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entamewitchlulu · 5 years ago

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Lulu’s Flash Reviews [Winter 2020]

Been a while since I posted one of these! I posted these to my twitter earlier but I figured I could put them here too. And if you will excuse the plug, consider checking out my side Twitter I use specifically for livetweeting anime, @/LulusLivetweets!

And w/o further ado, I have some thoughts about anime under the cut!

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!

Eizouken was an absolutely INCREDIBLE little show. I hadn't initially planned on watching it, but I'm so glad I did. The main cast is so strong and their personalities mesh and bounce into perfect, hilarious dynamics - and the core themes about creativity and how to make anime wrt all the work that REALLY goes into it were so much fun to watch play out. Everytime Kanamori went off on her own plans, I was hooked! Everytime Asakusa and Mizusaki started playing some imagination game, I got emotional, because that was me in high school!

And of course, the animation was spot on; the way you watched them physically build their "greatest world" through sketchy environments and voice acted sound effects, it was immersive and inspiring. An instant classic imo!

Overall: 10/10

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun

Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun was one that was on my radar from the beginning due to the voice talent of Megumi Ogata playing the titular character. But her excellent va work wasn't the only awesome thing about it! the animation was absolutely gorgeous, using a very unique style visually and cinematically. i really loved the way they decided to design each episode's mood and tone and the creative framing techniques. the characters were all quite fun, complex, and endearing, and there was just enough mystery to really keep you hooked. and i'm a sucker for that rumors-create-reality plot! the only minus i can give this is that Nene's obsession with boys started to wear on me lol

Overall: 9/10

Asteroid in Love

A slow-paced slice of life, but still overall enjoyable! There was little substance and any time it edged on real conflict it hurriedly pulled back, but that was ok because we all knew we were here for cute girls being cute without any more depth. The relationship between Ao and Mira was sweet and lovely, and the quirks of the other characters never became so overwhelming that it got annoying, even the tsundere-types. And I learned a little bit about space! Bonus points! overall, it was a sweet and welcome escape to simply slip into a story without conflict, where you could simply sit back and smile as you watched these sweet girls pursue their deeply held dreams, no matter what might stand in their way.

Overall: 7/10

In/Spectre

For my thoughts on In/Spectre....well...I finished it? There are elements to this series that I found interesting enough to continue til the end. This one also taps into the Rumors-Become-Reality trope that I love, but unlike Hanako-kun it...leaves character to the wayside. The animation is pretty solid, sound design is good, character designs are pretty decent if a little unmemorable, but...for most of this show it's talking heads. They talk in circles and weave stories in a way that just...doesn't do the visual medium justice.

and the characters are just...boring. I never bought into what was meant to be the main romantic subplot. Iwanaga is extremely annoying when she's not devising Sherlock-esque concepts. rather than develop the characters and their relationships, they devoted 90% of screentime to watching Iwanaga come up with ridiculous fictions in Sherlock-esque fashions, as though just to show off how clever the show is rather than let me become invested in the characters. if there's ever a season 2, i don't think i have the emotional investment to look into it.

Overall: 6/10

Natsunagu

Natsunagu isn't really a traditional anime per say, it's a series of shorts developed for a revitalization effort after the Kumamoto earthquake, I believe. Each episode is only 3 minutes long, so the story isn't particularly fleshed out, but for what it was, it was rather sweet. The story of a girl trying to find her online friend after their usual message service is shut down and meeting the people of a place still in recovery was I think written with exactly as much sensitivity as it needed to for the story and the people it was telling it for.

Overall: 6/10

Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story: Magia Record

Magia Record blew every expectation I had out of the fucking water. It was absolutely fucking incredible. Building expertly off of the foundation laid by the original Madoka, in some respects it absolutely overshadowed it. The aesthetic and atmosphere hit every fucking note perfectly. Without having to worry about building up uncertainty the way the original did, MR was able to barrel straight into the uncanny valley, where you already know that something is wrong but you have no idea how MUCH.

yet another Rumor-Creates-Reality show (seriously this is a theme here), the Rumors on display here are markedly more hostile, and built with all of the eerie charm of Madoka's signature surreality. Characters are not left to the wayside, either. For the number of cast members they introduce and the old ones they bring back, it somehow manages to balance all of them, give most of them arcs and depth, and invest you into all of them in a very short span of time.

I'm still shivering with just how intense every bit of it was. I want to rewatch it already. I'm already pounding my fists on the table for season 2! The original Madoka was and still is a favorite of mine, but this spin off avoided every pitfall I could have thought of creating something that both wove intricately into its source material while creating something brand new at the same time. Even knowing that these events will retroactively be undone with the events of Madoka, I still care immensely, and that's a major feat. cannot wait for s2!

overall: 10/10

And before I sign off on this, I also wanted to share my own personal awards for Winter 2020′s season!

Best Girl

4. Iroha Tamaki (Magia Record)

3. Hinata Hiramitsu (Healin’ Good Precure)

2. Midori Asakusa (Eizouken)

1. Sayaka Kanamori (Eizouken)

For Best Girl, the ultimate award goes toooo.....Kanamori from Eizouken! An atypical character in both personality and design, she is always an immense amount of fun every time she's on screen. Honorable mentions go to Asakusa, Hinata, and Iroha!

Best Boy

2. Daruizen (Healin’ Good Precure)

1. Hanako-kun (Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun)

For Best Boy of Winter 2020, the award goes toooo.....Hanako-kun! Simultaneously a little shit AND in need of a hug, Hanako balances that shitlord side of himself with his moments of vulnerability in a super endearing way. Honorable mention to Daruizen because I'm me.

Best Couple

3. Iroha/Nanami (Magia Record)

2. Hanako/Nene (Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun)

1. Mira/Ao (Asteroid in Love)

the award for Best Couple goes tooo....Mira/Ao! This sweet pair not only have devoted their lives to their shared dream, but they've also moved in together, spent long nights stargazing, and chased each other across the country! Honorable mentions to Iroha/Yachiyo and Hanako/Nene

Best OP: Easy Breezy by Chelmico (Eizouken)

This OP is just so much fun to watch, and the song is fun to listen to on its own!

Best ED: Aletheia by ClariS (Magia Record)

Best ED goes tooo....Aletheia by ClariS! It's beautifully animated, and one of the few EDs I actually liked listening to all the way through the end. Plus, ClariS is always good!

Best Music: Magia Record

Best Music Award goes to Magia Record! Yuki Kajiura is ALWAYS a treat to listen to, as always. And a secondary mention to Healin Good! The theme that plays during the main attack is really good and reminds me of You Say Run a little.

Best Animation: Magia Record

Best Animation also goes to Magia Record! Madoka properties really know how to meld unique styles of animation, and to get the most out of every frame. A special shoutout to the design of Hanako-kun and the creativity of Eizouken, though!

Best Overall:

And finally, for Best Overall...I actually have to give it a tie;;;; Eizouken + Magia Record were both incredible , for extremely different reasons - but their combined unique animation styles, attention to aesthetic/theme, and overall stellar performance were a joy this season!

And that’s enough of me talking! Looking forward to Spring 2020′s season, lot of good stuff coming up! Did anyone watch anything this season that I didn’t talk about that you highly recommend?

#lulu's flash reviews #gif warning below cut

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texanredrose · 7 years ago

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Okay, so, this is the other prompt fill! Taken from the second suggestion by @makas0ul, and my first time writing this pairing, too. Set in the same universe as the previous two, let’s have some fun with SolarFlare. Also, shoutout to @keena-kapu for letting me use their Remnants of Heart universe in this! (Also, bear in mind that Sun’s an unreliable narrator at times.)

Sun sighed, settling into the middle seat on the lounge's couch with the tub of ice cream in his lap and a new movie he'd been dying to see already flicking over to the menu on the wide screen television bolted to the wall. While the college had splurged on high definition televisions and a new gaming console for the various lounges in the dorms, they definitely didn't trust the students enough not to either toss them through the window in a fit of misguided amusement or move them into someone's room. Honestly, the monkey Faunus didn't mind, seeing as his room happened to be the last place he wanted to be at that moment.

Being from Vacuo and studying in Vale, Sun considered himself a pretty laid back sort of individual, especially compared to others in the study abroad program. No one started grief with him, he wouldn't start with anyone else, and aside from a few pranks here and there to clown on the Campus Police, he stuck to that policy. So, even though he didn't exactly like it, he couldn't really get too upset about the two students having ridiculously loud sex in the room next to his. Neptune usually just rolled his eyes when they started before excusing himself to either the library, the nearest coffee shop, or a jog around campus. Meanwhile, Sun chose the lounge, having a pretty solid grasp on their stamina and actually not minding the noise itself much, anyway. It usually had to do more with... well... picturing what was causing the sounds, especially since he was friends with one of them and didn't want anything awkward to come up because of it.

When he first arrived at the school- and found out that Vale had co-ed dorms, how cool- he thought he might be the only Faunus on campus. Come to find out, one of the people in the room right next door was Blake Belladonna, a cat Faunus from Menagerie. She turned out to be super chill and they became pretty good friends, although any hope of them becoming more were dashed when she started dating her roommate, who was... well.

Everyone called her the Bombshell Blonde, and she owned it. Beat up leather jackets, a motorcycle, aviators, arms that could bench press a truck- Sun thought he had great abs but, really, he had nothing on Yang Xiao Long, easily the school's most talked about wild child. Which was weird, honestly- aside from one bar fight before the beginning of term, she didn't get in trouble and actually seemed to avoid the parties all over campus, or didn't stay at them too long when she did make an appearance. Still, the reputation stuck, and from the few glimpses he'd caught of the woman ducking in and out of the dorm room next to his, he had to admit she lived up to it pretty well. She always seemed on the move, and though he knew she apparently boxed and played lacrosse for the school, he couldn't be sure if it was practice for both that took up all her free time.

Still, he couldn't really blame Blake, and she seemed pretty darn happy about the whole arrangement. So, to save her the embarrassment- and to keep himself from blushing and being unable to look her in the eye the following day- he would retreat to the lounge with a movie and a snack for a few hours. All in all, it worked out pretty well. One of these days, Neptune might join him, but for right now, he was perfectly happy starting the movie and shoveling a spoonful of the half empty cookies 'n' cream into his mouth- leftover from the last time.

About twenty minutes later, he heard someone shoulder open the stairwell door, looking over just in time to nearly choke on the bite he'd just taken. There, striding into the room while running a hand through her hair, was Yang Xiao Long. This was the first time he'd gotten a proper look at the woman, with her beat up leather jacket over her yellow tanktop, brown shorts and boots, that orange scarf she always seemed to wear around her neck and aviators set atop golden locks, she definitely looked the part of the Blonde Bombshell, just without the motorcycle.

"Uh..."

"Oh, is that the new Sensational Sister movie?" The blonde's expression pinched into one of mild consternation. "Man, I wanted to see that! Guess it's already out of theaters, huh?"

"Uh, yeah." Sun quickly grabbed the remote and paused the movie, as much so he could keep watching without missing anything important as to keep from spoiling the movie for the woman. "I picked it up today, actually." He raised a brow. "I, uh, though you were... y'know." Using the spoon, he gestured towards the hall. "With Blake...?"

"What?" Yang looked slightly confused, then reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out her scroll, thumbing through it a moment. "Oh, she's got her girlfriend over again. Dang." Then her brows furrowed, lilac eyes darting up to meet his. "Wait... can you hear... uh, them-"

"Yeah," he said with a lopsided smile and a shrug. "Thought it was you two and figured I'd, ya know. Give you some privacy."

Almost immediately, the blonde laughed, putting her scroll back. "Wait, you thought Blake and I were dating? Nah, it's- well, someone else."

He narrowed his eyes slightly at the information being withheld but eventually shrugged; the other Faunus would tell him in time and, if she'd left the impression with her roommate that it shouldn't be disclosed freely, then there was probably a good reason. Or Blake was just being silly, which he thought she often was in regards to certain things. Oh well.

"So... guess that means your room's off limits now, huh?"

"Yeah." She sighed, shifting the duffel bag hanging from one shoulder.

"Well, you wanna watch the movie with me? I can start it over." He grabbed for the remote, heading back to the title menu. "I mean, since we're both not going back to our rooms for a while, might as well, yeah?"

Yang smirked, throwing her bag down by the couch and plopping down. "Guess so. Hey, what's that you've got there?"

"Cookies 'n' cream ice cream! Want some?" He offered her the tub with one hand and the spoon with his tail, ready to start the movie over.

"Uh, thanks, but..." The blonde peeked into the container. "Looks like you've only got a little left."

"That's fine; I've got some vanilla, too."

"Really?" Her eyes darted back to the stairwell. "Pretty sure my sis keeps a bottle of chocolate syrup in her room. We could have a sundae."

"Hey, I've got some bananas; we could make it a banana split!" He faltered a moment. "Not sure I have a big enough bowl, though."

"Pretty sure I've got that part covered." Yang laughed, fondly shaking her head. "Ruby kinda keeps a big mixing bowl in her room at all times. There's no oven around here, but she makes cookie dough like nobody's business."

"Alright, then let's do it!" He handed off the tub and spoon, then hopped up, careful to keep the remote from falling to the floor by setting it on the couch's arm. "Here, you finish off that, and I'll get the vanilla and the bananas."

Jogging down the hall, Sun quickly ducked into his room, humming to himself to help drown out the noises coming from next door as he collected the vanilla ice cream from the mini freezer and two bananas from his side of the room, plus an extra spoon. He'd almost left when a video game case caught his eye, laying half obscured by the shirt lazily thrown on top of it. Some fighting game, the sixth in the series and at least one installment passed being recent, but he still liked playing it from time to time and thought it might be good to grab. After all, his initial plan involved taking a nap on the lounge couch, so maybe this would be a good substitute to fill the extra team needed until Blake... well, until the room wasn't off limits to Yang, at any rate. Plus, if the movie turned out to be a bomb, they could always pass the time beating the crap out of each other in the versus mode.

By the time he got back to the lounge, he could hear the stairwell door closing on the floor above and settled back onto the couch, this time a bit further over than his previous spot to give them some room between them for the bowl. When Yang returned, a full sized mixing bowl, a can of whipped cream, and a bottle of chocolate syrup in hand, plus his spoon from earlier, the two set to work peeling the bananas and cutting them with the spoons- which, actually seemed to work, surprisingly well. Dumping them into the bowl, they then started scooping out the ice cream, and that part... took a bit longer than he expected, honestly.

"Here, let me see it," she said, accepting the tub once he'd handed it over. She began rolling it between her hands, pressing against the sides of the tub, loosening up the ice cream within until she could upend it, the majority falling into the bowl with no problems at all.

He let out a low whistle, scooping out what little remained clinging to the bottom of the tub. "Wow, you really do have some guns there, huh?"

"Yeah, they're not bad." She flexed one arm, showing off the bulge in her bicep briefly before cracking a smile. "You've got a nice set of abs yourself."

"Thanks." He flexed a little, taking advantage of the view his open button up provided, but started laughing quickly after. Slipping the top back on the empty tub and setting it aside, he continued talking while she set about pouring the chocolate syrup over their creation. "I don't really work out much, though. I just like climbing trees and stuff."

That seemed to spark some form of recognition in the young woman. "Wait, are you the guy who climbed the side of the science building last week?"

"Oh, that." He held up both hands in a placating gesture at her raised brow. "Look, I was running late for a class and the professor had already walked in the front door; there was no way I was getting past him without getting seen unless I went a... well, alternate route. I really didn't have a choice!" He crossed his arms over his chest, a small frown coming to his lips. "Not that the Campus Police believe that. They somehow got it in their heads that I just climb buildings for fun."

"So, that wasn't you on the gym last month?"

"A ball got stuck on the roof."

"And the administration building two months ago?"

"The main door was closed for some reason and I had to go around; over is around!"

"The dorms the second week of term?"

"I was locked out of my room. And the window was open." He flicked his tail for emphasis. "Really, I should be getting credit for having that kinda foresight!"

Yang laughed, shaking her head as she put the bottle off to the side. "Dude, is there a building on this campus you haven't climbed?"

"Um... the library? Wait, no, I had to return that book one time..."

The blonde smiled, grabbing her spoon as he held his- in his hand, this time. "You know, I've heard all about the kid climbing buildings for f- perfectly valid reasons." She corrected herself, those lilac eyes shining just a bit with amusement at the little furrow that came to his brow. "But, I've never caught your name."

"Oh! I'm Sun, Sun WuKong." He held out his unoccupied hand. "Nice to finally meet you, Yang."

She seemed genuinely surprised but it passed quickly as she shook his hand. "Guess my rep proceeds me, huh?"

"Well, yeah, but you're also Blake's roommate." He chuckled, pointing towards the hallway again. "I kinda bugged the hell outta Blake the first time I met her. I was just so excited to see another Faunus, and one from Menagerie, too! I think it took two days for me to stop asking questions."

"Really?" Putting the cap back on the can of whipped cream, both of them inspected their work.

It... actually looked really good, and he kinda wondered why he'd never tried this before, but then it clicked. "Aw, we don't have any cherries."

"Dang, you're right... hey." She looked at him, her expression turning a bit more mischievous. "Do you usually eat the cherry first or last?"

"Well, last; it's the best part!" Honestly, he liked bananas better, but when it came to an ice cream dessert, his comment stood. "That final burst of sweetness to finish off the dish. Why?"

"I know something we can use as a substitute!" She turned, settling into the couch and facing the television. "But I'll save it for the end. Let's get this movie started!"

"Alright!" Sun couldn't quite tell what the woman had planned but decided to go with it, starting the movie up and helping himself to the first bite of the banana split.

They sat and watched the movie, occasionally trading little jokes about the events happening on screen while slowly working their way through the dessert. Apparently, Yang knew quite a bit about the old Sensational Sister comics, offering up little tidbits about which issue or run a certain line referenced, offering insight on how the designs came together to pay homage to all the different styles, and even providing context for some of the references to other characters in the universe yet to be introduced. The movie itself was awesome, too, mixing action and drama with a fair bit of humor and even a touch of romance, and he probably should've gone to see it while it was still running in theaters himself. By the time the end credits rolled around, their shared dessert was nothing but a memory and their guts were hurting from laughing so much over a somewhat thoughtless comment on his part.

"You- you serious- oh man." The woman finally recovered enough to look at him, wiping a tear from her eye. "Did you really just compare Sensational Sister to Beowoman? Like, really?"

"I just mean they both have awesome costumes! And they can fight!"

"That's like saying Perfectman and the Red Hare are similar! They're totally different!"

"Okay, so maybe I'm not as much of a comic book geek as you are, so sue me!" He shrugged, leaning back against the couch. "I obviously need to read more comics if I want to make accurate comparisons."

"Well, you should! Comics are awesome, dude; seriously, you don't know what you're missing out on." Yang took the bowl and set it on the floor, scooting closer slightly. "You... wouldn't happen to have another movie, would you? Pretty sure the, uh... room's still occupied."

With a smile, the Faunus grabbed the game case from earlier with his tail while using his hands to manipulate the controller into stopping the movie and ejecting the disc. "Well, it's not a movie, but are you into video games?"

"As a matter of fact, I am." She winked, reaching for the case. "I'm a well rounded geek." Lilac eyes flitted over the case, her expression brightening. "Hey, I know this series! Used to play with my sis all the time. Well, the second one, anyway." A few minutes later, the movie and game were swapped out and both of them were seated side-by-side, controllers in hand and ready for some friendly competition. "How about we play normal for the first game, then best two out of three gets to choose the mode."

"Sounds good to me!"

She nodded, tapping all the buttons as if to remind herself where they were. It might've been a while since the last time she played, especially if the second installment was her last game. "You ready to go down, WuKong?"

"As if!" Sun laughed, flicking over to the versus screen as an opportunity revealed itself, and he gunned for it. "We'll see Xiao Long you last against the champ!"

"Oh, that was a bad move, Sunny boy." He made the mistake of glancing over, catching sight of the fire that ignited in lilac eyes. "You just entered an arena you're woefully unprepared for, and now I'm going to beat you twice over."

"Oh yeah?" The Faunus couldn't help but encourage her, curiosity and amusement convincing him that whatever he'd just asked for, he wanted to see. "How do you figure?"

"'Cause I'm not monkeying around here, dude." A few rapid taps of the controller's buttons had her character selected and costume changed to one she'd somehow unlocked in the past few seconds and how did she even do that? "I'm hotter than the Sun with the skills to match. You'll be playing second banana to me the moment we start this game!"

"You know quantity doesn't beat quality, right?" He teased, selecting his own character. "Let's see if you can trash talk and play!"

"Bring it on, Wukong!"

The first match, they nearly broke even except for a last minute combo from Yang that knocked his character clear off the stage. On top of that, she actually could continue making puns and quips while playing, and though he felt like he met her step-for-step in that regard, the second round proved a bit more... difficult. The woman adapted to his play style rather quickly and Sun had to change up his tactics to compensate, squeaking out a win at the last minute. The third round, though, Yang upped the ante.

She leaned forward into the classic, hyper focused gamer position, the tip of her tongue peeking out between her lips as she intently focused on the screen. Not one to be outdone, Sun leaned forward, too, his tail curling around the back of the couch to ground him. When the third round kicked off, they both put their all into beating the other, using combos and quick reflexes to attack and dodge, dancing all around the playing area. He started leaning with his controller, hoping to get just a little bit more leverage, but Yang did the same, and it really came down to the wire before she managed to pull off one hell of a combo, blasting him to the other side of the stage. He tried to make a last minute save and grab the edge, but Yang hadn't planned on leaving anything to chance, rushing towards the edge and delivering a drop kick just as his character stood up, sending him flying into the awaiting abyss.

"Holy crap, you're good at this!" He leaned over, nudging her shoulder with his. "You couldn't go a little easy on me?"

"It's your game!" She laughed, elbowing him lightly. "Maybe a few more rounds and you'll warm up, yeah? Or are you turning tail after one defeat?"

With a raised brow, he moved his tail, turning to lock eyes with her as a distraction. "Your pun game is good, but you know what's more involved?"

"What's tha-a-A-AT!" Yang jumped where she sat, flinching away from the unexpected contact of his tail flicking in the dead center of her shoulder blades. "Hey!"

"Practical jokes!" The Faunus laughed, his amusement becoming even clearer when he received a light punch to his shoulder in retaliation. "Aw, c'mon, that was funny."

"That was cheating." She changed the settings on the game before starting up another round. "Here, we're going to play Sudden Death. Let's see if you're quick on the draw." And just like that, they were both competing again, racing to land the first big hit that would end the round, but he should've known Yang was leading him into a trap, soundly beating him three times in a row. They didn't even have to play the third round, but she insisted, likely to tease him some more. So, of course, he decided to be crafty himself, suggesting they switch characters. "That's not gonna help you."

He shrugged, deciding to call her bluff. "Humor me."

The next two rounds, he handed her sound defeats, causing the woman's brows to furrow slightly in agitation and her tongue to peek out through the entirety of both, though it didn't seem to help her this time around. Truthfully, he couldn't manipulate the character nearly as well as the previous one, but he at least had enough proficiency to hold his own. "Alright, you win."

"Is someone a sore loser?" Sun teased, bumping their shoulders together.

"No!" She bumped him back and offered a genuine grin. "Just kinda bummed I stopped playing these." With a chuckle, she motioned towards the screen. "Honestly, I only picked her to begin with because her moveset never changes. I haven't played fighting games in years, except to brush off the old system."

"And you're still scary good, dang." He hesitated on starting the next match- he'd switched it over to a low gravity mode for fun- and looked over at her. "What kinda games do you play nowadays?"

"You're not gonna believe me."

"C'mon, try me!" The Faunus poked her in the head with the tip of his tail, earning a playful swat in return. "I'll be honest, even though I like a good first person shooter every now and then, I'm big into open world RPGs. Just getting to run around and do silly stuff or side quests- that's my jam! Especially the ones that have some sort of morality system built in."

Yang smirked. "Oh, like playing the bad boy, is that it?"

"I am a force of chaotic good," he said with a wink. "Emphasis on chaotic."

They both laughed before she replied, reaching up to run a hand through her hair. "I get it, though. I'm actually really into those games where you can sink, like, hundreds of hours into exploring and doing things. I mean, I like a FPS or those button mash types, too, and I love multiplayer games, but there's something just... really cool about exploring a whole new universe, getting immersed in your character, and living out an adventure, ya know?"

"Absolutely." Suddenly, he remembered his newest gaming purchase from about four weeks ago, mainly because he'd become so engrossed in it he hadn't bothered picking up another game since. "Hey, have you played Remnants of Heart yet?"

Her brows furrowed, as if trying to place the name. "I think I remember seeing a trailer for it, but no, haven't played."

"Aw, it's great! You get to be the Captain of a pirate ship, sail around and fight other pirates, pick fights with the navies of various Remnant nations from, like, four centuries ago, and you fight these gnarly beasts called Grimm- totally up your alley."

"That sounds awesome." Lilac eyes sparkled with wonder, a smile pulling at her lips while the fighting game was entirely forgotten, the woman turned her body towards him as she continued. "Do you get to create your own character? How's the story? What kind of weapons can you use?"

"Yes, excellent, and whatever you want!" Sun had been dying to talk to someone about the game but Neptune often played the 'PC master race' card and wouldn't listen to him, insisting a console couldn't support such an excellently rendered landscape as the Faunus claimed, despite it also being available for computers. Regardless, having someone just as interested allowed him to go full throttle in talking about it. He started with the opening- nothing too descriptive so she could experience it for herself firsthand, but enough to set the stage- and then went on to the mechanics, the combat system, and the ship design menu, all while his companion listened attentively, seeming more and more enthralled by the game with every little tidbit revealed. "The multiplayer is kinda shit, if I'm honest, but the story is top notch."

"Is there... uh." She reached up, tucking an errant lock behind her ear, almost as if suddenly self conscious. "Like, a romance side quest?"

"Oh, that's the best part! You can basically pursue any NPC!" He stopped short, thinking that last comment over and trying his best to not give away the big twist. "Okay, so not like any NPC, but a fair majority! Like, seventy five percent of the ones in the game, you can get with, and there's no restrictions! Straight, bi, gay, poly- your character can have whatever romantic life you want!" He dropped his voice conspiratorially. "I know it's probably not a good idea but, honestly, I recruited my love interest to be my first mate just so we could be a pirate couple. Her stats aren't great or anything, but it's about the emotional connection, ya know?"

"Yeah!" That seemed to erase any anxiety the woman might've had, her interest returning in full force. "Man, I get so attached to the companions in games like these, it always bums me out when the one I want to romance isn't an available option. I need to give this game a shot!"

"You really, really do." He shot up, leaving the controller behind while jogging for the hallway. "I'll be right back!" Sun went back to his room, quickly digging through the clothes strewn around until he found the game case for Remnants of Heart. When he found it, he quickly went back to the lounge, wincing slightly as his tail pulled the door closed behind him, the slam echoing in the quiet hallway. Ah, well, he didn't hear anyone poke their heads out to yell at him, so he simply went straight for the console and swapped out the game discs before reclaiming his spot on the couch, handing over the first controller. "Here! The first segment's super quick, once you get past character creation, and then you get your first ship!"

"But... isn't this one player?" She quirked a brow, nodding towards the loading screen. "You could just show me yours-"

"Nah, that's not as fun." He leaned back, throwing one leg over the couch's arm. "I mean, we've still got time to kill, right?"

"Uh, yeah." Yang nodded. "I... got a text from Blake. They're, uh, still using the room."

"Cool." Sun looked at the television as the cinematic intro for the main menu started. "I think you'll get a better feel for it if you create your own character. Mine's kinda tailored and I'm at a point in the game that could have spoilers."

"Alright." She noted before turning her attention to the screen.

Yang went through the whole process of starting a new game, quickly choosing her character's features- tall, tan, with blonde hair and muscles, plus a scar along her character's jawline- and selected the first group of abilities, the majority of which focused on hand-to-hand combat and a little bit in pistols. While he thought she might come to regret that later, she made a joke about being the 'hands on' type and he had to admit she probably would find a way to make it work. While he didn't do more than offer a little commentary every now and again, plus answer some questions, the Faunus found himself enjoying the role of observer, a small smile on his lips as she made her way through the tutorial section.

"So, what's your favorite ice cream, anyway?"

"I dunno, don't really have a favorite." He blinked, looking over at her with a raised brow. "Why?"

She shrugged, keeping her gaze on the screen. "You seem like a vanilla kinda guy, is all."

"Well... yeah, I can see that." Sun nodded slowly, scratching behind his ear with a chuckle. "Vanilla goes great with just about anything, so I'm pretty flexible in that regard. I might not wow anyone by being super flashy or unique or deep but... I can have fun, ya know? Or just chill." With a shrug of his shoulders, he continued. "Sometimes, it's nice to be a little bland."

"Hey, I didn't say you were bland." The woman glanced over at him, still wearing a smile, though it had shrunk slightly. "I was gonna make a joke-"

"I know." It wasn't often he could be smug about something, but crossing his arms over his chest and flicking her hair with his tail felt deserved right then. "I just wasn't going to give you the satisfaction of it."

"Oh, you play dirty, Sun." Yang laughed, mirth back in full force as she lightly slapped at his tail away. "And watch the hair."

Presented with the opportunity for a little mischief, he lifted his tail, hovering the tip just behind her ear and ever so slightly away from her blonde locks. "Oh? Does your hair do tricks?"

She chuckled, reaching up in a flash to grab his tail, those lilac eyes glinting with both light and intensity. "Yeah. Touch it again without my say so, and you'll find yourself able to go through walls!"

He probably should've been intimidated or at least apologetic. Instead, he just smiled bigger; this must've been exactly how she looked that night of the bar fight, when she truly earned the name 'Blonde Bombshell' and he could definitely see how apt a title it was. Yet, at the same time, there was something more- a seriousness that would rather not be tested unless forced, which he could absolutely respect. "As cool as that sounds, I think I'd rather sit here a bit longer."

"Great!" The moment she released his tail, he brought it back to wrap around his waist. "As long as we have that understanding."

"Anything else I should know about?" Sun looked at the screen briefly, confirming she'd nearly reached the end of the tutorial.

"My favorite ice cream is strawberry." She offered, turning her attention to the miniature boss fight that ended the tutorial, her tongue once again starting to peek out as she focused on keeping her character alive. Yang certainly hadn't opted to take the easy route in the game but she managed to triumph all the same.

"I like strawberry, too," he said quietly, not wanting to break her concentration as their conversation died. A few minutes later, the cinematic progressing the plot finished and the woman was out to see in her first boat, looking over the map and testing the navigation. With every new feature discovered, Yang became more enamored with the game, easily becoming lost in the rhythm of exploring and picking up side quests, completely ignoring the main storyline for a time- which, in his opinion, was how the game should be played, because the urgency hadn't quite kicked in yet, so it made the most sense to start farming the easy missions for experience and gear rather than charge into the next plot point. Honestly, watching her play was a total trip; she had a different set of priorities than he did but made everything work for her in a way that he admired, rolling with every bump in the path. Even parts when he thought for sure she'd get knocked back to the last save point, just barely clinging to the last bit of health in her bar, the woman would somehow pull through; really, not even the movie they'd just watched could compare to the drama and relief of watching Yang's character succeed when failure seemed like the inevitable outcome. Finally, after an hour of playing, she seemed to notice the time.

"Oh, wow, it got late!"

Checking his watch, the Faunus winced slightly. Thankfully, he had a late class tomorrow, so sleep wasn't a huge priority. "Yeah, it did. You think they're still... ya know?"

He bit down on the urge to make a joke about Blake's stamina- Yang would probably find it funny but, if word ever got back to her that he'd said it, the cat Faunus probably wouldn't be as amused- as the blonde shook her head. "Nah, the room's open. And I've got an early morning class, too."

"I'm sorry," he said, collecting the controller from her and grabbing the game cases while she got her stuff together. "You gonna get enough sleep?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine, don't sweat it." She smiled, lifting the strap onto her shoulder. "Not my first late nighter."

He figured she'd head to her room, so he went over to the console and pulled out the disc, putting it into the movie case for the time being. He'd switch them all back later- or not, considering half his games weren't in the proper case and he'd gotten used to keeping mental track of what was where- and powered down the television.

"Hey, Sun." Surprised, he turned around, finding she hadn't left the room after all. Instead, she stood by the couch, with a smile that reached all the way to those sparkling eyes. "Thanks for this. It was nice hanging out with you."

"You too, Yang," he replied, beaming. "Just let me know the next time you get kicked out of your room. We can watch some movies, play some games- heck, if I can find another TV somewhere, we can play the co-op!"

She raised a brow, tilting her head slightly. "I thought you said it was shit?"

"Well, yeah, but we'll make it work."

"That sounds awesome." Yang started to turn away before stopping suddenly, snapping her fingers. "Oh! Before I forget, did you... still want that cherry?"

Sun shrugged. "Sure."

He didn't think much of it- maybe she had a cherry flavored candy or something in her bag- but then she walked over and...

And, then... she kissed him.

Full on the lips, lasting more than a few seconds, she kissed him.

He could hardly believe it, blinking in slight disbelief as Yang straightened up and winked. "Hope that was sweet enough for you."

"Yep." The word left his mouth automatically, something lodged in his brain preventing any cognitive thought from processing. "Perfect!"

"I'll catch you around." Just like that, she was gone, with a flick of golden hair as she turned and went down the hallway.

He just stood there, in the middle of the lounge, so surprised and so... just... kinda overwhelmed? Yeah, that was it; he'd come out, expecting to spend a night watching a movie and giving his friend some privacy and, lo and behold, he got to spend a few hours with a pretty awesome person! And she kissed him to boot!

"Heya, Sun, buddy... are you alright?"

Snapping out of his daze, the Faunus looked over to see Neptune standing just inside the lounge, one blue brow raised up in askance. "Heh, yeah! I'm... I'm fantastic!"

His roommate didn't seem entirely convinced. "Are you sure? Because I've been standing here for, like, ten minutes, and you've been staring at the wall for at least that long."

Shaking his head slightly, the Faunus checked his watch again and, sure enough, at least twenty minutes had passed since Yang had left. "Wha- huh, I, uh, well..." He trailed off, another moment passing before he started grinning. "Man, you're not going to believe this."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Neptune gave him a wry grin. "Try me."

"I got to hang out with Yang! Yang Xiao Long." He started pacing, throwing the cases onto the couch so his hands could be free to gesticulate. "We were waiting for Blake and her girlfriend to- well, you know, and so we watched a movie- which was good, totally recommend it- and then we played some games, and we shared a banana split, and oh!" He stopped, quickly spinning around to grab his friend by the lapels of his jacket, smiling so wide his cheeks hurt. "She kissed me!"

Although apparently amused by the previous display, the last declaration drew a skeptical look from his roommate. "She kissed you."

Sun nodded. "Yep!"

Very deliberately, Neptune reached up and disengaged the Faunus' hands from the fabric of his jacket, releasing his wrists a moment later to smooth out the material. Then, he seemed to register what his friend had said, brows furrowing slightly.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. Yang Xiao Long, the Bombshell Blonde, the one that every guy, gal, and non-binary pal on this entire campus would like to just talk to one-on-one, she kissed you at the end of what most people would call a date, correct?" Sun opened his mouth to correct that last portion but, on reflection... it kinda was a date, wasn't it? Not one either of them had planned, but... yeah. That pretty much constituted a date, and it definitely ranked as the best he'd ever been on, especially since he was finding it difficult to come up with a runner-up, so he nodded. "Well, did you get her number?"

"Uh... no?"

Neptune sighed theatrically. "Sun, you silly, useless heterosexual. What am I going to do with you?"

"Hey, man, it might've just been a one time thing!" He defended himself, setting his hands on his hips and frowning at his friend. "I mean, I offered for us to hang out again, but, ya know. This time was just because her room was occupied. And-"

Before he could continue, a finger was placed against his lips, effectively shushing him as Neptune pulled out his scroll and flicked it open. "Uh huh, okay, in the interest of saving all of us some headaches, we're going to just stand right here for a moment."

Sun furrowed his brows. "Why? Dude, it's not like-" At the pointed look he received, he dropped his objection, shifting his weight and tapping his fingers against his jeans while they stood there, waiting for... something. A few minutes later, the echo of the ground level door closing dully bounded up the stairwell, followed shortly by the door on their level opening. Almost immediately, the Faunus felt... entirely confused. "Hey... Blake... and... Weiss?"

He recognized Blake- of course he did- but he couldn't really believe he also knew the woman with her. They'd met once before- when she'd lectured him for twenty minutes about watching where he was going, all because he'd accidentally knocked her books out of her arms when trying to not be late for a class- and she had a bit of a reputation beyond that. One didn't carry her surname without having a few... ideologies attached. Most of which didn't bode well for Faunus but, given how particular Blake was in regards to the company she kept, he was willing to at least find out what she was doing here.

"Hey, Sun. I guess you've never been properly introduced." The other Faunus gave him a happy smile, sliding an arm around the woman's waist in an instantly recognizable gesture, lending even more credence to the next words out of her mouth. "This is Weiss Schnee, my girlfriend."

... huh.

"We've met before, though under... less than ideal circumstances, shall we say?" Though couldn't seem to hide the slight note of disdain in her voice, the woman did offer him a rather sincere looking smile as she extended her hand. "I'm... sorry about that, by the by, and I'm sure you're not interested in the excuses but I assure you our previous meeting was... poorly timed. It's nice to meet you properly, regardless. Blake says you're both very good friends."

"Yeah!" He quickly grabbed her hand, wincing at how hard he'd squeezed and preparing to apologize when she met him force-for-force and damn she had a helluva grip. "It's, uh, nice to meet you too, formally I mean... although... um..." Shifting a bit, Sun reached up to scratch the back of his head as he tried to word his question just right even as it left his lips. "Just kinda curious... when did you two walk past me? I thought you were, ya know, still in the room..."

At first, Blake quirked a brow, but then her eyes widened slightly as it must've dawned on her that, even though his hearing wasn't as sensitive as hers, that didn't mean he hadn't been aware of what happened in her room more nights than not.

"You and Yang were entirely engrossed in that fighting game." Unaware of her girlfriend's realization, Weiss spoke with a slight chiding inflection to her tone. "We thought it would be better to leave quietly, though you should probably be more mindful of your surroundings in the future. Then again, that does seem to be a recurring issue..."

"I texted Yang to let her know we were heading out." Apparently resolving to address what the monkey Faunus knew at a later time, Blake tilted her head to the side in clear curiosity. "She didn't mention it?"

Sun slowly shook his head.

"Of course she didn't, because, dude." Neptune announced while taking a firm hold of his shoulder, blue eyes boring into his. "I'm pretty sure she's into you."

He couldn't help but blink. "Whoa."

Author’s Note: I’m considering doing a companion set to these three from the other partner’s POV. Haven’t decided if they’ll be set shortly after these three- to kinda tell the other half of the story from those presented- or further down the line as a glimpse of how the relationships have progressed (even though I’ve been telling the Monochrome one in the background the whole time lmao could not resist) but I’ll figure it out eventually. Trying to clear out my backlog of prompts. Once again, sorry these have taken so long!

#TRR writes #SolarFlare #Expectations College AU

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tumblunni · 8 years ago

Photo

Oh that’s cute! The title screen has a random chance of switching between the two different ‘masks’ of the characters each time you boot it up!

Okay I’m gonna start a bloggin’ my comments as I play this game! Woo!

Wow, a quick travel menu between checkpoints in the story is incredibly useful for multiple ending visual novels! I’m surprised I’ve never seen one do it before! Tho its a lil silly the game shows it the first time you boot it up.

Also, randomly, just gotta say that I really like the protagonist’s human form design! The colourscheme is a nice unusual one that just caught my eye immediately, and I like the little dot pattern accessories. Feels very vintage shoujo even if the art style isnt.

I... dont really like her catgirl form as much though. It just feels like the most generic catgirl ever and she even loses her colourscheme, she’s just this more muted version and doesnt have blue hair anymore even?? Like wow, human = non human hair, catgirl = actually plausable albino??? Also its weird that she de-ages when her ears pop out, wtf. I am neeeeeevr gonna be a fan of the stupid ‘looks like a child but she isnt a child so its somehow okay’ anime cliche. Thats what made me worry this was gonna be ecchi when i first saw the screenshots on steam, this design choice is kinda disproportionately used in That Kind Of Dating Game. And catgirls already have a bit of a bad reputation in that sense too :P Also from what little I know about this via the steam description and reviews, it seems somehow her personality changes when she transforms, so she even ACTS more like an actual child.. man why so weird yo... I just hope that none of these red flags come true and I’m just worrying for nothing!

OH. YEAH. WHAT THE GAME IS ABOUT. If I’m gonna do more detailed posts of my Game Excitements, then I may as well give some context first! According to the store description, the protagonist is a seemingly-human girl who suddenly discovers she has latent catgirl powers on her 18th birthday or something? And her love interest has a secret identity too, there’s something about him being a royal guard but acting less serious and more goofy when he’s around her. And that sounds pretty cute actually. And you have multiple routes about embracing your new beast-person powers or trying to become human for real, which is a nice sort of plot that you wouldnt expect. I just hope it lives up to my expectations!

.... every time a catgirl actually says “nya”, it lowers my expectations. Please game, I believe in you, please dont be awful!

Shoutout to my BFF’s pet cat, yo!

Expectations.. plummetting... oh god... the voiceacting how do i turn it off oh god if its gonna be like THAT the whole time i cant stand Generic Anime Voice #5 screeching NYAAAA at the end of each line, holy fuck...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjY3eM7Ta7A Okay, the intro actually is quite cute, even though its just clipart bouncing around. But umm.. the starting text lowers my expectations a bit more, urp... Like.. uhh.. geez... I really do not like the odd trope of ‘but I thought you were just like a brother to me and then we fell in love’. Or rather I dont like how its weirdly common that this is the ONLY way childhood romances are presented in anime, and how like.. its so.. frequent that plots have ‘but its LIKE incest even though it isnt’ as something that just has to be mentioned.. often..?? I dont get it yo. Obviously this isnt actually incest, but it just weirds me out how a game would want to mention incest when it isnt?? As if it would somehow add appeal or something?? Am I overreacting? I mean.. like.. the only other explanation I can think of for why childhood romances in anime are ALWAYS ‘but we were just like siblings’ is that like.. the writers have zero experience with the concept of men and women being friends. Which I could kinda assume already from how this weird angst always has to happen whenever friends fall in love in anime, geez. It always has to be BUT I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS AND WE CANNOT BE FRIENDS NOW WE ARE DATING AND MY FEELINGS WERE ALWAYS LOVE AND NEVER FRIENDSHIP OF COURSE, BLABLABLA. And how if the love isnt recipricated then they almost never get to stay friends afterwards?? And just like.. really.. how EVERY male-female childhood friendship is always ‘we were like siblings’ as an excuse to not really write them being friends?? Its like thats the only excuse they can think of for why a man wouldnt wanna fuck a woman, and EVEN THEN they have to be wrong about their feelings and fuck in the end anyway. This kind of attitude is probably what leads to the sexualization of actual sibling relationships even, and the attitude that rape is inevitable if an attractive woman just EXISTS, and how rape cant happen to men because its just natural any man would want to fuck any woman at any time.... ANYWAY This isnt a criticism of this game (yet), since I havent even played far enough to find out if it does any of this stuff. This is just a vent about how I’ve seen this bullshit happen in a lot of other anime and anime-styled dating sims, and why now I get wary whenever I see a hint of it.

SO YEAH not very high expectations yet, alas which is a shame cos I was pretty excited when i booted it up and now im like BRACE FOR ANIME CLICHES AHOY pretty much describes my first playthrough of FE Awakening too, and I ended up liking that overall even though I had complaints. so I’ll hope for a repeat performance!

ANYWAY now is time to actually get into playing the game, and come back when I have some stuff to say~! I just figured making a post of my initial reactions and speculations and stuff would be fun! Also I didnt expect to be reminded of a rant about anime cliches and waste so much text space on that, lol

BONUS: i like to pronounce the acronym as ‘huhtuhtuhtoym’

#bunni plays httoym

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albertcaldwellne · 8 years ago

Text

Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

First, I was blown away by your reader comments on the last Better Than Ever post. Thank you for taking the time to read, share your stories and provide tips to help other MFPers! Second, because of your comments, I decided to take this month to provide thought starters for those of you who expressed losing a bit of steam when it comes to starting a workout program or staying on top of your current plan.

Fact: I used to despise working out.

There were points when I literally dreaded exercise; times when I had not only fallen off the wagon, but it backed up and rolled over me.

Regardless of the cause: a new relationship, new job, injury, life — the list goes on. It can be hard to get in the groove.

Initiating a workout regime is pretty daunting. If you’ve never gotten into a routine to begin with, or have fallen off, you know exercise can be awkward, annoying and seemingly unapproachable. It can also be a little embarrassing: How did I let myself get so out of shape … again? Are people judging me?

We’ve all been there. You walk into the gym, and it can be intimidating because everyone looks like they know what the heck they are doing. But, remind yourself: At one point that jacked guy on the rowing machine also didn’t even know where the water fountain was. He had to figure it out and you can, too.

For context, I now exercise religiously — 5–6 times a week — and I actually enjoy it.

Whaaaaat?!

True, I still don’t wake up most days daydreaming about the elliptical machine, but I do dream about that feeling after the workout.

My advice to you is: Instead of putting energy into dreaming up excuses, think about what you love about exercising, and use that for confidence and motivation when your will is running low.

READ MORE > ARE YOU AN ATHLETE?

Here are six go-to motivators (aka why I workout):

1. ENJOYING FELLOWSHIP

Rally a friend (or two) to be your accountabilibuddy and get started. There have been times when I’ve only made it to a workout because I didn’t want to let my friend down. I have two separate groups of Under Armour teammates (that’s UA speak for “coworkers”) who I work out with for support and fun. There’s nothing like taking on a physical challenge to bring you closer together.

I also have some of my funniest life moments because of shared workout experiences, like the time my friend Georgette walked out halfway through a megaformer class, and we found her at a subterranean bar next door drinking tequila (still in gym clothes)!

2. HAVING A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

There’s nothing more motivating than seeing progress and accomplishing your goals. It’s gratifying to improve and be able to do more over time. Whether it’s sliding the pin in the weight machine to the heavier weight, bumping up the incline on the treadmill or adding an extra lap around the block after dinner. It’s exciting to see (and feel) your body taking on more. Start by writing down your exercise goals and create realistic milestones to accomplish them.

3. FITTING INTO CLOTHES

If you’ve ever gained or lost weight, you know that getting dressed in the morning can be a struggle (I’ve had sizes 6–16 in my closet at the same time before … sigh). The other day a coworker stopped by my desk and asked me what I was training for because he saw me going pretty hard in the gym. I responded with “I just want to continue to fit into my clothes.” We both laughed out loud, but it’s true! I love food, I love cooking, I love eating — and with all of that comes calories, which is OK as long as I’m strategic. Personally, if I don’t stay on track with my meal logging on MyFitnessPal or I start skipping workouts, I notice the difference pretty fast — my body just rebels against my wardrobe. Quickly.

READ MORE > OK. YOU GAINED WEIGHT. THESE 5 TIPS WILL GET YOU BACK ON TRACK

4. FINDING THE HAPPY PLACE

Studies show that the post-workout high is a real thing. You feel better. You’ll be proud you took the time to invest in yourself. A single workout can help clear your head so you can face whatever is causing stress with a better outlook. I often walk away from a sweat session with my focus reset and a forward-looking perspective.

If I miss a workout, my drive dips, and I’m in a general funk. There have been countless occasions when I’ve laid in bed at night and regretted not finding time for a workout. On the other hand, I have never regretted working out.

In need of some moves? These stress busting stretches are great for a beginner, can increase your flexibility, ease soreness and get you ready to get back in the game (with no equipment required).

5. TREATING YOURSELF

Recognize what motivates you and incorporate it into your reward for hitting an exercise goal. You could treat yourself by trying a new recipe on MFP (I usually make extra and save it for lunch later in the week.) Or reward yourself with a splurge: there have been occasions when thinking about that post-workout burger has fueled me through the workout. A rest day can also be a necessary reward to incorporate into your routine. You’ve got to create time for self-care.

6. BECAUSE YOU CAN

If you’ve overcome an illness, injury or anything that prevented you from working out, you know what it feels like to be unable to push yourself physically — it’s frustrating and can be depressing. But that experience can also give you a greater appreciation for your health and strength. Considering there were years when I spent more days on crutches than my feet (due to knee injuries), I often think about how grateful I am to even have the option to exercise and that’s enough to get me moving.

I know I’m not in the best shape of my life (shoutout to my 17 year-old self), but I’m putting in the effort to improve. And you know what? I feel better than ever about the progress I’ve made and what my body can accomplish. It’s a phenomenal feeling.

So while you might not enjoy working out right now, hopefully these six motivators will help get you on track.

Are you struggling to find a workout routine you can enjoy? Do you genuinely enjoy working out (which is awesome!)? How do you motivate yourself to exercise? What’s your “happy” workout place? Share your tips below! I (along with the rest of the MFP community) look forward to hearing from you!

Better Than Ever

We all strive for wellness and to live better! Every month, this column will bring you advice on how to feel and perform Better Than Ever. Check out tips to improve various aspects of your health: Everything from fitness, nutrition, sleep and recovery. Have a topic you want to hear about? Feel free to reach out here (I’ll be checking the comments!) or on Twitter or Instagram. I look forward to hearing from you!

GEAR UP FOR YOUR NEXT WORKOUT

> Men’s Workout Clothes > Women’s Workout Clothes > All Workout Clothes

The post Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2pqCj6c

#Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

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almajonesnjna · 8 years ago

Text

Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

Fact: I used to despise working out.

There were points when I literally dreaded exercise; times when I had not only fallen off the wagon, but it backed up and rolled over me.

Regardless of the cause: a new relationship, new job, injury, life — the list goes on. It can be hard to get in the groove.

For context, I now exercise religiously — 5–6 times a week — and I actually enjoy it.

Whaaaaat?!

True, I still don’t wake up most days daydreaming about the elliptical machine, but I do dream about that feeling after the workout.

My advice to you is: Instead of putting energy into dreaming up excuses, think about what you love about exercising, and use that for confidence and motivation when your will is running low.

READ MORE > ARE YOU AN ATHLETE?

Here are six go-to motivators (aka why I workout):

1. ENJOYING FELLOWSHIP

2. HAVING A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

3. FITTING INTO CLOTHES

READ MORE > OK. YOU GAINED WEIGHT. THESE 5 TIPS WILL GET YOU BACK ON TRACK

4. FINDING THE HAPPY PLACE

In need of some moves? These stress busting stretches are great for a beginner, can increase your flexibility, ease soreness and get you ready to get back in the game (with no equipment required).

5. TREATING YOURSELF

6. BECAUSE YOU CAN

So while you might not enjoy working out right now, hopefully these six motivators will help get you on track.

Better Than Ever

GEAR UP FOR YOUR NEXT WORKOUT

> Men’s Workout Clothes > Women’s Workout Clothes > All Workout Clothes

The post Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2pqCj6c

#Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

0 notes

ruthellisneda · 8 years ago

Text

Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

Fact: I used to despise working out.

There were points when I literally dreaded exercise; times when I had not only fallen off the wagon, but it backed up and rolled over me.

Regardless of the cause: a new relationship, new job, injury, life — the list goes on. It can be hard to get in the groove.

For context, I now exercise religiously — 5–6 times a week — and I actually enjoy it.

Whaaaaat?!

True, I still don’t wake up most days daydreaming about the elliptical machine, but I do dream about that feeling after the workout.

My advice to you is: Instead of putting energy into dreaming up excuses, think about what you love about exercising, and use that for confidence and motivation when your will is running low.

READ MORE > ARE YOU AN ATHLETE?

Here are six go-to motivators (aka why I workout):

1. ENJOYING FELLOWSHIP

2. HAVING A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

3. FITTING INTO CLOTHES

READ MORE > OK. YOU GAINED WEIGHT. THESE 5 TIPS WILL GET YOU BACK ON TRACK

4. FINDING THE HAPPY PLACE

In need of some moves? These stress busting stretches are great for a beginner, can increase your flexibility, ease soreness and get you ready to get back in the game (with no equipment required).

5. TREATING YOURSELF

6. BECAUSE YOU CAN

So while you might not enjoy working out right now, hopefully these six motivators will help get you on track.

Better Than Ever

GEAR UP FOR YOUR NEXT WORKOUT

> Men’s Workout Clothes > Women’s Workout Clothes > All Workout Clothes

The post Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2pqCj6c

#Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

0 notes

joshuabradleyn · 8 years ago

Text

Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

Fact: I used to despise working out.

There were points when I literally dreaded exercise; times when I had not only fallen off the wagon, but it backed up and rolled over me.

Regardless of the cause: a new relationship, new job, injury, life — the list goes on. It can be hard to get in the groove.

For context, I now exercise religiously — 5–6 times a week — and I actually enjoy it.

Whaaaaat?!

True, I still don’t wake up most days daydreaming about the elliptical machine, but I do dream about that feeling after the workout.

My advice to you is: Instead of putting energy into dreaming up excuses, think about what you love about exercising, and use that for confidence and motivation when your will is running low.

READ MORE > ARE YOU AN ATHLETE?

Here are six go-to motivators (aka why I workout):

1. ENJOYING FELLOWSHIP

2. HAVING A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

3. FITTING INTO CLOTHES

READ MORE > OK. YOU GAINED WEIGHT. THESE 5 TIPS WILL GET YOU BACK ON TRACK

4. FINDING THE HAPPY PLACE

In need of some moves? These stress busting stretches are great for a beginner, can increase your flexibility, ease soreness and get you ready to get back in the game (with no equipment required).

5. TREATING YOURSELF

6. BECAUSE YOU CAN

So while you might not enjoy working out right now, hopefully these six motivators will help get you on track.

Better Than Ever

GEAR UP FOR YOUR NEXT WORKOUT

> Men’s Workout Clothes > Women’s Workout Clothes > All Workout Clothes

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#Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

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neilmillerne · 8 years ago

Text

Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

Fact: I used to despise working out.

There were points when I literally dreaded exercise; times when I had not only fallen off the wagon, but it backed up and rolled over me.

Regardless of the cause: a new relationship, new job, injury, life — the list goes on. It can be hard to get in the groove.

For context, I now exercise religiously — 5–6 times a week — and I actually enjoy it.

Whaaaaat?!

True, I still don’t wake up most days daydreaming about the elliptical machine, but I do dream about that feeling after the workout.

My advice to you is: Instead of putting energy into dreaming up excuses, think about what you love about exercising, and use that for confidence and motivation when your will is running low.

READ MORE > ARE YOU AN ATHLETE?

Here are six go-to motivators (aka why I workout):

1. ENJOYING FELLOWSHIP

2. HAVING A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

3. FITTING INTO CLOTHES

READ MORE > OK. YOU GAINED WEIGHT. THESE 5 TIPS WILL GET YOU BACK ON TRACK

4. FINDING THE HAPPY PLACE

In need of some moves? These stress busting stretches are great for a beginner, can increase your flexibility, ease soreness and get you ready to get back in the game (with no equipment required).

5. TREATING YOURSELF

6. BECAUSE YOU CAN

So while you might not enjoy working out right now, hopefully these six motivators will help get you on track.

Better Than Ever

GEAR UP FOR YOUR NEXT WORKOUT

> Men’s Workout Clothes > Women’s Workout Clothes > All Workout Clothes

The post Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2pqCj6c

#Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

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johnclapperne · 8 years ago

Text

Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

Fact: I used to despise working out.

There were points when I literally dreaded exercise; times when I had not only fallen off the wagon, but it backed up and rolled over me.

Regardless of the cause: a new relationship, new job, injury, life — the list goes on. It can be hard to get in the groove.

For context, I now exercise religiously — 5–6 times a week — and I actually enjoy it.

Whaaaaat?!

True, I still don’t wake up most days daydreaming about the elliptical machine, but I do dream about that feeling after the workout.

My advice to you is: Instead of putting energy into dreaming up excuses, think about what you love about exercising, and use that for confidence and motivation when your will is running low.

READ MORE > ARE YOU AN ATHLETE?

Here are six go-to motivators (aka why I workout):

1. ENJOYING FELLOWSHIP

2. HAVING A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

3. FITTING INTO CLOTHES

READ MORE > OK. YOU GAINED WEIGHT. THESE 5 TIPS WILL GET YOU BACK ON TRACK

4. FINDING THE HAPPY PLACE

In need of some moves? These stress busting stretches are great for a beginner, can increase your flexibility, ease soreness and get you ready to get back in the game (with no equipment required).

5. TREATING YOURSELF

6. BECAUSE YOU CAN

So while you might not enjoy working out right now, hopefully these six motivators will help get you on track.

Better Than Ever

GEAR UP FOR YOUR NEXT WORKOUT

> Men’s Workout Clothes > Women’s Workout Clothes > All Workout Clothes

The post Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate appeared first on Under Armour.

http://ift.tt/2pqCj6c

#Don’t Like to Exercise? Here Are 6 Ways to Motivate

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daleisgreat · 8 years ago

Text

Top 10 and Worst 5 Films of 2014 through 2016

I meant to do this last year, but completely neglected it. When I ran my old podcast, one episode a year, my friends Matt, Jay and I would host our annual best and worst movies of the year episode. We did three installments for films that hit in 2011-2013. The podcast is not around anymore so I have not done it since, but I still have been keeping Word documents on my computer with a list of all the movies I saw each year and constantly update my top 10 and worst 5 rankings of the year. I meant to post the best and worst of 2015 as a blog, but as I said it just slipped past me and I will make up for it now with a triple best and worst list for 2014 through 2016. I had a whole extra year to catch up on Netflix and VUDU on 2014 and 2015 releases I missed so I have seen about 20% more films than I did than 2016. So hopefully that will excuse any glaring omissions that did not make my rankings. That said, I am still feeling pretty good about my 2016 list and there were only a handful of films that slipped by me that I have not seen yet. Movies linked on the lists will take you to my review of the film if you want to see my expanded thoughts on the film. One last thing before the lists, I want to give a shoutout to one of my favorite film critics, Scott Sawitz! I have discussed movies, wrestling and a ton more with Scott for well over a decade and have had the pleasure of having him guest host on my aforementioned podcast several times. I have always been a fan of his reviews and weekly column, Monday Morning Critic, over at Inside Pulse. His latest column is his annual top 10 films of the year I always look forward to. Scott has a twist on his rankings this year because he has been putting a ton of work into his weekly YouTube series, Confessions of a Super-Hero, weekly bite-sized episodic viewing all about what super-heroes do in their off-duty downtime. If you have a moment, please check it out! Now, onto the lists! 2014 TOP 10 10) Wild 9) Nightcrawler 8) Gone Girl 7) Equalizer/John Wick 6) Imitation Game 5) Interstellar 4) Guardians of the Galaxy 3) Whiplash 2) Captain America: The Winter Soldier 1) Boyhood Best Documentary – Life Itself

The two comic book films on the list ranked high with Marvel having a stellar year. Guardians surprised me because the concept just seemed impossible to pull off in live action with an animated tree and talking raccoon, but somehow Marvel did it and it kicked all kinds of ass. Winter Soldier was an awesome modern day follow up to The First Avenger. I seem to be in the minority of people when discussing Interstellar, and while I would rank it a notch or two under other non-Batman Christopher Nolan classics like Inception, I still very much enjoyed it that it made it into the midst of my top 10. Life Itself is an excellent documentary all about Roger Ebert in his final days as it documents his and Gene Siskel’s breakout rise as the go to film critics of the nation. Wild hit all the right nerves for me on Cheryl Strayed’s arduous journey of self-discovery. Nightcrawler shocked me at the lengths Gyllenhaal went to get the ultimate creep-o look down and his convincing transition from wannabe ripoff artist to the quintessential conman. I was expecting Equalizer to be a by-the-numbers action flick, but Denzel Washington proved me wrong by adding on many layers to it, and it is bizarre how John Wick came out within weeks of it and both were nearly identical plots, but both delivered in their own unique way. John Wick also gets my dubious award for best ever Kevin Nash cameo. Finally, props to Richard Linklater for delivering on his film that was literally 12 years in the making with Boyhood. Linklater is a risk taker with his ambitious projects, and he knocked another one out of the park with Boyhood getting my vote as best film of 2014. 2014 WORST 5 5) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4) Tekken 2 3) Pro-Wrestling Zombies 2) Amazing Spider-Man 2 1) Transformers: Rise of the Fallen 2014 saw many terrible films, I actually had nearly 10 films as being ‘worst 5-calibur’ material. The TMNT remake had a few bright spots and scene-saving moments from Will Arnett, but he alone could not save a film with so many gut-wrenching jokes and awful retconning of the TMNT lore I grew up with. I actually dug the first Tekken film as a kind of solid nonsense fighting tournament movie that was kind of faithful to the source material ala Mortal Kombat, but the sequel was this awful attempt at a mafia-crime-mystery-drama that failed on all levels. Pro-Wrestling Zombies was a very low budget zombie slashing film starring Matt Hardy, Jim Duggan and Roddy Piper, but with these wrestling legends it was not even enjoyable in an ironic way like most zombie films, and was just flatout bad. Amazing Spider-Man 2 shocked me because I legitimately enjoyed the reboot, and thought this would be another easy follow up with most of the same cast and crew returning. However, Spider-Man and Electro both cast painful jokes and banter throughout that did not exist in the prior film, and there were countless groan inducing moments. The latest Transformers film outdid the straight-up bad humor and moments throughout the entire wreck of a film. Michael Bay somehow found a way to make it a nearly insurmountable task to get through. 2015 Top 10 10) Southpaw 9) Ant Man 8) The Martian 7) End of the Tour 6) Mad Max: Fury Road 5) Revenant 4) Creed 3) Steve Jobs 2) Spotlight 1) Hateful Eight Best Documentary – Tie: Electric Boogaloo & Winning: Racing Life of Paul Newman

Yeah, I like my feel good boxing/sports films as Jake Gyllenhaal shined again this year in Southpaw and Creed surpassed my expectations with its contemporary take on the Rocky franchise. While the lighthearted moments from Damon seemed a little forced, I still very much dug his Mars survival story, but not as much I got immersed into Dicaprio’s and Tom Hardy’s intense wilderness survival adventure that is The Revenant. Fury Road marked the first Mad Max movie I saw and the bombastic costumes initially had me raising an eyebrow, but once the heavy metal guitar semi-truck graced the screen in its infinite glory I instantly went on board with the film and never got off. I recently reviewed Steve Jobs, and if you recall I absolutely loved its use of creative license to tell a nonstop dialogue juggernaut of three big moments in Jobs’ life. Spotlight is the perfect way to tell a slow building mystery film where investigative journalists gradually picked away at their biggest scoop ever. Finally, I am biased towards Quentin Tarantino as I view the man as being one of the absolute best at dialogue in films, and he delivered once again with countless another excellent script and scenes that stole the show in The Hateful Eight. The setting worked perfectly and I was on my toes waiting to see which one of the eight was going to make the first move in a powdered keg filled with characters ready to burst. 2015 Worst 5 5) Fantastic Four 4) Jupiter Ascending 3) Chappie 2) Ted 2 1) Pixels

I was surprised at how bad Jupiter Ascending turned out to be, and did not expect Channing Tatum to be the only decent part of that film. After the dud that was Sucker Punch and now Jupiter Ascending, I am cutting myself off from all future Wachowski-directed films. I am a fan of District 9 and its director Neil Blomkamp and felt burned by his latest film, the insufferable Chappie in numerous ways. I was anticipating bad things from both Fantastic Four or Pixels, but part of me forced myself to go to see how awful they ultimately were. Fantastic Four was mostly drawn out and dull, and had some very head-scratching moments throughout. I cannot remember the last Adam Sandler film I legitimately liked, does the first half of Funny People count? Any marginal hopes of a semi-decent film were squashed the second Kevin James popped up on screen as the dopey president of the USA. Practically the entire film was bad, but I will at least give it minor props for some pretty good use of the videogame CG in the film. 2016 Top 10 10) Purge: Election Year 9) Deadpool 8) Star Trek: Beyond 7) 13 Hours: Secret Soldiers of Benghazi 6) Captain America: Civil War 5) Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice 4) Hacksaw Ridge 3) Sully 2) Fences 1) The Accountant Best Documentary – ESPN 30 for 30: The ’85 Bears

The last two Purge films have turned into guilty Halloween pleasures like the old Final Destination films. Election Year kept up the same gritty, over-the-top tone and pace as Anarchy Reigns before it. Deadpool surprised me at not being a dud, and far exceeded my expectations with tons of great jokes, dialogue, action and unapologetically aware 4th wall-breaking references throughout. It has been awhile since I got wrapped up in an intense R-rated war film, and 2016 had two of them with 13 Hours and Hacksaw Ridge that both get high recommendations from me. I am a wee bit of a Clint Eastwood fan, but I will give him and Tom Hanks righteous props on how they somehow made Sully’s heroic emergency plane landing into the Hudson River a thrilling feature length film. Some of you who saw the list are probably baffled at why I rank the controversial Dawn of Justice over the much-loved Civil War, but the two ranked so close together I just might change my answer if you ask me any day of the week. If I am splitting hairs I did not care for the shoehorned Spider-Man extended cameo, and his dialogue has me worried that Homecoming is going to be filled with an equal, if not worse script than Amazing Spider-Man 2. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis are sublime in Fences. The small, but mighty cast here delivered powerful performances, with Washington and Davis especially delivering in this dialogue-driven-tour-de-force about hard times for a family making ends meet in the 1950s. I did not know too much going into The Accountant other than it had what appeared to be a gimmick of an assassin with Autism. I could not have been more wrong as there is so much more going on with this film that it entertained me throughout its near two and a half hour runtime. Ben Affleck continues his streak of excellent performances, and I cannot wait to see how his upcoming solo version of The Batman turns out. Worst 5 2) Suicide Squad 1) Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

I have only seen two movies this year that qualify as “worst 5-caliber.” I could not get into Suicide Squad. The first third of the film played out like an extended trailer scored with worn out songs that I am use to only hearing off trailers. There were several WTF moments throughout, and add in the film felt compromised after audiences griped that Dawn of Justice was not lighthearted enough. DC/Warner Bros. responded by pasting in several post-production groan-worthy zingers that played more to the mainstream, but made me cringe. I am optimistic for the presumable sequel though, because I did dig Will Smith as Deadshot and Margot Robbie’s portrayal of fan favorite, Harley Quinn and I am even interested in what direction they take The Joker next. Halftime Walk usurped it as my worst film of the year however because of how unlikeable the cast is. About 20% of the film is war flashbacks that I actually liked, but the other 80% is the members of the military squad’s day being honored at a football game, and just being super dick-ish and incredibly un-empathetic throughout it. I know this is based off a book, but I do not know if something got lost in translation or if this was the desired vision of the film. Either way, it yields my worst of the year honors! Thanks for sticking with me rambling all this way, see you next year!

#random movie #top 10 #boyhood #transformers rise of the fallen #the hateful eight #pixels #accountant #billy lynn's long halftime walk #suicide squad #spotlight #captain america #fences

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