#so incredible and amazing to see it in theaters. so so so cool

[hopecomesbacktolife]

GUESS WHAT I GOT TO SEE IN THEATERS TONIGHT 🫶🏻

star wars prequels!! my beloved!!!

happy 25th anniversary of the phantom menace ♡

[archangeldyke-all]

riding plug sev in her car 😍😍🫠

PLEASE listen to this song it's sooooo plug sevika coded omg...

men and minors dni

"shit, it's pouring." sevika curses.

you're driving home from a late night movie, and the drizzle that started as you left the theater is now a torrential downpour.

"might be safest to just pull over and park until the storm rolls over, babe." you suggest.

sevika nods and throws her blinker on, pulling into a nearby park.

for a few minutes, the two of you sit, waiting for the rain to slow. but, after a while, it becomes clear that the storm's got nowhere to be.

you don't mind. the pair of you have nowhere to be either.

sevika sighs as she reclines in her seat, wordlessly pulling open her center console to grab a pre-roll-- always looking for a minute to slow down and smoke with you.

you giggle, flicking the headlights and wipers off, turning the radio up a bit, then holding your hands around the lighter to keep the a/c from blowing the joint out as your girl lights it.

"did you like the movie?" you ask with a fond smile.

sevika grins around the joint.

it was some obscure sci-fi flick, you had no idea what was going on half the time, but sevika had read the books that went along with the movie earlier in the year, and she'd been talking non-stop about it since. you spent most of the movie just watching your girlfriend wiggle in her seat as she nerded out.

"it was amazing. the casting choices were ridiculous, but the soundtrack was incredible, and the special effects were amazing! the scene where commander gorzo gets infected with the virus was so gory and nasty-- that black goo they used was just like in the book, it was perfect!"

you smile. "you're fucking adorable."

sevika blushes, hands you the joint, and tries to hide her pretty smile behind her hand.

you laugh and take a hit, before unbuckling your seat belt and reaching across the console to grab her shoulder. "take this." you say, handing her the joint.

sevika puts the joint in her mouth, takes a long hit, and then chokes in surprise when you crawl into her lap, straddling her legs.

"wha?" she asks through a cough.

you smile, let her catch her breath, then lean forward and press your mouth to hers. sevika melts into her seat and her free hand reaches out to wrap around your waist.

you pull away to gasp for air, and sevika blinks up at you with big, sparkly eyes. "what was that for?" she asks, her thumb sliding under your shirt to rub circles in your hips. you giggle.

"it's really cute seeing you be all nerdy. i was so convinced you were all cool and suave all the time-- but now i know better." you tease. sevika huffs and leans forward to bury her face in your tits.

"shut up."

"no, babe, i love it. i love you. love that i get to see you all sweet and excited."

sevika doesn't respond. she just reaches up and pushes the joint into your mouth to get you to shut up. you giggle, scratching her scalp where her head rests against your chest.

for a few minutes, you just cuddle like that, passing the joint back and forth and becoming more and more relaxed as the weed, the sound of the rain, and the low music on the radio lull you and sevika into a hazy state of relaxation.

then, sevika bursts into giggles.

"what?" you ask. sevika just continues to laugh, grinning up at you. "what's so funny, baby?"

"i just remembered..." she leans forward a bit, her grip on your waist tightening to keep you upright as she fumbles around in the glove box.

"what're you looking for? snacks?"

"this." sevika cackles as she hands you her treasure. you burst into laughter when sevika shows you the little silky pouch that you use to store your dildos when you're traveling.

"when'd you stash this in here?!" you ask, opening the bag with a snort and pulling out the harness and cock.

"few weeks ago." she says with a giggle.

"you're a genius." you laugh, kissing sevika's cheek.

it takes a while for the two of you to untangle enough for sevika to get the harness on, constant giggle fits breaking out between the pair of you, but eventually you figure it out, hiking your skirt up and sliding your panties to the side before you sink down on sevika.

you both sigh in relief as you adjust to the stretch of her. sevika's kissing up and down your neck, fiddling with your bra clasps under your shirt as she patiently waits for you. "you feel so good." sevika sighs.

you chuckle. "not as good as you." you sigh. sevika snorts, smacks your ass, then reaches into the center console again, pulling out another joint. you burst into giggles.

"go ahead 'n ride me baby, i'm just gonna smoke and enjoy the view." sevika sighs as she sits back in her seat, sparking up.

fuck, there's the cool sevika you were talking about earlier. her eyes are dark and predatory as she waits for you to follow her instructions, and you shiver as you start to grind slowly on her lap.

"there you go, baby." she sighs, smiling. "fuck, take your shirt off i wanna see your tits." you scramble to follow her directions, flinging your shirt into the back seat and your bra on the dashboard. sevika groans when you're revealed to her, the cherry of her joint illuminating you in a red-gold glow.

she reaches out with her free hand to pinch your nipples and you huff, smacking her hands away. she smirks. "adorable."

"sevika." you moan as you start to pick your pace up a bit, bouncing on her lap. she holds the joint to your lips, lets you take a quick hit before pulling it away.

"there you go, love. just feel good for me. love watchin' you like this-- fuck, you're so pretty when you're stuffed full'a my cock." she sighs.

you duck forward and press your lips to sevika's in a sloppy kiss, shutting her up before her words make you cum two minutes into getting her inside of you. it's a sticky, drooly mess-- your lip gloss and spit making sevika's chin shiny whne you pull away.

her eyes cross a bit as she watches a string of spit stretch between your lower lips, and she claws at your ass when it finally breaks and lands on your tits. "you're so fuckin' hot." sevika growls, ducking forward to start sucking a hickey into your throat. she's abandoned the joint, letting it smoke out in the cupholder beside her. "can't believe you're mine. 'm so fuckin' lucky-- can't believe you watched that whole movie with me babe, it was like four hours." sevika chuckles.

you giggle and tug her hair. "i'd do a whole lot more for you, baby." you say. sevika shivers, and you tug her hair a little more. "y'know that right?"

"fuck, yes." sev whines against your throat. "fuck. you're soaking my pants, baby, look." sevika grabs your wrist and drags your hand down to her pants, where you're soaking the base of her cock and the fabric beneath it. you whimper.

"s-sorry."

"don't be fuckin' sorry, i love it. wish i could wear your cum in public, baby-- show everybody you're mine all the time."

you gasp, your thighs starting to shake. sevika takes over for you, both her hands on your ass, pulling you up and down on her cock.

the squelching noise of your cunt starts to drown out the rain and music, your squeaks and moans getting louder and louder as sevika sinks further down in her seat, props one foot up on the dash, and starts fucking into you from underneath you.

"sevika!" you scream. "sevika, shit, there, baby, there!" you cry.

"fuck, baby, cum on my dick, give it to me, baby, give it to me." she spits on two of her fingers and starts rubbing your clit in harsh little circles as you start to fall apart on top of her.

"se-sevika!" you cry. "i'm gonna--"

"fucking cum." sevika growls as you squirt on her dick, soaking her lap completely. "fuck, baby, just like that, there you go baby, my perfect fuckin' girl--"

"s-sev." you sob.

sevika pulls you forward with a hand on your jaw, shoving her tongue down your throat as you gasp for air. "fuckin' love you." she whispers against your lips. "love you so much, baby, fuck, you taste like strawberries."

this makes you giggle. "'s my lipgloss."

"fuckin' love it. bet your pussy tastes like strawberries too. gonna let me try?" she asks, smacking your ass. you laugh.

"maybe when we get home."

"mmm. but it's still raining and we won't be home forever..." sevika pouts. you just reach out blindly for the joint in the cupholder, shoving it in your girlfriend's chest as you try to catch your breath.

"fuckin'-- suck on this for now." you sigh.

sevika laughs so hard she snorts.

taglist!

@fyeahnix @lavendersgirl @half-of-a-gay @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner

@shimtarofstupidity @chuucanchuucan @badbye666 @femme-historian @lia-winther

@ellsss @sevikaspillowprincess @emiliabby @sevikasbeloved @hellorai

@glass-apothecary @macaroni676 @artinvain @k3n-dyll @sevsdollette

@ellieslob @xayn-xd @keikuahh @maneskinwh0re @raphaellearp

@iamastar @sevikitty @claude999 @nhaaauyen

[deconstructthesoup]

One thing I really liked about the Scott Pilgrim anime is that Gideon is the only one who remained evil.

Yeah, he got a depression arc, and he got a girlfriend who's scary enough to not take his shit and for him to actually respect her, but he's still evil. He still fully intended to blow up a theater to get back at someone. He got his CEO position back, and we all know that that's only an opportunity for him to be more evil. And if the end credits scene is to go off of, he's got plans.

But the other exes? They got closure. They got character development. They got to move forward. Because they honestly... weren't that bad.

Matthew Patel, who had the biggest glowup, was literally just a middle school thing. Yeah, Ramona ditched him and was kind of sucky, but it probably wouldn't have lasted anyway. And like she said, he didn't really get "evil" until high school, and by then he'd already moved.

Lucas Lee? Maybe he had some mild toxic tendencies when he and Ramona dated, but from what he saw, he was actually pretty sweet during their relationship. In the comics, he's honestly the most reasonable of the exes, deciding to actually have a chat with Scott before Scott convinces him to grind to death. And he didn't do anything to Ramona to make her break up with him---she just dumped him for Todd.

Todd Ingram, while being a little bit obsessive---and based on the comics and the anime, a compulsive cheater---didn't seem that horrible when they were dating, either, unless you count the "punch the hole in the moon" thing. He and Ramona broke up because of a long-distance thing. She went off to college, he went back to Envy. Bit of a douche? Yeah. Actively horrible to her? Not really, honestly.

Roxie Richter, our incredible half-ninja lesbian, is arguably the best out of Ramona's exes. She and Ramona had a genuinely healthy relationship, they actually got along great, and Roxie deeply cared about her... and Ramona straight-up broke her heart. When you look at it, Roxie really is the only ex who fully did nothing wrong. No erratic tendencies that caused Ramona to decide to cut her out, no behaviors that Ramona probably knew would become problematic unless she split. Roxie was sweet, she was Ramona's bi awakening... and Ramona didn't like her as much as Roxie liked her. The whole situation was just mass miscommunication, and it's totally understandable why Roxie is still bitter down the line. Unlike with the others, Ramona's fully in the wrong, which is why they need to reconcile first.

Kyle and Ken---okay, in the comics, they were amazing villains, and it's kind of a crime that they keep getting shafted, but honestly... I get it. Their relationship with Ramona wasn't actually that complicated. They were players, she played them back, they resented her for it until they got over it. Of course they're the exes that are kind of the masterminds in the anime---along with Old Scott---and of course they're the exes that are the most chill.

Gideon, on the other hand, is the only ex who can only be described as a full-on bastard. Out of all seven of the "evil" exes, Gideon's the only one who Ramona outright says was abusive. In the comics, beyond just starting the league, he controlled her and Scott's mind and straight-up imprisoned his own ex-girlfriends, fully intending to do the same to Ramona. He's also the only ex who was defeated by both Scott and Ramona, and it's the most satisfying thing to see him fully get his ass kicked. It's fully unsurprising that his backstory in the anime was that he was an incel who nobody liked, and he got dangerous once he got money.

So of course, when all of the other exes are getting cool redemption arcs, moments of self-actualization, coming-out moments, and instances of actually befriending the heroes, Gideon's the one who stays an asshole. He has a fall from grace and becomes a loser, the girl who he winds up with is also evil and thinks him being evil is hot, and at the end of the series, they're a villain power couple, emphasis on villain. Gideon learned to treat his girlfriend with respect, and probably moved on from Ramona... aaaaaaand that's it. He's still a dick. He's still an evil mastermind.

So... yeah. The Scott Pilgrim anime is great, as are the comics. Check 'em both out.

[adobe-outdesign]

Kung Fu Panda 4 Thoughts/Liveblog Thing

Just caught this at the theater for a grand total of five whole dollars, so I thought I'd do some quick opinions while it's fresh.

Non-spoiler opinion: It was Okay(TM), but the movies were considerably stronger as a trilogy. It's worth seeing one (1) time if you're a KFP fan (and really, who isn't), but I wouldn't bother paying full price for it or anything

SPOILERS FOR ALL 4 MOVIES UNDER THE CUT:

A list of things that slap:

The animation is stunning and fast-paced. Really loved the use of Chinese-style paint brush strokes to accentuate the action

Also I'll talk about the 5 later but I also really liked the animation change when describing where they are—all KFP movies have at least one animation shift and I'm glad this one kept up with it

Some of the fight scenes were super good, I liked the one that uses the tilting bar on a cliff in particular

(side note: the Missing Link did something similar, just on a ship. Go watch the Missing Link)

The Chameleon served straight cunt the entire time she was on screen and I kind of loved (almost) everything about her. Character design was incredible, voice was perfect, palace design was amazing, abilities were sick

Also the way she rides up chilling in a golden tree branch of all things? Fellas, we have no choice but to stan

Also I just appreciate the choice to both do a female villain for a change and to get a reptile in here after having only mammals and one (1) bird as villains previously

Speaking of character design there were a few really good ones in there, like a pangolin that moves Sonic the Hedgehog-style, a cool looking female boar, and a bunch of Komodo dragon henchmen. Good stuff

The jokes were a very mixed bag for me, some hit and some didn't. I will say that Zhen just going "that's great for you" in response to Shifu stating he's a red panda got me for some reason

If anyone hurts Po's gay dads I'm killing everyone in this room and then myself

Jack Black's cover of Baby One (1) More Time is unironically better than the original

A list of things that Do Not Slap:

Pacing/Plot:

This movie lacked a color scheme? KFP 1 was blue (also some gold), KFP 2 was red, KFP 3 was green. These colors weren't subtle either, there are entire scenes in each movie drenched in these colors and it was really obviously missing here

The whole first half the movie feels really breathless and too fast-paced. Apparently it was a studio mandate to have it not go over an hour and a half which is A) stupid and B) hurts the pacing

As much as I love Po's two gay dads we REALLY should not have been wasting time on their journey when the runtime is so tight

Also them tagging along felt off? Mr. Ping was worried sick about Po in KFP 2 but he doesn't tag alone because obviously he needs to let his son have his space. It's more in-character with Li Shan but it doesn't come across like he's talking Mr. Ping into it or something

In general there are so many plot points in this movie that feel under-developed. You could've made an entire movie out of the previous villains returning, Zhen and the Chameleon's relationship (see below), etc.

Po's Character:

People not knowing Po is the dragon warrior is weird, I'm pretty sure he would've been more well known than that

The entire thing with Po needing to give up his role as the Dragon Warrior doesn't really make sense? The Dragon Warrior is literally a made-up title. There's no need to have a Dragon Warrior because there is no such thing technically, it's why Oogway denied Tai Lung the title and then waited years and years to give it to Po. Like it's not a role that needs to be passed down, that's missing the entire point of the Everything

Also Po's only been like Dragon Warrior for a few years? I don't think we're ever given a time scale but it wasn't that long

The jokes about Shifu and Po having trouble with inner peace/mediating feels off given that was the entire plot of the second movie

It felt like Po regressed a bit character wise. He acts like he has no idea how to be a teacher in this movie but he already was a teacher by the end of the third, that was the entire point??

Also he seemed like he was more gullible in this movie but I could be wrong

Why is Po so impressed with Juniper city. He literally spent most of KFP 2 in Gongmen hello?? I think(?) Juniper is bigger but he shouldn't be acting like he has no idea what a city is

Zhen/Chameleon:

Zhen's character design doesn't match anything else, which is weird because most of the new characters in this film keep the distinct style in some form or another

Her wanted poster shows her with the bold markings KFP is known for and it looks SO much better

The plot twist with Zhen working for the villain was so obvious I did not realize it was supposed to be a twist at first

Also, the entire thing with Zhen was entirely unneeded? The Chameleon could've just just stood up and announced her plan to take over and Po would've shown up on her doorstep with the staff

I guess the idea is that Po needed to hand over the staff willingly for it to work? But if that's the case the Chameleon could've just impersonated Tigress or something and gotten it that way in like 1/3 of the time

Originally she was supposed to have kidnapped Shifu which would've been a much better plot point as it would've given Po extra motivation

The other problem with treating Zhen as a plot twist is that it hampers the relationship she has with the Chameleon effectively being her mom, which is FASCINATING. They had some really interesting chemistry together (the whole "stand up straight" thing as one example) and I could've seen it as a Mother Gospel from Tangled kind of deal, but we barely get any interaction between the two and it's like AAAAAAA

Fanfic writers fix this shit. I believe in you

I'll have to chew on it more but my pacing thought would actually be to start with Po finding out about the Chameleon's "take over everything" plan very early due to Shifu's kidnapping. He breaks into the lair like at the 1/3 mark or earlier and he meets Zhen inside which then leads into why she's doing what she's doing and the mother angle, etc etc blah blah

The Chameleon needed to just straight-up murder someone, comically shoving them down the stairs isn't good enough. I know stairs are Po's greatest enemy but I don't think that applies to everyone

Shen was allowed to stab someone on-screen so I think the Chameleon should be a allowed to strangle someone or something. as a treat

If violence was the concern just keep it off-screen like Master Rhino's death in KFP 2

The shapeshifter turning into a giant monster trope is overrated and I'm glad it was just used briefly here and not even for her defeat

Also the Chameleon's thing with her being rejected from Kung Fu because she's too small makes no sense b/c Mantis, which I'm pretty sure everyone's pointed out already. She does say "lowly" I think but was she ever poor? Could make a very interested parallel to Zhen if that was the case but it was never brought up again

I've heard some argue body image parallels w/ Po in KFP 1 but if that was the intent it's not explored, like, at all, which is a shame because it could've been an interesting angle

Also If they wanted a better excuse related to body image just say she was too frail instead of too small. I haven't owned chameleons but I've heard from people who have that they are very frail and very hard to keep alive, which would be a much better reason to turn her away

Cameos:

Yes I'm devoting an entire section to five second cameos don't judge me

I have mixed feelings on the Five not being present (save for the end cameos). On the one hand they are sorely missed but on the other hand they would've just made the plot bloat even worse

Lack of speaking was also bothersome. Part of me is glad they weren't recast with cheaper VAs because it's disrespectful to interchange them, but on the other hand that might've been better than just not having them speak and not paying anyone anyway

Tai Lung had all the best lines and was also the best used out of all the cameos, even if it would've been nice to have him on screen for longer. Also if they stuck with Shifu being kidnapped those two could've had some much-needed dialogue

Side note, while I don't think it contradicts anything from KFP 3 the spirit world having only kung fu masters in it feels off? It makes it seem so small and limited

Kai being there is weird. He's like. dead dead. Deader than dead. I guess you could argue that you can't kill something that's already dead but there's nothing even acknowledging this

Trying to take Shen's kung fu is really weird because the entire point of the fight with Master Rhino in KFP 2 is that he is not? a master?? like he's GOOD but he's not amazing, like if a master is like a 10/10 he's like an 8/10.

"The Chameleon has the powers of all my old nemesises!" WHAT'S SHEN'S POWER EXACTLY. HIS ONLY POWERS ARE GUN AND MOMMY/DADDY ISSUES

She does summon him way later than Tai Lung and Kai so maybe she was just camp spawning every single person she could think of regardless of skill level? she also uses his wings at one point so maybe she just wanted those, I don't think(?) there were other birds summoned

Though speaking of which she claimed she was using his wings but very clearly wasn't? not only were they black but they were raggedy and lacked the five longer feathers on the tips

Also Shen's model was super off, it looked way too fluffy and like an entire row of eyespots were missing from the edge of the train (which might have been a clipping error? unsure) it's been said the new models were made out of glue and popsical sticks and I believe it

Tai Lung has a habit of just like Grabbing anyone that's smaller than him and it amuses me

It's honestly really weird that everyone would just agree to go back into the spirit world willingly?

Like I think it works for Tai Lung because he's a noble person who just goes into a disassociative state and commits atrocities. Like I think he'd be willing to accept his death

Also it checks out for Shen because he killed himself and given his "dead belong in the past" mentality I can't imagine him wanting to stick around, he'd probably think it was unnatural

But Kai?? Kai was FURIOUS at being dragged back into the spirit world at the end of 3, like hell he'd just go quietly

Also I can see Tai Lung maybe respecting Po enough to bow to him but everyone else is pushing it unless they have therapists in the spirit world. Po offered Shen some nice advice at the end of KFP 2 and his response was to kill himself on the spot, I don't think him or Kai would be bowing

All of them were definitely in the middle of a mahjong match and were experiencing the equivalent of being woken up in the middle of a nap so they were just going along with things

Chameleon: I'm going to steal your kung fu

Everyone:

Misc:

I did like some of the more subtle callbacks. Stuff like Po seeing his reflection in the blade the way Shifu did or the "I can't even beat you to the stairs" scene were nice and not overly overt or in-your-face

If Po actively refers to himself as the "Kung Fu Panda" one more time I'm going to end it all

anyway that was not supposed to be a 12 page essay but it's too late now, goodbye

[james-stark-the-writer]

alright. now seated for David F. Sandberg's Shazam! (2019). i am definitely excited to go into this having now seen Lights Out (good movie, if a little standard, his letterboxd review for it makes me laugh) and his Annabelle movie (it sucked, i'm sorry, David, but that wasn't really you, the script was just godawful) and some of his shorts on YouTube (i do love how accessible filmmaking is now btw, genuinely fucking cool that a filmmaker making horror shorts on YouTube could end up making one feature film and go on to make a movie in one of the biggest horror franchises and then a superhero movie for one of the biggest superhero franchises, like i'm genuinely so proud of David), excited to see what he does with it. i remember really enjoying this movie when i saw it in theaters, and thinking it was the best thing in the DC would ever make (until i saw Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) so, i'm excited to see how it holds up! especially now that i've seen every movie preceding it.

also, does make me laugh that this is now the second movie in a row where DC has hired a horror filmmaker (James Wan's Aquaman was fucking amazing, genuinely incredible himbo cinema) to make a superhero movie and both of these movies are like some of the best shit DC has funded.

[hwarintide]

November Viewing Log

Yeah, I know it’s the end of the year, but I went ahead and started this side blog, complete with a section for my monthly watchlist anyway. I wanted a space where I could jot down quick thoughts on what I’m currently watching (and loving).

Currently Watching

The Tale of Lady Ok (🇰🇷) – After finishing the incredible Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born, I had this huge urge to watch another sageuk. I was so happy to find something new that’s so well-made. Even after just two episodes, the plot had me hooked — stories about the struggles of the lower class in historical settings always grab my attention, and this one doesn’t hold back. By the end of episode two, I found myself thinking about how the main character, ironically, might’ve been “freer” when she was enslaved. Once her status changed to something noble, she became bound by duties to others.

When the Phone Rings (🇰🇷) – Everyone’s obsessed with this show, and yep, count me in. It’s such a breath of fresh air at the end of a not-so-great k-drama year — a story about adults (with not-so-adult decisions haha), wrapped in a darker, sensual tone. The characters are flawed, complicated, and just so interesting to watch.

Fangs of Fortune (🇨🇳) – Total newbie to c-dramas here. I’ve only seen a couple of modern ones, and this is my first wuxia. But wow, I’m obsessed already. The plot is promising, the action scenes are amazing, and the sets and costumes? Chef’s kiss. Even though I’m usually neutral about fantasy, this show is winning me over.

Revenge of Others (🇰🇷) – Honestly, I started watching this solely because Shin Ye Eun is in the lead role. Normally, I avoid school dramas, but the thriller angle pulled me in. Plus, Shin Ye Eun is just (always) wonderful, so I’m sticking with it.

Watched

Juvenile Justice (🇰🇷) – I started this one back in 2023 but put it on hold for a while. The overall vibe was good, but I needed the right mood for such heavy themes like juvenile crime and cruelty. I came back to it this year and finished it — and I don’t regret it. It’s such a well-made show that dives deep into the law and intertwines the cases with the lead’s own tragic backstory. The acting was memorable, and I’d love to see a second season.

Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born (🇰🇷) – Probably my favorite drama of the year. I cried so much — literally had tissues ready for every episode. It had everything I love: a historical context about women’s theater (a topic I didn’t know much about before), my favorite Kim Tae Ri in the lead, the equally amazing Shin Ye Eun and Ra Mi Ran, an almost entirely female cast, and a story that’s deeply emotional. The theater performances were so captivating I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. Honestly, I’m shocked it didn’t get more love from international fans, though it was well-received in Korea.

Love in the Big City (🇰🇷) – The book this is based on was one of the first I read in Korean. I remember it as a beautifully written, honest, and realistic story, so of course, I had to watch the adaptation. And it didn’t disappoint.

The Trunk (🇰🇷) – Honestly, I found this pretty boring. It felt like the creators were trying to hint at some deeper meaning behind a simple story, but it didn’t land. It could’ve been a decent movie, but as a series, it felt empty and dragged out. That said, the house design was memorable, and the OST was nice.

Mr. Plankton (🇰🇷) – At one point while watching it, I was borderline obsessed, but looking back with a cooler head, I think it was just Woo Do Hwan and Oh Jung Se pulling me in. I love their acting styles and delivery. The plot, though? All over the place. In theory, it could’ve been a cool modern take on some classic Korean folktale about a morally gray lower-class antihero kidnapping a poor girl from a noble family. But it feels like Netflix tried to cram every melodramatic trope into one series to appeal to everyone — and, honestly, “for everyone” often ends up being “for no one.” Still, I don’t regret watching it.

What Comes after Love (🇰🇷🇯🇵) – I’m also studying Japanese, so I was intrigued by the setting involving both Japan and Korea, with characters speaking both languages. It’s a classic love story about unspoken feelings and how emotions change over time. The ending felt quite logical.

Beyond Goodbye (🇯🇵) – I watched this right after What Comes after Love because of Sakaguchi Kentaro. It might be your typical Japanese drama about reincarnation and fated connections, but it was beautifully shot and well-acted, so I’m happy with it.

Queen of Tears (🇰🇷) – I started this as it aired but dropped it, and honestly, I probably should’ve left it there. There was no chemistry between the leads (even though I like their acting individually), and the makjang elements couldn’t even justify the plot holes. Yet another case of trying to throw in every possible trope and failing to tie it all together.

The Frog (🇰🇷) – Should’ve dropped this after episode two. But I stuck with it for you, my dear Go Min Si.

Gangnam B-Side (🇰🇷) – It felt like a spin-off of The Worst of Evil set in modern-day Gangnam — and I’m not even complaining. The Worst of Evil was my highlight last year, and while Gangnam B-Side isn’t as cohesive, it’s worth it for those standout scenes with Ji Chang Wook and Bibi.

[catbountry]

It's been a year since the premiere of Trigun: Stampede. The series, despite the fears of the fans of the '98 anime, actually turned out really good; Yasuhiro Nightow is a big superhero comics nerd, and wanted to have this new anime adaption be an adaption similar to the adaptions of the MCU, back when those movies were consistently enjoyable, and I daresay a bunch of the people watched Trigun probably were either already anime fans, or they were nomad fans who may have been really into the MCU at one point.

I have a lot of thoughts on an American perspective on Vash the Stampede as a character, with a lot of comparisons to American comic book superheroes. And while Trigun wasn't my first anime, I was hooked on it, as someone who grew up around Batman and Spawn's 90's popularity. During my first Otakon in 2001, I must have seen a dozen Vash's and Wolfwoods. I remember the year there was a Wolfwood cosplayer whose Punisher gun was shaped like the Star of David instead of a cross, making him a rabbi. That shit was amazing. The larger point is that I've loved this character for more than half of my entire time being alive, and I haven't seen a lot of discussion of Trigun viewed from a more political lens, and why it resonates so much with Americans (or at least me, who is an American) in particular.

Buckle up, kids, this is gonna be long and rambly.

There was a period of time where I watched nearly every single new MCU movie in the theater. It was exciting seeing adaptions of comic books that would have probably never gotten a movie before the success of The Avengers. And I don't think it's a mistake that the most comic book-y of the movies are usually the best; Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel remain as probably my favorite MCU movies. Nightow was working directly with the studio making a new Trigun anime and reportedly got the crew to watch a bunch of Marvel movies to set the tone for the anime as an adaption; it's why Vash got a completely new redesign that freaked all us old fans the fuck out. Though it appears that once again, Trigun tried and failed to get that massive Japanese audience that most successful anime have. But boy, oh boy, do us westerners fucking love Trigun, especially us Americans. Nightow's love of superhero comics bled into Trigun, and it just so happened that he was incredibly influenced by Spawn, Hellboy and Batman as much as he was influenced by Akira Toriyama and mechanical art. McFarlane Toys released a Vash figure that is McFarlane'd the fuck up. Nightow loves all superhero comics but especially the Blade trilogy.

Just look at this and imagine being 13 years old and seeing this on a screen for the first time with the instrumental hard rock opening.

Also, I wouldn't actually get around to reading Spawn until I was an adult, but you know what? It's pretty good. The writing is definitely weaker than the art, but holy shit, that art goes hard and I still think that shit's cool as fuck.

As stated before, around the early 2000's Trigun was considered peak anime, though it's been more overlooked in recent years in favor of Cowboy Bebop, an anime that has aged gracefully by comparison. But while Bebop has that sort of timeless cool and level of quality that drew the attention of filmmakers like the Wachoski sisters, Trigun has that very specific kind of adolescent sense of coolness that comic book fans get, especially back in the 90's before this sort of thing would be smothered to death by MCU's Joss Whedoning of superheroes. Spawn, Hellboy and Batman are still cool. And Trigun also has a shitton of guns, obviously, given that Vash being an incredibly OP gunslinger in a world where everybody has guns.

And America loves guns.

I think the contrast of Vash's pacifism while still wielding a gun is extremely interesting because it's not something you see very much (I bet if I watched more westerns, I'd have a better idea if this is a trope in them at all). Batman does not use guns and doesn't kill people, which is why there's still discourse around Tim Burton's Batman films to this day still; I don't think Kevin Smith has budged on this. Other more morally grey superheroes will use guns (by this definition I'm counting The Punisher even if he doesn't have any superpowers, unless you count severe PTSD as a superpower). And a lot of them had huge surges in popularity in the 90's around the time Nightow was making Trigun. Vash posed like Batman or Spider-Man looking brooding (like the gif above) happens a lot in the earlier issues even though that's not really his character.

Several years ago, there was an attempt by a conservative thinktank to discredit a bunch of Hollywood actors saying that gun violence in America is a serious issue and contrasted their statements scenes of them shooting guns in movies, but if we're being real here, gunplay in movies can be really fucking cool. Again I invoke The Matrix, or movies by Robert Rodriguez and John Woo. Look at video games, and compare the decline in violent crime that's been happening here since the 70's and 80's, as culture warriors bemoan movies and video games for becoming more violent. Remember when Wayne LaPierre, vice president of the NRA, brought up fucking Splatterhouse as a reason why Sandy Hook happened? Do you know what Splatterhouse looks like?

It looks like this.

You know how these guys constantly say the only way to counter a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun? Usually, the inference is that if the "good guy" with a gun shoots, he's shooting to kill. Deadpool and the Punisher would shoot to kill. But Vash is constantly trying to avoid it. And I remember as a teenager finding that really cool? And the manga and anime don't shy away from how impractical Vash's pacifism is. It's a bit more realistic than Steven Universe's ending, but also Steven Universe was made for children.

I know Avatar: The Last Airbender is often invoked when criticizing Steven Universe's philosophy, but I haven't really seen Vash's similar philosophy criticized in the same way, and I think a lot of that has to do with the presence of Wolfwood, who is the "I think we're gonna have to kill this guy" guy. I'm honestly surprised I haven't seen art of this yet. I may have to get on that. I already drew Vash horrified at the Trolley Problem.

Vash is a character designed with maximum coolness in mind, but also an overpowered being who is capable of killing millions, and in the anime, he somehow destroys July City without killing anyone directly, but the destruction of the city led to a bunch of people dying. He's so deeply committed to not wanting to kill anyone that he's probably killed more people than he would have if he just shot Knives. The best Batman stories acknowledge that Batman's refusal to kill Joker has similarly results in the deaths of people Batman could have prevented if he killed one guy, and this could also apply to Vash's relationship with his brother Knives, who was kind of destined to be a mass murderer with a name like that, let's be real.

Online, we tend to joke about bringing out the guillotines, or justify not feeling an sympathy for billionaires who die in a sub trying to view the Titanic. But if you were given a gun and a real human person begging for their life, what would you actually do? Do you honestly think that you would be the ethical Death Note user?

Vash has guns but he chooses not to kill people; he prefers to not even use them unless he has to, instead opting to run away and look cool doing it somehow.

He really, really doesn't want to kill people. He doesn't become numb to people dying. It hurts him every single time he watches someone get killed. In reality, most of us that aren't sociopaths would be distressed at the thought of killing someone. The only reason armies in real life work is that they become inoculated to the idea of violence and dehumanize the enemy. Vash is no soldier. He is idealistic, he is empathetic, and he sees every human being as a person worthy of life. Batman refuses to use guns, as that's how his parents were killed in front of him. Vash has to use guns in order to protect people from getting killed. He has the ethics of Superman but the tools of a comic book antihero. He's the logical conclusion of an shonen anime protagonist in a world that chews up anyone with that kind of optimism and hope and spits them out. And yet... he still keeps going. He remains committed. He's still cheery, goofy, lovable Vash.

Batman used to kill people, in the earliest comics. With the Comics Code Authority, superheroes could no longer kill people. In the 80's, comics were getting darker and edgier, taken more seriously. While Alan Moore's Watchmen delved into the moral complexities in a world with superheroes that was similar to ours, Frank Miller was keeping Batman consistent, even as Gotham got darker and uglier.

Batman is a vigilante. The police can be helpful or they can fuck up everything, depending on what's needed for the story. In Batman Year One, there's a scene where Batman crashes a party attended by the elites of Gotham, politicians and mobsters mingling.

Seeing this during the Bush presidency blew my mind. I don't want to get into just how perfectly the members of his administration seemed to resemble a rogue's gallery of sorts with the shared goals of making a lot of money and bombing the shit out of Iraq and Afghanistan. I was extremely anti-war even before the 2000 election as a very opinionated 14 year-old watching, Jon Stewart on The Daily Show and feeling relieved that a grown-up was able to see through all the bullshit; it helps when the guy who's against the war and killing people is funny. I remember writing in my diary at 12 years old after Columbine happened that I wanted to take all of the guns and melt them down in a pot, similarly to that scene in Superman IV where he throws the entire world's nuclear arsenal into the sun. But also that same year I would fall in love with The Matrix... and not long after that, Trigun.

Again, we come back to the idea of someone using a gun, a weapon designed to kill people, and using it in pursuit of the exact opposite. That resonated with me. I myself was very idealistic, and the political climate of my teenage years seemed to do almost everything to stamp that out of me. Things feel just as fraught two decades later, but in slightly different ways. Pacifism is looked down upon, as indicated by the backlash to the ending of Steven Universe, and how one crazy lady called Rebecca Sugar, a Jewish person, a Nazi for writing it that way. But for Steven, things worked out. For Vash? Well, he still has hope somehow, despite everything. I think the fact that he strives to protect human life, even when someone is a complete monster, is admirable in that it cuts to the very basic desire to not see people hurt. But we're also selfish, and scared, and sometimes it's hard to conceive of a solution to a problem that doesn't involve violence. Seeing dead bodies on TV or the internet upsets us, but we're often paralyzed by feeling like we can't do anything, and even if we tried, we'd likely perish in the attempt. We desire revenge, punishment for those who transgress by inflicting violence, and we can rationalize using it against the right targets. Vash the Stampede would have a fucking breakdown dealing with the state-backed violence that's been a part of geopolitics pretty much as long as there have been states and geopolitics. Vash would try and solve the bombings of Gaza with an impassioned plea for both sides to stop fighting before he would somehow wind up making things worse and it would eat away at him inside, no matter how brave a face he puts on as he tries to find some kind of hope in a hopeless situation. And... you know what? I kind of wish more people would be like that. Maybe if there were enough people like that, these sorts of things wouldn't happen in the first place. I wish more people could look at human suffering and feel compelled to try and stop it, not discriminating against one side or the other, trying to understand why people are doing what they do. Seeing anti-war protestors in Tel Aviv brings back memories of protests against the start of the War on Terror, and how hated America was internationally during those years, even when most Americans approved of the war. Michael Moore was booed at the Oscars for condemning George W. Bush and the War on Terror. It's terrifying that those in power want us killing each other and have conditioned us to support it. I want so badly for human beings to come together to just stop the violence, but it feels impossible, like we're destined for failure, like we might somehow make things worse or become worse versions of ourselves full of hatred and ugliness. But we should want to try, even if it's hard or unprofitable or we have no idea how to even do it. Somebody actually dedicating themselves to trying to fight our violent impulses out of love is appealing, and if they're more powerful than us, and can do more... well, I want the biblically accurate angel with every mental illness willing to martyr himself over and over again. But it is more fun when he's Bugs Bunny about it.

[ceilingfan5]

taz musical theater au, please :O??? -ise (currently listening to broadway Anastasia and going buckwild again /lh)

"So," Kravitz says, the door closing behind him dramatically. He doesn't put his bag down like he usually does. Instead he looks stiff and frustrated and confused. And cute. Still painfully fucking cute, as always. "I was surprised to see you at the casting call today."

"Why? You've been talking about it since I moved in last month." Taako kicks his feet off the edge of the couch and keeps pretending to read the magazine he stole from the dentist yesterday, as revenge for having to be there. It's months old, but some of the recipes are still interesting.

Kravitz makes a face like he is trying, with all his might, not to telegraph how confused and frustrated he is. Too bad. Consider that code morsed, buckaroo. Tappity tap tap, you've betrayed how you feel. Better luck when the telephone gets invented. 

"It's just," he says. "I did not think you were interested in musicals. Or this musical, specifically. Or being in the musical that I am running, and taking very seriously, by the way."

"Did I do a bad job in my audition?" Taako audibly turns a sleek page, and pretends to be interested in Cheez-it encrusted lamb nuggets. "You don't have to give me a call back if I'm not right for the part."

"No," Kravitz sighs, shaking his head. He clutches his bag close, like it will be a weapon against the great unknown of Taako's mysterious motives. "You were–amazing. I was afraid we weren't going to have a villain this round. You- Taako- " Kravitz walks over and grips the back of the couch. Taako looks So Very Incredibly Casually up at him, smirking. "You absolutely bodied your audition." 

"Cool," Taako says, like it doesn't matter at all. Like, oh, chips were on sale? That's nice, maybe we'll make some dip. Maybe not. "I thought there was uh, a process for letting people know they're in." 

"There is!" Kravitz stresses. "But we live together. Taako, we live together, I've known you for almost two months now, I've been talking about this musical all summer, and I've never heard you sing! What- I didn't know you even knew where the playhouse was!" 

"Google maps," Taako provides helpfully. He closes his magazine thoughtfully. Maybe tomorrow he will get some Cheez-its. Lamb nuggets can't be that bad, can they? 

"That's not my question!" Kravitz looks, get this, confused and frustrated. It's hard not to laugh right at him.

"What is your question?" Picture of innocence. Stock photo of a sky-blue day. Motives? What motives? 

"Why did you try out for my musical??" 

"Bored. Sounded fun," Taako says with a shrug. 

"Are you interested in musicals??" Kravitz looks like the unhingedness of this line of interrogation is dawning on him a little late. 

"Who isn't?" 

"Taako!" That grip on the couch is so tight. Fuck, he's gorgeous. Maybe a little dim, though. 

"Kravitz!" Taako grins. "Did you not want me there? Is there a problem? I thought this roommate thing was going okay." 

"It-" Kravitz throws his hands in the air and huffs. "You're allowed to be there!" 

"Oh good," Taako says, playing as stupid as he can manage with a straight face. "Not gonna get arrested today. Probably." 

"Taako-" 

"I mean you never know," Taako adds conversationally. "Always good to be prepared." 

"Are you going to take this seriously??" 

"Course," Taako says, and shrugs. 

"You're not just doing it to fuck with me??" Kravitz. Darling. Really? Your first guess is that he's being mean, and not trying to follow you to a second location because he doesn't want to miss out on his Kravitz time? Sabotage, and not ooey-gooey crush the likes of which an adult ought not have to suffer?? Has Taako been Too Subtle? 

"Why would I do that?" Taako tosses the magazine onto the side table. The two of them watch the whole pile of shit slide slowly onto the floor. Sheet music and snacks and playbooks and photos and maybe the lost remote go all over in slow motion. Taako looks back at Kravitz. Kravitz looks pinched. Calzone of a dude here. Dumpling, even. What's in your pocket, guy? What savory morsels are you withholding? 

"I don't know," he says, after a long, painful moment. "But I'm going to find out." And he turns and marches toward his room. 

Wuh oh. Maybe they got two very different messages on what this story is about. Should he say something? 

Then again…Taako doesn't mind an enemies to lovers plot. Not one bit. 

[existingoutofspite]

So. Nerdy Prudes Must Die Spoilers

Nerdy Prudes Must Die is an amazing musical with a lot of amazing song but one i feel goes overlooked a lot is Just For Once which is really sad because in all honesty this is probably some of the most emotional I got during the musical.

I often see it lumped into the bottom tier songs and while it doesn’t have the grandness of the whole “will you pray for me” segment or the cool plot twists of Dirty Dudes Must Die, it does have the line that hit me the hardest in the show

“I used to dance”

this is because this line works on two main levels, for me at least.

the song on the surface is about Ruth getting lost in the character of a suburban housewife and talking about that characters life, but all of the dialogue is also a reflection of Ruth’s character in general. Reflecting both the character and Ruth’s desperate need for attention, which is all Ruth has really wanted since the show has started

(this is probably not a shocker but i mostly wanted to get this out of my system)

on the surface this line is about a housewife giving up on her hobbies as she grows older as slowly loses her autonomy. this is an incredibly real thing that is really interesting and tragic.

But this line also fits my analysis of Ruth’s character (there is a tad bit of projecting)

Bare with me for a second. When I was younger I used to be in a bunch of dance and acting groups and loved preforming, but after things like the pandemic (and a healthy dose of bullying) it got a lot harder to put myself out there and after attempts of trying out for school musicals failed due to how introverted i could become, I started experimenting with tech theater. I love tech, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes i would kill to be one of the leads on stage

I think this is what happened to Ruth.

She used to dance.

She used to be the one on stage, in the spotlight. Now she is ignored until needed and works backstage.

She used to dance

This is her alone, on stage, pretending to be an actor in the show. The character that she is playing is merging with her real thoughts. She is singing from the perspective of someone else, but she is not reading off of a script (i mean she might be, but i always thought this was more improv) these thoughts are from her and her alone. The real her is peaking through this character.

This song, while probably not the best sounding, has some really interesting things to say about Ruth as a character

thank you for coming to my ramble, I didn’t read this over before posting

[knickynoo]

HELLO, EVERYONE! I SAW THE BTTF MUSICAL YESTERDAY, AND AM READY TO POST SOME (SEMI) COHERENT THOUGHTS!

[Fair warning that some things here may spoil parts of the show.]

• First things first: It was so good. It was so, so, very good. Incredible show. I'd been hearing great things about the show since it first came out in London, and I've been listening to the music since it dropped, so I pretty much went in knowing I'd like it but it still managed to be even better than I thought.

• Just the setup of the theater itself and the ambiance prior to it starting was so cool. The way everything is lit blue and there's all the electrical zapping and humming. THE CONSTANT TICKING OF CLOCKS THAT FILLED THE THEATER. Nothing had even happened yet, and I was like, "This is such a good show."

• My one big cause for hesitation was Casey playing Marty. I know absolutely nothing about the guy, but Marty is just so dear to my heart, and MJF's energy and physicality isn't something easily captured. I had my doubts about seeing someone try to bring Marty to Broadway, but Casey walked onto the stage, called out, "Doc?" and I went, "Yeah, okay. There's Marty."

• For real, though, Casey was phenomenal as Marty. He had the vocal inflection down. The right amount of crackliness. Very good balance of cool kid and disoriented mess.

• Um. HUGH COLES?!? Talk about brilliant casting. I mean it when I say that he somehow seemed more George than George from the movie. The audience reacted with a sense of awe when he started speaking and moving around the stage. It was like Crispin Glover had been plucked straight from the film and injected with More Georgeness. When he did the laugh, the audience went nuts. His physical acting and the way he captured George's gestures perfectly was amazing to watch.

• As I'd expected, Musical Doc is ten times more chaotic and unhinged than Movie Doc. Roger Bart's comedic timing is impeccable. He earned himself frequent howling laughter from the audience from the moment he appeared on stage.

• His "Good thing I kept this radiation suit from my Manhattan Project days" line was a nice touch.

• "Despite my fear of heights, I was standing on my toilet," was such a gem of a line.

• THE DELOREAN. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE DELOREAN. I had no idea how they were going to depict a car speeding to 88mph on a small stage, but THEY DID IT. Astounding. Honestly might be the coolest effects I've ever seen done on a stage. Also, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the addition of it being voice-activated and talking, but it worked nicely!

• The musical obviously had to trim some parts of the movie—and even omit parts entirely—but it was done so well that you either didn't even notice or miss they were gone. The change from George being hit by a car to simply falling out of the tree was one of these changes. (Marty's under the tree trying to catch him, btw, which is how he ends up getting knocked out)

• I couldn't tell if this was an ad-lib from Casey, but when he was trying to get his pants back on in the Baines house scene, he started struggling a bit with the tangled suspenders that were wrapped around one of the legs of the jeans and muttered in frustration, "Why do I wear suspenders??" Very funny little moment.

• Great chemistry between Bart and Casey. The connection between Doc and Marty was THERE. The musical GOT IT RIGHT. So many hilarious moments between them in the form of completely unintelligible banter, where they're just talking over each other and having like...verbal tennis matches of nonsense. It's hard to describe in writing, but trust me, it was so good. It went something like this:

Doc: "Marty!"

Marty: "Doc!"

Both Simultaneously: *literal gibberish*

• There's a beautiful little addition to the scene when Marty shows up at Doc's house in 1955 and tries to convince him he's from the future. After Doc asks him to take him to this supposed "time machine" Marty goes, "Sure, hang on, I just gotta grab some flashlights." Then he goes straight to a cabinet and quickly retrieves two flashlights without a second thought, to which Doc is like, "How did you know they were in there??" Marty knows!! He knows exactly where the flashlights are because of course he does!!

• Perhaps one of the funniest moments of the show was right at the end of the "Future Boy" number, where the music stops and there's that breaking of the fourth wall moment. Doc and Marty look around in confusion at all the backup singers and dancers awkwardly standing around his house (one of the singers continues dancing/singing long after the others has stopped lol) and Doc wordlessly opens the door so they can all scurry out.

• Doc's dream of visiting the year 2020 where everything is perfect and there's "no disease" got some very loud laughter from the audience.

• Oh. Oh, the scene at Doc's house at night after the demonstration with the toy car. The way everything gets solemn for a moment, and Doc is doubting himself and worried about failing. Marty's lovely little speech about how everything will be okay because he believes in him. He trusts Doc. He knows it'll work and they'll get him home. The way Marty is the one looking after and taking care of Doc in that moment. When he asks, "Do you need anything, Doc? Can I make you a sandwich?" And then when he says softly, "Goodnight, Doc. Pleasant dreams."

THE MUSICAL GETS IT RIGHT. THE WARMTH. THE LOVE. THIS WAS SUCH A NICE ADDITION.

• "PUT YOUR MIND TO IT" !!!! I loved this sequence so, so much. Marty gets to strut his stuff while George flails around trying to imitate him. It was funny, the choreography was great, and we get such a nice Marty and George hug at the end! Why didn't they hug in the movie??

• The audience was super engaged and reactive through the whole show, but it noticeably ramped up in the latter part—starting with the night of the dance. There was such an excitement as people anticipated George swooping in to take down Biff and protect Lorraine. When Biff went down, the audience whooped and clapped and cheered so much.

• EARTH ANGEL! THE MOMENT GEORGE AND LORRAINE KISS. It was just like the movie. The music suddenly swelled, Marvin belted out, "The vision of your happiness", George and Lorraine kissed, and the audience. Lost. Their. Minds. It was as if people were experiencing the story for the first time—that's how strong the reaction was. So cool.

• Audience also went wild at the start of Johnny B. Goode. That was a neat sequence as well. Huge laughs at the "But your kids are gonna love it" line.

• The clocktower scene! Marty handing Doc the letter and saying, "I wrote you a thank-you note; don't read it until you get home!!" LOL. So many amazing effects going on in this one. For those of you who have seen the show, you probably remember Doc running up the clocktower stairs, right? Did the audience nearly die of laughter like they did at my showing? That was truly one of the top 5 funniest moments of the show, in my opinion. It had me giggling hours later once I was home. For those of you who have not seen the show, I don't think I can adequately put into words what was happening during this scene, but it was incredibly funny. It's good there wasn't any dialogue during it, because no one would have heard it with the way everyone was laughing.

• The fire trails on stage got quite the awed reaction. Super cool.

• The hug! We get our Doc and Marty hug at the end! I'm so glad they realized that moment was missing from the movie.

• I liked the shift from Marty waking up at home to him waking up on the bench in town instead. The "George McFly Day" part was a fun addition, and it flowed nicely into Marty's "Power of Love" performance.

• THE CAR FLEW. IT FLEW UP IN THE AIR AND THE WHEELS TURNED IN AND IT WENT OUT OVER THE AUDIENCE. HOW DID THEY DO THAT. IT DID A COMPLETE ROTATION UPSIDE DOWN WHILE CASEY AND BART WAVED TO PEOPLE. If anyone knows of any videos or articles explaining how they did things with the car, please let me know because I can't find anything and I would love to know how they did it! You couldn't see anything holding the car, and i'm so confused! The effects were so good.

• Love how, when the show ended, the giant screen on the stage just said, "Make like a tree and get outta here."

...I think those are all my thoughts. I was planning to write up a post with just a couple of bullet points of highlights and instead. Well. This is what you get from me, and if you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know that. But really, the show was so well done. I had a blast. I bought a pin that says, "Whoa, this is heavy" and I'm going to put it on my denim jacket :)

For those who are planning to see the musical, I hope this helps hype you up for it. And for those who can't see it, I hope this gives you a good look at what it's like!

[hometoursandotherstuff]

This is the classiest hacienda style mansion I've ever seen. It's in Los Angeles, California and if you can spare $15.5M it can be yours. Built in 1924, 7bds, 7.5ba, 1.04 acres of land.

The entrance hall. That molding isn't wood, it's like a sculpted plaster.

This sitting room is stunning. Look at the artwork on the beams. Beautiful windows and doors let just enough sunlight in, and that fireplace matches the molding. This home is quality.

This wood doorway matches the ceiling beams. The details in this home are amazing.

Absolutely delightful sunroom that they have set up as a cool office. Love the Mediterranean light fixture.

Beautiful wood walled library. Look at the gold ceiling and that light fixture.

The dining room has a beautiful ceiling, wainscoting, and big windows to the garden. You can see the fountain in the smaller window.

The everyday dining room opens to the patio and look at the built-in planter.

Light, airy kitchen. The lighting choices in this house are superb.

Gracefully curving stairs in a rounded stairwell with lovely stained glass windows.

What a pretty color scheme in the primary bedroom. It's certainly a huge room.

Sitting area opens to a patio.

What a fabulous vintage bath. The tile is so beautiful. Everything looks original.

Large secondary bedroom has doors that open to a balcony.

And, look at this marble bath. Just incredible.

If wasn't for the sofas this would look like a real theater.

Sunken bar open to the pool. I know it doesn't rain much in California, but gee, if it does, that banquette is going to get wet and everything.

This is magnificent.

What a property.

The Mexican tiles are amazing. I bet they're handmade.

Fabulous pond.

The grounds alone are stunning.

Plus, there's a modern studio/library.

Nice sauna, too.

Such attention to detail- look at the clay flower pots going up the stairs.

Outdoor space similar to the glass-enclosed sunroom. Look at the light posts.

Gated entrance with earns lining the wall.

[fiyero3305]

TUA Fic: Witchy Prompts 25

Witchy Prompts via @myloveforhergoeson

25. Broomstick

It’s not until halfway through her first performance as Elphaba, during the blackout after she finishes Act I, that Allison feels the gravity of the moment. It’s quick but overwhelming as she stands there in the pitch darkness, a dozen feet above everyone’s heads, clutching the broomstick like a lifeline. Suddenly her mind is filled with all the women who’ve played the part before her and she imagines taking strength from the sisterhood. Imagines the mark they’ve left on the role and, literally, on the green-stained prop that has now been passed down to her.

Ray and Claire are in the audience tonight, she hopes they’re proud. Klaus has come too, and even managed to bring along the new Ben. She draws on the four of them too, believes she can feel their support from across the theater, and doesn’t even dwell on the way her family circle has dwindled. The stage lights come up just enough to see her company assembled beneath her as she’s lowered back to the ground. They beam up at her and silently cheer, enveloping her in hugs as soon as she’s released from the flying rig.

God, it’s been so long since she’s been in a show but there’s just nothing like it. Film work is amazing in its own way, but it’s so much more divided. Solitary. Now more than ever, she needs the communal experience of working on a show. Brittney, her Glinda, is smiling and crying as she grips her face and tells her how proud she is. The importance of their partnership specifically places yet another layer of significance on the moment. Never before in the show’s near twenty year run have two Black women lead the company.

Act II is another blur and before she knows it she’s taking her final bow, hands clasped with her costars, and waving goodbye to the cheering audience as the orchestra plays them off. The curtain falls and behind it there’s another round of hugs and congratulations until she and Brittney get to share another moment.

“I love you so much” She says right into her ear, holding her tight. “I’m so glad you’re doing this with me”

At long last they separate and Allison goes back to her dressing room. Her wig, microphones, and costume, heavy with layers and beads, are all removed, a literal weight off her shoulders, and she takes a moment for herself. Sitting in her robe, Allison draws a few calming breaths to ground herself in the moment before the Stage Manager knocks on her door and announces her visitors.

Her family spills in and three sets of arms are suddenly squeezing her tight, then two as Klaus steps away, and finally four as he coerces Ben awkwardly into the fold.

“Baby you were incredible. Absolutely blew the roof off this place!”

“Mom you look so cool! Can I ride in the flying thing?”

“Yeah! Can we ride in the flying thing?? Also, what about those costumes, what are the rules on trying those beauties on? By the way, simply incomparable performance, dear. Blew the tits right off everyone in the theater”

“You did a great job”

Ray gives her a kiss and Claire hands her a bouquet. Brittney pops her head in the doorframe, bag slung over her shoulder “Alli, you stagedooring tonight? Oh! Your family’s here, I’m sorry”

“No, no, come in! Meet everyone!” Allison introduces her people, hugs and greetings are exchanged before Brittney starts making her way out.

“I don’t think I’ll make it out tonight”

“No worries, I’ll let the people know”

“Thanks, Britt”

Allison keeps her arms around Claire as they continue talking. It’s not long before the exhaustion hits her, but thankfully Ray notices and graciously ushers everyone from the room so she can shower and pack up. He kisses her once more for good measure and promises to get Claire in bed if Allison doesn’t make it back in time. She kisses Claire good night, gets a hug from Klaus and a nod from Ben, and sees them all off.

Allison showers, dresses, and heads out for home, incredulous to think that tomorrow she gets to do it all again.

[aceseonghwa]

ateez in arlington: a messy and emotional review

july 31, 2024.

okay. so. honestly, i don't even know where to begin.

a few days ago (july 28) i saw ateez at globe life field in arlington, texas, for the first time. having been a fan since september 2022, this was truly a long time coming and a HUGE dream of mine. i wasn't able to make it to their break the wall tour, so i kept the next one in mind and prayed that the stars would align and i'd be lucky enough to make it to this one. the stars did align, and i'm so glad they did, because i had the greatest night of my life.

i knew from the first ateez performance that i ever watched that i wanted to see them live. their energy and stage presence has always been so powerful, and even when i was just watching them in the comfort of my bedroom, i could feel it, as if i was there. this will come as no surprise to y'all but ateez are absolutely -- somehow -- even BETTER in person!

one thing that i have always loved about ateez is their emphasis on and appreciation for theatrics. the props and the set design were amazing, and i love how much it felt like we were actually in another universe. it really did feel like i was somewhere in world z, enjoying a thrilling concert, even though emotions and music are forbidden. ateez are incredible actors too. there were so many moments where certain members would be running around the stage with fearful expressions as guards hunted them down. it was literally breath-taking and felt like i was watching musical theater and not a kpop concert. i feel like with other groups, it's always a missed opportunity to not include elements from their lore into their stages, especially when the lore is genuinely cool and interesting. i really appreciate the fact that ateez concerts are so immersive. and anther thing that i love is that ateez do not just get up there and sing and dance, they perform. they have lyrics about oppression, being silenced, revolution, etc, and they really show the pain and the fear through facial expressions and gestures. ateez clearly think a lot about how to VISUALLY show you their story and it's truly just next level.

of course, the actual performances were just unforgettable. every positive thing that you've ever heard about ateez's stage presence is very true. i already knew these guys were one of the best, but seriously, they are truly in a league of their own. i haven't been to many concerts so maybe it's unfair of me to say this but i don't know if any other concert can top this one. aside from whatever ateez themselves do next, because at this point, i'm convinced their only competition is themselves. hearing their songs live was everything. ateez truly command that stage. i couldn't take my eyes off of them and i never wanted to. i was so absorbed and mesmorized. the concert was two hours and it flew by.

i sincerely wish i could relive this night over and over again. next tour, i will definitely be seeing them again.

okay... the end LMAO.

[brightlotusmoon]

Rachael MacFarlane: Oh my God. So I was a huge musical theater fan. You know, shocker. A lot of us are. I mean, certainly in our cast, a ton of us are big musical theater dorks. So I always thought that was the direction I was going to go in. I went to the Boston Conservatory and majored in musical theater. So my big inspirations growing up were incredible and successful musical theater women of that time, like Patti LuPone.

She was my biggest inspiration, I was obsessed with Patti LuPone. I thought she was amazing and I was so excited to go see her in Anything Goes when I was like 10 years old. This summer, I was in New York with my nine-year-old. We were going to see Wicked and we were at this restaurant called Sardi’s which is sort of like the definitive Broadway… it’s where you go to eat before you go to a show.

There are all these caricatures of all these famous Broadway actors all over the walls. We’re there really early because Wicked started at like 7 or 7:30. So we were there for dinner at like 5 and there’s nobody else in the restaurant, and all of a sudden somebody comes in and gets seated. And it’s this woman and she’s just a stone’s throw from us at like the next table over and then I hear her start talking.

I’m like, ‘Oh my God! That’s Patti LuPone. She’s here.’ She’s just sitting next to me in this restaurant where her picture is up on the wall, right? And I lean over to my nine-year-old, who of course says, ‘No, I don’t know who Patti LuPone is.’ I’m like, ‘That woman right there would be like if you came in and Taylor Swift was sitting at the table.’ She was like, ‘Oh my God, mom! That’s so cool’. It was really exciting. It was sort of the highlight of my summer. That’s a really long answer to say… you know, Patty LuPone.

[blueberrywhale123]

Guess what I watched?!

This was sooooooooo amazing! A beautiful story and a wonderful cinematic experience honestly! Not to sound like a movie reviewer 😅 I just want to gush.

I was totally not interested the first few times the trailer popped up on my ad feed on youtube but the first time I sat down to actually look at the trailer I was hit with the colors and the designs and suddenly I was six-years-old sitting with my dad while he showed me and my four-year-old brother our first piece of transformers media. It was an old cartoon with the bots on cybertron and I never really got something like that again with the other movies or shows that came out aside from the ones one find after digging.

So I instantly decided that even just for nostalgia's sake I would go see it and I was dragging my siblings with me. Even if the movie was a horrible cash grab that turned the characters into unrecognizable slapstick jokesters I would watch it because I wanted to be six-years-old again.

But!!!

LO AND BEHOLD this was incredible! Right from the start when they showed and talked about Primus being the planet I felt hope rising in my chest (MY EXPECTATIONS WERE ON THE FLOOR OKAY) And it just KEPT GETTING BETTER!

Ik from the trailers it seems so silly and stupid but it's NOT! This movie (imo) knows exactly when to be funny and when to be serious. It is for kids - don't expect anything super grown-up - but don't expect something that's aimed for a three-year-old.

Orion Pax (Optimus) and D-16 (Megatron) were the beating heart of this film in my opinion. I was gut wretched watching their friendship deteriorate and seeing Megatron slowly be born. I told my brother as we sat in that theater (which was 98% empty btw😭) that I really thought that the creative team really seemed to love Megatron because there was so much care put into his character and his change wasn't mocked or incomprehensible - I understood him the whole time even as I hated watching the downfall.

And ORION! He was amazing! I loved watching him go from a cocky selfish little guy to this inspiring leader. Even before the main conflict pushes him into the forefront as a leader you can see these hints of that quick-thinking and desire to protect those around him. The aspects of a leader are there - they just needed the right circumstances to pull them out.

There were so many of my babies in it too! It was nice to hear Bumblebee talk!!!! And he was precious! Elita was nice even tho I will admit that I'm not super deep into Transformers so I wasn't truly familiar with her. But I just about jumped out of my seat seeing Starscream, Soundwave, and Shockwave on screen talking and just being soooooo cool! They could just stand there and I would have been in heaven (not really that would have been a disservice to them but besides the point!)

ARCEE WAS THERE!!! I WAS SO HAPPY!!! Me and my brothers were scouring for Ironhide and Rachet and we were grinning like idiots when we saw Jazz oh my gosh! I'm pretty sure that we saw Cliffjumper too!

And Ariachnid was sooooooo scary my gosh I was so happy!

This just felt like a film that truly cared and loved and RESPECTED the source material!

Anyways I'm writing this because I think people need to watch it. It's good even if you don't know a thing about transformers too! My little sister came with and loved the movie even though she's probably seen 1/4 of a transformers movie. I know I'm no bigshot poster so it's not gonna reach a lot of people but if any little bit counts then ...

[aichi-division]

Issey's thoughts on Itabashi Division

Bernard Miyamoto

"Oh, Mr. Miyamoto-san!!! I have heard about him. He's the older brother of a girl… what was her name? Genieve? Well, that girl was very sweet and well, I helped her when she was feeling very bad on the street, a while ago. She mentioned her brother to call him for help. I had never really imagined that I would see him again!!! Nor had I imagined that he is the leader of an entire division. Miyamoto-san is quite a talented, glamorous and flamboyant guy haha, I like that kind of person.

I heard that it is related to the theater. That's very cool. In my life I've been able to go to the theater a couple of times with my family, many years ago. We saw Les Miserables and also an adaptation of The Little Prince. I am always inspired by the love that actors put into their roles. They imbue their soul into these characters and make them their own. It gives me goose bumps. I wonder if Miyamoto-san is like that too".

Raiden Koyama

"Oooh yes I have heard of him. Come to think of it, he must be the acquaintance Shouta-san visits in Itabashi. I think the two of them are friends or something. I'm actually quite surprised, Raiden seems to be a pretty cool guy, kind of, VERY cool. THE COOLEST.

HIS tattoos are really amazing, I wish I could get tattooed like that hahaha someday I will. Plus he seems to have amazing charisma. I don't know how Shouta knows him but I actually find it really cool that they're SO close!!!!!

Issey Ito

"NO WAY!!!! NO FUCKING WAY!!!! YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!!!! ANOTHER ISSEY, IS ANOTHER ISSEY!!!!!!

HHAHAHAHAA THIS IS SO FUNNY!!! I had never met another boy with the same name as me. I NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO HIM! I love his style, it's kind of dark and gloomy, and that he doesn't have an eye if it's a little scary…. BUT HE LOOKS INCREDIBLY BADASS!!!!!!! Naaaa I wish I had that aura.

I hear he's not the sociable type. The truth is that if I look at him a little better, I think he is intimidating, but COME ON, I was able to get to Eiji in just one afternoon, so I think I can get to BADDIE ISSEY in NO time.

I look forward to learning ALL about him. His likes, dislikes, things he hates, hobbies…. we will be estranged siblings by fate???"

Itabashi Division

Itabashi is a division that attracts a lot of attention. I have a feeling that I will be able to be friends with all of them, especially Badass Issey. I really always wanted to have a twin or something.

I would like to have the opportunity to spend more time with them and share with Genieve as well. You can tell she is quite a gentle girl and a good person.

@itabashi-division