#school is back btw so my motivation is somewhat lacking

[ahkylous]

this man, I hate this man!!

there are so many things I wanna draw, and things like anatomy and perspective and hands and anatomy and faces just don't work at times. I'm not looking for pity, I am very proud of where my art is at right now, looking back on stuff from like a year ago I have made a lot of progress. But it's still frustrating knowing I am just not quite close enough to being able to draw certain things that other people can. Ford being one of those things (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻

[rkrosememories]

hello everyone, i hope you’re all well. happy rkfifth! five years, that’s a fair portion of time, half a decade in fact! i was contemplating on whether i wanted to write up one of these posts, as i usually do something similar when my own personal anniversary with rookies comes around, but for the sake of this being the big ol’ 5, i’m willing to do it. let’s take a walk down memory lane shall we and see where it all began for little ol’ me ( i got a job interview today, yay! )

i joined the krp community in august 2014, and rookies was one of those rps i considered joining, and a part of me wishes i did. i didn’t though, i found the large size of the roleplay to be somewhat intimidating so i ended up going on to make my own idol themed roleplay; which was fairly successful in its own way! ( r.i.p apollokrp ). but, i did end up meeting steph there, and eventually, i would end up being convinced to join rookies in july 2015; bringing forth my first rk muse, rkseokmin ( that’s dokyeom of seventeen, btw ). he didn’t last for long, and neither did my other two muses rkkyungri ( yes, i roleplayed kyungri prior to this, looking back, she was sort of like rkrose, being from australia and all ) and rksana, who i brought to rookies in july 2015 and december 2015. and now, looking back i don’t really have any strong attachments to these muses, i think i really just brought them in on a whim, and it wouldn’t be until the following year that i truly found my place at rookies.

come may 2016, season three of the mgas had begun and i decided to give rookies another go. damn rp! pulling me in and trying to get me invested! this time round, i brought forth a muse which y’all will definitely be familiar with. rkjuyeon, who was known as rkseo back then. and for anyone newer, that’s rksaercm. it all began with her, my tall dancing gay who had ambitions of idoldom since a young age. she had auditioned with her cousin in a process called the deathmatches ( you guys, if you weren’t around during like ... early 2016, you won’t know the pain of reserving / applying etc. as the old main blog was ancient. anyways, bless the rookies team for keeping everything going for so long ) and she failed to make it through. meanwhile, her cousin ends up winning the whole goddamn program. what a fluke. i did end up dropping her though, although she did return a few months later in september!

and we fast forward to july 2016; enter rkrose. blackpink’s iconic dance practice video was released and instantly fell in love, with one member in particular ( everyone was ranting and raving about lisa, but i couldn’t take my eyes off of the girl with braids in her hair ). that girl, was park chaeyoung, who like me, is a fellow australian! i instantly knew that i had to bring her to rookies, along with rose and keith ( who play lisa and jisoo, and eventually lari would end up completing the rkblackpink lineup that we know today with jennie ). looking back, i don’t really know how i envisioned rkrose to be; i mean, she was signed to royal within her first six months of being at rookies! she won the kt & royal contest, if ya didn’t know! she is probably the muse i am most well-known for, likely for not so good reasons. she’s been through countless “scandals” in her time, things of which are likely both of our faults. i’m not ashamed of her though ( more so of my own actions ). i think she’s a good egg.

when rookies gave us permission to go ahead with third muses, i think we all went a little crazy. i’ve had quite a few third muses, some whom i’m sure i can’t really remember, but rkchangkyun and yugyeomrk come to mind; i’m sure some of you might be baffled to know that i’ve ever actually roleplayed a male before, considering the fact that all i talk about on twitter is girls and girl groups. ah i forgot i did actually bring rkclaudia to rookies, aka moon hyuna. but we come full circle, and in march 2018, we meet rkkyungri, who is my third and final muse at rookies ( unless y’know, y’all wanna open up fourth muses to the public rk, because i’m down for that, i have many stories to share still wink wonk ). she was unlike any of my rookies muses; an ex-idol who failed at achieving her dream the first time round.

so, here we are, december 2018; i’ve given you a rather comprehensive and detailed run down on my past with rookies, muses wise that is, because there is a ton more to talk about. and i shall, because i want to be able to commemorate this special occasion! i think it is healthy to reflect on things that have happened in the past, so we can learn from our mistakes and better ourselves as people and writers. i have had my fair share of negative and positive experiences at rookies, and i think it’s normal to. rookies is a really big place, and people are bound to bump heads and not get along, that’s just human nature. i think that a good portion of my problems at rookies have been because of miscommunication. so new members, please take a leaf out of my book and remember that communication is key! also don’t get swept up in ooc drama and take your problems to the mods! that’s what they’re here for ( and they do an excellent job of it, thank you guys <33 ).

i really am invested in rookies; invested in the plot, the characters and their stories. i think it’s so amazing that we have a place on the internet where things can unfold and happen in real time almost. krp can be so fast-paced and it’s refreshing to see a place like rookies. i don’t think i could ever truly leave rookies behind, well, one day i’m probably going to have to, but that is another thing; rk is always there. rookies has reached five years. five! years! and that is a momentous occasion, because some rps don’t even see five months. as someone who has been an admin countless of times in the past, i have always wondered how rookies withstood the test of time, and now, having been apart of rookies for nearly three years, i think i understand now. many things go into making a roleplay work: the admin team and the members must work cohesively together, and i think we at rookies all do a good job of that. 

i have learnt a lot at rookies, and i think i definitely have a lot more to learn and experience. i must say, going into the new year, i really want to work on being more productive. some of you amaze me! replying every week, getting those points! you get that, pal! it’s really, really inspiring, and i want to be more like that. i’m honestly amazed i’ve made it two years at rk, as i’m someone who gets bored easily ( i also have commitment issues to some extent ). there have been countless occasions where i’ve wanted to give up and drop my muses, be it lack of motivation or drama, but the sole fact that i’ve dedicated two whole years to creating these characters is an incentive to keep going. i’ve always loved writing and i love that i have a space to share my creativity, interests and dreams with like minded people! i think that rings true for a lot of other people, but i’m sure y’all have your own reasons for sticking around.

i don’t think a post like this would be complete without some shout outs, but this part for me will probably be lacking, whoops. maybe i can make that another goal of mine. socialise more.

steph ( @jungwooxrk​​ ), thank you for introducing me to rookies and convincing me to join. we’ve been friends since december 2014!?! which feels like a long ass time. you were my first real internet friend and i’m very grateful to of met you. thank you for writing with me and putting up with me!

rose ( @rklisa​ ), keith ( @rkjisoo​ ) & lari ( @rkjennie​ ), rkblackpink is precious and means so much to both me and rkrose. although we don’t talk as much as much as i would like ( or we should??? ) i’m so happy that we’ve got y’all, i hope that our girls can experience many more things together. 

shinobi ( @rkkangjoon​ ) thank you so much for putting up with me. we’ve been through a lot of crap but i’m really thankful that we’re still able to talk despite everything. i hope you know that kangjoon will forever be important to rose, he was her first real boyfriend after all! thank you for putting up with us both! we love you! <33

peach ( @rkhaechan ) i don’t think rkrose would be who she is today without you and the help of jaebum. after a year of depression i think she’s back on her feet though!! toughest 12 months as a writer! but, despite everything we’ve been through, i’m so thankful we’re still able to talk. i also love your new muses, haech is a cutie & i love him very much :((((

lemon ( @rkyena ) aaaaaah i can’t believe i forgot to put you in here, i’m so sorry. thank you sO MUCH for putting up with me and my forgetfullness. i really love seoyoung as a muse and i’m excited to see her grow as an idol! also saeseo?! 

nana ( @younghyunrk​ ) i’m so thankful that i get to talk to you almost everyday!? i feel as though these past few months we’ve been able to get close which is exciting because you are awesome & i treasure you a ton! i’m excited for whats to come in the following months for our muses! hopefully we meet when i fly over your way sometime soon! i love youuu!!! <33

royal and sphere trainees! i would tag you all, but i’ll be here forever. thank you for making me feel included, even if i don’t participate in the group chat! i love our group antics, like photocard swapping, that was fun. thank you for taking care of both me and my girls, rose and saerom. i would like to work on getting closer to y’all!

and our incredible mod team, you know who they are, they know who they are. thank you so much, for everything you do. you guys keep this place safe, happy and running for all of us, all while writing for your own muses and keeping up with real life stuff like work and school?! incredible! amazing! fantastic! thank you for being so accepting and welcoming and supportive. i love y’all a ton and i don’t think this little message truly explains how grateful i truly am. thank you, for all that you do. 

i’m sorry if i forgot anyone in particular, i probably did and i’m sorry; i don’t have the greatest memory. just know that i’m grateful for you! even if we’ve never spoken to eachother before! thank you for making rookies the place it is! that being said, i should probably work on wrapping this whole thing up, since it’s getting pretty darn long and i would like to do some things today prior to this job interview i have later ( please send positive vibes, i’m going to need them ; _ ; )

these past two, nearly three years have been absolutely wonderful. i’m bummed i didn’t join rk back in the day but maybe the fact that i joined later was a good thing? i mean, everything happens for a reason right? these years have been hard and tiring but also very exciting and rewarding, and i’m very enthused to see where 2019 takes me and my girls, along with you and your muses! lets work hard and be happy, happy rkfifth everyone <3

  - lots of love, from sacha!

[vmpbyss]

oh my god, it’s only the third week of school and i am absolutely drained, so i’m going to rant a bit …

i honestly don’t think it’s fully registered in my mind that i’m in hs now, or that the school year has even started, for that matter. i had an exam and two quizzes today, (i absolutely bombed the science quiz btw) along with some assignments here and there. in all honestly, i feel very a little overwhelmed? but? nothing has registered fully in my brain? if that makes sense? like, i KNOW for sure that school has started and that i have to wake up at 5am, (that part’s very, very real) but i don’t know … something just isn’t clicking, i guess?

i’ve always had a problem with and struggle with motivation and procrastination and such, but i feel that it’s sooooo strong right now, and i’m kind of beating myself up over it. i joke about my motivation — or lack thereof — and my absolutely horrid procrastination habits, and that i want to work on my flaws and ultimately fix them, but i feel that it — unfortunately — has become somewhat of an integral part of me that just refuses to let go? it feels like a huge weight on my mind and lump in my throat that refuses to go away. overall, i’m content with myself, but i just? don’t feel super hot about school.

like, i’m decently smart! definitely not a genius or prodigy, but i pick up concepts pretty quickly and such. i’m not an idiot, but why do i feel like i’m behind in work ethic? i remember always being told by teachers, or have had teachers in the past say that i’m a “smart girl,” and that “it’s a shame that i don’t apply myself more,” or “if only i applied myself more,” but i just don’t know how, to be honest. i have no idea what applying myself more means, nonetheless how to do it. i know someone is going to argue that it’s the gifted-kid-burnout-syndrome, and while i agree that it may be a major contributor to my problem, i just don’t want to say that’s the only thing? i feel like i’m just using it as an excuse, y’know? it feels like i’m just making an excuse for myself to make some unnecessary breathing room/leeway i don’t need. i see that this is kind of a toxic mentality to have, but i don’t know what to do about these thoughts and feelings …

i’m good at taking tests, and i usually get assignments done most the time, albeit at the last minute, so i feel like me bombing my bio quiz that covers a topic i have learned multiple times over multiple years that is so, so incredibly simple to understand is kind of shocking to me. i got 18/30 points. it was a 15 question quiz. i joked a little about it, but honestly? i’m disappointed in myself, so much. i’m also just not satisfied with my work quality too. in moment, i think it’s fine, but going back over it at a later date? oh my gosh. it has my style of work written all over it, but the quality feels … almost unnatural, somehow.

anyways, i’ll leave it here, so as to not get depressed over it, because i only “recently” fixed my mentality/mental health/mindset so! yeah

[attract-mode-collective]

Ready To Wear, Ready To Play

As previously noted, there’s been yet another change in direction for the Attract Mode blog… which I have dubbed Version 2.8 Final CE EX Λ Core Plus Alpha. BTW/FYI. But yeah, been posting on Twitter, a lot. So much so that you may have missed something, so here’s a recap!

Note: was originally going to cover everything tweeted throughout the month, but because there’s so much to cover (and February’s short)… am guessing bi-weekly might be the way to go. Am also going to present things mostly in order.

K, enough chatter: at the very top is another fine example of a Famicom being the ultimate in fashion accessory (via nintendu). And here we have, not designer threads but designer plastic (via gamefreaksnz)...

Speaking of plastic, Sega (or someone who got Sega’s blessing, or maybe not even) made Super Monkey Ball figures? Guess so (via magimacaque)...

I was under the belief that, if I truly wanted to make an impact with the relaunch of the Attract Mode Twitter, I couldn’t just post one single piece of Klonoa fan art, but two... 

And I only have one example of Cuphead fan art, but it’s the one that counts (via jothelion)...

It was Kyle who helped kick the Attract Mode Twitter’s rebirth into high gear, with the reveal of his Nintendo Power covers. So to help replay the favor, I must insistent that everyone purchase the hard copy of RPG_Friends (which I first mentioned here)...

Nothing makes me happier than seeing such a dense assortment of Japanese game stuffs (via peazy86)...

... Yet that being said, I also believe less can be more, plus a nice breeze while playing Secret of Mana is... well... nice (via sixteen-bit.tumblr)

These gamer chairs perfectly embody Japanese sensibilities when it comes to furniture, plus are a total 180 to the junk they peddle in the US (via shmups)...

Time for another excellent toco toco vid, this one features your fave old school Capcom illustrator, and mine, Akiman…

There's so much I love about this interview with the creator of Hong Kong 1997, whose goal was "to make the worst game possible”. Though this picture of the guy is near the top of my list... 

I love these kooky kids, thinking they could possibly get away with  stealing an entire Final Fight arcade cab (via videogamead)...

Yeah, I feel the same way kid (via tvgame)...

"This is Jesus. He lives inside my Neo Geo MVS cabinet. He was there when I got it. He is glorious." (via arcadephile)...

The pathos that is Sub Zero at the bat, in four modded screenshots(via lanceboyles)...

The pathos that is the Kachō interacting with kids, in just three YouTube screengrabs (via gaijira)...

And the pathos that is Splatoon 2, via two screengrabs and the piece of fan art that resulted (via lunaticobscurity)...

Though in addition to pathos, Splatoon is also filled to the brim with intensity (via thewaragainstgiygas)...

Welcome to VIOLENT CITY (via shmups)...

Also, STAY CHILL (via paperbeatsscissors)...

Not that any band in which music is performed via guitars hooked up to Famicoms is all that typical to being with, but this one is most definitely not typical (via miki800.com)...

This "what the hell is going on exactly" illustration has motivated me to finally Wario Land a spin at long last (via it8bit)...

Remember Absolutely Rose Street, the Beverly Hills 90210 meets Degrassi meets Wayne’s World-esque show that was actually an infomercial for the Sega 32X in disguise that I wrote about a little whiles ago? Well here's ad for it (via oldgamemags)...

I'm a total sucker for old Japanese video game mags, primarily ones featuring models/statues on the cover (via miki800)...

Another cover to an old Japanese game rag, this one featuring the very first Metal Gear; I wonder if this slightly cutesy take helped to inspire the Metal Gear we meet in Snatcher (via mendelpalace)...

Here we have a page from an 11 page comic, done in a single sitting, for an event that celebrates various pairings of Solid Snake/Otacon, one that's called Snot Week for whatever reason (via millionfish)...

I want this woman to be my mom (via cyberfights)...

Am obsessed with this image of a man playing Xevious in the middle of a desert that's clearly fabricated and clearly from the 80s (via shmups)...

mendelpalace sez: "This picture gives me anxiety" and I feel exactly the same...

This is comparable to my own morning commute, except for the lack of floating cherry blossom petals and various other differences (via tightenupthe)...

Spring is almost here, which means it's time for a new wardrobe, which really means it's time to get new PaRappa attire (via miki800.com)...

If a glitched Nintendo logo when booting up a Game Boy looks fashionable to you, you're in luck (via gameandgraphics)...

Tho if a glitched Game Boy Advance start up is more your style (via corruptionasart)...

Has anyone received this Mega Drive/Genesis chiptune album on a cart (described as a "16-bit VMU") yet? (via catskullelectronics)

Ever wonder what a 3 part symphony, one performed via 5 different Nintendo DSs and 5 different copies of Electroplankton, sounds like? Well wonder no more (via mendelpalace)...

And ever wonder what an Italian-based, US-born R&B, blues and disco singer (which is how Wikipedia describes Ronnie Jones) thought of video games in the year 1980? Again, wonder no more (via aestheticoftheday)...

The new DDR, which will record your performance and also add snazzy video effects, is my early contender for GOTY 2018 (via @Sega_AM2)...

I will never grow tired or bored of watching this run cycle, ever (via shmups)...

What appears to be a Nier motion study (via sixteen-bit)...

Sakura-ha (via rosscountertv)..

To commemorate the discontinuation of the Kinect sensor (via prostheticknowledge)...

Google Translate took the original Korean & translated it as: "Ittsumi! Maria", which @NotLikeFreddy re-translated as: "It's-a me, Mary-o"...

The medium of video games most certainly has many mountains to overcome yet, but there's little denying that we've made some progress nonetheless (via videofame)...

"I have to go now. My planet needs me.” (via sixteen-bit)...

Cuz it's been a while since I shared a gif from Sin & Punishment (via n64thstreet)...

The SNES & Genesis had cool accessories and all, yet I often wonder what it would have been like if 3D printers & Etsy were around back then...

Pretty much the cutest lil thing you'll see all day is this Genesis CDX hooked up to a 5″ Sony PVM (via decideweapons)...

“'Club Sega during the Snow' is a top-tier aesthetic, I think." (via pr0jectneedlemouse)

I love old VG sound team photos, especially when they double as old band photos, like Capcom's Alph Lyra here (via videogamesdensetsu)...

You all have no idea how happy I am to finally see a decent sized version of the flyer for Deadly Sport... again, no idea (via melvanainchains)...

Here's an illustration of Terry Bogard eating a hot dog (with the rest of his Fatal Fury posse chowing down as well)...

... Turns out, Terry's affinity for hot dogs is somewhat of a thing (via busterwolf)....

... Or, perhaps SNK as a whole are simply huge fans of hot dogs? (via meldowiseau)

I absolutely love this familiar, yet thoroughly refreshing take on Samus (via lady--peaches)...

And nothing new to report, as it pertains to @deimosremus's Metroid redesign, so am just going to continue staring at this some more...

Love Hultén is mostly known for their handheld creations, like the Pixel Vision, though I mostly dig their full-sized cabinet, the Kabin 1...

"Damn Tecmo never let Microsoft live that design down" (via sixteen-bit)...

Cuz I recently began replaying Breath of the Wild...got the Switch version for the gf on her birthday... some fan art (via it8bit)...

I've seen my fair share of comics with Sonic & Tails, but never one that addresses the debug mode from the original Genesis games (via vg-libary)...

Here we have two cats, from the game Jingle Cats, occupied with the fridge (via obscurevideogames)...

And here we have just one cat, from the Sailor Moon anime, occupied with an arcade game that I am unable to identify (via sailormoonreblogs)...

Can you believe the music video for @MissyElliott's Sock It 2 Me is over 20 years old? Crazy, I know...

Speaking of Mega Man, I guess I need to finally check out Mega Man Zero, cuz apparently X goes through some kind of religious conversion or something (via omnilunary)...

And here we have Cut Man, the one we all know (and love) from Mega Man meeting his Captain N doppelganger (via mewymarsher)...

I absolutely need this on a shirt or jacket (via @buzz_clik)...

It's always a thrill, seeing a fighting stick made out of tupperware in the wild for the very first time, isn't it? (via @silva_hime)

Yes. Fighting Layer is that game in which you jump off a folding chair to smash another one on the head of a gigantic falcon (via lordmo)...

Tonight’s episode: PINBALL ALCHEMIST (via tonights-episode)...

Here we have a Tumblr thread giving suggestions on how to access a seemingly inaccessible area of a hotel lobby; my fave, for perhaps obvious reasons, is the ring path/light speed dash combo from Sonic Adventure...

Am kinda hungry atm and feel like slicing & dicing some celery & onions, plus making some Julienne Fries; anyone got a copy of Sonic 2 handy? (via sonicthehedgeblog)

A. thanks to this fan art, I now know you can also play OutRun in Hokuto no Ken PS4! & B. great piece & all, but...still a shame that Alex Kidd is missing (via inspiredfatty)...

I've legit been staring at these rotating NES and SNES gifs all day long (via 3d-bear)...

These photos from the Dreamcast Mobile Assault Tour, circa the late 90s, right before the system's launch are very... and I mean VERY... 90s (via posthumanwanderings)...

"What will your next dream be?" (via 081594)

You know that UK/US reality show Undercover Boss, in which a billionaire CEO disguises himself as the new mailroom guy? Well there's apparently a version in Japan, with an episode starring the president of Taito (via @MMCafe_Prof)...

On Valentine's Day I came across a horror movies blog that presented various horror movie Valentines, including one for Jason Voorhees that references Friday The 13th for NES (via cameraviscera.com)...

Also, for Valentine's, my girlfriend made me pixelated chocolate; the pic does the blue hearts in particular zero justice, which look like plastic toys, but most assuredly are made of milk chocolate...

... And that’s it for now! The rest of February coming up in a few!

[helmes-deep]

Unpopular Opinion: Axl x April

This is kind of random, but I was cleaning out my drafts and came across this saved text post. Originally, I meant to post this in response to some other post about the relationship between Axl and April from The Middle, but alas, never got around to it (like all things I start on Tumblr :p). Since the last season of this show is about to release soon (see what I mean?? The first episode of Season 9 already came out on Tuesday, October 3!!), I thought I might as well post this as a random opinion before we get to see the end to all of the love-related drama surrounding the Heck children :33

This post is mostly about Axl/April and Sue/Sean, with a tidbit of my updated thoughts due to Tuesday’s kick-off episode.

Contrary to everyone else, I didn’t mind Axl and April as a married couple. Yes, April was a complete and utter ditz, and yes, those types of characters usually drive me up the wall. But, while I didn’t LOVE April as Axl’s newly-wedded wife, I did like the possible development she could have brought to Axl – and likewise, the show. Yes, April was dumber than a rock most of the time (which was what also made her pretty funny!! lbh), but there were also definitely some moments of true, genuine awareness displayed by her. Distinct instances (at least two?? come to mind) where she and Frankie shared moments of real, mutual understanding between each other. One of them is in Episode 3 of the previous season – I believe it’s during the Halloween episode – when I think Frankie is having an emotionally bad day because none of the Hecks are giving her any attention/expressing their love and appreciation for her when in comes April – again, having been portrayed as a totally ditzy character up until this point – and tells her after all the festivities that she told Axl to be nice to Frankie because “we only have one mom” and “moms are pretty great.” The comment basically brightens up Frankie’s whole day and considering how heavily this show is based on showing how Frankie struggles as a middle-class mom trying to raise three kids, I thought that scene was pretty touching and significant. It just felt like at that moment, we as the viewers were supposed to see that even though Axl is a total knucklehead (and that he might be motivated a little bit too much by only looks), that he sees in April what we all have failed to see in her up until this moment – that April is actually a really sweet, caring, and mindful girl, especially where it matters most. April’s few moments of genuine care and mindfulness, especially to Frankie, might seem insignificant to some, but I don’t know if any other of Axl’s previous love interests have really shown that level of empathy and understanding between themselves and his mom.

I also thought that April had a very good potential to help Axl grow as a person – both in terms of finding his future job and emotionally. April’s presence as Axl’s now very real and present “wife” would have propelled him to develop a more realistic and grown-up view of life, thus encouraging him to go find a job to support him and her, as well as help him realize how hard it is to take care of a family. (I’m not saying that marrying someone is ever a good idea to find one’s life purpose, dream job, or whatever – it’s definitely not – but come on, guys, this is a TV show it doesn’t have to be 100% realistic.) April’s existence as Axl’s life partner starts to help him realize the responsibility of growing up and functioning as an adult – you can see a hint of him learning that right here in this video at 1:34. It’s why I was sooooo disappointed when they quickly (and in a rather contrived matter) annulled Axl and April’s marriage. It was like the show was finally going to give Axl some much-needed character development (after having him basically wander around for the past few seasons) by allowing him to taste a bit of what it’s like to grow up into a responsible husband, son, and adult. That possible character development was just broken off wayyyyyy too soon for him, imo. 

I really wanted April to stay because I’m also just kind of tired of Axl jumping from girl to girl lol. I mean tbh, he’s not exactly “jumping” from girl to girl like the ultimate playboy. And I’ve got nothing against any of his past girlfriends, really (I’m actually okay with and kind of like all of them, tbh). It’s just that his lack of a steady girlfriend robs him of some much-needed character development (same with Sue, btw) that has been making his arc very repetitive and boring lately (and by default, taking away humor from the show). I think the same situation has been happening to him and Sue (and to some degree, Brick) for about the past 2 or so seasons: none of the writers knew how to deal with the kids being grown up. Brick is no longer the cute little book boy we’ve known him to be, Sue can no longer get by with being the most unlucky dork in the world, and Axl by this time needs to get his act together. Those dynamics just no longer work when both Sue and Axl are in college and Brick has already had his first year of high school. Perhaps they were going for the realistic (and I will admit, I can definitely relate to Axl’s post-college life struggles), but for a TV show, especially a comedic one, it has to move in some direction. Because nobody wants to watch (too much of a) mundane life on TV. Because while it’s realistic – and somewhat relatable – it’s just… boring. So anyway, yeah, I would have liked April to stick around a little longer to better develop Axl’s character lol. Caveat: I have a feeling that the writers of The Middle did mean to have April stay a while longer (same goes with Sue’s story arc with the 2 or 3??? guys she was trying to get with this past season), but I guess upon hearing/deciding they were going to end the show after the ninth season – and considering it was wayyyyyy too soon for anyone to accept April at that point and I’m pretty sure we can all kind of agree that the cab-guy was probably not the very best pick for Sue lololol – that they just decided the best way to tie things together and give the characters and audience the ending they deserved was to quickly jump ship now and axe April and the cab-guy (was it Trevor??? Or Trey???) in preparation for the last and upcoming season. (Sidenote: Tbh I think The Middle had/has jumped the shark, but I do think it could have/can last for a few more seasons if the writers ACTUALLY KNEW WHAT TO DO WITH THE GROWN-UP KIDS NOW OR BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE!!!!)

SIDE PARAGRAPH: Lexi’s all right, but a tad boring imo. She’s very vanilla, which is probably good for Axl, but ehhhhhh for me….. Also I’m still mad about how Axl might have been into Lexi when he was still dating April lol.

Probably the last reason why I thought April would be a good addition to the show was because of her ditziness lol. Sure, it was kind of annoying half the time, but April’s completely air-headed comments definitely brought back some much-needed humor to the show. Of which The Middle has been severely lacking lately, because of, you know, the lack of character development for the children (and maybe to some degree Mike and Frankie, but we won’t get into that rn :p). Here we have two kids (Axl and April) whose families kind of really dislike each other, which could have added some pretty epic and funny Romeo and Juliet-esque moments/tensions and comedic relief/humor back into the show. If there’s one thing that’s been missing from The Middle lately, it’s the lack of a few tertiary yet delightfully peculiar characters that provide the extra comic relief to the show through their contact with the Hecks. The most recent instance of such characters are probably Mike’s brother Rusty and Sue’s friend Brad (who is kind of over-used at this point imo). I would have loved to see Frankie and April’s mom at “civil” odds with each other due to their children having been wedded, or maybe Mike and April’s dad actually forming some kind of bond. But alas, both Axl’s – and Sue’s – love interests have been added and dispensed of far too quickly for us to get any type of secondary characters that were as funny as Darrin or the Glossners.

On a sidenote, I’m just as frustrated with how Sue and Sean’s relationship was executed this past season. Again, I think The Middle’s current lack of humor goes back to them not letting Sue get serious with a steady boyfriend to develop her character (by this point, I would have liked Axl to be married or at least be in a steady relationship with the girl who’s supposed to be his future wife/have a fiancé, while Sue should at least just be beginning to find her steady boyfriend). I’m just tired of seeing e v e r y relationship Sue’s ever been in get curbed by some unforeseeable plot device. That being said, again, I do think they rushed Sue’s and Sean’s feelings for each other due to the reasons I’ve already stated above in regard to Axl (aka they had to end the show). I don’t really love, love Sean (there might have been a time earlier in the Middle’s timeline when I might have thought Sue and Sean would have probably made a cute couple, but then it seemed those random “Sue x Sean” hints were completely dropped, so then my feelings kind of passed but maybe they’re back again??). Again, I haven’t necessarily disliked any of Sue’s past boyfriends, except for maybe that hyper-hippie college dude. I probably also love her earlier love interests more because they were more interesting (aka had definite quirks/personalities) and each gave her some character development. But I do think Sean’s a sweet guy and somewhat of a perfect match for Sue. Like Lexi, the guy probably would have warmed up my heart if the show had given him more time to break down his feelings for Sue so that I could get a better idea as to why Sue all of a sudden subconsciously loves Sean and Sean subconsciously thinks a lot about her lol. So yeah, even though I wasn’t a huge Sean fan (or anti, for that matter), I was SO UPSET (albeit a bit conflicted) when Axl’s selfish butt blocked him and made him throw away the snow globe :’c (Update: I’ve since re-watched Sean and Sue’s interactions for the past couple of seasons and oh my word DID YOU SEE HOW DISAPPOINTED AND/OR SAD HE WAS THE SECOND AND THIRD TIMES SUE SAID SHE ALREADY HAD A DATE TO THE PROM/DANCE AND THEN LIKE DURING THE SHOW’S NINTH SEASON PREMIERE I WAS ALL IN WHEN HE SHOWED UP AT HER DOOR HAHA HE LOOKED SO NICE AND THEY WERE SO CUTE AND AWKWARD WITH EACH OTHER AND IF THEY DON’T END UP AS OTP FOR THE END OF THIS SHOW IMMA HAVE TO CUT SOMEONE LOL :’PP) But yeah, long story short: his development was rushed, too leol.

Feel free to reblog this and respond before next week’s episode!! (or perhaps after :pp) I just really needed to write and say all of this lol. While I’m not too excited about Axl and Lexi just yet (hold on a sec, I think I just realized a kind of alliteration between Axl and Lexi and Sean and Sue??? O..O), my only hope is that Sean and Sue get together and become an item early on so that I can see them be a cute couple for the rest of the season and show’s run :’33 ❤❤

[lethesomething]

The definitely not definitive sports anime guide

So I did a thing a while back (a year ago, in fact) where I tried to make a primer for sports animes. I have since watched Many, Many More so let's do this again (still no Daiya no Ace tho). Based purely on my own meandering experience, here's a hopefully comprehensive guide on picking your next set of adoptive sons.

Note: There’s ten shows so this is going to be long, you guys. Just... so long. And there will be many exclamation points.

All out!!

Sport: Rugby Type: Ensemble cast with quite a heavy focus on drama. By that I mean that this is a 'traditional' sports anime, where several characters get flashbacks and development, usually in the final minutes of some important match. The amount of characters, however, is fairly low, with a heavy focus is on the Jinko team and their struggles to not be the failingest team that ever failed. Lasers vs realism: I know nothing of rugby? They tackle each other a lot and they seem to mostly play in the rain and the mud. So far, things seem plausible. I've spotted a fair amount of 'eye lasers' and 'determination fire' so I'm gonna say Mildly Realistic. Pace: Fairly slow. Fourteen episodes in, they haven't even started the preliminaries to the nationals. The focus is very much on the build-up of the team and the individual characters.

Art style: Bara. So bara. Apart from that, the art is very pronounced, with a rather unique look. The difference in faces reminds me almost of a french bd style. I like it. Best tsun: Ohira is so salty. Someone please put him in a shaker and pour him over fries. Favourite gentle giant: Iwashimizu is that cute, shy, tall boy that would really rather be in the book club, but got dragged into violent mud ball because of his stature and his past. Protect him.

Early scene: All Out!! is pretty heavy on the figure hugging outfits and the random tackling shots in the dirt. This is like 50% of the first few episodes. Just shots of guys running into other guys while looking Serious. The other 50% is school kids talking.

Later scene: Somewhere halfway through the season, All Out suddenly starts adding All the Drama and Background, and really starts to shine. Mostly because characters that seemed flat suddenly get some depth. Have the resident Tough Guy Captain, for instance, getting blushey because he received a love letter.

The good:

In a genre that's rife with thin pretty boys, it's refreshing to see a bunch of bodybuilders and fat blokes trying to waltz over each other. All Out's art style is one of it's major draws.

I really like the contrast between the over the top action of the games and the practice, and then the soft focus and alternate personalities in the flashbacks and establishing scenes. The storytelling is pretty good.

The bad:

I'll be honest, All Out is not the most inspired show out there. It's pretty heavy on the tropes, especially in the establishing episodes, before the whole thing gets rolling. It takes a few episodes before it gets truly interesting.

The show also takes a little too much time to establish how down in the dumps the team is. Jinko isn’t just the underdog, they’re the Underdog. I found it almost depressing to watch at times.

Advice: Watch it for the bara. This is one of the few shows where the characters are not all skinny. It has some nice body diversity. Also: a sport that is pretty unique. This is a good one if you're looking for something a little different.

Cheer Danshi!!

Sport: Cheerleading Type: Ensemble cast. The central cast is made up of five dudes with their own struggles, and halfway through the season it is expanded to double that. Realism: High. The weirdest thing that happens is kids being able to do a handstand by trying hard enough. The show deals with some very basic and very realistic issues, like fear of heights or finding time to practice while also looking for work and studying. Pace: Fast. It's a simple, condensed show that manages to fit both the whole 'let's start a club' thing and practice all the way to tournaments into one season.

Art style: Mildly bishounen. These boys are all extremely cute. They also look fairly young considering they're in university. Favourite cheer boy: Kazu is amazing, ok? He has the sad back story, but he's just incredibly fun and cheerful and his messaging icon is a cheerleading pig for god's sake. Best tsun: Shou is your resident 'highly talented but held back by his past trauma' type kid, with the extra bonus of terrible, terrible fashion taste.

Early scene: So Cheer Danshi!! starts with these four friends getting into the whole cheerleading thing and slowly gaining team members by just going out there and embarrassing themselve.; It works!

Later scene: The valentines episode is one of the funnier ones, and the show does that thing where they stuff so much information into a single frame? Usually something is going on in the back and I approve of that.

The good:

I give Cheer Danshi!! points for having a chubby character that is never made to feel less and who's main 'joke' is that he's the only one with a girlfriend. Ton wins at life, ok.

Also this show is legit? Like I was expecting some parody, but it’s pretty serious about being a real sports anime.

I live for shows that put little easter eggs in the background.

The bad:

A lot of development is missed because of the brutal pace. Like Shou as a character should be right up my alley, but he falls sort of flat.

The actual dance scenes didn’t really do it for me. It sort of lacks tension. It doesn’t have you at the edge of your seat.

The show, to me, lost a lot of its speed and intrigue near the end of the season, like it was running out of gas.

Advice: Watch it for Kazu. This is a pretty chill show about outcasts. It has pretty art and works well as a time filler, even if it isn’t as gripping or life consuming as some of the ones on this list.

Days

Sport: Football (soccer) Type: Ensemble cast. Pretty heavy focus on the main character and possibly Kazama, but the Seiseki football team has its fair share of strong personalities, that each get to shine. Realism vs motivational shouting: Fairly realistic. The football matches feature more goals than I’m used to seeing in regular matches, but otherwise the basic rules and techniques are followed. Tsukushi's main skill is that he runs a lot and can shout loudly. This puts him in first string of one of the top high school football teams in Japan. That's... odd, but the actual matches aren't too weird. Pace: Pretty fast. These guys are not the underdogs, so they get into the Nationals or whatever fairly quickly. Also the third years are already talking about retiring 20 episodes in.

Art style: The art for Days is pretty cool. The linework is fairly thick and the characters are very pronounced. Half of them are pretty hot, while the other half is just downright weird. No idea what the deal is with Tsukushi’s cheeks. Favourite football genius: Have I mentioned how Kazama is a gift? Because Kazama is a gift. He does the genius rebel with ennui thing and combines it with a sad past and the most upbeat personality imaginable. He's a little shit and I adore him. Favourite tsun: Kimishita is aggressively tsun, in the sense that he's almost more aggressive than tsun. This guy has so many issues with repressed feelings turning into anger that I would recommend a therapist, or perhaps like an awful lot of cuddles. Maybe a puppy.

Early scene: Days is a strange combination of over the top melodrama with Tsukushi learning his self worth, and then just... really silly stuff. Like this one, where Tsukushi, despite being just the biggest loser, gets to nap on the pretty girl's shoulder. His classmates are not impressed.

Later scene: Because of the 'top dog' status of Seiseki, a ton of circumstances have to happen where they are challenged and the match is no longer that easy to win. Suddenly everything is mud, or half the team is out so the other half has to pick up the slack. This, btw, is Kimishita's finest moment.

The good:

Days is that show that is all kinds of normal and I still want to watch a ton of it? It has that Oreo quality to it. You know they're not the best cookies out there but damned if you're not going eat the whole pack. It has the right amount of lightness and silliness to sate my sports anime thirst.

It’s kinda cool that this show starts with a team that is not clawing itself up from the ground. They're the champions from the very start and have to defend that position, which changes the tension somewhat.

The bad:

For a sports anime, the title has a startling lack of exclamation marks.

It has the worst first episode. It does get better.

Also it's pretty tropey. Mostly in characters. Kimishita is aggressively tsun, Usui is very much the mom friend, Ooshiba is the self involved ace etc. The ensemble cast feels slightly too much like an ensemble cast, if you know what I mean. The show rather subtly tries to play with these tropes, but they are still feel very present.

The amount of praise lavished upon protagonist Tsukushi for being average but good at running is a little too much. I get that this is a motivational anime, but he’s literally on a team with genius athletes.

Advice: This is good, old fashioned entertainment. Watch it for a sport you actually know something about (if you’re, like, not American), and because it’s well made.

Free!

Sport: Swimming Type: Drama. This is basically a show about growing up and coming to terms with your dreams. It's... very heavy on the story, you guys. The show is based on two light novels that precede the anime time line and the story goes back to friggin kindergarten. Everyone has some kind of trauma. Realism vs dream fish: Ok, yes, they turn into dream fish at several points. But: other than that, it does make sense. Like the up and coming swim team doesn't just beat everyone, and if they break the rules (which, spoiler, they do), they're disqualified. Pace: Really slow. This is a drama, remember. There's not that many competitions.

Art style: Drool worthy. This is a KyoAni show, meaning it is Very Pretty with Very Detailed Sparkly Eyes and Incredibly Animated Water and let's not even get into the work they put in the, uh, musculature of all these half naked young men. Everything is pretty and everyone is hot. Favourite emo shark: Have you taken a good look at the drama queen that is Rin? He's such a theatrical little shit, and god it's so amazing to see his turnaround in season two. He’s a great, if somewhat self-involved character. Best tsun: He doesn't show up until the second season but holy moly Sousuke is everything. He's sensitive, he's hot and he's a classic tortured soul who cares about his friends too much while trying to keep all his feels bottled up.

Early scene: When I say Free is about growing up, this is what I mean. At the beginning of each season, the characters tend to be struggling with something, which is resolved through, uh, the power of friendship. And dream fish. In this case, Haru is just so done with life. He has the ennui of a 70 year old veteran.

Later scene: This is still my favourite line in that whole first season, because it both shows some of the deeper underlying story, with Rei being personally affected and probably a little miffed by the constant talk about Rin, while also hammering home his innate politeness. The whole thing culminates in what should be a showdown but ends up being very silly. (protect Rei! He deserves all the love).

The good:

This show is pretty damn deep. It really digs into the feels, man.

So, so pretty.

So much drama. It has a very good pull. It’s one of those shows I need to stop myself from watching on the train, because I squeal and flail.

The bad:

It’s pretty campy. There’s a few scenes, certainly in the early episodes of each season, that are just too much, like the … penguin bathing suit on Rei, and that whole ‘join our swim club’ thing in S2.

Advice: This was one of my first sports animes and it will always be one of my favourites. The show has a very deep storyline and well developed characters. It's gotten a bad rap as queer- and fujoshi bait as of late, but that's honestly only there if you're looking for it. (I legit didn't see gay subtext the first time I watched this show). So just clear your mind and enjoy the plot and the pretty.

Haikyuu!!

Sport: Volleyball Type: Ensemble cast. There are so many characters and they're all super nice and have pretty well developed backgrounds. Some of the most interesting ones tend to be side characters, even, because there's such a wealth of personalities. Realism vs freak duo: Pretty realistic. From what people tell me, it's a pretty good representation of specifically Asian style of volleyball. The freak duo are awfully fast tho. Pace: Medium. A season usually consists of a training arc and some kind of tournament. The important matches take like ten episodes. However: many things happen in said match and you know the life story of every single participant, including coaches and maybe like a referee afterwards.

Art style: Pretty cool. Everyone is cute and 'feels' like they're the right age. It does this thing occasionally where it draws on the horror past of the mangaka, and turns a character into a scary badass, which is just Really Cool, you guys. Best tsun: Where to even start? As mentioned, this show has what is probably the biggest cast of lovable characters in sports anime. So what the hell, I'll go for the second protagonist: Kageyama. This kid is the sports prodigy with the terrible social skills and past trauma that has a really cute amount of character development. Favourite owl: Bokuto. For a show that has so many random animal themes, Bokuto both embodies the traditional wisdom associated with owls, but also that thing where they crane their head ninety degrees?

Early scene: Early Haikyuu is oddly dramatic. It's the part where the Karasuno boys still need to work on their confidence and regain their trust in each other. I am utterly in love with this particular scene because it's a really nice example of early character development in Kageyama. He's just... squaring off against an old ally, while his new buddy is listening. At the same time it’s also a light scene, because of Hinata’s typical reaction to “tall people in bathrooms”.

Later scene: Haikyuu has some really nice action sequences. The single screenshot doesn't really do it justice, but this is one of my faves because it falls into the theme of ‘getting better through failing a million times’. The reason Hinata there can do flying falls so well, is because his team is just kinda bad at first.

The good:

Really well written characters, and a ton of them. I cannot stress this enough. This is so good for character development addicts.

This show also stays away from many tropes and exaggerated themes that some sports anime fall into.

The bad:

Haikyuu syndrome: you don't know who to cheer for.

Popularity issues: S3 has ten episodes and still drags a little, because it’s being made too fast to follow the manga.

Advice: There's a reason everyone is obsessed with Haikyuu. This is the standard and honestly the best traditional sports anime made in the past few years. It's weirdly mundane but it does everything so well, with spot-on characterisation and pace and storytelling and visual setting.

Kuroko no Basket

Sport: Basketball Type: Half and half. The main plot is pretty clear and feels almost like an rpg style quest where Kuroko needs to beat all his former team mates and collect all the stars in order to unlock the Winter Cup Final and Fix All the Things. What makes the show good, however, is the cast and the variety in opponents.  Realism vs lasers: All the lasers. This show is the reason I even added a ‘realism’ category. Everyone has special abilities, ridiculous amounts of things happen in a split second... this is not how you basketball. It’s nice to look at tho. Pace: Medium to slow. 75 episodes cover about two tournaments (admittedly they're long tournaments). An ova is coming out this year that covers one reunion match. There's a lot of flashbacks to break up the monotony, including a very long one about middle school.

Art style: Over the top bishi. These dudes are supposed to be 16 and they all look like twenty something models. Also, just so many lasers and special effects. Not that I'm complaining. Favourite flamboyant boy model: Kise did nothing wrong, he just wants to play basketball with his friends and I will defend him with my life (Kise Defence Squad 2k17). Best tsun: Aomine is bae. While his character is a walking trope, he just does it so well, ok. He's one of the first 'villains' and his redemption arc is just extremely satisfying.

Early scene: Also known as 'the one where I started screaming'. Since one of the main themes in KnB is the power of friendship, and how each of the overpowered Miracles needs to learn to work together with their new team, this one hits right in the feels. Kise just completely overworked himself and his super grumpy senpai comes to the rescue.

Later scene: Did I mention the lasers? This is actually a rather powerful scene, since it's the main characters super attack, and the reason antagonist Aomine there can stop it, is because they used to be best friends before he went over to the dark side (this really sounds like a fantasy epos doesn't it).

The good:

It's so over the top I can't even.

Memorable characters. And I don't just mean the main team and the Miracles. I'm talking asshole antagonists that still deserve their own fan club. 

The bad:

Towards the later seasons, it starts to feel a bit stretched. Like a match takes a Really Long Time and everyone needs to use their ability at least once. It does drag on a bit.

Advice: This is a super popular sports anime and I can understand why. It's a high drama, super over the top laser spectacle. The characters have an odd pull to them, in that I only watched the show once, a year ago, but I'm still writing fanfic for them. They get in your head and sort of don't leave. It's a good show and it's well written. Go watch it if you like your sports anime with an extra dose of steroids.

Ookiku Furikabutte (Big Windup!)

Sport: Baseball Type: Drama. It has a good ensemble cast, but the focus is squarely on the two main characters. This is basically a show about overcoming your past self. Realism vs pitching technique: Pretty high on the realism scale? The main idea behind Ookiku Furikabutte is that the main character has a weird pitching technique which beats everyone if paired up with the right strategy. So there’s that. It also does that thing where a lot of stuff happens in the last few minutes of a match. Pace: Medium. A match takes like two to three episodes on average and there’s some training camps in between.

Art style: Adorable. The art is very simple and stylized, making everyone look really young. At times you also get the chibi thing, where mostly Mihashi resembles some kind of small chicken (which is apt, let's be fair). Favourite fairy godmother: Coach Momoe is both a complete badass, and one of those teacher figures that speaks in riddles half the time and then tries to make the kids come up with the answer themselves. It's nice to see that style of character in the shape of a twenty something girl with pigtails. Favourite tsun: Abe is such a good character because while he does the 'tortured soul' bit rather well, he's also a complete dickhead. Seeing him become less of an ass is nice.

Early scene: This scene, while, just, so gay, is also the part where Abe figures out what Mihashi has been going through and what he, as his catcher, should maybe do about that. There's an awful lot going on for a scene this understated.

Later scene: The big dramatic climax of season one has Mihashi finally realizing a number of things, in the last inning of a match, in the pouring rain, because of course.

The good:

 I like the childlike quality of the characters. People like Tajima feel and act very young, which is pretty damn realistic. It has a sort of carefree feel to it, despite the rather heavy load of teenage angst going on underneath.

Supportive parents. Like for real, this is one of the very, very few series that actively shows moms going to watch their sons games and supporting the team. Parents exists in this world and that is neat.

The bad:

The main character is a mess, which gets annoying. And then I feel bad about finding him annoying.

The bullying and random bouts of sexism are kinda hard to watch at times.

Advice: This is one of the lesser known sports animes but it’s really worth a shot. Watch if you’re into some deep-digging, realistic teenage angst. It has some very complex relationships, characters with a believable mixture of maturity and a classic underdog sports team plot.

Prince of Stride

Sport: Parcour Type: Ensemble cast. It's based on an otome game. There is cute innocent boy, serious glasses boy, hot older boy, etc. You can almost tick them off. Somehow they're all models and idols also. Realism vs organized parcour: So parcour, I'm fairly certain, is not a sport that has school tournaments. Having said that, I like how they put it into animation, with stuff like wind mattering and just having what is basically an obstacle course for these kids to run. Soo... medium realism. Pace: Pretty high. They crammed a fair amount of stuff into 12 episodes.

Art style: Flashy. I really like the use of really sharp, almost garish colours. It gives the show quite a pop. The art is well done and, since it's based on an otome game, everything is pretty and everyone is tall, thin and extremely bishounen. Favourite wind machine using biker: It's like every scene involving Kuga has to have him somehow showing off his bod and long flowing hair in just the right amount of wind. I approve of this amount of camp. Favourite tsun: Heath is a hot half-American model that is voiced by Ono D. Case closed.

Early scene: Fujiwara is mildly insane and will do anything to make sure the running team has enough members. Including kidnapping based on calf strength.

Later scene : They're high-fiving.... like bros....

The good:

One of the best bits about Stride is that it's obviously a high budget anime. The cast reads like a 'who's who' of your favourite voice actors so you end up doing that thing where every time a new character is talking you pause to go back to the cast list and go 'ohhh, it's that guy, I knew it!' (surely I am not the only one who does this).

The bad:

The amount of trope that the characters embody made them fall a bit flat for me. It just felt slightly more shallow than some of the others on this list. Like, it tried real hard, but it never really pulled me in.

Advice: Ehhh. Good visuals, but not much else. This is honestly such a missed chance. When it came out, the premise was so promising and I really wanted to love it. It looks sleek and stylish but for me it lacks bite. It tries, it really does, but it misses that depth of character and storyline that makes a truly good series.

Yowamushi Pedal

Sport: Road cycling Type: Ensemble cast, mostly of the main team Sohoku and the rival champion team Hakone. The interaction between these guys is a lot of fun. Realism vs time travel: Uhhhhhhhh. Ok, so that's not how cycling works and anyone who's ever been on a bike knows this. The 'pack' doesn't get infinitely stronger and faster as more people join, the power of friendship and grit alone will not make you come back from the last spot in a massive race etc. That's not even talking about the weird stunts Midousuji pulls and the special pokemon abilities of some of these guys. It's pretty out there. Pace: Weird. Let me explain. This show sprints through the year, enough that three seasons in, the third years have actually retired from the team (gasp!). But at the same time it’s just... so slow. This is one of those shows that takes an entire episode to cover what is essentially less than a minute of real life time, because it keeps cutting to flashbacks and takes the time to do motivational speeches and tearful send-offs while the characters race along at sixty miles per hour. It's amazing.

Art style: Cartoony and exaggerated. Like, very few people are 'drawn hot'. At times the art style feels like mid nineties anime, but it is very effective, especially with the over the top Dramatic Scenes™. Best tsun: I am mildly in love with Makishima ok? With his stupid ridiculously coloured hair and his horrific clothes. He can best be described as a sensitive weirdo and he's amazing. Favourite angel boy: Manami is a great character because of his hidden depths. He seems on the surface to be your typical fun, pure, bike loving doof. He has glass wings as his special ability. But then you figure out that he's also low key psychotic and obsessed with mortality and that is cool AF.

Early scene: I like that thing they do where they ‘send off’ a guy. And they do it a lot. Not sure if that’s how physics works, but somehow pushing a colleague on the back makes him shoot off, with all the spirit and hopes and dreams of the pusher as the wing beneath their wings (or something).

Later scene: Onoda uses the cadence of an anime song to help his buddy get in rhythm. I have many questions about this scene. How does Tadoroko know the lyrics to the hime hime song? Shouldn’t they be saving their breath if they’re that tired? Many questions.  

The good:

This show is the most dramatic thing ever? I think it's partly the art style, but every episode it feels like half the main cast has somehow died, judging by the angry close ups and random eulogies. It's so over the top.

My second favourite thing is the little slice of life sketch you get after the credits each time. They are usually very silly little clips that give some background to the characters and their interactions. It's fandom gold.

The bad:

While I love the over-the-top-ness, they sometimes go too far. Like they have so many motivational speeches, and some of the races are so dragged out that you get frustrated. In some of the later episodes it feels like very little actually happens in the twenty minutes of screen time.

Advice: Watch it but take heed. There is a lot of YowaPeda and it's very moreish. I binged 63 episodes and a god damned movie in what amounts to less than two weeks. That is not healthy. It gets under your skin.

Yuri!!! on Ice

Sport: Figure skating Type: Drama. Unless you’ve avoided tumblr for the last half of 2016, you know that this is mostly a love story set to the background of an international ice skating competition. That being said, the cast is A+ and all of them are intensely lovable. Realism vs quads: I have doubts about the points some of the skaters receive (Otabek should get bronze!) and apparently quads are really not as common as the show makes them out to be. Having said that, the amount of detail and beauty that is put into each of the choreographies is worth all the realism points.So high realism. Pace: Ridiculously fast. The amount of tournaments and background and, just, character development these people manage to cram into 12 episodes makes my head reel. This is why you should watch every episodes at least two times.

Art style: Gorgeous. The animation is really really good. It does the thing where some frames are super detailed (the lips! the eyelashes!), while others are more stylized or downright cartooney. It mixes styles a lot to best get a point across. Best tsun: Yuri Plisetsky is such a joy of an angry teenager. He is so very grumpy and so very sensitive at the same time? Also: cats. Love him. Favourite Russian legend: It’s hard to pick a fave character but Victor is just so serious and disciplined, but then also utterly flamboyant and an idiot in love. I want my very own victor. Someone commercialize him.

Early scene: Let's not spoil the whole plot with the most famous scenes, shall we? Let’s go with Yuuri performing “Stand close to me”. It’s a routine he saw performed by his idol. It’s so heartfelt? Also the jump start to the series.

Later scene: Yuuri being a bro.Yuuri, a classic tsun, is hard to befriend, but he really is such a good kid, and he cares so much that he goes out of his way to cheer up friends and I just want to hug him.

The good:

YoI is extremely meta. There's a reason you could compile a library of analyses just from tumblr. It knows all the tropes and plays with them like a cat plays with one of those jingley balls. You think the girl will be a love interest? Bam: triplets and a husband. You think Victor is a playboy? Bam: episode ten will make your head reel. You think Yurio is just your basic shounen jump antagonist? Bam: episode twelve will kill you dead with your assumptions. It's anti trope.

Representation of an actual healthy romantic relationship between two male characters is still pretty rare, so I’ll commend it for that.

High pull factor, in the sense that it’s very easy to get invested.

The bad: 

Haikyuu syndrome (I really felt bad for Christophe, and Seung Gil, and JJ and...).

At times it goes slightly overboard on the camp. Christophe coming on the ice is just... no.

Advice: FFS yes. Just watch it. It's so well done that it manages to hook people who don't even like anime. I'm not even gonna tell you to stay away if you are improbably scared of gay things. Watch it and better your life. Love wins.

[realtalk-princeton]

@marty Downsides of physics?

Response from Marty McFly:

I feel somewhat underqualified to make statements about the field of physics as a whole (although I obviously have a mountain of totally unsupported opinions on the matter). I’m assuming you’re more interested in the downsides of a physics major, of which I think there are many. There are a lot of different directions in which you could go with that kind of question, so it obviously depends on your circumstances. As with all choices, the decision about what to major in is more about how various majors compare, so it would be useful to know what matters to you, what your likes and dislikes are, what your plans for after graduation are (or what you’re considering), etc. I’ll try to give a broad overview of my opinions on this question that are hopefully useful to anyone considering physics, but feel free to resubmit with more details and I’ll try to think in more detail.

Right up top I just want to make it clear that there are definitely gonna be mixed opinions if you ask different people. I probably have a less common view of the department than most people, but I will try to keep this unbiased. The most common thing people will tell you is that it’s hard. Indeed this is true, but this also depends on the person. I am convinced that physics is easier for me than english or comp lit would’ve been, it’s just about what skill set you have. It’s also important to keep in mind that it’s easier to do 20 hours of work that you want to do than 5 hours of work that you don’t. Now, there are probably going to be a lot of frustrating moments, no matter how motivated you are. Even if you save yourself a lot of the struggling by working in groups, there are going to be times when profs assign shitty problem sets that send you on an hours long search for information. Indeed, this is one of the things that I hate about physics. A lot of the stuff we learn is so fucking hard that it’s out of the question that you’ll be deriving it, so you run into problems where you’re simply lacking necessary information, which is just frustrating and unnecessary. Say what you will about math, but at least you usually know what the problem is asking and you have all the information you need. More broadly though, if you’re interested in getting the stuff down and doing well on tests, you’ll probably have to spend considerable time on it (unless you’re off the charts smart).  

There’s also the problem that most of what you learn is not really the stuff that people get excited about in physics. Real physics is very detailed and relies a lot on math and stuff that you don’t want to think about, so it might be a departure from the kind of excitement you can get from youtube videos and pop science. Over long periods, you might see things coming together in a really exciting way, but most of what you learn is pretty benign and you’ll forget after a year unless you go back and review or you’re still using it regularly. We won’t name names, but a certain McFly may have forgotten a very basic derivation that’s EXTREMELY relevant to his work this summer and looked like a dumbass in front of his grad student mentor. In a good class like 208, you’ll use the math to build intuition about one of the most marvelous discoveries in physics (and indeed I recommend that everyone try to take that class if they can), but in a class like 301, where the level of approximation is off the charts and you’re using a less than ideal book (lmao like an ideal gas cause its thermo) and all the problems are from said book, you might skim over some stuff and end up not making good connections. Really the problem is that if you’re a physics major you have to take a lot of classes, but if you do something else you can just focus on the ones that interest you, so that flexibility is nice. 

In terms of like mental health, there are definitely gonna be a lot of opinions about that, so I’ll try to tread lightly. I know PUWIP (I think that’s what it’s called) makes a really big effort to offer support (especially for marginalized groups) and I’ve heard nothing but excellent things about them, so there are good resources. It is, however, difficult to feel like a moron/failure on such a regular basis and to constantly feel defeated. Of course, this doesn’t apply to everyone, but I’ve definitely had a lot of those moments. Heck, there was a semester where every Sunday I’d get started on my problem set for this one class, and I’d end up spending between ten and ninety minutes just lying on the ground and trying to wrap my head around the depths of my incompetence. Looking back it really wasn’t a big deal, but it’s hard in the moment. Btw, if you ever feel like that, plz write in and I will tell you all the things I didn’t do that I should’ve. But anyway. Physics can really make you question your own ability a lot, so it’s important to have a plan for dealing with that. It’s definitely not made easier by the fact that the department is full of very smart folks. I actually feel like there’s a really great culture of being open about hardship in physics, but it can still be hard not to feel inadequate. 

I can’t really say much about independent work, but it’s hard to say anything about it anyway. It fluctuates so much by prof/project and you just have to decide for yourself if that’s something you enjoy. That can be a hard thing to figure out, but if you’re considering physics then spend the summer after freshman year in an interesting lab and see what it’s like.

Aside from this, there are some minor considerations like the fact that physics is AB so you’d have to fulfill those distribution requirements and whatever, but I don’t have any insight about that kind of stuff. Honestly there are probably points I’ve missed in this, so sorry in advance if this isn’t what you were looking for. 

If you’re not interested in reading all of the above, I guess my main message is that I recommend against physics as a major. It will almost certainly make your experience at princeton less pleasant than it would’ve been otherwise and for what? You’ll learn some cool stuff, but you could’ve learned most of the broad points on your own or taken those classes anyway. It’s not like it’ll do you a lot of good for post college plans. You’ll probably be more qualified than most to apply to physics grad school (although it’s not clear why you’d want to do that either), but math majors get into physics all the time, so you’re not really closing that door. Hell, I think Ed Witten studied History or something in undergrad. Of course, if you’re psyched about physics research, then you’ve probably found the right major. But if you want to end up in software, finance, consulting, clownery, you probably would’ve been better prepared having spent your time elsewhere. It’s true that physics is an acceptable major for a wide range of jobs because the skills tend to be applicable, but I can assure you that COS skills are more applicable if you’re applying for a job in software engineering. 

Obviously, when it comes down to a case by case basis, I think there are a lot of good reasons to major in physics (or else I wouldn’t do it lol), but this is my advice for a general interlocutor. Also, I’ve said it before, but don’t take what I say too seriously.