the door open for a potential romance between Carmy and Syd as Braciole (Storer has a fetish with naming characters and eps) foreshadowed and that threshold was indeed kinda crossed in S2 (aka the most Sydcarmy season so far), especially in ep 02x09,

it’s important to notice the storytelling length pattern here. Meaning: Storer starts in the opposite direction he actually wants to take, which is what most great writers do BTW and it's not uncommon, ofc. So if he wants to dive into Sydcarmy waters by the end of S3, we can expect a full-on Clairmy renaissance in the first half of the season. You guys know how I feel about her and thus how opposed I am to that, but on Storer terms, the fact that we see Claire get her fucking way at first is gonna be actually a good sign for Sydcarmy.

I have my mind set up to have to wait till S4 to get what I want but with all this new info about the pasta decoding and the storytelling patterns Storer is showing, I’m starting to believe in a S3 Sydcarmy breakthrough. 🤞

There is NO DOUBT in my mind about The Bear getting a star this season or some kind of award like the James Beard that is usually what all Michelin star chefs get first, that’s what makes it so important in the big leagues. More about that here and here.

I have also mentioned that the star will bring them together and also break them up because it comes with a price. And Carmy doesn’t want the star, he wants Sydney and to give her what she wants.

She’s the one who wants The Bear to be a Michelin star spot, Carmy just wanted it to be their spot.

He could have been content with just that. So he will get her the star and probably lose her in the process (I bet but wish I was wrong on this one), which leads me to believe that in S4 he will get her back and that’s why I have my $ on the grand finale, not on S3 for Sydcarmy, but if Storer wants to take a U-turn in S3 as now that I saw this I'm starting to kinda infer... I’m all for it, sure! Unfortunately, he chose the love triangle dynamic, which I hate, to do that, but I’ll take it.

If S3 is Sydcarmy territory as opposed to pre-Sydcarmy territory, I’m here for it.

[pocima]

My seasonal music highlights: spring 2024 🦋

Welcome back to my silly little songs of the season reviews, you can check out this winter’s installment here ⭐️ one fave song per artist, no particular order, there will be a mini review section and trust I loved these songs as well, just couldn’t yap as much about them, you know the drill. GIF source: Supernova by aespa.

*: Full album review guaranteed to be presented in my year-end favorite project list

☾ Adulter8 - Sega Bodega*

Father… you have raised the bar yet again. Sega Bodega’s new album Dennis was by far my most anticipated project of the year, which unquestionably delivered the excellence I was expecting and more. I was so captivated by Adulter8’s intricacies that I couldn’t help but play it at least 92 times within first week of the album’s release. What starts off with an 8-bit-like sequence escalates into one majestic pre-chorus and afterwards the best beat drop I’ve ever heard in my life. The lyrics are a result of a thesaurus browse, simply the distorted “dilute, adulterate, diminish, reduce me to nothing, seduce”, effortlessly accompanying the elaborate Arabic-influenced instrumentals. Those beat drops though… especially the first one… that build-up… calling that “top-notch” would be insulting. I felt like my soul left my body for a split second when I was first listening to it at 12AM. I cannot even attempt to comment on the greatness of that singular drop. The song is overall just incredible and addictive, and will most likely end up as my favorite song of the entire year. I don’t even feel the need to comment on more for now because come on, this is Sega Bodega, this is off of Dennis, this is Adulter8. If you get it, you get it.

☾ Mine - aespa

The looooooong anticipated release day of Armageddon the album was a national holiday for Synkcity. We’re seeing such bright times after all these hate trains, mismanagement from SM, the sabotage from rival companies coming to light and what-the-hell-not, honestly. After nearly three whole years and three EPs, aespa finally present their full-length debut. Needless to say, singles Supernova and Armageddon are top-notch, continuing aespa’s all-smash title track streak. However, there was an album delight that blew my damn mind, and it was Mine. Hearing the first chorus in the highlight medley was enough to keep in mind that the track would be one of the best b-sides of the album, but I regretfully have to admit I didn’t think it would be one of aespa’s biggest guns as a whole. My jaw fell harder with every. second. of this. song. Karina and Ningning’s breathy, sassy, forceful, majestic raps kickstart the track along with tambourines that feel like digital diamonds jingling up in front of you. Winter comes through with the earth-shattering second half of the prechorus, and Giselle kills it by spitting one of her most plate-shifting rap verses. A major reason why Mine is my personal favorite off of the album is because how much everyone shines in their own right. Winter and Ningning are back at being one of 4th gen’s iconic vocal duos (as well as their pleasing rap lines), Giselle retrieves her well-deserved main rapper position (SM you can still catch it), and Karina effortlessly wraps both the vocal and rap roles around her fingers as she always does. That bridge? That bridge is disgusting even for four of the bridge architects of K-pop. The girls absolutely outdid themselves on this. The instrumental track may be less maximalist than the title tracks’ or, say, Set The Tone’s, but oh boy are they vehement and so hypnotic. The drums, the synths, especially the ones in the last chorus… it all forms together to make the song nastier and nastier as it progresses. Everyone involved in this walked into the studio with a mission to change the trajectory of music. I’m afraid I’m in this MY lifestyle for long. aespa truly are unsteppable.

☾ Fácil - Empress Of*

For Your Consideration promoted Empress Of into my new favorite indie popstar, and Fácil is my chosen earworm off of it. Every song on the album is so sultry and charismatic, and Fácil has this distinguishing sharpness in its sound, courtesy of umru, to top it off. Empress Of’s ear for memorable melodies and catchy lyrics especially come in clutch here, with casual melodic beatboxing in the background and the looping “tócame aquí, tócame ya, ya, ya, ya”. The self-made hisses and snares go hand in hand with umru’s signature punchy splices. Multiple layers of vocals linger in the entire track, from panting and breathing to sensually delivered lines in the higher range. The bit I’m gonna point out next is more self-indulgent (and I’ve pointed it out on my page previously lol) but nevertheless, I felt like the casual bravado and the combined danceability and grit of the track was akin to candy bOmb by OnlyOneOf, and the more good music with similar vibes, the merrier. Can’t get enough of either.

☾ Hypertonic - TAN (+ my Soda origin story 😙)

TAN have proven themselves to be masters of old gen K-pop revivalism since they came out the gate with their 2022 debut Du Du Du. The group first came to my attention with Walking On The Moon and later in 2023 with the hit Fix You, which went multi-platinum on my personal devices. For some strange reason, I still didn’t fully open my eyes and get into them despite their almost unmatched title tracks. That is until they released the first-day diamond-certified Hypertonic. Hypertonic, as a song, is pretty much everything I could ask for from a new gen pop boyband: in-your-face electronic production, intriguing composition, high-powered vocals and raps, and a full song structure, despite the track duration falling slightly below 3 minutes. The gritty synth heavy instrumentals are robotic and over the top in the best way possible, giving you the feeling that they’re straight out of 2000-10s Japanese EDM archives. The verses, chorus, rap and bridge hit all the right spots, going with the instrumentals instead of being overshadowed by them or vice versa. The high notes in the bridge and outro couldn’t have topped off the track’s overflowing energy any better. Now, I wanna bring up how I was particularly taken over by the first half of the second verse. I mean it when I say “taken over” because I was so obsessed with that particular member’s flawless line delivery that I was scrambling to learn their names. The particular member turned out to be their main vocalist Jooan, and it all made sense because he was behind the perfect vibratos (earned by his musical theater education), a good amount of high notes and runs (along with brilliant lead vocalist Hyunyeop) and bits that blew me away in previous songs I’ve heard from the group. Honestly, I was starstruck by all of TAN at first Kprofiles browsing sesh. I mean, what’s there not to love about a band of superb singers (+ superb main rapper Jiseong who’s obviously included in the “singers”), dancers, songwriters, producers (the self-production makes the music even more impressive), choreographers and overall artists who are intensely passionate and excellent at everything they do? This type of multi-skill and well-roundedness is exactly what I seek and keep up with in both K-pop and outside of it. Jooan though… you will pay for being the cause of some of my most humiliating K-pop fangirl posts. Love me a mind-blowing vocalist (duh), dancer, rapper, songwriter, producer, sound engineer, overall a true all-rounder with an irresistible face card. Please give these dudes’ music a stream or two because they really have no business not getting their flowers from K-pop fans and tasteful people.

☾ Malena - Domiziana

Somebody took “after your biggest flop comes your biggest slay” a bit too literally, and I am more than satisfied with that. After the colossal washout that was Domiziana’s previous single Katholisch Erzogen, which was merely another one of the examples of cheap blasphemy for shock factor accompanied by a fake-creepy beat straight out of the Tiktok “musician” archives, Malena turned everything around. Not only was it a massive bounce back from whatever she had going on with that disaster, but also an upgrade in her whole career in every single way. The production is arguably her most minimal but most defined and well-executed to date, with the amapiano influences and siren-like background vocals doing wonders. The vocals and lyrics are her best by a landslide as well. The whispery, high head voice stays, but this time with more emotion and variety in delivery. We listen to a story about cheating, betrayal and a lack of commitment, enriched with references to the cult classic movie Malena, the namesake of the track. The music video is set in Domiziana’s mother’s hometown, Catania, with different sets, cameras and editing. Malena ends up being an incredible audiovisual experience and the current highlight of Domiziana’s work. Maybe it’s just her highs and lows, maybe it’s her taking her career more seriously than ever, hopefully the latter. May she beat the one-hit wonder allegations (mind you, Ohne Benzin doesn’t hold a candle to this masterpiece) and continue to serve like this.

☾ Lipgloss - Terror Jr

A portion of pop music fans constantly ask for the good old 00-10s to be brought back, meanwhile some others wish to move on and focus on more future-oriented, complex sounds instead. Lipgloss masterfully combines both, delivering nostalgia yet nonetheless sounding shiny and brand new. The simple repeated chorus, casual lyrics and the vibe of the production overall feel 2016, and fans have likened the song to Terror Jr’s Bop City era’s sound. Still, the natural execution of this song makes it solid and refreshing on its own rather than a pathetic attempt at reviving what pop used to do. It took me a bit too long to find out that the experimental pop duo’s producer David Singer-Vine was ½ of The Cataracs, a producer duo behind numerous 2010s pop hits such as Like a G6 by Far East Movement and In The Dark by DEV (along with the entire The Night The Sun Came Out album). As a solo artist he produced songs such as Gold by Kiiara and Stuck With Me by Tinashe. This made the Terror Jr experience make a lot more sense: listening to their music feels like taking a trip to the present in a fancy time machine, with hosts who have a nice grasp on the past and the future. Special shoutout to that music box all over the instrumentals by the way, that scratched my brain just right.

☾ Perfect - Cosha

I didn’t call the MurMurs EP the “free therapy album” when it first dropped for no reason, you know. Alternative R&B hidden treasure Cosha returns to heal us all after her 2021 re-debut album Mt. Pleasant, with more of her sublime melodies and vocals. In the EP, Cosha keeps switching from soulful, serene and down-tempo (Fire Me Up, MurMurs Interlude) to drum-heavy, danceable and inviting (Relish, Glow). Meanwhile, Perfect pinpoints that sweet middle ground. Firstly, the beat is absolutely hooking. The drums, bass and recurring plucks pull me in the most, and Cosha’s higher-range head voice is pure magic, especially in the chorus. The second verse has this slight beat switch that brings forward the bass that I’m obsessed with, and then we’re back to that divine chorus with even more adlibs, high notes and harmonies. It’s laced. I feel like the whole project, but especially this specific song, would suit many people’s tastes, so this is especially a deep cut recommendation of mine to everybody.

Mini reviews

❥ Nasty - Tinashe: I feel so bad that this is going into the mini reviews section because the song has been on rotation since it dropped, I don’t believe I need to elaborate on its earworm factor. Obviously, Tinashe has an ear for hits, and the production is relatively simple yet so effective. So glad that it’s going viral and Tinashe is getting the hype she deserves.

❥ You know what (Hey listen) - 4s4ki: I’m afraid as long as 4s4ki keeps making music, she will keep appearing on all my favorites lists. She just can’t miss no matter what genre or sound she tries out. This one’s for the people that get their head in their hands and slide down a wall at 1AM. Give us vocals, give us guitar breakdowns, give us a REAL love song, give us everything, queen.

❥ Hard dreams - Gesaffelstein feat. Yan Wagner: Real techno’s been so back since Gamma dropped. The visuals for this album still hold their title of being the best of the year, by the way.

❥ Botoxxx - Isabella Lovestory: She SLID on that bridge. Love to see the budget in the MV. We need the sophomore album.

❥ Caught Up - FLO: The guitars? The vocals? That key switch in the bridge? FLO’s discography is still flawless. We need the debut album.

Thank you for reading, feel free to give feedback on the song recommendations or review formatting ☻

[peachviz]

Weekly TV wrap up:

Palm Royale - Apple TV +, 1 Season & 10 episodes, averages about 40-50 mins per episode

Takeaway: charming, super camp, amazing cinematography, i want everybody’s wardrobe, Allison Janney can do no wrong, whodunnit, would watch a season 2, give it a try

Ready, Set, Love - Netflix, 1 season 6 episodes, avg about 1+ hr per episode

Takeaway - also camp, underdog in the way that i was pleasantly surprised, beautiful cinematography, intentional production design down to the costumes, funny, kinda corny but cute, dystopian (?), hunger games and squid games but nobody dies, give it a watch

Conan O’Brien Must Go - Max, 1 season 4 episodes, avg about 44 minutes per episode

Takeaway- super quick watch, hilarious, super chaotic, they could never make me hate you Conan, a great thing to have on in the background, give it a watch (BONUS WATCH: watch his hot ones interview)

CURRENTLY WATCHING

Star Trek: Voyager - Paramount+, 7 seasons, currently on season 3

Thoughts: should have watched this before ds9 bc my brain is ds9 poisoned, really hasn’t gotten my interest until the end of season 2 and maybe some of 3, having a real hard time connecting to anyone, Tuvok slays and that’s about it, Janeway is cool but see previous voyager post to get my temperature on her as a whole,

Slay episode so far of Season 3: Future’s End (Tuvok🤤)

Not slay episode: The Q and the Grey

Dead Boy Detectives - 1 season 8 episodes, avg 50+ minutes per episode, currently on episode 4

Thoughts: Loved sandman, having a tougher time with this one idk why, don’t hate it, don’t know if i love it yet, hopefully will change my mind

Delicious in Dungeon (At risk of me dropping) - Netflix, 1 season 24 episodes, average 20 minutes per episode, currently on episode 3

Thoughts: did it for Laios 🤭, i watched my hero all the way up until season 5 and then got content burnout bc they don’t know when to end it and i have a feeling this is about to be the same way, also do not care about the food show me the man. Someone convince me to stay and that it gets better

Hilda Hurricane (furacão) - 1 season 35 episodes, avg 55-45 minutes per episode, currently on ep 24

Thoughts: slowburn, slooooowwwwburrrnnnn, if it ain’t Hilda and Malthus i start skipping, been watching this for 3 months kinda over it, was easily influenced and i regret it

[volumehypeplay]

A Nun, a bunch of zombies, a viking farmer, a psychological sleuth and a trio of ghost hunters walked into a bar...

There hasn't been much going on at our local cinemas lately, so I have been jumping between shows like it's a game of the floor is lava. My lack of focus, often allowed me to find some shows I've been looking forward too, some so-so movies and a great suprise.

↓

Prey for the Devil

This one is a film me and @the-loose-braies have been wanting to watch for a while; fully expecting shlock. And the shlock delivered (a bit more than we expected).

The film follows Sister Ann as she prepares to perform her first exorcism on a demonic entity. The jump scares were fun, the little twist at the end was a nice and it's always good to see Colin Salmon in a movie .

If your looking for a movie to put on while doing some work, this one pairs as well as crispy onions do to a hotdog, and a well chilled can of pepsi/coke.

↓

The Last of Us (ep 1-2)

GIF by diver5ion

The hype for this show has been a bit crazy in my opinion, especially with the early reviews crowning this as the greatest achievement in achievements. Realistically, The Last of Us, so far, has been decent?

I won't waste any time retelling the story of this extremely popular game, but what I'll say is, what's worked, has worked brilliantly, while the rest to me shows, the narrative of the game isn't as brilliant as it let's on.

I've absolutely loved both cold opens to both episodes (especially the one set in Indonesia), really elevating the existing material and adding extra depth and world building where it previously didnt exist. Craig Mazin (the man behind Chernobyl) clearly has a knack for making the extraordinary feel relatable, with his small changes and touches throughout the first two episodes really helping me get engrossed.

I also loved the city-escape scene from episode 1 (almost shot for shot from the game) and the introduction to the clickers. To me though the episodes standout was Olivia Anna Torv. In only two episodes she fully sold me on her character, why she was important and went out with a bang (with one of the weirdest kiss scenes I can remember... urgh).

I'll be keeping an eye out on this one and fully expect it to keep on improving week, on week.

↓

Vindland Saga - S2 (ep 1-3)

I've been waiting patiently for the second season of Vinland Saga for years. The first season, has become one of my favorite seasons of any show (or anime) and Askeladd is probably my favorite villain (??) period. With that in mind season 2 has had a lot to live up to, but thankfully, the first 3 episodes have been fantastic.

I was made aware of the drastic tone shift from the prologue (to what now actually is the start of the manga) for a very long time, but honestly the story just flows. There has been no wild disconnect for me from season 1 to 2, whatsoever; yet the shift in character makeup (especially for Thorfinn) has been engrossing. Seeing the rage filled, revenge driven boy be turned into a shell of his formerself, completely devoid of want for life has been really powerful.

---SPOILERS---

The scene where Throfinn steps in for Einnar (to spare his life) and receive cut after cut without moving a muscle. Only because he wanted Einnar to get back to work, told us everything we needed to know where Thorfinn is mentally at this time.

---END SPOILERS---

I really hope the show continues as well as it has started, because this really could end up becoming one of the best stories I've ever had the pleasure of watching. ↓

Poker Face (ep 1-2)

We all love a good mystery right? Poker Face (created by Rian Johnson of Knives Out fame) recently released as somewhat a modern homage to Columbo (a show my wife loves). If Poker Face could be half as good as Columbo we'd already be onto a winner and thankfully, two episodes in, it's already been a wild ride.

Led by the awesome Natasha Lyonne, we've already had: shootouts, murder, attempted murder, theories on theories, chases and the sexy Benjamin Bratt. What I've loved so far is how the show has chosen to essentially do a case per episode but also tie the episodes together by an overarching story (something I really hope continues).

Really looking forward to sitting down and taking in the next 2 episodes before the end of this week.

↓

Lockwood & Co (ep 1-3)

I'm so happy doomscrolling on Netflix at 11pm led us to this. Lockwood & Co is a throwback to my yesteryears when I used to watch a lot more of these 'teenage' british shows. It has a bit of Misfits, Being Human and even Ghostbusters thrown in for good measure.

Created by Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) and based on a book-series, we follow 3 ghost hunters in London, trying to figure out The Problem. It's the perfect blend of serious and whimsical, with a really easy to follow story that has enough mystery for you always wanting to know more. It's the characters though, from the reckless Lucy Carlisle, to the oddity that is George Karim and the mysterious Anthony Lockwood that really get you invested.

You know I'll probably be done with this by the end of the day and I cannot wait.

[foundinfantasy]

It's not cold but it's still my fav season, and with Life & Death and Agatha All Along I'm excited for once. Strange. And after a sad summer's end. My computer glitched, fried my hard drives, and I lost everything: my sims, my cc, my work, my mind. Anyways, it's been a time for sure, back to Sims.

EPs are back? New dance, new pet, new book type, new aspiration, two careers: active and rabbithole, meaningful life and death journeys, new skill, new side hustle (? maybe two), classic sim lore, new collectable and traits, cemeteries and crypts, funerals and condolences, wills and inheritance, good grief system, heirlooms, ghost occult update, interactive world with new quest townies (?), hidden lot (?), reincarnation, and there's more!?! This pack is fat af (as it should be) and they've been teasing it for years! I'm so ready for Halloween.

As per usual, thoughts and rant!:

Love the Romanian World, can't wait to update my SimNation map! I just wish the world name reflected it's inspiration.

With wills and inheritance, will someone related always read it or will it be a lawyer townie (possibly from DU?) I can't wait to learn the process of setting one up, filling it, and retrieving it.

The house/portal, reminds me of Grim's Manor from S3, will this be headquarters for the active career?

How did the ghost child die, and any relation to Temperance?

With rebirth, how long will the "special ties" connect families? 2 gens? 3? 5?

Will the crypts cull gravestones in the worlds? [My biggest annoyance was always going to a random house and finding like 6 gravestones]

Will sims finally stop going into despair at random stranger's death?

Can I charge for tarot readings? Can I use the cards on the seance table from Paranormal Stuff?

If I'm a spellcaster, can I summon a murder to my enemies?

Will the pet crow actually operate like a pet? Needing to be feed? How many crows can I have? Will multiple crows interact?

Kissing a ghost, okay... but woohoo? Ghost baby?

Nervous and Olive either better be townies or be on the Gallery!

Will the wreaths be craftable on flower arranging table? [not really holding out for this as they didn't add the flowers from Lovestruck to the table]

Is the music box a hint? Also will it be craftable on woodworking table [they really forget about this thing, but with the new kit maybe it crossed their minds?]

If you die with an atrocious reputation will you automatically go up a tier on the poltergeist track?

If you record yourself while a haunting is happening with a drone, could there be a new video type?

Will there be funeral activities custom to occults?

Probably won't be an option but the option to send the ashes off to become a diamond/jewelry piece or "seed" to plant would've been *chef's kiss*

There isn't much to this rant because imo the team actually did really good for once. And some of the things I want from the pack are so nuanced they're grains of sand. This beats all sims packs hands down and not just because I'm goth. It has something for family players, challenge players, and occult players like any good EP should... and makes Lovestruck look really weak in comparison. It just came out!

I'm a bit disappointed by the lack of zodiac signs but not only is that what mods are for [since I'm fortunate enough to have fixed my PC] but also many more years of the Sims so maybe one day. Spooky/Metaphysical content can always be added - zodiac signs +. horoscopes, oneirology, taxidermy, reiki, haunted woods, spiders, return of "watchers", and covens [ie group spells]. I'm actually happy they went down the rebirth route instead of juggling the politics of good/bad place gameplay [which they could still do in the future if they're brave enough or desperate enough for content].

Also still waiting for Fairies [and Zombies].

Gameplay Trailer Update:

Love, love, love this pack! It's massive on BB and CAS alone. The build/buy hits nearly every category. The CAS has items for nearly all ages (idk if I saw anything for infants). I can't think of a single pack that even comes close to being that full.

The world is good. 14 lots (I thought they'd hide the netherworld/headquarters away but it's just on the map... but thinking about it, makes sense, I believe they characterized the world as a place where life and death intermingle) and I hope that bell tower rings when in that neighborhood!

There is a lawyer townie/npc... kinda bummer that it'll probably have no DU compatibility but I'll live. I wonder if it's tied to the event or the desk? Can I move them indoors?

Still have questions about the tarot - there was a suspicious tent setup in the trailer - can I hire a tarot reader? Can I randomly go get a reading? Will this effect me?

Yes to Woohoo and Have a baby with Grim! .... but ghosts?

Ghost powers look amazing, but not deadly? The evil ghost looks mildly inconvenient at best.

Was that a new craftable planter, or have I just not even looked at the woodworking table in forever?

Coffin woohoo being for humans, makes me wonder if the new coffins will be usable for vampires?

What was with that extra hexagon in CAS? New category? If we ever get zodiac, I wonder if that's how they'll implement it?

All my spooky CC gravestones/urns, plz be an easy update/batchfix!

I hope the soul's journey isn't too easy and I have questions about being reborn into a household (do they know me? Is this like Billy/Willam situation in the Sims?)

The will being in the inventory; can I store it in a chest and hide it in the attic to be discovered when the sim dies... or is it stuck there?

8 humans graves + 6 for the occults (whomp whomp plantsims), what about the Snowy Escape one? And the debug ones? Is this officially more graves than umbrellas?

Are the skeleton hands accessories in CAS or....?

It would've been cool if I don't make/find enough money as a ghost sim to pay my bills, my house gets "repossessed"/npc sims move in and I got to haunt them.

No new ghost occult plumbob?

[mlobsters]

supernatural s1e11 scarecrow (teleplay: john shiban, story: patrick sean smith)

(this is a rewatch so spoilers abound)

this episode was my first spn hey i know you - which was a piggyback on an xfiles hiky for an actor that was in the killing as well, triple threat. and ofc william b davis (who is the cigarette smoking man in xf) that's in this spn episode too, i may have screeched when i saw him in the credits

also have a feeling in this rewatch the brother angst is what's gonna cause me the most strife. i was so, so exhausted by that plot mechanic by the time i was solidly reaching the 2/3 point of the series. i do wonder if when it gets really heavy or repetitive, if i'll be able to power through. i won't be surprised if i can't. anyway, onwards to the first spat

the teaser music was very on theme xfiles-y, but then it shifts to eye rolling (for me) territory and you guessed it, jay gruska. there was a vibe, and then it was gone. so in this clip, i'm digging it (it has some of what i call an xfiles sound) and it's tense and present feeling. but then once the... urgent? music starts when they start to run with these really flat bland sounding strings.. it just feels so. cliche and boring and sitting in the background. to me, it's actively taking away tension instead of adding it. like maybe if the software they were using had better strings or it was mixed differently, it would be better. or, you know, had recorded actual strings (but i can also imagine the limitations with 22+ episode seasons on a relatively low budget b level network show so). anyway, #choices

you know what is also #choices, me wasting 30+ minutes trying to find actual details on the budget for the show and getting nowhere, other than people saying it was low 🥴 this has some general speculation of $2mil per episode but also details that they don't release cost and revenue numbers. i imagine s1's budget was different from s5

could the beds BE any closer? i know i commented on that the first time through too. and also figure it's so they could get this shot of them both sleeping and then pan around to sam sitting up in bed but it's funny regardless of silly production reasons! gotta be in literal arm's length from your brother who you have very normal and chill feelings about

also like, sam shoulda been smacking the shit out of dean to wake him up after he realized john was on the phone. HELLO what's the point of being in arm's reach if you don't use the arm to reach out and slap them when needed haha

as ever just thinking how potentially uncomfortable it would be to sleep with the amulet on, but also the commitment of wearing it, even sleeping, from 12 years old to 31. damn. now i'm sad again lol. so like, totally understand why jensen was glad to get rid of it - it was big and he mentioned he forgot to swap out to the stunt one and chipped his teeth with it smacking him in the mouth. maybe if had been less giant and heavy, they could have reincorporated/had a real fix-it for it. womp womp

SAM We’ve been looking for you everywhere. We didn’t know where you were, if you were okay. JOHN Sammy, I’m all right. What about you and Dean? (At the motel, DEAN is waking up.) SAM We’re fine. Dad, where are you? (DEAN sits up in bed.) JOHN Sorry, kiddo, I can’t tell you that. SAM What? Why not? DEAN Is that Dad? JOHN Look, I know this is hard for you to understand. You’re just gonna have to trust me on this.

taking a moment to address how deeply unsettling and weird it would be to have your dad who you have been living and working with forever to ghost you with no explanation for what.. 6 months now? pilot was set in end of october, this ep is april

SAM You’re after it, aren’t you? The thing that killed Mom. JOHN Yeah. It’s a demon, Sam. SAM A demon? You know for sure? DEAN A demon? What’s he saying?

so i had thought he knew about hunting before, but refreshed my memory that he didn't here last time it came up, but also just thinking about how mary never told him about the demon and the deal - at least when the time was approaching. she didn't know what the demon wanted, or that she was gonna end up dying in the process, but damn. give your man a heads up that a demon is coming inside your house. i can also see why she might not, but ugh. anyway, plot needs must

JOHN I do. Listen, Sammy, I, uh…I also know what happened to your girlfriend. I’m so sorry. I would’ve done anything to protect you from that. SAM You know where it is? JOHN Yeah, I think I’m finally closing in on it. SAM Let us help. JOHN You can’t. You can’t be any part of it. SAM Why not? DEAN Give me the phone. JOHN Listen, Sammy, that’s why I’m calling. You and your brother, you gotta stop looking for me. Alright, now, I need you to write down these names. SAM Names? What names, Dad—talk to me, tell me what’s going on. JOHN Look, we don’t have time for this. This is bigger than you think, they’re everywhere. Even us talking right now, it’s not safe. SAM No. Alright? No way. DEAN Give me the phone. JOHN I have given you an order. Now, you stop following me, and you do your job. You understand me? Now, take down these names. (DEAN grabs the phone from SAM.)

man oh man. it's a good thing john has dean so thoroughly trained to fall in line like an actual soldier because i'm right there with sam, it's a really tough pill to swallow without any explanation as to WHY they can't be involved. it sounds like writers who haven't decided exactly why, other than we just need them to stay apart for now :P so frustrating!

DEAN Dad, it’s me. Where are you? (…) Yes, sir. (…) Uh, yeah, I got a pen. What are their names?

dean's face when he goes from frustrated and concerned, where are you? to "yes, sir" 💔 yet again, i made gifs.

DEAN Dad doesn’t want our help. SAM I don’t care. DEAN He’s given us an order. SAM (firmly) I don’t care. We don’t always have to do what he says. DEAN Sam, Dad is asking us to work jobs, to save lives, it’s important. SAM Alright, I understand, believe me, I understand. But I’m talking one week here, man, to get answers. To get revenge. DEAN Alright, look, I know how you feel. SAM Do you? How old were you when Mom died? Four? Jess died six months ago. How the hell would you know how I feel?

that was a low blow, sammy. not cool. so dean deflects with something else that is also logical

DEAN Dad said it wasn’t safe. For any of us. I mean, he obviously knows something that we don’t, so if he says to stay away, we stay away. SAM I don’t understand the blind faith you have in the man. I mean, it’s like you don’t even question him. DEAN Yeah, it’s called being a good son!

i don't think sam's right in tearing off to track john down, i don't think it's right that john is keeping them still basically entirely in the dark, but i also don't think dean's right in the blind faith/following bit. everyone is wrong 🎉 but again, dean was raised like a literal soldier. that following orders is life or death. it's not being a good son, it's being a good soldier. which should be separate things! and i don't know the nuances of military command, but honestly, questioning the guy in charge seems like kind of a thing you need to do sometimes too, which maybe means the only choice is to bail

ANYWAY

DEAN You’re a selfish bastard, you know that? You just do whatever you want. Don’t care what anybody thinks. SAM That’s what you really think? DEAN Yes, it is. SAM Well, then this selfish bastard is going to California. DEAN Come on, you’re not serious. SAM I am serious. DEAN It’s the middle of the night! Hey, I’m taking off, I will leave your ass, you hear me? SAM That’s what I want you to do. DEAN Goodbye, Sam.

dysfunctional relationship written all over it, that couple that is always breaking up and making up. hard to watch. and this is just a tiny sliver of the iceberg o'brotherly angst to come. but also reminding myself that a) sam is only 22 and i think he had some flexibility to be childish in a way that dean never did. and i think it's pretty immature to just bail on the car and walk because you're disagreeing over doing what dad wants you to do. and we're establishing that sam (and dean) can be as stubborn as a mule. and b) i'm feeling the weight of the brother conflict from the entire series but trying to watch this with less baggage. so, chill out, friend

another little moment i could gif but won't waste my time again on, when sam says "that's what i want you to do" dean looks genuinely upset/taken aback briefly before he locks down his expression and says goodbye

i have got to finish this episode. it's like 45 minutes of thinking and rambling to watch a couple minutes then i'm like welp it's too late at night to finish it, guess tomorrow. x5

just call him!

they were testing my suspension of disbelief when i first watched this. that open, straight ass road, sam surely wasn't walking backwards long enough to not have reasonably been able to see her before getting right up on her, yet doesn't question how this girl just appeared at his feet. anyway, hi meg. (rip nicki aycox, passed away at 47 in 2022)

MEG You could be some kind of freak. I mean, you are hitchhiking.

there's that freak label again

that said, they had this all happen so flash bang boom and she's off with shady van guy and not trusting him but also being funny and cute, i can see how the logistics of her appearance maybe could have been distracted from

her big smile is kinda scary, i dunno if that was intentional lol. but padalecki did good in this, very natural. good stuff

s1e11 / the x-files s5e9 schizogeny

i'm doing it again. looking up for details on the xfiles episode that had a very similar looking orchard to see if they're the same 🤦focus! look at baby face dean's cute little scowl. and those apparently are hazelnut trees. shrubs. something. i had to confirm that apple trees really don't look like this so i don't know why they used it. kim manners was with xf at the time but didn't direct schizogeny (credited as producer). anyway! focus did not happen! it's been 15 minutes!

do it, babes!!! foiled by meg

DEAN You know, my brother could give you this puppy dog look, and you’d just buy right into it.

cracks me up that dean talking about sam's puppy face is canonical, to me it doesn't read as puppy much unless he's making it at dean like in home and faith - otherwise just kind of earnest and empathetic when he's dealing with other people. but also, dean, not gonna help your case not coming across as a creeper to these people by saying that lol

the sheriff literally driving him out of town

forgot how much he utilized the short over long sleeve look

MEG I love my parents. And they wanted what’s best for me. They just didn’t care if I wanted it. I was supposed to be smart. But not smart enough to scare away a husband. It’s just…because my family said so, I was supposed to sit there and do what I was told. So I just went on my own way instead. I’m sorry. The things you say to people you hardly know. SAM No, no, it’s okay. I know how you feel. Remember that brother I mentioned before, that I was road-tripping with? It’s, uh, it’s kind of the same deal. MEG And that’s why you’re not riding with him anymore? (SAM shakes his head. MEG raises her beer bottle.) Here’s to us. The food might be bad, and the beds might be hard. But at least we’re living our own lives. And nobody else’s.

it feels a little on the nose to have her story be so similar, but also can imagine in this situation it's like music to sam's ears to have someone who would understand so well where he's coming from

DEAN I’m actually on my way to a local community college. I’ve got an appointment with a professor. You know, since I don’t have my trusty sidekick geek boy to do all the research. SAM You know, if you’re hinting you need my help, just ask. DEAN I’m not hinting anything. Actually, uh—I want you to know….I mean, don’t think…. SAM Yeah. I’m sorry, too.

DEAN Sam. You were right. You gotta do your own thing. You gotta live your own life. SAM Are you serious? DEAN You’ve always known what you want. And you go after it. You stand up to Dad. And you always have. Hell, I wish I—anyway….I admire that about you. I’m proud of you, Sammy. SAM I don’t even know what to say. DEAN Say you’ll take care of yourself. SAM I will. DEAN Call me when you find Dad. SAM (sadly) OK. Bye, Dean.

ok i was not expecting to end up crying over this episode. dean acknowledging how he wished he could stand up to john like sam does, and was so sweet and forthcoming about being proud, and sam was ready to hear it, goddamn. but he wasn't ready for dean to let him go

MEG Who was that? SAM My brother. MEG What’d he say? SAM Goodbye.

sammy 😭 pushed so hard to forge off on his own do what he thinks is right but maybe he wants dean to rein him back in. and also want to acknowledge jared hit all the right emotions with that phone call with dean and this after. i think he can do the quiet moments well already

i love that they got william b davis for this little part. he brings all the creep factor especially for xfiles fans

dean's belly getting a surprising amount of screentime in s1

imagining kim manners, well if they won't let the boys have umbrellas, i'm getting a cool shot with these rando characters with umbrellas!

MEG But I don’t understand. You’re running back to your brother? The guy you ran away from? Why, because he won’t pick up his phone? Sam—come with me to California. SAM I can’t. I’m sorry. MEG Why not? SAM He’s my family.

❤️ i know that's right. also, "he's my family" not just "he's family" and with the softest expression. don't need to think or care about banging to ship this, they're just out there doing this stuff and being this way about each other and i eat it all up

DEAN How’d you get here? SAM I, uh—I stole a car. DEAN Haha! That’s my boy!

even more proud

DEAN So, can I drop you off somewhere? SAM No, I think you’re stuck with me. DEAN What made you change your mind? SAM I didn’t. I still wanna find Dad. And you’re still a pain in the ass. But, Jess and Mom—they’re both gone. Dad is God knows where. You and me. We’re all that’s left. So, if we’re gonna see this through, we’re gonna do it together.

my cup runneth over. of course, still have the hill to climb for sam to want to stay with dean for the long run, but. ❤️

DEAN Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful.

such an ass, he was just as mushy literally the day before LOL but the d in dean stands for deflect :p

good grief, man. this show! agh. i'm again reminded why it sucked me in. the overarching plot and monsters of the week are like, whatever, but the sam and dean of it all is so good. and what they established in these early days carried me through 15 seasons where i got increasingly frustrated with all of the non-sam and dean aspects, and overused sam and dean conflict, etc. truly a feat

and we find out meg is a baddie with her phone home to azazel via bowl o'blood

[matan4il]

Buddie 502 meta

Do we even need meta posts at this point? This show is just… skipping the meta and writing its own fanfic. For example, the fact that during two eps that deal with Eddie not yet following his heart and, as a consequence, thinking he had a heart attack, we get a heart transplant rescue. Interestingly, when Manny the medic mentions the heart, it’s Eddie who’s closest to it, Eddie who reaches out for it and tries to grab it, but he fails to, which is why this is followed by one failed attempt by Hen and a successful one by Bobby. The essential, symbolic aspect here is that Eddie, dangling on the edge of the abyss, couldn’t reach and save the heart on his own. It can easily be seen as symbolic to where he’s at romantically right now, and as an indicator that Eddie will need help from others in order to be able to resolve his own love life issues.

~

Good God, when Ana shows up with Chris, my brain just about melted already just over the fact that there is hardly any interaction we see between the two of them, while Eddie and Buck both come in immediately and one after the other we see them hugging Chris (their son!) in the exact same way. So much so that I just had to gif it. But just as importantly, can we talk about the fact that Buck was at the chargers station, doing his duty, all serious with his clipboard (I love this new tradition of having clipboard!Buck at least once per season, 911 you’re doing great sweetie), so why is he even there, by the trucks? He must have heard Chris calling out “Dad!” and came in swiftly with Ravi in tow. Excuse me, I’m just gonna go cry over these two dads and how much they love their son that they can’t contain it and they both have to rush to him right away!

Oh, another small, but seemingly meaningful detail we get here? When Eddie is picking up Chris and hugging him, we see Ana in the background, smiling at the cuteness of this father and son duo. When Buck comes in and does the same thing, we see Eddie to the side, and yep, he’s smiling at them and the cuteness, too. He KNOWS Buck is Christopher’s other father, no legal guardianship activation needed. ~ And then everything that happens in the scene with Ana is just straight out of fanfiction. For real.

We discover Ana, despite dating Eddie for almost a year, has never been to the firehouse. Even now that she did come (uninvited, might I add), Eddie avoids introducing her to the point where even Ravi’s like, “Oh man, this is really awkward, Diaz” and Ana ends up having to introduce herself… Still can’t save them from all that awkwardness, especially as the panic attack starts setting in... Right in front of her salad, Diaz! This time, the panic is not over Ana being called Christopher’s mom, it’s over her being assumed to be Eddie’s wife. This isn’t just Eddie panicking over how Ana would fit into the Diaz family, it’s specifically about their romantic relationship, no two ways about it. Then Chris says, “not yet!” and it sounds like he means it’s just a matter of time, but it could also imply he doesn’t actually want that to happen, and this is his way of expressing it without hurting the teacher he does love. Don’t even get me started on the way Buck looks immediately at Eddie with a smile that’s not 100% genuine (the forehead not being a part of a smile is helps differentiate a genuine smile from a false one, this just doesn’t come across as Buck’s usual beaming). Then there’s Buck’s focus on Eddie the second there’s even the faintest hint of something wrong with him (let’s not forget, Eddie manages to avoid going into a full blown panic attack this time, and yet Buck reads him right away). The way they’re so in tune with each other always makes me wanna cry. Lastly, Eddie unceremoniously dumps Ana on Ravi, he doesn’t even show his own gf around the station, not even after the obvious awkwardness of him missing the mark on introducing her to his colleague. Basically, Eddie proving that being “dumb denial boy” really is his superhero persona.

~

I just love the animal conversation in the firetruck. It shows us so many things at once: that Eddie knows Buck incredibly well, that he can easily explain why Buck is so aware of every animal in the zoo, that he’s shown to know Buck better than anyone else on the team, that he speaks for Buck and explains things for him like a spouse would explain their partner’s little eccentricities (just like in 309 when he explains Buck’s fascination with natural disasters), that even as everyone else is exasperated with Buck right off the bat, Eddie is fully grinning (seriously, compare Hen not even paying attention to what Buck’s going on about while Eddie is soaking up every word and loving it), he’s just so smitten with everything about Buck, and of course that we get to hear that yes, Buck spends that much time with Chris. This is pretty significant in itself, but it also represents maybe the biggest thing about Buddie in this entire episode: the constant contrast between Ana and Buck, it’s practically screaming at the audience. Everything that Ana is supposed to be in Chris and Eddie’s life, but it makes Eddie panic, Buck IS, and it makes Eddie beam with joy. If the way Eddie looks at Buck in this scene isn’t love, IDK what is. And this show doesn’t either. I have raved in the past (in my first round of Buddie meta) about the speed and ease with which Eddie lets Buck into the Diaz family and how well Buck fits in, and I’ve said back then that Eddie is a closed off guy, so this is pretty special, what he has going on with Buck from practically the start. But the whole storyline with Ana emphasizes it even more and the choice to highlight just how close Buck is to Chris and how much Eddie adores everything about this man, even the stuff other people roll their eyes at, in the same episode in which we see Eddie almost choking over his gf getting even an inch into his real life… cinematic poetry.

~

That little moment when Buck and Eddie give Bobby the “sure” nod, and so in sync, before they laugh together! Please, these are sassy HUSBANDS being sassy together. How can we not stan?

~

Then we get another scene where I just adore everything... Eddie is on a bunk and Buck knows him so well, he can tell that Eddie’s not really sleeping, that Buck can come right up to him and start the conversation about what Buck is worried about. The worry itself and the insistence on finding out what’s wrong with Eddie (even when Eddie’s reluctant) where friends or colleagues would normally back down is obviously the stuff that the best marriages are made of. The way Eddie responds, that just like I pointed out in the 501 meta, it’s Buck’s worry that forces Eddie to admit the truth, both that what he’s been suffering are panic attacks and that the real reason for them is Ana, not the shooting. I also love Buck’s initial reaction. His “Since when do you panic?” echoes Eddie’s response last week. That’s not a small thing, they both know how cool and collected Eddie can be, even under fire. It points out exactly why it was initially hard for Eddie to accept that these are panic attacks (in addition to the macho BS). So Buck’s first reaction not only shows how well he knows Eddie, it actually also validates Eddie’s own initial reaction and thus, makes him feel more at ease going forward and sharing even more. This is just another part of why they work so well as a couple, err… team. It’s beautiful to see Eddie being able to admit the truth to Buck, but then Buck turns it around and dishes out the truth right back at him: that Eddie isn’t in love with Ana and shouldn’t stay with her just because Chris loves her. Eddie, in his mind, is being a good dad and grateful for what Ana has been through with him and, as I’ve said in my first round of meta regarding ep 210, Eddie is a man of duty. He sees an obligation and he wants to meet it.

Buck, who wears his heart on his sleeve, counters this sense of duty by bringing in feelings, and what’s the right thing to do emotionally. He complements and helps Eddie, forces him to listen and look at things from a different perspective, in a way no one else could. The exact words Buck uses are “I have been Ana” which are so interesting, ‘coz yeah, textually they point to Buck’s past romantic hurt, but they also cast him in the spot of Eddie’s gf. We’re not the only ones comparing the two, Buck himself makes the comparison between them and subtextually, this also brings up the differences between Buck and Ana. Where she failed to truly capture Eddie’s heart even months into the relationship (and while being more successful than any other woman since Shannon), Buck has been in the same position, of being new in Eddie’s life and having to “earn” Eddie’s trust and a place in the Diaz family, but Buck actually succeeded in that, where Ana failed, and a huge reason why is because Eddie willingly gave Buck his trust and that place in his and Christopher’s life. By using these specific words, the show basically begs us to notice what things should have been like between Eddie and Ana, and forces us to acknowledge that Eddie already has all of that, with Buck.

~

Lastly, the show tops itself, by following this scene with Chim opening up to Hen. It’s subtle, but you can see here the difference between what two loving but platonic friends being there for each other looks like in comparison. Hen checks in on Chim, but she isn’t completely preoccupied with Chim and Maddie’s home life in the same way that Buck’s focus, in the middle of what characters have repeatedly called “the end of the world”, is solely on Eddie’s wellbeing. Hen does care, she wants to know what’s up with Chim, she asks questions and gets him to spill, but it’s gentle probing, not a spouse digging into what’s going on with their partner. Also, this is just one scene. Chim’s entire story with Maddie’s PDD isn’t linked to Hen in the same way that Eddie’s arc with the panic attacks over Ana is linked to Buck. Then when it’s time to offer advice, Hen does so without inserting herself into the situation in the way Buck did when he cast himself in the role of Eddie’s gf in order to get to his best friend and point out what he should do. Buck and Eddie are friends, yes. And friends should be valued and celebrated! I adore every friendship on this show. But Buddie are also each other’s life partners and a juxtaposition of scenes like this is where you can really see the difference.

~~~ Thank you so much to the astounding @judsonryder​ for making my meta better with your gifs! If you like my perspective on Buddie, you can find more of my meta and fics here. Thank you for reading and for any like, comment and of course reblog! Writing these posts takes a lot and it makes me so happy whenever I see people enjoying them. xoxox

[xofemeraldstars]

can i ask how many hours/days it took you to make the cas beeday gifset? i am in AWE. like. the literal sweat you must have shed over making that. or how did you get it to under 10 mb???? you are a GENIUS and we are so incredibly lucky to have your insane talent in this fandom!!!!!

hiiIIi!! 💫 thank youuu 🥺💕

WELL i just looked when i created the folder and notes file and i began planning (aka math on how to combine the 139 eps we got cas adsafdeaf which took me... probs more than an hour to make it work with the layouts lol) on march 6th!!

first gif of the set was done march 8th but since i started earlier i was more relaxed about it (rather than a week before like for the dean in every ep gifset aka 325 gifs sdsfherfsd where i felt like i was losing my mind a couple of times...) 

i wanted to finish the last one last night but i was getting tired, it was late and i felt like i was not seeing clearly anymore oof time per gif i think more thank 2 hours?? with frame gathering and all + distractions cause i watch stuff when i gif lol

under read more some gif-ing talk lol

SO looking at the dates i almost made one every day - had to go in and tweak the overall coloring for the 9th gif, it was too green so that's why there are two:

after i was done planning i made multiple layout files so i could easily load one up based on my notes:

^ in each case the number is the total number of scenes in the set, so p10 means a total of 10 gifs which is the layout of the 10th gif:

as for the size!! i knew what coloring i wanted (a cooler one with a focus on blues) so i made a base coloring with 2 options for yellow/neutral scenes and blue scenes (there weren't a lot of these) and then i tweaked the color balance and exposure, in like 90% of cases that was enough (there were some very stubborn eps in there tho lol) ah look i one selective color layer lol seems like it was to add a bit more warmth from what i can see

i just took random frames from the first batch and worked to do the base coloring on those:

> yellow base:

> blue base:

then after i adjusted all the coloring for each cas square 😊 i added a hue/saturation layer to remove colors i don't want (in this case green and partially magenta) to help with the size + so it doesn't take up from the max 265 colors allowed in gifs ✌😔 and depending on the eps (mostly later seasons) i reduced the saturation for red to -10 and maybe a overall de-saturation of -10 and then i also usually add a vibrance layer and increase the vibrancy to around 30-50

AND WELL this is was my gifing process here!! damn i do hope this made sense... ??? lol

[ozzo-the-wozzo]

“SHOULD I WATCH LOVE EATER?”: A INFORMATIONAL GUIDE BY YOURS TRULY

PSA: THERE ARE NO LOVE EATER SPOILERS IN THIS POST

Ok, this is gonna be a post where I try to clear the air and provide some facts about the whole Love Eater airing in two freaking days situation, since i’ve seen various misconceptions floating around. Now, am I going to watch it? I dunno yet. But I’m going to give the information I got about this whole thing and a paragraph with my opinion, and I’ll let you decide after this post. (I will also be sourcing all of my information.)

So without further ado, let’s get into this grammar filled disaster.

THE CONTEXT

So, some of you who are seeing this post may have stumbled into the fandom currently and experienced something like this:

If you fit this description (which I’m sure a lot of you do), allow me to explain.

The Ukrainian Channel Plus Plus has just announced that they are airing the first part of the season 3 finale, Love Eater, October 13th at 9:55 pm (Ukrainian Time). Aka, this friggin Sunday Source

Now, we are also getting the episode Kwami Buster tomorrow 8:15 am local time (Bern Switzerland). Source

So, great right? Two episodes airing one after the other, one being the first part of the finale? So... why the fuss?

A MATTER OF EPISODE ORDER

Ok so this is the major, if not only, reason that almost no one wants this episode to air.

Many are saying they don’t want it to air because it’s after Chat Blanc (which is true), or because there’s still some episodes that take place before this left to air (which is also true).

However, one has to ask these two questions:

A) Just how much will it spoil Chat Blanc?

and

B) How many episodes are left to air exactly?

And to answer both, let me get into my favorite subject: Chronological order

Before you aggressively comment that there is no chronological order, let me remind you of something most people forget... there is

Thomas Astruc has said back in season 2 that there is no “chronological order per se” because a lot of episodes in miraculous can be non-plot related and it doesn’t really matter the order you watch it in. However, he also said that the production order of the series respects all the main chronological events... meaning that there is a chronological order for plot episodes (something that makes up the entirety of season 3), and that this order is the production order. Source

So, taking that into account, let’s get into our two questions.

Here’s a list of all the episodes in season 3, both aired and unaired, in chronological order. See if you notice something:

Thats right! Firstly, Ladybug, a episode already watched by most of the fandom, takes place after both Chat Blanc and Felix. And the episode contains no game changing information (like a reveal) about Chat Blanc. Also notice how Ladybug is right before the Finale.

Secondly, there are only 5 episodes left in season 3. One is Kwami Buster airing tomorrow, one is Finale part 2, and the other two are Chat Blanc and Felix. Not as many episodes as you thought huh?

So, yeah. Maybe the jump isn’t that major. However...

A matter of airing dates, or as I like to call it “Dude I don’t want to watch this w/o knowing when Season Finale pt.2 will air”

I hear you!! I am very apprehensive about that to!!

However, something you may not know is that we actually have confirmed airing dates for the rest of season 3!!! Or at least, when they will air on one particular channel.

TeleQuebec has announced on what days they will be airing the rest of season 3. These dates are set and confirmed Source

And these dates areeee: (not including Kwami Buster and finale pt 1 since we have those already):

Chat Blanc~ November 17

Felix~ November 23

Miracle Queen (Finale pt 2)~ December 1

So uhhhh.... yeah. Oof.

However KEEP IN MIND THIS IS ONLY FOR THIS CHANNEL!!! A ton of other channels air Miraculous, and there’s a extremely high chance that one of em will air these episodes before these dates. These dates due serve as deadlines however, kinda saying “you will get this episode no later than this date.”

So there’s a idea for by when the episode will be coming out, in case you wanted one.

So. What am I doing you may ask....

CONCLUSION: AKA MY DILEMA

So I tried to just give straight information that’s not opinionated, but in case you were wondering where I stand, i’m not sure. I mean, I’m not to worried about chat blanc spoilers after ladybug, and with Kwami Buster I’d love to watch it. So what’s stopping me? Well it’s two things.

The first, very minor one, is language. It’s airing in Russian im pretty sure, and usually you have to wait a whileeee for the fandom to post some captions. And I’m one that doesn’t like to watch it w/o captions a lot of the time since it kinda ruins the flow of the story/ shock factor. However I usually get over this so it’s not that big of a deal.

The 2nd, more compelling thing, is the story. I like watching episodes with context of what happened to these dorks prior to this and other lil moments they may have had. I like to know their expierences for major episodes like this, and in this case two major expierences (those being chat Blanc and Felix) will be missing. Even if there’s no spoilers, knowing that they would have shared two more experiences together by the time of this episode and not knowing what they are... troubles me. Sure I could rewatch once the eps do air, but it’s not the same as the first watch, ya know?

So, all in all, I just wanted to inform you guys of all we got since I’ve seen some misconceptions and I care about y’all. This took forever and I hope I was able to serve some help.

Happy watching, and remember...

BANANOIR IS ALWAYS WATCHING

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT EDIT:

Yep, that’s right. Two crew members, one of them being the creator, are telling us NOT to watch this episode. Even the assistant director of the show, Winny, said not to. (See the reblog of this post)

So, yeah. Watching Love Eater does not seem like a good idea anymore. Tag your spoilers, and don’t reward the network (push push) by watching it on one of their sites.

[annibalecter]

Skam » 2.01

♪ Caught in a bad romance

[pocima]

My seasonal music highlights: winter 2024 🧣

Welcome to a new series of my silly music-blogging. Starting it because I want to regularly properly write about and describe the songs I enjoy, and to present my own candidates for the unofficial “song of the season” awards. I already started an annual fav list for albums/EPs and wanted something less major and more presentable as a little playlist, not really in particular order. Enjoy! Note that I kept the list one song per artist, most have incredible new releases outside of the ones focused on, these are just my picks for the season or my most played. And let me tell you, countless artists are dropping new music and projects left and right and I’m getting FED. This list alone is extremely abundant and we’re barely 2 full months into the year. The competition for this year’s personal favorite album spots and the highlights for the next seasons is about to be real tough. Can’t wait. (GIF source: MV for Cyberia by Meth Math.)

❅ winter again - 4s4ki

What better way to start a songs of the winter list than with THE anthem of this winter season? With her ability to not only pull off but absolutely excel at the different genres she incorporates into her music, 4s4ki simply never disappoints. She went into the studio with a mission to give the famous Last Christmas by Wham! a true successor and the mission was wonderfully accomplished. In this mellow 80s pop influenced track, she channels her inner Cocteau Twins (word to that one YouTube comment in the lyric video) while longing for a loved one that didn’t seem to stay by her side not even to have some canned coffee and bento this holiday season. Now I’m gonna channel my inner platonic delulu and say that it was released just on time, when I was discovering and especially feeling Boy Harsher’s alternative 80s inspired music (collab when?). Ironic how a self-described reverse Christmas song ended up doubling my winter spirits. She never fails to give me exactly what I need. I love this woman. (Big ups to Magic sword but as I mentioned I’m keeping the list one song per artist.)

❅ 4eva - Shygirl feat. Empress Of

You know from my username that I’ve been loving what Shygirl has had to offer for quite a while now, and 4eva was my personal post-Nymph jam ever since I heard a snippet of it back in last September and neither the full studio version nor my intuition let me down. Shygirl’s rapping and Empress Of’s verse over the Kingdom-produced delicious wobbly synths indeed stay playing on my mind. Empress Of’s feature came as a tracklist surprise and I’m more grateful for it than I had expected. The jungle drums in the chorus, and honestly the structure of the song in general were unexpected to me as well, but nevertheless they took part in forming possibly my favorite dance track of 2024. Both the Club Shy EP and 4eva have secured firm spots in my favorites of the year.

❅ Deer Teeth - Sega Bodega

Father of music, first ever man in the music industry, smash hit sorcerer, my favorite producer of all time… However you may refer to Sega Bodega, you can always rely on him to create an entire universe in one record and take you there and back. With Deer Teeth, he tells a story of a sighting of a late mother laid to rest with her child in a swan’s wings along with 200 deer teeth (hence the song title), which brings with itself a tale of hope, sacrifice and eternity. With reversed and distorted vocals, the addition of Mayah Alkhateri’s siren-like voice and obviously Sega’s otherworldly production style, the tale transforms into a cinematic masterpiece in sound form. Extra note: perfect to fall asleep to in a road trip, tried and tested. Both Deer Teeth and his newer single Set Me Free, I’m an Animal are stunning masterpieces, and I know this will make my year-end album list real predictable but SB3 is the most solid candidate for the top spot as of right now. Save me Sega Bodega, save me…

❅ Ex-Girlfriend - Erika de Casier feat. Shygirl

New slow R&B earworms drawing on different nostalgic genres couldn’t be more perfect for the chilly season, especially when they’re delivered by the one and only Erika de Casier. She has this ability to mix the best musical aspects of the near past (namely the 90s/00s) with her very own sensuality, freshness and uniqueness. Her soft vocals over a down-tempo R&B beat to match come after an orchestral, arguably dramatic intro and the melancholic, yearning yet cocky-ish tone is set. Shygirl’s deep, almost raspy voice always shines with slow, gloomy instrumentals (also seen in Lapdance from Asia by Cosha) and this track was no exception, matter of fact it’s now certainly one of my favorite features of hers. I will be returning to this song not only on the colder days of March, but the whole year, or rather until it’s wiped off existence completely.

❅ Cyberia - Meth Math

Before the quirky experimental trio’s slightly overdue, highly anticipated debut album Chupetones (go give the best b-side Pócima a listen too), they released 4 singles and I was not at all aware beforehand of the release of the third one. Pressed play, was impressed, pressed the loop button and the rest (at least 80 plays within the first week) was history. The intro immediately catches your attention, and the descriptions of a sad-looking happily-dancing angel over toot sounds, ripping synths and bonking bass transition into happy hardcore perfection. The 3-second bit before the second chorus gets me the most, it’s like a minuscule break to slow down and reflect on the all the absurdity before resuming the alien dancefloor madness. This banger completes my Meth Math song holy trinity, which is now Tambaleo-Fantasía Final-Cyberia. Add Pócima into the mix if you wanna form the four horsemen. Whatever your personal favorite may be, we can all agree that Meth Math always come at us with excellence.

❅ dOpamine - OnlyOneOf

Hallelujah. We have finally reached an era where all lyOns can live in harmony and sleep in peace instead of fighting over title tracks and new lows for the group’s flaming hot garbage record label. Even their biggest haters (so-called “fans” with a strange superiority complex) were finally praising an OnlyOneOf title track, and with how good it really is I’d be admiring their dedication to hating their own faves if they didn’t. Anyway, dOpamine is one of their best, it really is. I’ve been hoping for them to get on the drum & bass train for quite a while now, and they did it with a bright, twinkling, breakbeat-incorporating twist. They don’t lazily dip their toes into dnb and breakcore and leave it at that though, the buildups and structure of the track stay fascinating and the bridge drifts (should I intend the pun?) into their gritty industrial side before the outro closing out the song on a vocally strong, passionate but never over-the-top note. While the whole mini is exquisite, the lead single ended up being my favorite. Simply put, OnlyOneOf never fail to deliver quality K-pop against all odds.

❅ Sorbet - Kelela (LSDXOXO Remix)

The pre-release singles off of the RAVE:N remix album were all incredible just like its album tracks, however this gem is particularly lingering on me and my February mood. This spin on Sorbet encapsulates the AM club aspect of the project in one re-envisioned tune. Kelela and LSDXOXO, who produced and remixed numerous of her songs, reunite as a power duo to turn the dulcet, sedate Sorbet into a Eurodance-coded amped-up slapper that will get anyone moving. You can tell the song is DJ set opener material from when the first beat kick. The chorus melody sticks to your mind and the late night-like sonic experience becomes unforgettable. The special encounter requiring dim lighting is now set in a flashy rave scene. Completely flipped scenario yet everything makes perfect sense. All in all, Kelela’s vision for her dance records is 20/20 and LSDXOXO’s execution never leaves you hanging either.

❅ Fuetazo - Isabella Lovestory feat. Villano Antillano

Born to embody camp, forced… no, also born to be a hit maker. Isabella is undebatably one of the freshest, most outstanding figures of neoperreo and neoreggaeton, and her eccentric flare still comes through in a single as a (hopefully) pre-album snack. Fuetazo was released early into the season and closed out Isabella’s activities for the year. While the playful chorus introduces a whip that comes and goes, Villano Antillano mentions vacations and 42-inch weaves with her tone that meshes with the cheekiness of the track, and their chopped up vocal bits go back-and-forth in the outro. With the Chicken, Kamixlo and Dinamarca producer trio, the instrumentals can’t go wrong. The hard-hitting dembow drums and the lighter synths and other aspects of the song create a contrast that feels like a breeze, maybe more of a summer one even but a confidence booster gots to stay on rotation regardless of weather or temperature.

❅ Messy Room - The Deep (+ mini EP review)

Had I postponed the release of my 2023 fave project list just a little, the Messy Room EP would have at least scored an honorable mention. For those who need a quick debrief: The Deep is an independent K-alternative artist whose discography radiates coziness and sweetness. Mayhaps I should say sugar, spice and everything nice. Taking part in the production of her music, creative direction and visual curation, she ticks all the boxes for the bedroom pop star that should’ve reached her target audience ages ago. While she’s taken inspiration from R&B and indie and still does, “resurfaced” genres such as UK garage, dnb and Jersey club are fairly newer additions to her range. I love all of these genres as you could tell and I adore the songs in which she uses them (got into her through the UKG bop Muah!), but surprisingly the track that glanced at her “roots” hooked me in the most. Maybe it’s because it contains the core “messy room” atmosphere of the EP, maybe it’s her soft vocals shining brightly, maybe it’s because she has the recipe to making a tune to unwind to. I hope this praise doesn’t sound like a jab at the rest of the EP because not a single skip is detected over there. In Brand New House and BAPPI, The Deep talks about deserving the luxuries and getting to the bag over garage and house beats. bow wow is about confidence despite troubles and annoyances, while 20’s is a self-reflection on the constant search for perfection and attempts to heal. The project is most definitely worth checking out if you want a bit of calm, refreshing new music, or if you’re looking for a multi-skilled artist to support.

One line section (music I loved but honestly don’t have as much to say about, so I fit my thoughts into one line/sentence)

❆ Gold On Me: Mother ABRA is back and I’m definitely checking out Groupthink after this, now it’s time for the album innit 🍽️ (should’ve definitely written about this in more detail but maybe another time soz)

❆ 4 noviosS: While everyone came to Club Shy to play, she entered with pen and paper and a goal.

❆ Perdió Este Culo: I have to give flowers where they’re due, I wish the La Joia album had more quality of this level though. (However shoutout to Sexy, La Que No Se Mueva and Sin Carné.)

❆ TYOSTAR: Can’t tell if their music is aimed at dudebros (disgustingly irritating audience) or hyperpop girlies (slightly less irritating audience) but they scored a night ride hit either way, definitely one of Starkids’ finest to date.

Thankies for getting here, and shoutout to @chuuuvi for pretty much directly fueling my writing process and inspo and @a-moth-to-the-light for inspo as well 😁