#so when the act 3 scene finally happens it feels like it’s so earned act 1 hag romance would NOT have been able to do that

[swordmaid]

I don’t think shri’iia would’ve fallen for astarion if he kept up with his overtly flirting act/seduction which is ironic since she’s more comfortable with that compared to the more genuine version of him since she doesn’t know what to do with kindness in general, and this is new territory for her so she doesn’t know what to do with it. anyway. I don’t think shri’iia would’ve fallen for him if their relationship was just about the sex.

the reason why she starts that fwb relationship with him in the first place because she’s using him as a distraction because her oath has been severed and she’s been abandoned by her goddess. she needs something to latch onto or else she will quite literally spiral down since she doesn’t know what purpose she has anymore. shri’iia doesn’t know how to exist outside of lolth, let alone know such a thing was possible. and sex for shri’iia is mostly for the validation that comes with it and less about the pleasure (I’ll get into the whole of that in another post) — not to say she didn’t find enjoyment in it, she does - which is one of the things that sets her off (bc her relationship with her matriarch had never been mutual) but if her relationship with astarion was just about the sex then she would’ve never fallen for him as much as she did.

like the reason why she ends up crushing on him is bc of his companionship. I think they have similar humours and temperament, and they’re both pretty slimy who has no problem with being shitheads and I think that’s the key thing about it. they just have fun together! plain and simple. and I think when it comes down to it, shri’iia is a pretty lonely person who is so so desperate for companionship considering she was either hidden away in solitude or constantly chasing the approval of her mistress for a sliver of her affection and she’s been doing that for a near century. I imagine there are decades where she doesn’t even get a visit from her matriarch, and she is just sitting on the floors of her little tower waiting. I also imagine she talks to herself often because of this. regardless, I think shri’iia just ends up enjoying astarion’s company most of all, and she develops a little crush on him because he makes her laugh, and she also doesn’t realise that she has a crush on him or likes him in that way because the only thing she knows is outright devotion. love to her is something all consuming, not something that comes in quietly. she doesn’t realise she’s fond of him because she has never known such a thing before, or she finds him oddly endearing because her basis of love was her past devotion to lolth and her matriarch that bordered on obsession.

and it’s the funniest thing to me because I see him falling for her similarly too. like the thing to me is that hag romance never needed to have that fwb relationship in the first place; they inevitably will start to like each other because they simply just enjoy each other’s companionship BUT the fwb relationship is also important too since it starts when she is in her most vulnerable state (post oath-breaking), and it also allows him to be vulnerable with her too (let her read his scars).

[calicoheartz]

need need need something about Caitlin dating a famous popstar, think Sabrina carpenter

☆ espresso ; Caitlin Clark

summary : caitlin clark x pop star reader!

synopsis : you are the music scenes next hot thing , who happens to be dating worldwide famous wnba player (set a tiny bit into the future)

warnings : tiniest bit suggestive if you squint , pure fluff !

my master list ㇀♡

a/n: thank you to the lovely person who suggested this! i changed some of the lyrics in the song for it to make sense but it shouldn’t be too noticeable. Enjoy ◡̈

You were the music industry’s next hot thing. From performing at smaller venues, to headlining at Coachella; you were everywhere. Along with your wnba superstar, Caitlin Clark.

The two of you had met while you were preforming a gig at a local bar , a little right before you got your big break. Ever since then, the two of you had been inseparable. Both instantly drawn to each others passion and drive for your careers.

But with Caitlin’s demanding basketball schedule and your international shows and tours , maintaining your relationship proved to be a challenge. Only relying on calls , texts , and surprise visits whenever you can to steal a moment together amidst your busy lives.

It had been almost 3 weeks since you’ve seen your loving girlfriend. With the wnba draft and Coachella starting to kick off, the universe was simply pulling you two away from eachother.

You were sitting in your dressing room , preparing to go on stage to kick off the second weekend at the bustling festival , the biggest festival of the year for that matter. Your nerves were practically eating you alive, you knew she would be in audience. You toyed with your hair as your makeup artist finished the final touches of your look , as you fidgeted with the hem of your skirt. The skirt that perfectly hugged your curves , delicately adorned with lace and bows , your signature look.

You soon snapped back to reality, with the cheers from the audience slowly making its way into your mind. There was no doubt in your mind that this was the moment that could make or break your career. You planned on preforming your newly released song espresso , as a way to give your girlfriend a little treat on her first day back.

You made your way to the stage , sporting your signature beach waves and skimpy clothes, the intro to the song soon began and your eyes darted across the crowd. Begging to meet with the one pair of eyes you can call her own.

You hear the crowd begin to chant your name , you lock eyes with Caitlin briefly, sending a smirk your way. Prompting you to slowly begin to sway your hips as you begin to sing..

❝ now she’s thinkin’ ‘bout me every night oh, is it that sweet? I guess so ❞

you turn towards caitlin , seeing a big grin on her face , as she very well knows the melodic tune is referencing your whirlwind romance. Your hips continue to sway as the lyrics danced off the tip of your tongue , hitting every note in the process.

❝ And i got this one girl

And she won’t stop calling

when they act this way..

I know i got ‘em ! ❞

The crowd begins to scream , noticing your small wink towards caitlin , making it painfully obvious of your ode to her throughout the song

As the lyrics then again roll off your tongue like sweet honey, you continue to prance around the stage earning gasps and applause from the audience, and most importantly; a hungry gaze from your girlfriend. Her eyes practically undressed you as they wandered from your hips to your face, and vice versa. You immediately felt butterflies in your stomach, it had been so long since shes looked at you with those eyes. And as much as you wanted to jump off the stage and into her arms, you only had to finish the rest of the chorus and verse before concluding your set.

You began…

❝ I'm working late 'cause I'm a singer…Oh, she looks so cute wrapped around my finger! ❞

The music continues and you feel as if you are on cloud nine. If this doesnt fully establish your relationship with cait, then youre not sure what will. You practically feel her eyes burning into you as you resume your soft sways, slowly becoming more provocative as you reach near the end of the song. You hair slowly flows with the gentle breeze, as you shoot a glance towards your girlfriend, receiving a approving nod in return. You hear your cue, and make your way to the front to face the audience head on, you quickly hit your iconic signature pose while belting

❝ Mmm, that's that me espresso❞

And the audience erupts with claps and chants as you quickly exit the stage, locking eyes with your manager who signals you to head to the back. As you make your way down there, you feel a strong and warming embrace wrapped around your hips, with soft kisses peppering your neck. “Cait!” you squealed, unable to hide your excitement to see the brunette, she grins at your reaction, snaking her arm beneath you as she slowly begins to carry you to your dressing room.

She soon gently puts you down, as she gently begins caressing your cheek. “You did amazing” she muttered, “everytime you preform you never refuse to amaze me with the amount of talent that you have-” you cut her off with a deep and tender kiss, tasting the mango flavored lipbalm that glistened on her lips.

You giggle, simply muttering , youre my honey bee.. Come get this pollen ;)

anywaysss this is my go at pop star reader x cc !! tbh i feel like this is train wreck but you be the judge of that! tysm for reading 🎀

[fantasywater]

Is Stolas actually cheating? Why or Why Not?

I've had some debates where I've been told that Stolas isn't cheating, and especially not continuously. However, I personally think that he is.

The not cheating crowd reasoning's are:

1.Only the initial act was cheating. Once Stolas screamed the morning after that he wanted a divorce than every sex act with Blitz afterwards was not.

2. Since the marriage was consentless, loveless, and abusive this means he was never cheating on her. This interpretation tallies with Stolas's words on the balcony and in Western Energy.

3. Divorce only takes one person's consent and Stolas called it so he's free to fuck whomever, whenever, and wherever.

My rebuttals:

1.It's still cheating until that balcony scene where he calls for the divorce and kicks her out.Because even after his petty moment of triumph he still tries to placate her, and she's still living in the house. She is also still eating dinner like a family while still very much pissed at what he keeps doing.

I also find it ironic that only when he finally stops being passive and goes through with the divorce is when he also finally stops sleeping with Blitz for good. He went backwards with it. Which means he absolutely would have kept blatantly cheating(as well as kept Blitz in the deal) if the dropoff wake-up call hadn't happened.

2. No one gets to redefine a word just because the character doing it is a fan favorite. Stolas is committing infidelity by the very definition of it. He's an adulterer and a victim of domestic violence. Both are true at the same time.

Basically Stolas as a character can think what he's doing is indeed not cheating,but this doesn't mean the narrative agrees with him.

Narrative disagreement: Stella and Octavia's call-outs in Loolooland. Asmodeus's call out in Ozzie's. Via's pain again in Seeing Stars. Andre's call out in Western Energy. Via yet again in the Sinmas leaks.

Out of all the people I've listed I think the narrative has been very consistent in using Octavia to drive home that his cheating was wrong, and therefore damaging, regardless of what he personally thinks about it.

3. Yes, he called for divorce, but he cheated to initiate it therefore breaking his daughter's peace and mental health in the process.

The Via angle will always be why despite his pain his cheating still makes him an asshole. As well as the fact that he kept doing it even after his daughter told him that it was negatively affecting her.

Do you all agree with the view that both parties need to consent if they want to have sex with other people during separation or divorce proceedings,and especially if one spouse still has feelings, is pissed, or sad about it?

I know for example celebrities very much sleep around when they're only separated or in the various stages of divorce though they're technically still married.

Other bits:

Anyone else think Stolas's take back my power moment against Stella was lacking?

I mean it didn't really hit because there was no strong buildup of her wronging him.

But there's plenty of him wronging her with his frequent and remorseless cheating, and therefore her negative actions are because of that inciting incident.

To me Blitz and Via's felt earned while Stolas's didn't.

We had a whole season(honestly Stars and Western as well) of Stolas wronging Blitz so when he so strongly lashed out in Full Moon it truly felt cathartic.

Same with Via. We have two full episodes of this man repeatedly neglecting his own child for his affair partner and breaking her mental health. So when the third time happened and she has her take back my power moment I cheered.

With Stolas however I should have been cheering, and in a vacuum it wasn't a bad scene,but then the buildup was pretty bad because he has been onscreen for a season, and the circus bedroom scene, very much wronging Stella not the other way around.

Thoughts?

[lakesparkles]

(I was originally gonna post this in the replies of the last ask but I got shy ;-;)

YES. YESSSSS oh my god. you and I. we're like the same. ramona's guilt was what drew me to her in the first place. it's so rare to find a character that truly struggles with feeling like a bad person, and bryan wrote it so perfectly. it's such a shame that this part of ramona never made it into any of the adaptations. he represented how domestic abuse affects victims so well, SO WELL. anyone who argues that being interested in gideon/ramona is bad has never experienced d/a. long-term abuse destroys you. it rewires your brain. it makes you obsessive and vulnerable and lonely but afraid of people. I was attached to my ex for years after we broke up. years after we stopped talking I still fantasized about earning his approval and love and affection. I think it's quite natural to obsess over similar situations, in a way. healthier than thinking about your own lol

bryan wrote gideon and ramona. so. well. I do wish he would have explained more about them, but what we did get (in the comics) was really personal and important to me. ramona's self-hatred, her misplaced guilt, her feelings of being an evil person who can't be saved... yeah. any time someone says "ramona was the real villain!" I do the biggest eye-roll ever. no, she's not. being a victim makes you do some terrible, terrible things to yourself and others but I don't think even that makes her evil. she's just a person

and yes. I love villains, and gideon is nowhere near the worst. the way that he's presented, especially with the tone of scott pilgrim, is very comedic. he's hardly evil in the anime/movie at all

I love. characters who struggle with morality and feeling evil so much. if I had replied on the last post from my main you could've seen my fave for the past year😭😭

-🦊

(oh don't worry at all, I know how it feels 😔)

You understand me so much, reading your asks even comfort me in a way, thank you for this <3 EXACTLY!! And when I find a character who feels this way... They're usually written in a way that I can't relate to. But Ramona is very different, it was like she was translating my own feelings into words and I could finally understand what I felt, in the first place.

And you're surely not wrong or alone for being this way, with me it was basically the same. I don't see my ex for seven years (?) and I still think about her all the time. I wonder how different things could've been. I wonder if I was the one who acted wrong (not surprises, this is what happens after you have a relationship with someone who manipulates you to believe it).

This is exactly the reason Ramona is so important to me and why Gideon and her are the best representation of an abusive relationship. Many people are afraid to show that, when you're a victim of it, you don't feel good about yourself. In fact, it's like you feel guilty and ashamed for the longest time. And, even worse, that this kind of relationship has good moments too and this is the hardest part. When my ex was nice, she was VERY nice.

I love villains, however, Ramona is NOT EVEN CLOSE to being one. I haaate when people say this about her... But let's be real, a big part of the Scott Pilgrim fandom hates women :( and yeees, Gideon is just "normal villain" level to me. He's bad, he's showed as bad but many of his scenes are funny. Bryan himself doesn't take his seriously and, most of all, he's a loser. I love him for this.

Now I'm so curious about your fave haha but like I said, don't worry at all!! You're always free to reply with your main or DM me, but only if you feel comfortable doing so ^^

[whispersleo]

So uhm I just finished Dragon Age so... NO SPOILERS here! Just want to do a tiny little ramble about the game. Be cautious, really bad english ahead!!!

Like what the fuck was that. Listen I WANT to love this game, really. As a transman I absolutely loved the representation, I think it's really important. But please. After 500+ hours in Baldurs Gate, it's impossible for me to not make comparisons and see the huge, absolutely gigantic, gap in quality between the two scripts. And I know Baldurs has a lot of problems with the script and the writing, It's not perfect, but after all the details it is REALLY GOOD, it is and can be truly beautiful, you can see and hear the beating heart of the game in almost every scene. I'm saying this not only as a Gale enjoyer (please believe me), but you can't tell me that Veilguard has a scene even REMOTELY close to the Gale scene where you contemplate the stars with him. He talks to you about immortality, about love, about dying and death, about suicide, his pain lingering in his voice in every breath, and if you happen to be interested in him, Gale confess his love in a way you can even hear him scared of ruining things (again?). He's scared, paralyzed in fear, regrets, pain, despair, sorrow, and yet he really is brave enough to open his heart completely to you in what is, in my opinion, the best scene in the game. I'm always excited to replay it, I hear him all the way through it every single time, I feel his emotions like they were mine and that is so beautiful and precious to me.

And then Dragon Age: The Veilguard, pales in comparison. This beautiful Gale scene happens in the middle of your journey, where you both still don't know if you can truly wake up for tomorrow. Hells, Gale doesn't even think he can live at all!, and yet he chooses to spend this specific night with you, to kiss you, to adore you. He tells you that he loves you. A lot of people criticize that the companions in Baldurs are too horny for their own good, and that they want to get in your pants too quickly. I get where they're coming from but I can't agree. For me, every company has its own reasons for doing that. Astarion tries to get into your pants because it's his way of surviving, for example. Gale doesn't try to do so until he's literally standing on the edge of a cliff in a desperate and maybe last act of love - if he can't love himself, he'll try to love and live for someone else. I won't go on about the other companions, but they do that because they trust you, because you have earned their trust.

We all know the elephant in the room in Baldurs Gate 3. Wyll. His story, cut short. His content, non-existent in comparison. His romance, with many fewer hours that makes me feel it's not worth it. His mission, not even about him. His character, boring to death (to me).

BUT, man, he's just one of the companions. It's not okay, but the others are amazing, Wyll is -sadly and in comparison- just a detail. In Veilguard, this problem is with EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.

They all feel so rushed it's not even funny. As a Lucanis enjoyer (of course I am), I couldn't even get happy for finally getting a kiss from this man and an "I love you". It's just too late for that when it happens. So cold. When it happens, the character -me, as the player- can't even be in the "mood" for it. I hate it. I hate the moment. And I hate I love those puppy brown eyes -as usual, and can't even be excited, hopeful and happy and all the things I truly feel in the Gale scene. I can't. I've been wanting to kiss this man for the past thirty hours and is just too late when it finally happens. I wanted to kiss you before facing the horrors, not after. In Baldurs, you can feel the support of your lover all the way from the half game to it's end and conclusion, you can hear them say they love you if you want, telling you sweet words, greeting you with love and familiarity. The connections you form with the Veilguard characters is rushed, feels extra superficial, and the romance hides behind a poor "slow burn" excuse. This is just writing so fucking shit I've read fanfics at the age of 12 with like thousand of more layers and greaters sex scenes that Veilguard can't have in ANY moment of the script, not just the romance. I'm talking specifically about that because that's where I really felt like the game was freezing me out.

When I finished Baldurs the first time, I felt everything. I cried my eyes out, I laughed, I was so happy- and that was while watching Gale become a god and let Astarion ascend. But it all felt like everything I did (120 hours) was for a reason. It was all FOR this, good or bad choices. I cried when the credits rolled and kept crying when everything went silent. And I started a new playthrough feeling so excited to discover more and more.

Here, I tried to feel that again. To feel like I've saved the day, excited for the future, sad for saying goodbye, and happy for doing so. But I couldn't fake it if you had a gun pointed at my head and told me to smile LOL I was so cold. Just thinking "that's it? It can't be... can it?" And waiting for the game to say HA! Gotcha. But it never came. I watched the credits still trying to connect to something I just watched and finished.

If you're still here, let me tell you: I don't regret buying it.

Sure, the script is like a Marvel movie. A good one (I love superheros), but a Marvel movie still. Like Shang Chi, for example. Man I love that movie. I love the color palette, the characters look like fun, the scenography is amazing, the choreographies are just astounding! But the script. It's a Marvel movie. Characters are saying all the things instead of showing me. They're joking in really bad moments. Sometimes they don't even feel like people, just parrots saying random lines they suddenly remember. The ending it's a big battle that makes all the journey feel less enjoyable and more boring and flat as fuck. But it's really nice and decent entertainment and I'll watch it again if I'm doing the dishes or something.

It's just not great, but that's what Veilguard is for me. I love the colors, I love the character designs, I love all the places you can go, I love the gameplay and the combat experience and I'm excited to try new difficulty levels. But the script is just dog shit. It's entertaining enough to have it like background noise if you are doing something else, and that's it.

All I see is potential wasted. But I want to play it again, maybe as rushed as all the characters are. Just let me keep smashing shit, swinging my axe, and I'm pleased.

Thanks for reading.

[magneticelysia]

How the Law of Attraction Helps You Manifest Everything You Desire

Hey love, let’s sit down for a little heart-to-heart about the Law of Attraction (LOA). I’m talking about the magical yet practical energy that lets you manifest literally anything you want in life—whether it’s love, money, success, or that dream vacation. Sounds like a vibe, right? Let’s break it down step by step so you can start using this universal power to create the life you’ve always dreamed of.

Step 1: Understand the Law of Attraction (Your Energy Is Everything)

Okay, imagine your thoughts and emotions as a magnet. Whatever energy you send out, you attract back. That’s the Law of Attraction in its simplest form.

Positive thoughts = positive outcomes

Negative vibes = challenges and struggles

Think of the universe as your personal genie, but instead of saying, “Your wish is my command,” it’s matching the energy you give off. That’s why your mindset is the foundation of manifesting anything you desire.

Step 2: Get Clear on What You Want (Be Specific, Babe)

The universe loves clarity. If you’re vague about what you want, how can it deliver? Saying “I want to be rich” is too general.

Instead, try:

“I want to earn $10,000 a month through my creative passions.”

“I desire a loving, supportive partner who values growth and connection.”

👉 Pro Tip: Write your desires down in a journal. Be as detailed as possible. What does your dream look, feel, and even smell like? This step sets the intention for what you’re calling in.

Step 3: Believe in Your Power (This Is the Key)

Here’s the tea: manifesting doesn’t work if you don’t believe it well. Doubt is like putting a pause on your desires. You have to trust that the universe is already working behind the scenes to bring your dreams to life.

👉 How to strengthen your belief:

Use affirmations daily.

Say things like, “I am worthy of all my desires,” or “Everything I want is already on its way to me.”

Visualize yourself already living your dream life. Picture the details—what are you wearing, where are you, how do you feel?

Stop questioning how it will happen. That’s the universe’s job.

Step 4: Match the Energy of Your Desire (Be the Vibe)

Here’s the secret sauce: you have to become a vibrational match for what you’re manifesting. If you want abundance, act like you’re already abundant. If you want love, embody love.

👉 How to align your energy:

Feel the feelings: Want to manifest a dream car? Feel the excitement of driving it. Imagine the smell of the leather, the sound of the engine.

Take inspired action: This isn’t about doing nothing. If you want to manifest a successful business, start creating content, networking, and planning like it’s already successful.

Raise your vibe: Meditate, dance, journal, or do anything that makes you feel high-energy.

Step 5: Let Go and Trust the Process (Detach, but Don’t Give Up)

Here’s where most people trip up: they obsess over their desires. Obsession = resistance. When you hold on too tight, you’re telling the universe you don’t trust it.

👉 How to detach:

Focus on feeling good in the present moment. Enjoy where you are right now while knowing your desires are already yours.

Stop checking the “progress.” Think of it like planting a seed—you don’t dig it up every day to see if it’s growing.

Practice gratitude for what you already have. This tells the universe you’re open to receiving more blessings.

Step 6: Watch the Magic Unfold (Manifestation in Action)

Once you’ve done the work—clarity, belief, alignment, and trust—the universe starts delivering. Sometimes it’ll be small signs (like angel numbers or synchronicities), and other times it’ll be full-blown miracles.

👉 Stay open to how it happens: Your desires might come in unexpected ways. That dream job? It might come through a random LinkedIn message. The love of your life? You might bump into them at your local coffee shop.

Final Thoughts: Manifesting Is a Lifestyle

The Law of Attraction isn’t just a one-time thing; it’s a lifestyle. It’s about consistently choosing positive thoughts, aligning your energy, and trusting the universe to handle the rest.

You have the power to create everything you desire. It’s all about stepping into your worth, raising your vibe, and letting the universe work its magic.

So, go ahead—dream big, manifest hard, and live your best life. The universe is always listening, babe.

Love and light,

[Your Future Self Who’s Living the Dream]

- luv from Elysia <3

@magneticelysia

[great-kung-lao]

KazuKaoru and Infinite Wealth

I can't even describe properly what kind of an emotional adventure it was witnessing an ancient ship of mine getting brand new development.

When Yakuza 3 sadly happened the way it did at the beginning, I put KazuKaoru at the backyard of my mind. That part of me lived in limbo with no proper closure in sight. Yakuza 5 only briefly referenced particular Yakuza 2 events, but it wasn't enough. It honestly felt half-assed.

Then unfortunately Yakuza 6 happened. That one particular scene I don't want talk about. If you know - you know. Darkest chapter for any KazuKaoru enjoyer. But the way it ended gave me a window for headcanons. If Kiryu needed to be "dead" for everyone to keep them safe, then the best way would be to move to another place, another country even and why not go to USA and try to find Kaoru? In my head they reunited and lived happily ever after in a post Yakuza 6 timeline before we knew 7 will be a thing and when we thought 6 is the last Kiryu Kazuma game.

Like a Dragon 7 confirmed that Kiryu remained in Japan and oh well, I could still headcanon him eventually leaving to keep playing "dead" in USA while living with Kaoru.

With all the water under the bridge and Yakuza Kiwami 2 being released, we finally arrive to Infinite Wealth promotional materials. The first gameplay trailer had Poundmates showcase and one of them surprisingly was Sayama Kaoru with a brand new design.

Considering how you could get Poundmates in Like a Dragon 7 by progressing story or doing substories, I almost went hysterical at the possibilities of how we can acquire Kaoru as Poundmate in Infinite Wealth. When we also learned that Kiryu and Ichiban are going to Hawaii, a USA territory where Kaoru was supposed to be still, well, I felt hopeful like never before. After 15 agonizing years of technically nothing new, my dormant KazuKaoru shipper was rising back to life.

But there was major scare at the possibility of RGGS using this opportunity to write Kaoru off for good as someone who moved on and forgot about Kazuma completely. It would've been devastating for someone who just regained some hope.

Then the bomb was dropped in the form of Bucket List trailer where we see Kaoru voiced acted by Hisakawa Aya again in a story cut scene! And she said the line that made me sigh with relief so hard I could've been heard by aliens in another galaxy.

"Maybe a part of me is still waiting for him"

Even though this particular storyline didn't go the way I imagined it after the trailer until the game's release, it did the one thing I needed very much: it left the door open for potential endgame for a pairing that I love since original Yakuza 2, which will be 20 years soon. That's two decades of shipping and getting this after 15 years of nothing? That felt extremely good.

I was relieved by revelation of ongoing mutuality of romantic feelings between Kiryu Kazuma and Sayama Kaoru and my formerly dormant KazuKaoru shipper is living his best life right now with hope that RGGS gives us a well earned happy ending where these two finally got back together in one of the future titles, preferably a mainline one, because I would like to have KazuKaoru as a party in JRPG, doing tag-team attacks like back in the old days.

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, I'm practically begging you at this point, standing on my knees, to not disappoint us after giving so much hope.

[botherkupo]

Woo finished all 8 episodes of atla live action show. So here are my final thoughts:

Show had its weaknesses but overall was very enjoyable. Would watch again

I loved everything they did with Zuko, Azula, and Ozai. I’ve rambled about this a few times now so won’t add anything more. Just want to emphasize that all extra scenes/changes etc were very satisfying for me and made me excited for the future seasons

I wasn’t sold on Iroh in that first episode but he grew on me quickly and the use of Leaves From the Vine still makes me heart ache. Perfect emotional touch. (Also Zuko saying Lu Ten would be proud to have Iroh as a father before the NWT battle was so sweet)

Aang was wonderful. Some parts with the Avatars being like” bro get your act together” felt repetitive at times, but I also like we got to see all the last 3 avatars. (Also Kuruk focusing on spirit battles was cool. Thank you for giving him more substance and explaining why Koh may have targeted him through Umi)

One thing I really appreciate about Aang here is that yes he didn’t technically “run away” and get trapped in the iceberg. He left to calm down because he was feeling so overwhelmed, then all that stuff happens, and then 100 years passes and he’s stuck not knowing how to be the Avatar — especially in a world so different from his own. The part where he said he didn’t belong in the world was just 😭😭😭🥺🥺🥺

Anyway I like that Aang is trying even though he’s so uncertain and lost. He has his flaws and he has his strengths and at the end of the day his role will be to fight for peace and try bring back the world he knew — when ppl could have fun and be friends with other nations. Also yeah the whole direction they went with the Ocean Spirit was awesome. Aang knew what was going to happen but he did it anyway because he thought that was all he could do, even if it meant he would be lost. I was very emotional lol

In terms of Sokka and Katara, this show definitely feels like it has placed Zuko and Aang as the leads. So yeah, in some ways Katara has stepped back a bit this season compared to what we saw in the cartoon. I honestly wasn’t happy with all the ways she was handled but overall I am still happy with her in the show. Her fight with Pakku was awesome, I love she rounded up the female waterbenders to fight, and I cried when she was calling out to Aang as he was lost to the Ocean Spirit. I think she will be even better in season 2, since her story in this season was about overcoming her trauma and not holding herself back for anyone

On that note, the 8 episode limit definitely made the show suffer in terms of pacing for those last few episodes. I would have loved to have seen Katara do more to fully accept she IS a master. I also didn’t feel much for Sokka and Yue since I felt he had better chemistry with Suki. They definitely could have done with more episodes to build that relationship up. I did like Yue though and how her sacrifice felt less like a destined thing the Moon Soieit had always intended her to do and more like something she chose to do freely.

Also can I just say the horrified screech I made when Momo got hit. I was going noooo momo the whole time until he got healed. (Show needed more Momo. Also Appa. Budget probably made their appearances few snd far between but still. Momo is my fav and I missed him)

It was interesting how they completely changed Hahn but also quite refreshing. One of things I do like about this live action (and I’m probably in the minority) is that they made complete changes sometimes. We all know the story, but it was cool to see unexpected stuff, especially since I could appreciate the changes. Like Yue actively choosing not to marry Hahn (even more so because natla Hahn is not a dickhead) is more satisfying to me than her feeling all sad about a betrothal she doesn’t want. (Also meant we got to see Katara earn Pakku’s strength all on her own instead of because he used to have the hots for Gran Gran)

I thought the show also did well combining omashu, Jet stuff, and Mechanist together. I’m actually happy we didn’t have to deal with The temple being taken over by the mechanist etc because it never sat well with me anyway. Also the episode limit meant they had to focus on ways to condense season 1 into a satisfying story — I think they did good with what they had. We have to remember the cartoon had heaps of episodes to work with, and animation is a different medium with a lot of strengths when it comes to fantasy etc

Anyway, this is getting super long. I will wrap it up by again saying the live action is not perfect but it is a good show that hits all the right emotional beats. I really hope it will get renewed and we’ll get the full story

[wheredostarsgowhenyoudie]

Finally finished Moonlight Mystique :)

Here's my honest review, if you'd care to read.

Good casting of beautiful actresses and actors

Let it be said that I love the ML, and truth be told, this role showed Ao Ruipeng in a better light than previous shows (not that I've watched many, so can't say much). I've just always found him adorable in A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College in his role as Yan-yan.

Bai Lu has always been beautiful. Her acting is the same in all shows but it always helps to see a beautiful FL. She does that well.

And Dai Lu Wa, I was really excited for her role here. I thought she was epic as An Yan in Lost You Forever. She's even more epic as Fu Ling and Bai Xi.

Cang Shan was adorable. Tian Huo was badass.

Muji was so sweet and the wolf trio were really interesting.

A'chi is handsome and on the same level as Fan Yue.

Great outfit and creative design

I'm honestly awed by the costume design and the creativity involved in the show. The gowns, the hair accessories, the robes, the make-up, like wow.

Promising plot, but the possibilities are untouched.

Given that it's supposedly the third part after Ancient Love Poetry and The Last Immortal, I truly expected a lot more. It just didn't feel right nor enough. And yes, I've watched both.

Script writing and choices of scene cuts wise, the possibilities remained unexplored. They could have added more awe effect to give the storyline more justice and life. It's a love story of different relationships. Family. Friends. Found family. Love for the people and the world. A battle of eternals and demons and deities and then the humans. It already has depth, but in the end, the potential just felt unexplored and untouched.

For instance, the excitement of waiting for Jing Yuan to appear was a letdown given the shortness of his appearance. For someone who supposedly divided his divine mantle to spend 60,000 yrs looking for Xing Yue, was that really the only ending he could have had? And where was the consciousness of Xing Yue?

Fan Yue's character as someone revered and respected by the Polar Region was a tale told but limited scenes were shown. There was no scene where he interacted directly with the little demons that showed how he earned their appreciation and respect. How do the little demons react to him roaming around? There were minimal scenes for that and most were overpowered by his interaction with Bai Shuo.

Also, why was Fan Yue always sleeping? This one, I found amusing lol. For someone so powerful and who lived for long, where is the wisdom of thinking outside the box? Why does his every move have to be a sacrifice?

Bai Shuo became a supreme deity. The first and only human supreme deity in the story. So how did the humans react to this news? Do they know of her? What was the reaction of the demons and the humans to what happened? What was the reaction of the citizens of Ningan City who once thought of her as spoiled and unruly?

The number of deaths reminded me of Hamlet.

There were a lot of sacrifices from each side. And it started with the wolf clan. So when the time comes, will the last of the wolf trio also take her own life? What becomes of A'wu?

I've always thought that the love that stays behind is bittersweet. It's a sad fate to be the one left behind, no matter how much others call it honorable. Bai Shuo was a badass for choosing to live on. Unless you live it, most people would not realize the strength that living takes when you feel you're the only one left. She recited lines about exploring the world to keep her promise to Fan Yue. But not one scene of that was shown.

The story is about love. I love romance, no doubt, but what I love even more is the love that transcends beyond the two people in love. When love becomes a pay it forward kind of thing, and people all around learn to show kindness and love and offer a hand and forgiveness without expectations. That is supposedly the plotline of this story and the 3 books it's supposedly based on, or so it looked to me. So why wasn't that explored in the ending and the extra episode? A sacrifice supposedly for the world. So how did the so called world react and live on?

I could say a lot more. But that's the point. So much potential. Unexplored possibilities.

Villains are a bit weird.

The serpent became the master of the Cold Spring Palace. Only near the end, did we learn his whys and in the end, he died and for what and for who? For Mo Li to comeback. The thing is, Mo Li is a character who is supposedly the third deity but who did not receive love so he does not know how to give it. He was and is literally alone with just the serpent for company. He doesn't even have other minions. He is like this lost soul, a child who takes what he thinks is good for him. But even if he gets it, where is the satisfaction? He does not know of love, does not understand the warmth of having someone care for him. Even if Chong Zao lived his life, his consciousness is different from Mo Li's.

In a way, Mo Li's character is even more pitiful than Tan Tai Jin in Till the End of the Moon.

Anyway, I still enjoyed the drama. :) As a fan and viewer, it's always a delightful pastime for me to watch beautiful people play good roles in dramas. I was always looking forward to the next eps. Nice acting too.

But as a writer...well, yeah, you get the gist. I still wanna ask the writer why. Just why.

[hedonists-den]

wait what was wrong with arcane? I thought it was pretty good and I used to be really into league. just curious what it was that you didn't like

I want to clarify: Season 1 is FANTASTIC, and I can still go back and love it if I ignore where the show goes in Season 2.

This is going to be a longer post, for I have many grievances, in no particular order. I'll put a tl;dr at the end.

And I will acknowledge that I believe most of the issues stem from how rushed it was because they only wanted to do 2 seasons.

⚠️ SPOILERS FOR ARCANE SEASON 2 ⚠️

No character makes it out unscathed. Jayce actively does nothing or is sidelined most of the season when he should absolutely be intervening (act 1) and makes really stupid decisions given what he knows later in act 3, his and Mel's relationship is completely scrapped (even though it was really interesting) in favor of having Mel do...pretty much nothing all season in an alternate dimension, Heimerdinger is reduced to a silly caricature that seems to have no input on anything that's happening when he very much should and is then quickly forgotten about, Ekko and the Firelights are mostly forgotten about when it feels like they would have a massive stake in trying to stabilize Zaun all so that Ekko can have a shipping moment with not-Jinx that came out of nowhere (also he doesn't interact AT ALL with Vi in this season??), Vi almost immediately compromises her principles in episode 1 and joins a strike team in gassing Zaun which is actually insane given her character in season 1, Jinx's trauma is pretty much glossed over for a redemption arc that feels forced and feels like a complete 180 from what was teased in season 1 so that we can reach a "happy family" payoff that I just don't buy, Caitlyn does some of the most irrational flip-flopping on her motivation from episode to episode that I've ever seen, and her relationship with Vi feels weak compared to their relationship in season 1, Sevika is completely wasted as a character and I don't believe for a second that she would ever team up with Jinx after what happened in season 1 (especially that I don't believe for a second that she doesn't find out that Jinx killed Silco and then immediately try to kill her. Also the chomper claw arm is dumb), and arguably the worse offense: Vander's likeness is dragged from the grave and stapled to a different champion (Warwick, I've been told) to be used to reach a cheap payoff that felt so manipulative.

Silco gets his own point because he was my favorite character and even he doesn't survive the character annihilation in this season. He's retroactively turned into a dulled version of himself and it tries to play this whole "oh no, if only Silco had seen this note, everything could have been different..." that completely ignores the core of Silco and Vander's disagreement. And the alternate reality super happy place makes this worse. The only thing he says there is like a Disney Jr. message of today's episode line. And the flashbacks to him, Vander, and the girls' mom calls a lottttt into question with how Vander and Silco behave towards the girls in season 1.

Everything felt very spectacle > quality and plot > character. So much is just like, "Yeah! Look! So coooool!" rather than making things make sense and provide proper setups and payoffs that felt character based. Season 1 did all of this amazingly, so idk what happened.

Sooooo many storytelling opportunities left on the table in favor of rushing to a finale that didn't feel earned. Mainly, the almost complete dropping of the growing tensions between Piltover and Zaun which seemed to be the core of the show's drama. The Chem Barons are totally wasted and it would have been super interesting to see more of, but that's done away really quickly.

Thematically tone-deaf music videos that fail to completely capture the scenes that they're montaging over in a couple minutes. This goes in line with wasted opportunities.

Character interactions that feel missing/poorly fleshed-out, which I've sort of covered a little bit already. Characters do not say/do what they should/what we're given to believe they would because if they did act in character, the plot couldn't happen.

The whole season felt like it lost its teeth/edge. I mean, season 1, episode 3 sees the death of five named characters that you got to know fairly well before they bit it and, while sad and emotionally impactful, it's the result of character decisions and their fates feel narratively earned. The plot armor of (almost) all the characters is so ridiculous here. And yeah, I know there isn't a ton of wiggle room that they have with the champions because of game canon, but still, it's absurd. But to be fair, there is plenty of plot armor in Season 1 as well. That's one of my very few complaints about it.

The Jinx child. Just everything about her. She's a shallow plot device to achieve an unearned emotional shortcut.

tl;dr: Season 2 lacks the emotional depth, character dynamics, character conflict, sensical cause & effect, and proper dramatic tone that Season 1 built. The quality took a massive plummet, and after a second watch, I'm prepared to drop my rating from 4/10 to 3/10. Only the animation quality saves this season.

[beeoftheboop]

D e s t i n e d w i t h y o u ; SPOILERS

I just finished watching Destined with you and AHHH <3

Plot: 7/10

The plot while one of the best things about it and is very entertaining it does get a bit repetitive they always come back to the overarching plot which is good but they only have 2 actual plot points (and yes I know its a limited series) and one of them the Stalking plot they don't really play on it at all and pretend that its normal?!? they act as if nothings wrong until the end and then ALL of a sudden they are responding normally too it because it could wrap up the series nicely.

The other plot point of the past lives I like it and a lot of dramas have done it amazingly and this drama does well at it but from the information you find out from episode 12-16 (ish) you earn no new information and they just keep going back to it from different perspectives not really adding anything new. Although I do love the plot of its destined to happen so why try to avoid it.

Also the ending left me wanting more although I know realistically that was the natural end to the show I still wanted to see Lee Hong jo and Jang Shin Yu have the wedding I feel like we don't get enough scenes of them happy together maybe that just the rom-com lover in me though.

Also the ex plot and her father (mayor of the company) just did not interest me at all the only good thing to come out of it was Lee Hong Jo's speech to her in the restaurant (in one of the final few episodes) and the scene where Jang Shin had figured out that the GF (now ex) slept with his old boss (correct me if I'm wrong), but other than that I was bored of it a few episodes in.

The magic / spells plot was honestly the best plot and funny asf especially when they only half believed in it towards the middle, and the whole scene with Kwon Jae Kyung when they were trying to prove to him it worked was good!

Characters / Acting: 7/10

The acting throughout the whole show for a most part is great there is a few moments especially in the first few episodes that the actors just don't funny understand there characters yet but apart from that the acting is good (yes there is a lot of 'cringy' bits BUT when is there not in a Drama, although I will say I did notice toward the middle and end i stopped pausing it from second hand embarrassment)

However the characters is what brough this catagory as the characters had the possiblity to be fleshed out and they have bac stories its just never gotten into, i mean Lee Hong's back ground is she was bullied and an orphan and while yes the part with her dad was cute and bonding for her and Jang Shin for the majority it is not explained like - WHAT I would have really liked to see that more and especially the behind the scenes with her mum and yes I get she died while Lee Hong was young i still would have at least liked for the show to show the affects of both of her parents dying.

I also think while yes there are quite a few characters I would have liked Lee Hong to actually have a good friendship instead of her and the women from her office as they were mostly in it to get closer to Jang Shin and Kwon Jae Like 0-0 at least let her make an actual friend!!

But all in all the characters have the potential to be fleshed out but they just didn't go into depth and I know that it is a limited series but still there is 16 episodes FIND SOME TIME.

Pace: 5/10

The pace of the whole show is quite slow BUT it does start to pick up around episode 7, and although it picks up at some point it becomes repetitive. And yes although I did watch it all in one (over the spa of like 3 days) and not weekly like intended but I still don't get why they give us the same plot point over and over again, ALSO the pace of the show is very much intended for a casual watch while still giving a good romance and thriller just thing they could have done it a bit better. And I'm glad they only stuck to a handful of plot points so they could go fully in depth in to a plot (meh) I wish they sped it up a tiny bit and gave us more of the day to day life.

Also the in universe time frame can get confusing at some point as they jump back and forth and sometimes a day had passed between scenes and sometimes months and most of the time they just don't tell you.

All in all I loved the show and I probably will try and watch the other shows that the actors are in just to see how they are in that.

This is all just for fun and what I liked and disliked! <3

[max-imumbooks]

Renegades Thoughts

Spoilers ahead!

----

There are things I really enjoyed about Renegades. It's just that it's shortcomings kind of overwhelm everything else. Like, they have the perfect characters to carry a truly interesting story right there, and they chose to just... not. I saw so much potential as the books progressed that every refusal to go down an untraveled road just got me more and more frustrated.

Adrian's and Nova's team members are adorable and convincingly normal. Unlike the adult superheroes, the patrol team are all teenagers who could be anyone's brother, anyone's sister. They're people first and foremost. AND they have cool and unique superpowers! Girl who can transform into a swarm of butterflies, anyone? And being one of the most badass heroes among them? And Adrian brings his drawings to reality, which doesn't seem all that valuable in combat on the surface, but in execution lends Adrian a versatility that others don't have.

As far as the plot goes, the fact that the story plays with superhero archetypes meant that I was looking for a predictable/archetypal story structure. In my head, it should have gone thus: Book 1 = ends with Nova being found out, Book 2 = consists of heroes vs villains with Nova and Adrian on opposite sides, and Book 3 = Nova and Adrian realizing the hero/villain conflict of their parents' generation doesn't have to be their story, and find a way to come back together to navigate a path of their own, joined by others their age from both sides.

That's not what I got.

I read these all back to back, so it all kind of runs together in my brain (especially since I listened on audiobook), but iirc Nova isn't even suspected until Book 3, and even though she's arrested, she's ultimately acquitted in short order. She's not TRULY found out until the finale.

The FINALE.

She then proceeds to stand by while Adrian is quite literally tortured, flayed even, with hardly a word of protest. It turned my stomach to know that this girl I've come to enjoy so much suddenly lacked any spine whatsoever, and it was enough for me to feel like Adrian's quick forgiveness after wasn't actually earned. Nova ends the story still in a moral deficit, which was kind of lazy. Like-- why.

I also expected Nova to grow into her own identity, as she starts of executing someone else's plan to infiltrate the Renegades, and then ends up crafting her own plan when she's suddenly required to maintain the facade longer than expected. In my mind, I expected her to actually take on a role of authority, but any time she's undermined or in conflict with other villains she shrinks back into obedience. When she finally acts to her own morals, it's not because she's grown and gained unique experiences, but because it turns out her uncle lied to her about the deaths of her parents and baby sister Evie.

Speaking of, what REALLY gets my goat is that the most interesting twist on the story, the thing that would have 100% redeemed this story if it had been explored in the main text, happens in the EPILOGUE.

See, there's this character we meet in the same scene we meet Nova. Nova is on the street during a parade, and a young pickpocket tries to steal her bracelet-- the last token Nova has of her parents, her most prized possession. The pickpocket turns out to be Maggie, codename Magpie, a Renegade who has a talent for identifying and unearthing valuable items. From then on, Nova positively loathes Maggie, and the feeling is mutual. They hate each other's guts, and can barely be in the same room without fighting each other.

It's actually quite refreshing that Nova doesn't suddenly lapse into mother mode, as other stories may be wont to do. Two girls hate each other-- it happens! And it's 100% in character on both girls' parts.

But here's the thing: in the finale, Maggie is revealed to be Evie. You know, Nova's murdered baby sister whose death motivates every one of Nova's actions for three whole novels? Yeah. That Evie. No one knows, not even them. Maggie was delivered to an orphanage as an infant, after her parents were found murdered and her older sister missing, never to be heard from again. Maggie grew up hoping that her sister would re-appear and claim her, but she's abandoned that dream-- she's far too cynical and streetwise for that.

But imagine. If the story had let Maggie and Nova learn the truth... How would they reconcile? Would they believe it? Would they eventually come together and love each other like they always dreamed of doing? THAT would have been 100% more compelling than the lukewarm commentary of the hero/villain dichotomy that we got. That could have easily been the main focus of Book 3.

Ugggggggghhhhh... it makes me want to tear my hair out.

Especially because there's been no mention of Marissa Meyer of returning to the world of Renegades.

On a side note, as a kid I had a habit of fancasting the characters in almost every book I read. I've mostly grown out of that, but this series did have a character (Nova's uncle) that instantly put an actor in my head-- Phil LaMarr, who I know predominantly as Malefic J'onzz in CW's Supergirl. Nova's uncle Ace had such a distinct presentation and delivery that LaMarr's face was the only thing that popped into my brain. (And in casting LaMarr, it would suggest that Nova would be black or at least mixed race, which opens up a whole world of wonderful casting choices.)

So-- yeah. Any story where the most interesting and compelling plot twist happens in the epilogue is certainly on the struggle bus.

[brazilian-whalien52]

Hi! I thought I'd send a message cause I know some people don't like open spoilers, but okay, so My Stand In. Just like what happens in general? Does Ming stay the worst? Does Joe ever grow a backbone? Did someone try to kill him and that's why his harness broke? Is Tong evil? I just need to know cause I am NOT vibing with Ming and I just need to know if I need to prepare for them to get together and be all ~cute~ while Joe is in Joe 2's body. Oh and that. Does Joe ever get his body back? Cause I assume it's been critter food for years. Does Joe 2 ever get his body back? I'm sorry, I just wanna know everything before I invest in this cause I really am not vibing with Ming. lol

Spoilers over what I can remember. It's been like 3 years maybe since I read it.

Okay. So Joe does end up forgiving Ming in his second life. It takes a long time for him to forgive him, but he does. What ming did in the novel during the first life was horrible. Basically, he does fall in love with Joe but Joe had already loose trust and knows about tong. So Joe ends up being invited to a movie instead of Tong (because Tong pissed the directors off), Sol is also casted to this movie. Ming does not want him to take part of the movie because he is jealous of Sol, while Tong does not want Joe working on that movie because he stole his place. Ming ends up locking joe up in the apartment to stop him from going to a screen reading so Joe looses his role. Joe thinks ming did this for tong (he was doing out of jealou) and that is why they break up and he goes to work in a low production movie in the mountains (where he dies). That is why he promises he will not get involved with Ming in his second life and tries to avoid him at all cost. I honestly think they are going to tone down this in the drama.

Tong is evil, it's the classic. He manipulates Ming because he knows about Ming feelings for him. Since ming family is rich, he uses his contacts for his acting career. In fact, he asks Ming to steal Joe role and find a way to give to him. He knew ming was liking Joe but didn't want to loose control over ming. Although by that point, Ming was already in love with Joe. But to him, having Ming is important because while ming sister Is rich, Ming is the heir and has way more power. Of course the novel kind blames everything in tong and have him as the final villain, so your hate transfers to him.

Joe does not get his body back, his body is truly dead and decomposing in those mountains. There is a great scene where we learn more about this. He does grow a backbone in his second life thou. Joe is a sweetheart but when he is done, he is done.

Ming is the typical obsessive Chinese protagonist. He has many faults like being possessive and a big asshole. I don't feel his redemption was that well earned, but dramas tend to smooth things a little so I am seated to see. I would say thou he does pay for what he did, because for two years Joe was dead partly because of him. So he does suffer a lot. Also, we could say it was more of case that Joe was missing, not even dead. But remembering the feelings over the novel, if I was Joe I would not forgive him (of course this is fiction, I read the novel for the angst anyway).

I would say the charm of the novel is unravel what happened to Joe. Why in his second life he is working so much to avoid ming. Seeing his feelings of pain over the broken relationship because ming was living with him, they had so many good memories but Joe discovers it was all a lie. I remember feeling the sadness every page, that knot in your throat.

[rookie-critic]

Linoleum (2023, dir. Colin West) - review by Rookie-Critic

I love it when a movie surprises me. Some of my favorite moviegoing experiences from the last few years have been going into something relatively blind, and coming out with something I will absolutely never forget. It gave me C'mon C'mon, my top film from 2021, it gave me The Worst Person in the World, my #3 film 2021, and it has now given me Linoleum. The film follows Jim Gaffigan's Cameron Edwin, an astronomer who hosts a declining children's science show à la Bill Nye the Science Guy who, due to the said decline of his show as well as his marriage, which is on the brink of divorce, is in the middle of a well-earned mid-life crisis. Also, a car with an award-winning astronaut in it falls from the sky next to his mailbox and he is the only person who witnesses the "accident," and nobody believes it really happened. The film invokes a lot of magical realism and, from the opening scene, evokes a Gondry-esque dream-like quality not too far removed from the French director's films Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep.

The film is mean to it's protagonist, but not in a malicious way: his daughter Nora (portrayed by Katelyn Nacon in a fantastic performance) is disrespectful to him in a way that teenagers often are, but clearly has a love for him as she watches and seems to genuinely enjoy his children's show, his wife (portrayed by a fresh-off Better Call Saul Rhea Seehorn in an equally fantastic performance), who is in the process of falling out of love with him, still shows the hallmark signs of lingering care for this person she'd built a life with. Everything feels very domestic and real in it's dreaminess, but still, something about the full picture isn't quite right. That is, until the third act, when the film slams all of its individual, seemingly disjointed and mysterious pieces together to form a complete 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle of a moving and incredible story about how we live our lives and how, looking back, it is a beautiful and wondrous miracle that we all get to spend any amount of time on this small, blue rock we call planet Earth with one another. It shows us that, between despair and hope, between love and hate, that ultimately, hope prevails, love wins, and our intrinsic curiosity about the universe drives us forward towards something fantastic. What that is will be different for everyone, but there is beauty in that unknown, and we should all strive to close our eyes and let the universe form that fantastic something around us and guide us through it.

Normally, I'd take a handful of sentences here to talk about things I didn't like about the film. I could say that the film's final act takes big, artistic swings that will most likely not please all viewers. I could say that elements of the story don't mesh well with the answers to the film's mysteries. These are things that I can see people complaining about with Linoleum, but I would urge those people to watch it again, and really open your mind up to what the film is doing with that third act. Don't be the person telling Cameron to be more practical and that the answer is "not that simple," because the truth is, much like we're told in the film, it probably is. I used to not cry at films at all, and I would tell people that something would have to be truly, uniquely moving to draw tears out of me. Over the past few years I've realized that is no longer the case (maybe it never was), and I openly and proudly cry frequently during movies and shows. I genuinely believe that, had I seen this back when I didn't shed the frequent tear, that I would still have done so while watching Linoleum. It ticked all the right boxes and did all the right things to make it an instant classic in my eyes, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Score: 10/10

Only in theaters as a limited release. Check your local listing to see if it's playing in a theater near you.

[gaymaramada]

Alright, if you insist — this isn’t an attempt to cause any discourse, but as clearly sarcastic as this post was, I felt the need to take the invitation and share my thoughts:

1. Sevika’s story falling off in the last two acts was disappointing. We deserved to see the events leading up to her and Zaun’s involvement in the final battle as well as her earning a place on the council.

2. The firelights’ story also could have been involved in the events in Zaun before the last battle — more episodes were clearly necessary.

3. Genuinely have no clue what you’re on about with Ekko. He never ignored his home, in fact he did the OPPOSITE, abandoning what was essentially a paradise so he could continue to fight for his people. Are you talking about his involvement in the final battle? Because what was he supposed to do? Not try to help? I’m genuinely confused. And yea, he got a not so happy ending and he lost a lot, but do we remember? “Sometimes taking a leap forward means leaving a few things behind”? Did we forget that whole arc?? Arcane is a tragedy, no one was going to have a perfect ending.

4. Mel’s story was rushed, yes. She deserved more screen time and we should have gotten more on the conflict between Noxus and the Black Rose, another thing that could have been aided by more episodes. Also, no clue where you get the idea that Jayce views Mel as a sex object — his encounter with her in act 3 shows that he sees her as a person with enough power to manipulate him, and he feels betrayed by that. Also that whole heart-to-heart they had after the fight in the council room? It’s so obvious that he respects her as far more than a “sex object.” If you’re referring to how he acts around her physically (i.e. holding her, kissing her or trying to do so, resting his head on her lap), they are clearly in a relationship of sorts in season 1 and act 1 of season 2, and Mel never rejects his advances. If anything, she encourages them.

5. The robot’s designs are sick as fuck — a chilling mixture of uncanny and ethereal — and the animation for them was freaky in the coolest way.

6. The only character I can think of who was outwardly suicidal is Jinx, and it is HEAVILY implied that she survived in the end, so…

7. Ekko’s abilities in LOL are literally time travel. It was even foreshadowed in season 1. Plus, it’s not like they pulled some fix-it BS and went back in time to kill baby Silco or anything. The time travel had clear limits, ones that Ekko only broke when he had no other choice. I do wish we’d gotten to see how that affected him in the end physically, considering it blew up Heimerdinger.

8. There were a lot of side characters, some more important than others. I personally have mixed feelings about a few of them, but the fact that many of them died very unconventional deaths by the end feels less like a throwaway and more like a statement on how war is objectively bad as people only end up dead in the end with unfinished stories.

9. Oh, I’m sorry, where was Vi supposed to find a drink in the middle of an abandoned cave? Or an ethereal paradise/cult that likely sees no need for such things like alcohol? How about in the middle of a battlefield? Was she supposed to pull out a flask in the midst of her fight with Warwick in the tower? She clearly has a drink in her hands in the last scene, so her alcoholism is evidently still there, but addictions don’t automatically trump circumstance.

10. Yes, the Zaun and Piltover plot had an unsatisfying ending, but mainly because it never ended at all. If anything, it’s just started. Sevika being on the council is clearly not something she or others are too thrilled about, but these political choices are necessary to ensure long-term change. And change is a bumpy as hell road.

11. Vi was being choked/corrupted by the Arcane when the crash happened and was clearly out of it. She heard Jinx alive and tunnel-visioned, obviously not seeing Ekko beneath one of the many piles of rubble around her. She doesn’t even see him piloting the airship after she jumps from his hoverboard, so as far as she knew, he could have flown off to safety or worse, he could have died, and she didn’t have the time to pause and grieve him.

12. Caitlyn never forgot about her mom?? The timeskip between act 1 and act 2 is over half a year — she’s had plenty of time to process her mother’s death and reflect on her current status with Ambessa, unlike act 1, where she storms Zaun in what seems to be a few days after the funeral. And what’s her father supposed to do? The guy was basically useless in season 1 as well, were we expecting him to show up in the final battle?

13. Jinx never apologizes to Cait in the prison. She listens as Caitlyn admits some hard truths that she’s had to face, and how Cait acknowledges the parallels between them. Jinx saying that she didn’t intend to kill her mother specifically isn’t as much of an apology as it is a response to Caitlyn’s own moment of vulnerability. It’s an acknowledgement that the two of them are, at the end of the day, only human.

Feel free to argue as one pleases, but I’ve said my part and admittedly may not reply to anyone. Arcane season 2 was not a masterpiece and it has plenty of flaws, but I feel like some people are blowing things way out of proportion.

The people praising Arcane seem to always only focus on specific stuff so I want to ask anyone to praise this:

1. Sevika's story, please go on. Praise it. Tell me how good she was after episode 4, I am waiting?

2. The firelights. Go ahead tell me how much we saw them and how the Tree came back and was tied into the story, tell me how they got screen time and how their story got told?

3. Ekko. Tell me how good it was to make him ignore his home after he went to Jayce to get it fixed. Tell me how great his character arc was after they got rid of everything else he liked.

4. Mel. I want you to praise how much screen time she had and how the black rose didn't come out of no where. I want you to tell me it didn't feel like they wrote her out of the story and I want you to look me in the eyes and praise how well they treated her in the last act. You know, with Jayce apparently only seeing her as a sex object. Women really won.

5. Praise the Robots.

6. Go ahead tell me how good it was to kill off all the suicidal characters.

7. I need to hear people praise the time loop/travel. It was so good and made so much sense and time travel isn't mostly a weird way to not resolve anything.

8. Talk nice about the side characters, please. Maddie, Loris, Isha, Steb, Lest. You know all of them were so necessary and weren't only there for one thing and then got killed or just never to be seen again. Praise how good their writing was, go on.

9. Go ahead and tell me how well they handled Vi's character. How they didn't just completely ignore her. Praise how they made her an alcoholic for 3 seconds and then she was just able to stop, isn't she an inspiration?

10. Go ahead, tell me how well they resolved anything that happened in the first 3 episodes. The Grey is just never mentioned again outside of it being used in the last war. Tell me how the people of Zaun just supporting Piltover is worthy of Praise.

11. Vi and Ekko never interacting was so good, wasn't it? So perfectly in character for Vi to rush right past him in the finale. That was perfect.

12. Praise it how good it was that Caitlyn just completely forgets her mother in the end, you know the reason the first 3 episodes happened. Praise it how her father is off hand mentioned in episode 8, never to be seen again. You know... the parents, her reason to go nuts like this. Damn that was good

13. Jinx getting to apologize in prison to Caitlyn. What a scene am I right?

go ahead, there is so much to praise, it must be tiring only focusing on one or two things

[81scorp]

My top 6 movies of 2024

Hey folks! It`s that time again! That day you`ve all been waiting for.

That day of the year when I talk about movies I`ve seen and rank them according to my own personal taste and bias!

Why 6? Because I`m not a professional filmcritic who has time to see most of the movies that came out this year and sometimes other duties got in the way. So I only had time to see 6 movies in the cinema.

And yes, one of these movies came out 2023, but it didn`t come to cinemas in my country until 2024, so it still belongs on this list.

M`kay? M`kay.

6: Moana 2

Part of me feels a little bad for putting this movie so low on the list, part of me doesn`t.

This was originally not meant to be a movie but a TV-series and when I watched it the plot had a bit of that "made at eleventh hour" feeling.

It`s not bad but it`s not as good as the first movie. The songs aren`t memorable, there were some issues with the pacing at some parts, like it moved a little too fast and both of the antagonists felt underutilized. It did get a little better in the third act though.

It would have been better if the movie had been longer or if they had just let it be a TV-series. The first movie didn`t even feel like it needed a sequel, it felt like a complete, self-contained story.

The first movie felt like a story that someone wanted to tell, this movie felt like it was corporately mandated.

5: Dune: part two

Just like the first one, this one is also visually captivating, you can tell that this was a story that someone wanted to tell. It`s very long but most of the time it`s running time feels justified.

At first I thought that the Dune Saga was gonna be a two-parter and that this would be the final part, but what I can tell from this movie`s ending the story isn`t over yet.

4: Furiosa: A Mad Max saga

This one gets a higher spot than Dune because it is, at some parts, funnier. This is the story of how Furiosa gets kidnapped by from her home by Raiders who work for a man called Dementus. Dementus adopts her and then later trades her to Immortan Joe who runs the Citadel. Things that were briefly mentioned in the previous movie: Mad Max: Fury Road gets fleshed out in this one. This is a prequel, so it has to work with the same limitations that most prequels have to struggle with. Since the story of what happens later has already been told it can`t do much more than tell what it was that led up to the conflict in the already seen next chapter. Trying to live up to Mad Max: Fury Road is a pretty tall order and it feels like the filmmakers knew that and just tried to, while still following the rules of prequels, make a good story. It has some impressive action-scenes, like the way that the camera follows Furiosa when she`s in a gun-fight. I`m glad to see that this movie still has that old, bonkers Mad Max charm and it was fun to see Chis Hemsworth go hard as the villain Dementus. He shows us why we should not question his boss-ority.

3: Deadpool and Wolverine

This movie kinda reminds me of Disney`s Wish.

Hear me out.

Like Wish, this movie has references to movies that came out before it, but it is not completely dependent on those references. Most of the movie is carried by Reynolds and Jackman and unlike Wish this movie doesn`t feel compromised by corporate suits.

There`s some metacommentary about the MCU and there`s some shameless fan service, but it feels earned and over all, at the end of the day, this is a fun movie. Give it a watch.

2: The wild robot

A robot known as ROZZUM unit 7134 (aka: Roz) is washed onto a forest island and learns to adapt to the environment.

This is the final film to be animated entirely in-house at DreamWorks and if that is the case I`m glad they got to go out on a high note. since Roz`s face is vey limited, most (if not all) of the emoting comes from Lupita Nyong'o`s voice performance. Roz`s voice starts as a very customer-service-type of robot voice and, as the story progresses, gradually evolves with the character to sound more human. And as usual, feels are my kryptonite and The Wild Robot did not dissapoint me there.

A few things I take with me from this movie is that nature is harsh, parenting isn`t easy and kindness can be a survival skill.

And now...

My number one pick....

will be revealed after these honorable mentions!

These movies ended up in the honorable mentions category because I didn`t see them in the cinema, which these lists are about. And I included honorable mentions on this list because there were so few movies on it, I usually watch at least 7 to 8 movies a year.

Venom: The last dance

Eddie Brock and the Symbiote continue their odd couple buddy comedy road-trip as they are being chased by goverment agents and aliens from another planet. Hijinks ensue.

Better than Let there be Carnage, but I hesitate to call it good, certainly entertaining at least. It felt like they had ideas for two movies that they squished together into one. Id`have preferred if they`d made one movie where Venom was chased by the government agents and Knull`s apperance was saved for a post-credit cameo. The next movie could then focus on the outter space stuff.

If this movie wasn`t an honorable mention I think I`d put it last on the list, behind Moana 2.

Poor things

Bella Baxter, a woman with the mind of a toddler, who lives in late Victorian London with her surrogate father, Dr. Godwin Baxter, leaves her home to go travelling the world with amoral lawyer Duncan Wedderburn. As the story progresses she grows as a person and becomes more independent (much to the displeasure of Wedderburn) and learns about the life she had before she became Bella.

Poor things is an odd, interesting, dark, twisted fairytale. It is fun to see a movie that is strange, different and over the top, kinda like if Terry Gilliam and Tim Burton made a movie together. And it is also fun to see Mark Ruffalo in an over the top, villainous role.

Maybe not for the entire family since it has scenes with sex and nudity. But that aside: give this movie a watch.

If this movie wasn`t an honorable mention I think I`d put it between Deadpool and Wolverine and The Wild Robot.

And now...

Drumroll please.

My number one pick for 2021 iiis...

1: Inside out 2

Once again we get to meet Riley Andersen and the emotions in her head.

Plot-wise this movie is very similar to the first one in that an emotion decides that another emotion is unnecessary and throws them aside, resulting in that emotion getting thrown out of the head quarters, having to find an important Macguffin and navigate their way back through the chaotic mindscape. The biggest difference here is the message. If the first one was educational with the message that all emotions are necessary, this one feels like a reminder and a commentary on how hard we can be on ourselves. Even if the first one was very selfcontained and there was little to no need for a sequel I`m still glad that this was made.

Was it good? Yes.

So good that it deserved to make over a billion at the box-office? That`s debatable, but I`m glad that it was a hit.

The Wild Robot gave me the feels, Inside out 2 gave me the feels and the thinks.

This year really was the year of the sequels, at least when it came to my list. I`m glad that I could squeese at least one movie that wasn`t from an already existing franchise into it. Would have liked to see a few more movies but other duties and bad timing got in the way.

Do we have anything to look forward to in the year 2025... movie-wise at least?

Well... for me there`s the new Superman movie, and Mickey 17 by Bong Joon-ho.

I hope that 2025 is, if not a good year for movies, then atleast not a bad one.

Be safe and take care of yourselves.

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Started writing this 2024-12-20

The tradition of me sharing my movie going experiences online continues.

And as usual: English is not my first language, so if my writing doesn`t seem to flow naturally, you know why