#op coming up with a banger as always..

[morganbritton132]

Okay but after that flight twitter threat. Do Eddie and Steve see that threat at some point? Who shows it to them? What are their reactions? Do the gossipy news pick the story up? Does Eddie get asked questions about it in interviews?

I Love it and I have so many questions

They do see it!

Steve actually sees it first because Robin saw it first. She sent him a screenshot of the thread, but conveniently left out the tweet where the person realized it was Eddie and Steve. She texted him like, “This you?”

Steve’s like, “Whoa, you can’t have a conversation anywhere nowadays. It’s worse than when the FBI was actively bugging our phones.”

Robin texts back, “Hi to the FBI agents currently bugging our phones.”  

Steve says, “Yeah, hi.”

And that’s that for Steve.

Eddie, however, tracks down the original thread and Corroded Coffin’s official twitter account responds with a picture of Eddie’s ‘vintage’ SpiceWorld Tour t-shirt that he got in ’98 when the fruity four went to their concert. He’s like, “Yeah, they’re not very metal but are you gonna tell me that The Lady’s a Vamp isn’t an absolute banger? I think not.”

Then he goes to bed.

And the internet does what it always does and jumps to a conclusion that’s based in nothing. People are trying to figure out if Eddie was sitting next to his husband or if there is a cheating scandal on the horizon. The OP doesn’t remember what Turtleneck looks like and Eddie hasn’t posted anything since he reminded people about his interview.

By morning, the gossip sites are running stories about his rampant cheating. Eddie is throwing away ten years of marriage to his sick frail husband for plane sex with – gasp – a woman! Or a younger man! Or John Travolta of all people.

Eddie responds to all this with a Tiktok.

In the video, he starts out filming an article on his laptop about how he’s in New York right now cheating on his husband. He pans from the article up to Steve shoving their stuff back into their suitcase. Steve’s hair is a mess. He’s half-dressed and clearly tired, and there’s a line of hickeys tracing up the scar on his neck.

Eddie zooms in on them before panning up to Steve’s face. Eddie says, “Babe, did you see this? I’m cheating on you.”

“What, right now?” Steve asked, clearly just humoring him. He deadpans, “I’m devastated.”

“Yeah, tell me about it. I thought I was coming to New York to do a silly little interview and spend some time with my husband but, nope. I’m currently having sex with – Matt Damon. Really? If I’m blowing up my marriage, it’s not with actor equivalent of plain toast.”

“I’m embarrassed for you.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”  

[nortism]

Nor's Les Mis Fic Recommendations

I've been scouring les mis ao3 for a few months now so here are my fav fics I've found. I've tried my best to tag tumblrs where I can but let me know if you are the author of any of these and I'll tag you!

Three Days (or The One Where Javert and Valjean Take a Road Trip Through France and Raise a Child) by zamwessel

Rating: E

Ships: Javert/Jean Valjean

Summary:

Javert calls what he thinks is Valjean's bluff about needing three days to find the child Cosette and intercede for her. The Inspector comes along for the ride -- and gets much more than he bargained for, in the process.

Notes: First Les Mis fic I ever read and its an absolute banger. It's pretty much exactly what it says on the tin and I'm a sucker for a kid fic so I absolutely adored it.

A Change of Bizarre Kind by M_Moonshade

Rating: E

Ships: Javert/Jean Valjean

Summary:

Six months ago, Doctor Henry Jekyll sought to escape the dramatics of London by coming to M-sur-M. Tonight his murderer pays a visit to the Mayor Madeline. (Being the Curious Case of Inspector Javert and Mister Hyde)

Notes: Criminally underrated. Jekyll and Hyde AU but I went in knowing very little about that book and I could understand what was going on. Each chapter contains bits from the past and present day until the timelines eventually add up which makes the main mystery all the more compelling. Also Fantine is alive and well which is always nice.

Our Souls Still in Fetters by Cinaed

Rating: E

Ships: Javert/Jean Valjean

Summary:

After Javert is assigned to discover a blackmailer within a public-house that caters to men who prefer other men, Valjean is unexpectedly drawn into the case. Together they must stop the blackmailer before any lives can be ruined...including their own.

Notes: This author has so many great Valvert fics but this one is probably my favourite. There's the classic "undercover as a couple" trope as well as old timey gay bars. Also a huge fan of how this author portrays Cosette and Valjean's relationship.

In Defiance of all Geometry by idiopathicsmile

Rating: T

Ships: Combeferre/Enjolras/Grantaire

Summary:

Amis House might not be the biggest student co-op, or the fanciest, but it's got something all its own. Specifically, smoke damage on the kitchen ceiling from that time Courfeyrac lit a political pamphlet on fire. In which there are secrets, pining, pancakes, and revelations, and sometimes the shortest distance between three points is not a triangle but a circle.

Notes: I love a good poly fic and this is one of the best. Also just a generally fun and wholesome friendship fic. Definitely a nice comforting read after all the old man angst I've got on here.

Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) by Need_To_Comment_Rising (@aromantic-enjolras)

Rating: T

Ships: Courfeyrac/Enjolras, Combeferre/Courfeyrac (Its complicated)

Summary:

Enjolras takes a swig of his drink with everyone else, and then smirks at Courfeyrac over the rim of his glass. "You didn't seem to mind much me being bossy yesterday night when I had you in my bed..." At his side, Grantaire chokes on his drink and starts coughing. But how did we get here, you might ask? Well, let’s rewind. ------- Enjolras and Courfeyrac have had a friends with benefits arrangement for a while. But when Coureyrac starts dating Combeferre, Enjolras is left with the question of where he fits in the new status quo...

Notes: Another poly fic with aromantic!Enjolras. I love fics with unconventional relationship dynamics as well as people actually communciating with each other (though not before there's been some hijinks ofc). Criminally underrated.

How Marius (Painstakingly) Won the Hand of Mlle. Fauchelevent by writingsyrup (@syrupsyche)

Rating: G

Ships: Cosette/Marius

Summary:

When setting out to woo his beloved Cosette, Marius had never imagined that it would bring him to this: sitting at a dining table next to her grim-faced father, and staring at the marble that was Enjolras picking at his peas. Or; Enjolras and Cosette are siblings in 19th century France. Marius has to deal with the consequences of this.

Notes: Probably the best Marius characterisation I've ever read, he's just so awkward and weird bless him. I love a good awkward "meeting the parents" and this filled that hole in my heart. Is part of a wider series but can be read as a standalone.

Omnia mutantur, nihil interit by Apathy and saltedpin

Rating: M

Ships: Javert/Jean Valjean, Cosette/Marius Pontmercy

Summary:

Valjean's panting breath does not belong to him. He scrambles out of the bed and stumbles on too-light feet to the mirror in the corner, although he already knows what he will see. Peering back at him from behind a curtain of dark hair, wide-eyed, is Éponine Thénardier. Jean Valjean awakens one morning from uneasy dreams to find that something quite unexpected has happened during the night.

Notes: Cosette and Javert get bodyswapped and Marius is weirdly into it, if that's not enough to convince you to read this fic then idk how to help you. Not normally a huge body swap fan but this was absolutely hilarious as well as having some genuinely sweet moments. Also Theodule is there which means something to some people.

It's Not the Same Anymore by ShameDumpster (@shamedumpster)

Rating: T

Ships: Enjolras/Grantaire

Summary:

Grantaire is a bookstore clerk in his late twenties, and to everyone’s eternal disbelief, a father. It’s been years since he’s seen anyone from his former group of friends, after a falling out cleaved him from the ABC, but everything changes when Enjolras walks into his bookstore. Can they rekindle their friendship, or something more, while they both come to terms with how their lives have changed over the past decade?

Notes: SO SO GOODDD!! Top tier slowburn kid fic, I could wax poetic about it for days. Had me gripped from start to finish.

Acts of Mercy by cruisedirector and Dementordelta

Rating: M

Ships: Javert/Jean Valjean

Summary:

After witnessing and reporting a murder, Javert is dismissed from the police and takes a job protecting the women in a brothel, where many of his long-held ideas about justice are challenged.

Notes: Breaking, man from the 1800s finds out that life for women is hard. Such a solid redemption arc fic with some really memorable ocs.

Lynx's Claws and Wolf's Mane by Kaleran

Rating: T

Ships: None

Summary:

When he is older, when he is a prison guard, he thinks back to his childhood and realizes he had been considerably fortunate. "Prison is no place for a girl like you," his mother told him often, usually fussing with what rags they could use for clothing. "Forgive me for this, draga mea." And so, instead of a daughter, she pretended to have a son.

Notes: Completely canon compliant except Javert is trans and the impact that has on the story really adds an extra layer to his character that I find really compelling. Warning, it is very depressing bc canon.

[trashc-anon]

hazbin hotel is polluting my mind so if I were the editor's intern: reco

• either stretch the season into 16 episodes or cut the plotlines in half;

• definitaly cut Alastor's screen time in half (if not more)

• make up your mind how much of the pilot is canon (especially regarding Lucifer)

• episode 1 is good as is, a soft reboot from the pilot without getting in too much detail and I love hating Adam, "Hell is Forever" is banger (i hope the music writers were properly paid and Disney learns why AI is a bad idea!)

• episode 2 is a problem, because Sir Pentious presence is only because of the V's, make that episode 2/2;

• ep 1/2 - Charlie and Vaggie leave the hotel to recruit; Sir Pentious attacks, all on schedule

• Charlie or Vaggie save some of the eggs from being crushed; when the "battle" is over, Pentious is cautiosly agrees to entertain their hospitalty; angel is untrusting;

• "Starts with Sorry"

• leave the Vs as unseen foes, and Alastor's only appearance is his shadow at the end of the episode (Overlords are mysterious unseen threat)

• episode 2/2 - Vs are anxious that Alastor is with the princess;

• see, the first couple of episodes make sense, but they take away from the girls and the hotel

• but "Stayed Gone" is sooo good! maybe use at a later date?

nevermind

• "Stayed Gone" is a fun song, BUT it doesn't make sense for Alastor, mysterious serial killer, to have childish rivalries; why didn't he kill Vox back when he rejected him and Vox got 'pissy'?

• either make Vox less pathetic or less there;

• soooo, episode 3/1 is would be trust exercises

• i actually liked Angel's plan with BDSM, he's not wrong and I wished he had the chance to be an adult that LIKES sex separate from the victim that uses overtsexuality as a defence mechanism

• each character could have their own moment to show what trust means to them; trust comes in different shades;

• between Angel and Maggie we see sexual intimacy and surviving extreme situations; Husk has issues with openess; Niffty with intrusive thoughts;

• IN FACT! actually stablish WHY Husk and Niffty are part of the exercises! they're not guests, Husk says as much, they are employees LOANED by Alastor; they're not there to earn redemption; *vague hand gesture in confusion*

• OKAY - Overlord meeting... ehhhhhh

• i still want to cut Alastor's screentime! whats the point of the meeting? screentime for the overlords, the dead angel (which we know, but main cast won't until episode 7) Carmila being responsible is important, we need to know who to ask for help, but ugh. I get its also, prelude that you need love to fight and win against angels, but its never stablished in canon, Carmila says it to Maggie to use as internal compass to keep her fighting beyond pain and fear; bloodlust is distracting, love is focused;

• my delight with Zestial being all dark and yummy need to take a hike for the sake of - what am i even doing any more?

• I can't help but think how much of these decision are also based on Voice Actor salaries; because Keith David (Husk) gotta be expensive and for a character that is literaly always presented he almost never talks; and just, ALL of them being expensive and ~ahahah better make fewer episodes if you want big names in your projects~

• ughhhh that's when you know a series has issues, when trying to fix you run into a thousand more problems;

• i would respect how much they put into 8 episodes, ONLY IF it's true they didn't know they would get season 2. Because in that case a bunch of these plot lines needed to be dropped, I don't care how fanfavorite the character is;

• the Vs serve no purpose what so ever, you can easily have Valentino as a lone villain (also less confusion about hells social rules about SA and abuse);

• Lucifer should've been the last big name to enter screen; work up to the trial with Heaven for S2E01 (why even a trial)

• just how PLOT heavy is this series that Viv needed Lilith's bomb to drop in season 1? which is a major inconsistancy for a series based on the theme of redemption, a CHARACTER heavy theme;

• as it is, i don't see how Sir Pentious being redeemed is a good thing, because he died before entering Heaven, so other souls need to die too and hope it's not forever? wouldn't that fuel Exterminators cause to kill in name of 'clensing'? (holy shit, the more I write the worse it gets)

• IS there an primordial EVIL to scare the angels so badly?

• omg I hope they won't try to bring actual GOD into the series; I know there is concept art floating around, but please, do not;

• Supernatural barely got away with it in Season 5 because it was a funny 'what if' and made it got bad in Season 10 (?) (no series should ever emulate Supernatural, its a warning I mean it, don't, not worth it, you don't have 10+ years of dead horse to beat)(the fans, me, stayed out of, idk, regretfull loyalty)

• my english is not good enough for this... KAY IM DONE NOW! BYEEEE

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Is it just me or has the card illustrations (specifically the groovy) been kinda bad lately? Like don't get me wrong most of the pre groovy are absolute bangers, but the groovies? Not so much. But lately there has been an obvious decrease in quality with anatomy, and even 😐 a whitewashing problem.

Take Lilia's dorm groovy for example— the piece is gorgeous, but whenever I zoom into his face the way they draw his face looks so off.

As for the whitewashing issue, I've noticed that Leona's beastly garb groovy had him very ashy looking (but some may argue that it's just the lighting casted on him)

Right now though the one that's been bothering me the most is the obvious whitwashing on Kalim's tsum groovy. We really can't argue that it's a lighting issue there, cause Jamil's firework card had a similar setting and he didn't look that light.

Personally, I think TWST’s Groovy illustrations have always been hit or miss since the beginning. I have similar issues with the faces in Lilia and Leona’s Dorm Uniform Groovies, and the anatomy seemed slightly off in a few others. I can’t find the original post anymore (I think OP didn’t tag it??), but I clearly recall an artist having spoken about how the pose in Epel’s initial Dorm Uniform art looked weird; they included drawings of how Epel’s spine and limbs looked vs how they should look to illustrate what they meant. Those are just a few examples of then and now though, and we have to keep in mind that if we include ALL available cards then the funky faces and weird posing/proportions only make up a very small percentage of what’s out there.

The more important issue at the moment is the coloring choices that were made for a few recent SSR event Groovies: Beastly Garb Leona and Tsumsted Kalim. They are pictured below with a few other card illustrations I pulled that have similar lighting (or as similar as I could find). You’ll notice (especially for Tsumsted Kalim’s Groovy) that the characters’ skin colors are much lighter than they should be.

Now I’ll be honest here 💦 I actually can’t tell (even when eyedropping the colors to compare; I don't even know if eyedropping is an accurate way to compare colors since the lighting and environment in every illustration is never EXACTLY the same) if Leona’s Beastly Garb Groovy is just the strong sunlight or if it has been whitewashed. I don’t have enough knowledge and/or experience with color theory and in real life to know for certain. However, as the Anon has said, that same argument cannot be made for the Scarabia duo. It’s particularly bad for Tsumsted Kalim because Yasmina Silk Jamil also had fireworks in the background, and his skin color is fine there. Sometimes artists purposefully use an altered color palate to achieve a different feeling in their pieces (for example, pastel colors for a soft, soothing look). I don’t think that was the case for Tsumsted Kalim because everything else in the Groovy art looks pretty true to color for the lighting (but again, I'm not an expert in coloring so I could be wrong). When taken in conjunction with Leona’s Beastly Garb… it could indicate a troubling pattern.

There’s been a lot of speculation going around for why this has happened, chief among that speculation being the TWST team has likely hired new staff and/or colorists (and Japan, being Japan, is pretty homogenous; it may be difficult to find artists with an understanding of how to color and shade darker skin tones). Again, these are just guesses circulating in the fandom. Nothing is confirmed, and nor does this excuse what has happened.

This has, very understandably, caused a lot of hurt and upset in the TWST fandom and community. So now the question is…

What can we do about it?

You can communicate your feelings to the TWST team! They have a form to collect thoughts and opinions from the playerbase, which can be accessed here.

PLEASE NOTE:

Be polite and professional. Nothing good comes out of anger, especially if the anger is directed at others; if you are rude and/or curse at the staff, they will be much less likely to hear you out.

Communicate in Japanese. The staff you are sending your complaint to are Japanese, and the game itself is Japanese (Beastly Garb Leona and Tsumsted Kalim are not yet out in the EN server, which is staffed by totally different people).

If you don’t know how to write in Japanese, this Twitter user has created polite templates to communicate our concerns with the whitewashing. (Their whole thread is great; please reference it if you need additional assistance!!) I would not recommend adding extra text, especially if you would be relying on a translation program to do so. Speaking in broken Japanese can be perceived as rude and will only detract from your message.

A similar situation to this occurred during the initial run of Fairy Gala; TWST had used “exotic” in its text, and after receiving an influx of feedback from the players, the devs went in and changed the dialogue to no longer use the term. It’s possible to make the change we want to see a reality if we respectfully make our thoughts known.

[minkieater]

────── STRAY KIDS AS ONE PIECE CHARACTERS ˗ˏˋ ´ˎ˗

this is so self indulgent its not even funny. portgas d ace will NOT be included, pls don’t bring him up or else i will cry myself to sleep tonight. also im only on whole cake so pls dont spoil me either. one piece is so special to me ok enjoy

BANG CHAN / RORONOA ZORO ☆

this one is self explanatory— zoro is huge, chan is huge. physically, it just makes sense. personality wise, i see the biggest similarity when it comes to their loyalty, the kids to chan are luffy to zoro, loyal til the end no matter what. zoro is also extremely motivated, he is always working out, always working to master his craft of being the greatest swordsman. chan not only works out, but is also devoted to making music, producing music for skz, putting out banger after banger. and just like we saw with pre timeskip zoro, we know he can be silly just as much as he’s serious, which is very much so chan to me. chanzoro you are so special to me

LEE MINHO / TRAFALGAR WATER D. LAW ☆

an incredible leader, swift, cunning, strong, intelligent, sneaky, funny without even trying, easily agitated… both have somewhat of a darker aura about them, at least in my opinion. give lino the op op fruit he’s using that shit JUST like law room shambles into jisung’s my bed. law is the captain of the heart pirates, a different kind of pirate crew in the op universe, even their jolly roger is a smiley face instead of a skull and bones, that is so lino coded to me. lawlino is canon in my book and bepo is seungmo. thats his son

SEO CHANGBIN / CYBORG FRANKY ☆

hear me out. chan said changbin is ace (i’m crying) and it pissed me off so bad i blocked him on instagram. changbin is SO franky coded it kills me to think he’s anyone else BUT franky but okay hear me out. franky is the strawhats shipwright, he has quite literally laid the foundation for the strawhats to be able to travel the grand line. changbin is the heart of skz, he tries to be the strongest so the kids can count on him, a shoulder to cry on, etc. they’re both hilarious, freakishly strong, extremely emotionally intelligent, sensitive men. strawhats wouldn’t be able to get across the grand line without franky and skz don’t make any decisions without changbin. they are both crucial members of their crew and i stand by that! SUPERRRRR

HWANG HYUNJIN / VINSMOKE SANJI ☆

ah, my princes! bear with me here, i know if we’re talking cooking, our minds go to lino. but, cooking aside, something about hyunjin screams sanji to me. prince of versace and a prince of germa (i’m literally in whole cake rn lets not talk about it) they both not only look like royalty but act like it, too. both are huge flirts, love to take care of their friends, dress well, respectful to women, both do what’s right and what they WANT instead of what’s forced upon them, both are MEN. they would be besties irl

HAN JISUNG / MONKEY D. LUFFY ☆

ok chan had a point with this one, almost unblocked him for it ! hanji is sooooo luffy it’s not even funny— both wildly ambitious, emotionally intelligent and sensitive, loyal, leaders, FUNNY, absolutely insane, would do anything for their friends, loud, both can’t remember SHIT, even down to the fluffy dark hair han jisung you are SO luffy. being a rapper, vocalist, dancer and producer, han is THE ace (im triggered) skz would not be skz without han jisung the way the strawhats wouldn’t exist without luffy. 3racha is so monster trio when were talking powerscaling (lol) hanji even LOOKS like him. not for nothing he is year of the dragon and luffy's dads name is dragon

LEE FELIX / SABO ☆

my beautiful blonde twins omg felix is so sabo. both emotional, we saw how sabo cried when he got his memories back, bro looks just like felix bawling his eyes out onstage. both are also beautiful built yet little nerd boys, sabo was a little fucking weirdo growing up and so is lix and i adore them for it. both older brothers, both beautiful boys that give off gender envy (fight me on this i dare u) in the way that felix was scouted off of facebook to eventually become one of the most popular kpop groups, sabo literally got kidnapped saved by monkey d. dragon just to become second in command of the entire revolutionary army.

KIM SEUNGMIN / NICO ROBIN ☆

ok lowkey i had trouble finding someone who fit seungmo but now i’m feeling pretty confident in my decision. robin grew up wanting to be a scholar in ohara, know the secret of the void century, only to get her future ripped out from under her feet by someone else. seungmin’s original dream was also ripped from him by an injury, but they both put their passion into something else entirely, and have become extremely successful in doing so!!! both are pretty quiet individuals but have savage one liners, extremely intelligent, emotionally stable, not super open people. it took luffy shooting down a government flag for robin to crack herself open, seungmin doesn’t show his emotions that often either— when they do, it shows the impact of the situation. seungmin is a good person to rely on, to trust with your secrets, and i think robin is the same for the strawhats.

YANG JEONGIN / TONY TONY CHOPPER ☆

the babies!!!!!! my fucking babies!!! both the youngest, they take their health seriously + the health of those around them, both a bunch of smiley boys!!! they’re both loved by literally everyone around them how can you NOT love them. both timid, get scared easily, love to eat good food, a lil sassy, solid fashion sense (don’t even tell me chopper doesn’t pull up every arc fitted the fuck up) my silly silly boys!!!!!! i feel so strongly about this even tho i dont have much to say, i feel like i dont have to explain it. they have baby of the group energy and they do NAWT hide it, but both very very crucial members of their team

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

Manhwa Rec: Concubine Walkthrough

Remember when I made a whole post recommending a manhwa because no one else I knew read it so I could find someone to talk to about it? Well, we're back at it again a whole year later for me to tell y'all to go read Concubine Walkthrough. It's 128 chapters (with some bonus content) of pure excellence.

While on the surface looking like a typical otome isekai read of 'MC transmigrates into the body of a story's villainess', Concubine Walkthrough turns the genre on its head with its implementation of sci-fi, philosophy and political battles in addition to beautiful artwork and heart-wrenching storytelling. If you're a fan of The Apothecary Diaries and The Matrix, you will enjoy this ride thoroughly.

Concubine Walkthrough follows the journey of protagonist Yona Lee who in 2030, three years before the start of the story, played a game called Concubine Walkthrough. A popular and innovative otome game falling the protagonist Lili who has been forced to go to the imperial palace to become a concubine.

Max out the various stats Lili has to embark on one of many paths from marrying the emperor to royal imperial consort. Of course the one who stands as the pinnacle of obstructing your progress is villainess, Ranhee Seo, the royal imperial consort the terror of the imperial court.

Yona was only able to play this game to completion once in her life although the desire to complete other endings always remained. Three years later, that chance comes again when, for its upcoming anniversary, Concubine Walkthrough is having a special VR rerelease. That's all fine and dandy, what isn't fine and dandy though is the fact that Yona has woken up in the game without any memory of ever logging on. Furthermore, she's playing as the game's villainess, Ranhee.

Nothing she does will summon the game's menu and nothing she does let's her log out. The game master only gives her one requirement to exit the game, Marry the emperor and make Ranhee Seo the empress.

It's only then that Yona remembers that for the special VR release of the game, one of the promoted features of the rerelease was a co-op mode and she might not be the only player stuck in the game as she is forced to strategize and partake in deadly games within the world of concubines.

Through its storytelling, Concubine Walkthrough encourages both the readers and characters alike to contemplate:

If you woke up one day and realized your entire life was a simulation, does that make your life any less meaningful? Simulated it may have been, the pains and joys your heart experienced was still real to you. It's still your life.

What is reality and what does that mean to you? Is reality something you choose for yourself or is that choice made for you?

All wrapped in unique artwork, comedy gold and riveting political plots as you watch Yona survive plots on her life and has to strategize her get backs.

1) Beautiful Artwork

Concubine Walkthrough is one of the most splendid manhwas in terms of artwork. It's drawn intentionally to look reminiscent of traditional Korean artwork and is incredibly intricate from the hanbooks to the headpieces the various characters wear.

These are just a few of my favorite shots from the series but they are far from the only ones. From the very first chapter, you're getting hit with bangers in terms of the quality. Bongbong never misses.

2) The comedy is immaculate

From Yona getting stuck with shitty items like a hairclip that gives her the sense of smell of a dog but compels her to bark uncontrollably to getting a jar that's literally only full of candy.

Yona's luck with items is absolute dog water and because of that, she can find herself in some hilarious situations. She can't get anything good to save her own life and seeing how she has to make these items work is a treasure in its own right.

Even without that, Yona's dynamic with characters like Lili is quite hilarious as the story progresses.

3) The mystery & philosophy

Even Yona's eyes are representative of red and blue pills given to Neo in The Matrix.

If you're a fan of sci-fi, romance and want to read an otome isekai romp that subverts your expectations? Please read this manhwa. It's The Matrix mixed with historical Korean fiction (and of course, otome isekai at its finest).

I loved loved LOVED the philosophy behind the story, the themes. The discussion of what reality is and choosing what reality means/is to you.

Just because your entire life is a simulation, does that make your entire life up until that point irrelevant? Simulated it may be, your joy, your pain, your love, all of that still felt real, right? There were so many things I never considered about that very topic until I read this series.

4) The Characters

There is not enough time in the day to delve into the characters of Concubine Walkthrough. They're all layered, complex and you won't be able to get enough of them as the story progresses. Even now after finishing the story months later, I still want more content concerning the cast. From protagonists to side characters.

Yona is a very compelling protagonist from start to finish. She's active, rather than letting things just happen she gets the jump on what she can. Her intelligence and her empathy as well as her comedic genius is so fun to watch along the beautifully illustrated pages. Not to mention her chemistry with characters Lili and Youngjung is a sight to behold.

Sadly, despite how key Lili and Youngjung are to the plot, I cannot delve too deeply about them due to spoilers. What I can say, however, is that Lili is a breath of fresh air on the trope of having the original protagonist of the source material interact with the story's female lead.

And Youngjung? In a lot of ways he represents the themes I was discussing in my previous point.

And of course, I cannot mention Concubine Walkthrough without bringing up Sunshine in any capacity. The mysterious eunuch who has become Yona's ally in this game. Like Lili and Youngjung, I cannot delve too deeply into this character without major spoilers but just know that even when you think you finally have the grasp on this character, Bongbong will still manage to flip the script on its head and surprise you. Multiple times even.

ー

And I think that's enough singing praises for this manhwa (not really). Like I said, this manhwa is The Apothecary Diaries meets The Matrix wrapped up in the bow of the otome isekai genre. Not only do you get beautiful artwork but a vibrant cast and deep story along with it.

A violent yet captivating world of concubines with a strong splash of sci-fi sounds like such a strange mixture, but Bongbong blends them beautifully into one of the best stories I've ever read.

Please, and I cannot stress this enough, give Concubine Walkthrough a read.

[neospokenworld]

SPRING ANIME 2024 FINAL THOUGHTS

So just like I did months ago with my first impressions post, here are my final thoughts on every anime I started watching that was ongoing this season. I'm gonna list them as they end to be more organized and not have it jump around, so before we start, here's a quick section about the anime I dropped:

Astro Note: I forgot it existed past the first episode not gonna lie lol, I'll probably resume it in the future since it was a fun first episode but other than that nothing else to say

High Speed Etoilé: I wanted to like this so badly, the story could've been interesting but from what I saw it never hooked me at all, plus the 3d was very rigid so overall it wasn't as good to continue

Spice & Wolf: This is one I'll surely resume in the future, I was liking what I was seeing but one day I just lost track of it and never returned. What I saw left me with a very good taste so this is one that I have to resume someday

Okay, now we can begin:

DUNGEON MESHI

Started watching this one when it was at episode 18 and caught up to it really quickly. I honestly wasn't expecting to like it for some reason but as soon as I started it I knew it was gonna be a fun ride altogether. Nice characters, a good story, excellent animation (I mean it's Trigger but this is like my 2nd anime from them) and food that I would 100% eat if it was real lol. I'm glad it's getting a 2nd season because I really wanna see how it continues

BARTENDER: KAMI NO GLASS

This was beautiful, what else can I say? I mean I knew that this anime would be different after watching the first episode, even joking to myself while watching it ''This is premium anime'' lol. Everything from start to finish had this soothing vibe to it that I absolutely enjoyed and not gonna lie I think from episode 6 onward it knew how to push the right buttons on me to make me more and more emotional, by the time I finished the final episode I was on tears of happiness hearing the credits. I don't know how the original was but I think this is a gem of an anime that surely deserves to be talked about more

YORU NO KURAGE WA OYOGENAI

It never stopped delivering peak, back when the first episode aired I knew it would be something special, and while it felt just a little aimless past the episode of their first concert, I think in the end it wrapped up the main points kinda nicely. This is a show that got me feeling emotional on a near weekly basis and always knew how to share banger episodes. Even if it wasn't yuri in the end it was still a beauty of an anime in my opinion, it only needs to polish a few small things here and there to be basically a masterpiece imo and hopefully the manga that is coming along with it can do it

SHUUMATSU TRAIN DOKO E IKU?

This was such a fun ride overall, I gotta admit back on the first episodes I had a feeling this would be something that would break me when they were close to Ikebukuro, but even if in the end it didn't it was still a really good ride from beginning to end. One thing I liked was how the conversations between the girls were a bit faster than in most anime out there, I don't know but that made them feel more natural to me, it was cool to see all of them interact with the weirdness of the world and ngl this finale actually moved me a little lol. Not the best but still a pretty good one all in all

PS: Both the Opening and Ending here are severely underrated, Ga-Ton Go-Ton is on my top 3 for OPs this season and Eureka is easily my favorite ED for the season, both of them are just so good both visually and musically it's surprising to say the least

Part 2 will come when the other 4 end, so probably early next week

[landgraabbed]

it's been a while since i last shared the game that currently has my attention, and currently that is outward: definitive edition (dev: nine dot studios). this got long, so i'll put it under the cut. the short of it is that i am in love with this game that is catered to freaks like me in every way!

the game was first released in 2019, and the definitive edition including all dlcs came out in 2022, and i'd say this game was on my radar since 2020-2022, but i never really played it until now. i've been enjoying my time with this game, and what a game it is! it makes me feel like most of my favorites do: scrabbling for victories, being forced to get by the skin of my neck, and having to always play past my mistakes. in many ways it reminds me of favorites such as dragon's dogma, morrowind my heavily modded skyrim, and souls games to an extent, but with survival elements added on to it.

to set the stage, this game puts you in the boots of a gender neutral Just A Guy™ who is saddled with debt incurred by their grandmother and is on the verge of losing their lighthouse home. in aurai, actions that damage the community may incur what is called a blood price, meaning a bloodline may have to pay the price of said actions even decades or centuries removed from the action. the first chapter of your adventure sees you attempting to repay a parcel of the blood price on your bloodline by whatever means possible within 5 days, after your hard work was lost in the same shipwreck that nearly took your life. and off you go to do that. you can approach this goal by whatever means you can come up with and you can also fail to do so, and the game will continue. where i am currently, i managed to barely make the deadline and have been exploring the world. there are currently four factions i can approach in order to advance the plot, but i am taking my time to meet all of them before i make a decision. they each are tackling different issues in aurai at the moment, such as the holy mission's quest to fight against the scourge.

the moment to moment gameplay is very engaging to me. it really is a game that anyone who knows me knows that of course it will appeal to me. navigation reminds me of morrowind with npcs giving you directions and a complete lack of quest markers (or even an indication of where you are in the map! you need to orient yourself using landmarks and road signs). combat is brutal and best avoided at most times. you need to manage your inventory and loadout for the climate and your needs, as well as what you expect to encounter in your journeys, where the weight of your inventory is very important. your stats will become burnt (i.e., you will have a temporarily reduced maximum stamina until rest) the more you use them, greatly emphasizing how you're just a rando. there is magic in this world, but you don't start out with mana needed to cast spells and must perform a difficult pilgrimage to the center of the mountain that dominates the landscape of the first area. and even then, you must sacrifice your precious hp and stamina to build a mana pool. the tradeoff: magic has been absolutely fun and op in my experience. the game rewards preparation and knowing when the fuck to leg it most of all. and if you meet your untimely demise, you're not sent to the last checkpoint. instead, the game rolls one of the appropriate defeat scenarios appropriate to your current situation which can be a boon or a curse (and honestly must have been the inspiration to the alternative death system part of this skyrim mod). the game constantly autosaves, so savescumming isn't a possibility. most of all, you wander in a lovely environment to the sound of bangers.

pictures were only edited to add some small grain and are at the native resolution of the steam deck since it's where i've been playing! i do want to look at it on my laptop too. it also features online and splitscreen co-op, but i haven't tried that out. i do hear it's a great way to approach the game. another thing i really enjoyed learning about is the studio's investment in promoting a crunch-free, ethical philosophy to game development, and extending that over their publishing efforts in order to foster the development of more indie niche games developped ethically.

[gentleoverdrive]

[November/1 of 2] Let's go on a journey!

Let's talk about ACCA: 13-Territory Inspection Department.

(How to hook your audience right the hell out of the gate: with an incredible banger of an OP) ---- ACCA 13 (I'm just going to call it that from now on) is a manga written by the unbeatable Natsume Ono, the same trailblazer behind the heart-wrenching Not Simple, the charming Ristorante Paradiso and many others, and personally one of my favorite anime of all time. ---- No, this is not hyperbole: I mean it 100%

(I'm aware my taste is a little bit on the "oldie" side of things, but again, just presenting evidence; you can make your own topster here) ---- Natsume Ono is a master of her craft and will often get you invested in narratives that you might have otherwise given a pass to (an all-too-common problem with anime and manga, unfortunately) and nowhere is this more evident than in ACCA 13, which concerns itself with the story of one Jean Otus.

(Smoking is a filthy habit, but damn if our pretty man du jour doesn't make it look cool as hell) ---- Jean is a 28-29 year old man who works as the second-in-command of the auditing branch for the ACCA organization. ACCA is the Dowa Kingdom's civilian organization in charge of its Thirteen Territories' governance, and our man here is often the one in charge of making sure that no one is cooking any books, fleecing its subjects, etc. Basically he watches the watchmen. ---- Jean is easily recognizable for his blond hair, piercing blue eyes, perpetually even-tempered disposition, being a smart cookie, and his chain-smoking. He's also extremely good at ruffling the feathers of many a person without meaning to. ---- Following him in the weird life he lives is his little sister Lotta...

(Yes, she is voiced by the always delightful Aoi Yuuki (JP) and Alexis Tipton (EN), what gave it away?) ---- Ray of sunshine, high-schooler, building manager and baked goods enthusiast. Jean being who he is worries her but she also knows that her brother is far more perceptive than he's given credit for. ---- To finish with the "main trio". we have Nino...

(Hotter men have likely existed in anime, sure; few, if any, have ever carried themselves with the sheer natural swagger this man does) ---- Nino has been a family friend of the Otuses for a while, and often makes it a point to check in on the siblings and see what's up, especially since the siblings are otherwise all the family they have. He fancies himself a freelance reporter/photographer... or does he? ---- And that's one of the charms/strongest points about ACCA 13: Some things/people are not always what they seem, and it's always good to keep your eyes and ears peeled to find your way around life, a philosophy often espoused by the other "secret" main character in this shindig, ACCA Director-General Mauve...

(Speaking of sheer charisma, swagger and handsomeness/beauty) ---- Voiced by the late Atsuko Tanaka in Japanese and Rachel Robinson in English, Mauve is a character who recognizes that not all that seems well is actually well, but she also strives in making sure things end up going well, which is how she gets the ball rolling in our story. ---- Natsume Ono, like many other idiosyncratic writers, likes to stick to certain themes and narrative devices, and ACCA 13 is no different in this regard. What is also true is that you'll always get something really special with her, since she often likes to address different topics and circumstances of people. And while many characters come and go in this series, they're all pretty memorable...

This is a series that, in my opinion, you cannot go wrong with either the original Japanese, the localization of the dub or even the original manga. 12 episodes/6 volumes that are a sheer joy from beginning to end and a cast that delivers in spades. Fantastic music, storyboards, cinematography and outstanding performances regardless of which language preference you may have. ---- Shingo Natsume & Tomohiro Suzuki (the director and head of the writers' room for this) were coming out of a hot streak that came from working on Space Dandy and the first season of One Punch Man and you can tell that they're firing on all cylinders with this incredible adaptation. ---- Again, there's a reason I really like this show and put it on my "all time faves" list, even if I admit that I have cooled off considerably wrt Re:Zero and Free!, so maybe I need to update that list, but I pretty much stand for everything else, including this absolute jewel. Anyway, enjoy yourselves and I'll read you on the next one!

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group E Round 2: #E7 vs #E3

#E7: Teenage boys use empathy to solve problems for youkai

#E3: Sending us penguins will NOT fix our terminally ill sister, but thanks anyways

Details and poll under the cut!

#E7: The Morose Mononokean (Fukigen na Mononokean)

Summary:

Without realizing it, a high schooler named Ashiya Hanae shows kindness to a youkai and is subsequently possessed by it on the first day of class. The spirit clings to his shoulder, making him progressively sicker each day. After a week of collapsing on his way into school, Ashiya notices a “Help Wanted” flyer for an exorcism service in the nurse’s office. Desperate, he calls the service, only to find that it is run by his grumpy classmate.

Abeno Haruitsuki prefers youkai to humans, sleeps through class, and is the master of a sentient tea room called the Mononokean, where youkai come for help with their problems. It turns out that they’re mostly benign, and exorcising them to the Underworld is safer for them. Ashiya convinces Abeno to exorcise the spirit possessing him, but Abeno demands he work part-time for the Mononokean as repayment. Abeno’s intimate knowledge of the spirit world and Ashiya’s empathetic nature form a great contrast as they work together.

Propaganda:

The Morose Mononokean is a beautifully written and animated coming-of-age story— with youkai, which can only ever make a piece of media better. The characters, both human and youkai, are fully three-dimensional, and although there isn’t much of an overarching plot in the first season/early manga chapters, the episodic stories contribute to the growth of both Ashiya and Abeno; their juxtaposed methods of problem-solving, and the way they affect and learn from each other’s perspectives as they become closer, are very satisfying both to analyze and to experience on an emotional level. Beyond the writing, the art is outstanding as well. The designs for the youkai characters are frequently adorable, occasionally terrifying, and always quite original, brilliantly incorporating characteristics of existing creatures in novel ways. The occasional visits to the Underworld are always a visual treat, with vibrant colors and a unique animation style painting the backdrop. Both the art and the characters are delightful and moving, and the OP is a banger. As a connoisseur of urban fantasy, Fukigen na Mononokean’s focus on emotion over action has made it my all-time favorite anime in the genre.

Trigger Warnings: None.

#E3: Mawaru Penguindrum

Summary:

For the Takakura family, destiny is an ever-spinning wheel, pointing passionately in their direction with equal tides of joy and sorrow before ticking on to the next wishmaker. With their parents gone, twin brothers Kanba and Shouma live alone with their beloved little sister Himari, whose poor health cannot decline any further.

On the day Himari is given permission to temporarily leave the hospital, her brothers take her out to the aquarium to celebrate, where the family's supposed fate is brought forth with her sudden collapse. However, when Himari is inexplicably revived by a penguin hat from the aquarium's souvenir shop, the hand of fate continues to tick faithfully forward.

With her miraculous recovery, though, comes a cost: there is a new entity within her body, whose condition for keeping her fate at bay sends the boys on a wild goose chase for the mysterious "Penguin Drum." In their search, the boys will have to follow the threads of fate leading from their own shocking past and into the lives of other wishmakers vying for the Penguin Drum, all hoping to land upon their chosen destiny.

Propaganda:

Do you like weird artsy stuff? Do you love magical girls? How about weird, messed up character dynamics? Then boy oh boy, Mawaru Penguindrum is the show for you! The show starts out funny enough, but will quickly spiral into an intense and intricate plot, involving fate, the mafia, magical destiny-rewriting spells, and penguins. Which yes, before you ask, the funny penguins are in fact plot relevant.

Penguindrum isn’t really a show about all that stuff though, even though it is. It’s a very symbolic story, about living under the crushing heel of capitalism, and the quiet poison of the societally expected nuclear family dynamic. I could write an essay on each and every single one of the characters, as they’re all given a lot of depth and time to grow. Every character has their own baggage that, one way or another, ties back to someone else. Everyone in this show is connected in some way shape or form, and that’s really highlighted when everything starts to fall apart. Be warned: this show is NOT a light watch! If you’re the type of person who gets really into deciphering symbolism and creating your own meaning from pieces of media, then this show is for you!

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Domestic Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Flashing Lights/Flickering Images, Gender Identity/Sexuality Discrimination, Guns, Incest, Kidnapping, Nudity, Pedophilia, Rape/Non-Con, Smoking, Suicide, Bomb Threats/Attempts and Terrorisim

It’s a very major plot point. This show is HEAVILY based off the 95 Tokyo Sarin Gas Attacks, so if content like that is triggering to you, tread lightly.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how they’re presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 10/04/2024

The World Ends With PSY

Season 1 Featured on: GilvaSunner's Highest Quality Video Game Rips: Volume 7: Part mm2wood

Ripped by Metalik

Hey, it's the 10th of April - 10/4, like the 104 building! I couldn't resist!

Here's a fun fact for you: Long before I was running this blog, I was making a certain other SiIvaGunner project, and through working on it decided to reach out to the SiIvaGunner channel head, MtH of Bigger at Night (Chung Yard) fame, for the first time ever. So what was one of the first-ever things I directly told someone from the SiIvaGunner team? "Make more The World Ends With You rips". Yes, I was young(er) and stupid(er), awkward and strange, and I of course now know that good rips come to those who make them, but the sentiment holds true even today. The World Ends With You's soundtrack still means EVERYTHING to me. And, well, though we don't have many rips to go around for the game, I will continue to cherish the ones we do have: because as far back as Season 1, there have been absolute bangers within out small selection.

Now, if you've followed SiIvaGunner for any amount of time, you know about the joke of The World Ends With PSY already. It's PSY, the K-Pop legend, the man behind Gangnam Style, Gentleman and so many more hits, and perhaps more importantly, a YTPMV celebrity. He's had annual days of celebration on SiIvaGunner, one of which I covered back with One Winged PSYcho - V​.​S. Sepsyrop, and rippers have continued to find all kinds of creative ways to utilize the man's distinct sound, including the sentence-mixing marvel of Korean Idiot. Those two rips are still the only PSY-specific I've covered on here, but they lay a pretty concise groundwork, particularly the former: Most PSY rips made for SiIva utilize PSY's "eyys" and "ops" for truly next-level YTPMV-tier postings, the kind that you'll also hear in big meme medley rips like ULTRA S+G. Yet, that kind of makes The World Ends With PSY a neat novelty, in a way: in the days of Season 1 before PSY's presence on the channel was so clearly decided, one Metalik made a PSY rip that goes against the pattern all three prior mentioned rips follow.

Rather than usurping Calling's instrumentation with leads made up purely of PSY's immaculate soundscape, The World Ends With PSY is a no-nonsense mashup, between PSY's Daddy and the aforementioned game track. Calling as a song is defined by the contrast between its noisy electronic backing and its beautiful vocals, like a light trying to shine through the darkness - The World Ends With PSY, then, is as if more noise is added to that blend, with pieces of Daddy's instrumental persisting throughout the track as PSY's own vocals alternate in and out with the original vocalist. It's a really interesting mashup - PSY's always prominent within it, yet the original beauty of Calling's vocals never feel as if they're drowned out, just framed within such a different kind of noisiness. To cut a long yap short - it bangs!! It isn't the kind of vocal/instrumental mashup that wholly changes the track's tone a la My Dr. Eggman Can't Be This Evil!, but it undoubtedly IS different, yet different in a way that highlights the strengths of both tracks used.

And yes, this is a Season 1 rip nonetheless, I can certainly hear some slight cracks in the facade at points - but The World Ends With PSY remains my favorite rip the game has gotten in all of these years. Compared to some other efforts made earlier in the season, such as Three Minutes Clapping literally just being what the track name says, or Deja Vu just switching to the titular Eurobeat song at the chorus' end - funny gags for sure, but none quite feeling like a loveletter to The World Ends With You in the way I've long wanted. We've gotten a sprinkling of rips of the game since, but it was The World Ends With PSY that I first connected with all those years ago - the rip that reassured me that the game's soundtrack is still remembered and cherished by others aboard the team.

[itsavgbltpta]

Should You Watch Undead Murder Farce?

(Japanese title: Undead Girl Murder Farce)

A Brief Summary

In an alternate universe where demons and monsters still exist, one half-oni is living out his days in a fight club, just waiting to die.  That is, until a genius detective manages to catch his eye.  With promises of extending his life in an exchange to end her immortal one, the two pair up - along with the detective’s maid who happens to be handy with a rifle.  The trio solves some mysteries in Japan before going global, searching for the man who wronged them both and meeting some familiar literary figures along the way.

With so many scheming people together - friend and foe - it’s a battle of who can out-think and out-detective each other in order to win the day.

So, should you watch the anime?

Yes!

To be fair, I have a predilection for media (shows, books, whatever) where geniuses keep trying to out-do each other.  I love a person with a plan that’s thinking 30 steps ahead in 5D chess.  And this show is abundant with that character type.  I also like it when a show can keep me on my toes.  Undead Murder Farce kept up a lot of mystery throughout, which also makes it kind of hard to talk about in fear of spoiling things.

The season is made up of several arcs, each 2-3 episode arc involving a specific mystery to be solved.  There is also a general mystery tying things together and giving reasons for our characters to come together.  Our detective trio often clashes with an organization made up of supernatural beings, sometime works alongside vigilantes, and tend to end up meeting a whole lot of interesting folk.

I was a bit skeptical when the show made a change from the Japanese setting to Merry Olde England, and also wary for our detective hero party to suddenly be in the realm of probably the most well known detective in all fiction, but this show managed to pull it off.  Sherlock didn’t steal the show.  Lupin may have. ;)

One of my least favorite characters in Undead Murder Farce is the maid body-guard.  She didn’t seem to have much point in the plot-line besides being sullen and getting into certain… situations… but you know what, I bet there are people who really like her and those situations, so I’m not upset, lol.

The animation is really nice and action sequences flow well.  I am a fan of the character design so that gets a win from me, but I know that’s always a subjective thing.  But if you like any of the faces you see in the image for this article, then you’ll be good to go.

I have to mention the absolute banger of an OP this anime has as well.  It gave me big K-Pop vibes (in a good way).  I did a little digging and the group that performs the OP is part of the K-Pop world, so I guess that vibe makes sense.  It’s a song I can easily recall even half a year later (which is kind of a rarity with the amount of anime I watch), and it sparked joy every week.

For me, characters are a big part of what makes me enjoy a story, so what kind of characters does Undead Murder Farce have jam-packed within each mystery-solving episode?

A slightly perverted and laid-back Rakugo-styled half-oni experiment that can put up a mean fight with a smile always on his face (Tsugaru).

An immortal genius looking for someone to end said immortality - oh and also looking for her body as she’s currently just a very intelligent head in a cage (Aya Rindou).

A military-esque maid who can keep up with the monsters around her, though she also somehow ends up in rather sapphic situations (Shizuku).

A gentleman thief that’s always a few steps ahead of his detective opponents and tends to add a dramatic flourish to all he does (Arsene Lupin).

The big detective himself, full of snark and confident that he is the alpha detective in Europe, despite the supernatural competition (Sherlock Holmes).

The epitome of a polished lady who isn’t afraid to show off her assets and also sink her teeth - quite literally - into anyone who gets in her way (Carmilla).

Plus a whole heaping of other figures from literature and supernatural origins, including the mother-fucking Phantom of the Opera.  Just because.  

I skipped on a few key spoiler characters as this anime is all about mystery, and who am I to give it away?

Where does it rate on my personal scale?

S: I will buy it at full price (unless it’s released by Aniplex USA, because fuck their pricing).

->A: I will buy it on sale sometime down the line.

B: I had fun watching it, but don’t need to own it.

C: It’s not my cup of tea, but wasn’t awful.

D: Dropped it.

X: Finished it out of spite, but did not enjoy it.

Undead Murder Farce was a lot of fun to watch, so it gets an A ranking from me.  It was probably my favorite anime of the summer 2023 season, and the show I most looked forward to watching every week.  While some mysteries were solved in the 12 episodes that aired, we’re still missing a resolution for the over-arching plot lines.  I very much hope we get a season 2!

[animechick2015]

Anime I Watched in 2023, Part 1:

1. God Troubles Me 5/5

This is technically called a donghua but we’ll consider this an anime for this list. This show is the Chinese version of Gintama and I am for it. It so hilariously charming that I got addicted quickly. There wasn’t a single character that I disliked. In fact, there wasn’t a single episode that made me bored. The animation style was godly that it definitely gave a lot of Japanese anime a run for their money. Please, please, please give this one a chance.

2. Mob Psycho 100 100/10

Epic. Brilliant. Heart warming. Those are not enough to describe how much I loved this anime but it’ll have to do. Seriously, this one blew me away. I thought it was just a quirky anime about a middle schooler going psycho whenever he’s pissed but I’m so glad I was wrong. The second season caught me by surprise; it’s definitely my favorite of the three. Mob’s character development happened so effortlessly that I actually had to take a moment to let it all seep in on how much he changed. Also Reigen is the best Master in the anime universe, hands down. His confession to Mob at the end brought tears to my eyes, he truly cared for Mob.

3. Charlotte 4/5

Absolutely loved this one. The reason that this didn't get 5 stars was because the ending felt a bit rushed. Also, I didn't like Kumagami dying. He was such a vital character that I felt like we should've explored more. If I was the MC I would've definitely travelled back in time just to save him. Overall, I highly recommend this anime.

4. Barakamon 5/5

After watching a depressing anime like Charlotte, you definitely need something lighthearted to watch and this was really got me out of my funk. I wasn't expecting this to be so funny, honestly. This was such a warm, funny, slice of life that made me crave living in the countryside.

5. Blue Lock 5/5

Ok I have to admit I didn't start off liking this one. Isagi's whining was grating on my nerves. Thankfully, I have learnt the error of my ways and have now come to realize that Isagi is HIM! Holy crap the development of this boy was crazzzzyy. There are so many interesting characters in this show that I was confused who was the real main character. Also, it was so refreshing to have an anime without the power of friendship; it was every man for themselves and I was absolutely there for it.

6. Play It Cool Guys 5/5

Ahhhh this was such a cute wholesome anime! If you're stressed out with life please just watch these adorkable group of young men try to navigate their lives. It was so nice to see the uncool side of guys for once. The episodes were short and sweet and I really hope we get another season of them.

7. Tomo-chan is a Girl! 5/5

This was such a funny and sweet show. I'm always a sucker for friends to lovers romance so this was right up my alley. This anime also had so many charming side characters that I couldn't but fall in love with them also.

8. Ice Guy and his Cool Work Colleague 5/5

I felt so single watching this. How do I sign up to work at their company? I swear everyone was finding love and being all happy while all I get in my workplace is stress and more stress. It was also so refreshing to have a romance anime with adults and not high schoolers.

9. Demon Slayer Season 3 5/5

Another great season to another great anime. Can I just add that I loved the OP from episode one while everyone was hating on it; it was such a banger! The animation was once again top tier that I can't wait to see what the studio does when animating the last arc. This was a tough season to compete with the flashy brilliance of Tengen's last season but they did wonderfully. I'm glad I got to see my baby girl Mitsuri finally animated.

10. My Love For Yamada -kun is Lv 999 5/5

I watched the first episode right after it aired and I knew I couldn't hold out for another week. I devoured the manga! It was that good. The anime definitely didn't disappoint. This was such a sweet, comforting anime that put my cynical heart at ease. I really hope that we get more seasons because my boy Yamada is the standard!

[adracat]

G-Witch Episode 13 - Second Cour Start

It's been awhile! I'm positively jittery to break down this episode. Let's start with that banger OP change shall we?

I love the imagery in this shot in particular. It's interesting that we see Suletta start in shadow, slowly moving to the light throughout. The symbolism is obviously framing Miorine as the light she seeks (edeleth flashbacks anyone?) Oh and the boys have a brief cameo. Yeesh Guel looks like a defeated wreck. 5lan has weird prominence so I wonder if he'll be something after all. Maybe a heel turn? Antagonist at least judging from the glimpse of Pharact. Shaddiq certainly will be.

Aerial Rebuild my beloved. I love her so much and she looks so stylish in action. But woof, I feel bad for Earth House. They're deeply affected by the terrorist attack, and cringe at the violence involved with duels. Great detail!

Meanwhile, Suletta's persistent cheeriness is a stark contrast. They're puzzled she can remain so blithe about it. Shame they don't know our poor little tomato head has been brainwashed by mother dearest. More on that later.

Miorine on the other hand is going through the wringer. We only see her briefly but it says so much about her mindset. She's dressed in a black business suit, as if already mourning her father and preparing to take his place at Benerit. It's not surprising she's neglecting herself while she watches her father, but you hate to see it.

Prospera: You did the right thing brutally liquidizing that guy, Suletta. Very smart. Another way? Don't be silly. Murder is always ethical.

Lol. Lmao. Ugly crying. You're going to need so much therapy.

I saw this in the promos but it's still crazy they just stroll into the episode like this. This episode humanizes them, which is nice. You glean nuggets of character from Sophie especially. She's an endearing terrorist if nothing else. The detail of naming her stuffed animals her family, the sister moniker for Suletta-- it paints a lonely portrait of a girl desperate for familial connection.

Norea is interesting too, stoic but blatantly disdainful of the luxuries Spacians take for granted. Clean air/water, plentiful vegetation, and even general happiness. All things Earthians lack.

And here comes the Benerit brigade to make their lives worse. I sense super fun times ahead ;-; I do wonder what the endgame for Dawn of Fold is though. They must know attacking Delling would result in violent retaliation. Hm, something to think about.

Good for Nika standing up for herself and Earth House! Sophie and Norea's simple school life might be over soon as it began. Rather audacious they thought murdering a girl on campus wouldn't be noticed lol. Suletta was so dashing protecting her friend 🥺 She may be highly impressionable but she's a good egg. Next episode, it'll be a duel for Nika's life! I can't wait~

And omg Miorine figured it out. This makes the quick fic I wrote canon compliant! Very pleased we solved that misunderstanding quickly.

This is worrisome though. What really is Quiet Zero and why is Delling convinced it'll bring peace? And what will come of Prospera using Mio to further it? Nothing good, I wager.

But enough of all that dire stuff. Let's discuss the phenomenal ED

The first thing that came to mind when seeing this is Utena. What we see here is Suletta and Aerial serving as the Duelist and Witch respectively. It's incredibly smart to have Aerial in the role of unwilling servant/collaborator both for Utena parallels but also for The Tempest. She can't break free from her servitude, trapped as Arial is as a servant of Prospero and Anthy to Akio. Utena/Suletta is the one who struggles against delusion and misguided beliefs. GOD IT'S SO GOOD Y'ALL

The ED is so romantic too, I'm going to faint. They way they look at each other, even Mio who visibly seems uncertain. And the way their joined hands tremble in the last shot? You can feel Suletta's desperation. That collection of Suletta's is so ominous and witchy too. Reminds me of PMMM. (Also confirms Eri clones in Aerial?? Maybe) This season is off to a rocking start <3

[neospokenworld]

SUMMER ANIME 2024 FINAL THOUGHTS (PART 1)

So just like last season, I'm gonna put here a post with my final thoughts of every anime I saw this season and just like last season, I'm gonna start with the ones I dropped so yeah, let's begin!

Mayonaka Punch: Don't get me wrong, it was good but I was getting busier and when I noticed I was like 4 episodes behind lol, what I saw was good so I'll come back in the future surely. Also just wanted to say that this anime had my favorite ending of the entire season lol, it's just so cute and the spoken word like song is one that I really enjoyed

Suicide Squad Isekai: Okay, maybe I shoul've given this the 3 episode rule but counterpoint, I wasn't even liking the first episode at all lol

I just found it boring while watching it and why force myself into watching something I'm not enjoying? so yeah I dropped it lol. Two good things from the series tho: One, Harley Quinn's design looks super cute and two, the ending was such a banger it's crazy. Other than that yeah I didn't like it so it was dropped

Okay, now we can truly begin:

MY DEER FRIEND NOKOTAN

Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan

Okay, was this a disappointment? I don't think so, was it the greatest anime of the season? not at all lol.

Honestly I saw someone say a few days ago that ''the show peaked at episode 1'' and it is kinda true, episode 1 came in really hard and made everyone thought this was gonna be the next Nichijou or Pop Team Epic... And in the following episodes it became more and more clear this was gonna be a SoL anime with the absurd humor being somewhat relevant at times.

In my opinion once you get out of your head that the show is gonna be absurd humor with tons of changes and just see it as a Slice of Life with random elements the anime becomes much better, and even then from episode 5 onwards it found a good balance of chill and absurd which I liked in the end. The OP was a banger, the ED was fun, and each episode had at least one joke that made me chuckle so yeah, while not as good as it was hyped up at the beginning it still was quite fun in the end.

VTUBER LEGEND

I started watching this 'cause the premise looked kinda fun and after watching it, I think this might be my 2nd favorite anime this season.

I loved this so much, this may be because I was getting more in the vtuber rabbit whole while watching it (two separate things btw, just a coincidence) but this was really, really good. The humor on one hand was most of the times really spot on for me, it really brings that sort of unhinged behavior you can get through Hololive clips, and going outside of it the characters were really lovable too. Really liked everyone in the agency one way or another (even the one who always said that she's a baby lol) they all had good chemistry with Awayuki and even if there were a few that barely appeared in general (the catgirl one rarely appeared and Hikari while being the first properly introduced besides our MC, appeared very briefly throughout the anime) all of them were very likeable in the end.

I also appreciate a lot how this anime did something similar to Chainsaw Man and had a different ending on each episode, it's nice to see and imo it shows that love was poured into the adaptation, the way this wasn't explicitly a gl anime is something that most wouldn't appreciate but imo it's perfect this way, not everything has to revolve between romance to be good and the friends that Awayuki made throughout the series clearly shows it (altho I personally would like the Mashiron x Awayuki ship lol) in the end showing very little to no romantic intentions worked wonderfully here.

Nothing else to say, this was super good and loved it all the way.

SHY 2ND SEASON

more of a 2nd cour but eh, still works good imo lol

Honestly I'm not a big fan of the superhero stuff, but ever since seeing Shy last year I knew this would be something I would adore, the first season was amazing and definitely an underrated gem and this one? this one was just a good

What a banger of a season 2/cour 2, the characters were still on point, the new ones on Ai/Mai/Tokimaru/Century and the new Amalareiks were real good to see and this arc was just super good. I always expect Shy to be just like this season was, starts off slow and steady and it sneakily goes up until it becomes a real gem altogether. Hopefully this gets renewed for a new season 'cause this was really good to follow, for now I'll more than likely go follow the manga from here on out. This was really good.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I really like how there were different EDs here too, not like one each episode but there were a few here and there, which was really cool to see outside of the art that is always resent at the EDs since season 1, nice detail there

Just like last season, the next batch will probably be out next week lol.

[everysongineverykey]

and now, what no one's been waiting for: junie's official ranking of every (original) queen album, from favorite to least favorite! it's fucking long. have fun, if you're interested!

-the works: ah, this one is a fucking classic. peak queen, in my opinion. to me, this is the culmination of their sound and style as a band. this is the album that took priority in their iconic live aid performance (mostly because it'd just been released, but still), and for good reason. there isn't a single song on this album that isn't at least pleasant to listen to- even some of the less Good tracks like man on the prowl and i go crazy are at least still decent and have some good lyrics and a nice backbeat. and the hits on this record- my god, who can hear i want to break free and NOT start dancing? it's one of the best examples of john deacon's pure songwriting genius. roger taylor really shines on this one, too; radio ga ga is a powerful, touching tribute to the radio medium that actually has genuine emotion behind it. every time i hear "radio, what's new? someone still loves you" my heart aches. the boggles could NEVER. brian may writes some of his best social commentary in hammer to fall, which never fails to leave me moved to my core- it's so passionate, and the fact that it still holds up to this day really says something. none of the megahits on this album were penned by freddie mercury, but he still produces his share of bangers. it's a hard life is a passionate and earnest ballad about heartbreak that turns hopeful in the end and genuinely makes me want to fall in love, and keep passing the open windows is a simple yet beautifully uplifting song with some fucking amazing guitar bits. underrated gem, in my opinion! really, really picks you up. the whole album does, in fact. my favorite forever and always- it doesn't get more "queen" than this.

-sheer heart attack: this one's so so good. the overall sound of the album is really eclectic and varied, jumping from vaudeville to heavy rock to campy from song to song. it features the first song john deacon ever wrote for queen, the underrated bop misfire which i just adore- there's something about the energy and the earnestness of the lyrics and vocals that just make it. obviously we have freddie mercury's (and the band's) first ever megahit killer queen, which needs no introduction- the lyrics are some of the most intricate, cleverly worded ones he's ever written, and the song as a whole fits perfectly with the rest of the album's refined yet playful style. "drop of a hat, she's as willing as / playful as a pussycat / then momentarily out of action, temporarily out of gas / to absolutely drive you wild"- those lyrics perfectly describe sheer heart attack as an album to me. it pulls you in and then hits you with the wildest bait-and-switches ever, from the cheery, upbeat misfire straight to the long, emotional she makes me. it does that thing where almost every song segues perfectly into the next and doesn't really "end" properly, which probably isn't to everyone's taste, but i personally adore that the final line of flick of the wrist crosses over into lily of the valley- it sets the tone, in a way, because lily of the valley is far less shouty and angry, and opening it with a softer version of that classic "baby, you've been had" before breaking into a sweet piano melody really helps build atmosphere. roger taylor has one of his first vocal spotlights in tenement funster, and while it's not my favorite song ever, the lyrics are quite clever, and he sings it well, and it really shows you his potential as a lead vocalist and songwriter- potential he comes to fully realize in later albums. favorites of mine from this one include the classic brighton rock, misfire, flick of the wrist, the bouncy vaudeville bring back that leroy brown, and stone cold crazy (which has such fun lyrics). some of their strongest work!

-a day at the races: now, most would probably put this one below night at the opera, which is completely fair- the latter is one of their most famous albums, and that isn't at all undeserved, so it often ends up overshadowing its smaller-scale companion/sequel album. i personally think that's a crime, though! a day at the races has all the satisfying vocal arrangements and song styles as its predecessor, in my opinion, and what's more, it doesn't try to be the second a night at the opera- it's simply a more lowkey continuation of that type of music. standouts (to me) include roger taylor's drowse, which i believe is some of his most pleasant lead vocal work ever, with really good lyrics about burnout and midlife fatigue, and brian may's long away, which is so sweet and longing and melancholic it makes my brain go "we need to go home!! we need to go home RIGHT NOW!!!" even when i am at home. then, of course, there's freddie mercury's two hits, somebody to love and good old-fashioned loverboy, which. i mean, come on. these two songs were once described by a critic as "mercury's baroque one-two", and i think that says it all. they really ARE a one-two punch- somebody to love knocks you OUT with its passionate vocals and lyrics about loneliness and city-living burnout, and good old-fashioned loverboy finishes the job by surprising you with some of freddie's best lyric writing since killer queen and an addictive melody to boot. as for john deacon's work, he produces another sweet, earnest love song with you and i, again showcasing his talent for passionate love songs just as brian may deals perfectly in melancholia and roger taylor gives us one small town burnout anthem after another. as for freddie mercury, well, what doesn't he do? this album, i think, really shows you what each member is all about. it's their fifth album, but if you wanted to listen to it first, i wouldn't stop you at all.

-a night at the opera: well, this one was bound to be near the top, wasn't it? you know this one- even if you're not a serious fan, all i have to do is tell you it's the one with bohemian rhapsody, and you'll probably go, "oh. oh, THAT one." even if you don't know any of the other songs, i mean. it's the one with bohemian rhapsody. regarding that song, like. what can i say that hasn't already been said? it changed contemporary music history. it basically invented the music video. it became a mandatory north american white people party song for the rest of time. yadda yadda yadda you don't need me to ramble on about bohemian rhapsody. as famous as it is, it's actually not my favorite song on the album, which has a lot more to offer than just borhap- this album is home to my favorite queen song ever, you're my best friend, which is some of john deacon's best ever songwriting work. the man doesn't miss basically ever, but this one is particularly special. the beat's so damn bouncy and addictive, and the lyrics are the sweetest and so fun to sing- you can tell it was written out of genuine love and passion. listen to that "oooh, you make me live" and tell me you don't want to jump to your feet. it never gets old! besides that banger, we've also got '39, which is another brian may melancholia masterpiece- the lyrics tell a perfect story, and roger taylor's falsetto during the bridge is really, really something to behold. it's not even really edited, if you listen to a live version- he can just do that. men with high voices i love you. anyway, another standout is death on two legs, a delightfully angry and vitriolic song that is so mean to the band's asshole former manager that freddie mercury's bandmates were initially shocked when he showed them what he'd written, and he later actually questioned whether they should actually release it because it was so hateful. you can tell it's genuine, too- mercury's vocals have a rough, legitimately furious edge to them as he sings, which is something i LOVE in songs. it's so fucking fun to sing if you're angry, or even if you're not angry. incredible lyrics include "feel good? are you satisfied? / do you feel like suicide? (i think you should)" (yes they told him to kill himself in a song they released to the public. yes he sued them for defamation. yes all this did was reveal to the public that he was the bastard they were talking about and damage his reputation so bad he wrote an autobiography defending himself titled "life on two legs". anyways), "was the fin on your back part of the deal? shark!", and "insane, you should be put inside / you're a sewer rat decaying in a cesspool of pride". this song fucking rocks. three more underappreciated gems from this flagship album are lazing on a sunday afternoon, which is short but oh so sweet, seaside rendezvous, which is heartwarming and upbeat, and the prophet's song, an eight-and-a-half minute-long behemoth (yeah, you thought bohemian rhapsody was their longest song? you ain't seen nothing yet) about the biblical apocalypse that absolutely fucking slaps and makes you want to shake your fist at god. would recommend!!! i don't have much else to say about this album. it's an all-in-all really cohesive and well put together record that gets an unfair amount of focus put on its most famous song when it's got lots more to offer besides that. i like it!

-jazz: a delight through and through! the ones you're bound to know from this one are fat bottomed girls, bicycle race, and don't stop me now, which all rock, but i think it has a really steady groundwork of less well known songs holding it up besides the megahits. my personal favorite is if you can't beat them, another john deacon jam, but not about love this time- instead, it's about people trying to take your money. fun times! it's genuinely so fun to sing. i also like mustapha, though i can't really sing along to it since most of it's just gibberish (side note, it's really funny how freddie mercury clearly saw the opportunity to write a vaguely persian-sounding gibberish song that didn't actually mean anything but that would be believable to the average white person as meaning something in part because of his parsi background, and took it. get it king fool us we are stupid). jealousy is another really nice mercury piano ballad, and helps give the whole album a nice smooth, confident feel, as do songs like dead on time and leaving home ain't easy. the whole record gives off a very nonchalant "yeah, i know i'm cool, what of it?" vibe, but not in like an obnoxious way- in a completely deserved way. you can tell that they've really become confident in their style as a band by this point in their careers from the way every song fits together like puzzle pieces. they all sound so right!

-the miracle: this one's interesting. their third-to-last album, the miracle was released in 1989, around the time when freddie mercury's aids was beginning to take a turn for the worse, and i believe the first album written after his bandmates had found out about it. as such, it marks queen's first major forays into reflective songs about life, death, humanity, the impermanence of beauty, and abstract subjects like that. the eponymous single "the miracle," for which the album is named, is the perfect example- freddie mercury's (and the band's as a whole, but the chords were primarily mercury and deacon) declaration that there are miracles even in the smallest things in life, that everything in the world is beautiful, that one day we'll all get over ourselves and achieve world peace. you have other songs like that, too- scandal, written by a frustrated brian may annoyed at the tabloid press' hounding of his own declining marriage and the ailing freddie mercury, with some genuinely good lyrics ("today the headlines, tomorrow hard times, and no one ever really knows the truth from the lies"), and was it all worth it, written mainly by freddie mercury, asks just that, and concludes that in the end, everything that's happened has been for the best, and that the singer wouldn't change a thing. so all in all, the miracle is in concept a very good album- it's just such a shame that i only really like two of the songs on it. lol. i'd like to like the album as a whole, but... i don't know! although i recognise that it's objectively good, most of it doesn't do much for me. two songs i adore, however, are rain must fall and breakthru. rain must fall is a fun, cleverly written collab between freddie and john, who i would say are my two favorite songwriters in the band overall, so it really works marvelously well. breakthru is a primarily roger taylor-written piece that doesn't have the deepest lyrics ever, but the chorus is really really good- freddie mercury reaches a heavenly high note in the second chorus that reminds you with a start that oh yeah, this guy has a four-octave vocal range and can sing as a baritone, a tenor, and even practically a soprano if he wants. insane. this album also features a decision of the band's to credit all their songs to the band as an entity instead of the individual members who wrote them, taking away some of the competitive nature and making them closer as a group. it's a nice show of collaboration and teamwork! again. i want to like this album better. i really do. but aside from the ones i listed above and the invisible man, most of it's just okay. i wouldn't not recommend it, though. different tastes for different people.

-made in heaven: ohhh this one. this one. their last album as queen, released years after freddie mercury's death and made up of songs he had recorded vocals for before death without instrumentals because he knew he wouldn't have time to wait for the rest of them to play all together. as such, it's... an emotional record. most of the songs are about the impermanence of youth and beauty, such as it's a beautiful day and a winter's tale (which i believe was the last song freddie mercury ever wrote), which both exude a sense of peaceful finality. they give "i'm satisfied, and i'm ready to go." it touches me deeply when i think about it- i only wish the actual songs did the same. there are some really good ones, of course- mother love is a classic, with the final verse being sung by may because mercury died mid-recording- and that vocal change really really adds to the turbulent, haunted atmosphere of the song. as far as i know, that's one of only two queen songs that share two lead vocalists with relatively equal amounts of singing time (the other one is the tribute song they wrote for freddie after he died. so.). it's really powerful, and even at death's door, freddie sings his fucking heart out and delivers some spine-chilling vocals ("i don't want pity, just a safe place to hide! mama, please, let me back inside..." haunts my dreams). too much love will kill you is another favorite- it's passionate and emotional and i was legitimately shocked when i found out it wasn't written by freddie. you will see why if you listen to it. all in all, made in heaven, like the miracle, is so so fucking good as a concept, but in reality, i can only really get into one or two songs. i love the vibes, though- peace and love and finality and acceptance and hope.

-news of the world: this one's okay. it's not BAD, by any means- most of them aren't- but it's always felt very generic rock to me personally. to be clear, i'm kind of biased, since i like their more unusual stuff. this is a big album. it's the one with we will rock you and we are the champions, for god's sake. and there ARE songs i like on it- john deacon's classic songwriting shows up again on the tango-y who needs you, which is very sweet both lyrically and musically, and it's late goes so fucking hard and stirs definite emotion in me. it's got good stuff- ballads as well as their typical rock tunes, and all recognizably distinct from each other. i love the album art, and everyone does a great job individually and produces some great work, but if you like their more eclectic work, i wouldn't say this album's for you- it's much more down-home type rock.

-innuendo: their second-to-last album, and the last one freddie mercury was alive to record. despite being sandwiched between two melancholy albums focusing on life and death and acceptance, this one takes a break from that- it gets a little experimental with it, with tracks like innuendo and bijou being the best examples. of course, the best songs on it are i'm going slightly mad and these are the days of our lives, which are also the most famous ones- i'm not pretending to be unique here. honestly, it's not my thing- the album art's cool, and the funky, more electronic vibes are nice, but other than the aforementioned two songs, none of it really makes an impression on me. delilah's sweet, though. sometimes you just gotta write a song about your favorite cat who you love so much even though you have like six. freddie mercury was so real for that

-queen ii: i'll be honest, their really early work is not for me. it's far more folky and has a recurring fantasy theme to it, with songs talking about fairies and ogres and rats and the like. freddie mercury's vocals are a bit higher in a couple songs, giving him kind of a fey-ish sound, so i guess i like that that works with the theme. i do like one song from this record- funny how love is is a very sweet little ditty about love in all its forms, and it's where i get my url. march of the black queen is also interesting, though it runs a little long for my taste. this is from the time where they were still figuring out their style as a band, and though you can tell they had fun with it, it obviously didn't really last past the third album. on the whole, it's fine. nevermore is fine. some day one day is fine. funny how love is is very good. i approve! but i don't really like listening to it all the way through.

-a kind of magic: ehhhh. the two albums that immediately follow and precede this one are both better (the miracle and the works respectively). it's got a specific sound to it, but i can't really explain it- i don't have the fancy music words. you have to listen to it to get it. the only track i really like is friends will be friends- it has a nice guitar riff and it's about friendship, so of course i approve. i honestly don't have much to say about this one. at the very least it stands out as audibly its own album and clearly distinct from the others (but again, for the life of me, i can't explain how. it's not super electronic or disco-y, but it's not old-fashioned heavy rock either. it's a nice blend of the two). the song a kind of magic itself is nice, but not really nice enough to get this album a higher spot on the list. sorry besties this one just isn't it :(

-queen: again, from the era where they were really into the tolkien stuff. it's a small album. it's all okay. i have nothing to say about it. they have a song about... jesus. cool. at least keep yourself alive is good. now that's got staying power! it shows hints, i think, of how the band's sound will develop in the future, and it's still nice to listen to. yeah!! we SHOULD keep ourselves alive!! other than that, though, entirely unremarkable album. sorry

-the game: okay i. i'll be honest i don't get the hype. this one seems to be generally pretty well-liked and i don't get why. is it because it has another one bites the dust (once again courtesy of our man of the hour mr deacon)? like what else has it got? crazy little thing called love? i'm sorry i really don't get why that song's so beloved. it's fine! it's a normal rock song! nothing special! and yet it's somehow my uncle's favorite queen song. the only song i actually kind of like from the game is need your loving tonight (john deacon again! he does not miss), but it's not quite enough of a saving grace to bump it up to third from last. it's even more generic rock than news of the world. maybe i just need to listen to it again, but last time i did, i found nothing at all interesting about it. i liked need your loving tonight, but that's it. however, it still isn't as bad as

-hot space. you knew this one was gonna be last. you know under pressure? that awesome fucking song about societal divide and how we need to reach out to others and open our hearts to fix things but we're scared of that vulnerability deep down? yeah, great song, right? well, the rest of the album kinda sucks. SORRYYYY i'm sure it's to some people's taste but it's not at all what you want from queen. it's entirely electronic disco 80s funk- which isn't inherently bad, just... again, not what queen fans want to listen to, generally. in fact, it caused such discord within the band that they all split up for like a year and took a break from each other because they kind of all hated each other for it for a while. then they came back and produced their best album, the works! so that makes up for it :3 this album is still. not good. though. the songs all sound the exact same, and it's not even a good sameness. it's the exact same bland 80s disco song over and over again. there are one or two glimmers of hope in there- las palabras de amor is a nice effort, as is life is real, freddie's touching tribute to john lennon, and brian makes a nice attempt at some social commentary with put out the fire, a song about gun violence. the lyrics aren't really thought-provoking, just kinda "aren't anti-gun law people stupid?", not really the most revolutionary stuff in the world, but it's kind of fun anyway. very sad that the actual melody is not interesting in the slightest. if you are wondering why queen suddenly decided they were all about disco in 1980, well, it's in large part because the album was heavily influenced by freddie mercury's then-manager (boyfriend as well? i think? he was in the movie but they could've made that up) who hated rock and loved disco. why they let him convince them to make this album i cannot figure out. hot space 1980 why. your best song is one that wasn't even written for you. under pressure was written like a year before they got any ideas of r&b or dance music in their heads and it shows. thanks but no thanks