#one word reviews

[aropride]

i’ve begun saying people “obviously aren’t in a romantic relationship, they have something deeper and more intimate going on” as this seems to confuse and upset alloromantics

(ID: a banner with text over the aro flag. the text says: i don't care about blorbotags go wild but this post is about hating the hierarchial system of relationships & if you're mad about it you're probably been poisoned by ace discourse brainworms. and are also proving my point. /end ID)

[mancandykings]

Danny Ramirez as Hector in Black Mirror season 6

[statementlou]

hey some very smart people (my babes @captainrayzizuniverse and @goldcrumble) have cracked a 28 Clothing pattern check this out: Drop 1 and Drop 2 came out August and November last year and were both Collection 01 (labeled on the clothing tags); Drop 3 (this July) is Collection 02...

...which suggests a possible pattern of one collection consisting of two drops close together late in the year per year, which feels consistent with teasing items from the next drop in the promo for this recent one; so we would see Drop 4- the second half of Collection 02- in October or November, and then another long wait until the second half of next year for more?

[3l91]

mujinazaka match analysis wrt akaashi, overthinking, and bokuto's consideration towards his setter .

going by surface level impressions, it's easy to pigeonhole bokuaka into manzai duo archetypes, with akaashi the straight man to bokuto's funnyman (even when akaashi isn't playing along)

but the mujinazaka match demonstrates how well they understand one another, and how their relationship is one founded on mutual respect

i think a lot about how akaashi says that he worked as hard as he could. how he said he's doing his best. the phrase i'm doing my best is one that's so often taken for granted, and that's reflected in the fact that akaashi's reliability as a setter and as someone who can "handle" bokuto aren't always acknowledged as the feats that they are by their peers

his inner monologue sets him up as a very "neutral" character ("I did everything I was told," "I played volleyball in a way that would upset the fewest of my teammates and coaches," etc) and there's a sense of him just being pulled along ("I didn't particularly like or dislike volleyball either," "I didn't go to Fukurodani with any particular purpose in mind") but one person sees akaashi's efforts for what they are and that's bokuto - bokuto sees akaashi and, more notably, bokuto understands akaashi

the most blatant example comes right before akaashi is subbed out. not only does bokuto already sense that akaashi is going to be benched, but he doesn't actually ask aakashi if he's feeling okay - he says "If you're not feeling good, go sit for a bit."

while his directness may come across as harsh (and konoha even berates bokuto for what he says to akaashi), it's just what akaashi needs.

this straightforwardness is something that akaashi has shown an appreciation towards in the past ("It's actually quite a nice feeling to be praised this directly"), and this directness is what prevents akaashi from further overthinking.

consider if bokuto had actually asked if akaashi is okay. someone who's already putting pressure on himself because he's comparing himself to kageyama and atsumu, to kenma, who just lost against karasuno and whose third year players can no longer play with them. to be asked are you okay? by the person he's doing his best to support - the person who already has it in his mind to keep winning - the person who can't afford to lose - would have only contributed to the debilitating thoughts that caused akaashi to be benched in the first place.

while it can be argued that this is bokuto just being bokuto, he insists to konoha that despite his "harsh" words, akaashi is going to be just fine - "this is akaashi we're talking about!"

he sees akaashi, he understands akaashi.

this is only further demonstrated later in the match. when bokuto asks akaashi to give him his 120%, he's acknowledging that akaashi is already giving his 100% - he's already doing his best. bokuto even goes as far as to acknowledge that it's difficult for someone to give their full 100% during a game.

to bokuto, akaashi is exceptional in that sense. he sees akaashi's best for what it is -- and is therefore able to ask him for more.

throughout their early interactions, furudate is very intentional in his portrayal of bokuto and akaashi, making others in-universe perceive bokuto as the unwieldy ace who's being taken care of by his babysitter akaashi

but the mujinazaka match adds depth to this dynamic, revealing that akaashi doesn't fully understand bokuto -- but showcasing that bokuto does understand akaashi.

obviously, akaashi realizing that he "can't control bokuto" like he thought he could is the first step towards him growing to truly understand his teammate, and the direct list of pointers that he gives bokuto after the match also point to the fact that he's more openly able to communicate with bokuto, rather than trying to subtly push his moods in one direction or another using indirect means.

it's a match that seems to have brought the two closer as bokuto tells akaashi You'll be fine, and akaashi answers, Yes! - not overthinking, not entertaining "what if"s. trusting his ace, and perhaps, for the first time, fully believing in him too.

[gamer-comix]

my new favorite kind of amazon review is people who bought manga but don't know what manga is

[nighttime-thoughts]

Whatever happens tomorrow we've had today.

[aleximustpl4y]

My Chemical Romance – I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love: album review

Year: 2002

Label: Eyeball Records

Genre: Post-hardcore, emo, punk-rock, pop-punk

Members: Gerard Way (vocals), Ray Toro (guitar), Mikey Way (bass guitar), Matt Pelissier (drums), Frank Iero (additional guitars)

Producer: Geoff Rickly

Listen to it here: [x]

Join me in this beautiful journey of cathartic destruction where two lovers are doomed to meet and die in every lifetime.

You must keep your soul...

History

I don't think American rock band My Chemical Romance need any introduction, but for the sake of the review, I have to start from the beginning.

Hailing from New Jersey, the band was founded by Gerard Way in September 2001 after he witnessed the Twin Towers attack on his way to work. They are considered one of the most influential rock groups of the 2000s and a major act in the pop-punk and emo genres, despite the band rejecting the latter label. The name of the band was suggested by Mikey, Gerard's younger brother, who was working in a Barnes & Noble when he was struck by the title of a book by Irvine Welsh named Ecstasy: Three Tales of Chemical Romance.

I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love (Bullets for short) is their debut album, produced by Thursday vocalist Geoff Rickly. Despite being sold under the alternative rock genres, it is considered an emo album with strong influences from punk rock, hardcore punk and heavy metal.

The graphic impact

The album cover, as well as the disc, features Harry Houdini hanging upside down in a straitjacket. Gerard Way has stated that it is not a digital image, but was in fact made with some watercolor, some borax, some plastic wrap, and a color photocopier in the Eyeball Records offices.

Why put Houdini on the cover? All references to Houdini in the following albums aside, it's clear that Gerard admired the magician and saw in one of his most famous tricks – escaping from a straitjacket while dangling from a crane – a possible analogy for life: you can spend a whole lot of time in your life ‘escaping’ death, but it will still come eventually.

Autumn color palette, play of light and handmade special effects: aesthetically speaking, the album cover is very interesting to look at.

The tunes

Bullets starts off with Romance, an acoustic cover of an instrumental piece known as “Romance Anónimo,” “Romance d'Amour,” or “Spanish Romance,” composed by an unknown nineteenth-century musician. The sweet and melancholic melody lulls you into a (false) sense of security.

Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us kicks off with a tits-blowing metal-core guitar riff, hitting you hard and fast, setting the real tone for the entire album. A very young Gerard yells the frustrated lyrics about a toxic relationship which, given the title's theme of the mirror, may be with an ex as well as drugs and/or alcohol. The chorus is an anthem for those who are sick and tired of their partner's (or the personification of drug abuse) manipulation tactics, and the way Gerard screams his lungs out makes it cathartic for those who haven't any words left in them anymore.

“This song is about sucking dick for cocaine.” – Gerard Way introducing the song in concert

Vampires Will Never Hurt You catapults you into another dimension, a darker, more eerie one, brought mostly by the intriguing bass line and the backwards whispering in the intro. The lyrics are the last rational, yet desperate, words of a man who's about to transform into a vampire against his will, and begs his lover to “put a spike in [his] heart” as soon as the sun goes down and to go hide before they'll get her too.

Drowning Lessons starts off with a bittersweet riff, introducing us to probably the saddest story told in the album. Drowning Lessons talks about a man who killed his spouse. My personal interpretation (I don't know if someone else had this idea before me) is that he killed himself shortly after and this is his otherworldly punishment: reliving this day over and over for eternity, perpetuating the cycle of insanity and guilt. The ending leaves you with a feeling of waiting and suspension, the fade-out suggests that the narrator is stuck in this loop and it will be like this forever.

In the fast paced Our Lady of Sorrows Gerard encourages his interlocutor to strip away their insecurities and live freely, to trust and believe in him so that they may be saved. The song is painted with religious imagery (hence the title), and implies that the narrator and the person he's speaking with are constantly at each other's throats: letting go of their doubts is the only way to end this before they murder each other. Gerard is angry, almost arrogant, but it's an arrogance driven by desperation since he doesn't want to lose his friend/lover over their insecurities, inviting and insisting that they “take [his] fucking hand and never be afraid again”.

Musically speaking, Headfirst for Halos is a sucker punch in the teeth, and yes, that is a compliment. The guitar is very Iron Maiden-esque, especially in the intro, and on a technical level, this song proves that these guys know what they're doing. The lyrics' grim undertones go in complete contrast with the upbeat tone of the music, turning it into a suicidal anthem. Despite the fact that it discusses how the narrator is stuffing himself with psychotropic drugs that make him numb to any kind of feeling, as well as his struggle against the idea of killing himself in this spiral of madness, Headfirst for Halos could be considered a powerful message of hope. This song, in my opinion, is not only about someone who succumbs to a psychotic episode, but it's also a way for the lyricist to remind us not to give up, not to do what the song proposes. Its end, where the protagonist probably commits suicide while repeating himself to “think happy thoughts”, is cathartic and destructive, truly beautiful in its tragedy.

"This song is about suicide - don't do it." – Gerard Way

I don't think I'll ever be ready to talk about Skylines and Turnstiles, but I'll try to give it justice. The track, the first one that was recorded while making the album, is a moving tribute to the victims of 9/11. It describes both the last moments of those people's lives and the experience, the feelings that Gerard had while witnessing it. The previous track's message of hope is reinforced in Skylines: when Gerard witnessed the tragedy, he knew he had to do something in hope to help people go through their grief and sadness and make the world a brighter place, giving them a reason to keep fighting. The song starts with “You're not in this alone”: Gerard is offering friendship for those who were hurt or scarred from 9/11, and it could also work in a broader sense, where he reaches his hand out to those who are feeling like this life isn't worth living anymore.

Inspired by Dawn of the Dead, Early Sunsets over Monroeville begins with a sweet and romantic melody, painting a dream-like picture of two lovers living a perfect life, “just like upon the screen”. The song, after that, takes a left turn that gives me shivers to this day just like the first time I heard it. The lyrics are a desperate call for help from the man who has to kill his lover, because she has been bitten by a zombie and is turning into one. He doesn't have the heart to shoot her, but on the other hand, it would be a mercy killing. The whole theme of the zombies could also be a metaphor for the couple's relationship that has gone awry, so the narrator has to “shoot” and hurt her by telling her that there's no love anymore between them. Gerard's voice, in the early stages of the song, is filled with nostalgia and melancholy, making the second part even more striking and emotional to listen to. His cries become more and more insistent, in a crescendo of desperation, and the fact that he repeats the same lines over and over only accentuates the interior dilemma he's having, while the melody becomes more and more fast-paced as well. The last line hangs in the air, which, again, marks the horror of the whole situation, leaving you in a state of suspended turmoil.

This is the Best Day Ever tells a story of a couple who meet in the emergency room, likely after they both attempted suicide, and they plan to escape the hospital together. It doesn't matter to them if they'll die after: they'll be free either way by doing it. What stands out the most is the upbeat and fast-paced melody, which accentuates the anticipation of the protagonists and their hope to get out of the situation they're in.

Cubicles tells a story of a shy and lonely office worker who falls in love with a woman who works two cubicles away from him but doesn't even realize he exists. He spends the time writing her love notes, but never gains the courage to give her the letters, let alone talk to her, until she quits her job and he misses his chance. From that point, he spirals into madness and is terrified he'll die alone, as portrayed by the repetition of the verse “sometimes I think I'll die alone”, which changes into just “I think I'd love to die alone” at the very end, coming to terms with his suicidal thoughts.

I think there's no better way to end this album, other than with Demolition Lovers. The song starts with a slow, sweet yet dark melody, while Gerard begins singing the beautiful, tragic story about a Bonnie and Clyde-esque couple, who run in the desert and eventually get shot by the people they were escaping from. As the music grows more intense, the man tells us how he isn't afraid to die for his lover and he is willing to prove how much she means to him despite their relationship being flawed. They die in a pool of blood, when they kiss for the last time. Demolition Lovers is masterfully made, with one of the most beautiful solos I've ever heard and with lyrics that are an arrow to the heart, not only for the passion they're sang with, but also for the meaning they carry. The ending is simply breathtaking.

Conclusion

Words can't even describe how much this album means to me. The themes, the arrangements, the messages of hope derived from destruction and tragedy, the whole meaning of the band itself... it's just beautiful. The genre is not cohesive but since it's their first artistic effort, it makes sense that they had yet to find their own style: after all, creation is just experimentation. But despite Bullets not being coherent in style, the atmosphere remains consistent thanks to the lyrics that have all the same feeling of catharsis in romantic destruction. I just wish that some songs were mixed better (but if anything that adds to their charm) and that it would last longer. Also it's worth mentioning how all the songs are connected without being connected at all (just how they are connected to their next album, which we'll check out next time), which makes me love the mind behind them even more, if possible.

Final, very personal and unprofessional score: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

...like a secret in your throat.

[studentbyday]

survived a beginner pilates session and while my body feels more awake it also just does. not. want. to move.

[episodes-without-incident]

Drawfee Bits Wrapped (2023)

Cats (2019)

Episodes referenced: 14 (14.89%)

Episodes not referenced: 80 (85.11%)

First reference: January 17

Last reference: November 30

Longest streak of no references: 20 episodes (June 1–August 24)

Shortest streak of no references: 0 episodes (Referenced in the September 14 and 19 episodes)

Cascada (2005)

Counting for Cascada started on August 15.

Episodes referenced: 8 (22.22%)

Episodes not referenced: 28 (77.78%)

First reference: August 15

Last reference: December 26

Longest streak of no references: 12 episodes (August 22–October 3)

Shortest streak of no references: 0 episodes (Referenced in both the August 15 and 17 episodes; then again in both the October 12 and 17 episodes)

Combined statistics

Again, note that this only covers August 15 onward.

Episodes where both were referenced: 2 (5.56%) (October 12 and November 30)

Episodes where only one was referenced: 10 (27.78%)

Episodes where neither was referenced: 24 (66.67%)

Other Notable Bits of the Year

This is a list I kept this year of the most enduring bits, but it's obviously biased.

Fight Song (Origin: Patreon Bonus Stream 03/24/2023)

Italian Cold Steel Cinquedea (Origin: Turning Words Into Drawings)

Merobiba (Origin: Turning Medieval Words Into Art)

So do, Scooby (Origin: Turning Monster Hunter Armors BACK Into Monsters)

[aropride]

guy in the club on his phone squinting at a wikipedia article and then holding both his hands out making L shapes with his fingers to figure out his right from left so he knows if the guy with the hankys in his pocket is a top or a bottom

[yoohyeon]

Hiiiiii 💜

My name is Alex ! I’m a content creator trying her best and I’m close to my next big number so I thought a promo post should be made 💕

I’m a multistan, that can’t shut up about pokemon even if I have a sideblog for it but it make good edits like my kpop idols as trainer serie that people seem to like. I’m also an rookie gif maker, that is doing the best she can with the worst program to do them with and other things 🫶

I’m just here to support and love my mutuals and have a good time talking about what I love, if that interest you check it out

[randomgirl005]

A Room of One's Own

"A Room of One's Own" by Virginia Woolf explores the world of female novelists, emphasizing the importance of financial independence and personal space for women to freely express their ideas.

I personally enjoyed a lot her reflexions about both sexes, and how she talks diferently about men and women, and their diferent grade of dificulties in order to make themselves a name in the novelism world.

I also liked a lot her references to some of the most famous and important female autors, with whom without their work and constant dedication, we, women, woudn't be where we are now in the literary world.

I give it 4 stars, because there were moments of confusion and deviation from the main topic, making it challenging to follow at times, although I think we can blame It on the writing style from back then.

Nevertheless, it's a book with valuable reflections that every women should read at least once in their life.

[the-meme-monarch]

something i see a lot in books is like. capitalizing a word where it really doesn’t need to be? like for an example in Who Censored Roger Rabbit they spell toons as Toons. and i understand it’s probably supposed to make it clear that this is a deliberate Word For Something That The Author Kinda Made Up but like. to me it stands out too much. humans are just humans. a cat would still be a cat and a dog a dog. but toons are Toons. idk i think it just feels unnatural and unnecessary. if toons are natural to the world here why do you need to capitalize the T

[greenerteacups]

Hello GT, I absolutely love Lionheart!

I published my first fic and have been dealing with some criticism; it’s not anythjng super hateful, but it’s not anything meant to make me improve either. I’ve been feeling sort of down because of it. My question is: have you ever dealt with hate or criticism before? What is your attitude towards it?

I find your work and answers on here super insightful and inspiring! I hope you have a nice day ❤️

Fuck em. Like, seriously, just fuck em. There's a time and place for writers to take critique and be strict with themselves; it's necessary for any artist to grow. That place is with a chosen group of creatives whose work you admire and whose judgment you trust. A rando on the Internet, while they may in fact be the next Marcel Proust, probably isn't. And I was raised to believe that while it's appropriate and kind to pay compliments to strangers when they're performing — just as you'd smile at a busker on the sidewalk, and or compliment a chalk artist — it's not appropriate to criticize them when what they do isn't to your tastes. They're providing you with their art for free. No one forced you to read it; no one forced you to listen. If you don't like it, it costs $0 to shut the fuck up.

Also — that thing I said about artists taking critique? That assumes that you're doing this out of a desire to improve your writing, which, while noble, is not actually a thing you need to do if you're a hobby writer. I like trying to improve; it makes me feel good. But at the end of the day, I do this for fun. I do this because in my real job, I am ruthless and self-critical and try really fucking hard to do well, and you need parts of your life that Aren't Like that. You need parts of your life where you're not worrying about whether you're Doing It Right. And living without that anxiety of critique is, paradoxically, the only way you'll find the artistic courage to take risks and develop new skills. Everyone is a little bit rough around the edges to begin with. (Not saying you're a beginner — you merely said "publish," and I certainly wrote a lot of things before I started publishing! But every artist is always trying to develop new skills and techniques; in the grand scope of things, we're all beginners.) Giving someone blunt critique when they're in the beginning phases of their journey as an artist is about as helpful as screaming at your six-year-old kid because he can't swim the butterfly.

And the thing is, these people will bluster and say "well, I'm just being honest, I'm just trying to be helpful," but like: mmmmmmno, you're not! You're not. And it's disingenuous to say so. Because if you were actually trying to be helpful, you would introduce yourself, offer your skills as an editor/beta reader, and start building the relationship of trust that grounds any meaningful co-creative partnership. People do not just accept random critique that comes flying at them from the blue nowhere. And issuing it in that form is the best way to make them hostile, defensive, and unreceptive to it. Delivering harsh feedback without a context of care and support is almost sure to fail as a method of actually changing behavior, and either (1) you know that, and are doing it anyway — presumably because you want people to know how Terribly Clever and Better At Writing you are, or (2) you sincerely have never thought about the effect that context and word choice have on how other people receive your meaning.

Which tells me you are the last fucking person on the planet I want writing advice from.

[quaranmine]

On Wednesday before I gave my presentation I confessed to a new employee that I was worried it would be too long and she brightly told me her life hack was to just let AI rewrite things for her. She said I should put in all my talking points and ask ChatGPT to give me a five minute exactly presentation. I was like....how is the most polite possible way (since this is a new colleague I shouldn't get off on the wrong foot with) that I can express that I will Not be taking this advice. Ever. I told her that I didn't think we were allowed to use ChatGPT at this job (we most certainly are not, it is a nightmare for any type of protected information) and also that I prefer to write all of my own work. Despite my best efforts the last part of that was still passive aggressive, lol.

Something about being a writer makes it so that it's almost offensive to me for someone to suggest I use AI to do my work instead? Like, the day I reach the point where I let AI write something for me is the day y'all need to be checking me for brain damage because clearly I'm losing it

[fisheito]

Would you consider yourself to be a Yakumo connoisseur? Because I would pay to see you rank and review all of Yakumo's rooms. Your thoughts and ramblings are very fun to read.

**coughs up a bit of blood**

[dabs at my mouth with a small towel] although i ..HAVE seen, uh, every yakumo room I CANNOT CONSIDER MYSELF necessarily a connoisseur because uhhh the magic of subjectivity is that we can all be exposed to the same media, and yet interpret it vastly differently so!!! who's to say what makes someone a yakuconnoisseur or a yakudabbler..!!!

......... tho you probably agree with many of my interpretations if you think my words are fun to read.... err...... [CLANGS MY METAL CUP AGAINST THE BARS OF THE JAIL CELL] WELL, PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR TYPING FINGERS ARE , buDDY cuz THOSE wORDS r gonna COST YA