#so top notch!! probably 7-8/10

[slow-burn-sally]

My Favorite Characters with ADHD

Again, these are only my opinions.

Jeremy - The Secret Of NIMH. Come on. Look at him. He is a combined-type ADHD boy if ever there was one. Distracted, clumsy, impulsive, I bet the writers either had ADHD, knew someone who had ADHD, or had a child with ADHD.

2. Newton Geiszler - Pacific Rim.

Also impulsive as fuck, a class clown, obnoxious, yet obnoxiously smart, and somehow still charming as fuck. He reads very ADHD to me. BB. Forgive me for using the meme gif. It's just so good.

3. Rose Nylund - The Golden Girls

Who doesn't love Rose? She's friendly, sweet, fun, creative, horny, and hilarious. She also can't remember anything for more than five minutes, and is the human equivalent of a small, cute dog who bumps into things a lot by accident. I love you Rose. Long live Betty White.

4. Sherlock Holmes (The Jeremy Brett Granada-Holmes).

I actually think Holmes may have had both ADHD and Autism, but really, Brett's Holmes is bombastic, impulsive (seeing a trend), able to hyperfocus at the speed of light. Overshares, blows up friendships. Cannot keep a clean flat. Hyper as all get out. Think about it.

5. Nadja of Antipaxos - What We Do In The Shadows

She's a hot mess. Distracted, forgetful, intensely interested in some things, and cannot be bothered to give a flying fuck about other things. Out of sight, out of mind. She's probably also AuDHD actually, but for the purposes of this list, I will draw your attention to her many impulsive and rash decisions surrounding her emotions, and her over the top RSD. She's so beautiful, help.

6. Jonathan Strange - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

Oh my god such an ADHD boy! He cannot sit still, and he has no patience for rules or regulations. He's self centered, impulsive (hello!), running off on the King's Roads, and drinking mouse juice to make himself go mad on purpose. Failing at four careers before finally becoming a magician by absolute accident. I love you Johnty. Never change.

7. Cornelius Hickey (or whatever his real name is) - The Terror.

He's impulsive (aye-oh!), makes sudden, rash decisions, is prone to flashes of anger, has off the charts RSD, and though he manages to hyperfocus on sabotaging the expedition for his own needs, he still makes a lot of careless mistakes and fucks it up royally. Too bad one of his hyper-focuses wasn't "learning about ships". I love you Hickey, you adorable bastard. How is his hair always so good?

8. Back to JS&MN for Christopher Drawlight.

Christopher Drawlight cannot sit still to save his life. He's always being charming, chatting people up, and making social connections, both real and fabricated by himself. Only sometimes, he loses track of which lies he's told, and to whom, which gets him in a lot of trouble. His hyperfocus is social status, and he can't let it go, even at the bitter end. He's really one of my favorite characters, even if he is a horrible person. This goes for both book and show Drawlight, by the way. Both top notch. Both ADHD as fuck.

9. Dory - Finding Nemo.

I mean... do I have to say anything else? I don't think I do. I love Dory so much. I relate so, so much. Inattentive ADHD Fish Sister.

10. All versions of Doctor Who, but Tenant is becoming iconic, and I love him, so let's go with number 10!

Just an all around hyperactive ADHD guy. Fun, creative, adventurous, risk taker, IMPULSIVE (it doesn't end). But really, all Doctor Whos feel ADHD to me. There's something capricious and clumsy and dreamy and jumpy about all of them.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Bpp I'm dying to know your song rankings in chapter 2 now they've all debuted. What are your top picks this year? I miss your writing and hope I can coax you back with 'a fun ask'

***

Okay. :)

Since you asked...

Top 10 Non-BTS K-pop Songs in 2023

10 - Watch It - The Boyz (this song just dropped and it's already in my top ten, yes)

9 - Seoul - H1-key

8 - Ay-Yo - NCT 127

7 - Sweet Venom - ENHYPEN

6 - Neverland Farewell - TXT (Say whatever you like about BigHit, they know how to make good music. Soobin sounds incredible on this song. Beomgyu too. Really, they all do.)

5 - Cool With You - NewJeans

NewJeans isn't going anywhere, so everyone else really should get comfortable with the idea of seeing them at the top. That's all there is to say.

*

4 - Crying - BOYNEXTDOOR

I don't know where my head was at when I ranked this the worst song on the album. Clearly, I was wrong. This song was a pleasant companion during the autumn months, and I can't wait to see what else they come out with.

*

3 - Chaconne - ENHYPEN

Do you know what a chaconne is? That's not a rhetorical question btw. No shade either, I'm just curious. For those who don't know, a chaconne is a rhythmical and harmonic motif over a pronounced bass-line. That's my leftover understanding from music classes taken a lifetime ago. According to google, a chaconne is also "a slow, solemn dance in 3/4 time, of Spanish or Moorish origin, similar to the passacaglia." For a non-k-pop example, I recommend Hilary's rendition of Bach's chaconne (more leftover knowledge from a lifetime ago).

Anyway, this likely isn't important context. The use of "chaconne" in the song probably has more to do with how it sounds in the song, than what it means. In any case, Enhypen earned a gold star from me with this pantydropper anthem.

*

2 - Criminal Love - ENHYPEN

I'm not sure how many of you were here when Heartbeat and Dream Glow were released. What I remember was shock, pure incredulity that BigHit would release songs of that quality for game OSTs. From ARMYs and k-pop stans alike, this was the sentiment. It was like a flex that BTS had such a peerless discography they could make songs like this for a side gig.

That's immediately what I was reminded of when I first heard Criminal Love, released as the OST for Enhypen's webtoon. It's moody, vampy, seduction in a song. That's what that song is. Sad too, when you hear the lyrics. Watching the live performance only drives it home.

*

1 - Blind - ENHYPEN

This song has given me one of the best auditory experiences I've ever had in k-pop. Which is a bit odd because yes a lot happens in the production, but the switches are so subtle you almost don't notice it.

Heeseung, Ni-ki, Jay, Sunoo, Sunghoon, Jake, and Jungwon - all outdid themselves on this song. Vocally, they sound incredible. The writing, (again) is top notch. This is one of the only songs released this year that I genuinely struggle not to loop.

*

Top 5 BTS Solo Songs

5 - Yes or No - Jung Kook

This is one song I'm praying and begging that we get thousands of remixes of. HYBE, please work your magic and give us 10 remixes of Yes or No. I need it. This is the perfect pop song in that it makes you crave more. I know it's got a predictable, common almost, chord progression in VI -> V -> I -> IV, but it's perfect in that it's impossible to get sick of it. It just worms itself into your head and all you can think of is all the ways to sing all over those chords.

Jung Kook's vocal work on that song is irreproachable. He's really set himself apart with this album and I'm glad he did it.

*

4 - Snooze - AGUST D, ft. Ryuichi Sakamoto & Woosung

HUH?! should be here, as should Amygdala so consider this a triple entry: HUH + Snooze + Amygdala. The reason why is self-evident (I hope).

Anyway... I want to talk a bit about Snooze.

Yoongi loves using the piano. He likes the sound of it, and you can tell in songs like Snooze. He has such a profound love and respect for that musical instrument that it only makes sense a man like Ryuichi acknowledged Yoongi before he passed.

With everything that happened this year, remembering Moonbin, and knowing that Yoongi made this song for his juniors... the first time I heard this song it completely destroyed me. Anyone who hasn't paid attention to the lyrics yet should check it.

When I casually listen in to TXT, SVT, Enhypen, BoyNextDoor, and see the work they're doing, putting out easily some of the best music and performances in their generations, I hope and pray they develop a support system that genuinely values them, soon. I hope they survive this industry, and thrive in it.

*

3 - All Day - RM ft Tablo

Not to be that person (since he's canceled for reasons and it actually makes sense why), but when I first saw the song title All Day, I immediately remembered All Day by Kanye West - one of the sauciest and meanest songs he's ever made. I was worried, given the tone of the album to that point, that Namjoon was going to give us his take on Ye's original. Joon is more than capable of dropping a track just as mean if not more. I didn't put it past him to pay homage to the Kanye joint by taking a spin on it. But, thankfully, All Day is nothing like Kanye's song, and it's my favourite song on Indigo because it's the best.

Joon's diction on this track is *chef's kiss*. His voice.... that outro, and thank goodness, Tablo came through. He actually has a presence on the track and made it even more worth the listen.

It kills me that we don't even have a visualizer for this masterpiece.

*

2 - Set Me Free Pt 2 - Jimin

Thank you for giving me another chance to talk about Set Me Free Pt 2.

One reason all the anxiety and fear-mongering around Jimin seems insane to me is because Jimin dropped this song and ended k-pop in 2023. He literally has no real competition. He came in, showed out, and left. That song is the sexiest joint out of Korea this year. It's so nasty. He's absolutely disgusting on this song in how brutally he makes rubbish of everything beneath him. Like, he literally has people bowing down to him in the choreography. Bobbing their heads like Funko Pops, while he sings to be set free. I'm going on a bit of a tangent here, but I want to say something. There's a cruelty in the way Jimin speaks. Whether to someone else or to himself. It's often (somewhat) restrained, born of the way he sees the world I think, and it was especially brutal in their early days, but he's toned it down significantly since 2016. It's virtually non-existent in his speech patterns and word choice now. Jimin of the last few years communicates gently, directly, tactfully, and at worst, bluntly. A lot of that cruelty is toned down but he unleashes a whisper of it on SMF Pt 2. Just listen to what he's saying on that song. That autotune effect on his voice was for our benefit and safety. Nothing can convince me otherwise. And we haven't even yet gotten into the full symbolism of the MV and his lyricism...

The moment I heard this song I knew I would bias Jimin. He's a man who knows what he's doing.

Jimin is a one of a kind wonder. Real magic in a person. An artist. He proves it on Set Me Free Pt 2. Kudos to PDogg too - the GOAT.

*

1 - On The Street - j-hope ft J. Cole

When it comes to song construction, I have to give credit where credit is due and the fact is Hoseok outdid himself with this song. It is perfect, my top pick for a k-pop song in 2023. Jermaine did good on it too. But, you know... Hoseok.

The whistle melody he came up with, the beat, the vocal layering, the mixing, the MV direction - all of it is perfect. If we were giving scores based on separate components, OTS would get 10s in every category.

Honestly, Hoseok coming out at number 1 is kind of expected of him lol.

[coralislandthinks]

Personal Rating of How Helpful Each Love Interest in Coral Island is On the Farm Pt.4

Pablo 8/10

top notch helper, helps all the time all over town so why not the farm

dont think he'd actually like farming

Rafael 10/10

best no arguement strong kind and careful

tho he would like to probably mine more he'd be great at everything

Raj 7/10

You know what also top tier knows lots about growing coffee beans so why not other plants

not the best with the animals

Scott 5/10

chaos. decent at things but for some reason chaos just follows

golden retriever energy so i give them a pass

Suki 4/10

busy lady so not a lot of time for farming which create the issue

would love to be more involved they like control but there's just not the time for it so nah not the best

[bunnymajo]

Top 10 Magical Girl Attacks!

(probably not in any definitive order, just ones I like as they come to me)

10) Lovely Punching Punch! (Cure Lovely)

Just summon an entire magic fist. This is also the obligatory Cure Lovely spot because all of her attacks are top notch

9) Jupiter Supreme Thunder Dragon (Sailor Jupiter)

This might've been an anime only attack but it's one I wish would come back. Like hello???

8) Tiro Finale (Mami Tomoe)

Mami was so right for giving all of her attacks names. Like she understood the assignment

7) Delicious Precious Heat (Cure Precious)

It's not a gun, it's a juice mixer :)

6) Moon Princess Halation (Sailor Moon R)

Mostly on here because the little sound effect the wand makes are amazing. Also that time in the movie where she uses it to just mow down the Kisenian flowers? 100/10

5) Saint Crystal Love. for. You! (Wedding Peach)

I dunno, of all the attacks this one I remember the most. Just the way she inflects each word sticks with me

4) Hirogaru Sky Punch (Cure Sky)

This is the last thing you see before you're punched into oblivion

3) Galaxy Chorus (Cure Twinkle)

You know you're fucked once magical girls start casually summoning an entire galaxy just to take you out (notice how small Twinkle is in this shot..)

2) Precure Royal Rainbow Burst (Smile Precure)

This is the power fantasy of every 4 year old girl in animated form.

Pink Sugar Heart Attack (90's Sailor ChibiMoon)

Is it the most powerful? Absolutely not. Is it the most iconic? I would argue yes.

[decimal86]

Ranking The Incident's members from "normal-ish straightman" to "interesting weirdo (affectionate)" based on their personalities. I am sorry if you disagree, but I respect your opinions on this matter.

1. Shrimp. Despite her admittedly off-putting smile, she's also just a very kindhearted young girl with a love for music. Consistently seems to fill the role as a younger sibling for other members to defend. Shrimp just wants to make others happy and seems like a relatively normal shark girl idol.

2. Big Bill. Surprisingly, for a buff, humanoid duck, he actually seems pretty chill. Don't have much to say about him, so he gets this by default.

3. Orion. Probably the closest to the "traditional" heroic archetype, being a strong and devoted family man with plenty of skill as a swordsman. He loves his daughter, plays both classes to the best of his ability, and is probably the voice of reason a lot of the time. The only thing keeping him down a bit is his odd attempts at giving presents and seeing an immortal chef with a thousand-yard stare and massive eyebrows as the best pick for a partner.

4. Erica. In a way, I see her and Orion as two sides of the same coin, being dedicated warriors who changed classes with a strong urge to keep their team safe. However, her Season 2 development led to her throwing much of her caution to the wind, so her temper and violent streak knock her placement down a bit. Still, I definitely could see her being the type to call others on their crap and forcing herself back into the straightwoman role if really needed. Very much a case of "only functional by comparison."

5. Failboat. The man, the myth, the definitely (maybe) not a furry, he's... gone through a lot since the first season. While it's difficult to say where the creator ends and the character's personality begins, I personally see C!Fail as a pretty nice guy, just world-weary and desperate for a break after his experience of the world. (TBF, makes sense given his relationship with Chat). Also, any man who eats spaghetti with cat paws on cannot be labeled as normal.

6. Bo. Certainly not the most unhinged even after her vampire transformation, but her generally seeming on edge a lot of the time makes me feel she deserves this position. Honestly, I'd just say her position fluctuates as much as Failboat's and Erica's.

7. Friend. While we likely can't truly judge a maybe-divine entity with human norms, I do think them being fairly serene and forgiving, yet also casting Righteous Anger with zero hesitancy and a stone cold smile, can speak for itself.

8. Mar. While his stoicism and apathy towards the zany nature of his party do make him appear normal at first, I'd argue it also makes him nearly as unhinged as the two members below him. Except, instead of being the "blast the door off the hinges" unhinged, he's the "saw it down and let it fall over" kind of unhinged. An odd mix of blank mindedness, Italian plumber cosplay, and top-notch leadership. To quote one of the memes @gnomey22 posted, Mar is "queer as in gay, yes, but also queer as in really very peculiar." He sees recklessness but willingly chooses to just watch it happen.

9. Chi. This, THIS is a character that I feel like could actually break everything in her body, survive and get healed, and immediately repeat whatever it is she just did—either for science, her love of fire, or just because it's fun. Sometimes for her friends, yeah, but mostly one of the above things. She sees everything from gender norms and to the laws of chemistry and just goes, "Hmm... nah, not really up for that," and defies them openly and instantaneously. Honestly, though, I vibe with it. Can definitely see why a lot of people like her!

10. Chat. I mean, what did you expect? They're a loose cannon both literally and figuratively. They spread mayonnaise on Failboat's head when he was ill. Proclaimed their friendship with their team before firing them at the enemy. They're a bundle of untamed voices, like a nest of fire ants who lost a pheromone trail.

...Well, that took longer than I thought. Hope anyone who sees this enjoyed it, though!

[winx-trash]

I'm bored and I can't fall asleep so I'm going to do one of those best/worst things that people do. Remember that it's all just my personal taste and if you disagree that's absolutely fine. This is a long post.

The best and the worst out of each transformation

Magic Winx

Honestly this one is good on everyone but my fave will always be Tecna. Her Magic Winx design is so unique and her wings transform into a paper plane when she flies. Top notch.

There isn't a single bad design in here and I can't even say which one I like the least so I'm going to skip it.

2. Enchantix

This one is hard because I love all of Enchantix designs. I'm going to split this one between Aisha and Flora cuz they're dead gorgeous.

The Enchantix I like the least would probably be Tecna's. But considering how good Enchantix is in general it's not that bad.

3. Believix

Tecna slays. Just look at her. Her Believix form is just so cool. A massive upgrade from her Enchantix form. That bob cut just suits her so well...

I hate to say it but I really don't like Musa's Believix form. It's so out there. I know they have this whole thing about superheroes but did she really need to wear underpants on top of her leggings?

4. Harmonix

Musa's Harmonix is easily the best one. It looks good and I love it.

As for the worst... Bloom. I just don't like it.

5. Sirenix

I don't like Sirenix in general but Aisha's Sirenix is pretty good. Aisha doesn't really have bad transformations to begin with.

And the worst is Tecna. It's just bad.

6. Bloomix

Now this is my favorite! Bloomix is like the best transformation we've gotten since Enchantix in terms of looks.

I will split this one between Bloom and Musa because I can't choose. Bloom's Bloomix form is very good. That hair color on her looks fantastic and the outfit itself is so well put together that I wish we could have kept Bloomix for the rest of the series. Musa is another favorite of mine. Shame that this transformation had to be replaced by Butterflix.

Stella's Bloomix doesn't actually look that bad I just think her hairdo ruins the whole look.

7. Mythix

Mythix isn't so bad of a transformation. But it looks really bad in 3D so I'm judging its 2D version.

Bloom's Mythix looks really fun so yeah.

I don't like Flora's Mythix for the same reason I don't like S5 formal dresses. Too many flowers. It looks too busy.

8. Butterflix

Butterflix can go die in a fire yada yada but... Musa pretty... (Stella's Butterflix is very nice too actually)

And the worst out of the worst is... Tecna's! It doesn't look too bad in a vacuum but it signifies the problem I've had with Tecna's character writing past S4. That's not Tecna. Tecna past S4 is just Bloom but tech-savvy. And the way her Butterflix looks is a constant reminder of that.

9. Tynix

I like Musa's Tynix. It's cool. Other than that I don't have much to say about this transformation.

And I hate to do this to my girl Tecna, but I like her Tynix the least.

10. Dreamix

Tecna eats. Plain and simple. That haircut never lies. Also, I love how Tecna's transformations are either the best or the worst on my list.

And I very much dislike Bloom's Dreamix look. Dunno, I just don't like it.

11. Onyrix

About time Stella shows up on my list. From how underwhelming this transformation is Stella's look was a pleasant surprise. Love that blue on her.

And again. Bloom's Onyrix is the worst. Goodness gracious this shade of pink is abhorrent on her.

12. Cosmix

Cosmix is nice. I do like it a lot actually. There isn't a single Cosmix design that I hate. But I do love Stella's Cosmix form.

I don't hate Flora's Cosmix but I like it the least.

I will not cover S8's updated designs for previous transformations. Not a fan of them. I also didn't mention either Lovix or Sofix so I'll just drop my faves.

Congrats if you made it this far!

[komajordan]

Media I’ve Experienced in 2024 (February) SPOILERS

Same as last time, in order of when completed on a scale of 1-10

Clone High (2023) Season 2 (8/10)-Like a lot of people I wasn’t really on board with Clone High’s revival. If you want to know my thoughts it’s honestly a 6, it has some good jokes but it’s weighed down by more forced and obvious comedy. Season 2 however really surprised me, there were a ton of jokes I found funny, brought in some fanservice like Skunky Poo coming back and Cloney Island being fully realized, and a ton of the character chemistry works.

Bumblebee (10/10)-I never thought a solo Bumblebee movie with humans would work but it turned out to be pretty heartwarming and emotional. Charlie and Bee’s relationship felt real along with some fun action scenes.

Clone High (2002) (9/10)-I tried to watch the original Clone High back in 2022 but my memory got clouded by a lot of personal stuff at the time. So checking the original out felt like a reminder of what the show used to be. The bait-and-switch comedy is top notch, Gandhi’s prescience will always be welcome, and by God the emotional soundtrack makes a ton of scenes even funnier.

Hello Kitty:Roller Rescue (5/10)-Pretty basic beat-em-up, cute soundtrack and visuals, nothing too special. I’m probably just spoiled from playing Island Adventure.

The LEGO Movie (Rewatch) (10/10)-I watched this movie on the exact day of its 10 Year Anniversary and by God, this movie is as funny as I remember it. And after I just watched Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s other work in Clone High I can definitely tell I was spoiled from their comedy from age 8 too. The animation still looks great and I can basically recite the script from how many times I watched it in the past. While yes I’m biased, it’s a very sentimental type of bias that I can never let go.

The Lost Boys (7/10)-The Lost Boys is an old but fun movie. It captures the feeling of adolescent summer fun on the boardwalk along with the relatively small sense of horror of the vampire cult.

Us (9/10)-Back on Halloween last year I watched Get Out and I thought it was good as a psychological thriller but not really scary to me. Us on the other hand was a step-up in my opinion. The doppelgänger plot is really cool and the way the tethered family goes around terrorizing everyone felt thrilling. And man the twist, I’m not gonna spoil it but that twist felt like a complete game changer.

The Marvels (2/10)-This movie is not good but not the worst MCU movie ever. Personally I liked the interactions between Kamala, Monica, and Carol even though I’ve grown to dislike Carol overtime. But otherwise the villain is forgettable, a lot of the fight scenes are complete white-noise, and a lot of scenes are completely cringy and predictable.

Epic Career Quest (7/10)-Waking up after a Super Bowl aftermath was weird for me. I don’t know the general opinion is on this series but I found it entertaining. The characters being mismatched kind of works for me as someone who likes these types of ensembles like Drawn Together. And as a growing adult their messages about imposter syndrome and making your goals really stuck with me.

Terrifier (6/10)-I don’t know if this is a personal thing after seeing so much Invincible and Mortal Kombat but the violence here literally had no effect on me. Sure, this movie is scary but the plot kind of drags for me personally.

Terrifier 2 (8/10)-This movie is a step up in terms of scares and production value. Not to mention there’s more of a plot when the first was just a simple murder plot here it’s an extensive plot about people’s perception of Art The Clown and who he is. Where this movie falls flat for me is the sword thing, I personally thought that was an asspull and kind of out of place in a serial killer movie that a fantastical item just doesn’t fit.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Season 2 (8/10)-Moon Girl Season 1 was a fun show that does a lot of cool superhero stuff while also doing enough to stray away from Marvel to make it its own. What do I think of Season 2? It’s on the same level. Nothing really noteworthy, they still do fun things, visuals are nice, and some of the plots are interesting.

Megaman X4 (9/10)-Probably my favorite Megaman X game given what I think about future games. The gameplay is fast paced and fun, the bosses are challenging but fun too, and the transition from SNES to PS1 translated greatly. And the cutscenes exist, if you know you know.

Jujutsu Kaisen (9/10)-Yeah I decided to ride the JJK train and unlike Naruto I do understand the hype. The animation is fluent especially with the domain expansion and curse enemies. I loved characters like Gojo, Maki and Nobara from their entertaining personalities. And Where Our Blue Is will always be one of my favorite songs in anime.

Freddy Vs. Jason (7/10)-The human parts suck especially if they get in the way of crossovers. But Freddy and Jason when they show up together they make the most out of them fighting each other and killing others. Not to mention the setup that has Freddy provoking Jason to getting into Elm Street works really well.

Venom:Let There Be Carnage (3/10)-If I described this movie in one word it would be annoying. Venom is a very obnoxious character who constantly screams and complains about everything. The cliche drama between Eddie and the rest of world is insufferable. The only remotely good part of the movie is the effects on Carnage as it was done pretty well. But other than that I have no desire to watch this one again.

Re:Cutie Honey (8/10)-Kill La Kill mixed with Ghost in the Shell. I honestly thought this was animated by Trigger. But in all honesty I love the fast paced action and character moments.

Resident Evil Revelations (4/10)-Boring. The ship location gets old and I wasn’t scared even once. I honestly like RE6 more than this considering that game has a lot of variety and fun gameplay. This game is so slow and unfulfilling.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica (9/10)-I love how subversive this anime is. Flipping magical girl tropes to be grim dark was a unique twist and made the characters more real than the traditional magical girl stereotype.

[drmrspancakes]

My thoughts on “Strange Creature” - by Estelle Allen

I really wanted to make a small review of this album because it's such a departure from Estelle's other work as well as her first full album! I have listened to this album ~5-10 times all the way through and I have avoided watching any interviews or other reviews of this album.

Overall I am extremely impressed by this album and I look forward to picking it apart for months to come. The vocals are simultaneously distorted yet raw in delivery, the production is top notch and very textural. Some songs are bops and some are downright depressing. Estelle is iconic for this release, no doubt.

Worm

The vocoded voice makes me think of something inhuman trying to communicate, combined with the lyrics it invokes a sense of yearning to connect with someone but you're not sure if you're quite ready. I think this a badass opener for an album. 

2. Chrysalis 

This was one of the two songs that were released as teasers and I loved it. Before listening to the entire album I felt a strong connection to the “Chrysalis” being a metaphor for going through gender transition. After listening for a while I believe this song is more about grappling with the intense feelings of meeting someone new who you click with. 

I enjoy the use of the caterpillar-to-butterfly metaphor as well as the insect imagery to describe people you meet while putting yourself out there. 

3. Strange Creature 

I love this song for how it expresses the feeling of having a crush on someone but you are still getting to know each other. The production on this song is also where I feel like it begins to ramp up, its unable to hold back anymore and the lyrics reflect that;

“Got your neck in my mouth and they’re gunning for me

So what? Maybe I'm a monster

I’m not sure, but you never mind”

4. Girlfriend

This was the other song that was previewed (paired with Chrysalis) and if you only heard those two songs one might assume that this album was going to be a standard love album but Goddamn Estelle played her cards right. 

This song is literally exactly how it feels when you can’t stop fantasizing about a romantic interest. The bubbly and upbeat instrumentals really help to sell the giddy energy of this song. Also based Homestuck and Dark Souls reference. 

5.  645

My first thought was this was the antithesis to “2:45 AM” by Elliot Smith. At this point in the album's story I imagine at this point Estelle and her romantic interest have started dating and are soaking in the honeymoon vibes. The backing vocals seriously make this song so textured and rich while also complementing the swelling instrumentals in the latter half of the song. 

6. Ortolan

This song feels like a small look into one of the many conversations that were had on “645.” I really like this song, it not only feels like we the audience are peering into her personal life for a split second, it also foreshadows the rest of the album. Definitely one of my favorites.

7. Sycamore

I'm struggling to really articulate what I think this song is about concretely but I believe it talks about how Estelle wants to really commit to this person and sees potential in them but knows that its probably not reciprocated.

8. Centipede

This one tears me apart, its so bittersweet and I literally want to cry when I hear it. This song's use of distortion and chopped vocals are supreme in the way it conveys that confusion and grief that swallows you when shit starts hitting the fan. I think this is my favorite song on the album but its really close between this and Porch.

9. Cornflower

The title of this song is a reference to a line in ��Girlfriend,” which she says “Will you be my Estus? And I'll be your cornflower.” I think the intention is to show their love blossoming in “Girlfriend” and now its wilting fast. I think this the counterpart to “Strange Creature” in the sense that at this point Estelle is coming to terms with the relationship coming to a close. Someone once described breakups to me like losing a rotten tooth. It was hurting you and you're glad that it's gone but you swipe your tongue over the empty space dozens of times a day adjusting to what you were so used to.

10.  Porch

No notes, go off Queen. No but seriously this was the dopest  when I first heard it, I legit pogged. I think this song is what makes this album come together %100. It competes with “Centipede” as my favorite but I have to say that the chorus is so fun to sing and the vibe is immaculate.

11. Ray

I think “Ray” might be about how things are over but it wasn’t all bad. Back on “Chrysalis” She mentions how she feels like she’s trapped in a Sisyphean dream and I interpret this as the challenge to really let go of someone.

In “645” there was a voice memo that played in the beginning, presumably from the love interest of the album. When “645” opens the context is still happy so it seems to fit right in. Now that we are at “Ray” its a haunting echo of what was. As far as outros go I felt underwhelmed at first but I think that feeling is the melancholy of going through the relationship from beginning to end. “Porch” had so much intense emotion behind it and “Ray” does as well but its so chilling in delivery.

I also feel like the way she seems to sort of "leave the door open" so to speak might also be related to the Sisyphus line mentioned in "Girlfriend." This is absolutely a wonderful closer to this album. 

[picnokinesis]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Got tagged by the fantastic @wykart ahh thank you for the tag!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

32, most of which are Doctor Who!

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

859,228!! (but it's gonna keep climbing until I finish posting part 6 of campervan sksk)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Pretty much just Doctor Who right now, but I have posted fics for Stargate Universe, Marvel and The Greatest Showman. And then I have written for other fandoms - most notably Venom, which I never posted anything for but I did get 40k into a multichapter one time.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

In this order: Liminality, Tropospheric Disturbance, campervan part 1, watchfires and Renegades in the Ring (my TGS fic that I never finished, rip in pieces)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always try and respond to comments!! Mostly because I love talking about my fics and also don't know when to shut up hahaha - but I also have some absolutely fantastic commenters who have such interesting things to say! And also like, idk I really appreciate people taking the time to comment, so I reckon it's polite to say thank you at least. The only time I don't reply to comments, mostly, is if it's a REALLY long comment and I just don't have the energy rip (but when that happens I definitely read and cherish the comment dearly haha)

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh. MOST OF THEM RIP. I'm genuinely not sure because I always try and end my fics on a vaguely uplifting note. Maybe Campervan Part 4, simply because of all the uni-era angst? But tbh the ending of Part 6 is definitely a contender, now I think about it. Canon-fic wise, though.......hmm I think it's got to be notches in your spine, since that ends with the Doctor just straight up leaving the Master without warning sksksk

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Hm. I think I'm gonna go with In the Wind for this one, which is hilarious since I wrote it THREE YEARS AGO, but it's a multi-chapter mid-series adventure that rounds itself off in a satisfying way, with everything being resolved nicely, so I think that's a decent contender!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Hm, no, other than people complaining about the show in an attempt to compliment my writing, but that's stopped for the most part since I got annoyed about it in my author's notes one time ksksks. I did get a weird comment recently that started out very complimentary but then turned really weird in a pretty upsetting way (and, frankly, it would have been very triggering if that sort of topic had been something that was something that affected me a lot? Luckily it wasn't, but the commenter did NOT know that). So I just deleted the comment because I didn't want that sort of thing in my comment section, especially when I know other readers comment lurk.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

No I'm sex-repulsed lol

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I wrote a crossover that was The Greatest Showman crossed with the X-Men Comics one time SKSKSKSKSK (and it was specifically the comics not the films, I did so much research on historical terminology for mutants HAHA) which was actually SO much fun - I never finished it, but I do think back on it very fondly. But I'd class that as more of an 'x-men au' rather than a crossover tbh, bc it was wholly focused on the TGS characters.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don't believe so

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes! We never finished it LOL

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Currently spydoc, but this will probably change. I have a MASSIVE soft spot for rush/young from sgu, clintasha from the MCU, newt/hermann from PacRim, and symbrock from Venom.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Hmmmm there's a bunch, but probably The Grandfather Paradox? I genuinely love that one so much. But who knows, maybe one day. I feel like it would make a great pitch for a Big Finish audio sksk. Oh, and Deathless will probably never happen. I'm not going to put Trestle on this list because I am SO DETERMINED to finish it some day HAHAH. Oh - and I don't think I'll ever finished Trouble With Entropy, which was my unfinished Venom fic, or Renegades (aforementioned TGS fic) even though I love them a lot, it's just....very unlikely at this point rip.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Going off what other people have said to me, I'm good at creative immersive worlds! Which is mostly because I really want my stories to feel 'lived in', so to speak, and broader than what you actually see in the immediate plot. I think I'm also pretty good at pacing, and also writing narrative prose with a character voice! The latter one I definitely pushed myself with when writing part 6 of campervan, as well as my recent doctormaster oneshot, where I had to weave together both the doctor AND the master's characterisation into one seamless pov

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I definitely worry too much about making sure the reader DEFINITELY gets what I'm trying to say, and so sometimes I'm repetitive and I hammer things home a bit that can be more subtle. I also think that sometimes I can be a bit repetitive in my longer fics where I know a gap needs to be filled but I'm not sure with what sksksks. There are other things too. I definitely struggle writing shorter things and getting to the point and TRUSTING that the reader will come with me. I often feel this urge to make sure all the steps are there for the reader to follow where I want them to go.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

Oooh so I actually did this in campervan part 5 with Gabriela and Jamila speaking a bit of Portuguese! And I think there's like, obviously nuance to it, but when I had the pov characters who understood portuguese (namely Jamila in the prologue), I had the dialogue in portuguese, but the translation in the prose, either literally just next to the dialogue or explained in the narration by Jamila. But then in later chapters, when Yaz is trying to talk to Gabriela, because Gabriela is upset she's occasionally saying things in Portuguese....but Yaz doesn't understand them. So they don't get translated. And so I think that works for the story in that context, bc what Gabriela actually SAYS is less important and it's more showing the emotion of it. Another case I can think of was in Force Over Distance by cleanwhiteroom who wrote a LOT of ancient into the fic (which is basically latin) and when it was on ao3 there was this sort of 'hover to translate' thing which worked REALLY WELL, bc the translation was there but it didn't disrupt the flow of the fic.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Okay so I wanna know what counts here - if it's like, the first fic i POSTED, then that's Marvel (specifically the Avengers). If it's the first fic I wrote when I actually understood what 'fandom' was, then...I think that was also Avengers....or maybe BBC Sherlock. If it's the first thing I actually WROTE DOWN properly, then it was Doctor Who (specifically Ten and Rose and my oc companion sksk). If it was the first thing I played with creatively for media that wasn't my own...then that was probably me coming up with elaborate ocs out of two unicorns on the credits for the My Little Pony vhs tape we had SKSKSKSK SO. I don't know. One or all of those.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Oh this is hard because I'm proud of a lot of what I've written. My gut reaction at the moment is actually Trestle, even though it's unfinished and no one has read it HAHAH but I'm just so proud of some of the writing in that so far. And I'm extremely proud of Campervan AU as a whole entity. However I do really really love see me bare my teeth for you - which I actually forget about a LOT because it's not one of my thoschei fics sksksk. But I'm super proud of how that one turned out. And then also and they did live by watchfires because that one just has such a special place in my heart.

THANKS FOR THE TAG LIV!!! I'm gonna tag hmmmmmmm @sunshinedaysforever @taardisblue @novantinuum @emptyofdust @strikingtwelves @walker-lister aaaaah basically anyone else that wants to do this! :D

[sunlightfeeling]

any song recommendations for someone who wants to listen to more smap but doesn't know where to start?

Hiii~ this is genuinely such a fantastic question; thank you so much for the ask!!

Gosh okay I’m going to break this into two (hopefully small) parts; one being what I think is actually a good official start

and the other that’s just…like my biased favorites 😭😂

Okay, so, for what I officially recommend:

I think that the most palatable way to get a sampling (..smapling..) of SMAP’s discography as a whole would be cruising through their final compilation album “SMAP 25 Years”

SMAP 25 Years is special for a few reasons (both infamous and heartwarming). One of which is that fans were allowed to vote what songs appeared on the album, so it’s not only a great introduction but gives a good idea of what their classics are (source)

But honestly, any of SMAP’s compilation albums (COOL, WOOL, pamS, SMAP Vest) are really fantastic starts. If there’s any songs on those that aren’t vibing (or repeats, tbh; some songs get repeated use a lot), then it’s easy enough to skip, since it’s really just a random mishmash of greatest hits.

The reason why it’s difficult for me to recommend one of their individual albums is because they’re pretty overwhelming. For one, they change genres very frequently. One song will be a lullaby-esque duet. And then the very next is hard rock with the intro being a heavy guitar riff (and hopefully you’ve turned down your music by then 😔)

Now, for my biased picks, I’m going to put that below the cut here. For two reasons:

just in case there’s folks that would rather not see - they are completely valid for that, no matter the reason

and the rest of this post is probably going to be horridly long lol

Before I recc these, a little note on me. I…don’t have a great track record for listening through entire albums. It’s a bit unusual when I can actually put one on and listen through it in its entirety. There’s usually at least one song that I either always end up skipping..or put on repeat for however long my brain deems necessary. …Or both lol. I can probably count on two hands the number of albums I can actually consistently listen to undisturbed. Two of which are…

SMAP 011 (“Su”) and MiJ (disc 1 specifically but disc 2 is also stellar) are both albums that I can recommend wholly. I just really love the range both albums have. Specific songs on these…

(for ease, I’m going to use track number - if y’all want/need song name, let me know ☺️)

Su: Tracks 2, 5, 13; also, all the solos on this album are top-notch (with Shingo and Nakai’s being hysterical on top of that) - tracks 4 (Tsuyoshi), 7 (Shingo), 8 (Nakai), 10 (Goro - weakest imo because slow and sleepy but still good), 11 (Takuya - fun fact: this is the only SMAP-era song that he’s done a studio-recording for in this post-SMAP era which I actually prefer except I wish he did the same ending in that one I don’t care that his voice is deeper and it’s probably impossible now okay im going)

MiJ: Tracks 2, 6, 7, 9, 10 (I love this album a normal amount); the solos on disc 2 like Su are all excellent - they go in order based on member age - oldest to youngest

I could genuinely go on and on (like, I didn’t even get to any singles or album tracks on the others 😭) but I’m a bit worried/self-conscious that I went on for too long lmfao

But that doesn’t mean I’m not willing to pass on those reccs. So if you’d like more anon or anyone else, feel free to ask~

[jonquilyst]

Akari Kondo (近藤 明莉)

Akari Kondo, beloved pianist, violinist, wife, and mother, passed away peacefully on Spring 1, Year 6 at 10:41 PM. She is survived by husband Vasa Iosua and daughters Naomi and Kaia Kondo-Iosua. Preceded in death are her parents Chiyo and Shinjiro Kondo and brothers Hotaru and Tatsuya Kondo.

Final Statistics:

Net Worth: 288,181 simoleons

Total Number of Traits: 18 (Insider, Family-Oriented, Music Lover, Role Model, Idea person, Piper, Headstrong, The Knowledge, Creatively Gifted, Top Notch Infant, Chopstick Savvy, Happy Toddler, Iconic, High Self-Esteem, Good Manners, Muser, Domestic, Valedictorian)

Number of Aspirations Completed: 6 (Artistic Prodigy, Mind and Body, Creative Genius, Admired Icon, Musical Genius, Super Parent)

Number of Skills Mastered: 8 (Entreprenuer, Cooking, Piano, Gourmet Cooking, Charisma, Violin, Parenting, Photography)

**Reached Lvl 10 in career

Number of Raises Earned: 6

Total of non-family friends: 7

Collections Completed: 0

Other rewards earned (core value traits/infant and toddler traits): Top Notch Infant, Happy Toddler, Good Manners

Final Score: 47 points

THE END!

(Omg… what a journey. Thank you so much for all of you that decided to follow along the story of Akari! I hope you enjoyed it. I really love this challenge and I had a blast racking up skills and all sorts of traits. Akari is probably my most accomplished sim ever! If you wanna try this challenge for yourself, I have the rules and details here! Can you score higher than me??)

[fipindustries]

btw finished full metal alchemist

yeah, i mean there isnt much i can say that hasnt been said before, it IS a really good fucking anime, probably one of the best.

there were like maybe one or two stumbles right at the very end where it was a bit frustrating that no matter everything the heroes tried the bad guys plan just worked like it was supposed to without a hitch, but on the other hand everything the heroes did during the show contributed to the bad guy being defeated after they won, so thats cool.

the other little problem is that a lot of the solutions the heroes pulled depended a lot on cool alchemic tricks and loopholes which i wasnt able to entirely follow, the magic system of this world is not hard enough for me to feel like the manuevers they did made total sense, like ok, sure, i guess alchemy can do that, i supposed it was never explicitly said that it couldnt. im just not super comfortable with a story when incredibly important and pivotal moments hinge entirely on what can be done within a system that hasnt been thoroughly and rigidly defined. it skirts suspiciously close, narrative wise, to pulling things out of your ass.

maybe ive just been spoiled by sanderson, i dunno.

regardless. this is a beautiful story, filled to brims with the most endearing, lovable ensemble cast of characters ever put to screen. they are all beautiful special babies, even the villains, even the secondary and tertiary characters. there is such a palpable love for humanity in this story and its shown in the lovingly empathetic and humane way that every single character, no matter how righteous or how vile, is shown. this feels like the work of a kind loving god who just wants to gush about their creations. this is a mom proud of her babies. yes, even the naughty ones can be endearing.

(i want to make a quick aside to say this is, bar none, the platinum standard for a female cast, this show has women the likes of which you havent seen before, SPECIALLY in anime, there is no woman who isnt a queen here, who isnt serving cunt 24/7, who isnt sliving, like contrapoints would say. top notch ladies, incomparable, perfection, it cant be done better than this, dont even try, cheffs kiss)

its super engaging how the plot never stops moving forwards, how everyone is sharing information with everyone else immediatly, how there are no plot contraivances, everything flows so organically. it feels both loose and tight. its emotional and profound and thrilling and touching and epic.

im sad that i didnt get to see this sooner, i feel that this would have hit me so much harder at a more impresionable age, maybe before worm or unsong or terra ignota, when i wasnt used to coming across masterpieces that attempted things like this at this scale, this well excecuted.

8/10

[clingyduoapologist]

Ok now that I’ve let wake up and it’s over grow on me time for the new official clingyduoapolagist lovejoy rankings WOOT WOOT (not the including the covers because I’ve never listens to any of them dorry)

1. As always, Sex Sells. To me this is peak lovejoy. Good memories of the first ep, very funny story behind its creation, perfect blending of music and vocals, nothing more you could ask for.

2. It’s all futile. BRO THIS SHIT BANGS SO HARD. While I prefer sex sells, I can easily see how someone could perform this one (and at the risk of sounding parasocial, the fact that Wilbur was able to turn a song from a really dark time in his life into this massive almost tongue-n-cheek album ender is really special to me :’) )

3. You’ll understand when you’re older. Man this is just such a bop, the narrative and the instrumentation are top notch.

4. Call me what you like. BARELY misses the top 3 (and being honest 3 and 4 are pretty much interchangeable for me). Man does this go hard. And the spoken word bridge into the final chorus?? Chef’s Kiss.

5. Cause for concern. This song is weird because I always forget about it but then whenever I remember to listen to it it floors me. Deserved spot all around.

6. Portrait of a blank slate. Another case of 2 completely interchangeable songs with 5 and 6, b it man the instrumentation on this song is AMAZING.

7. Concrete. Honestly this may just be bias but man this song is just such a solid bop. While I don’t hold it quite as highly as the top 5/6, I’m never upset when this song comes on.

8. Oh yeah you gonna cry. Again 7 and 8 vary based on mood but ugh I just love this songs energy. It’s like if you turned a shit eating grin into a song and I love it.

9. Warsaw. I need to listen to this more to really settle my mind on it but it’s definitely a bop.

10. Consequences. Banger but again don’t have a lot of thoughts on it.

11. Model busses. Such a sleeper pick fr. Again I forget about sometimes but it really is a bop.

12. Taunt. No strong feelings, just a nice generally okay song.

13. One Day. I like the music video and this song can shoot up depending on my mood, not really feeling it today tho.

14. Perfume. This is the hipster in me talking but like, it’s fine? Tumblr kinda overhyped it before I listened to it so that’s probably why my opinion of it suffered, but I just never got the hype for this one. Not bad at all tho, 6.8/10

15. The Fall. Yeah again this is another hipster take and I fully acknowledge that, but still not my favorite.

16. Golden Hour. Fine? Idk I might have to listen to this more.

17. Scum. Now listen, I can 100% see the appeal, but you need to understand that I am a basic bitch and this one just does not do it for me, very sorry scum fans (tho it gets points for being a cTommycore song)

Anyways YUP there it is the official rankings!!! If you disagree you’re wrong anyways bye ❤️

[vitaminwaterreviews]

Taeyong - TAP

I’m listening to this immediately after the Twice album, and I’ve gotta say, I massively preferred this. The songs all sounded totally different, Taeyong himself really impressed me with his vocal ability, and the production was top-notch. I called Twice’s music too perfect, and this is a great example of music that isn’t quite too perfect, in a good way. The samples were a bit off, a little bit jarring, and they were that much better and more musical because of it. The title track is probably the weakest song on the album, but I even enjoyed that one. Average score of 8.2, really solid, good stuff from Taeyong.

- Tap

Lol, Taeyong moment

“Sweet and spicy kpop like noodles” lol

Bro he just shouted out Tempo and Hype Girl in one line lmao

I’ll have to check out the lyrics to see whether those are capitalized, I think they were

Also I have no idea what this song is about

7/10, but a high 7. I have no expectations for the next five songs. Impress me.

Moon Tour

Woah okay let’s go

Haha I know I said I had no expectations, but I did not expect an uptempo ballad

The audio sample at the beginning was really neat though

I feel like he just said “you’re my Gaia” which is BIG if true

Actually no I need to see

He totally did omg

9/10 because I did not expect this at all and he totally delivered

Run Away

His choice of samples are always just so good

I dunno about the song though, I’m not sure this one is quite as interesting

Oh and right then the guitar comes in, fine

8/10

APE

Lol what

Okay, he is saying “vaping”, I thought so

“My pony lonely in the parking lot” like bruh

I’m really enjoying this, I know I’m not typing much but it’s because I’m reading the lyrics

And the lyrical content is actually really interesting

8/10

Ups & Downs

And then of course after that, we get chill guitar vibes

His singing voice is so much … calmer than I’d expected

Like he’s a main dancer and a main rapper, and those two things together suggest that he wouldn’t be a particularly adept singer

But clearly he is

Whatever this section is at 2:30, I love the vibes

Like is it a bridge? An outro?

Lol the random violin might be a bit too much for me?

Very melodramatic ending but I buy it

8/10

404 Loading

Yes I do see the runtime thanks

Here we go

This better be some Loud shit

God that guitar sample is just So … something

Lol wait wtf is this soundscape

Well it certainly gets loud

9/10

[libraryleopard]

Mid-Year Book Freakout 2023

Tagged by @violaeade, thanks Sabrina!

1. Best book you’ve read so far this year

Aaaahh that's so hard, I've had a really good reading year. I finally read She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan and it really blew me away–the characters! the tension! the narrative foils! the revenge! the ambition! the complicated queerness! I absolutely tore through it even though I was busy with school and walked around thinking about the ending for weeks. I can't wait for the sequel this August and also I am terrified to see what will come.

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far this year

THE THOUSAND EYES BY A.K. LARKWOOD!! Fucking fantastic sequel, took some incredible risks that really paid off and did some amazing things with the characters. Caused me exquisite agony in the best ways possible. Shuthmili's character arc in that book lives in my head RENT free.

3. New release you haven’t read yet

I'm hoping to read A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon this summer (it is so long but I am so excited for more dragons and lesbians). Also, When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb because I love their short fiction!

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid (gothic YA fantasy about Welsh mythology and a creepy seaside manor) sounds exactly like my kind of book and I'm quite excited for it.

5. Biggest disappointment

Probably The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas. I've gotten really into gothic literature lately and I was super excited at the idea of a postcolonial gothic set in 1800s Mexico but it just felt kind of like a middling mash-up of Rebecca and Mexican Gothic. Subpar gothic atmosphere, some nonsensical plot points, boring romance, standard prose. Alas!

6. Biggest surprise

I read Little Blue Encyclopedia (For Vivian) by Hazel Jane Plante on kind of a whim because the idea of a novel told in the form of an encyclopedia entry for a fictional TV show sounded interesting (I love stories that experiment with form) and it turned out to be an incredible exploration of grief and friendship and trans community that packed a lot of nuance and emotion into a very short work.

7. Favorite new author (debut or new to you)

Ava Reid! Her debut novel, The Wolf and the Woodsman, was a personally kinda underwhelming to me, but their second novel, Juniper and Thorn, was an incredible gothic fantasy exploration of abuse and I think she really found her authorial voice through it. Super excited for their YA debut coming out this fall, it sounds very up my alley. Also, having read Andrew Joseph White's debut novel Hell Followed With Us, I am absolutely keeping an eye out for his future works.

8. Newest fictional crush/newest favorite character

I'm reading Spindrift by Anna Burke right now and Morgan Donovan I am free to hang out on Thursday when I am free to hang out…

Also, Heather After from G. Willow Wilson's Sandman spin-off comic The Dreaming: The Waking Hours is incredible (trans anarchist sorceress) and I love her.

9. Book that made you cry

I don't really cry over books, but Among Others by Jo Walton made me so unbearably sad as someone who has a twin sister (though I do have some problems with that novel).

10. Book that made you happy

 I read Highly Suspicious & Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert because I enjoyed her adult romance novels and thought it was adorable, absolutely top-notch YA rom-com. (Also, I relate to Brad so much considering he is a teenage boy jock named Brad.)

Tagging uhhhh oh god @kazz-brekker @acewizard @shirleyjacksons @displayheartcode and any other book-inclined people who see this and want to answer? (i'm very bad at remembering mutuals off the top of my head, sorry!)

[chirpsythismorning]

Oh my god, how are they gonna arrange the schedules? If Finn has Ghost Busters 2 then it means he's gonna be filming that for months, and what about the other schedules then 😅? I sometimes wonder if the show will just come out in 2025 bc of different schedules and bc the actors either have different projects or are busy with smth else

I know it's super disappointing, but it's very possible s5 won't premiere until 2025!

I answered an ask about this a while back, but basically if we're wanting s5 to be top notch quality, then settling for a s5 release in 2025 is what we're looking at.

Finn made the comment that he was looking forward to being able to drink with some of his cast-mates at the next premiere since he'll now be of age this time around, and he wont be 21 until December 2024... Unless they plan on premiering that literal month, the premiere probably wont be until the following year some time (early 2025).

Noah also made a comment about it when asked if it was coming out soon, and he basically just changed the subject saying that they're main priority is doing the story justice by ensuring it's all well done and satisfying.

Netflix has not come out to give a year for release yet and it's because they are probably pretty sure it will be 2025, but they know it's going to piss people off so they're going to wait a little bit before breaking the news.

Also just thinking about filming scheduling like you said, it takes a lot longer than it usually does for a number of reasons. I'm pretty sure s1 only needed like 6-7 months to film and only like 3-4 months for post-production. But the level of the story was so much less grand. We also had actors that had no experience and so therefore there wasn't much demand in trying to fit with their schedule bc they had no other work.

But now they're all A and B listers with crammed schedules.

We're talking 10+ months of filming and AT LEAST 8+ months of post-production. Best case scenario they would be ready for a premiere by DEC 2024 at the earliest! That gives them a lot of wiggle room assuming there could be delays and what not.

Remember they didn't finish filming for s4 until Sept. 2021, which means they needed about 8 or so months for post-production with the May 27th, 2022 premiere.

When we're talking about like major CGI dragon battles potentially, we're looking at the high end of the spectrum for time spent of VFX in post-production, so something close to what we saw for s4, more or less (about 8 months).

And then you have to think about all the planning that goes into the promotion and the advertising and contracts with products that is planned months/years in advance and that all rolling out to get people pumped.

Then there's also the fact that their choice of when to release it usually has to be sort of unique.

It has to premiere on a Friday, and it has to preferably be at at time that works best for Netflix in combination with all of their other releases.

There are no interesting Friday dates in late 2024... The most interesting date I can find is Friday March 21st, 2025, which would allow for the release to match up with the setting of the show (especially if we're circling back to birthdaygate and what happened in early s4 that was misconstrued bc of will's unreliable narrator arc).

Also... arguably we want a later release bc then it means we get to be here a little bit longer. Bc once this is over, it's over forever. The end!

ST5 in 2025 wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, assuming that promotion for that season would start as early as late 2024 and also be really consistent leading up to it, followed by us getting it and having to, only to move on forever.

It's kind of sad thinking about it. I don't want to.

Also it's possible we could get split into two volumes again bc this is the end and they really want to milk the excitement of it. Having it premiere once and be done is only ensuring like one month of hype, whereas 2 volumes split up between a 2-3 month period ensure like 4 months of hype, and that's a good way to end things with a bang.

Maybe we'll get lucky with a vol one in late 2024 and a vol 1 in early 2025? We'll have to wait and see as we get closer!

All I know is it wont be 2026, so we can just rest knowing that's not a possibility... right?