#recommend watching the highlights at least. very funny stuff

[fore-seer]

various art i've done for chat plays conquest over the past year

[mdhwrites]

How Did I Get into Analysis?

My brother and I talked a bit a couple days ago about the era of online review that we were first introduced to analysis with. We JUST missed AVGN but we were neck deep within the wave of criticism that came afterwards. To us, it wasn't the style pioneered by Cinemassacre (who unfortunately I never got into) but the style of Channel Awesome who back in college, almost a decade ago, I was HUGE into.

But that's not technically how I began. It's also definitely not what I prefer nowadays, nor for the past half decade at least. Before I actually get into the fun background of what caused me first to start using my critical eye, albeit by no means honing it, I just want to let you know some of the video essayists that I do listen to nowadays in case you want to see my inspirations. (This part is longer than I expected so if you want to skip to the silly story, just jump over to when I use bold text)

Linkara: Of the old Channel Awesome style, I think Linkara is potentially the best that style can be without morphing into something different. I admittedly am not a huge comics person but I've relistened to a lot of his coverage of the bigger events a lot of the time and he's just really good at what he does while being genuinely funny and unapologetic of the style he uses. He never got defensive unlike someone.

Todd in The Shadows: This is the ONLY person I listen to regularly still from back in those days. I drop everything when I see a new TiTS video. You might think that makes him beat Linkara in the style but it's not. He hasn't technically altered his format drastically since he began but I would rarely call him a reviewer. It's not even the majority of his content nowadays. I would put him more as a documentarian and as someone who loves himself some history, I genuinely love what he does. Speaking of documentarians though:

Defunctland: If you have watched any video analyzing theme parks, you've probably heard about this channel. He goes over the history of no longer running theme parks, television shows, etc. For the Disney fans in my audience, I highly recommend his video on the Disney Channel theme but honestly, all of his stuff is good.

Noah Caldwell Gervais: Before I move away from the historical essayists, I would be remiss to mention Noah. I don't watch his travelogues but he's expanded my knowledge on so many game series that I will never touch due to my own tastes. It's a little outdated now but a real highlight for me is his Call of Duty videos where he actually examines the stories and themes of the games and their single player modes and isn't uncritical of the franchise but also isn't blindly shitting on it either. He's a fan for a reason. Another akin to that is his more recent Gears of War series.

Folding Ideas: You can actually see on my blog when I got into this channel. The whole "Put a pin it it?" I did in a blog or two? Yeah, that's straight up just stolen from his 50 Shades of Gray reviews. He does a lot of stuff on scams, including crypto, and is very good.

HBomberguy: The newest addition to my theoretical playlist, I got into his stuff with the video about the Ooph sound and its origins. Just a solid essayist with good delivery and interesting topics.

New Frame Plus: I feel bad for almost forgetting about the ever delightful Dan Floyd. I followed him after he moved on from his previous channel and like 99% of what I know about animation comes from him. When I criticize how Amity adopts a silhouette that's a bit too close to Luz's in S2? Yeah, that's only possible for me because of his video about the subject. He also has great credentials for talking about this stuff as an ex-Pixar animator who has done lots of other work in television, movies and even does animation in games nowadays. He's also a delightful Let's Player who is one of the few of those I still follow.

That went on way too long.

So what actually started me on all of this if not Channel Awesome? What first dragged me into overthinking everything? Besides the fact that my brain already had a hard time ever just shutting up of course. Well that answer is shockingly simple if not extremely embarrassing:

The Bronalysis community. The Brony Analysts. That is not a joke. I actually have a bizarrely vivid memory of one of the first proper reviews of anything I ever watched being a review of the fan made episode of My Little Pony featuring a blind filly who's talent had to do with snow.

Which also highlights why it's embarrassing... But does make a sort of sense. My Little Pony was the first time I was ever part of a fandom. It was the first time I got that deeply invested in a work to even want to discuss it in depth with other people. Before then, I never really had an urge to go and seek out such content because Youtube for me was mostly for sillier things like silly videos about Naruto, AMVs and Dragonball Z abridged. Admittedly, part of this comes from being later to the internet than some of my peers. I was in middle school when I started understanding what the internet was and didn't have my own laptop until High School. A lot of it was just that I didn't use things like Youtube much, even while still being the same sort of nerd I've always been.

And what do I think looking back on those early days? I mean... They were ROUGH. And I by no means was immune to it. I've stated before that part of why I don't do individual episode reviews is because I eventually found them kind of tedious but more than that: Shallow. It's hard to have something deep to say about every episode of a work unless it's a genuine masterpiece. I've been watching Frieren with my brother and while I adore that show, I think it is genuinely incredible in almost every way, there are still episodes of it where I would go, "This is good. To say more would just be me repeating statements I've already made about the work."

Recap and snark was the name of the game back then though. It's why they were called reviews after all because that's always been easier than critique or a deep dive. A bad or lackluster review is just easy to make since you lay down what the plot of the work is, snark on a few elements and then give a recap of your thoughts at the end. It's probably part of why some people like Doug Walker used it as much as a vehicle for their own talents as comedians and writers rather than just how good of an analyst they were because, well, that's what they were more passionate about but they also did reviews.

This isn't to say that there isn't still snark or comedy or even some amount of personal validation to more recent essayists. The video I recommended for Defunctland is genuinely a documentary and also has him use his worries about if he'll be considered one or just some Youtube guy someday as the framing. One could mock him for that, he even fears it in the video, but the difference is that even if you ignore that component, ignore his personality, the information and depth of knowledge and research on the topic is good enough to still warrant watching the work. That wasn't always something you could always say about analysis a decade ago, not the big channels at least. A lot more of them were personality driven, not driven by how good the reviews were as reviews.

It's all just interesting to look back on for me, especially while I've stayed casual in my analysis. I may write full on essays at times for a blog but I am no video essayist. I do not do the sort of research that's required for such things which does make my stuff much more opinion based and what advice I personally feel is good without the depth of wisdom to be an authority on it. At least I don't plagiarize though? XD But I have always said that I analyze things second to me being a writer and I still hold firm to that so I'm fine with that being where I keep things, bare minimum for now. I care much more about being seen as a true storyteller, rather than simply a delusional fanfic writer, than I do of ever being seen as some grand critic.

Just felt like sharing tonight. Thank you for reading and see you next tale.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

[lilluke34]

Junk News

I think nowadays just about anyone that has ever picked up a phone has dealt with junk news. If we are being realistic, most of the stuff you see on the internet falls into this category. I can say for myself that I have been flooded with this stuff, especially in the past. I am not a real political person but around the time of the last presidential election there was a point where 75% of my feed was post tearing down Joe Biden. I just wanted to watch funny videos or sports highlights, it was ridiculous.

Algorithms are one of the scariest features on social media, at least in my opinion. It is weird to me how they have the ability to predict what I am going to look at in the future, and they are usually correct. I can say that on YouTube and Instagram, the algorithms know me very well. My Instagram feed is essentially just workout stuff, food, sports, my friends and a few celebrities, maybe a couple of memes in there as well. I try very hard to stay off instagram because I often find myself mindlessly scrolling because it is filling my brain with the few things that interest me. Youtube just knows what I am going to watch, recommending me sports and highlight videos in the morning and videos of my favorite fitness YouTubers at night. Why I like watching these videos at these times of the day? We will never know, maybe YouTube has made me that way.

Advertising on social media knows what I like and it is the most annoying thing ever. One time about a year ago now, I bought pre workout off of instagram from an ad that popped up on my feed. Til this day, I get ads for pre workout. It knows how to tempt me even though the purchase was a year ago. At the same time, it is the only thing I have ever bought off Instagram, so this may play a part, but none the less it is very annoying, and tempting. Whenever I click on an ad for a shirt or a piece of clothing, I will get that ad for weeks until they either give up or find something else that I am I treated in.

Exposure is one of the elements on news and social media that I do not often think about, making this article that much better of a read for me. One example of exposure from my own experience is the Joe Biden example that I used at the start of this blog. I am not a huge supporter of either Trump or Biden, but somehow my social media activity made the algorithms think I am a huge Trump supporter . I was being exposed to specifically anti Biden material. Very odd in hindsight. I am just so curious what activity of mine led to those results.

Business's need to be aware of these elements because at the end of the day, it can actually help them. Knowing how people, especially their customers work and think is a crucial element to a successful business. Allowing algorithms to support their material and shove it in peoples faces will ultimately make them much more profitable. If businesses can get their advertisements to work and actually keep people clicking and making purchases, then they need to know what exactly it is in these ads that attract people and pin down on that.

Individuals on the other hand need to be aware of these elements to protect themselves. They need to be aware that every one of their movements on social media is recorded and their information is constantly being logged. They must know that they are being exposed to only the information that they care about, and they are not getting the full story. The information they receive half the time is complete garbage and it is only put out there because they know people will stare at it and fall for it. Social Media can be a fun and useful tool, but it is important to know the dangers of it as well.

[thealmightyemprex]

Good Vibes Challange :The Wind in the Willows

@ariel-seagull-wings @amalthea9 @princesssarisa @angelixgutz @the-blue-fairie @themousefromfantasyland @goodanswerfoxmonster @filmcityworld1

Recommended by @the-blue-fairie ,I knew I had to watch this

So I never read the book,but I have seen several adaptations of the story .My first exposure was the 1949 Disney film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad ,which has a short Toad centric tellling of the tale , but what hooked me on the story is the 2017 Musical version ,which is probabbly a contender for my favorite,and I quite enjoyed the 1985 Rankin/Bass version (EVen if I found Charles Nelson Reiley to be an odd choice for Toad ).I have grown very fond of this story (I'll go into why later ) and am always up to see a diffrent adaptation(I actually was going to watch this adaptation before but stuff got in the way and I forgot to finish it )

This 1995 film, isnt REALLLY a story its basically a bunch of scenerios connected by the characters .There is somewhat of a plot of Mole (Alan Benett),Ratty (Michael Palin ) and Badger (Michael Gambon ) trying to deal with the thrill seeking and egocentric Toad ( Rik Mayall ) who is obsessed with motor cars which gets him into a lot of trouble

I think the reason I love this movie and this story in general is it is just so CHILL ,your just hanging out with these lovable characters . The heart of the film really is the relationship between Ratty and Mole ,they have a very lovely relationship even when they bicker ,you can tell the care deeply for eachother ,my favorite scene being when Mole convinces Ratty to satay when he has the urge to travel and when they find Moles old home he abandoned to live with Ratty ,and Ratty is just complimenting the place the entire time when Mole is somewhat embarrassed ....I also dug the scene where Ratty and Mole met the God Pan,that was wild

Of course the comedic highlight is Toad ,I'll go into the voice work later ,but everything from the writing ,to the performance to the expressive animation make him such a funny character.He is the one character with NO chill and this might be my favorite take on Toad

The Animatiojn is beautiful,for a TV movie ,the production values are gorgeous,this is one of the prettiest animated films I think I have seen

This also hasthe best cast I have seen for this property I think these might be the definitive voices for me,being mostly comprised of great British talent .Of the main cast the one I am least familiar with is Alan Bennett as Mole (He seems to mostly be a writer ) but he gave a nice cheeryness to Mole.Michael Gambon is PERFECT as the grumpy Badger,and I actually had a tough ime recognizing him as he seemed to be putting on a gruffer voice but it so worked for the character .Michael Palin did such a fabulous job as Ratty ,you feel his love for his River ,his frustration with Toad ,and his friendship with Mole.Vanessa Redgrave does a marvelous job narrating ,and I like the wraparounds of her being a grandmother reading to her grandkids,just added to the cozy feel.Then we have Rik Mayall as Toad.Now Rik Mayall is a hit and miss performer for me ,sometimes I love him sometimes he annoys me ,and thankfully,,,,,This is one of his BEST performances,cause his abrasive style and obnoxiousness is PERFECT for Toad,like this is a perfect melding of actor and character akin to Gilbert Gottfried as Iago in Aladdin ,and Mayall is hilarious,sounds like he is having fun and is by far the BEST TOAD IVE SEEN .Honestly with these performances I forgot there were actors and just accepted them as these characters

I only have one gripe,and its I wish the finale where the gang fight off Weasals was longer and set up better (I like when the Weasals play a bigger role like in the musical )

Overalll.....Man this was good vibes.Just an enjoyable relaxing watch

[kenmasangel]

Heya! I just read your tall fem s/o x reader, and uh, I have a request for another one. Iwazumi, Kenma, and Osamu with a reader that’s very tall (5’8-5’9 ish)

One recommendation from a tall girl, if you’re making a fic about the reader being tall, please don’t just make them the same height as them 😅 (I mean, it’s fine if you do, but it’s really hard to find fics for us taller girls with shorter guys) (it’s frustrating to see fics always being like “he helps you get things from the top shelf” or “he rests his chin on your head” or always being shorter than them-) <3

[hc] dating a tall s/o;

(iwaizumi h., kenma k., miya o.)

ᴀᴀᴀᴀᴀʜ ᴏᴍɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍʏ ᴅᴀʏ!! ɪ ʜᴏᴘᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇᴅ ɪᴛ,, ɪ ɴᴏᴛɪᴄᴇᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ғᴀɴғɪᴄs/sᴄᴇɴᴀʀɪᴏs/ʜᴄs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴀʟʟ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀs sᴏ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴏɴᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴍʏ ᴛᴀʟʟ ᴋɪɴɢs/ǫᴜᴇᴇɴs/ʀᴏʏᴀʟs ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴍᴇʜ

ᴀʟsᴏ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅᴀᴛɪᴏɴ! ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ɪɴ ᴄᴏɴsɪᴅᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪғ ɪ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴀɢᴀɪ,,, ᴛʙʜ ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜɪɴᴋɪɴɢ ᴏғ sᴛᴏᴘ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴛʜɪs ʙʟᴏɢ ᴀɴʏᴍᴏʀᴇ sɪɴᴄᴇ ɪ ʟᴏsᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴍᴏᴛɪᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇǫᴜᴇsᴛ ʟɪᴛᴇʀᴀʟʟʏ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴍʏ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ɪ'ᴍ ɢʟᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ɪᴛ!!

p.s. i understand how difficult it is for tall girls in this society but i hope you guys know you are wonderful and you mesmerize me (❁´◡`❁)✲ i love you so much please you are gorgeous !!

masterlist

Iwaizumi Hajime

he is MESMERIZED by you

literally he just can't stop admiring you

iwa and you are both 5'10", yet you're still taller than him by a few inches

he nuzzles in the crook of your neck when you guys hug

“you smell so good baby,” “are you sniffing me, hajime?”

he will throw hands if someone dares making a comment about your height

you already know he has beaten oikawa already

he gets SO FLUSTERED when your faces are mere inches away from each other

“baby?” you called iwa as he was facing the shelves reading the ingredients of whatever he was holding.

“mhm?” he turned around to face you and was surprised to see how close your faces were; you are slightly taller than him and that day you wore shoes that made you look a bit taller. he became crimson as he head was slightly up, he got lost inside your eyes for a hot min before you snapped him back to reality from his transe. “you got the wrong box,” you smiled at him, your hand reaching for another box one shelf above.

“you could've taken it without making me turn around, dumbass,” he quickly mumbles moving forward.

whenever you feel insecure about your height (which i hope doesn't happen often/ never happens) he won't hesitate to show you how much he loves your height, and how gorgeous you are and show you other tall girls to make you feel empowered

he will tell you by a plus b how society's standards are trash and how you shouldn't compare yourself based on them

“they're hypocrites AND irrelevant!”

go off haji!!😤

he's your #1 hype man

Kenma Kozume

you're obv way taller than him

he's 5'6" and you're one gorgeous 5'8"

it doesn't bother him in the slightest tho, he thinks you're the most gorgeous person to take a step on earth

but he never told you that tho, you know kenma's communication skills aren't the best

he loves it when you hug him from behind and rest your chin on his head,, he feels your warmth envelop him and it makes him feel at peace

when something he wants is up on a high shelf he would tug on your sleeve and nod in that object's direction so you can give it to him

he'll whisper a small “thank you” and stands on his toes to give you a quick kiss

whenever he hears someone talk about your height difference and how he should be the tall one he'd glare at them until they get scared

believe me if looks could kill half the population would be d€ad lol

he'd protectively hold your hand and make you walk quicker

“don't listen to them they're just dumb and insecure, dumb fucks,”

lev would always be teasing you lmaooo istg he has a d€ath wish

“yn-chan!! wow you're so tall, you should be dating someone taller than you or at least the same height as you!” you can already sense kenma glaring holes into his back. “someone like me for example!”

kenma : “that's it, it's done for this mf”

and there is a chair flying right in lev's direction

even tho he likes being the small spoon he also loves to hold you and make you feel protected and loved

he'd hold you from behind, kiss your head and starts caressing your head

everytime he thinks you're finally asleep he'd say stuff such as “you're so beautiful, ” “i love you a lot,” “if lev tries to get close to you i'll throw his 6ft ass back to russia and make a polar bear eat him,”

kenma best boi <3

Miya Osamu

here we have another man whipped for you

the way he keeps bragging about you is ridiculous

you have him wrapped around your fingers missy

anyway, the moment he saw you it was like an evidence to him: he wanted you be his girlfriend!!!!!

he loves it when you were things that highlight your beautiful legs: shorts, skirts, dresses

ANYTHING that shows your long legs

he won't hesitate to totally DRAG people making comments about your height, either they're just comments or mean ones

he likes when you guys are cooking together or just when you're with him when he cooks for you

he'd ask you to grab things on a high shelf just to admire you getting that thing easily

if he ever sees you getting on your tippy toes he'll playfully tease you

“tsk, what a shortie you can't even reach for that? don't look at me like that you look like a gremlin, ”

uhm sir? you and your 6ft ass better stfu

then he has to jump to get that thing and you'll say something along the lines of “oh look at your short ass having to jump to get it,, i bet suna would've just had to stretch his arm to get it”

“what? NO BABE NOT SUNA WTF!”

he always throws random compliments out of the blue like “look at my model of a gf,” “you're literally the baddest b on this earth babe how did i get so lucky?”

he's never afraid to loose you in the crowd cuz you always stand out for him

suna has a shit ton of videos of osamu fawning over you or talking about you while shoving his relationship with his perfect gf to atsumu

ngl atsumu is lowkey jealous but he'll never show it. “i like short girls anyway,” he pouts

suna : “see, funny you're saying that cuz that's not what you said the xx/yy at h:m, want to watch the video with me again?”

lol these mfs istg

[shinylitwick94]

Shinylitwick's summer (SF/)Fantasy reads - Part I

As it turns out trying to complete the r/fantasy book bingo and not wanting to get into heavy reads this year meant that I spent most of my summer reading almost exclusively SFF, and I read a lot of it. I'm sharing my thoughts on these with anyone who might be interested in them. This covers books I read between july and the first week of september 2021. I'll be doing this in two parts because it would be too long otherwise.

As a reminder, these are personal thoughts, not professional reviews, so take everything I say with a grain of salt.

Without further ado:

Under Heaven, by Guy Gavriel Kay

By this point I think I can say pretty firmly I’m a fan of GGK. I just really enjoy his “alternate history with a dash of fantasy” stuff, and I like his writing and the fact that he’s so good at capturing that sort of bittersweet melancholy I’m a huge junkie for.

That being said, Under Heaven started off amazing, spent a lot of time in eh, and finished solid. I like it, but it’s my least favorite of his books so far. I think it essentially suffers from making promises it doesn’t deliver on. There’s a lot of stories which go nowhere, which I’m sometimes fine with, but I don’t think it worked here. Especially with the sister. I have very little familiarity with Chinese history, but from what I’ve read in other reviews, he stuck rather more closely to the history here than he usually does, which maybe limited his ability to maneuver his characters. Still, I would recommend it, if this is your style.

The Last Wish, by Andrzej Sapkowski

I’ve tried reading this before…in Russian. Don’t know why I thought that was a good idea (something about maybe a better translation?). Anyway, my Russian obviously wasn’t up to scratch and the books are polish anyway.

So, English translation it was. As many of you will know this is actually a short story collection, which is the first part of the Witcher book series. I’d already watched the tv show, and played a bit of the game, so some of the stories were new to me, and others weren’t.

I liked how the book highlighted the “twisted fairytale” aspect of some of these (e.g Snow White, Rumplestiltskin) – that didn’t really come across so well in the adaptations. I think altogether it was a fun and enjoyable read.

The Farthest Shore, by Ursula Le Guin (Book 3 in the Earthsea Cycle)

Ursula Le Guin made me cry again. I’ve been talking about Le Guin a lot recently, with a friend who’s read a lot of her nonfiction, but none of her fiction, while I’ve for the most part just read the fiction. She’s one of those authors who just seems to get it, and who knows how to use the genre to its full extent. Magic and dragons aren’t just a toy, but a tool to actually say something.

She does that across the board, of course, but Farthest Shore hit me harder than the other Earthsea books have, maybe because imho it’s the saddest so far. There’s a lot about death, acceptance, and time passing, and responsibility in this which I really liked. I feel like it manages to get its themes across in a way that is crystal clear, but not ham-fisted. I loved this book, I really did, but I feel like I will need to read it again in a few years, and I’m sure it will be a different read then.

One of many nice quotes:

“When I was young, I had to choose between the life of being and the life of doing. And I leapt at the latter like a trout to a fly. But each deed you do, each act, binds you to itself and to its consequences, and makes you act again and yet again. Then very seldom do you come upon a space, a time like this, between act and act, when you may stop and simply be. Or wonder who, after all, you are.”

The Black Company, by Glen Cook (Book 1 in the Chronicles of the Black Company)

This was sold to me as the granddaddy of grimdark fantasy, and I can certainly see it. It’s clearly influenced a lot of later fantasy authors (Erikson, Abercrombie, to some extent Martin). Yet somehow it manages to be less explicit, or graphic, than some modern grimdark. It can be pretty gross too, but it knows how to cut away when necessary and is usually smart about implying things. I also really liked the basic concept of following characters who work for the Dark Lord (or Dark Lady in this case). The characters themselves are interesting enough – in this first book we don’t go super in depth on a lot of them, but the ones we’re stuck with are decent, and the story holds. Still, I felt like this was more a worldbuilding book than a character book, if that makes sense. And I did like the world. It’s appropriately dark and petty and sucks, but hey that’s what we’re here for.

So overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone who is interested into the more grimdark side of fantasy. Stay away from it if that’s not your thing or you’re super squeamish.

(most of Tumblr dni I guess)

The Empress of Salt and Fortune, by Nghi Vo

This was a fun little read. I had no idea what to expect going in and I ended up enjoying it. The story follows a nonbinary monk as they go through the affairs of a deceased empress and in discussion with Rabbit, the said empress’s servant, learn her story. The story is mostly told by Rabbit and each section follows a particular object. I liked how that was set up and the way in which the whole picture was slowly revealed to the reader. It’s apparently been read as a feminist story and I can see where that reading comes from, and it was likely intentionally so. It wasn’t the most important part of this to me, but up to you to judge.

I will say though, and this is not the book’s fault, but mine, that reading a story where the POV character uses they/them pronouns was more confusing than I anticipated. I kept expecting there to be more of them at random points in the narrative, and having to backtrack to understand.

It’s a short nice read, but definitely something I feel more comfortable recommending to people here than irl.

Equal Rites, by Terry Pratchett (Discworld)

Not much to say here. Discworld is Discworld and can do no wrong, apparently. This might be one of my favorites so far. Loved Granny to pieces, it was fun, it was funny, it was thoughtful without being heavy. It’s the Discworld, what can you do.

The House in the Cerulean Sea, by T.J. Klune

This was pure tooth-rotting fluff, which I think I kind of needed to balance out my reading. It’s cute, it’s cheesy, it’s wholesome it owns it and is proud of it. It’s very LGBT friendly. It’s a good guys win, bad guys lose, discrimination dies today kind of thing.

I’m surprised it’s not bigger on Tumblr tbh (it’s not non-existent either, I checked, just smaller than expected; maybe it’s too nice?).

Anyway, I did like it, and I’m exaggerating just a little bit on the cheesiness. It’s a sweet little story about a character who would normally be played by Martin Freeman (if a bit chubbier) learning that there is more to life than Rules and Regulations and finding love and a family.

If that’s your sort of thing, give it a shot.

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: March 2021

Hey March was a weird month what with all the pandemic anniversaries and such but here we are. It’s March. Goodbye March.

……….FILM……….

Attack the Block (2011) After about 20 minutes my partner asked if this was basically a British episode of Goosebumps and....she’s not wrong? I liked it back when it came out but it’s aged really well. Tight script and casual class politics along with the very good space stuff.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) It turns out I’d remembered so little of this movie that it was essentially a fresh viewing. The artistry and ambition still holds up today plus a noir set in L.A. is always good time. But then you add cartoon hijinks and it’s all just that much better.

The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears  (2021) So we watched the ep on Britney Spears and...it didn’t really seem to cover all that much. It kept feeling like it was about to start and then after an hour and a half of that it just sorta wraps with a small legal victory. I know this isn’t fiction so I’m not expecting a happy ending, but I don’t know what it wanted to say.

CBS presents Oprah with Meghan and Harry  (2021) I mean I don’t think anything said or shared was surprising anyone. Though I appreciate Oprah not letting either of them sidestep a question. Either answer or say you won’t; none of this fancy poetry.

……….TELEVISION……….

Great British Bake Off (Episode 9.01 to 9.04) This is our first season without Mary Berry, Sue, and Mel and it’s a real shift! But despite all the new faces, it still feels very much like the good-natured GBBO I’ve come to love. Great stuff.

City of Ghosts (Episode 1.01 to 1.06) I hope all that I’m seeing about this means that Netflix will greenlight another season and more television like this. The artistry is fantastic, the concept allows for both whimsy and poignancy, and it’s casually funny in a way that I can’t fully describe. Great stuff.

WandaVision (Episode 1.09) So this didn’t quite stick the landing for me. I figured there’d be some blasts and magic and zooming around in the sky, but I also assumed we’d get some resolution (maybe even consequences) for what Wanda did to the town. Sure, she’s not the villain and it wasn’t intentional, but the show appeared to be built around this theme of denial and acceptance yet abandoned that in the end. But I will give it this: it really has sold me on the relationship between Wanda and Vision.

The Night Manager (Episode 1.05 to 1.06) You know I think I’ve been so primed by Bond films and action set pieces that, while I won’t spoil the ending, I was pleasantly surprised by how it wrapped up. It was a nice change of pace. 

The Bachelor (Episode 25.09 to 25.12) What a season. It was a mess, sure, but I also think it was the uncomfortable mix of stagnation and progress. The show needs to evolve and I feel like the finale and aftershow really highlighted that the change has to happen. Maybe it’s starting to happen already or in future seasons it’ll change whether production likes it or not.

……….READING……….

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (Complete) Really fantastic read and such an effortless blend of science fiction and...necromantic fantasy! Dark and gross and light and funny all at the same time. 100% recommend and am very excited for the next entry despite this feeling whole and complete on its own.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Complete) I want to work my way through the series (or at least the original 14 written by Baum) so we gotta start at the beginning! There’s such a light air about the book that everyone kinda just rolls with everything. Sentient objects and talking animals and lots of murder are just met with a “Great! on to the next adventure!” and I love it.

The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Complete) It’s really great that the second book has a lot of the same core components (human child meets a bunch of wacky sidekicks while on a very small adventure) yet casually expands the mythos and world. It even builds on the plot established by the first book (the main conflict revolving around Scarecrow being overthrown as leader of Oz ever since the Wizard disappeared). Great stuff.

Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum (Complete) Bringing back Dorothy and it’s really a merging of characters from book 1 and 2. If anything, this series is shaping up to be about making friends and the genial conflict resolution is really heartwarming. Now i’m keen to watch Return to Oz.

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz by L. Frank Baum (Complete) This might just be me but I find a mostly human cast (outside of Jim the Cab Horse) to be far less interesting than the diverse adventuring parties of the first three books. Lots of fun stuff in here and playing fast and loose with the world-building works well; highlight the fun parts of a land made of wood and then continue on to the next location! Great stuff.

Delicious in Dungeon Vol. 9 by Ryoko Kui (Complete) It feels like everything is starting to come together and wrap up and I’m totally here for a story that knows what it wants to do. And while there doesn’t seem to be as much room cooking with the overarching plot that is driving the story, it never feels like it’s moved away from the heart of the characters and for that I can’t recommend it enough. Excellent world-building, excellent cast, and really great humor.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Volume 9 by Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Mateus Santolouco, Dave Wachter, Pablo Tunica, Sophie Campbell, and many more! (Complete) The human/secret agent stuff will always be boring to me (even if they’re hunting the turtles) cause that’s not what I want in a comic. I don’t want Batman hunting burglars, I want bright colourful villains for our bright and colorful heroes. Luckily we get into a pocket dimension for a toad god and his relatives during the second half of the volume. Overall, still my favourite ooze series.

……….AUDIO……….

Musicalsplaining (Podcast) Great host dynamics and hot dang I love a good musical.

……….GAMING……….

Neverland: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) The group has taken a break from the infected giant colony to sort out some Pirate drama! Further session breakdowns are over here on Reddit!

Dungeons & Designers (Podcast) I had the rare chance to play in a D&D campaign instead of run it and it’s even up online! They also air the sessions through their podcast!

And that’s it! As always, let me know anything you think I should check out and thanks for reading.

Happy Wednesday.

[mitsuhasnolifebutwatchesanime]

Promare (2019)

H-how did I just up and forget to review Promare? I honestly don’t know. I definitely spent months obsessing, getting merchandise, doujins, etc. I have a theory, I haven’t proven, but the smaller a piece of media is, the bigger the fan-boom it might have. Like when the Me Me Me music video dropped, HUGE week long obsessions over it, theories, fan works, gifs, etc. Little Witch Academia’s first lil diddy? Very big reception of people begging for more. Promare had a pretty big boom too. Here’s the thing though, while I definitely want *more* like, a few more OVAs, I think the fan content has got me covered.

The thing about Studio Trigger is they can’t handle long format series before something goes wrong plot wise. This isn’t a straight up deal breaker, but they just lose momentum somewhere along the line. Promare gave me hardly a moment to breathe. The first of SIX TIMES I SAW IT IN THEATERS I had to do so though a headache, yet I still had a great time.

Story follows a world post “The Great World Blaze” wherein fire weidling mutants called the Burnish arose and ya know, extreme arson, prejudice and such occurs. The lead character is a rookie firefighter, Galo Thymos, who in a show of pride and arrogance, goes one on one with the leader of the terrorist organization, Mad Burnish, Lio Fotia, a great battle ensues, and then Galo soon learns, maybe the mad burnish aren’t terrorists. Maybe someone has been lying about what the burnish are the whole time… He and Lio keep crossing paths throughout the movie and then become one unstoppable team to save the earth from a sinister plan unfolding literally underground!

If I could describe promare in a few words: big, loud, bright, funny. If I could compare it to other anime, honestly because I STILL HAVEN’T SEEN GURREN LAGAN, Gunbuster came to mind first and foremost. In fact, like the other Trigger/Gainax series, Promare makes MANY a reference to Gunbuster which I wasn’t expecting at all.

The animation is amazing, beautiful, smooth, even the CG, smooth, pretty. I laughed so hard so many times, the emotional beats were (chefs kiss), and ya it really doesn’t give you much time to cool down. It literally calls out its own Deus Ex Machina which is ballsy and hilarious. The soundtrack is one of the best I’ve ever heard.

I’m not kidding though about how I went to see it in theaters six times. Three times in Texas (I live in Oklahoma for reference), so 6 hour drives (3 one way) to see a maybe 2 hour movie, but also I hung with friends and did stuff. The other three times were the three days in a row it was playing again for Redux and my local theater had it. I had a chance to expose my girlfriend to it and give her promare brainrot (she is the Galo to my Lio), saw the sub and dub, and most importantly: experienced in 4DX.

I was VERY lucky my local theater had a 4XD theater and chose to run Promare’s version. This movie is definitely akin to a rollercoaster and it was a BLAST being really in the action. The highlight was the 30 seconds into the credits, which are quiet and a little stylized and the chairs began to gently swivel and tilt and everyone in the theater just started giggling “eheheheheeeee” it was great. I wish I could see it in 4XD at least seven more times. And ya know, the characters and designs, mech and so on, were a highlight!

There’s a reason I and many many others obsessed over this movie so hard. There was a LOT wrapped up in a relatively small package. I was told to watch the Galo-hen Lio-hen OVAs before my first time seeing the movie, but they were online and unsubbed. Thank god I know Japanese. It bummed me out a little bit that they were not a part of the first US theatrical release, and even during redux, they only showed galo-hen. Glad I got my Special Edition blu-ray DVD release. I HIGHLY recommend you give this movie a spin if you like: great sci-fi, great animation, comedy, anything trigger/gainax has ever worked on. It’s just a Good Time.

[thejayranicverses]

Crazy Ex Girlfriend : Season One

DON’T READ FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT SPOILERS OK

(I had a LOT to say about this show so I’m splitting it into seasons)

Crazy Ex Girlfriend is a musical TV series that follows a mercurial lawyer’s journey towards managing her own mental health and developing more functional attachments to others. Rebecca Bunch impulsively moves to West Covina after finding out that ex-boyfriend Josh Chan is now living there, under the impression that if she can win him back, she will find true happiness. 

Is this kind of crazy? Yes

But is it the kind of thing that often shows up in romance movies where everyone lives happily ever after? Also yes. 

This is what makes this show so enjoyably subversive. So many of the things that could have been played off as harmless zany fun in a 2000s love story (trying to stalk a guy who’s already with someone else because you KNOW he should really be with you! Staging a fake break-in at your house to get him to come and see you! Trying to engineer other people’s relationships!) would indicate mental instability at the very least. 

Crazy Ex Girlfriend goes on to demonstrate how many of our ideals like The One and Happily Ever After actually give romantic love a job it can never really do, and can even lead people into unhealthy attachment patterns. You can’t expect to meet someone who is 100% perfect for you, who will solve all your problems and you’ll always be happy with them, but that is what Disney told us in the 90s! So the questions is posed: is Rebecca really crazy or has she just watched too many movies? What can we fairly expect out of our interpersonal relationships with others? How do we navigate the gulfs between ideals and reality with our family, friendships and romantic partners? And it’s ALL SET TO MUSIC. OFTEN REALLY GOOD MUSIC.  

Now, I know a lot of people categorically do not like musicals. ”But people don’t just get up and start singing and dancing in real life!” they cry. 

Well, first of all, yes sometimes it does happen in real life even if only a bit!

Second of all, there’s plenty of nonrealism in science fiction, historical fiction, comedy, horror, police dramas, you name it and there is unrealistic stuff going on. Look at all the people in historical dramas with perfect teeth, no armpit hair and no smallpox scars! Look at how during that one episode of The IT Crowd they basically cancel all work to do a sexy calendar photoshoot in the office! Look how whenever someone calls a landline, the person picking up is the person they wanted to talk to! No “hey I gotta speak to the other person in your house” moment. No one has to run to the toilet. And do NOT get me started on hospital dramas like Shortland Street. (Spoiler: it bears very little resemblance to anything that happens in a real hospital) 

Thirdly, and probably most importantly: the musical genre is the perfect format to tell this story. A lot of the songs are really fun and catchy. They also frequently serve the vital purpose of reflecting a character’s inner dialogue. Given that mental health becomes so important to this show, this is a brilliant move.

Perhaps the opening theme songs highlight this the most cleanly. In Season One’s opening, disembodied voices cheerily sing, “She’s the crazy ex-girlfriend! She’s so broken insiiiide”. The crazy ex-girlfriend is another regular fixture of romantic storylines: lurking in the shadows, plotting her revenge, a caricature of the woman scorned. But rarely does a protagonist experience herself as a crazy ex-girlfriend. She’s usually just there to threaten someone else’s happily ever after. 

These mocking “she’s the crazy ex girlfriend!” voices start up just after Rebecca explains her situation: she was unhappy in New York, moved to West Covina which happens to be where her ex Josh Chan lives but no of course she didn’t follow him or anything! 

As the series unfolds and gets both crazier and more serious, the audience gradually comes to realise that the whole theme song is really Rebecca speaking to herself. On the surface, she’s got her cover story that she’s just moving to West Covina for a new job and this decision has absolutely nothing to do with Josh Chan who just coincidentally happens to live there. But of course, she knows this isn’t the truth and she knows she’s really stalking him, despite frequent denials (”That would be crazy, and I am not crazy”). The other voices are coming from her own mind, trying to make her confront her crazy tendencies but not really knowing how best to go about it. Rebecca’s argumentative dialogue with these voices (”What? No, that’s a sexist term! The situation’s a lot more nuanced than that!”) becomes a really neat hint showing that Rebecca’s relationship with herself is the one she most needs to repair, and ultimately the one that becomes the main focal point. 

Overall: 10/10, would recommend this first season. Very smart, very funny, and SONGS.

[spector]

HELLO, welcome to the summary of augustevens 2020. a challenge inspired by my previous challenges (hammoween & jonnuary) and me blazing thru legion season 2 and 3 in a span of over five days. it was quite an adventure to say the least and i’m here to present some statistics and recommendations.

LINK TO THE LETTERBOXD LIST (which is where you’ll find my short reviews and ratings) || LINK TO THE OFFICIAL AUGUSTEVENS LB TAG (posts in chronological order)

MOVIES WATCHED: 24 (technically 23…) AVERAGE RATING: 2.27 (oof)

TOP AUGUSTEVENS MOVIE (that’s not a rewatch): this is so stupid but i legit have to say Vamps (2012). maybe i liked it so much because it came after a very long combo of shitty movies but to me it was genuinely funny and delightful comedy abt being a vampire in the glorious era of early 10s… the casting in it was perfect, the plot was so charming and while there is stuff i would have left in the cutting room, i just. really enjoyed myself. vamps (2012) stan for life. 

ASSHOLE OR DELIGHTFUL FOP?

ASSHOLE ROLES: 8 FOP ROLES: 14 UNASSIGNED FOR VARIOUS REASONS: 2

DING DING DING… WE HAVE A WINNER… 

TOP ASSHOLE ROLE: “david” from the guest (2014), no competition. honorable mentions go to stinkman garbageboy from apostle (2018) and the guy from the ticket (2016) because it was a very demanding role and he SOLD it (but i dont recommend the movie its shot very blandly).

TOP FOP ROLE: you already know who it is……. prince adam from the 2017 liveaction remake of beauty and the beast (2017) but only from the first five minutes of this movie !!!!! he raised millions for the fop community and gendered me quite fiercely so we love him for that. a VERY VERY VERY and i cannot overstate how VERY close second is alexander lemtov from that cursed eurovision movie (2020). slav gay rights !!!

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS MONTH INCLUDE

me watching that shitty eurovision movie till 4am and screaming at every single cringy eurovision thing will ferrell got wrong

the great rigging of my dracula (2006) review on letterboxd which now rules as the undisputed Top Opinion of that page

losing all of my sanity points while watching adam sandler’s the cobbler (2014)

criminal activities (2015) plot-twist that comes 5 minutes before the movie ends and its so fucking funny i love this bad movie

THE GRAND UNRAVELING OF CONVERSION THERAPY THEMES IN THE LIVE ACTION REMAKE OF BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (2017)

me losing my shit once i realized that killswitch (2017) is a twitch stream someone turned into a movie, the first person POV took me out so bad

the funko pop documentary fiasco 

SO THATS IT, i had a lot of fun and im glad u guys enjoyed this month as well !!!! i’ll be updating my letterboxd list with this important information in the near future !!!! till the next augustevens !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3

[maiassensibleblog]

Dear theatre people, this is what I mean when I say theatre is elitist...

(All views expressed are my opinion).

I’ve been considering whether now is the right time to post this but when theatre comes back (which it will, it must), it cannot look how it looked before. I love theatre with all my heart, it is the part of my life that heals the most. But the industry drives me crazy.

I want to address the questions: Why don’t people go to the theatre? And why don’t people care about theatre? My perspective is from a West End theatre goer who is working class, not white and not straight. I am not involved in making theatre and do not desire to be involved. 

To answer this huge question, I’d like to start with two definitions:

Elitist: Relating to or supporting the view that a society or system should be led by an elite.

Inaccessible: Unable to be reached.

I often see people asking “why don’t people go to the theatre?” with only responses related to accessibility. When we talk about accessibility, we need to consider barriers such as ticket prices, geographical location and ableism. An awful lot of people are not stopped by accessibility, but they do not go to the theatre. Why? Theatre is elitist.

Elitism is the feeling that you do not belong in a space because the people who are there are different from you and often appear to think they are better than you. In my opinion, this is the reason that the general public do not care about theatre. Elitism is built into the theatre world and this has only been highlighted recently through the BLM movement (I don’t need to go into this here, you’ve all seen it). 

From a personal perspective, I’m privileged to have been going to the theatre since I was tiny. We didn’t have a lot of money but my mum was really good at finding deals on tickets and I grew to love theatre more and more as I grew up.  I go around once a week and see a lot of off West-end stuff. I, a seasoned theatregoer, feel elitism every time I go to the theatre. I will elaborate on these in the sub-topics below but I wanted to point out that I am somebody who is relatively confident around the elitist feeling, imagine if you aren’t. You just wouldn’t bother and that is what we’re seeing. 

Tickets

The first thing I would like to discuss may seem to sit between accessibility and elitism but getting affordable tickets sits in with elitism in my opinion. I am often asked how I can afford to go to the theatre so often and my answer is always I know where to look. Why do theatres feel that it is acceptable to hide their cheap seats? The only thing that is achieved here is keeping theatre for those who know where to look. 

If you have not be brought up around theatre folk, you don’t know that day seats exist. Even when theatres advertise and say something like “£15 day seats available”, people who do not know anything about theatre will not have a clue what that means. They won’t know the difference between a digital lottery and a regular in-person day seat, they won’t know how to press buy now just at the right time on TodayTix to get a rush ticket. Having cheaper options does improve accessibility but the way it has been done doesn’t serve to reduce elitism.

Put yourself in the shoes of somebody who has never been to the theatre before. They see a poster for a musical that looks amazing, they google it, they see decent seats for £100+. They decide to go for the £30 option in the Gods. They feel ripped off and don’t bother again OR they know that those are crap seats and don’t bother at all. There is nowhere on that main booking page that mentions cheaper, good seats. That is telling people that they only deserve good seats if they’re rich. That is elitist. 

Image

My next two points spill into each other, but they are not the same thing. What do you think of when you think of somebody who goes to the theatre. We all just thought of the same old, white couple. They tut at young people who talk at interval? Yeah we all know the type. It’s amazing that these people, who usually have disposable income, go to the theatre and spend money there but they are coming anyway. Why are you therefore using them to advertise? 

Some theatres do this amazingly (Bush, Soho, Young Vic, loves) but most don’t. Some shows have gone too far (looking at you Heathers West End transfer) but think: What is the demographic that you think would want to come, but isn’t? If you’re trying to attract non-theatre goers, they have to see themselves in those who are recommending it. 

Obviously, some known reviewers have to be included to keep the regulars in but theatres must start including a wider range of reviewers, they must be open to criticism from young people, queer people, Black people... Then, they must show the faces of these reviewers in their advertising, they must include their views using their vocabulary. And once you get these voices (and start respecting them), theatres must start taking these views into account. A mainstream producer actually listening (and properly listening) to the views of not the mainstream critics? That is revolutionary. That’s showing you’re willing to change.

Etiquette

This is the big one. Theatre etiquette is elitist. I’m sure many people know what I mean by this: Hushed tones even when the show isn’t on and you’re in the bar, FOH using theatre-y vocabulary to usher people places (even things like “the house is open” mean nothing to people who aren’t in theatre), expected restraint to reactions towards what’s happening on stage. I’ve never been to a theatre that doesn’t use vocabulary that would be alienating to non-theatregoers. Only a few theatres don’t have that feeling of “we’re better than you” hanging in the air. 

I have been told that I do not match up to people’s ideas of expected theatre etiquette twice outside of fandom things. I remember them both. Once, I was laughing at funny moments during a funny play. The second time I was talking to my friends excitedly at interval and had some older theatre-goers tut and ask us to be quiet (hun, it’s the interval). As I mentioned, I go to the theatre all the time, I generally conform (even when I hate it). Imagine how you’d feel if you didn’t know the nonsense rules.

The solution? Dismantle the rules. 

People dismiss panto because is does this and it’s the least elitist theatre out there. Stop getting on your high horse about people openly enjoying themselves. And to those panicking, very few people are actually going to chat their way through a whole show they’ve paid money for.

We need more relaxed performances. We need more for disabled people but we also need more for young people, where they can react to what’s going on during the show and whisper to each other about it. 

We need more sing-a-longs. Musicals can create an amazing fandom this way. Six is doing an amazing job because they’ve fostered this environment. Imagine a Hamilton sing-a-long. Just sit in that for a moment. Imagine a person who had never been to the theatre before and has heard a few songs of the soundtrack getting the feeling of a gig from the theatre. It’s powerful and it needs to happen. 

Shakespeare

Nothing exhibits the elitism of theatre more than Shakespeare. The sheer prevalence of it. And, I’m going to say it: Nobody fully understands what’s going on. 

Why, as an industry, are you all so obsessed with a sexist, racist, homophobe who died in the 1600′s? People alive today are writing plays about stories that people want to hear, in a language that people can understand. Commission them.

That is all on that. 

Secrecy 

There’s certainly something to be said about keeping the magic of theatre alive by keeping tricks a secret. I totally appreciate and love that about this art medium. You watch things happening in real time that look like magic and it’s beautiful. 

However, the secrecy around productions has gone too far. Why are full on HQ recordings of shows being filmed for them never to see the light of day? I have seen the argument that people will not feel the need to watch the show if they have seen a recording but I have only seen that argument from people who work in theatre. Listen to the people who just go to the theatre. I don’t know what I can actually say to convince the industry of this, but theatre people will still come because there’s nothing like live theatre. 

What you will do by releasing a good recording is open the show to the masses (and make money from it). You will essentially be building a fandom. People can watch football on TV but choose to pay for a ticket to go watch live because it is a different experience. People can listen to a band but choose to pay for a ticket to go to a concert because it is a different experience. It is the same thing. You honestly need to get over this because I think this is a massive reason why this elitism still exists. 

Also why not release HQ footage even as a trailer? Stick it on YouTube for free, get ad revenue and advertise.

These are just a few things that need to be taken into consideration when theatres re-open. Theatre must come back better and stronger than it was before and it must get more people in the room. The people will need art. 

This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal. - Toni Morrison

[tomb-bloom-noctem]

Any cartoon recommendations? My friend gifted Disney+ for Christmas :)

Oooh! What a nice friend!

Okay no clue if you've seen these and I really hope I'm not just recommending stuff you've already seen or even don't like but oh my gosh for tv shows if you haven't please watch-

Ducktales 2017 of course but I probably don't have to tell you that.

Amphibia. I feel Amphibia gets a bit overshadowed by The Owl House and other shows but it is legitimately so good. The theme makes me feel pumped and despite the shorter episodes they manage to make them so funny and also so impactful. So far only season 1 is up, I wish they'd include the first half of season 2 that they've aired on tv already but ugh is what it is. Still, season 1 alone is still great and worth watching!

The Owl House. Probably most Disney fans have seen or at least heard of this by now but I cannot stress enough how good it is. It does feel familiar to Gravity Falls fans but it stands out on its own strongly as well. Just amazing.

Gravity Falls. The KING. I don't think there's anything I can say that hasn't already been said. It's clever, it's funny, it's got a great mystery element, this is a series that cannot be ignored. Short and sweet but amazing and I'll literally never forget it.

Big Hero 6 the Series. An awesome continuation of the universe that the movie started. It's really funny and legitimately has arcs that I feel could have worked for movies. Also fun fact, ideas that didn't work out for the movie have been getting reworked to be included in the show which is super clever.

Kim Possible. Classic 2000's teen spy fun that holds up so well. It looks great and it's still so fun and enjoyable.

Big City Greens. Probably the most different one on this list but it's a really silly and funny series. It feels aimed more at a younger audience but it is also surprisingly good at having humor that older audiences would like without being inappropriate. I relate to the Green family since I basically would be as lost and confused in a big city as they are. It's mostly humor but there's also heartwarming to it.

Darkwing Duck. Launchpad's favorite! It's super ridiculously out of order on Disney+ so make sure to look for Darkly Dawns the Duck parts 1 and 2 first before watching the rest. It's got that strong 90's feel to it (fitting as it is a show of the 90's of course) but it's still very funny and got great slapstick cartoon animation and humor. Don't miss this!

American Dragon Jake Long. This is an underrated great show from the 2000's! It's about a teen named Jake Long who you guessed it, is a dragon. Worth checking out! (Edit: Sources say it should be coming to Disney plus eventually. It appears to be available in some places but in America it's not currently available.)

Gargoyles. This one is such a hit from back then. It has super quality animation for the time that I still feel holds up to today with powerful messages. It's amazing, do check it out. (Edit: it turns out that yes this one is also available on Disney plus right now.)

Brain is drawing a blank on some other shows so I'll move on to some movie recommendations. Again I have no idea if you've seen any of these so hopefully I'm not just recommending stuff you already have seen 😂 If I am, sorry 😂

Big Hero 6 (the movie takes place before the series so definitely watch the movie first to get the most out of the series and the movie is incredible of course.)

A Goofy Movie. Classic 90's, an epic soundtrack, and the freaking BEST portrayal of Goofy and Max. Legitimately the second most important movie of my personal childhood. It definitely has a 90's feel to it but the performances and the way it hits the heart is timeless.

The Princess and the Frog. Legitimately one of my favorites. Tiana is one of my favorite princesses and it's such a good movie.

Brave. Merida, an icon. The music, amazing even though it's not a musical like The Princess and the Frog and other Disney Princess types. Beautiful animation. Scottish people. It's a win.

Wreck It Ralph. I have mixed feelings on Ralph Breaks the Internet but the original is such a good movie. I feel that even if you aren't a gamer it's still an enjoyable movie but if you are a gamer (which I play a lot of video games 😂) it's even more fun.

The Three Caballeros. Classic Donald fun! It's a weird trippy film but it's such fun and come on it has Donald, José, and Panchito. Win win win.

Fun and Fancy Free. Also an older film, this one has both live action and animation. The highlight is definitely the Mickey and the Beanstalk story which takes up the second half of the movie. But the first half which is the story of a bear named Bongo is still cutesy.

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy: The Three Musketeers. Seriously why does Disney not make more movies like this and the Mickey and the Beanstalk??? It's fun, it's nicely animated, it's a musical, it's really well voice acted, it's a great film.

Monsters University. I think some people brushed this off as the unnecessary prequel movie but I feel like it's a must watch. Definitely works better if you've seen Monsters Inc already though I'm sure most people have. But on it's own, it still stands really strong, it's funny, the voice acting is so strong, and it's at times painfully relatable. It's encouraging and heartbreaking at the same time. I really love it.

And lastly although this one is definitely the most unlike the rest as it's more mature and also a mix of live action and animation- Who Framed Roger Rabbit. This is such a fun film. It's a bit of a parody on the film noir genre but it's so much fun. And come on, it's got Disney and Loony Toons in it. A winner!

EDIT:

Anastasia. This one is newly added so I'm excited that it's finally here. While it is technically not a Disney film it is still an incredibly well-made animated film. Definitely took some historical liberties we'll say, it's still a very beautiful film Amazing soundtrack, stunning animation, and a great story at its heart.

This one I thought I had written down but it was missing so I must have forgotten it

Ducktales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp. This one will feel familiar like a certain Disney princess film as they are similar but this one still has enough duck flair to not feel like a rip off. It's got classic DuckTales fun as well as the classic voice actors, it's great for laughs and for the nostalgia.

Hopefully this is a good list! I tried to pick stuff that wasn't just Disney princess movies or other just popular choices. Thanks for asking and sorry for the errors! 😅

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael in the Mainstream: Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)

Remember Charlie’s Angels? Touted as a female empowerment action film, it failed in both departments; it doesn’t really function well as empowerment when all the Angels are functionally identical with little to distinguish them as characters and fighting against one-dimensional sexist male villains, and it doesn’t function as an action film when the stakes are not set up, the action scenes are bland, and the twist villain is pointless since the way the narrative is structured (all male characters with few exceptions are bad, all females are good) gives it away far ahead of time. It’s a real shame, because female-led action movies can be seriously cool and empowering, but every time one does poorly Hollywood seems to blame the gender rather than the fact the movie sucks. There’s really only one thing that can be done to salvage a situation like this:

Send in the clowns.

Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) is what I think Charlie’s Angels wanted to be. It’s fun, it’s empowering, the characters are distinct, and the action is great. Now there are problems which I’m going to get into, but before all that, let me tell you the secret behind this film’s success: first and foremost, it wants you to have fun.

You see, this film does a lot of stuff Charlie’s Angels does, but since it wants to entertain you first and empower you second, the message goes down a lot easier. For instance, almost all males in this film are villainous (although not all are sexist), but it’s not done in a bland, tasteless way. One element in particular was the workplace sexism Renee Montoya faced; her male coworkers constantly stole her credit, which ends up inspiring her to fight back harder against Roman Sionis, the antagonistic gangster of the film. Not only does it have an empowering undercurrent and is a believable depiction of a woman being undermined in the workplace, it’s a pretty relatable feeling in a broad way; I’m sure a lot of us have felt as though credit was stolen from us by a coworker. This makes this plot element both focused while also being broadly applicable, opening it to a wider demographic that can access the themes. 

And then we have the major misogynistic villain, which has been done so poorly in films like Ghostbusters and Charlie’s Angels. Thankfully, in the grand tradition of films like Beauty and the Beast and Megamind, this film’s villain’s misogyny is just a small part of what makes them a horrible person. Roman Sionis (AKA Black Mask), played by Ewan McGregor, is just relentlessly unpleasant. He decides not to spare a torture victim’s life because he’s grossed out by a snot bubble from her sobbing, he’s demeaning to everyone around him, and he wants to slice open a little girl who swallowed his diamond. This guy has issues that go far beyond “hating women.” And in the same vein as Gaston, Roman is just relentlessly entertaining whenever he’s onscreen, cussing up a storm and just being delightfully hateable. 

Now that we’ve established this film handles elements like misogyny and sexist villains better than Charlie’s Angels, it’s time to talk about how it better empowers women than that film. And what better way to empower someone than by having them kick major ass? The action in this movie is so fun and energetic, but what else can be expected when John Wick’s Chad Stahelski supervised some of the action scenes? In particular, Harley is just a blast to watch because, being the flamboyant clown that she is, she is incapable of going a single action sequence without going delightfully over the top. Her assault on the police station is a perfect highlight, as she knocks out the entire GCPD with a glitter shotgun. It’s such cool and colorful chaos, it’s sure to put a smile on your face.

And of course, the big thing that helps is all of the leading ladies are distinct. Huntress, Dinah, and Renee all have their own personalities and goals, with each of them getting flashbacks dedicated to fleshing them out. And of course Harley herself is a big, glittering disco ball of uniqueness, which I feel doesn’t even need to be said at this point. But I think now is the time to point out my gripes with the film, and my first one does tie into the characters: despite all of them being distinct, everyone who isn’t Harley is a bit out of focus. Yes, we get a bit of development and a solid base for a sequel or spin-off, but it does suck when a character as cool as Huntress is relegated to a very minor role until the third act.

Speaking of, the first couple of acts are a bit scattershot. This is mostly due to Harley constantly rewinding time to deliver the backstory of one of her costars, which can hurt the pacing a bit. It’s weird too because the plot is pretty straightforward otherwise, but I guess this is what you gotta expect from a screwball like Harley. The humor is in the same boat; the jokes aren’t always funny, but the physical comedy and extravagant situations usually elicit a chuckle. It’s just not a total gut-buster is all, and despite at least somewhat drawing inspiration from fellow R-rated superhero film Deadpool, it just doesn’t do what that did quite as well.

[SPOILER WARNING]

I think my biggest issue with this film is the amount of wasted potential. It doesn’t hamper my enjoyment, but you can’t help but wonder how much more interesting it would have been for Zsasz and Roman to live. Zsasz dies a bit anticlimactically and despite being extremely close to Roman, his death never factors into Roman’s revenge on the girls, which is quite the missed opportunity. Roman himself is wasted to a lesser extent, as while his death is well-deserved and hilarious, with how much fun McGregor is clearly having and what a blast Roman is to watch it would have been cool to see him return at some point. He kind of reminded me of Justin Hammer, but I mean that in a good way; he’s the sort of villain Hammer could have been in a better movie. 

The biggest waste of all, though, is Cassandra Cain. Let me preface this by saying I don’t think the character in the film is bad. She’s ok, easily the weakest character and more of a living plot device than anything, but she’s fine. The issue is more that in using the name “Cassandra Cain” they rob the DCEU of having a more true-to-the-text version of Cass, who had a pretty interesting and specific backstory. I’m unsure why they went this route with the character when they could have easily given her a unique name and establish her as an original character instead of tossing away a lot of interesting potential. 

The last bit of wasted potential comes from the unfortunate but expected absence of Barbara Gordon, AKA Oracle. As one of the founding members of the Birds of Prey, you’d kind of be forgiven for assuming she’d be in a film called Birds of Prey. But likely because the suits at WB don’t want Batgirl to say the F-word, she’s not in the film. It doesn’t really help that the titular team doesn’t even form until the movie’s epilogue, which leads me to wonder why the movie even bothered to put Birds of Prey in the title. The movie is pretty much Harley’s, with the Birds being interesting side characters; why not just drop the Birds of Prey, go with calling this The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, establish the Birds here, and then save Birds of Prey for the inevitable sequel? The film’s title is honestly such a weird and baffling decision that likely impacted its box office along with the R rating. 

[END SPOILERS]

Despite these gripes, I would not hesitate to call this a good, even a great, movie. What it all boils down to is the fact that this movie is fun. I had a lot of fun watching it, and since I greatly value having fun with movies, I definitely think this movie is worth your time. I recommend this to anyone who loves Harley Quinn, anyone who loves badass female action movies, and anyone who was disappointed by the hamfisted failure that was Charlie’s Angels (which is everyone who watched it).

If I could compare this to anything, I’d probably compare it to the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic Commando. Sure, both of these movies are goofy, campy action movies with straightforward plots, cheesy humor, and simple characters. But sometimes the world needs movies like that, and when you throw in some kickass action and a clear aesthetic that only serves to enhance the experience, it’s hard to really complain. Just because you aren’t high art doesn’t mean you aren’t GREAT art. 

And hey, I’m fine living in a world where Margot Robbie is the female Arnold. Who wouldn’t be?

[sharethisgemwithme]

Zach and Grace Friday panel at Connecticon 2019

Some highlights and notes from the "Growing Up with Steven Universe" panel featuring Zach Callison and Grace Rolek, Friday afternoon at Connecticon 2019. There are some promo spoilers. Most quotes are approximate from the notes I took on my phone. There may be a recording of the panel, but the camera was blocked by the audience question line for a while and when I got to the front of the line, I saw it wasn't even pointed at Zach and Grace.

Sorted into broad categories:

Movie hype / spoilery talk

Host asked about the poster. Zach said he's kinda looked at it, but not studied it closely. Grace: "Spoiler alert, someone has a neck." Zach: "That's all anyone can talk about."

What's the hardest scene to record that you've done. Zach: "I hate to do this but the hardest scene I've done I did a few weeks ago and I can't talk about it for quite a while." [audience groans]

Audience member: "I have a question about the movie." Zach makes police siren noises, "Oh no the Cartoon Network spoiler police!"

Attempts to get even small details were denied. "So we saw you have a neck. Is your voice going to change?" [pause] Zach: "A week from today (Friday), there's a big panel and there's gonna be a bunch of stuff. I recommend you watch."

This was earlier in the day, when I met Zach in the autograph line. Me: "I'm really looking forward to all the stuff that's gonna come out next week in San Diego." Zach: "There's so much. I'm not going to be there, after six years of going, I need a vacation."

Zach makes ABUNDANTLY clear how excited he is for what's coming up, "I am thrilled with what they've done after CYM."

Reaction to the new gems from CYM. Zach: "Sunstone is one of my favorites now. Like an after-school camp counselor." Grace: "Obsidian is one of the hardest secrets I've ever had to keep on this show." They finished recording CYM in 2017!

Have you ever cried in the recording booth? Zach: "Over a dozen times. One time really badly... with something that hasn't come out yet."

What's the biggest theme you've taken from the show? Zach: "I'm really sorry to do this, but I'm gonna skip this question because the theme I take away is something that hasn't come up in the show yet." He says the show has become intensely personal to him and his experiences, both intentionally and unintentionally, and says if he accidentally gave hints as to upcoming themes, it wouldn't be fair to the crew. (This probably ties in with some of the stuff below under “Outside of SU”)

Favorites and funniest

What's the hardest scene to record that you've done. Among stuff that's aired, Zach: Storm in the Room. Connie: "Either Nightmare Hospital or Full Disclosure when Connie is like 'Stop ghosting me, Steven!' "

What are some funny moments from recording? The opening scene from "Winter Forecast", the directors INSISTED on real marshmallows, "nothing else would do". Grace: "And these were not small. There's jumbo and then there's novelty size." Zach: "They got novelty size." Grace: "I could barely fit one inside my mouth."

Favorite episode (this question might've had a "besides the Big Plot episodes" caveat).

Zach: "Onion Gang. Any of the weird Onion episodes."

Grace: "I realize this is an unpopular opinion but I love the Ronaldo episodes. I have a Keep Beach City Weird sticker on my laptop. I don't like having stuff that's too overtly Steven Universe because I don't like to toot my own horn, but KBCW is great because it's 'if you know, you know'." Zach: "It's a lifestyle."

That segued into talk about "Rocknaldo", which Zach thought was hilarious, especially the way CN trolled everyone with the Bloodstone promo. Grace "Was that the one where Ronaldo tried to kill someone in the basement?" Discussion brings up that's "Horror Club". Grace continues, "That was a great one, like what are we DOING? No one went to jail for this?"

Favorite songs:

First, ones that they did.

Zach said "Let's Only Think About Love". I think he added a second one, but my notes say “or” and then stop there so I think I moved on to the next bit and forgot what else he said.

Grace says "Of course 'Do it for Her'" but also that she loved providing background harmonies for "Escapism". "Aly and AJ was the first concert I ever went to, so to do back-up vocals for AJ was the greatest fangirl moment." (There’s been some confusion as to whether Zach and Grace had vocals on that song, it’s now clear that they did)

Then, overall. Zach immediately sings "It's over, isn't it? Isn't it over?" Grace grumbles that she can't take the same answer, so she throws out "Stronger Than You".

"Back in the start of the show, it was a lot more lighthearted. What's the funniest or weirdest line you had to record?" Zach IMMEDIATELY goes into voice: "A boy on the cusp of manhood can't spend the whole day wackering." Grace enjoyed her line from "Open Book": "Of course you like the ending, you LOVE schmultz."

Pivoting into the weirdness of early episodes, Zach says "Frybo and Cat Fingers were back to back, 5 and 6. I don't know how anyone stuck with the show after that."

What's the biggest theme you've taken from the show? Grace: "I think about Mindful Education all the time. Here Comes a Thought is such a great song but also an important mantra."

Other than Uncle Grandpa, what crossover would you like to do? Zach: "I wanna be the very best!" Audience cheers. Grace says she would've loved to do "Adventure Time".

This segues into a joke that people confuse Zach for Jeremy Shada (Finn), in some cases even when Zach is standing in front of a poster that says ZACH CALLISON. Grace says that her boyfriend loves the joke so much that Zach is listed in his phone as "Jeremy Shada".

Behind the scenes

What was it like seeing the show blow up the way it did? Grace: "I used to go on Tumblr and read all the posts, all the reactions people had, but after Jail Break... couldn't do that anymore." Zach: "I poke my head into a reddit every once in a while."

What's it like in the booth with the rest of the cast? Grace: "Deedee and Michaela always get to do the funniest things."

Discussion of how voice acting lends them a little more anonymity than live-action, and there's still a spectrum of how recognizable people are.

Grace recounts a story from earlier in the day, possibly on the way to that very panel. "The elevator was pretty crowded and I was able to get on but Zach wasn't. And as soon as it closed, one of the other people in the elevator was like 'Oh my god, Zach Callison almost got on the elevator with us!' And I was like 'Oh my god, that would've been so cool!'"

Both Zach and Grace recounted times when they've greeted stranger wearing SU apparel and gotten blank stares in response, like, "Uh, yeah, what's your point?"

Zach: "As of Sunday, I'm leaving the country to be a hobo for a bit." He's flying to Siberia, then taking a 62-hour train ride to get on a boat to Korea, where he plans to visit the Korean animation studio where SU is drawn (as seen in "Steven's Dream"), something almost no actors do (apparently Michaela was more or less the first to do so, for any show at all).

Sometimes Grace will have a lot of "catching up" to do with the plot. "One time Rebecca was like 'oh by the way Lars is pink now." Zach jokes, "Lars is pink, Ronaldo and Pearl are married, oh and Steven is dead."

Have you ever cried in the recording booth? Zach: "Over a dozen times." Grace says she has, sometimes in group records.

More joking around: "Yes, I'm Zach Callison, the voice of Onion. I'll be in my booth." "You should have a print that's just Onion." "With the flames behind him."

What were your auditions like? Grace: "I was reading the sides from 'Bubble Buddies', and Connie is worried she's gonna die with no friends and I was like 'This is a kids show? This is a show for children and I'm supposed to say these words?!'" She saw Rebecca Sugar's name attached to the show, which she recognized as a fan of Adventure Time, particularly Marceline "I'm edgy like her!"

Audience member starts her question: "Ohmygod, my heart is in my ass. Wait, can I say ass?" Grace: "You can say whatever you want, you're not under the thumb of Time Warner." Zach: "Technically, I've never signed any NDA. Oh hell, I'm leaving the country in three days. ACT ONE!" [laughter, and he does not continue with joke spoilers]

Outside of Steven Universe

Tell us about yourself outside of Steven Universe. Zach: "I'm a dirty rowdy hippie." He goes to music festivals barefoot (but not urban ones).

Zach talked about some of the over-the-top scenes he's been in or seen on "The Goldbergs", where he plays a minor recurring character, including one where the actual rain they were filming in wasn't enough, so the producers dumped thousands of gallons of additional rainwater on the cast.

Zach said he hasn't auditioned for anything new in a while (I think he said at least a year) because of burnout. Whenever SU may end, he's ready for a break. Following on with that, discussion of what a shitty industry Hollywood is, especially for kids.

Zach: "A lotta people (in this industry), their big break is a show they hate, and that kills me to think that. And it couldn't be further from the truth for anyone in SU. If I had booked a live-action sitcom that ran six seasons, I wouldn't be here. I'd be in a much darker place."

What would you be doing if not this?

Zach: "I enrolled in college, signed up for things, never went to class, and eventually dropped out. I never had any other plan." Ties into further discussion of what an absolute nightmare Hollywood is for kids, that some of his friends from high school are no longer around.

Grace: "I went to college for two years (she would've graduated this spring), trying to make sure I had a plan B lined up. But flying back and forth from San Francisco to Los Angeles was getting ridiculous and I realized I wasn't being fair to my plan A."

[nessismore]

Book Rec Time

It’s ur girl V, back with another list because this is how I handle quarantines, I guess? Yelling (or politely typing) about my favorite things makes me happy sooo....

If you’re not into binge watching stuff and are looking for things to binge read, may I present (apparently in series length order)...

The Psy/Changeling Series by Nalini Singh - Paranormal Romance

The Psy/Changeling series is about a world where there are three dominant races: Humans, who are your everyday average joes and don’t have any fancy powers beyond...well, persistence and levelheadedness; Psy who have cool as shit mental powers that uh...may lead to some mental instability and like...murder, so they decided “fuck feelings” and instituted a thing called Silence where they feel nothing, and that leads to problems; and Changelings, who can shapeshift into animals and are very cool and ~primal and will possibly claw your face off if you break their rules and I love them a lot. So these three races kind of live in their silos, Psy feeling superior, Humans with a chip on their shoulders, and Changelings just wanting to left tf alone goddammit, and then things happen and it’s cool.

Nalini Singh is pretty much the queen when it comes to paranormal series, and if you’re into a big immersive world with A+ world building and political development intertwined with romance, this is the series for you. 18 (soon to be 19) novels and countless novellas/short stories strong, there’s plenty to dive into. Each novel is technically a standalone, but the deeper you get into the series, the more history you need to really know what’s happening. 

Each novel, minus one, focuses on a different couple, but you have plenty of interaction with past characters as the characters are all tightly intertwined. Seriously, this series is my fave and I re-read/listen to a selection of my faves at least once a year (usually when there’s a new one coming out). In a series this long, you’re bound to have some duds (and there are def some doozies, the couple in Kiss of Snow is super uncomfortable for me, but a lot of shit GOES DOWN) but they’re all worth reading because the political shit happening is super interesting and cool and I didn’t expect to write an essay on this, but here we are. I am down to talk Psy Changeling basically All. Day. Also, because it’s paranormal romance, there’s lotsa sex.

Series highlights (imho): Slave to Sensation (1), Caressed by Ice (3), Bonds of Justice (8), and also books 12, 13, and 14 basically I love all this shit and recommend it highly.

The Pride Series and associated spinoffs by Shelly Laurenston - Paranormal Romance

The Pride Series is another shapeshifter series, but instead of going the serious political route, she goes absolutely fucking BATSHIT INSANE. My introduction to this series was the 9th and last in the series proper, and in that one alone there are: jousting bears, shifters on roller skates, a cat/bear hybrid shifter who falls in love with a honey badger shifter who keeps burrowing into his house.

The series is irreverent and laugh out loud funny, and it also features a hella diverse cast of characters. Each novel is a standalone, but like in Nalini Singh’s series, the characters from different novels interact a lot and it’s nice to see a lot of your faves. Also, a small thing but I really enjoy the fact that while the characters from previous novels interact, they don’t always like each other? It adds a touch of realism (lol) to the relationships. There’s also a lot of fun female friendships, ridiculous shenanigans, and a surprising emotional core to each one. Prepare to think “WTF” the entire time in the best possible way.

Also, lotsa sex in these, too. Also also, gratuitous violence. 

Series Highlights: The Mane Squeeze, Wolf with Benefits, Bite Me

You may also like the books Laurenston writes under pseudonym G.A. Aiken, which is like the Pride series, but set in ~medieval-y times and with dragons. Also hilarious and batshit insane.

The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn - Historical Romance

Basically, everything Julia Quinn writes is frick fracking delightful, but the Bridgerton series in particular is near and dear to my heart. Each novel focuses on one the eight (8!) Bridgerton siblings, the oldest of whom is a Viscount and the move in high society in Regency Era England and blah blah blah. What I love about this series is that each sibling is very distinct with a very distinct love story. The family is lovely and heartwarming and the characters all have a lot of depth. There’s an element of ridiculousness to them (as there is in all Julia Quinn novels) and if you’re looking for some feel-good romance, this is the place to be.

Series Highlights: The Viscount Who Loved Me, Romancing Mr. Bridgerton

(also these descriptions are getting shorter as I am getting lazier)

The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews - Urban Fantasay/Paranormal Romance idk where they fall

It’s hard to choose an Ilona Andrews series, because this husband and wife writing duo is A++. The Kate Daniels series is amazing of course, but if you’re looking for a short and contained series that’s funny and packs an emotional punch all at the same time, look no further than the Innkeeper Chronicles. Dina Demille runs an Inn in a small town in Texas. But not your run-of-the-mill Inn. Nah, this one caters to aliens and interstellar travelers and no one else should even think about staying there. Also, the Inn is sentient. I don’t want to give too much away since it’s such a short series (the original trilogy and a spinoff book that was actually posted on the Ilona Andrews website in serial format) but this series is super great and you should check it out!

No series highlights since it’s like...4 books long. 

I’ve shown you mine, Tumblr. What are your binge reading recs?

[carlyfrombleachers]

Liveblogging of TS6 (reputation)

Okay. Let me preface this by saying I don’t like Taylor Swift. I think she’s a boring artist, who brings close to nothing to the table. The reason I’m even listening to Reputation is because I keep getting recommended an interview of Jack Antonoff where he talks about New Year’s Day (which is a song on Reputation) and I really want to watch that but I also want to know what the fuck he’s talking about. So here we are. Don’t expect more stuff like this from me. I expect this to be just a one-off thing. Swifties, don’t fucking come after me or I will cry. The only other TS album I listened to was Lover, and I thought it was trash. Absolute garbage. And apparently this one is worse than Lover. I don’t know if I’ll regret this.

Let’s begin, I guess.

...Ready For It?

I keep thinking of that one voice clip from the Hannah Montana intro (?) where you faintly hear a girl say “are you ready for it?” and that’s my first impression just by looking at the title.

I’m hitting ‘play’ right now.

Oh nevermind, I forgot to pay Deezer this month. YouTube it is.

Hey look, Ajay is in my recommended. Queen of reactions.

Help what is this

rockstar taylor??

what the fuck is up with the beat

chorus felt weak. this is my first opinion im not done with the track

i looked at the music video for 3 seconds and i saw a horse bye

i was distracted by the music video help i dont like this

since i looked at the music video for just a lil while i should say it looks weird. it is weird in a bad way it looks like some knockoff cyberpunk thing.

why didnt she just name this “Are You Ready For It?”

I’m... not particularly blown away by this track. It’s fine. I wouldn’t bop to it but I wouldn’t object to it playing somewhere. It’s like... it’s decent.

End Game (ft. Ed Sheeran, Future)

I don’t know who Future is.

she said reputation haha thats the name of the album

ok future is a rapper i dont listen to rap thats why i dont know him

after listening to lover i cant believe this is the same woman this is so weird

not looking forward to the ed sheeran part

“i wanna be your end game” this wasnt really what i was expecting

fuck off ed sheeran (i just reached his part)

according to some tabloid lady gaga mistook ed sheeran for a waiter? i would do the same thing if i saw this redhead fuckface on the street as well lol

“big reputation, big reputation, you and me got a big reputation” so deep!!!

I guess I should take this time to-- is she rapping?

Sorry, I got distracted. I don’t think every song needs to be this huge deep piece that must be deeply analyzed for centuries, but I do expect some interesting message or context for a track at least. If it sounds good, I’d also give it a pass. 

This one? This was boring. I would not verbally object to this playing close to me, I would just have a grossed out look on my face during the chorus.

I Did Something Bad

I keep reading the title in Akasaka Sad’s tune. You know the part where Rina says “A-ka-sa-ka sad, I’m a sucker”? I keep thinking “I did-I did something bad”. I don’t expect it to be like that.

“i never trust a narcissist but they love me” taylor talks about her fanbase

sorry to drag swifties publicly but i will forever take an opportunity to drag a swiftie

predictable antithesis use there with “i did something bad so why does it feel so good” but okay

why was taylor branded a snake again? she pretended it was “””gone””” with lover but like. it’s weird. its not like she punched kanye on stage in 2008 or something. i dont care enough to search for evidence that taylor is a snake so lol go off i guess

dont enjoy the post-chorus part where she’s like drddddddd dddddddd it feels so distracting the gunshots were more than enough

Yeah, this one was fine. My favorite up to this point, I think.

Don’t Blame Me

lol she said “dont blame me” then it buffered bye

i was showering for the past 25 minutes hello i was listening to track 10 and melodrama

i am enjoying this one kinda

“dont blame me love made me crazy” haha wait until you find out what your next era is

“i once was poison ivy now im your daisy” this is a pretty good line honestly

obligatory katy flop moment: haha taylor could hit the high notes in daisy

this sounds like a country song especially in the chorus i dont know what to really make of it

“loooord save me” this is why your female fans are called horse girls

This was... pretty good. The chorus weirds me out still, but it had its good moments. It was nice.

Delicate

stop saying reputation in the reputation album

this autotune voice bits of hers are so distracting

i say as i listen to how i’m feeling now by charli xcx

yes i did just roast myself. gotta leave the swifties with nothing

god the music video for this track has 400m views this woman is making my faves look like indie stars LOL

I keep getting distracted because this song is boring. It’s... okay. I guess. The music video was pretty cute. Nothing caught my attention in the track, but it sounds like gym music. It would play on a gym owned by a 30-something white woman during the yoga classes and you know it.

Look What You Made Me Do

We’ve all heard this song. I’m gonna listen to it and then be done with it.

I guess I’ll just watch the music video.

ONE BILLION VIEWS????????????

Okay. I watched the music video.

Really? All the fem guys dancing with her?

I’m not going to sit here and be like “fem guys are BAD and should all die and never be represented” because… lol. But it is kind of annoying how it was literally just fem guys dancing with her and doing all those faces because you KNOW she was looking for the impressionable gays to go “omg taylor progressive!!!!” and go talk about it on social media.

But am I saying that because I don’t like Taylor? Yes. But that doesn’t make my point less valid.

The music video was pretty good, the production on this track is really good (thank you Jack Antonoff xx) and the track itself is good. Not outstanding or perfect or a serve, it’s good.

Also the ending with all her previous eras? That was cool. The uncool part is most of the “look how rich I am” parts… because we all know you’re rich, Taylor. Nice SFX.

So It Goes…

i got an ad whyyyyyyy

fuck this shit i cant keep up with what shes saying im pulling genius out for this one

this is not lyrically deep i can tell already from genius

im not a fan of love songs i already have CRJ to cover that base and Lorde covers breakup songs I guess and this song is just. boring. lol

Nothing really shocking or noteworthy here, it’s just.. okay.

Gorgeous

I got another ad FUCK

i got a boss baby ad help

god boss baby really was something huh i completely forgot about that

why am i talking about boss baby

okay. reputation

why did a baby say gorgeous

HELP i am so disappointed this is the one track with the lyric video and god this is disappointing

i saw this and i was like “oh shit shes gonna talk about how its gonna be gorgeous when u die” or smth and

lol. LOL. the depth is nonexistent and the bar is in hell

who wrote this? you lied

This song is so boring, LOL. I expected so much from it and was instantly disappointed when the pre-chorus hit. You had everything on your plate and you ate the plate itself. Girl. What the hell. Why. You could’ve given us an anthem about hating your man, and you took the easy route.

Getaway Car

im intrigued

okay im listening and this sounds very jack antonoff? the shotgun thing made me immediately go o_o

it felt a bit weak at the end but at the start i was enjoying it quite a lot… i think this is my fave

I enjoyed this one quite a lot :) It was pretty good but not an amazing masterpiece. It was better than LWTMMD and that’s all I have to say.

King Of My Heart

sounds boring haha

taylor keeps putting these trap beats in things sister youre not lorde LOL

yeah this is kinda boring

WAIT A MINUTE NEW YEARS DAY IS THE LAST TRACK???? IM GONNA HAVE TO STICK UNTIL THE END oh my god please no

i dont. i .. i knew this would be happening but i didnt expect it to be the last one

i guess the timing is accurate ha ha ha ha

i just heard ariana grande

I keep hearing Ariana Grande on this track. Is that good? I don’t know.

Dancing With Our Hands Tied

why are there so many songs in this fucking album

the beat is.. okay. it is catchy

oh i like this i think. its pretty nice

the chorus is nice. yes. i do kind of enjoy this

Yeah, I liked this one. Pretty good writing, and it sounds great.

Dress

wtf is this song why is it so horny

horny taylor is weird stop being horny please

this song is okay i would not revisit it because its just weird. do not like this!!!

when carly rae jepsen says slide on through my window it is funny but when taylor sings i bought this dress so you could take it off i die

oh that second of silence was really good

[looks at the producer] [it’s jack antonoff] :)

This song weirds me out. I don’t like it. It had its moments production-wise but it was... weird.

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

I expect good things from this. With a title like that? Give me a bop.

Currently not being a bop.

Okay, it was cute. Nothing amazing. Just… fine. Cute attempt.

oh i liked the spoken part thats what i expected from this song

Call It What You Want

this is about genitalia this is my prediction

It was not about genitalia.

This song is pretty good if you remove all the mentions to her lover and her man and her baby, which are all the same person, I guess.

This is disappointing.

JACK ANTONOFF BACKING VOCALS

I LOVE YOU JACK

umm anyways

OH HE DID IT AGAIN IM GONNA CRY i love this man

I expected so much from this track and the chorus just… disappointed me.

JACK!!! I LOVE YOU!!!! KEEP SINGING!!!!!

i love this man im gonna cry

The highlight of this song is the part where Jack Antonoff sings.

New Year’s Day

wow the reason why im doing this shit

look at him. :)

this song was cute. nothing special. just cute. very okay.

just. okay. yeah. pretty fine.

nothing special.

Final Thoughts On The Album

It was better than Lover.

I expected this to be a concept album, all about the drama she’s gotten into? But it was just boring love songs with some extra flair. I expected great things from this album, having only heard LWYMMD from it before this. A concept album that’s just an answer/clapback to everyone’s who wronged her à la Yellow Flicker Beat (I know it’s for a movie but that song slaps and I don’t know a thing about Hunger Games) would’ve been PERFECT but it was just... love songs. I need Taylor to stop singing about love and start serving us big meals.

I would not like to revisit this. Like, 5/10. It could’ve been a lot better, but it wasn’t because you’re too afraid to cross some lines, Taylor.

Final Ranking:

Dancing With Our Hands Tied

Getaway Car

Look What You Made Me Do

I Did Something Bad

Don’t Blame Me

New Year’s Day

Call It What You Want

...Ready For It?

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

So It Goes...

End Game (feat. Ed Sheeran, Future)

Dress

Delicate

King Of My Heart

Gorgeous

taylor flop stream gone now