#quote on quote art tbh but eh

[rosiefairlands]

And yeah I got this too ig.

Initially just wanted to draw Konny but I decided to draw Clef and come up with my own design for Shaw lol.

[bunglepaws]

the AI discourse, the amount of the same AI discourse, on this site is honestly fucking annoying. most of you are fucking annoying. you're all still repeating misinformation from 2-3 years ago and, when corrected, nearly every time will double down on your ignorance?? How do you live without media literacy.

I came here to look at art, honestly for mental health reasons half the time, but instead have to deal with the discourse of people learning that their art can be, gasp, downloaded! copied!, for the first time.

I had to learn not to care if someone saved my art two decades ago when I first decided to upload it publicly.

Then people go to tumblr and warn everyone that their work is being copied by an AI. Which it's... not. Sometimes art is used to train an AI, but... eh, no one wants to learn what that actually means, so actually there's no point in continuing that thought on here actually

anyway I'm getting off the topic of my original point is this place is turning into back into twitter as it was a couple years back (better than current twitter, but still an overall detriment to society) -- full of pointless discourse and neopuritan vomit rather than actual, honest discussion of... any topic. it's disgusting and it's depressing.

I don't even care that much about people's opinions on AI tbh -- they can dislike it if they want. There's a lot of art and even more tech that I don't like. But the fact that it's almost always based on misinformation and buzz words makes me legitimately sad.

edit: as an example of the buzz words

that "midjourney caught LAUNDERING!!" post? yeah, buzzword salad with some unrelated screenshots thrown in: laundering!! that's bad, right?? MONEY laundering!

but please read the post and tell me what laundering is supposed to mean there. no one know because there's no useful context, the quotes aren't even in order. just: words scary!

[codename-adler]

[Haikyū!!] DIY Ask Game

doing this myself bc i'm anxious and making lists makes me feel safe. also bc sometimes you want to answer ask games so bad but nobody sends them...... eh.

First character you liked: Tanaka, my funny bald hype man. He still manages to have soft spot in my heart, to this day, and always. Truly underrated, imo.

Love @ first sight: Kenma (˃ᆺ˂) & Kuroo

First character you strongly disliked: ...Tsukishima

Hate @ first sight: ...Tsukishima

First favorite character: Kenmaaa 🫶

Favorite character now: still Kenma & Kuroo ofc 😭, but also Oikawa, Iwaizumi, Tendou, Kiyoomi, Atsumu (derogatory), Noya and Yaku my libero boyos

Character you strongly dislike now: Tsukki you are never escaping my hater ass i respects u fr fr bruh

Character you did not expect to like as much as you do now: Tendou!!! i was fr scared of him at first, and now he is baby

Character you did not expect to dislike as much as you do now: no one tbh, my hating game's been pretty consistent (lies. i could never hate any of them. none!), tho i have to say that i also don't really enjoy Yamaguchi's character come to think of it... got mads respect for Gucci

First pairing you shipped: Kuroken <3

Favorite ship now: Sakuatsu, Iwaoi, and Kuroken still (+ Brokuroo them morons are life)

Other ship(s) you read fics about / like: Ushiten, Semiten, Kurodai, Bokuosa, Kagehina

Pairing(s) you strongly dislike: well anything Tsukki really... but especially, especially Kurotsuki (Tsukiyama's fine tho) oh and Ushihina & Sakuwaka & Atsuhina.

Crackship you like: Matsuhana let's gooo! also Aone x Asahi is cute

Rarepair/Crackship you like but are lowkey very serious about: Osamu x Meian, Bokuatsu

Favorite m/f pairing: there's only really Kiyotana, but damn do they deliver

Character you think you are most like: this has been a plague on my mind ever since my first watch. nowadays i think i would say Asahi? or Fukunaga. subject to change. hold on—I might be Makki actually o_o

Favorite female character: not a lot there to begin with, but i do appreciate Saeko and Natsu

Sexiest character: IWA-CHAN, Kiyoomi, Kuroo, Atsumu (derogatory), Oikawa (derogatory), Suna

Favorite uniform/outfit: Karasuno boys for the school uniform - Aoba Johsai in close second and for the girls too - MSBY for volleyball as well as Nekoma 😍 and Seijoh || fav outfit that got me down bad is, like all of us mere mortals, Iwa in his hoodie & jean jacket casual combo

Favorite position 😏: Libero!! Yaku and Noya take my breath away every time, but it’s also the role i’d want to play if i were part of a volley team! i think i’d do ok (lmao)

Favorite character name: Iwaizumi Hajime

Favorite motto: 飛べ Fly (Karasuno)

Favorite quote(s): "Don't you ever forget my worthless pride." - Oikawa Tooru to Ushijima *CHILLS*

Favorite scene/episode: Uhhhh too many why did i put myself inthis position. Training Camp obviously!!! but also the Shiratorizawa match arc, for the Tendou content 🔥 and i can't not mention the Seijoh matches for the Iwaoi content and the Matsuhana crumbs.

Unpopular opinion: *sigh* this will get me killed–i do not care for Akaashi. i wish i understood him more, got to see more of what’s underneath. i love Bokuto, and i'm sorry babe, but his character and physique are really just average to me. and i've already got the Tsukki kinners and lovers on my case, so yeah, i'll be dead by sundown. while i’m at it, same goes for Kita-san. i’m sorry!! always mad respect tho 👍

Favorite fic(s): Stick with You (Sakuatsu) by lettersinpetals without a fuckin' doubt. Also i'll mention the latest 2 fics i read, Lockdown and The Loyalty of a Traitor (both Iwaoi) by DeathBelle because they are a pillar of the HQ fics community and their shit hits every goddamn time and it hurts so gooddddd 🤌

Favorite art: @amezure @fullwarmth @iinoruu @amalasdraws @viria @dictearchive @mookie000art @cranbearly (soodyo) and so many more that i can't remember off the top of my head but i thank you all for your dedicated work and creativity to the fandom 🫡😩🧡 oh and special love to @gayaest for their paravolley AU art <3

Character(s) you like to write/draw the most: have done neither officially yet, but i do have a Sakuatsu x Grey's Anatomy WIP, so i guess them?

Pairing(s) you like to write/draw the most: ^^

Favorite AU(s): Post-Time Skip, College AU, Mafia/Yakuza/Detective/FBI/Police AU (ik, ew & ACAB, but somehow for hq this one hits)

Guilty pleasure?: BokuAkaKuroKen - TikTok skits & memes & dance animations - my Sakuatsu MCD wip ^^

Favorite Opening: oh god... there's only 1 i don't like (u know the one)... i HAVE to say before i answer, this anime's intros are hits after hits after hits, and they hold such a precious and nostalgic feeling in my heart 😭 ok i'm allowing myself two: Imagination (S1PT1, SPY AIR) & FLY HIGH!! (S2PT2, BURNOUT SYNDROMES). honorable mention to the few first seconds of Hikariare 🫶

Favorite Ending: Tenshi Gaechi (S1PT1, NICO Touches the Walls)

Favorite team: Canonically, Nekoma and MSBY. Fanonically, Seijoh, MSBY still, and Shiratorizawa. (obv my heart always soars when Karasuno wins bc that's the way the story is supposed to make you feel! but i love them dearly so.)

Team you dislike the most: none? i'm not fond of Date Tech, but i appreciate Aone, and none of the teams are villains, just antagonists from the Karasuno pov.

And for the finale, Favorite meme(s): god so many this fandom has the best

obviously there are many more questions i wanted to fill in but this was getting too long and it's already OOC for my blog, but i encourage all of you to fill my asks inbox with anything you wanna know about my haikyuu fan experience!! 🫶🏐

i'll be filling in this lil questionnaire for other of my fandoms, and feel free to use the template and reblog with your responses!! 🤍

[the-ultimate-romanian]

Headshots of my version of Hyde, Utterson and Jekyll!

(Ignore my handwriting and ignore the fact that technically they are naked, I was too lazy to design clothes for them lol)

I remembered my drawing from 5 months( I think??) ago and I was flabbergasted and I decided to try and redraw them because they looked like Anime school girls (especially Utterson, he looked like a 16 yo anime girl with short hair imo) so I decided to redraw them in a more masculine way and make them look closer to their age (tbh they look like they are in their late 30s or at most mid 40s but it’s a HUGE improvement from last time). Also I did the ‘line art’ (I put it in quotes because it’s not really line art it is just how I draw sketches lol) in colours witch I think fit them!!

Here’s the version from 5 months ago for comparison:

It looked so bad😭 but I’m so glad that I improved so much in just 5 months!! I mean I used different mediums but still there’s a clear improvement right there, which I’m so proud off!! But also this made me realise that I ditched Jekyll’s glasses and goggles but eh, not a big loss :))

[drawthething]

Ocassionally thought about these two and I feel the perfect way to describe their thing is that it's going nowhere but it ain't going away anytime either? Pretty amusing tbh 🤠 also oddly cute?

And even though I love this pairing to death everytime i draw them together i just can't imagine them being actually romantic but somewhere between funny shenanigans and awkward slightly lovey-dovey gestures

Got the quotes from Jojo Rabbit btw :D

[pudsdamoggie]

Wooop

Also here’s the background (it’s just...flag versions of characters I got ig)

Welp

I go nows

[crazysnor1ax]

Guess who I tried playing recently

[thesmokinpossum]

So apparently that disabled child from Midsommar was actually a severely inbred one that the cult revere as being "pure"? I mean, it might just be a fandom interpretation but at least it's an explanation other than Ari Aster being fucking weird when it comes to disabled people lmao

[draconesinfinitum-blog]

“The true nature of a dragon is to rule above all. We were meant to end wars by violent means, and we have the power to vanquish the creation gods themselves. What makes you think we should take orders from simple maggots like humans? What makes you think they deserve our attention like equals? You don’t treat fodder like an equal...”

∞ Indie RP blog for my OCs ∞ 3+ years RP experience ∞ OC/FC/Canon muse friendly ∞ Semi-Selective ∞ NSFW subjects such as harsh language, violence, gore ∞ Style: Any, prefers paragraph(s)

“We are apex predators, after all...”

🐉 Home 🐉 About/Rules 🐉 List of OCs 🐉 General Info

[meg-noel-art]

Character ask for Tilda

Hello anon!! Thank you for waiting on this one. I wanted to mull it over a bit and I think I'm gonna let some of my HFW criticisms slip with this one.

Do I like them: I mean. I LIKE Carrie Anne Moss, but I feel like the writers didn't actually know what they wanted to DO with Tilda. Narrative wise she's everything she needs them to be with zero motivations of her own that remain consistent. I don't like the heel turn they gave her, I don't appreciate her obsession with Beta/Aloy esp through a queer representation lense. I don't like how she just... ends. Eh. She was cool in theory and her execution, like much of this game, was fumbled. Imo.

5 good qualities: Carrie Anne Moss, collected, art collector, (seemingly) empathetic, smart

3 bad qualities: obsessive, evil, Billionaire--hey that sounds like Te--[is shot]

Favorite moment: the breakfast scene both cracks me up and looks very pretty so I pick that

Otp: I will put my foot down and say with my whole chest that for someone who wanted to give Lis a girlfriend, I was not happy with Tilda being The One. At least not in the way we got her.

Brotp: if her relationship with beta and aloy hadn't been a twisted Lis Replacement Strategy, I like the idea of her acting as a mother figure to both of them.

Notp: see above

Best quote: tbh i literally cannot remember a single standout line

Headcanon: Tilda not only appreciates art but is a painter herself.

[asmeninas]

your favorite books and why

I fell in love with Wuthering Heights first time I read it and it definitely rewired my brain. That book taught me what true love looks like probably why I’m single. The downside is the pain of suffering of existing on tumblr and tbh some parts of twitter when that’s one of your favorite books and no one ever references the “whatever souls are made of” line accurately and then on the other side you just have people saying “that is NOT romantic” no one is right about Wuthering Heights but me it’s a burden.

As Meninas is one of the novels by my favorite Brazilian writer, Lygia Fagundes Telles, and it’s kind of YA if the category existed at the time but it hits me very deeply with its discussion of politics in the middle of the dictatorship and the nutsy crazy of the main girls is called Ana Clara and everyone refers to her as Ana Turva I won’t explain the pun to non-lusophones but whatever my username or anything on any social media of mine uses the word “turva” that’s what I’m referring to. Also Fagundes Telles was simply a fantastic writer.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, the movie did not did the book justice I think it stripped away so much of what made it so great but they are details so it seems no one really cares because Garfield is there anyway, but it’s the book or nothing for me. This book ruined my life and this is what I look for in literature.

A Hundred Years of Solitude, I absolutely hate Love in Times of Cholera but aside from that García Márquez knows his stuff, it’s a glorious work of art and the way it perfectly lands both its opening and closing lines... rarely ever seen... so what if you have to keep track of a bunch of people who have the same name.

The Blind Assassin. If I’m being honest Margaret Atwood is most often an “eh” than an A+ to me but this booooooook. I simply love it so much. It is another one of those that destroys me if this list will tell you anything is I exclusively love sad books but this hits so much with every bit of the “mystery” of it coming out exactly the right way and people need to stop whining about first person narration being bad let the sad woman narrate in the first person if she wants to. Idgaf about Handmaid’s Tale this is her masterpiece to me.

Slaughterhouse Five is brilliant prose and themes and started (or popularized) my favorite trend the CHARACTER UNSTUCK IN TIME ty for giving us Lost’s The Constant ty for everything Vonnegut.

To the Lighthouse is such a basic response for someone who’s supposed to actually Know Virginia Woolf but it’s both a great example of what she meant to attempt with her writing and still readable in a way books like The Waves... aren’t as much... It’s just perfect character construction we have Mrs. Ramsay we have Lily Briscoe we have “if it’s fine tomorrow”. Mrs. Dalloway actually has my favorite non-essay Woolf quote but TtL is a literary project at its peak, to me.

Didn’t know whether to say The End of the Affair or Brighton Rock by Graham Greene but I’m going with Brighton Rock for its take on relationship between good and evil and the closeness of the concepts I feel like so many works of media that are fandom-worshipped try to do this take and I always consistently hate it sorry Bryan Fuller I know what you were trying to do but I got it when I read this.

The professionally published abandoned wip known as ASOIAF, my apologies.

Play It as It Lays, Joan Didion, I’m strictly sticking to novels here because it’s the boundary I made for myself but this is a close tie with The Year of Magical Thinking. I just love this more because the prose, the prose, the prose, also the messed up woman.

Maurice. I’m a sellout I love colonizers but Forster did so much...

This is very English language centered I realize and I AM ashamed of it but also in my defense once I decided to for whatever reason (I have mine!!!!) to exclude short stories and poems that created a great obstacle for the literature of my own country to show up here because my favorites are short stories and poems. I do realize I need to expand my horizons! This is also not all of the books I’d call “favorite” but the ones I thought of here. Also I have a lot of more contemporary books I’ve given five stars to but I prefer to let things have their time and marinate before I go listing them as favorites.

[bigskydreaming]

Is it true that gymnasts can't work much when they're 30+ ? Is it like an Olympic gymnast thing or just stuntwork in general? I saw some people concerned over Dick's back causing him problems as he gets older. But then a lot of martial art guys like Donny Yen, Jet Lee are still pretty flexible aren't they?

I see this a lot in fandom too, anon, and as often happens, lol, I myself cater to the ‘fandom’s got it backwards’ take.

Fandom specifically focuses on Dick’s body giving out early on in life compared to the rest, due to acrobatics being ‘his niche’ but in reality - or as close to it as we can come in a universe that tbh really demands suspension of disbelief over the fact that any and all of the Batfam take as much punishment as they endure.....

Thing is, Dick is actually one of the family most likely to have the LONGEST longevity of physical fitness.

This is because fandom keeps correlating Dick’s niche as gymnastics, rather than what it IS - acrobatics.

Yes, gymnastics is typically considered a ‘young person’s game.’

ON AVERAGE.

But, something to keep in mind, is that there are different TYPES of gymnastics. There’s competitive artistic gymnastics, but also rhythmic gymnastics, aerobic gymnastics, and a few others. Olympics gymnasts are primarily competitive artistic gymnastics, but even there, there are specializations so to speak. All Olympic gymnasts are usually cross-trained on the various events/categories, but the teams overall put up their best gymnasts in each category to compete in that category when possible....because for the most part, someone who excels at say, floor routines, is not going to be the most optimal choice to do the high bars or the vault. That’s because floor routines emphasize more rhythmic gymnastics, whereas something like the vault is more in the arena of a power gymnast.

And these different areas of focus put different kinds of strains on the body.

So yes, while its true that a lot of gymnasts retire early and the Olympic teams as a whole tend to see their gymnasts exiting the game by 30 at the latest......the latter is because those gymnasts are expected to be at least capable and at elite levels in ALL events, so they can compete as needed for the overall team....BUT, in the case of the former, the gymnasts that retire early completely.....those are almost universally the power gymnasts, the ones who specialize and emphasize in the hard-hitting events like the vault, the beam, the uneven bars, etc.

I say hard-hitting, because I literally mean hard-hitting. 

Because these are the high impact events. The ones that see a gymnast land with the full weight and impact of their body on their feet at the end of a successful (and exponentially force-multiplying) flip, handspring, dismount, etc. 

That kind of impact puts TREMENDOUS strain on your joints....and that, specifically, is what leads to a lot of early retirements, and a lot of early wear and tear on the body. That’s the kind of punishment that the body can only withstand at elite levels for so long.

But that’s not the only kind of gymnastics, and its definitely not the thing that Dick’s known for specifically - that’s acrobatics. And while there’s similarities and crossover, that’s another ballgame entirely.

In fact, where the similarities and crossover tend to happen is in the areas of rhythmic gymastics, aerobic gymnastics.....the kind of things that you see in events like floor routines, the rings, the parallel bars, the pommel horse.

Those gymnasts, the ones who specialize primarily in those areas of focus......they tend to retire from the OLYMPICS around the same time as the others, because again, everyone on those teams needs to be on the top of their games and CAPABLE of being pitted against the power gymnasts of other teams on events like the vault if they need to fill in in a pinch.....BUT they don’t often retire at age 30 overall.

You wanna know where a lot of them end up going after that?

Cirque de Soleil.

Dead serious, I shit you not.....a ton of elite level gymnasts after leaving gymnastics end up....essentially running away to the circus, lol. A full third of Cirque de Soleil’s performers ARE former professional gymnasts.

And a lot of them end up....acrobats.

Because after all, there is a lot of crossover in the two, in terms of feats.....but the difference, the thing that lends acrobats more longevity than most power gymnasts and the like.....is the latter endure most of the abuse to their bodies and joints....when their bodies hit the ground at the end of their feats.

Acrobats, in contrast.....are kinda focused on.....not being on the ground.

A lot of the same wear and tear simply doesn’t happen on their bodies, and allows them to perform much further into life....because there’s simply less strain in the types of aerial feats acrobatics focus on, while suspended high up off the ground.

And we see this reflected in the Batfam and their various styles of fighting and focus, which is why I say despite people focusing on Dick’s body giving out soonest, as the quote unquote athlete of the family -

(Which tbh, I kinda...eh, about, because it feels often like one of those things where people NAME him ‘the athlete of the family’ just to give him his niche without having to acknowledge him as being the equal of any of the ‘brainy ones’ in that regard like Tim or Babs or Bruce, etc.....but honestly, when was the last time you saw any significant focus put on Dick being able to do something physically that the other members of his family COULDN’T do, because they’re not ‘the athlete’? Y’know what I mean? Like, there’s a lot of MENTION of how he’s the most athletic or acrobatic or all of that.....but that never seems to hold any of the others back from doing any of the equivalent physical feats one is inclined to write them doing, or allowing them to be written as sizably less skilled as fighters in any meaningful way. So focusing on Dick as being the most specifically physically minded and oriented of the family feels a bit performative, tbh, and that puts the focus on his body being specifically vulnerable to wear and tear, moreso than the others a bit.....suspect imo. BUT I DIGRESS).

My point is, regardless of that, my take is the focus on Dick’s body giving out soonest is ironically just....completely backwards. Because actually compare his form of physicality to some of the others, and you see what I’m saying:

Bruce and Jason for instance - they’re perfectly capable of high-level gymnastic feats when necessary, but their overall approach to flips and jumps and grappling swinging and the like is to use it as a means to an end. Its always in service to getting them ON THE GROUND as quickly and efficiently as possible....where they can use their brute strength and mass and physicality to its most effectiveness, wading in to brawl hand to hand with combatants anywhere possible (excepting of course when Jason is using guns from a distance, or Bruce his Batarangs, but you get what I mean in terms of overall styles).

But THAT kind of thing....is far more the realm of the power gymnast. The kind of high impact landings and force-multiplying jumps and flips meant to just....cut straight to it. Hone in like a heat-seeking missile. Deliver the full force of them as quickly and efficiently as possible.

In contrast....Dick’s style is entirely different, and hails directly from his origins and his strengths as an acrobat. He’s NOTED for basically spending as much time IN THE AIR during a fight as possible. He soars above when possible, rather than engage up front and hand to hand. He’s more likely to leap over criminals’ heads, kicking out and navigating upwards on his way to ‘tag’ the next one in any manner he can....dodging in and out, using confusion, weaponizing evasive maneuvers, getting his opponents to get tangled up in each other’s way...that’s HIS style.

Dick deliberately keeps himself at a distance as long as possible, not out of fear but out of basic awareness of his own strengths and weaknesses and his instinctive (due to being a born and raised athlete every bit as much as Damian and Cass are born and raised fighters) drive to look after his own body and keep it maintained and honed and efficient for as long as he can - something that I don’t doubt was drilled into him by his acrobats-as-their-livelihood-family from the very first moment they began training him. 

The less he HAS to engage hand to hand, the less he HAS to land feet flat on the ground after a flip rather than using the balls of his feet to simply spring off even further and then transition into firing his grappling hook mid-air, the less he HAS to block a strike with the side of his forearm or strike someone fist to face rather than block with an escrima stick and strike with the other.....

The longer Dick’s body stays in strong enough condition to remain his most effective weapon.

And that’s not something everyone in his family can claim, or even point to as a priority of any kind.

Which is why I maintain that focusing on Dick’s body giving out young is not only a bit....eh....given they all perform equivalent levels of physicality in their vigilantism day in and day out.....its also, IMO, focusing on the wrong family members entirely. 

(Overall, personally I’d rate Dick, Tim and Cass the ones most likely to retain their physical fitness the longest based on their respective styles and how they’re typically depicted in fight scenes).

[laufire]

RNM 3x04

Although I’m enjoying the season so far, I gotta say, the episodes feel super disconnected, this one most of all. I blame the fact that Liz (THE LEAD) and Rosa still aren’t participating in the main fucking plot :)))

I’m still extremely wary of Rosa’s storyline. I think it makes sense for the character, and that *for now* they’re keeping it in line with it being more about Rosa proyecting/exorcising her issues than about Wyatt Long’s manpain, but. I’m eyeing it. And I really want her to be more involved in the main plot/do more stuff. Now that Kyle is in peril and Long is leaving town (which made me wonder whether he’ll become a suspect, actually), I hope that’s where she’s headed. I loved her art (it always has so much personality in it, I love how they do it) and her quote about people changing and becoming who they want to be.

I feel that with this storyline I’m doing a reverse of my usual “things I roll with in fiction but wouldn’t stand for irl” LOL. Because if I was in Rosa’s shoes I WOULD try to deradicalize someone like Long -and there’s no shortage of people like Long in my hometown, so I’m not just talking out of my ass here-, less for him and more as harm reduction and for my own morals. But this could derail Rosa’s storyline in really annoying ways. And I REALLY don’t trust this show’s track record with race. On top of that, a lot of the discourse around redemption arcs~ conveniently omits the fact that only white male characters are pressumed to get them after they commit horrible acts. Why can’t Flint, a MoC, be the one to get a redemption arc instead, for example? It could’ve been painfully easy to switch their storylines, and it could’ve been interesting since Rosa actually disliked him in high school. But the show suddenly decided to care for Long’s inner life. Because white characters (and people) are afforded more complexity by others, more good faith.

I’m not TOO worried about Kyle because it feels too early in the season to fully close that plot. But if they killed him I don’t know that I could continue with the show. I adore Rosa, but her storyline isn’t grabbing me; and I dig Michael’s family drama with Nora and the dictator, but they’re not as ~dear to me. Kyle this season was the one reuniting it all. And they can’t kill him before we figure out everything with the communicator and his father!! C’mon. Anyway. I did love him this episode, helping out; and his scenes with Michael (my rareship is sailing! xDD) were great, from their bitchiness with the radio to their perspectives during their argument. The moment Michael pushes him to take cover and then removes Kyle’s hand from his shoulder asldkfjaf. This fandom is weak for not writing me multiple pages of this rareship, js.

Speaking of rareships sailing LOL, I can’t believe after my joke post about Bert x Kyle I got a mini scene asdlfjasdf, where Bert talks to Kyle and pays a compliment to his mother. I’ve also said since then that I wanted more Bert in the show, but frankly, I wish it was for more alien/conspiracy/fun stuff (like his artisanal beer or his werewolf obsession! or get into the main alien plot!), and not an Issue Storyline that I don’t even trust the show to handle properly.

Maria and Isobel’s vision quest was fun, although I resent the fact that the Liz we saw for half the episode was a fake (seriously, BRING HER TO THE DAMN MAIN PLOT ALREADY). I don’t care much for the two of them bonding, tbh, but if it’s what Maria wants, so be it. And her moments with Kyle this season have made me more lenient towards Isobel, at least. I’m also curious about some of the elements in the quest: the first things Maria sees are Michael sitting in her bar and Rosa painting her table <33. Bert is around being attacked by racists. I also dig that either/both of them pictured Kyle in his doctor getup (with the radio).

Wrt the vision itself, I’m still on denial about the dead being Kyle lol. I’ve heard all the theories: fake death to hide the aliens (I hope that can get solved because if Kyle couldn’t for some reason continue his career in medice it would CRUSH him), and his mother (please don’t) seem the most likely options after this episode. Others are Sanders (for the hints in last week’s) or even Arturo (for Rosa and Liz’s reactions, although obviously the “Valenti” crest wouldn’t make sense there). I also don’t see how it makes sense to cover Kyle’s death if Logan killed him? Unless Max tries to heal him and leaves a handprint. Anyway, I hope none of the above die and it can be resolved. And BTW: the SPN war flashbacks I’ve witnessed in the tags with the “killing” method are. Something. I think RNM still kept the scene dramatic and the audience concerned, but man. The risk of that reference... I don’t know that it was worth it lol.

BRING LIZ TO THE MAIN STORYLINE FFS. I like what we see of her on LA in abstract, but in practice... she’s the lead ffs. One episode where she’s out and having a nice time dancing (those scenes were lovely, admittedly) like this one can be great, but after three episodes where she’s been so removed of it all? Nuh huh. Given recent events (Kyle’s attack, the handprint on her chest reacting, her resignation) I hope it changes soon. And I hope Heath can be taken at face value, because I don’t trust this show’s track record with MoC that could inconvenience its storylines (see Noah and Diego, or even Flint). Also, I LOLED at her dream in the beginning, with her imagining Max apologizing to her and expressing her own concerns about getting lost in their relationship lmfao (as if that would ever cross his mind xD).

His scenes with Kyle seem designed to get Michael out of his funk wrt his heritage, and I appreciate it (especially if it’s THIS, and not the useless or even counterproductive pep talks of anyone else Michael cares more about that does the trick lol). I’m still eagerly awaiting for development on this front. Related to that, I’ve seen the theories about Jones being his father, but. Eh. It’s not that I don’t see how it could be possible (he’s incredibly powerful and can make fire), but. To put it bluntly? I don’t think the actor can pull off what I want from the Dictator. I want someone charismatic, and preferably visibly older than Michael that actually looks like his father. Jones would be a terrible miscast on both accounts. If they bring someone else JUST for Michael it could also be a sign of him really taking over the storyline (which I’m still iffy about because of my other faves, but it’s an interesting way to see where the show is headed).

I feel they could have taken Jones to more interesting places but there’s still time. The good news is that he shaved his godawful beard AND saved a dog’s life lol. Also, am I the only one that thought he might’ve known Noah, when he grabbed his and Isobel’s picture? I’m curious about that.

[icecreamkink]

so i watched cobra kai all in two days and i have so many -

this show has so many cool and smart angles to it, but the same time.... its so stupid oh my god everyone is so dumb literally mr miyagi held all of the braincells in this whole universe 

like i am but at the same time i am not surprised it was made like this, bc in hindsight of course there were hordes of ppl simping over johnny lawrence ....  but it still amuses me that this is like... an Actual Official Thing

ok this will get long so cut it is

how much fun this cast has is super visible and i love it

i rly enjoy how the world was expanded ! i did grow up watching the karate kid movies, so watching how they progressed the world of the movies so organically was pretty cool. it rly feels like its the same universe

i fucking LOVE stories that are largely about a Thing. dancing ,skating, sports its just so thrilling to experience this all consuming relationship people can have with this type of activity? and martial arts are just that much more intense, so yeah, grown ass men kicking each other around at the lightest provocation and a war veteran caring so much abt teen karate is Ridiculous.... but i love it all because thats the intensity i find so thrilling

was kinda surprised with how much im missing mr. miyagi. first because, like everyone is so unhinged jesus christo, it just really throws into relief how much his character grounded the narrative of the movies. but also hes just a really great character

and on that note it rly Gets Me that the show itself aknowledges that and plays that into daniels angst and all the little ways they sorta weave myiagisms into the whole show........ im not getting emotional over this dumb karate dads show OK

related - i really miss hearing ‘daniel-san’ 🥺🥺

ACE DEGENERATE oh god oh no

they really went down the down and out johnny lawrence route huh. like i was always kinda bummed we see kreese choking him and then we never see him again in the movies, and while i love dumpster fire problematic trash himbo ck johnny, its like......................... actually really sad that his life turned out like this fjngn

everytime i hear ‘babes’ and ‘pussy’ i die a little inside. i know thats the point but i am a v cringe easy person, have mercy (ehe)

loved the way they are constantly drawing parallels between johnny and mr. myiagi of all people. hes the handy man of his building that has a bullied kid asking for help and eventually steps up to teach them karate, beats up a bunch of bullies for him, creates a friendship with said kid, estranged from family, drinks his sorrows away, surprisingly one of the least quick to anger characters (which says more about everyone else really but.... Well.), no schemes or ulterior motives hes just tryna vibe here.... oh and ofc magically heals miguel of is asthma apparently. the true disciple.. meanwhile daniel is his usual messy petty self even tho he wants to be mr myiagi so bad 

also interesting about that is how miguels character is a parallel of both johnny and daniel at the same time

overall the parallels in ck are done really well, drawing comparisons and also subverting them constantly. theyre well thought out

THE PARALELOGRAMS

fr tho, the angle being explicitly the cycle of trauma and its effects and how trumatized adults in turn traumatize kids, maliciously or not, is so interesting

but! on the flip side of that, it feels like the writers are getting in their own way @ letting the characters grow. especially this last season. theres only so many times you can do "johnny and daniel are getting along but 5mins later they are (literally) fighting over some dumbass random issue" or "johnny puts in 20% of effort with robby and then gives up" before it gets on your nerves yknow?

i see daniel no longer talks like macchio ingested 15 shots of espresso before every take and idk how to feel about that tbh

interesting tension in daniel, as in, in tkk mr miyagi was there and daniel was frankly, kind of a lil shit, this messy petty spitfire hot tempered sassy kid,(johnny lawrence voice: just... stop being so annoying) but now hes the adult, and he wants to be mr. miyagi... but hes just not, and never will be to his very core and it shakes him and in a way hes trying to find who he is now that he sees himself in a position to be a not! cobra kai figure. i kinda really like that 

plus how that relates to his cobra kai trauma. idk if the writers thought abt it Like That, i think so, but in any case, its interesting bc it seems like daniel has told everyone whod listen about johnny lawrence his Pretty Boy Karate Rival and high school and 84 cobra kai... But. no one seems to know what went on in 85 (or 86? idk) which was just so much worse

like ye og cobras were shitheads, but tkk iii is just two hours of daniel being emotionally and physically tortured. 

like, the third movie is.............chaotic, to put it nicely, and many people ignore it, but the writers clearly didnt. daniels actions are, in a way, responding so much more to the events of tkk iii than to the first movie ie. johnny himself, AND. daniel doesnt rly seem to have dealt with that trauma? he never told sam? doesnt feel like hes ever told amanda? he doesnt even say terrys name out loud? freaks Out over kreese ? the way he reacts to robbys deceit? his FACE when he walks past the new "fear does not exist in this dojo" paint or kreeses photo? hmMm i sense Pain

his fashion tho........... disappointing. where are the flower shirts daniel huh we had one (1) shirt what a tragedy STOP WEARING SUITS ALL THE TIME . also the band ts/grunge bi are a look for johnny but part of me longs for the preppy lovable 80s bully chic johnny lawrence getups

weird that they never used that last moment of karate kid where johnny kinda... snaps out of his anger and hands daniel the trophy almost in tears. like “youre alright larusso, good match” “thanks a lot”  that being their last direct interection seems like itd be perfect fruit for cobra kai but... they just dont. weird. 

especially when, the FIRST SCENE they see each other, suposedly in 30+ years, the first thing to come out of daniels mouth is QUOTE "u still got those golden locks huh?" WHO SAYS SHIT LIKE THAT DANIEL FUCKING SAN 

also amandas immediate reaction "your pretty boy rival?" like. can we talk about the fact that daniel had to have imparted to his wife the very important information that his high school bully/karate rival was like Really Cute and Fucking Hot Actually

 the writers Knew exactly what they were doing and honestly.............. power to them

tkk director voice: and billy was just so cute  

also I was thinking that daniel sounded strangely fond in that first scene, and i wonder if he developed a weird affection for johnny on the grounds that of all of his Karate Rivals johnny was actually the only one who didn’t actively tried to literally kill him

i was actually delightedly surprised with how great the chemistry between them is, like from the get go i am Invested. their rl friendship totally bleeds through and its fantastic

. granted, idiots enemies to lovers friends is my Thing so i am biased  

johnny lawrence: i am down in the dumps, i fucked up my whole life and my sons probably, largely in light of the trauma that the father figure sensei and the philosophy of my karate inflicted on me and all my friends. u know what i should do, as a traumatized, unreliable mess of an adult? teach that same philosophy to some other kids! what could go wrong! 

but really i enjoy the setup of it. i kinda like that i watched it late because, season 1 was johnny setting himself up for failure in a way and it was exciting to watch it all go to shit sjfn

Like. his heart might be in the right place, but theres just.... not a way to teach something like ‘strike hard, no mercy’ and not have it fuck up a kid 

case and point: aisha, miguel and hawk become annoying as all hell over that bullshit in the end of s1, even before shit gets truly fucked up

billys subtle panicked eyes when he sees hawk and miguel fighting dirty in the all valley was SO GOOD especially in parallel with the panic that is so visible in his face in the movie when kreese tells bobby to injure daniel and in the sweep the leg scene 

seen people question wether kreese should have returned and i absolutely think he needed to. johnny needed to realize that cobra kais fundamentals are flawed, at the root, beyond kreese himself being a toxic piece of shit 

also who are we kidding? we are here to see the tkk characters play on new playgrounds!

i get what they're doing abt kreeses backstory, ( also. cobra kai. pq eles caem nas cobras djjs sorry) but did it need to take up that much time? feels like they couldve  done it in half the run time and developed some other stories better 

martin kove has such an evil eye. i love it

love that we get a good follow up to kreese breaks johnnys trophy and tries to CHOKE HIM in the parking lot, which happened in the movie and then....................... was never mentioned again

“the gang is all back together again” aaaa u piece of SHIT 

also. terry silver is definetely appearing ha ha ha PAIN i cant wait

seen ppl say kreese was too much of a cartoon villain like..........................oh......... sweetie........... u dont even Know

interested how johnny will fit into that bc kreese was simping rly hard for johnny here. like i did not expect him to be so adamant to have him with cobra kai ... under his control, sure, but he really wants johnny by his side despite already having control of the dojo and how will terry silver self appointed jon kreeses forever simp going to feel abt that? 

like bitchs dropping by every episode like ‘joooooohnny ..... come bacc to me joooonny......... this ur last warning! for real this time johnny! i wont say it again! watch me ! im leaving johnny! im rly leaving ! im dragging a chair” and johnny is just like. dont let the door hit ya bitch it was so funny pls

and on that subject oof, johnny! doesnt! Know! he doesnt get that side of daniels cobra kai trauma. and i kind of.............. cannot wait for ck 2021 johnny lawrence to meet terry silver like. what a shit show i need a front row seat and popcorn (imagine terry tries some greasy charm and johnny just roundhouse kicks him in the teeth bc he just doest Not Have the Patience for This. glorious)

feels like we, as a society, should acknowledge that cobra kai will never die................ bc their sense of design is just chefs kiss. their name is COBRA KAI. they have sexie sleeveless black gis. theyve sneks. colorful leather jackets with embroided naja insignia, the get ppl thru the aesthetics. evil geniuses

the flashback cuts : masterpiece behavior

the other takes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! of the movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the differente angles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! of the FIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE CLOSE UP ON JOHNNYS FACE AT THE KICK 

that scene of daniel and johnny vibing to 80s music in the car. just. oh my god. the fan wish fullfilment. no thoughts head empty.

the new characters! theyre .... good. but. idk. i really like miguel (save for the annoying phase mid s1 - end s2) and amanda, who is a damn riot and has some functioning braincells, but everyone else is       

like dont get me wrong, i dont hate anyone,its not a jane and rafael from jtv situation,  and i am interested and invested in their arcs, but i wouldnt say i like   Like them, as in, personality wise 

like, sams grappling with ptsd was rly gutting and i enjoyed that plus her slight rage issues, 

which nicely parallel torys rage issues. torys background is all over the place tho so im pretty on the fence abt her so far

robby deserves better in every way, and i like how smart and cunning and surprisingly sweet he is

hawk............... is there i guess,

 demetri is annoying in the best way possible,

 carmen is sweet but. i just feel like her character is blunted to make the johnny relationship easier. like when shes furious with him after miguels injury but then forgives him like an episode later? and then convinces him to fight for the tournament bc she had a karate epiphany off screen even tho she was always against it? meh. feels like with the plot thiccening she was swallowed and now shes like a crutch for johnny mora than anything, which is disappointing.

aisha was cool and im kinda mad she wasnt in s3, especially bc a storyline with her tory and sam was like RIGHT THERE , but also... cant say i was super super fond of her... doesnt feel like we ever spent enough time on her

moon the bi icon, 

overall its a good cast but the main draw for me remains the og cast 

the tory/sam miguel/robby Thing. enjoy how theyre Narrative Foils and i like how their stories were so dramatically entangled but oh god give me a break with the teenage love square for the love of god. if u gonna put us through that at least have the decency to not make it so straight

and honestly some sam/tory        miguel/robby romantic tension would even make more sense. just saying! 

also im not sure how i feel abt the cobra kai: red miyagi do: blue theyre going with since some of daniels most iconic looks in tkk are also red. like it was a color they (johnny and him) sorta shared. i get it, opposite but complementary but idk... a little too fire nation and water tribe for me .

 and like the cobra kai kids are so funny abt it bc their outifts grow progressively more ridiculously coordinated. its like do they group chat every morning before leaving their houses? 

robby still sticks out like that tho. he went thru an athleisure/daniel san tsleeves phase and now hes back in the bandts grunge, but his color scheme doesnt fully blend with the other cobra kais. hmmmm.

LOVED LOVED LOVED both the okinawa episode and the cobra kais easy rider episode just such good good heart aching fun

bobby is an icon. he was in tkk and he is now ck hope appears more and more

 tommy is like the most iconic background character. all his lines, freaking gold then and now. sigh :( 

the framing in the okinawa trip was so good everything was so good

i stand by the fact that kumiko was the love interest daniel had the most chemistry with and shes is overall such a joy to watch, loved to see her again, idola, fashion icon

also tkk ii is good u guys are just mean

also really enjoyed chozens role in the episode, his evolution; i love that they introduced the pressure points (ty lee the blueprint) and! the honk + karate! cousins! absolutely iconic

when kumiko reads mr miyagis letters........ oh my god, my eyes FILLED with tears, it was so heart wrenching :(( tamlyns delivery was so emotional and lovely and its so obvious everyone involved in ck has so much love and respect for pat morita and mr miyagi as character, and i adore that it exists like this electric current through the show

when we were watching i told my sister i thought that ali would be miguels big shot surgeon and ngl i am so disappointed that didnt happen. hire me cobra kai writers

also the johnny ali daniel amanda chemistry? off the charts

AND the sassy retconning of daniel and alis breakup! LMAO ‘I HOPE U DIDNT TELL MR MIYAGI IT WAS MY FAULT’ HFDJJGNKFKSD

i am preeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetty sure back injuries dont work like that    but oke

daniel and johnny are so good together whenever, like they never actually help the kids or get shit done and end up fighting anyway but its just so much fun when theyre hanging

JOHNNY LAWRENCE AND DANIEL LARUSSO FIGHTING TOGETHER

daniels “plan” on how to get robby to juvie was so stupid. literally were u TRYING to make him hate you. dumbass

parents at those hearing rly brave for ppl that did not do ANYTHING as their kids got involved in a karate gang war until now

“bullshit i heard u were the real bully!” i mightve screeched

this s3 ending was SO DRAMATIC omg

everyone is such a MESS go to THERAPY u unhinged motherfckers

also im sorry but uh. a richass neighborhood in california doesnt have some type of neighborhood watch? the larussos rly dont have any security at all? neighbors wont hear the sound of a damn karate brawl happening next door??? also wasnt tory all like ooo i cant go to juvie, my mom yada yada yet shes always running around town getting into fights even at the rich girls house she was kicked out of school for fighting??   ?  ??    ??        ?                ?    ?          ??                  ?    ? girl??

stop destroying the larussos house, its so pretty :((((

sam finding her center looking at mr miyagis picture...  uwu maybe

robby yelling ‘U ARE WEAAK’@  johnny \as he is easily blocking him is like.... so funny and so sad to me. sweetheart. 

also i know it was meant as ‘oh johnny pushes him and HURTS HIM’ but it just looks like robby runs himself into the lockers and IM SO SORRY I FEEL SO BAD BUT IT WAS SO FUNNY 

i like that he and tory are the cobra kai kids now. we need ppl we care abt there to not revert to a good vs evil schtick, and this is the most engaging it could be... tho it hurts that these kids cant catch a break

ah yes "lets bet some real shit on the result of this teen karate tournament bc that is always a great idea" is BACK

so daniel saves johnny from kreese..... maybe johnny will save him from terry 🧐

and dojos unite ohohoho. lets SEE how that’ll work out 

miguels face of Despair when the ck defectors and the md kids are bickering like 'this is never gonna work' : gold

also. Johnny Lawrence is gonna learn some myiagi-do karate AHAAHSJAKDFH

 ive been waiting for this moment all my lifeeee oh lawrd 

final thoughts! there are def things i hope the writers will improve on the next season, but i am very excited for it either way AND i feel like it has made me enjoy the movies even more and that is a win for a reboot/sequel to me!!

[arisinninn]

He had fire in his eyes, but from afar, it looked like stars.

Yuri Plisetsky redraw that I’ve spent mosta the day on :0 (original) 

[sanstropfremir]

akwjjs i come to your blog after watching kingdom everytime and i love reading what you have to say because you're smart. as a fan of the boyz, i just want to see them with a garden concept, pretty flowers in their hair and yellow/pink/orange outfits while singing bloom bloom. also i got curious about the gates of hell(? it might be something different but you mentioned it on the skz review) thing taemin did. if you could point me out to whatever that was i'd be very very happy cause i really want to check it out lmao

omg anon!!!!! you flatterer!!!! thank you!!!

i did mention the gates of hell! it’s a sculpture by rodin based off of dante’s inferno. his most famous sculptures, the kiss and the thinker, actually originated from the gates of hell, as he worked on and off on it for almost 40 years. taemin uses it specifically in the music video for want, at 3:02! i’ve actually gone off a little bit about want before here when someone asked me about the purposeful awkwardness of taemin’s choreography, but now i get a chance to talk about the visuals!!

as a sculpture the gates of hell is an incredible piece of art. there’s something like 180 figures and it’s SIX metres tall. it’s a physically impressive work and taemin is correct in (really only mildly) exaggerating its scale when it appears out of the darkness at the end of the video. taemin has spent this whole song singing about how he can tempt you to anything and then the literal gates of hell materialize??? that by itself is enough, but there’s a few more fun facts to consider:

rodin specfically thought about the quote “abandon every hope, who enter here” from the inferno when conceptualizing the experience of looking at his sculpture.

although not true to any one scene in the inferno, the sculpture features references to many of the characters that dante encounters on his journey. one noteable set is that of francesca and paolo, two lovers he meets in the second circle (lust), who are trapped in an eternal whirlwind, chasing after each other but out of control, helpless to the forces of the winds. this is based off a true story of one of dante’s contemporaries, francesca de rimini, who had an affair with her husband’s younger brother for a decade.

taemin’s christian name is francesco.

sure are a lot of wind effects in the mv, eh?

tbh there’s SO much more, i haven’t even touched on the various face coverings and the magnifying glasses and the stages and the SNAKES but i’m gonna leave it here for now. anon please know i love you for sending this in and if you want me to spout more about taemin i happily will!!!