#premise may or may not be based off personal experience

[if-whats-new]

What's New In IF? Issue 32 (2024)

By Aj, Dion, Briar, Jen and Peter

Now Available!

Itch.io - Keep Reading below

If you read the zine, consider liking the post: it helps us see how many people see it! And sharing is caring! <3

~ EDITORIAL ~

Two Issues in one week?!

Yes, it’s us again!

Since Issue 31 came out on Wednesday instead of the regular Saturday and we tried really hard to make this one on time, we’re back once more, just a few days apart.

We sincerely hope you’re not getting sick of us yet!

We want some feedback!

As we’re starting to get a hand of things, we would love some feedback from you guys! What you enjoy, want more or less off, how we could improve... Anything goes! We even have a nifty form.

We hope you enjoy this new issue!

AJ, DION, BRIAR, JEN AND PETER

~ BE A PART OF THE ZINE ~

THIS ZINE ONLY HAPPENS WITH YOU!

Want to write 1-2 pages about a neat topic, or deep-dive into a game and review it in details? Share personal experiences or get all academic?

WRITE FOR THE COLUMN!

Prefer to be more low-key but still have something to share? Send us a Zine Letter or share a game title for Highlight on…!

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Came across something interesting? Know a release or an update announced? Saw an event happening? Whether it's a game, an article, a podcast… Add any IF-related content to our mini-database!

EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS!

Contact us through Tumblr asks, Forum DMs, or even by email! And thank you for your help!!

~ EVENT SPOTLIGHT : IF Short Games Showcase 2024 ~

December 1st 2024 to January 1st 2025

Short games tend to get less love than longer games in general-purpose, non-speed-IF comps, while the ones released outside of a competition or jam may not get eyes on them at all. The IF Short Games Showcase 2024 aims to give the shorter works their very own place to shine!

The Short Games Showcase is an opportunity to show off shorter interactive fiction works made in the past year (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024), regardless of whether or not they were previously released.

Authors can submit up to three games - each of them should be completable in 30 minutes or less. The showcase has a broad view of IF. It will accept anything usually considered to fall under that umbrella, including parser games, choice-based/choose-your-own-adventure games, visual novels, point-and-clicks, and text-focused Bitsy games. In addition, a work must not have been submitted to more than three prior jams or competitions.

The SGS will have both a Best Overall winner and winners in several specific categories:

Best Use of Short Form

Best Use of Interactivity

Best Story-Focused Game

Best Puzzle-Focused Game

Most Replay Value

Best Previously Unawarded Game

There might be no prizes, but bragging rights are great too.

Do you have a short project that deserves it’s own moment in the spotlight? Then don’t hesitate and join too!

To read more about the rules and overall goal of the showcase, visit the Itch page.

~ ENDED ~

The voting for ECTOCOMP 2024 is officially over! Check out the results!

You can now check out all 16 entries to the Videotome Jam!

Disabled Rep VN Jam has a very simple premise but a very important message. Check out the submissions!

~ ONGOING (VOTING) ~

A Very Hallmark Game Jam has entered the voting phase. You can now vote for your favourite out of the five entries.

~ ONGOING (SUBMITTING) ~

Media depicting healthy examples of polyamory isn’t that common. The PolyJamorous 2024 is trying to break the status-quo!

This year’s Yuri Game Jam is in full progress. The devs have until December 2nd to submit their projects.

Once upon a time, a game jam was held to create stories around the theme of fairy tales… and that game jam is the Once Upon A Time VN Jam. It’s running from October 1st to January 31st.

Concours de Fiction Interactive Francophone 2025 is for all French-speaking enthusiasts. Submissions are accepted March 3rd 2025.

Are you perhaps a fan of more somber, melancholic themes? Then check out the Dying Year - Visual Novel Jam! You have until the end of the year to participate.

The Black Visual Novel Jam is all about working with creative professional developers who work in visual novels to bring more Black stories to life. The goal is to create a space where Black creators can show their unique storytelling through visual novels.

IF Short Games Showcase 2024 is a great way to shine some new light on your projects made in the past year (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024), regardless of whether or not they are previously released! You have until January 15th 2025 to join.

Winter Visual Novel Jam 2024 is here! You have until January 1st 2025 to submit your projects.

Are you familiar with Decker? Then why not take a part in the Deck-Month 2?

Another bitsy jam is here. This time with the theme "better late than never".

SeedComp! is a 2-round interactive fiction game jam, focusing on creativity and the growth of ideas and the Sprouting Round has just started! Check out the Planting round for inspiration.

~ OTHER ~

Intents to enter are open for Spring Thing 2025. To submit an intent to enter, you'll need a working title for the game and a few other pieces of information. Intents for the 2025 festival can be submitted any time between now and March 1st, 2025.

~ NEW RELEASE ~

You’re a promising officer in the Teranese military, a force which has not seen major engagement in decades but which holds vast influence. Thanks to the… complicated circumstances of an injury, you’ve been quietly reassigned. Now you’re to be the bodyguard to a child of a famous scientist who is attending a wilderness boarding school for the children of the richest and most powerful figures of Teran society. What could go wrong? Play Honor Bound (CScript) and find out! (There’s also a mini prequel game about the Honor Bound PC, aged 17 - Honor Bound: Recruitment Day (Twine).) @hpowellsmith

I Fell in Love with a Mailman (Godot) is set in the RADICAL 1980s with the rise of the claw machine industry, play as a girl boss big city girl who's grappling with the realization that her successful corporate life might not be as fulfilling as she imagined. Return home for the holidays and discover a new side of yourself: will you win a prize in the game of love, or is romance simply a rigged game of chance?

You are the Dark Queen—the most powerful being of your entire universe. Your lair is breached by an aspiring hero—a pitiful thing, easily crushed. Except they keep coming back. The Dark Queen of Morthlome is a 20 minute anti-game about an unconventional relationship and the capacity for change.

Two people show signs or attraction to you; however, only one truly loves you. "Eric or Alex?" The same question appears over and over again in your mind. Now it's time to really find out the answer! Go through different apps, discover and gather information in order to decide who is the true love in Attention (Unity)!

As always, don't forget to check out the submitted entries to the events mentioned in the previous pages. They deserve some love too!

~ NEW RELEASE (WIP) ~

In Swapped (Twine) you play as a 17 year old senior, anxiously awaiting the day you graduate, pack your bags, and ditch Sunnyview. But one day, all of that changes when filming for a movie is announced near your hometown. A chance encounter with the one and only Taylor Victory, famous actor with eerie facial similarities, leads to a deal. You will swap places—Taylor will experience a normal week of high school as you, and you will live the life of an actor in their place. @aurelim

In the grim remains of a shattered world, Voxhaven stands as the sole surviving city. The air, thick with pollution, carries the stench of decay and betrayal. The government’s watchful eyes are everywhere, controlling every move... every whisper. Survival means more than just enduring the endless haze—it's about navigating a city built on lies and deceit, where trust is scarce and death lingers in the shadows. In Voxhaven, freedom is a distant dream, and every breath you take is a reminder of the world’s broken past. - Requiem of the Fallen (Twine) @miss-briar-novels

This Too Shall Pass (CScript) delves into a reality in which you were once the Chosen One- Destined to save the world. But you had failed. You now navigate that same world 22 years later as it slowly succumbs to that fate you were supposed to save it from. @thistooshall-if

MEMORALYSIS (Ren’Py) follows the psychic detective Philon Delancy to a strange seaside town to solve the murder of one of its most notable public figures. What starts as a routine house call quickly reveals a tangle of messy relationships, local superstitions, and past unsolved mysteries — and at the center of it all is the victim’s enigmatic niece, Celosia James. But surely the rumors about the young heiress have been greatly exaggerated. After all, everyone knows demonic possession isn’t real.

To Allison, life is just an endless cycle of exhaustion with no escape route – wake up, study, work, fulfil family duties, sleep, rinse and repeat. But sometimes she can't help but wonder... Is that really all there is to life? Soon, Allison stumbles upon a group of people who may be just as lonely as she is, and little by little, their encounter returns colour to her world... - Re:Curse (Ren’Py).

In All the Way (CScript) you play as a young woman living in a time and place a little like the early 90’s in California that is about to have some serious run ins with the supernatural. Her life and that of her friends are quickly disrupted by beings that seem to have a bit of a vendetta for her - but what has she ever done to these creatures and why are they targeting her and her friends?

In the Halls of Asgard (CScript) you play a Norse God trying to survive in Asgard, and preparing for Ragnarök.

You play as the amnesiac protagonist, trapped in a mysterious house with two other captives. You quickly learn that the only way to escape is to have one of the three of you die. Will you kill or be killed? Who is the mastermind? Is there no way for all of you to survive? The mystery deepens as you find that no matter who dies, the killing game begins anew in Yet Another Killing Game (Ren’Py).

The Corpse Road (Twine) is an explorable fiction about death.

~ UPDATES ~

Ashenmaw - Dragons of Marrowoods (CScript) updated their demo. @ashenmaw-if

Fellow Traveler (Twine) released Episode 3 “tease” and Act 1. @robotvampire

The Soulforge Order (Twine) released Chapter 1. @thesoulforgeorder

The Sword of Rhivenia (CScript) released Chapter 5.

The Thousand Of Us (CScript) added new content to their public demo. @ivanwm-05

We Wretched Creatures (Twine) released Episode 6. @darkfictionjude

Azrael (CScript) updated their demo.

Drink Your Villain Juice (CScript) updated their Patreon demo. @drinkyourvillainjuice

New Era (CScript) updated their demo. @newera-interactiveif

Starways Saga (CScript) added new content to the Navy Path.

After Dark (CScript) updated their Patreon demo. @dalekowrites

Exit Through the Gift Shop (CScript) updated their demo.

Haunted (Twine) added a “Side Story” to their demo. @hauntedif

Meteoric (CScript) released Chapter 5.

The Unwilling Sword of Lamenthria (CScript) released Part 1 of Chapter 3. @lamenthria-if

Trouble Brewing (Twine) released Chapter 5. @troublebrewing-if

~ OTHER ~

Thom Baylay’s Kitsune (CScript) is now in Open Beta.

Issue 29 of the Amare Fortnightly Bulletin is out now! @amaregames

The Twine Cookbook is now available in print and through December 2024 it's 25% off! All proceeds from sales go toward the Interactive Fiction Technology Foundation and its support of Twine.

~

As always, we apologize in advance for missing any update or release from the past week. We are only volunteers using their limited free time to find as much as we can - but sometimes things pass through the cracks.

If you think something should have been included in this week's zine but did not appear, please shoot us a message! We'll do our best to add it next week! And if you know oncoming news, add it here!

~ MAYBE YOU NEXT? ~

We did not get a submission this week. But if you have an idea for a short essay, or would like a special space to share your thoughts about IF and the community...

Shoot us an email!

~ HIGHLIGHT ON ~

A couple of games that we thought were cool.

Treasures of a Slaver's Kingdom by S. John Ross (Inform 7)

Comes with a fake manual for the 1979 TTRPG it's purportedly "adapting". Well-crafted, sincere, and really funny.

//submitted by Carter X.//

Your favourite game here?

Do you have a favourite game that deserves some highlighting?

An old or recent game that wowed you so much you spam it to everyone?

Tell us about it! And it might appear here!

WE LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL! WHETHER IT'S GOOD OR BAD, OR EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN...

Have something to say? Send us a message titled: Zine Letter!

As we end this issue, we would like to thank:

Carter X.

For sending us a Highlight!!

And as always, huge thanks to all you readers who liked, shared, and commented on last week's issue!

What might be tiny actions are huge support and motivators to us!

Thank you for cheering us on this journey!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Thank you for reading and see you next week!

AJ, DION, BRIAR, JEN AND PETER

WHAT'S NEW IN IF? 2024-ISSUE 32

[astradyke]

No please tell us your thoughts on dinok, dinok is all I think about all the time

i waited to answer this for a really long time because i have been struggling to formulate some of my thoughts. i have two main thoughts about DINOK, but i only really explore one of them because i have long since thought the other one was a bit reductive-- which was essentially exploring the implications of Phil's absence in DINOK. i don't think phil himself, as much as i love him, should be centered or heavily involved in the discussion about DINOK, because as i go on to elaborate, i think everything internally and from an external meta about DINOK was very much about dan transitioning from a rumination period of his life to one where he confronts the idea of moving forward.

i think DINOK is fascinating when put in comparison to WAD, because both of them were functionally intended to do the same thing but had drastically different journeys.

DINOK was based on dan's experience with his sexuality in particular, based on the premise that if dan never came out as gay he would end up being a lawyer and et cetera et cetera, having a breakdown at age 30. from there he goes through a comedic journey (in a dark comedy way) where he reconciles with his own sexuality, and by the end presumably finds that kind of self acceptance and happiness. in a lot of ways, that end goal is really similar to WAD (as is the dark comedy because Woah), except WAD is a lot more global in its end goal-- with the idea that everyone may be doomed, but there is so much good in the world anyway, and so much one person can do to fight against that doom-- and is also a bit broader when it comes to dan! WAD is about dan's sexuality, but it's also about dan reconciling with the rapidly changing and- to him- deteriorating world. and with that comes some questions about his own content and other parts of his identity. it's about more than just his sexuality-- which is NOT to say that making a special about just his sexuality "wouldn't be enough", that's not my point at all. but what i'm saying is there's a difference of scope, and i think that difference came... because of DINOK.

like, DINOK is riding off of the freedom he experienced coming out in basically i'm gay. but as we saw repeatedly BIG didn't resolve a ton of dan's issues with his sexuality-- from his one-off comedy gig and gay and not proud (note that content in G&NP was cut by youtube for the original so we only saw a slivered down version. that being said im still insane about it but, as a disclaimer) we see that he struggled to feel pride with his sexuality despite having come out, didn't know where he fit into the queer community as a whole, and was altogether ruminating. DINOK, in my opinion, was dan trying to answer those questions fully in his own terms. it's him trying to grapple with the struggles he still has around his sexuality through the POV of a different version of him that may experience that more "acutely" than dan does-- because from a public perspective, dan very much is part of the queer community! he was like one of the top role models for queer British teens as voted recently in that one magazine i don't remember the title. but internally, it's different, and getting to explore that through the lens of DINOK Dan who does NOT present as being super in the queer community was probably a cathartic thought!

but with the inability to produce DINOK due to YouTube's overall negligence, that left dan in a strange position. his sexuality now felt almost used against him because of all these fucking originals he was getting dragged into, builboards in the like-- his sexuality was something that he should be proud of, with all these accomplishments and shows, but they felt hollow and not like something he really deserved. and that inherently segues into talks about capitalism and fame as a whole because -- after DINOK failed, dan was no longer working with hypothetical alternate universes, but was instead forced to reckon with his own.

quick detour to dystopia daily because i am really fond of it-- i think DD was also part of the WAD process in that it's about dan being trapped behind this persona but using it to kind of explore content creation, and himself, and in a lot of ways i think the performance was a satire but in other ways i think it was a cocoon phase. testing the waters of the future of daniel howell's content, but through dragging an antiquated persona into a different time in order to ask that. so i think it runs like DINOK -> DD -> WAD.

and by the end of WAD dan came out of it feeling more authentically himself, not liberated by the performance from DD, and not liberated through the proxy of his alternate universe self in DINOK. WAD is dan having to reckon with this as HIM, as daniel howell in the years 2022 and surrounding, as his own person. i admit at this part of the post that i did watch WAD but haven't rewatched it and that a lot of the segments weren't really my favorite so i don't actually remember beat for beat what happens in WAD (i'm more invested in WAD as a meta than as an actual stage show with segments, to be honest), but like... overarchingly that is about dan! it ends in a painfully vulnerable place, and he sheds away from the black and the shadows to start wearing orange and enter kind of this new phase of dan howell. one where he is more openly queer but is also more openly... everything! and we see all of that now when we see new content with dan and how happy he looks.

DINOK fascinates me because i wonder if the end outcome would have felt the same for dan. i think DINOK roots itself less in existential crises as a whole and more specifically those about his sexuality, while WAD asks the question of "what comes next?" which i think is really interesting and is also more helpful.

which is why, though i sometimes think about the fact that book deals tend to come in twos (fly high DAPGO) and that dan has only released one book thus meaning he could release DINOK as a book, the more i think about it the more i... don't think he would. i think the time for DINOK has passed. i think it was more of a psychological state for him, a rumination, and from here on it's about moving forward. to the day after the night.

... if any of this makes any sense at all, God i am yapping. but i hope you get it? i hope you get it.

[hunxi-after-hours]

10 books for 2025

tagged by @impossibletruths — a direct hit! right where I'm weak! books!!!!!

had a bizarrely difficult time coming up with this list because I'm a huge proponent of reading whatever the mood moves me to, so I actively avoid particularly rigid "to read" lists. also because the spreadsheet where I track titles that have piqued my interest has, um. well over 170 titles that I've been "meaning to get to, you know, at some point, really, I swear"

but since the year is still young and my hubris still fresh, here are 10 books that I'd like to get to, you know, at some point, really, I swear—

Waste Tide by Chen Qiufan, trans. Ken Liu — I genuinely have been meaning to read this one for ages; I'm not particularly well-read in the Chinese SF space, but even I've heard of Chen Qiufan. I've honestly been intrigued by his brain ever since I read that WIRED interview of his, and though I've read some of his short fiction, I want to see what a full-length novel of his looks like.

《桥头楼上》 At the Head of the Bridge, On Top of the Building by priest — I've also been meaning to read this one for ages, to the point where my mom is on my case about it. I keep putting it off because I want to be able to devote the time and brainspace to the layers of nested narratives + social commentary + the satellite material around the text, but at some point I think I just gotta give myself a kick in the pants and dive in

《膜》 Membranes by 纪大伟 Chi Tai-wei — queer Taiwanese SF first published in 1996; I know an English translation of this title came out recently, but I'm still trying to track down a copy of the original to read.

《漫长的余生》 The Lengthy Rest of Your Life by 罗新 Luo Xin — this book came as a recommendation from a friend in archaeology; a historical novel based on the epitaph of a Northern Wei Dynasty imperial palace maid. From what I've heard, it's not particularly epic or exciting, but it's very archaeologically rigorous. I do have a physical copy of this one on my shelf, so I actually have no excuse for not getting to it soon.

Unquiet Spirits: Essays by Asian Women in Horror edited by Lee Murray and Angela Yuriko Smith — I don't usually pick up books for the cover but LOOK at that. I've been slowly but steadily getting into horror over the past few years, and this collection combines both research-nonfiction and memoir-nonfiction, which I'm absolutely stoked about.

I'll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-Pop Fan by Giaae Kwon — I never quite got into K-Pop but I love reading about people obsessed with K-Pop. I find something particularly heartwarming and familiar and validating in reading authors who reflect deeply and emotionally on their personal experiences with fandom and obsession.

Romancing the Internet: Producing and Consuming Chinese Web Romance by Jin Feng — I learned last week that Jin Feng (author of "Addicted to Beauty," the OG academic overview of danmei) wrote an entire book about Chinese romance webnovels, and I need to have read it yesterday.

Dreadful Desires: The Uses of Love in Neoliberal China by Charlie Yi Zhang — I picked up a copy earlier this year, and I am intrigued by the premise of its wide-ranging investigations, anchored around the uses of "love" by the Chinese state in all of its obsessive and exploitative forms.

The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw — I am usually pretty unimpressed by the genre of dark academia fantasy, but I trust Cassandra Khaw to put the dark (and the viscera, and the gore) in dark academia. Also every time I read one of their books I learn something new and horrifying about biology.

The Red Scholar's Wake by Aliette de Bodard — every year I resolve to read more Aliette de Bodard and every year I fail to. May this be the kick in the pants that I both need and deserve. Also to be honest I've been thinking about this book ever since that Reactor review last year

tagging @presumenothing @pavoling @aboxthecolourofheartache @qilingxiong @blackelement7 @shijiujun @neuxue @baoshan-sanren and anyone who's feeling particularly bookish! I want to hear what everyone's reading, or having aspirations about reading

[treasure-mimic]

Psychopomp and What Things Mean When They Don't Mean Anything

So if you haven't noticed or you don't follow me, I recently became interested in a small, one-man dev team indie game by name of Psychopomp. As a brief synopsis and pitch, Psychopomp is a game about a woman who seemingly suffers from paranoid delusions, through the lens of this narrator she tells us that there's a labyrinth of catacombs hidden underneath every public building and sets out to explore them to uncover the world's secrets, armed with nothing but a store bought hammer.

The game's intro puts it in words better than I could and more influential than any pitch is just seeing the protagonist's design.

As one commentator states, she looks like a skateboard mascot from the mid-2000s. Like she should be on those posters with a snarky quip just fucked up enough to catch those pearl clutching puritans off guard. I love the style and I love the tone and I love the premise.

This might be the best time to note that if you're interested in playing this game, you should stop reading here, as this discussion will contain spoilers. It's a short game, took me about 3 hours on my first playthrough, and it's pretty cheap, even has a free demo in the form of the base version with Psychopomp Gold serving as the expanded, completed experience.

Anyways.

I've always found conspiracy theories fascinating but in the modern age it can be hard to immerse yourself in these reality-detached belief systems without acknowledging, you know, the racist dogwhistling and tangible physical harm it's causing to society at the present moment. Psychopomp is able to pretty gracefully sidestep this issue by setting its anarchic anti-government sentiments against its protagonist's paranoid delusions rather than adherence to a faith or belief system.

Indeed, the game seems to take systemic beliefs as its central enemy. The entities that are necessary to kill to progress through its levels are defined by the systems they interact in, historical figures of elevated status, keystone positions in industrial manufacturing, even abstract systems like urbanism and DNA composition are posed as societal and oppressive. I'm not saying that there's no way to interpret the game in bad faith and make it directed at marginalized social, political, or ethnic groups, but I also struggle to imagine the person who takes the game literally on its face value?

Which I guess leads me to the main topic I wanted to discuss. The game very obviously has an unreliable narrator (for the record, the protagonist remains nameless for the bulk of the game, I will be referring to her as Venus as it's the closest she has to a name that's explicitly stated within the text itself) with the flavor of one whose intake of reality may be different from what's actually occurring. The game uses a combination of conspiratorial rambling and dream logic to stage its unreal tone; for example, one level delves into the "biology" of buildings, stating that they use graffiti to communicate and that black mold is a pheromone used to evacuate its inhabitants to allow for mating. Loading screens come with "Gameplay Tips" and "Real World Tips", both of which are often dense and inscrutable; for example you might get a pair like "Not all enemies are friends" and "Viruses do not exist. Illness is simply your body punishing you for what you've done wrong."

Surrealism and unreality as stylistic choices can be a bit of a tightrope walk to get right. On the one hand, if you make it explicit that a story takes place in a state that did not happen even within the story's universe, a dream or a hallucination, it can rob the narrative of its stakes, regardless of how well executed the internal metaphors are. Psychopomp very explicitly does not do this, regardless of what it is that Venus is experiencing, the game makes it clear through scientific logs and communications (as well as a brief epilogue set outside of her perspective) that something abnormal is happening, the question is just where in between normality and Venus's experiences does the truth of the game's narrative actually lie.

The other side of the tight rope is literal interpretation, presenting a setting that's absurd to our sensibilities but tangibly explainable, where meaning is supplanted by lore and the cosmology begins to solidify into a set of Calvinball rules that don't make sense, but are still adhered to, and this is the side Psychopomp threatens to lose me on. There is a credible argument to be made that there is no difference, that what Venus is experiencing is her reality without warping and distortion, it's a more credible argument than saying she completely fabricated all of it, and it's an argument I was starting to wonder wasn't the intended interpretation. Until I got the game's second, secret ending.

Psychopomp has one collectible that doesn't serve a direct gameplay purpose, but each catacomb has a key hidden away, often behind false mimic walls that bleed and scream when you hit them with your hammer, and which unlock new rooms in the only permanent location "Home". Initially a gray, cubical, concrete room with a single mattress and a small table with a radio on it, collecting keys allows you to further explore outside(?)/within(?) the home with a unique camera perspective and limited interaction. In the first layer there's a blob man who cries out in torment, demanding to know why you specifically made the world like this, giving some credence to the deification of Venus implied by the game's ending. In the last layer, Venus traverses underneath and past her own brain to unlock a repressed memory.

I take this as confirmation that there's some level of abstraction at play here. Under scrutiny it feels as though there must be some level of abstraction at play here because when taken as a whole, the conspiracies start becoming outright contradictory, even if you try to take the cosmology at play as fact, which are the closest thing to objective facts that we have.

See, Venus's perspective takes place an alternate Earth, one that both seemingly was broken off from the planet and now orbits it like a new moon but also has always existed. One of the locations is a natural history museum which explains the history of sentience on this counter-earth, humans rose, went extinct, were supplanted by a species called the thrait, then humans returned in a mutated form and retook the surface and forced the thrait back underground (though the museum also refers to the thrait as extinct despite being the most common friendly NPC you will encounter). Another location seems to imply that the humans of this world, or maybe only some of them, are artificial clay creatures, reinforced by the arbiters of the DNA factory too being clay alleles. The Human Seedbed even has the game's most effective jumpscare in it, where Venus cannot leave the area without being confronted with a jittering clay facsimile of herself.

But with that in mind, what the hell is Venus then? By no account is she one of these artificial clay people but then how did she get here? The game's introduction implies that she used to be a normal person, or at least closer to, with lived experiences inclusive of complete ignorance to this underworld, the game's endings imply that she's an immortal god-being who has been intentionally working towards her own reawakening, and that is actually one of the least ambiguous plot points within the narrative. None of the pieces of this world lock together to form a cohesive vision of a setting that operates on even the barest of internal rules, and yet the game in the same step refuses to be a character study or subconscious examination, I mean the epilogue is a damn sequel hook that involves assembling the damn Avengers to combat the ramifications of the events of the game.

So, I come to realize, I'm the problem. I might, in fact, be thinking about this too hard.

One of the locations in the game is called "Daddy's Bad Place". It is a single, tiny room of a house or apartment, frozen in a moment of tearing itself apart, that only contains a dusty old TV set with a small, pointless ornament sitting on top. In any other surrealist game, this isolated circle of clarity, a compact orb of recognizable terrain, would be a moment to deliver one single jolt of reality into the metaphor of the protagonist's journey through their own subconscious.

In Psychopomp the TV turns on and delivers a distorted warning about a giant insect which is deadly, deceitful, and above all, not real.

In Daddy's Bad Place I come to realize something. The lore is fake, the characterization is fake, the dichotomy of truth and delusion is fake, the insect is not real. Let's think about what I'm doing here for a moment, right? I'm trying to discern the truth from within a work of fiction. None of its true, none of it happened, what difference does it actually make?

The thing about conspiracy theories is that they don't make logical sense. It's a known phenomenon that conspiracy theorists love to debate, but cannot be reasoned out of their beliefs by facts or logic. There is never a counter, but always a failsafe argument that can be retreated to for safety. What conspiracy theories do make is emotional sense, they make narrative sense. The line that initially sold me on Psychopomp was one of the aforementioned loading screen tips, "All the food you've ever eaten is rotten. You have never tasted fresh food."

Patently false statement, does not hold under scrutiny, but I, as someone who lives in America and lives in a city center and has to get all my food through corporations, can look at a statement like that and say yeah. Checks out. I believe you. We would know if children were being smelted into egg slicers underneath public schools, but it resonates with our emotions about the systems of education we enforce upon children, so it could be true. We would know if buildings were a living, reproducing organism, but it resonates with the feelings of being born into a world where urbanism exists, has existed as permanent fixtures of the world, and is continuously encroaching upon the face of the world, so it could be true.

Anyone who understands the fundamentals of incentives and human psychology does not need to believe that there is a coordinated group of ontologically evil individuals driving the world to ruin for ruin's sake, but that narrative still feels true, it becomes validating in the ways that it plays off of the emotions of believers until it becomes a foundational pillar of belief that cannot be destroyed by logical contradiction.

Psychopomp, in the same way, presents information about its internal systems that cannot be true logically but form self-justification anyways through emotional resonance. It doesn't matter if the lore works because its stated, it isn't wrong, so it must be a truth. This is the way that Psychopomp emulates the unreality of the conspiracy theory in a way that can avoid the disturbing implications of the real world practice. I've made comparison to surrealism by dream logic and surrealism by internal self-reflection, but this is a different mode entirely and the game simply refuses to operate by those tropes at its core. Conspiracy is itself contradiction, not the soft contradiction of two halves of a dream that don't lock together, but the hard contradiction of attempting to apply emotion and narrative to a waking world that rejects either premise. Psychopomp, then, is surrealism by way of conspiracy.

[genericpuff]

hello! ik this is a pretty weird question but regarding lore rekindled, do you plan on keeping the elements of sexual trauma, or are they removed entirely? just a genuine question ^^ feel free to ignore and i hope u have a good day!!!

Rekindled will not be including the SA plotline from LO. This is for a variety of reasons:

1.) The SA plotline wasn't originally present in the pilot version of LO and, throughout the comic, feels like a tacked on plotline that wasn't ever intended to be progressed or resolved properly. And that's a shame because the people who loved the premise of that plotline in the beginning (myself included) deserved better than that, which I'm sure is contradictory to my own reasoning to not try and do it better in LR, but that brings us to-

2.) I don't want to try and "fix" a plotline that could be very intrinsic to Rachel's own experiences. Though she's claimed in her interviews that her situation is "not the same as Persephone's", she has alluded to having her own experiences that she's had to identify and cope with and if the SA plotline in LO is meant to be a reflection of that, I want to respect that as something that just should not be touched.

3.) To go hand-in-hand with #2, that leaves my own personal reasoning beyond the objective: as an SA victim myself, LR doesn't feel like a story that I would want to write about such an experience through. I tackle those themes in my original work enough as it is and Rekindled has, by and large, been a wonderful break from writing through such a personal lens.

All that said, LR will involve plot beats regarding loss of autonomy that intersects with commonalities of SA trauma, they're just not exclusive or related to the SA plotline in LO. Persephone will still undergo her own character arc that may share elements with those of assault victims, it just won't be with Apollo as a perpetrator.

I hope that answers your question!!! I know there are mixed feelings regarding my decision to remove the SA plotline, but ultimately I did what I felt necessary to make for a better overall story, while still retaining themes and topics that we'll be tackling later that aim to better reflect the original source material - the myths themselves - off which both Rekindled and LO are based. Sorry if that's vague, I just don't want to spoil LMAO but rest assured, anything that broaches into more serious / mature / potentially triggering territory will be provided with content warnings ( ´ ▽ ` )

[trulybetty]

Sunday | Week In Review VI

A bit of a slow week this week - nothing much really happened. Got some writing done, announced some things I'm working on and worked on my TBR list. Odd week as my notifications just disappeared and felt a little disconnected. Things seem to be back on track *fingers crossed* - so lets get on with this weeks review...

Truly Betty Updates This Week…

Strings Part V Mood Board

Salt Water Soft Launch

Autumnal Offerings

Fics I Enjoyed This Week…

How Good It Is (Benny Miller) by @wildemaven Fully on the Benny train, this scratched the itch this week with this delightfully wonderful piece of fluff with a delightful touch of spice and I can't wait to get more insights to this couple's relationship.

A Safe Haven Drabble (Joel Miller) by @darkroastjoel You don’t have to have read the series to appreciate the angst in this small little drabble that packs a punch. Explores Joel’s feelings on the impending arrival of Tommy’s child with the grief of missing Sarah and it manages to do it all in less than 600 words beautifully. 

Your Hand In Mine (Joel Miller) by @thelightsandtheroses This is a great opening to a new series and it's such a great opening premise that will have you wanting to find out what happens next and in eager anticipation of what is to come next.

Open Mic Night (Marcus Pike) by @secretelephanttattoo No denying it anymore, I’m ankle-deep in this Pike Puddle and this is an excellent example of what keeps me content with damp *ahem* feet… Are you one of those who forgot it's canon that Marcus was a part of a band? This one-shot is here to remind you with a bang!

Clouds (Joel Miller) by @softlyspector This is incredibly soft with a few hard edges - allusions to events from TLOU2, but no spoilers and no golfing. Highly recommend a read of this.

Little Monsters (Dieter Bravo) by @chronically-ghosted Dad Dieter was not the trope I thought I needed, but here we are and I can’t get enough. This is all what I picture Dieter as a father being like. This is equal parts fluff with equal parts spice which makes for a delightful read! 

For the Night (Agent Ortega) by @ladamedusoif I think the pilot hit the web for all of a couple of hours before we were blessed with this delight. As far as I am concerned this is what the pilot should have been, it’s deliciously raunchy and I may have read it several times. 

Delta Landscaping | Chapter 5 (Triple Frontier Boys) by @rhoorl I don’t know if I still have words for my thots feelings on this update to this series. So please accept this gif and go get caught up, and if you've not read it? What are you waiting for?

Spinning in the Rain (Frankie Morales) by @frenchiereading This is like the best kind of fluff, it's atmospheric, it's indulgent, it's sweet and it's Frankie - what more can you ask for? Oh, and it's based off a song that I already adored and this makes for one to go back to for re-read.

All I Need (Frankie Morales) by @frenchiereading Mel has such a way with these perfect snippets of fluff and romance that make your heart swell and this is another example of this. I can't do it justice, you just need to read it to experience it!

Exposed (Ezra) by @maggiemayhemnj This was a delightful debut and a great read that flowed just as well as Ezra's poetic prose, which Maggie manages to capture perfectly. If you are a fan of Prospect and Ezra, you will not be disappointed!

Personal Day (Marcus Pike) by @sin-djarin If I'm staying in the puddle, I'm going to make sure it's in good company with fanfics like this one! If Marcus Pike is going to ask me to come back to bed for five more minutes, who am I to deny the man?

Shared Breaths | Chapter 9 (Frankie Morales) by @frenchiereading It's a triple header here for @frenchiereading! The slow burn of the first eight chapters pays off with a bang here and, it does not disappoint! If you're late to the game like I am on this excellent story, I very much recommend jumping in because it does not disappoint!

Posts I Enjoyed This Week…

The thots were truly alive and well on this Narcos gifset. I don't think the image of this post is burned into the back of my eyelids. Also, might have prompted some non-Narcos writing somewhere in the WIP pile...

Thoughts on the contents of the Delta Landscaping Yelp page? We got you here!

@goodwithcheese's book recommendations! I'm off this week and hoping to get some reading done between parental activities.

Things I’ve Enjoyed This Week…

I got four episodes deep on Wrestlers, a Netflix original docu-series on OVW, a Wrestling farm out of Florida that was once where the WWE sent its superstars to cut their teeth before making their debut. I once upon a time was a big WWE fan, so this has been an interesting watch. I'd recommend it too even if you're not a wrestling fan as there are some interesting stories from both those who run it and those who live it.

This Week’s Song…

On a N'Sync kick this week with the rumours that they're going to be reuniting for more than just the Trolls 3 soundtrack/movie. I will be feral if the rumour of a reunion tour materializes!

Happy Sunday all! Here's to a great week ahead!

B 💕 x

[ihonestlydunnowhattocallmyself]

A recommendation of Undead Unluck

I'll be completely frank with you. By binge reading all of the manga I have come to the conclusion that it is my fourth favorite manga. Yet, for all the good will I hold for it, I can't earnestly recommend the first few chapters to anyone. Not because of its weird premise or that its just my trash taste that has made me love it. No.

The starting chapters are just very problematic with just this weird sexual undertone between the two main characters, the titular Undead Unluck. It makes it just extremely hard to get into if you don't know what it becomes. It may start out as such but in a very short time-span it metamorphosis into something completely different and completely different. This change is comparable to a persons complete personality shifting from something that just feels off at a lot of times to something I can say wholeheartedly is beautiful. Which is what makes the initial chapters so sad in contrast with the rest of the story. It is what keeps this series from getting a 10/10 for me.

With this I conclude my initial disclaimer.

And if you have read so far,

I WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMEND IT THE REST OF IT.

While its beginning is definitely problematic it really drops those undertones quick which lets the story keep chugging along. I would however completely recommending skipping the problematic beginning. While it has a lot of vital info I do feel like you can read ahead since it still changes massively enough to the point where it isn't really needed and you can simply understand whats going on from starting at that point. The chapter I suggest you start at is chapter 9.

I can also give a summary if you wish. It is in the following paragraph

So basically in this world that can negate a specific concept. This ability is based around their interpretation of said negated concept. This gives it a specific condition for activation. The simplest way to explain this is an ability that is based around the characters interpretation of it that is molded by their experiences with it. The current user of the ability Unluck is Fuuko. As implied the ability lets her give people bad luck. This is activated when people come into contact with her. This leads her to accidentally killing her parents. This leads to her becoming a NEET who's scared of touching literally anyone. This leads her to try to commit suicide by jumping onto an oncoming train from above a bridge. That's when Andy, the user of Undead comes in. As implied by the name he literally can't die and can regenerate from anything. Think Wolverine but able to use the fact that he ca practically regenerate as a weapon in of itself. He tries to die with her unluck. He escapes because of his regenerative abilities. Then there are a few shenanigans before he cuts her hair as he was once a barber. However there touching moment is interrupted when a seemingly evil organization called UNION attacks. They are able to of course beat them back. Andy explains that they've been chasing them for a long time and even trapped and experimented on him 50 years ago. Of course he broke out and he has been pursued ever since. Then they are once again found by Union. 2 of its top brass are sent after them. They kill one of the guys while the other guy, Shen says that he can recommend them in. They only need two empty seats to fill. By killing the other guy they've successfully emptied one and just need to kill another member. He gives them the place where they can find said member. So they go and kill her too.

This is an extreme over simplification of what happens and I'd say at a certain point you should probably come back to read these chapters as they are somewhat re-contextualized later on. You likely will know when to read them but if you want a hint there are two major turns in the middle portion. Probably go back when the second turn happens.

Now with the summary and disclaimer out of the way I think I may start of with the main appeal of the story.

For one I love how it develops the main duo as you often don't see much romance in shounen. And usually it is a side-plot. And while I've never been a fan of romance myself I do thing with the exception of the first few chapters, Undead Unluck handles that aspect of it pretty exceptionally. I feel like Fuuko and Andy gain more chemistry as the story goes on. It in my opinion happens very naturally and is shown to be mutually beneficial. While they certainly can operate individually and be effective, by working together their power is bolstered and they are more effective.

Beyond just this main pairing love is a recurring theme within the cast. So even if you don't like the main characters there are always other pairings for you to ship.

Beyond just this its just really fun from start to finish. It has a really nice adventure aspect where it can feel monster of the week at times. And even then the plot is able to progress. This helps make even less consequential arcs feel engaging as its always going somewhere.

I also really like how specific arcs can pay attention and really help develop the specific characters that become the focus in them. It really helps make the cast feel more well rounded and likeable. I think this aspect of the manga really shines in the sixth arc as it in my opinion gracefully shifts focus to a completely new character and fleshes them out to a great extent. I also like how with each re-appearance we learn more and more about the villains and their motivations.

If there was anything I didn't particularly like about Undead Unluck I'd have to say that its fast pace is a double edged sword as I wished some arcs took some more time to develop the characters as they are all just so interesting. But the plot is always progressing so it feels like no time is lost.

In all, I think its a series worth reading.

[fish-bowl-2]

Hiya! B F I M P R (:

hiii >:3

B. Any of your stories inspired by personal experience? A LOT lol. I am super super guilty of projecting with these guys. I do it with a lot of my writing though, both fan work and original. I think it is kind of unavoidable. To give a specific example, in YKISBLS, the whole section where Edd starts to blame himself for making Eddy upset with him, and this snowballs into him feeling like he's ruined their friendship, is based off of very similar situations I've experienced when I was around the same age. Social interaction, even among friends, was really difficult for me, and I regularly pointed fingers at myself for being the problem even if it was not necessarily the case. I was one of those annoying kids who would ask my friends "do you hate me? Ok, but what are things you don't like about me so I can fix them." I don't think it is far-fetched to think Edd would be guilty of this as well.

F. Share a snippet from one of your favorite dialogue scenes you’ve written and explain why you’re proud of it.

Edd came to a sputtering halt as he considered the statement. “I couldn’t do that. It would be so rude.” He said. “Besides, I mean, you called me a pussy.” the last word fell off in an inaudible whisper.

“So?”

“So, I don’t think anyone appreciates being called that!” 

“You’re such a drama queen.” 

“Whatever, this is not about that. This is about you forcing me, yet again, to come to the rescue when you can’t do something yourself. You’re always doing that to me and Ed.”

“I do not,” said Eddy. 

“You do too! You drag us into things all the time and then refuse to take accountability.”

“Would you drop it? I’m trying to watch.” 

“There you go again! You never want to talk about it.” 

“‘Cause you’re so annoying about everything!” 

Edd flinched at the term, speaking through gritted teeth. “I am not!” 

“Yeah you are.” 

“You’re just saying that because you know I’m right.” 

“See, that’s what I mean,” Eddy pointed defiantly, “acting all ‘high and mighty’ about everything. You do that all the time now and it’s so annoying! Can’t you just go back to being good at shutting up?” 

Edd stared motionless, arms crossed tightly. Eddy glared back, daring him to go on another exhaustive speech. Edd knew he was waiting, and he hated that even more.

“Fine. So I guess I’m annoying now, according to you.” 

--

I really like how I structured the back and forth here. I always worry about striking a balance between dialogue and description in my writing, and I think this displayed it in a really natural and easy-to-digest way. Also, if I may be self-indulgent, I like how the whole conflict being expressed comes from both directions. Edd (rightfully) is upset with Eddy for deflecting and going too far in teasing him. Meanwhile, Eddy is (rightfully) upset with Edd for not reading the room. I had fun touching on Edd's discomfort with being called "annoying". Much to unpack.

I. Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)? Bad explicit smut is kind of funny to read. 🙏

M. Got any premises on the back burner that you’d care to share? A few! I'll avoid going in too much detail (for the sake of keeping my motivation to start them), but I have one idea for a fic involving Edd and his parents, and another taking place in high school with the Eds at a town carnival. Those are at least the ones I have the clearest ideas for.

P. Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?) I guess I would be more of an "architect", in the sense that I need to have the beginning, middle, end, and all the details planned out before I start writing. I usually make a bullet-point outline for each event I want to happen and the details I wish to express before starting a story. I don't always do this with quick, shorter things, but for the longer stories with lots of details and elements to read into, it just makes things so much easier. I feel less guilty about potentially forgetting something. In the process of building these outlines though, I do think there is an element of a "gardener". When I am stumped on a specific plot-element or missing detail, I try not to stress about it, and instead find ways to let it to naturally "take bloom". Sometimes this means I have to wait a while, but I think it is worth it in the end when I get something that I never expected. Granted, sometimes you just have to "pull it out" in order to realize what needs to be done.

R. Are there any writers (fanfic or otherwise) you consider an influence? Man, I honestly think I pull a little bit out of everyone's whose work I enjoy >_< Specifically for EEnE, with a fandom as intimate as this one, I think it is somewhat difficult NOT to be inspired by those around you. Off the top of my head: I'd say your work, as well as those done by @eddbedandeddy, @doubledyke, @mysticbeaver, @bookworm116, as well as @gettingfrilly and @vhvrs most recently, are on my mind a lot. Actual books, films, and music influence me a lot too. I always pull little elements and bits of things I like and try to implement it in what I do.

[acanvasofabillionsuns]

pride flag au !!

the premise for this 'verse is that pride flags appear on people's skin on their twenty fifth birthday, usually somewhere on the bust (so face, shoulders, neck, etc.) flags will appear, disappear, or change as people figure themselves out and/or learn new terms, and it's very dependent on how each person views themself and their identity.

for example, someone may initially get the ace flag, and then later learn the term 'aceflux' and decide that that fits them and to use that label, and the ace flag would shift to the aceflux flag. someone else might have the exact same experience, but decide they're fine sticking with "ace" over the more precise "aceflux," and so their flag would stay the ace flag. another example would be someone spending the first few decades of their life (ie past 25) as cis, and then realizing in their forties that they're nonbinary - only once they have that realization would the nonbinary flag appear on them.

(note: this idea is not original to me - i was inspired by my friend's fic which was in turn evidently inspired by tiktok. the main fic for this au is based off of said fic!)

the second premise for this 'verse is that the sides also get flags, but they don't all get them on thomas's 25th birthday...

[shoujomangathoughts]

Shoujo Thoughts - Hana Kimi

So for my first post outside of Chihayafuru, I thought I'd talk about Hana Kimi (aka Hanazakari no Kimitachi e), which I believe is considered a classic shoujo (quickly looking at the sales I'd assume it was). Even though there's several live action adaptations (as a fan of SHINee and f(x) it surprised me that the drama Minho and Sulli were in was based on this manga), my experience is solely the manga. I finished reading this a couple months ago so if I remember something wrong, I apologize in advance. I won't really talk about any spoilers until the character section.

For these posts, I'll just go over some impressions I had (very casually "review") and talk about my favorite arc and/or character.

Hana Kimi's premise is pretty interesting; Ashiya transfers to an all-boys school in Japan because she looks up to Sano and his ability in the high jump. So we've got this setup of a girl infiltrating an all boys school and the manga essentially focuses on the shenanigans that come about because of that, as well as some more coming of age and some familial themes. I specifically thought Sano's issues with his family were handled pretty well and tied into his character and the overall narrative in a satisfying way (I also liked his brother's character). This series doesn't go super deep into more serious topics or handle them with the most nuance, but that's probably because at its core, this series is more lighthearted. It has a lot of scenarios typical of a high school series (sports events, school dances, etc.).

Of course, there's also romance. The romance in this series, or at least the acknowledgement of it, moves very slow. There are moments where it's very clear something is going on, but it's played off as characters being dense/misunderstanding/etc. It's a series that's tagged with "love polygon", but there's never any doubt about who the romantic conclusion lies with, so if that sways you one way or another, there's that. The romantic plots are pretty typical of the high school series you may have read or watched before but the cast is still enjoyable enough to continue (for me at least).

Overall, I actually really enjoyed this series. The cast has a large amount of different personalities and they lend themselves to a variety of situations. Some of my favorites were Dr. Umeda, Kayashima and Nanba. I've seen the art of this series be described as dated but I really like it for the most part (I enjoy a lot of the art from series from this time). It's a solid slice of life rom-com series even if some of the little arcs felt unnecessary (the arc with the boy from America and the ghost/spirit boy are scenarios that come to mind) and the ending felt a bit abrupt. I suppose some of the comedy might have aged, but I don't remember anything glaring (Akiha was a bit weird when it came to Umeda though if I recall). I haven't read a lot of slice of life series like this, let alone many from this far back, so I'm not sure how it stacks up to other series but I'd still recommend giving it a look.

Favorite character : Nakatsu

I don't think I really have second lead syndrome, but sometimes I find the character that won't "win" ship-wise to be more interesting. Nakatsu here is the one in the group with a sunny disposition and generally is upbeat. He has an interesting personal arc where he mulls over the fact that he's into Ashiya (despite believing her to be a guy) and he eventually decides that he'd rather accept his feelings than worry about sexuality. The manga has a weird way of "justifying" this (I believe that Umeda said something about Nakatsu being able to tell she wasn't a guy because of pheromones or something), but I liked the conclusion that he came to and how he freely expressed his interest in her. The arcs centered around Nakatsu were also entertaining to me because they focused on more serious situations that forced his upbeat personality to be broken down a bit. This was also interesting, as the group could typically tell when something was wrong with him because he was a pillar of the group's energy. I also appreciated his conversations with Sano and Ashiya about his feelings, the fact that Ashiya actually gave him a rejection instead of brushing him off, and just the general friendship dynamic. However it was really clear that Ashiya wasn't into him romantically (she's only at this school because of Sano and the way she gets involved with him is sometimes borderline obsessive, but hey, it's fiction). He was a character that suited both lighthearted and more serious situations in the series well which probably contributed to why he stuck out to me. I did feel for him when he was hurting about his one sided love but I also knew he lowkey never had a chance.

Well, if you read all this, thanks! I haven't done any posts about other series until now and this is a lot more casual since I'm not analyzing anything, but I've got a couple other series that I read somewhat recently or am currently reading that I'd like to do this with. Give Hana Kimi a shot if you haven't read or heard of it before!

[small-screen-superman]

I love My Adventures with Superman, but I decided to write some thoughts about the one thing about it that bugs me most. Spoilers for episodes 4-6! The best way to read it is my non-Tumblr blog, but I'll include the text below too.

About a month ago, it finally happened. My Adventures with Superman came out. I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time; I wrote a blog post when it was first announced over 2 years ago. Based on what little was known about the show back then, it seemed like exactly what I wanted: a show focusing on Clark’s humanity and his life at the Daily Planet, and especially his friendship with fellow Planet employees Lois and Jimmy. That is indeed what the show is about. So do I like it? You bet I do! It’s charming, fun and exciting. It is indeed very focused on characters and relationships, but that does not mean it skimps out on the action. It’s also pretty humorous.

If any of this sounds like a good show to you, I recommend watching it. It’s available on Max (formerly HBO Max). At the time of this post’s writing, the show is up to its seventh episode. This post contains spoilers for episodes 4-6, so if you want a “fresh” experience of the show, you should stop reading. But if you do decide to finish this post instead of running off to watch the show, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t watch the show – I don’t think learning the information found in this post will ruin your experience at all.

At any rate, this is your last warning for spoilers.

When MAWS was newly announced, I thought its premise sounded so promising that it might end up being basically exactly what I’d want a new Superman cartoon to be. That might’ve been a little too optimistic. I didn’t fully realize how nontraditional MAWS was going to be. That’s not a bad thing in and of itself, of course, but as a fan of the traditional Superman setup, I don’t necessarily consider it ideal either.

The first big change that’s obvious from the very first episode is that Lois reciprocates Clark’s interest in her from the start. Many villains are also massively re-imagined. But in this article, I want to focus on what I consider the most radical change and the one that I’m least on board with: by episode 6, both Lois and Jimmy know Clark is Superman. Or, in in-universe terms, they both learn Clark is Superman shortly after Superman first appears.

Wasted Potential

It took some effort for me to fully understand why this idea bothers me, so it will take a bit of time for me to convey it too. The first and most obvious issue is that it closes off a lot of potential stories that could be told. Of course, it also opens up possibilities for other stories to be told, so the real issue is that it means stories, plot points, and ideas that I personally want to see are closed off.

I’m sure after decades and decades of superhero media, a lot of people are tired of seeing superheroes constantly keeping their identities secret from even their close friends. But in all honesty, I just am not. I think this setup, tried-and-true as it may be, is full of potential.

Some of that potential is for humor. MAWS is pretty humorous, so it would fit right in. What’s a bigger deal is that I enjoy the irony and tragedy of this premise. In the 1950s Adventures of Superman live-action show, the friendship between Clark, Lois, and Jimmy is also important, but they don’t know that he’s Superman, and to me, there’s something about that which is just so interesting and sad in a way: having a strong, almost family-like bond with others, and yet not willing to let them know something so fundamental about yourself. It just seems poignant to me. I guess I always like for Superman to have at least a touch of sadness to his character.

Not being able to open up to others, even others we care about, is something that I think almost everyone has experienced at one point or another. There’s something strangely satisfying about seeing Superman represent such a basic human struggle in an extreme way. I guess technically, MAWS also depicts this struggle since Lois and Jimmy found out Clark was Superman, rather than being told by him…but it happening so fast means there’s no time to dwell on this struggle or really appreciate it.

MAWS could’ve still been fairly revolutionary by making Lois and Jimmy learning about Clark’s identity happen relatively early, but not within the first couple of episodes – at the end of the first season, for example. This way, they would’ve had time to actually use the potential of the “classic” setup.

However, as I thought more about my dissatisfaction with MAWS’ choice, I’ve come to realize there’s an even more fundamental reason why it bothers me.

I Want a Contrast Between Clark & Superman, and Now That’s Much Harder

There are a lot of foundational aspects of Superman that contribute to his appeal as a character. Which aspects are more appealing or important is highly variable from one person to another. As I’ve thought about why MAWS’ decision and its consequences don’t feel right to me, it’s brought to mind how important a certain aspect actually is to me. That aspect is simply the contrast between Clark and Superman.

Now, Clark and Superman’s apparent personalities have varied greatly over the years, both in general and in relation to each other. Sometimes, Clark and Superman act extremely differently – Clark acts cowardly, mild-mannered, and clumsy, while Superman is bold and headstrong – that sort of thing. I’m not necessarily talking about that. Some versions of Clark don’t seem to act much differently from Superman (especially in Adventures of Superman and many Post-Crisis depictions), and I actually like these versions better a lot of the time.

Even without a big personality change, there’s still a big contrast between Clark and Superman. Clark, as an identity and persona, is a human being with no powers who lives a human life and is in effect limited in many of the ways humans are, since he has to hide his powers and chooses to live the same kind of life humans live. And while we, the audience, know Clark is Superman, we still see him acting as a normal person and being treated as a normal person by most people he interacts with. This causes the idea of Clark the Human to be firm in our mind…and that, in my experience, makes it more powerful and compelling when we see Clark and Superman “meet”: when we’re reminded that they’re one and the same. It can lead us to contemplate how unusual it really is that a man who appears normal is actually, well…Superman.

I’ll give a couple of TV examples of seeing Clark and Superman “meet” that gives me a certain sense of wonder. In the 5th episode of Lois & Clark (Requiem for a Superhero), while Clark and Lois are investigating, in order to hinder the people who are about to discover them, Clark creates a mini-earthquake, pretending it’s an actual earthquake. In a way, this gives me a sense of awe because Clark had been acting as a normal human around Lois, and in a sense it’s almost as if I had fallen for the illusion of Clark being human. To suddenly see such a display of his powers gives me a sense of amazement that such a powerful being would practically “be” a normal human. I don’t think I’d have had this sensation at all if Lois just…knew Clark was Superman. Of course, Lois does eventually learn Clark is Superman in this show, but there’s still plenty of time giving to establishing the illusion of Clark being human.

An “opposite” example (seeing the Clark-ness of Superman, rather than the Superman-ness of Clark) is in the 6th episode of Superman: The Animated Series (Feeding Time). Parasite finds out Superman’s secret identity (due to being able to gain knowledge from people whose energy and powers he’s absorbed) and kidnaps him. As Parasite explains his plan to keep Superman there indefinitely, Superman says that his co-workers will look for him when they realize he hasn’t come into work for a while. Seeing this be one of the first things Superman says makes me think that he doesn’t see himself that differently from how we see ourselves. To the viewer, there’s something a bit shocking about Superman suddenly having to rely on normal humans, but this doesn’t seem to be the case from his perspective. In a way, it makes me amazed to contemplate how Superman can be one of us despite being, well, Superman. A powerful contrast like this would be hard to create if Superman talking with someone who knows he’s Clark is something that happened extremely frequently.

Do you see what I’m getting at? I enjoy being amazed at the fact that Superman and Clark are one and the same. I enjoy seeing that contrast and then being reminded that it’s all an illusion. It really makes you think about who Clark/Superman is, and how his humanity and, well, “Supermanity” can coexist – how for him, it might be natural, but for us, it’s remarkable. I like finding it amazing that he’s both man and Superman – both human and “god”. If Clark is constantly interacting with people who know his secret identity, it’s very hard for something like that to ever happen.

I have a feeling this might have been a deliberate choice, but in MAWS, the two personas of Clark and Superman feel…a bit insignificant. After all, since he spends so much time interacting just with people who know his secret already, he’s free to openly use his powers even when he’s not in his Superman persona. Heck, in episode 6, Clark doesn’t change into his Superman outfit at all, and it barely seems to matter.

I don’t like the fact that it doesn’t matter. I like that Superman has 2 different identities that are perceived very differently. It’s a pretty important factor as to why I like the character. I love to see that contrast and to remember that it’s just an illusion. It makes me think about who Superman is in a deeper way – about how there are realities about himself that he keeps separate in the views of others via his two identities, and how that dual identity both conceals and reveals who he is, in a sense. It’s really interesting stuff that I feel like I can’t encapsulate in this article without going off on a tangent, but the point is, if you don’t really get to see Superman “doing” his dual identity that much, it’s hard to get much out of it.

An Aside: MAWS Could Still Make a Contrast Between Clark and Superman…But They Don’t

OK, this is somewhat tangential, but I think it needs to be addressed or this article will feel a little incomplete.

I established that there being a contrast between Clark and Superman is not dependent on Clark and Superman acting as though they have noticeably different personalities. Obviously, though, them having different personalities is still a big way for them to have a contrast between each other. If MAWS actually employed this method of having a contrast between them, perhaps it would bother me a little less that another huge method (him mostly interacting with people who think Clark is a normal human) wasn’t present. However, MAWS…definitely doesn’t do this.

The two most common ways to depict Superman and Clark is to have Superman be bold and for Clark to be “wimpy” in some way (with the “wimpiness” being a fake personality to fool people into thinking he’s not Superman), or for them to both be bold. MAWS takes a road less traveled and makes Clark being awkward and nervous (though not to an extreme degree) be his actual personality. It would then make perfect sense for Superman to have a fake personality of boldness, but they don’t really go in that direction, except maybe very subtly. I guess Superman isn’t that openly insecure, but he’s certainly not as confident as you’d expect him to be. It feels…very wrong. Heck, even if they didn’t make Lois and Jimmy learn the truth so fast, it would still probably bother me that Superman acts in such a nontraditional way. But the fact that they did makes it worse, because it makes seeing a contrast between Clark and Superman basically impossible.

An Additional Aside: It Might Not Hurt MAWS, But It Sets a Precedent

I do wonder if I’m overreacting about this. MAWS is still a great show and Lois and Jimmy knowing the secret from early on is a part of it, and the show wouldn’t be the same without it. So maybe it doesn’t really matter. It’s not like MAWS has to be the ultimate version of Superman that contains everything that makes the character appealing.

But a popular show making a big change could very easily influence future interpretations, so the very fact that MAWS is doing this could have ramifications for future versions of Superman. I’m not meaning to say adaptations should be afraid of changing things just because other people might copy them. I’m just saying, it wouldn’t be surprising if other media took cues from MAWS in this area, and I think that could be unfortunate.

Maybe this is paranoid, but I think it’s at least worth mentioning. It’s normal for adaptations to influence other adaptations and even the comics themselves, and this change traveling to other media is not a happy prospect for me. (Though I’m keeping in mind that this change can be used for interesting and quality stories, of course. But it becoming widespread and making its way to very important and/or high-profile media would be quite disappointing to me.)

So yeah – I think I did an okay job articulating why I’m unsatisfied with MAWS’ decision to have Lois and Jimmy learn the truth so early. I can’t say there’s anything inherently wrong with it from a storytelling perspective or in terms of what the writers want to accomplish. And it certainly doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the show – it doesn’t even mean I can’t enjoy the parts of the show that are direct consequences of this decision.

Essentially, all that it means is that MAWS will never feel anywhere close to a “definitive” version of Superman to me. It will always feel more like “Superman with a twist” or something like that. That’s not a horrible fate to be consigned to at all…it’s just not as good as what I was hoping for from MAWS.

[foodesoftt]

"Streamlining Online Ordering and Restaurant Technology"

Delivery and off-premises dining has become the standard, with customers now expecting the convenience of ordering on their terms. According to Hospitality Technology, 54% of people consider off-premises dining an essential part of their lives. For small businesses, enhancing daily operations to incorporate off-premises options requires careful decision-making and the implementation of a POS system tailored to their specific requirements.

Below is a summary of steps to effectively handle the growing demand for online ordering in small businesses by utilizing a POS system. These steps include scaling operations, simplifying processes, and ensuring accommodation for the increasing online orders.

Offer direct online order options  

According to our latest restaurant trends report, the majority of consumers prefer ordering directly from a restaurant rather than using third-party platforms. This preference is excellent news for independent restaurateurs as it allows them to have control over both customer acquisition costs and profit margins, which are vital for long-term success.

However, implementing an online ordering system for restaurants can be daunting for most restaurant operators, as they are not web developers and the associated expenses may seem overwhelming.

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By utilizing Foodesoft’s platform, independent restaurants can meet customer preferences for direct ordering, optimize their financial performance, and build stronger customer relationships through tailored offers.

Curate your menu and the carryout experience

When implementing online ordering, it is essential to optimize your menu with three key considerations: focus on dishes that travel well, accommodate dietary restrictions, and appeal to families. Prioritize meals that are emotionally and nutritionally satisfying while also offering suitable options for patrons with dietary limitations. Additionally, be mindful of environmentally conscious consumers by exploring biodegradable or recyclable packaging solutions to enhance sustainability and attract eco-conscious diners. Testing various packaging options can help strike a balance between food quality, cost-effectiveness, and environmental responsibility.

Think carefully about inventory management

Building upon the above: The choices you make regarding your menu will significantly affect the long-term sustainability of your business. After finalizing an online ordering menu that is attractive and suitable for takeout or pickup, analyze it from a financial perspective. Conduct thorough reports on the previous year's performance to identify the optimal configuration that caters to both your customers' preferences and your bottom line.

A payment processor that works for you and your customers

The growing demand for off-premises and in-person dining necessitates a greater reliance on various payment methods. However, many payment processors come with hidden fees, fixed contracts, and expensive processing charges based on the payment type. To address this, opt for an end-to-end payment processor solution that offers a fixed fee rate, flexible month-to-month terms, and transparency with no hidden charges. Your customers should have the freedom to pay using their preferred methods, such as debit cards, credit cards, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay, without incurring additional costs on your end.

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With Foodesoft online ordering, restaurant owners can conveniently accept online orders for pickup, delivery, and tableside service through a user-friendly mobile app. The platform offers operators the flexibility to update menus and pricing, access sales reports, and execute marketing campaigns for multiple restaurant locations via an intuitive restaurant dashboard accessible from any web browser. The best part is that it comes at no cost, and the system can be set up quickly, ensuring a smooth and efficient process for businesses.

Using Foodesoft restaurant technology, restaurants can put online ordering transaction data into motion. The reporting dashboard measures performance at every step of the customer journey, from advertising performance to repeat order frequency. It provides:

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The restaurant ordering system takes minutes to set up and integrates with Essentials for customers around the globe...  

[hyuckmov]

(2/2)

PLEASE JAEMIN JAEMIN JAEMIN WHAT IS THERE TO NOT LIKE ABOUT HIM IS HE EVEN REAL and i can't help but think that jeno is the LEAN muscular type and then there's jaemin who's the JUICY MEATY muscular type LIKE LET ME BITE INTO THAT YUMMY ARMS AND BE HELD AND SQUEEZED BY IT AND HECK MAYBE EVEN BE SUFFOCATED BY IT

YEY CONGRATULATIONS ON FINISHING UR INTERNSHIP!! SO PROUD OF UU UR HARDWORK DEFINITELY PAID OFF!! and i'm quite nosy as heck so oooohhhh 👀 ur tmi reminded me of if i believe you 👀 (must be me having withdrawals i miss ur characters i'm quite attached to them i'm just gonna reread it after this hehe) BUT I CAN PRETTY MUCH RELATE AND UNDERSTAND there was one time i almost had a serious crush (thank god it didn't got deeper lmfao) since my friend got a new crush on someone too 😭😭 i was like u know what... it's been going almost 6 years since i had a serious crush on a real reachable person so me too i want to try and have those giddy gushing crush experiences once again 💀 so yeah it's pretty much on the loneliness in my case... didn't pursue that almost crush lol although i still find him cute sometimes but it's all surface level

i honestly wish i know what my alcohol tolerance is >< i've always drink drinks that has little percentage of alcohol in them like flavored beers or stuff like smirnoff mule or cocktails, guess it's either i just don't like the bitter taste of alcohol or i'm still not used to it AND IF I EVER DO I BET I'M GONNA HAVE A LOT OF CHASERS CUZ I HAVE A TASTE PALATE OF A CHILD

anyway ALL THE BEST AND GOOD LUCK on ur interviews and ur future endeavors may it be here in tumblr or irl!!! HAVE FUN AND ALWAYS STAY SAFE LOVE YOUUUU 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

- 💛

my jaemin feelings r really getting worse and worse he's just so lovely i associate him w so many scenes and scenarios LOL I SWEAR i will get better at writing him and then i can actually share my brainrot w y'all in an articulate way

firstly withdrawals omg ur so kind 😭😭😭🫶🏻 thank u for liking my characters so much... also yep definitely if i believe u's premise is very based off my own feelings. liking someone irl/a reachable person has so many strings attached and implications and complications it is not for the faint hearted but i really do miss it just a little bit...

omg ur rlly different from me... for me i drink to like taste the alcohol and i don't rlly like to mix it or get flavored stuff bc to me why am i paying for something i dont wna taste... when i meet new people im gna lie to them and say i cant drink tho so i dont face social pressure to do... in the wise words of na jaemin: "you're forbidden from saying that you have a strong tolerance getting excited and saying ohahahahahaha i drink soju out of the bottle"

THANK YOU for chatting w me i hope u stay safe too and u have the best of time during the holidayyyys (if ur still on holiday?) LOVE YOU

[cruisinforarubberman]

see this is interesting to me, because I go by word count

based off the premise given, or more often the quote, and how long the fic is usually tells me if this is a dedicated project or something for fun not taken too too seriously, both of which I would read just to be clear, but sometimes I want the full dive in experience and sometimes I want the cheese board experience (a little of this, a little of that, quick bites of fic)

so for example: it's a multi chapter fic, let's say hypothetically 25 chapters, but the word count is under ten thousand words, that means roughly each chapter is about 400 words in length

now to be clear, this can still work and be an amazing fic, but 400 words it about 2 to 3 paragraphs, and for me I wouldn't be able to set up much story in that length, when I write daily I do 500 words and my chapters are about 6000 words give or take, but that's just what works for me, and every creative person has their own way of doing things

that being said when I'm looking for longer length fics to read I lean more towards ones where the word count in thousands doesn't go under the number of chapters, so a 25 chapter fic with 150000 words? that's about 6000 words a chapter, which means we get a lot of stuff that could happen, you know what I mean?

so the kudos method isn't a bad one in theory, but it can vary wildly depending on what you're reading. a standard malexmale pairing in a popular fandom, that probably helps put the most liked fics on the top of the list, BUT if you're into rarepairs or non shipping fics, or a smaller fandom, you could be setting yourself up to make it seem like very few of the fics available are worth the time

and that's just the kudos, because I may be wrong, but from what I can tell hits go up every time someone opens the fic at all, even if it's the same person, so those ten hits and 1 kudos could be the same person coming back again and again, so it might not be an accurate way to tell how much the fic is liked by the average person coming across it

tl;dr, some of the best fics I've read have a high word count verses the amount of chapters

Another AO3 thing I’m curious about, how do yall decide if something is good enough to read? Usually I follow a rule of 1 kudos for every 10 hits. One because it’s easy math and two it’s yet to fail me. Thoughts? Do you just go for it and pray it’s good?

[cssfounderwebdesign]

CRM Development in Riyadh: Unlocking Business Growth with Smart Solutions

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has become an essential tool for businesses looking to streamline operations, enhance customer engagement, and drive growth. In Riyadh, a booming business hub in the Middle East, the demand for custom CRM solutions is rising as companies seek tailored systems that align with their unique needs.

Why CRM Development is Crucial in Riyadh

With Riyadh's economy rapidly expanding across sectors like retail, finance, healthcare, and real estate, businesses need efficient ways to manage customer interactions. A well-developed CRM system helps companies:

Automate workflows to improve efficiency

Track customer interactions for better engagement

Enhance data-driven decision-making through analytics

Increase sales and revenue with optimized lead management

Ensure compliance with Saudi regulations regarding data security

Key Features of a Successful CRM

When developing a CRM system in Riyadh, businesses should focus on the following features:

1. Customizable Modules

Every business has unique needs. A good CRM should allow customization of sales pipelines, customer support dashboards, and reporting tools.

2. Multilingual & Localization Support

Since Riyadh is home to a diverse workforce and customer base, supporting both Arabic and English is crucial. This ensures seamless communication and user-friendliness.

3. Integration with Existing Systems

A CRM should integrate with ERP systems, accounting software, marketing automation tools, and e-commerce platforms for smooth operations.

4. AI-Powered Analytics & Automation

Using AI for predictive analytics, customer segmentation, and automated follow-ups can enhance engagement and boost sales.

5. Mobile Accessibility

With the high mobile usage rate in Saudi Arabia, a CRM with a mobile-friendly interface ensures that sales teams and customer service reps can access data on the go.

6. Compliance & Data Security

Given Saudi Arabia’s strict data protection laws (such as the Personal Data Protection Law - PDPL), CRM systems must have robust security measures, including encryption, role-based access, and secure cloud storage.

Choosing the Right CRM Development Approach

Custom CRM vs. Off-the-Shelf Solutions

Custom CRM: Best for businesses with specific workflows and unique requirements. It offers scalability and full control over features.

Off-the-Shelf CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot): Faster to implement but may require extensive customization to fit local business needs.

On-Premise vs. Cloud-Based CRM

On-Premise CRM: Offers full data control but requires higher maintenance and infrastructure costs.

Cloud-Based CRM: Provides scalability, remote access, and cost-effectiveness, making it ideal for businesses in Riyadh looking for flexibility.

Finding the Right CRM Development Partner in Riyadh

When selecting a CRM development company in Riyadh, consider: ✅ Experience in CRM development for your industry ✅ Knowledge of Saudi business regulations and data security compliance ✅ Ability to provide ongoing support and updates ✅ Expertise in cloud computing, AI, and API integrations

Final Thoughts

Developing a CRM system in Riyadh requires a strategic approach that considers business needs, local compliance, and future scalability. Whether you’re a startup or an established enterprise, investing in a well-structured CRM can enhance customer experiences, optimize workflows, and drive business success in Saudi Arabia’s competitive market.

Looking for expert CRM development services in Riyadh? Contact a trusted development partner to build a CRM that aligns with your business goals. 🚀

[joeeatsdvds]

XO Kitty Season 1

“XO Kitty” is a romantic comedy drama series created by Jenny Han as a spin off series based off of the already existing trilogy of “To All The Boys” films which themselves are based off of the book trilogy of the same name! the first series of the show was released to netflix on the 18th of may 2023.

you can find my review for the film below the cut (spoilers below)!

let’s pretend i’m not rushing to finish this review so i can watch series 2… also pretend that everybody wants to rule the world is playing because i tried really hard to get it working to be a mp3 in this post it wasn’t having it ;(

i watched the to all the boys films way back in june 2022 so it had been a while by the time i found out about xo kitty last year through a ship video on instagram that prompted me to look into the series and say “huh they made a spin off of those films?”. back when i watched the trilogy i was watching through a lot of teen romance films on netflix and i’ve gotta say that the to all the boys films were probably the best of the roster i watched in terms of both writing and quality! despite that though i had my suspicions going into xo kitty that it wasn’t going to be particularly good but i would soon realise that i was sorely mistaken.

the show is actually really enjoyable and funny and i think it works with its base concept really well and doesn’t go against kitty’s pre-existing character from the trilogy and just adds onto it as she gains life experience and grows as a person. kitty wanting to go to the same korean international school that her mum went to so she can feel more of a connection to her is in line with kitty’s character, unlike her sisters kitty has practically no memory of her mum and she could only remember her through second hand accounts of her mum and she was striving for a way to find that connection in the film’s also. this mother connection plot line adds a whole lot more depth to the premise i thought the show had, that being that she went to korea only to be with dae, but i was once more sorely mistaken! it’s a lot less shallow and stereotypical having that other reason and not having kitty “doing it for a boy”.

kitty is a fun and likeable main protagonist who, yes does full some odd stunts (mainly talking about getting kicked out of the hospital because girl what?) and fails to try seeing things from others perspective sometimes, but she’s a good person at heart and she does care for the people around her. she feels like a real teenager with any screw ups just making her feel more human. the rest of the cast are well written too and also have their fair share of screw ups as well but again they’re teens, they’re in high school and most importantly they’re human. kitty is one of my favourite characters in the show as well as yuri, i love both of their storylines and the themes present in their characters.

as far as i’m concerned with things carrying over from the film trilogy it’s nice seeing that everybody wants to rule the world continues to hold relevance in the show like it did in the film, being kitty’s parents “song”, now being referenced as principal lim and professor lee’s favourite song also. the song is also used during yuri’s set. while yuri is playing this song during her set is when kitty starts developing her crush on yuri. i see what they did there! also carrying over from the movies are kitty’s family of course though you only get to see her dad and step mum on screen but LJ and margo are mentioned a few times throughout the season. going to be honest i forgot that margo was real and that she existed because, again, it’s been a while since i watched the films and she’s not really the main character. kitty also references the plot of the films once or twice when she’s talking about her “knowing romance”. she’s got that cupid vision as i like to call it.

i’m not going to run through the plot of every episode but i will talk about my favourite episode that being TIL. kitty is left reeling after the end of the previous episode where she has a sex dream about her and yuri after the party. this sees kitty starting to develop her crush on yuri and the episode is spent in saturday detention. shenanigans ensue of course, who doesn’t love some good ol’ detention shenanigans i do love the breakfast club, and kitty and yuri try and hunt down a year book from when their mothers were at the school. kitty wants to find out more about her mum and about alex possibly being her half brother and yuri wants to get dirt on her mother and figure out why her mum is lying about being friends with kitty’s mum. they do end up finding a copy of the year book in professor lee’s house and it dawns on kitty that it couldn’t have been her mother that was pregnant and because of yuri’s fate shaming joke about her own mother kitty connects the dots and realises that alex isn’t her half brother but in fact is yuri’s half brother, one she has no idea about. i love this episode because it’s just so fun and showcases the growing friendship between kitty and yuri after the party with them sneaking around. wacky hijinks is so my favourite thing and i love that the their friends cover for them not once but twice to get them back into caught by professor lee. it’s all fun with tension and emotions in kitty rising after her dream and the twist that’s being realised that alex is professor lee and principal lim it’s just great! also there’s a line in it when madison takes over with her organised chaos and says that make ours are in the rare books section and yuri then turns and tells kitty to come with her to the year books. i originally misheard this as yuri asking kitty to the rare books section but alas that’s not true and i just misheard it. also sweet detail that kitty has q’s phone number memorised, true dedication to her best friend right there.

i don’t think i have a least favourite episode i feel like i’d have to actively make a tier list as i watched it to decide what episode i didn’t like as much as the others. it does take a little bit of setting up in the first episode but there’s always something going on early on wether that’s in kitty world or yuri and dae’s fake dating.’ it’s a solid series what can i say.

i’ve never really been overly into love dramas per se but i do like xo kitty and thus i made a fun xo kitty diagram showing all of the relationships between the primary cast (besides Q because outside of friendship he doesn’t intersect romantically with anybody on the chart and also i didn’t have room to fit him on…).

now as this is a romance and drama show i think it’d be fun to talk about the relationships of this season: what i liked and what i didn’t like and my predictions for these relationships in the upcoming season 2!

kitty x dae i have problems with i know that its the ship you’re meant to be on board with but i just can’t get behind it. in the beginning i was okay with it but it’s quite early on we, along with kitty, find out that dae has been lying to kitty about things such as his wealth status and how he’s referred to his relationship to other people saying that she was just his pen pal, and we found out not only that but he’s been lying to her for years. having a relationship built on lies is NOT a healthy way for a relationship to operate. it’s slightly concerning the fact that dae didn’t know that kitty was coming because that raises the question would he have fake dated yuri without kitty’s knowledge? would he ever tell her about that? it’s a bit concerning to think about. now i’m not saying that dae is a fundamentally bad person he’s proved in the show that he’s not but i believe that if him and kitty were to ever work again or just for him to work romantically with anybody else that he needs to work on himself to overcome his feelings of embarrassment about himself and his family not having a whole lot of money. he does care about kitty and he knows her and he’s tried making it up to her but i fear they won’t work unless he puts work into himself first. the pair can definitely work as good friends though maybe just not romantic partners (especially considering kitty doesn’t like him like that anymore).

kitty x min ho i just can’t see kitty liking min ho back. min ho is going through an arc and i think that it’s good for him to have a crush on somebody and for him to realise that maybe he does want to find himself somebody who he can have a serious relationship with who he wants to be more than just a make out partner with. but unfortunately i just don’t think that kitty is that person for him. i believe that he’ll find somebody who he likes who likes him back though because min ho doesn’t deserve to be left all alone while all of the other main cast has romance. he deserves to be happy with somebody.

min ho x madison speaking of min ho i think that him and madison’s unserious relationship as make out partners was something that min ho needed to have to develop as a character. it isn’t wrong to want an unserious relationship of course but i saw min ho’s character development of developing a crush on kitty from a mile away before the sex dream and before him checking her out at the party. it was just one of those gut instincts i just knew it. it felt like an inevitable thing that would happen having the guy that hates this girl realise he actually likes her. madison is pretty fun and i can see her coming back in season two, after all there wasn’t any mention of her failing her exams and her parents do have quite a lot of money and strings they can pull if she did fail to keep her there. i’m not sure what she’d do but i think she’d make for a good reoccurring supporting character friend type deal.

i feel like i don’t have to talk about yuri x dae as a ship because it was never a ship in the first place but i think they’ll continue having a decent friendship relationship going forward and i hope they can be closer, even though dae lost his scholarship, in the next series.

and finally i want to talk about kitty x yuri and yuri x julianna in the same paragraph because i love yuri (as in wlw) and i have a lot to say! my predictions for them with the next series is kitty is going to be working through her crush on yuri. i’d love to see kitty and yuri be a canon couple but i’m also mindful that yuri is in a happy relationship with julianna who just came back from england in the finale and the pair seem to be very much in love. i’m not sure what path the show will go down because i could see them going down either of them i can see them favouring kitty and yuri having a relationship over julianna and yuri because kitty is the main character but i could also see kitty’s crush on yuri being an unrequited one and she’s made to come to terms with the fact that yuri doesn’t like her back. yuri hasn’t shown any signs that she like kitty like that and as far as we the viewer know she sees kitty as her straight friend, obviously she’s not straight but yuri doesn’t know that, but there’s been seeds of doubt that could possibly be used as a plot point in the next season to either drive yuri and julianna apart or to bring them closer together after some sort of misunderstanding about things. another possibility that i don’t see the show going with that could perhaps solve this whole problem is polyamory but i don’t think we’ll see that being something they do in xo kitty. unrelated to my predictions i just want to talk about the scene when kitty is super tipsy and admiring yuri from the crowd and just watching her preform her set and you can tell she’s just developing feelings for her it reminded me so much of that scene in heartstopper with imogen and sahar where imogen is doing similar to kitty. i was just like oh my god the gays…

i haven’t watched any trailers for season two as a result of only finding out the other day that season two was coming out today (as of this post) but i do know that all our main characters are coming back, not to sure about florian or madison but i’m under the assumption they’re coming back, and there’s possibly new characters also? anyways i’m excited and now i’m going to go and watch season 2 and i urge everybody who’s read this review (more of me just saying my opinions about the show) to go watch xo kitty!