#sometimes i recommend bad movies or shows because they're good bad

[ghostlyarchaeologist]

"Hey, don't make me like this son of a bitch."

Universal Squadrons (2011)

[avianyuh]

Jeon Wonwoo as a boyfriend...

Other SVT as bf's { S.Coups , Jeonghan , Minghao/The8 , Hoshi }

Like most, I'm sure Wonwoo appeals to you because upon introduction, you think he's the quiet, brooding type

But he'd show a different side of himself in a relationship with you

A goofball all the way

Any carat knows that he's a secret comedian

I think he'd always be trying to make you laugh

Had a bad day? He'll make you watch a funny video he saw

Texting him that you miss him?

You will be sent stupid pictures as his response

GAMING

He's not competitive though

He likes to play chill games with you just because he likes to spend his time doing one of his favorite things with you

And that makes him really happy!

Please encourage him and geek out with him over video games

I think he can be sensitive sometimes

But strikes me as the type to not verbalize when something is bothering him

So being with someone observant would do him good, get him to open up more

Especially in the beginning of the relationship

I think overtime, you won't have to try as hard to get him to share his feelings with you

He'll just naturally start to feel really comfortable around you

The g-gl-glasses

Ughhhh

I know you love them

You get to see him in his glasses basically everywhere

Barely takes them off to begin with

Even some promotions he keeps them on

Imagine late night gaming with him

The lights are all out and your sitting as close to each other as possible

And the reflection of the computer screen is in his glasses and he's all happy because he's really enjoying himself omg

You're just looking at him and thinking Damn that's my man...

As I've pointed out in my previous dating seventeen posts, you have to pass the vibe check and get approval from all the members if you want to be a permanent part of Wonwoo's life

Strikes me as the type to see you on the down-low for a few months

Would probably mention you to Mingyu since last I heard, they're roomies

You'd be introduced to Mingyu first

Then he'd probably mention that he met someone to the rest of the guys

Then he'd bring you around the dorm, or a dance practice, somewhere you can meet as many members as possible

That way Seungkwan can be his extroverted self and make you feel comfortable.

Like, imagine meeting another relatively quiet member like Jun or Woozi

"Nice to meet you😐🙂"

Please tell me you can see that happening cuz I can

Maybe even Minghao or Seungcheol would be sorta awkward

Like not in a bad way, but introverts need time to warm up to someone new (speaking from experience)

But once everyone has been acquainted and they like you, you will be family and it will shift from like to love

Because you treat Wonu right and you make him happy

Wonwoo being with you would make him more energetic and outgoing

He's a homebody

Normally I would say opposites attract, but in his case I definetly think being with another introvert would be ideal lol

Would recommend you a lot of books

And would want you to read his favorites so the two of you could discuss them

Same with video games

Remember I told you to let him geek out?

PLZ LET HIM BE A GEEK!!!!!!

I think Wonwoo would love to go on vacation every once in a while

I think he can drive abroad

But even just driving in Korea

Going on day trips

Just talking, singing to your favorite songs

Teasing him by playing some of SVT's music

Or just sitting in a comfortable silence

That's the best type of silence and it's very underrated imo

One thing about Wonwoo is how tall he is

6 feet I think? (182 cm for those not in the U.S.)

And he has very broad shoulders

Imagine watching a scary movie with him and hiding your face in his chest, and he wraps his arms around you

Lowkey protective

Just wants to keep you safe

Loves everything about you

The type to stare at you and just blurt out that he finds you beautiful

He's well read so he'd probably say something really poetic

Just makes you feel special

Shexy Shtuff:

Okay, we need to sit and have a conversation about how buff this man is...

Look at those pecs

Damn

He's ripped

He's not a gym bro, but he definitely likes going

Imagine him coming home and he's all sweaty and his muscles are all visible

He loves a good sweater or hoodie so I think seeing his physique is rare

The quiet ones are always great kissers...

This bitch is all dark and mysterious

A.K.A most likely a FREAK

Uses tongue when he kisses

Like, probably pulls you on top of him if you're on the couch or lays you down on the bed

Or pins you against the wall if he's frustrated or hasn't seen you in a while

If you ever got in an argument he's apologizing profusely and then making up for it in bed

Definitely a grunter

Not overly vocal

More concerned with your needs

Definitely a giver

I don't think he's that adventurous when it comes to location

Bed, shower, couch maybe

Most of the time, you'll be watching a movie or maybe sitting on his lap if you come in while he's playing games on his computer (or just doing something on his computer in general)

So there you are, sitting on his lap, not trying to do anything sexual, just asking what he's playing or doing

And at first everything's good but as you're readjusting yourself in his lap, you're shifting around and suddenly he's getting turned on

He'd start kissing your cheek, your neck, moving his hands up to waist

Eventually getting impatient and scooping you up and taking you to his bedroom

Shower sex after the gym

Or late at night after practice if he isn't too tired

I see him being a big pillow-talker

Get's really emotionally vulnerable with you after sex

And that's how you know he trusts you

And congratulations, his voice is already deep as is, but in the morning, omg he'd sound so hot right after he wakes up

Would love to just keep you in his arms and lay in bed for a while, especially if he had nothing to do that day

Okay, i think this is long enough now

In conclusion, I think he'd be a great boyfriend

~

{A/N: AHHH, omg I'm sorry I've been inactive the past two weeks, I got pneumonia. I'm still recovering but felt really bad that I hadn't posted. I've been trying to make up my missed schoolwork. I couldn't think of a fanfic to write so I decided to do a headcanon for seventeen to add to the series. Wonwoo was my first bias back in 2017 before I realized I'm a coups girl. But I'll be honest, sometimes I'm creeping on Wonwoo's fancams (sorry Cheol) Anyways, I love you guys so much whether you're a frequent reader/follower or this is your first time reading anything from me. I love you, have a great day/night, whenever you're reading this, mwahhhh❤️ I put in a continue reading because this one was so much longer than my previous bf headcanons, Wonwoo, a man of substance lol}

[calware]

would you ever share a list of your fave fics to reread ? Id love to hear your recommendations and faves

sure thing :) i'm only going to list works that have been going on for a while (or at least have gotten past the very beginning of the story) and that i've read all the way through. i'm also not going to list any of the super iconic fics i like because this list is already pretty long. these are all based on stuff that i personally find more interesting to read about, mostly focused on the human characters and not a lot of romance

i don't really know if these first two count but they're too good to not include:

Jade Route by spicyyeti

a post-epilogues comic centering around jade, this is my favorite homestuck fanwork. i especially love the artwork and the way it frames the story. it is reaaallllly hard to read it on a phone so make sure to read it on a computer or tablet

House of Dirk by imarriedacherub no rating - graphic depictions of violence - 13,570 words - 20 chapters (unfinished) A sitcom about completely normal and well-adjusted newlyweds Dirk and Caliborn attempting to make a good impression on their son, Dave, and his boyfriend, Karkat.

another comic, this one hosted on both ao3 and mspfa (though the ao3 version has more pages). i like how ridiculous it is. will probably never be finished, sadly

moving on to the actual fics:

Reallocated by breezefulskies mature - chose not to use archive warnings - 324,756 words - 65 chapters (unfinished) Hal finds himself stranded aboard a certain meteor, impact-bound for Houston, Texas circa 1995. And everything spirals out from there. Because sometimes, when a system seems to be just short of defunct, all that is required is to take a step back and reevaluate the materials at hand and redistribute your available resources. And so, with birth comes a countdown on a cycle that begins as it ends: In the red.

hal is mysteriously sent to earth via unknown means and finds himself raising a baby as best as he can, which, given that he's glasses, is not easy. this is my favorite homestuck fic, not just because it's about hal, but also because i love the focus on family dynamics and the plot as it unfolds. begging everyone to read this, i can't say what happens exactly without spoiling things, it's just really really good. at the moment, it updates once a month

Ersatz Abyss by katreal mature - no archive warnings apply - 120,092 words - 39 chapters (unfinished) You look into the mirror to find your own face looking back at you. You laugh. And then you cry. Last, you try and figure out how you got to this moment. The Auto-Responder had long since resigned himself to an artificial existence, his only dwindling hope for escape hinging on a promise that has yet to be fulfilled. Then one day he wakes up, Dirk nowhere to be found. What's the point in getting what you want, if you can't show off a little?

another great hal fic. i managed to get my roommate (who has not read homestuck) to read this and they really enjoyed it, so i'm sure you all won't have any problems liking this one either. there are a lot of fics out there of hal getting a body, but this one is very different in that it's not the happy ending that you might first think it is. this fic perfects the feeling of everything snowballing into a bigger and bigger problem until it all falls apart

Falling for the First Time by nobrandhero teen - no warnings apply - 63,818 words - 11/17 chapters The game is over, Alpha Earth resets to 2009, and Dirk's bro doesn't live up to expectations. The movie director who appears so chill and stoic in interviews is actually a talkative, needy dweeb like his teenage counterpart. It's not a bad thing, as far as Dirk's concerned.

for whatever reason, i'm a sucker for fics where the characters somehow end up on earth again post-game, and out of all the fics that follow that concept this one is my favorite. sadly, this one barely touches on jane and jake, but it's pretty interesting to read about what dirk and roxy are getting up to with their guardians (and the earth) restored to their previous conditions

The Haunted Harley House by hemoanarchists teen - chose not to use archive warnings - 78,462 words - 23 chapters (finished) There is an old house you built a long long time ago, alongside someone very close to you. Now as you don a new name, slipping back into society to care for a descendant, to whom tragedy has left you as her only family left, you take her to the house, the house that bears your family name. You really shouldn't have been surprised when he came to join you. It is his house too, after all.

carlah, a young girl who lives on earth c, has just been taken in by her uncle "jacob harley" after her mother's death. as time goes on, she slowly learns more about the true nature of her new guardians and the house they all live in. normally i'm not that interested in OCs but i love how intriguing carlah is as an outsider of the story. it's really easy to get invested in her as she uncovers a mystery we all know from the beginning and another that we have to learn along with her. shoutout to dysfunctional family dynamics

actually, while i'm at it, i'm going to recommend a bunch of other stuff he's written:

Atlantis Bound teen - chose not to use archive warnings - 33,263 words - 8 chapters (unfinished) Dirk tracks down an old friend

prequel to the haunted harley house but can also be read after (or separately). i really like the dynamic between dirk and vriska here, and i also love the way vriska's repeated reincarnation is utilized. vriska's journey through the newest iteration of her life while dirk watches over her is soooo captivating, especially when snippets of her previous lives are sprinkled in throughout. do you guys love cycles? personally i love cycles

Cherubian mature - chose not to use archive warnings - 54,011 words - 29 chapters (unfinished) The 5000 year time skip never happened, at the dawn of time the gods desperately try to guide the planet into a better future. But with tensions rising it feels like one bad day could bring everything crumbling down.

all of dante's earth-c god fics as a whole changed my brain chemistry and this acts as the beginning (and catalyst) of that overarching story. a lot happens in a very short amount of time

Transitional teen - no warnings apply - 1,860 words - oneshot a simple question what changed when you went godtier?

super simple but also an interesting exploration of the headcanon that players' bodies change when they go godtier. the twist is that each "change" is unique to each character and relates to their Self in some way

Monster under the bed teen - chose not to use archive warnings - 2,573 words - oneshot Skeletons in the Closet mature - chose not to use archive warnings - 2,910 words - oneshot Small Talk teen - no warnings apply - 8,944 words - 6 chapters (unfinished)

putting all three of these together because i believe(?) they're all part of the same narrative

[night-raven-tattler]

Hello there, I recently became a follower and I love your writing so far, keep up the great work and I hope you’re having a wonderful day

I saw that requests are open so if it’s alright, can I get headcannons of the first years (separate) and shows/movies they’d enjoy watching with the reader?

Thought it’ll be pretty fun and an excuse for me to get recommendations lol, thank you!

Hello, Aesthetic! Thank you for your kind words! This was a bit of a challenge for Mx Tattly, since they are not a huge movie person. However she hopes you still enjoy his takes. They also wrote from the perspective of the Prefect/Yuu having access to some movies from their world of origin. Enjoy!

Movie night, otherworldly edition

Characters: Grim, Ace, Deuce, Jack, Epel, Ortho, Sebek and GN!Reader (separate)

Warnings: food mention (Epel's part)

By opening the document, you agree to Mx Tattly's terms of source confidentiality.

-ˋˏ’✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Grim's preffered genres are: comedy, action, animation, fantasy

Grim trully is a child at heart, and all the colorful characters and scenes from animation have him hooked

He also enjoys a good laugh, especially visual gags

He barely has any attention to spare for a series, so movies are his preffered format

He would never admit it but he's a sucker for found family

Silent movie crier

Loud denier

Some favorites from your world: Home; Bolt; That one Wizard Boy Movie we Don't mention in This Household; he has a weird relationship with Ace Ventura

��••✎••』

Ace's preffered genres are: horror, thriller, action, adventure

He enjoys gorey stuff and being the guy you hide behind of when the scenes get too much, but he needs time to prepare for psychological horror

Ace is the type to look up spoilers before watching something and he tries to trick you into believing his made up version of the plot

He talks a lot during movies but hates when others do it

While he enjoys a good adventure movie, he hates superhero movies and he thinks they're silly

He prefers movies over series because he likes the format more, but he's down for a short series

Some favorites from your world: The Mummy; Jumanji (he loves making fun of it); American Psycho; Scary Movie

『••✎••』

Deuce's preffered genres are: action, adventure, animation, family movies

He is pretty easy to please, he'd watch anything that is entertaining

Definitely a Marvel fan

He also loves animation movies, the animation always leaves him awestruck

He likes movies about families and their bonds

Deuce is also surprisingly into medical dramas... but also cop dramas

He is a crier as well but only when he's just with you

Some favorites from your world: Black Panther; The Rookie; A Goofy movie; Police Academy 2

『••✎••』

Jack's preferred genres are: documentary, adventure, romance, dramas and telenovelas with a bit of nudging

Jack is the type of guy to retain various informations after watching something

He can sometimes memorise entire scenes, and he finds that habit less annoying when he watches documentaries; he likes something informative and motivational

Jack also enjoys some romance movies sometimes, but he is very picky so it's hard for him to find one he actually likes

He does, however, like to point out and comment on the weird courting habits humans have

Jack finds telenovelas and soap operas kind of nonsensical and overly dramatic, but he also gets hooked on the plot pretty quick and soon enough it would become a bit of a guilty pleasure

Some favorites from your world: David Holmes, the boy who lived; the social dilemma; Love, Simon; Yo soy Betty la fea

『••✎••』

Epel's preferred genres are: comedy, action, western, anything he can mock and make fun of

If you think Ace is bad with his mid watch commentary, Epel is 10 times worse

He mocks things in movies so often he's giving Cinema Sins a run for their money

He won't shut up even if you give him all the snacks, he'll talk while eating

He also has the most colourful, boisterous, ridiculous laughter imaginable (and I say that lovingly), so if the comedy movie is not making you laugh then Epel's laughter is

Epel is not a picky watcher so he can get behind anything that isn't too sappy

If you pull out anything with Vil on the poster though he will dematerialise from your couch

Some favorites from your world: Rush Hour; Desperado; Puss in Boots 2; any Fast and Furious movie (unfortunately)

『••✎••』

Ortho's preferred genres are: anything he finds intriguing, family movies

If anything, Ortho has a wide palate and can enjoy almost anything

He also knows how a movie ends before he watches it, but it never ruins his enjoyment

He never spoils anyone unless they try to argue with him about the direction of the plot

Most of his interest in movies came from wanting to understand human behavior better, but now he can just use them as a time killer or sleepover material

He also likes watching your reactions to the movies: how often you laugh, how often you cry, how often you reach for snacks

A favorite from your world: Big Hero 6

『••✎••』

Sebek's preferred genres are: historical films, (period) dramas, musicals with the right nudge

Listen here, musical enjoyers. Here is the most susceptible one to being convinced to join the dark side

One word: Hamilton.

Yes, he'll think the music is nonsensical, BUT he'll also tap his foot to it

AND if you say anything about teaching him something from the soundtrack to surprise Malleus with, he's all ears

He is also very quick to get songs stuck in his head: he's easy prey

All jokes aside, Sebek can be a good watch buddy when his interest is piqued

Not even he can deny when a movie has good plot and characters

He does prefer period dramas, since he has a soft spot for the setting

And historical films: a nerd do be nerding even during movie nights

Some favorites from your world: The Crown, Hamilton, Les Miserables, maybe Oppenheimer but it would be used in his anti-human agenda

『••✎••』

Speaking of Oppenheimer...

Well, let's discuss Barbenheimer.

Everyone went to watch both movies:

Ace went dressed in pink for the both of them

Deuce got confused by the "dresscode" and apologised to you for not knowing about it

Jack and Ortho enjoyed both

Epel insisted he liked Oppenheimer more but he's lying

Sebek cried at the end of Barbie

Grim is the only one who in fully in Oppenheimer's corner

[raayllum]

Been thinking recently about the idea in fandom that boils down to, usually, "the Character that Changes the most being deemed 'the most complex'" and that character development (i.e. character change) being held up as The Golden Standard of a Good Character and...

I fundamentally disagree, but first, a little bit more explanation about what I mean

Very often shows and movies, when being recommended on tumblr, are sold on the basis of having enjoyable/in-depth characters. Often times this also means conflating enjoyable with likeable, but that's a discussion post for another day. And even more often, it means there are characters who are seen as Deep because of how radically they change over the course of a story.

Lots of times, this falls into two camps:

Characters change radically, but early on in the story, and remain largely the same past that point of change (think anytime in a first season) until the end of the story

People recommending shows based on characters having traditional redemption arcs (enemy or bully to friend / good guy / love interest)

Now, I'm not saying that 1) character change can't be deep or 2) that character growth is bad. Neither of those things are true, even subjectively. What I am saying is that 1) character change / a character changing is not the same as automatically being a good, interesting, or well written character and 2) character growth is not the be-all-end-all of character writing. Yes, there can be problems with characters be overly stagnant, but typically that's only an issue if 1) a work is serialized and concerned with character development and they don't change at all, 2) a character never adjusts (rightly or wrongly) according to their mistakes, or 3) all of the above but they're a main character.

However, assuming that Character A has to be radically different at the beginning of a story in terms of their personality/values/etc. as they are at the end of the story is just... not how it works, necessarily. This is, I think, one of the reasons why antagonists who get redemption arcs tend to be more popular than heroes who had good values the whole time, because there's more opportunity to point and go "look, they've changed! they act on and have basic compassion now!" Which, fair enough, but again: other types of characters are fine too.

Particularly for characters fandom tends to have the hardest time with: paragons.

Paragons are characters who are usually the central hero, pretty morally if not entirely moral upstanding, and because they already start out in a place of "always doing the right thing," they rarely radically change by the end of the story. Instead, paragons are used to progress theme/messaging and inspire other characters around them to change (a good example might be Buddy from the Christmas movie Elf and to a lesser extent - as he's more transformative as a character - Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender, who's there to return childhood to his friends as an ideal and carry on Air Nomad values).

And for TDP, that's Ezran.

He's the youngest in the main cast and by far the most measured. While Callum and Rayla are off fighting, he keeps a level head. He assumes responsiblity largely without guilt, holds other people accountable most often without being cruel, he's kind and deeply compassionate, he shows regular empathy for his enemies even when he has to treat them like enemies, he loves his father but does not idealize him, he is king without craving power, he's trusting and honest and while he has his flaws (overly optimistic, his passivity, sometimes struggles to consider other people's emotions, naivety, etc), they - as of yet - are not overly connected to his sense of morality (which is a distinct difference compared to the rest of the main cast).

Now, TDP is less concerned with the theme of Childhood compared to something like ATLA, but Ezran being a child (again, in a way the rest of the cast is not) is also very important. Ezran, and Callum to a lesser extent, is the embodiment of the concept that children aren't born with hatred in their hearts; it's learned, or earned, through experience, society, and suffering. And as Ezran spells out for us in 4x03, he has suffered and been hurt - and he believes in breaking the cycle and believing in hope for a better future anyway.

Ezran's steadfast reflection of the series' core theme of "true strength - to break the cycle - is found in vulnerability, in forgiveness, in love" in both word and action does make him the closest thing to a paragon in the series. He's the one who finds the egg; he's the one who forgives Rayla and Soren; he's the one who still tries to help Claudia; he's the peacemaker, the literal bridge between peoples and species in spite of witnessing so many of their worst crimes/actions.

In both arcs, there tended to be a trio of characters who rapidly change, and a trio of characters who are more, comparatively, stagnated. Early S1 Rayla, Callum, and Soren are radically different in a ton of ways than they are even at the beginning of S3, but especially by the end. On the other hand, Viren - post 1x03 at least - Claudia and Ezran are far more consistent in arc 1; their circumstances change, but their viewpoints and realities and choices are largely the same from season to season - they just keep doubling down. This doesn't mean they don't change at all, but they don't radically transform - they just become more of what they already are.

I'd say that in arc 2, things have switched up, with Callum, Rayla, and Viren being the three who are radically transformed (thus far) with Soren, Claudia, and Ezran still being in the more stagnated corner. (For more notes on Claudia and Ezran's shared passivity, check out this pre-S4 meta.)

Ezran starts out the series as a good hearted, slightly mischevious little boy who loves his family and believes that people can be good. The point of the series is not to change these parts of him. It's to demonstrate the difficulties - losing both his parents, taking on the kingship, struggling to make the right choices, keeping his friends together, caring about peace and sentiment in a world that increasingly does not - of maintaining those positive traits, again, in a world that is determined to test those ideals and attributes.

Ezran is not here to be transformed by the storm, the same way his friends and some of his companions are. He is here to demonstrate the strength and necessity in weathering the storm so that the world cannot make you cold, or uncaring, or violent, even when those paths and emotions would be much easier to go down.

Good character development isn't about changing your character; it's about changing your audience's understanding and perspective of your character. Sometimes that means the character is also changing simultaneously, but that's far from a requirement for a character to be interesting. Like most things in writing, what it really boils down to is execution.

And I could go on about why I think people gravitate towards characters who start off evil (often part of imperialist empires or older, institutionally backed systems) and learn that the evil was wrong actually (and sometimes not even that) but that's a meta for another day, and this one is long enough.

TLDR; Ezran, like a few other characters in the show - antagonists and protagonists alike - is not meant to be a radically transformative, even though he very much has grown and changed. Instead, he's meant to exemplify the importance of not losing your sense of self in an increasingly cruel or difficult world, and what parts we should arguably try our best to hold onto as well.

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi! I was wondering do you know why Loumand is so hated ? Was it like that for books readers too? I'm in the middle of the 1st book but i do like their fucked up dynamic on the show and if you ask me, i do think there is love between them.

It's funny because when I started following the fandom everyone was saying how vampires are poly and how we'll have to adapt to this fact now that i'm finally adapting my view, i keep reading ''Louis and Armand don't love each other'' etc.. people call us delusional... sometimes i feel like the only accepted poly is Lestat? I love all their dynamics,give me anything, i'm just here to see characters doing unhinged things that's what attracted me to the show,but sometimes i feel like people just want conventional stories despite what they are saying.

... well.

Okay, so, I'm not too hot on them either. I'll try to explain (and please do read until the end^^) Because while there's certainly love between them (and I have always maintained that!!) - there's also the "problem" that Armand initially becomes interested in Louis... because he is Lestat's. He engages Louis after Lestat has told him about Louis, tries to keep them (Louis and Claudia) save.

Armand... manipulates Louis, and canonically influences him to turn Madeleine, spell-binds him, lies to him, puts a "veil" onto him.

The show, very early on, hinted at the darker aspects of Loumand with the posters, and their reference to the movie "Gaslight".

Armand... Armand has baggage. And luckily(!) he falls for Louis. From his side it's definitely not a lie that he loves Louis. Louis... Louis is certainly infatuated. I do think he loves Armand. But... not like that. Both show and books make that quite clear, and their later canon time together is a very sedated safe time at Trinity Gate.

Armand later tells in his own book that in Paris:

"I must have Louis, that was my injunction. I knew no other."

He must have Louis.

Armand... is someone who does things as he sees fit, even if others disagree. Hunting the young vampires down, for example, even in modern times, wherever he is. Lestat is later very loathe to do that, but Armand keeps wherever he is "clean". The ever multiplying vampire population is for example why Louis goes to Armand at Trinity Gate for the first place - to be safe. But that just as a note.

So... I think it's... complicated. :)

It should go without saying(!) that you can enjoy them as you wish^^.

I think... I think a lot of people are very unprepared to watch a show like this (with characters like these), because we rarely get to see something like this! Like, all these relationships are toxic!! All of them are flawed. There is no good or bad vampire. They're all manipulative, toxic serial killers. They all abuse, and are abused. Yes, even Louis. :))

Fandoms... sometimes tend to be very polemic. This fandom has had the added complexity of the racial recasts, a setup as a tale and a show that has put its fingers into wounds... and then not only split the first season in half, but was also delayed by strikes. Some things... festered.

BUT. That should not stop you from enjoying what you enjoy?! I can only recommend curating your dash^^, and enjoy them.

It's a wild dynamic after all, and while I personally did not think they would go so dark for them I do see the appeal of diving into this dynamic :)

So - look for those who enjoy them as well, and... forget the rest?^^

[multi-fandom-lunatic]

I think overall, the misogyny, sexism and racism in booktok is so prevalent because the fans who are recommending these tropes/seeing them as good and fine are very socially privileged. It makes it hard to criticise those tropes without getting verbally abused online by those refusing to acknowledge the harm done, so people have had to make an 'anti booktok' space when that shouldn't actually be the case. The racism in play is massive because those white people essentially think of poc as tokens - little bits of diversity here and there do they can point at us to prove they're not racist. The thing is, fiction is caused by reality. A lot of the white people who are fine with these racist tropes (Black best friend, quiet Asian nerd etc.) do actually tokenise us in real life and see us as a tickbox they can use, rather than a human being they can be friends with...and I think this mindset is absolutely encourage by what fiction has done for years - placed Black people in the best friend role with no shot at romance, refused to let the Asian exist without being awkward and out-of-touch, and making the queer best friend fashionable and a hype person without letting them be the main character. It's no wonder that the people obsessed with making adult lit like YA and putting high school level drama and romance into adult settings, have racist mindsets; most of the tropes I mentioned come from coming-of-age/high school movies for teens. It's just a mess.

I think nostalgia is a big part of it. The people who consume this content (white, abled, Christian, cishet women) saw this as the only kind of main character during the 2000s/2010s, and even though we've socially progressed since that time, nostalgia and their privilege doesn't let them remember the bigotry present. That's why, even though there are more POC and queer shows/media, it's all written to be digestible for these women and it just... irks me.

It's absolutely tokenising, and it's honestly disgusting. They don't understand that there is such thing as bad representation - if they see a person of a marginalised group, they'll consider it good representation, no matter how forced, stereotypical and poorly written it is. They see these stereotypes in real life and apply it to POC. And maybe this is a me thing, because I still mentally struggle with "fitting into the boxes". For context, I am Asian, and while I'm not a genius, I am fairly nerdy. But constantly being told to "not be like the other girls" and showing these other girls as 2D stereotypes, it's always been hard for me to embrace myself without feeling guilty about "being a part of the stereotype". I'm kind of getting the hang of not being afraid to have interests/hobbies that would put me inside the box now (Now I realise, it's completely the fault of the people who create those boxes), but it's still hard sometimes. Okay, done with that personal tangent.

I have an equation. Social privilege + nostalgia = tropey BS. Or at least, a taste for tropey BS.

And yeah, it definately plays into the whole merging of YA and Adult Lit, because nostalgia just keeps these people tethered to these tropes, and it bleeds into not only reality but also the way we write different genres. Worst part is, it's not even exclusively a Booktok problem. It's so glaringly obvious in teen movies/shows/literally any media. And adult ones too. I'm so ready for this BS to die out.

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

Any thoughts on Nanami and Wakaba? (not as a pairing, unless you see it, then I'm very interested)

I've been watching Utena with friends and we had constant fights about those two, because "She literally kills kittens, what's wrong with you" for Nanami (I am witch apologist) and "Why is she even here" for Wakaba (I am girl enjoyer)

Pfft.

I don't see it as a pairing though in the world of Utena anything's possible.

But I certainly have thoughts on the characters as well as the world of Utena itself that's perhaps worth bearing in mind.

Utena as a Show

Utena is one of my favorite shows to have ever been created. However, it's something I also sometimes hesitate to recommend. It not only deals with extremely dark themes (albeit in a non-graphic manner) from murder, sexual assault, grooming, to rampant incest but also doesn't do so in a way that the modern internet can in any way handle.

What do I mean?

Every character has something seriously wrong with them and makes awful and sometimes outright malicious decisions.

Utena, our heroine, the prince, we learn later has forgotten the reason she wished to become a prince as an adolescent and at first pursues the goal simply out of a desire to be noble and embody this idea of chivalry and nobility without actually knowing what these things are. Miki is alright enough save that he has that thing going on with his twin sister and covets Anthy without ever truly wishing to know her.

That's not even getting to Anthy who I can only state is very complicated.

It's not a show that people can watch if they're not comfortable with the idea that there is something horribly wrong with everyone. The good characters aren't always good, the bad characters sometimes have reason to be bad (and sometimes are just pure evil), and you might not even know who the fuck the good and bad characters are because it turns out breaking the world's shell was probably a good thing.

Compared to say Good Omens which has the complexity of a thimble and people are still upset that Aziraphale made the wrong choice at the end of series 2 there.

But back to your question.

Nanami

I love all the characters in Utena, but Nanami might just be one of my favorites in that she's the beautifully executed dark horse of the series.

Because it turns out she's the only one who's fucking sane.

We start out and Nanami is presented as Anime Mean Girl. Oh, she's that type, the pretty rich girl who's going to bully our romantic lead. Okay, Nanami, I will suffer through you. But then almost immediately this goes awry when nothing every goes Nanami's way. She's crushed by elephants, stalked by an eleven year old, and she... really really really likes her big brother.

And as we go on we see her at first as someone who's truly a villain, she murders kittens as you note, and that is fucked up but then by the end we find out that despite all prior indications she is the only person who does not want to sleep with her brother and thinks this is a madhouse.

She's fascinating and I love her.

But more on the kitten--I think Nanami is excellently portrayed as a little girl who is severely fucked up (in part by Ohtori and in part by life itself). She has an unnatural devotion to her brother, which he also enables throughout the series, and... something weird is going on with the parents (in other versions, namely the movie, it's worth noting that Touga turns out to have been abused by his father).

I don't know if I'd condemn or laud her but she's the character who's at first presented as the worst but then it turns out everyone is just as bad/worse than Nanami is and actually she lives in a madhouse.

Wakaba

I mean.

"Why is she even here?" is the point of Wakaba's whole character arc, which I'd argue is very vital to the storyline of the anime. That's why she's great.

Wakaba's that girl who is normal, she's just normal, and she wants to be special without there being anything special about her. She's nice and kind, but only to a certain degree, and she wants to be like Utena and all these shining brilliant people in her life.

She serves as the catalyst of the plot, in Utena first engaging in a duel, and yet is never involved further in the events. She desperately wants Saionji, to be special herself, and we see her rejecting a very kind boy who genuinely cares for her because of this. We learn that she's not as nice as we, e.g. Utena, had previously thought and that Utena has this quality that Utena herself doesn't understand and that others envy without her realizing it.

Wakaba's descent is when Utena first begins to realize she's failed as a friend, despite all her attempts to do right by Wakaba, and that she doesn't understand those around her as she's trapped in her own world/idea of chivalry (a foreshadowing for what happens with Anthy).

Wakaba helps act as a foil for Utena and is vital to help slowly reveal why Utena struggles and has to grow as a person in order to free Anthy (and why Utena is betrayed by Anthy without ever seeing a hint of it coming).

[fancyshooting]

"YOU SEE THAT IN THE MOVIES?"

In the original release of MGS3, Para-Medic would talk about one of 39 different movies when the game was saved. Two of these were westerns. Copycat Ocelot models himself after the on-screen cowboys that appeared in the movies he was so obsessed with, emulating their shooting styles, dressing in Old West inspired outfits and at one point even adopting a stereotypical twang while speaking English. The concept of his character came about due to Kojima's love of Django (1966). His original design was inspired by the actor, Lee Van Cleef, renowned for his performance in the iconic "Dollars" trilogy. Being able to shoot his beret off during his boss battle in MGS3 is almost certainly a reference to a scene from For A Few Dollars More (1965). That same boss battle has tumbleweeds rolling, dust blowing and the option to engage in a standoff with him. He uses revolvers, engraved and otherwise. His gloves! His spurs! His horse! His moustache! "Draw"! There's so much about him that it doesn't need to be explained - Ocelot is THE cowboy character. The westerns Para-Medic mentions were no doubt chosen with him in mind.

1. A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

Para-Medic: "Snake, have you ever seen 'For a Fistful of Dollars'?"

Snake: "Nope, never."

Para-Medic: "It's a spaghetti western."

Snake: "Spaghetti western?"

Para-Medic "It's really cool. Especially the main character's stylish gunplay."

Snake: "Gunplay..."

Para-Medic: "I saw it in England on the major's recommendation, but it hasn't come out in the States yet. It's so cool! They'll bring it to America, I'm sure. You have to see it sometime."

Snake: "Sure."

This is the first movie in the Dollars trilogy (The third is The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, which is decidedly more popular but its inclusion would've been anachronistic as all the movies featured in MGS3 were released in or before the year 1964). Cultural significance is not the only reason for this selection. The protagonist, The Man With No Name - or "Joe" as he is referred to by the locals - is a drifter and skilled gunfighter who wanders into a small town dominated by two corrupt rival families. Without reciting the entire plot, Joe remains loyal only to himself and exploits both families in order to turn a profit. He assists, endangers and kills people of either allegiance. Making money isn't Ocelot's ultimate goal but he is, of course, infamous for his treachery, suspicious even to characters in the games. Joe is described as being uncomfortably intelligent for a hired grunt, much like Ocelot, whose preferred approach is to act as a simple stooge, feigning ignorance to his bosses, all the while observing and devising schemes to enact his secret plans.

In the end, Joe outsmarts and outlives the two families, having played a role in the downfall of them both. It's important to note that the town sheriff being a member of one of the families does not (in true cowboy fashion) sway Joe's decisions. Ocelot is similar in that he will not bow to authority simply because they wear a badge or have a title. Joe also seems to only trouble the people who "deserve it" - he sees the corrupt families as fair game, but shows no malice towards anyone else. In fact, he takes a risk and goes out of his way to reunite a captive woman with her family, which could be called noble. Ocelot considers himself noble (In MGSV, for example - "Assuming they see [Quiet] as a prisoner here, no, even more so if they do, she deserves to be treated humanely. I always thought our men were a bit more noble-minded".) and although he can be cruel, it seems to be reserved for those who, again, "deserve it", as in, they're already operating in a military environment. Every character Ocelot kills is either a war profiteer, a military operative or is corrupt in some way. In MGSV, he laments the effects of war on civilians and shares Big Boss' sentiment of, "You pick up a gun, and sooner or later you're going to hell". Ocelot describes the Venom Snake project as "a detour on [Venom's] journey to Hell". Venom is a man Ocelot must surely respect for protecting Big Boss but he still recognises him as a soldier. Not to say that Ocelot a good person but he is aware of the harm that he and those he encounters in the military and intelligence spheres inflict by engaging in direct combat and inciting violence through manipulation that results in prolonged conflict. He speaks mournfully about the cycle of vengeance that he and those like him feed into. Still, he finds it fulfilling because that's the life he was prepared for. For him, there is no alternative.

Anyway, Joe also uses a Colt .45 ("the greatest handgun ever made"), even against the main antagonist, who claims that a man with a rifle will always beat a man with a pistol. The antagonist's signature killing style is to aim for the heart, which is what Ocelot does in MGS2. There's also torture in this movie. And a cat.

2. The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Para-Medic: "Snake, have you seen 'The Magnificent Seven'?"

Snake: "Sorry."

Para-Medic: "It's a remake of the Japanese classic, 'The Seven Samurai', only in a western setting. This tiny Mexican village is attacked every year by bandits. Finally, the village elder can't stand it any longer and decides to hire someone to protect the village. Seven gunmen respond to the call. They teach the villagers how to shoot and prepare for the oncoming attack. But then, the enemy shows up at the village with a huge band."

Snake: "Then what happens?"

Para-Medic: "You'll just have to see it for yourself. I don't want to spoil it."

Snake: "...Oh."

Para-Medic: "Movies are only fun when you actually watch them. They're something you have to experience for yourself."

In this movie, the main character, Chris, rounds up six other gunfighters to help protect a farming village that is regularly ravaged by bandits. Major Ocelot is EXTREMELY reminiscent of Chico, the youngest of the seven. After witnessing Chris' impressive skills, Chico is amazed and becomes desperate to be recruited by Chris. As Chris searches for suitable candidates, Chico persists in following the growing gang around, even after becoming infuriated by what he perceives as a ridiculous, childish game (link to scene - the way he flounces off reminds me SO much of the scene where The Boss disassembles Ocelot's gun - "very young and very proud"!). Young Ocelot is just like Chico in that he is an inexperienced, volatile young man who is eager to impress someone he idolises. Snake and Chris both act as older role models who teach the rookies to temper their pride in order to become a better soldier/gunfighter.

This movie script excerpt shows Chico's youthful naivety, as well as the likely reason Ocelot is so fond of westerns:

Chico: "Villages like this, they make up a song about every big thing that happens. Sing them for years."

Chris Adams: "You think it's worth it?"

Chico: "Don't you?"

Chris Adams: "It's only a matter of knowing how to shoot a gun. Nothing big about that."

Chico: "Hey. How can you talk like this? Your gun has got you everything you have. Isn't that true? Hmm? Well, isn't that true?"

Vin: "Yeah, sure. Everything. After a while you can call bartenders and faro dealers by their first name - maybe two hundred of 'em! Rented rooms you live in - five hundred! Meals you eat in hash houses - a thousand! Home - none! Wife - none! Kids... none! Prospects - zero. Suppose I left anything out?"

Chris Adams: "Yeah. Places you're tied down to - none. People with a hold on you - none. Men you step aside for - none."

Lee: "Insults swallowed - none. Enemies - none."

Chris Adams: "No enemies?"

Lee: "Alive."

Chico: "Well. This is the kind of arithmetic I like."

Chris Adams: "Yeah. So did I at your age."

Here, Chico is primarily concerned with the glory of being a gunfighter, whereas the older men who have actually lived that life have a bleaker perspective. Young Ocelot also values his reputation, pridefully reminding the KGB soldiers at Rassvet: "That's Major Ocelot to you - and don't you forget it!"

The arrogance of youth puts Ocelot in danger more than once. Snake spares him after every encounter, explaining to EVA that Ocelot is "still young". Over the radio, Snake says that he doesn't think Ocelot is "any older than 18 or 19", which is younger than his actual age of 20. Snake is 29 in MGS3, whereas Ocelot has only been out of his teenage years for a few months. A nine-year gap at that age is massive in terms of maturity, which is why Snake assumes Ocelot is still just a teenager. In the MGS3 novel, it seems the devious aspect of Ocelot's character is toned down, with more of a focus on how immature he is instead. His youth is mentioned at every opportunity and his admiration for Snake surviving Volgin's torture is described as "naive". Like in the game, his emotions often get the better of him which could be seen as quite childish too, as could the way he looks for guidance and approval (checking his unit are laughing along with him, ditching the engraved revolver because Snake mocked it, etc.). One of his super cool and necessary gun juggling moments is even compared to a traditional Japanese children's game called "otedama" where beanbags are tossed and juggled - a literal child's game. Snake looks on Ocelot as The Boss looks on Snake: young, inexperienced and naive. This relationship connects Snake and Ocelot through The Boss: Ocelot is her biological son, Snake her spiritual son. The Boss was Snake's mentor, and he became Ocelot's.

These lines sum up the most likely reason for Ocelot's love of westerns:

"Places you're tied down to - none. People with a hold on you - none. Men you step aside for - none."

That kind of freedom is probably something that Ocelot, raised to be a tool by the Philosophers, has desired since a very young age. Watching westerns might have inspired some kind of hope that he could have that agency over his life one day, too.

There's also a scene where Chico infiltrates the enemy camp and returns with information, an act he later brags about. Ocelot is too cautious to brag about being a spy but he does have a high opinion of himself (on the surface). Chico makes a speech in the village, ringing a bell to demand everyone's attention, a grandiose display that matches Ocelot's cockiness and dramatic gestures. While alone in the woods, Chico encounters a docile bull and tries to play bullfighter with it ("Toro! Toro! Toro!" It doesn't respond.). He kisses his hand and places it on the bull, transferring the kiss indirectly as a symbol of his harmless intent. It's another example of the light-hearted playfulness that might be expected from a young person. Considering Ocelot's fondness for animals (particularly the markhor) and tendency to be playful, it's not difficult to imagine him acting in the same way.

3. Gunfight At The OK Corral (1957)

Para-Medic: "Hey, Snake. Ever seen Gunfight At The OK Corral?"

Snake: "No, I haven't."

Para-Medic: "It's a color western about a showdown between Wyatt Earp and the Clantons in Tombstone. I was touched by the friendship between Wyatt Earp, the lawman, and Doc Holliday, the man whose life he saved."

Snake: "Was it an American that Wyatt Earp had? I thought it might have been a Peacemaker."

Para-Medic: "What are you talking about?"

Snake: "Nothing. I was just thinking about the Single Action Army Ocelot-"

Para-Medic: "Snake. He's not Kirk Douglas."

Snake: "I know that."

This movie was only added to the 3DS version of MGS3 in 2012, so the main MGS story had already come to an end four years earlier in MGS4. Ocelot's life was over and his motivations were clear. As EVA says: he idolised Big Boss.

In this call, Para-Medic says to Snake, "[Ocelot's] not Kirk Douglas." Kirk Douglas plays Doc Holliday, making Snake Wyatt Earp. These are real-life historical figures but the following is solely based on the depictions of them in this movie.

Wyatt Earp is a virtuous lawman who crosses paths with crooked (but strangely refined) gambler, gunfighter and former dentist, Doc Holliday. Through circumstance and debt, they save each other's lives and develop a familiarity with other. Their friendship is unusual considering they operate on either side of the law. Similarly, Snake and Ocelot form a bond despite their opposing allegiances. Snake spares Ocelot's life multiple times and also saves him from falling debris during the motorcycle chase in MGS3. In the novel, Ocelot concludes that every instance of him and Snake evading death at each other's hands is fate. In the game, the only time Ocelot is "allowed" to shoot Snake is when his gun is loaded with a blank.

Doc becomes somewhat distracted by Earp, even to the point of arousing jealousy in his former brothel worker girlfriend. Both she and Doc are broadly considered to be socially undesirable. He tells her plainly that people like them "haven't mattered since the day [they] were born". Doc also expresses indifference when warned that he might be killed if he confronts another character (played by Lee Van Cleef!) who is hostile to him:

Bartender: "You act as if you want to get killed."

Doc Holliday: "Maybe I do."

He later tells Earp he would prefer to die in a gunfight rather than waste away "little by little".

Ocelot was always thrilled by combat. He refused to shuffle off and succumb to illness or allow old age to snuff him out. He found fulfilment in the brutal fistfight immediately before his death at age 70. It held great meaning for him to fight with an opponent he respected in the image of an aged Big Boss.

Like Doc Holliday, Ocelot holds himself in low regard, which is referenced in the MGS4 novel with the line about his "insignificant personality" and he certainly believes himself to be disposable given the damage he voluntarily inflicts on his mind. Ocelot does not value himself as an individual and instead lives his life devoted to Big Boss and his ideals.

Doc repeatedly refers to Earl as "preacher" which is again reminiscent of the relationship between Ocelot and Snake. Before Operation Snake Eater, Snake idolised his mentor, The Boss, who became elevated to something of a sacred figure after her death. Snake is The Boss' spiritual successor and acts as Ocelot's mentor. Ocelot respects and reveres him, and in MGSV, helps to further cement Big Boss as a battlefield legend, granting him an almost supernatural status akin to The Boss'. In the Japanese script for MGS3, Snake's initial advice to Ocelot is described as "preaching" and Para-Medic later calls it a "sermon".

Until that moment at Rassvet, Ocelot obeyed but likely didn't respect many people in his life. The Philosophers, who abducted him as a baby, raised him as a tool to carry out their orders. As a teenager, he is stationed at Groznyj Grad where his only role model is the sadistic Colonel Volgin, who rules his men with fear. Ocelot has never been allowed input into the direction of his life. He has never known his parents, never had stability and is obsessed with westerns, indicating that he longs for freedom. Snake encouraging him to use revolvers is hugely significant for Ocelot. Snake's advice to switch from modern standard gear to an outdated weapon is actually a recognition of Ocelot as an individual, something that he has likely never experienced. As a child of the Philosophers, he has been trained since birth to deceive and suppress his true emotions in order to make him a more effective spy. The revolver suits Ocelot's style and brings him genuine fulfilment, even though it's tactically obsolete. He was already wearing spurs at Rassvet and was able to procure at least three revolvers within a week. If he was interested in westerns and had easy access to revolvers, the fact that he wasn't suggests that he was suppressing part of his individuality. Ocelot looks up to Snake as a guiding figure after this.

Eventually, Doc falls deathly ill and becomes bedbound. Miserable in his weakened state, he learns that Earp's brother has been killed. On the day of the fight, he becomes invigorated and by sheer force of will, sets out to join Earp and his other brothers in avenging their sibling. He says, "If I'm going to die, at least let me die with the only friend I ever had."

Ocelot constantly risked his life for Big Boss and eventually died for him after the distinct impact of his words in 1964. He pushed the young Ocelot towards true freedom and helped him shape what little personal identity he had. He irreversibly changed the course of his life. No other person or organisation could ever do what Big Boss did for Ocelot and so were undeserving of his loyalty. Doc fighting alongside the Earp brothers is indicative of his relationship with Wyatt being so strong that it approaches the familal. Ocelot is first introduced in MGS1 as one of the "Sons of Big Boss" and then, after grafting Liquid Snake's forearm onto his elbow, can be partially described as a literal "son", which is explained in the MGS4 novel:

"He had been born an ocelot but was now—even if only in fiction—a snake. That might have been what he had always desired—to be the son of the warrior whom he respected more than anyone else."

The dynamic between Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday is similar to Snake and Ocelot in that their friendship is unexpected, strong and has elements of admiration and devotion. Earp is dedicated to his duty and inspires a loyalty in the notoriously devious Doc after displaying genuine decency and treating him fairly despite his reputation, a decision criticised by other characters. Snake plays a similar role for Ocelot throughout MGS3, where he consistently shows strength of character, skill and devotion to duty, even in extreme circumstances. Snake is also able to see past any prejudice he might be expected to have towards Ocelot as an enemy operative and reaches him on a personal level. Their budding friendship, like Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday's, is questioned by their respective associates and colleagues.

Doc's character shares multiple traits with the many iterations of Ocelot as he appears across the series: he is refined, duplicitous, cynical, a loner and a remarkable gunfighter. Wyatt Earp also says this to him:

"I hear you did some pretty fancy shooting, Doc."

The influence of all three westerns mentioned in MGS3 on Ocelot's character is clear: A Fistful of Dollars typified the shrewd cunning he is known for; The Magnificent Seven demonstrated his youthful pride and idolisation; and Gunfight At The OK Corral evoked the strong friendship and devotion that defined his life.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Greece anon here

Thank you for what you said about the eras tour rant I went on, it's really helped to calm some of my nerves.

Also good news! We didn't sell the tickets to strangers but to someone my mum works with and they will probably be able to grab the merch we want when they go to their show if we give them money for them so I probably won't have to worry about merch lines at all which is good. But if the lines are short when we go we might go anyway just to see what's left yk.

I have got the loop experience 2 earplugs because I saw a bunch of people recommending them but I'm really scared I'll be able to hear my voice really loudly in my head. I'll see when I get there whether the noise is bad enough to have to wear them.

It is almost only 10 days away and i am freaking out!!!! There is no way I am seeing Taylor swift in 10 days that's not real. She's literally my favourite person in the world and I'm going to see her in real life I am so EXCITED!!!!!!!!!

How did you organise your bracelets? I want to put the ones I get from other people on my wrists and keep the ones I've made separate but I just found out that wembley don't allow metal carabiners inside so I am trying to come up with a new way to hold them. My bag has a bunch of compartments (because I like to organise) so I might just have them loose in one of the big compartments lol

I'm going out with my friends on Wednesday (including the one I'm going to the eras tour with) and I'm going to be yapping about it so much they're going to be sick of me but I don't care because I'M GOING TO THE ERAS TOUR!!!!

I'm trying to get everything that I need to get done over summer break done before my show so after I can just lay and think "oh my god that was amazing I'm so sad it's over" but I tried to open the book I have to read yesterday and I just kind of stared at it for a while, not a lot of reading happened... But I opened it!!! And that counts as progress 😌

I'm so happy I'm actually going to the eras tour!

I got my tickets over a year ago (11th July 2023) and I have been waiting so patiently I can hardly control myself anymore. Like on the 16th August I am going to be AT THE ERAS TOUR!!!!! it's crazy I can't believe it. I watch a livestream of every single show (yes, every. Single. One. I know it's excessive but I just love it so much) and soon it will be MY show. I have seen it through over 100 grainy livestreams at like 2am and during classes and MY SHOW is so close I am so excited I could throw up, my stomach hurts if I think about it for too long.

This was long and it was mostly me rambling but once I get talking about it it's hard for me to stop so sorry but hey it could have been worse! How are you? I hope you're doing well, summer sucks sometimes cause of the heat but sometimes it's great, and I hope it's going great for you!

Hi!!! Ahhh, I'm so excited for you! You have to update me on how it goes, okay?

I organized my bracelets where I had my inappropriate ones on one arm and my g-rated ones on the other lol. Because I knew kids would be there. TBH my biggest regret of the show was that I didn't trade a lot though! I'm super socially awkward irl so I was scared to go up to people, so I only got a few trades done, so don't do what I did! Luckily when I went to the movie later on I was braver, but I still have like ten of my own bracelets left :(

I'm doing pretty good, my summer is going well! I can't wait to hear about how amazing your show is! <3

[gojoshooter]

Jjk characters reaction to Jujutsu kaisen !!

ft. Yuji, Megumi, Nobara, Gojo, Geto, Toji, Mahito

a/n: this is my first work ><!! english isn't my first language but hope u enjoy :)

(geto & toji are alive :D)

WARNING : manga spoilers

Yuji Itadori :

He's 17 in highschool

Was bored and binge watching netflix when he found out about this anime

Favourite character is Nanami because he thinks his 7:3 technique is super cool (my boy's eyes shine whenever he comes up on screen 🥺)

Thinks he can fix Geto

Secretly recommends Jjk to his closest friends since he wants to "gatekeep" this precious show and now they have to hear Yuji's rants about how one day he will fist fight Mahito

Obsessed with Jujusanpo

Fushiguro Megumi :

One of Yuji's unfortunate best friends who was recommended Jjk

Did not watch the show untill Yuji was falsely declared dead and he needed something to remind him of his best friend

Itadori is his favourite character (and we know why)

Becomes his comfort show

Looked up for the manga because he can't wait for second season and oh boy was that his biggest mistake... he cried his eyes out under his blanket reading Shibuya arc

Kugisaki Nobara :

Yuji told her about a "hot girl with green hair in specs who's exactly her type" in the show and yes that's all it took

Maki is her kin (what did we expect) and mentally notes to keep that her kid's name

Jumps on couch to hype up Gojo every time he beat ass

Tags official jjk on Twitter and rants to bring back the previous intro

Has her room filled with merches which she's proud to show off. One time when Yuji stole her favorite Maki hoodie he faced the wrath in form of her hammer

Gojo Satoru :

Heard Yuji recommend this show to his friends & decided to watch to "fit in" 🙄

Actually gets into it

Favourite character is Megumi and he roots so hard for him, one-sided arguments with Shoko to let her know how much potential this boy has and comes up with theories for the reason for his current personality

Replays the intro 5 times while humming loudly to the music that's his ritual

One day he shows up in his 'violin teacher Satoru' cosplay to the class and everyone is frustrated because how the fuck does he look so good and on-point

Geto Suguru :

Starts watching so Gojo doesn't have to fanboy alone

Favourite character is Gojo because he's his definition of a perfect sorcerer and lowkey wants his powers

Has made tons of jjk playlists

Yells "slay gurllll " when Nobara or Maki fight/do something mean

Has uploaded a cover of him and Shoko singing to the intro on youtube and guess who is sulking now

Toji Fushiguro :

Megumi put it up on the TV so he can re-watch the show with his dad as a method to bond with him

To his surprise his dad actually looks invested??

Favourite character is Yuta and he's very much fascinated by Rika

Little eyebrow frowns as he completely freezes in concentration during Yuta VS Geto fight scene and Megumi can't stop his giddy smiling

Calls Todo his 'son'

One day he calls out Megumi for having the same hair as that emo shadow kid and cackles hard to the point of tears

Mahito :

He's an anime youtuber

Has been requested for a reaction on Jjk multiple times so here he goes

Did no research so starts from movie 0 and he's completely clueless 😭

He's a Toji stan do i need to say more

Cheers for the bad guys because they're hot and even hypes them up sometimes

Has done Mei Mei cosplay

Gives manga spoilers to anime onlys mercilessly and has been canceled on twitter for the same

[toskarin]

toskarin of the askbox, on a more serious topic, I worry i might be becoming a femcel because all around me are happy couples and I feel nothing but jealousy and contempt when they're happy together around me. I haven't a clue how to even start making friends let alone finding a girlfriend, and I don't know what to do at this point. What should a dumb lesbian like me do in such a situation? :(

taking this at face value, here's some advice (just remember that I'm not your therapist, I'm like your neighbour's older sister at best)

jokes about femcels aside, it's the thought loop of it all that quickly becomes a problem. "learned helplessness" as a term has some baggage to it, but in matters of social dynamics, it's still important to fight back against giving up

the first thing to establish with yourself is that you aren't incapable of making friends or anything like that: you're having difficulty doing it and don't necessarily know the ins and outs of doing it, which is very normal

you're feeling bad about all of that, which is also very normal, and without an outlet, that makes you feel bad about others when they seem to be finding success with ease (which, as you might have gotten from the pattern here, is also normal)

the second thing you need to establish internally is that people are so much nicer, on the whole, than your anxieties would tell you. the internet does a lot to blow up the loudest, cruellest, and least considerate people. the median person isn't like that, and lots of them have grappled with similar feelings, whether or not they show it

anyway, let's get into it

"how do I make friends" and "how do I find a girlfriend" are very abstract problems, so lingering on them without breaking them into steps can make it seem completely inscrutable. you could spend forever on it and come up empty-handed, and a lot of people do

instead, a good place to start would be "how do I meet people" and "how can I hang out with people"

are there any events near you that you'd be comfortable going to? if so, that could simplify things a bit. bonus points if it's something specifically gay. lots of people struggle to make friends outside of work and school as adults, and because of that, there's lots of people who arrange casual group hangouts (sometimes finding these is as easy as searching it on google)

if not, maybe you'd rather check online for "small table" events, like ttrpgs, book clubs, or movie nights. the actual process of learning to hang out is tough, but once you meet people, it really does just become a problem of finding something you're both interested in doing and asking if they'd like to do it

as for getting a girlfriend, that's unfortunately something you've gotta play by ear. I've never gotten into a relationship gracefully, and I don't think that's exceptionally uncommon

to get a girlfriend, you first have to have a friend. you can theoretically get around this, but I don't recommend it. you then have to perform the absolutely horrifying ordeal of admitting you've got a crush

the ordeal of admitting a crush gets a little bit easier the more sure you are the other person is amenable to it, and sometimes the other person will do it for you, but someone's gotta do it

it's a leap of faith onto concrete a solid 50% of the time, but if you make sure to approach people in good faith, it's usually pretty low-stakes (besides being embarrassing, unfortunately). it all comes back to open communication at the end of the day

it'll work out

[cepheusgalaxy]

Hello! This is the one who asked for tips on 12yo Brazilian OC.

Thank you so much for all the tips, you give me so many I don't even think of. I will re-read them later.

May I ask something else please? You gave me the titles for dramas and it's so helpful! I actually need them so I can familiarise myself with the country. Thank you.

This time, I want suggestions for Brazilian novels, so I can read how Brazilian people write about themselves. Do you have any recs for me? Preferably those who have English translation because...of course.

Maybe those which have drama and slice of life as genres, but anything is okay.

Drama/telenovelas for teenagers/adults recommendations are welcome too, so I can have the more mature POV. Also, recommending Brazilian Lifestyle Youtubers is great too if you know some!

Hello anon! I'm glad my answer was useful to you :)

Now, first, of all, I thought a little about some books and shows and movies to recommend you, but I also wanted to disclaim a very relevant aspect of brazilian media that you may not know:

Most of the media we consume here is foreign.

For starters, let's say that finding a fan of "national literature" how we call it is kind of unusual. Most of the hits we have here (Percy Jackson, godforsaken Harry Potter, Pollyanna, Pride and Prejudice, The Matrix, Disney movies, I could go on) are all from the US or other Northern countries. Brazilian media is highly americanized. Take that plus manga and anime and also recently korean dorama, little of what we have comes from here.

If you asked, say, a random young adult in the street to tell you about a good Brazilian book, they'd probably just know the Old Classics like Machado de Assis or Jorge Amado, the kinds of books we have to read for school to answer a test. Those very old, very famous books that use of an arcaic Portuguese that is really hard to understand, especially if you're just doing it for a grade.

Most people's favorite shows, favorite book series, favorite movies... they're mostly all from the US.

This is pretty annoying, to be honest, to not find any "famous" or popular brazilian books. Shows and movies have more luck, but it's still tough out there. Finding media that's really from here sometimes it's not even compensating, so mostly we just stick with what comes from the outside. So, even if your character is brazilian, I think it wouldn't be unreasonable for her to just watch a lot of USamerican shows, like USamerican movies and read USamerican book series.

Now, since we've taken that out of the way, I have here some media sorted by medium and target audience for your purposes! There may be really frustrating to find actual brazilian stories out there, but that doesn't mean we don't have them!

Books:

Um Milhão de Finais Felizes - English title: "A Million Happy Endings". Genre: Queer romance. Story about young gay adult who wants to write a book but can't bring himself to. If I remember well it's a coming of age story. Rate: I'd say it's a teen to YA story.

Enquanto Eu Não Te Encontro - Couldn't find any records of an English version. Rough translation: "While I Can't Find You". Description: Queer romance about a guy who meets a dude in a bar and they fall in love. They lose contact and the protagonist tries to let it go untill they finally meet again. Rate: Teen to Young Adult.

Os Karas - English title: "Karas Chronicles". Description: A book series about a bunch of teenagers who solve misteries and defeat bad forces. Has about 5 volumes, I think, but I'm not sure. Maybe more. Rate: Tween to Teen.

A Hora da Estrela - English title: Hour of the Star. Description: I haven't really read it, but it's some romance and this is a really classic one. Rate: I have no idea but I know adults like it.

Nó na Garganta - Couldn't find any record of an English version (which SUCKS because this is a really interesting slice of life). Rough translation: Lump in the Throat. Description: Slice of life-ish. Story about a young black girl that moves with her family to the countryside, in a town full of whiter and richer kids than her. She tries hard to make friends, find a way to have fun and deal with expectations at home. Rate: Tween

Luna Clara & Apolo Onze - I'm not sure if there is an English version, but Onze means Eleven if you wanna try your luck looking for it. The rest of the title should be about the same. Info: About a girl in North Desatino who is waiting for her father to come back, and she watches every day for a sign of him, who is said to carry a cloud of rain on his head at all times; on the South, a boy has a forever lasting birthday party, when a stranger brings rain inside his house and he decided to help him. Has some romance and is a story with non-chronollogical chapters and is really funky. But it's pretty cool. Rate: I'd say is for tweens and teens.

Any book from Coleção Vaga-Lume - it's a collection with many many stories for children and teens and I haven't read a lot of them but it was more popular, I think, around three decades ago. I read a few as a child and they are really fun, some mistery here and there.

Movies:

O Auto Da Compadecida - English title: "A Dog's Will". Info: This is probably the most classic movie that is out there. It is adapted from a play with the same name (in Portuguese, "auto" means theathre play) and is a comedy movie about two really poor guys; one who is sweet-tongued and mischievous, and the other who is always telling way less-convincing and absurdist lies. The story follows them getting in trouble and making more trouble to escape the first one. "O Auto Da Compadecida" got translated as A Dog's Will, but a more accurate translation would be "Holy Mary's Play". It's a really fun movie. Rate: Family/All ages.

Minha Mãe É Uma Peça - English title: "My Mom is a Character". Info: Another classic and very loved comedy about a housewife who, tired from her family, leaves her children with their rich father and rich stepmother and goes to her aunt's house, to complain about her life. It's quite a masterpiece and I think it has two sequels, but I can't say how good they are cuz I haven't seen them. Rate: Family/All Ages.

Os Salafrários - English title: "Get the Grift". Another comedy movie about two siblings running from the law and their complicated relationship. Rate: Family/All ages.

Tô Ryca - English title: "I'm Rich". Info: Yet another comedy movie (sorry, that's all i watch lmao since i'm not a big movie watcher) about a working class woman who, one day, finds out to have a huge inheritance from a recently dead lady who is apparently her grandmother. However, to earn the money, she must pass one test: To spend 30mi reais (a brazilian real is about 1/5 usd) in thirty days. Rate: Family/All Ages.

Alice Jr - Info: Queer comedy/romance about a trans girl named Alice who temporarily moves to a small town in the countryside; for as long as her father has to stay there for finishing a job, Alice must survive her (temporary) new life with new people, new friends, new enemies, and a catholic school. Rate: I'm not completely sure but i'd also bet For All Ages or Teens.

Movies with Lázaro Ramos - I'm not a big fan like my mom for example, but he's a famous actor who apparently did a lot of great movies, so you could also check them out.

Shows:

De Volta Aos 15 - English title: Back to 15. Info: I'm not really the target audience so I haven't really touched it, but overall is a show about a woman who by some sort of magic becomes 15 years old again. I'm pretty sure it's a highschool drama. Rate: Children and Tweens, I suppose.

Turma da Mônica: Cine Gibi - I don't know if there is any English dub or subtitled version but I'm confident there is. I mentioned Turma da Mônica (Monica n' Friends, for you) in the other post, but I didn't really explained what it is. It's basically a big comic franchise that's really really popular and had one director for what, 60 years? Now it's his gay son directing the thing but back to the plot, it's about four children in a neighbourhood that live some funky adventures with caricaturesque characters, leaded by the protagonist, Mônica, who has herculeous force and is known as the boss of the street. The franchise got a few episode adaptations, but the one I'm talking about is a collection of about ten episodes of short stories that follow the premise that all the HQs get in an animation-ator made by one of the reocurring characters, who is an inventor, and they all get together in the theathre to see it. They also frequently break the fourth wall. Rate: Children and Tweens.

Novellas (mostly for teens, children and young teens/tweens):

Chiquititas

Carrossel

As Aventuras de Pollyanna

Carinha de Anjo

and many many many many more. My classmates usually watch novellas for older people as well, like the 6PM one or the 8PM one which i have no idea which are, but if you want to look for them i have the impression that it won't be really hard. Although, be warned, their episodes are usually 1h long and the shows last like forever. Like One Piece or smth, idk.

[rhysdarbinizedarby]

A speed date with Rhys Darby: Kiwi comedy legend and '60s Volvo enthusiast

We sit down with the Our Flag Means Death star to get his movie, TV and sneaker recommendations.

Have you ever come across an artist, a musician or just an all-around cool guy and wanted to pick his brain? You love what they make, but you want to know how they made it. More specifically, you want to discover the everyday interests and personal quirks that filter into their creative process - the less direct sources of inspiration that have an equal impact on their work. Okay, he likes Queen, but what’s his coffee order? What’s his comfort watch? And in an alternate universe where he doesn’t have the job he has now, what would be his career of choice?

Welcome to Speed Dates, the series where we get to know the local (and sometimes, not-so-local) talent we’re crushing on. This time, we're training our focus on Rhys Darby—the NZ actor and comedian who has cemented himself firmly alongside the likes of Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement in the pantheon of the country's greatest comic talents. Known to most as Murray in Flight of the Conchords, Darby now has the lead part in his very own HBO show to call his own, hoisting sails and taking to the water (alongside Waititi, no less) Stede Bonnet in pirate caper Our Flag Means Death, which released last week to rapturous acclaim.

With Darby's own star turn now here, we caught up with the actor to unearth his tastes and what makes him tick.

GQ: Are you an extrovert or introvert?

I'm an introverted extrovert.

What is your coffee order of choice?

Flat White.

What is your favourite clothing brand?

Scotch and Soda because they're unique items and have a sense of flair. I also enjoy drinking Scotch and sodas, so it's easy for me to remember the label.

Most-worn item in your wardrobe?

Probably my Wrangler denim jacket. It's so easy and classic.

Do you have a go-to pair of sneakers?

Vans, in whatever cool design I can find.

How about a fragrance?

Obsession for Men, by Calvin Klein.

What is your favourite book?

Anything by Erich Von Daniken.

Favourite movie or TV show?

Favourite movie? This is always a difficult one. The Life Aquatic by Wes Anderson. TV show: Dad's Army.

What about your favourite album? Why?

Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin. So many bangers! It gets me through the good times and the bad times.

What do you save first if your house is on fire?

My 1968 Volvo P1800

What's the best advice you've ever been given?

Probably the fact that I've been given no real advice.

How about the worst advice you've ever been given?

"Pull your head in. You're not funny. Get a real job."

If you could have any dinner guest over, who would it be?

Bob Lazar

What is your favourite local spot in your home town?

The Matakana Village Pub

If you could pick a career different than the one you have, what would it be?

I always wanted to be a park ranger looking after animals on a giant reserve.

Our Flag Means Death is available to watch on Binge now.

Source: GQ Australia

[snufflepup]

They're some of my favorite! It's hard for me to really pick my favorites of anything (except for people, that of which is you^^<3) off the top of my head though, I like spy x family a lot too. I've read the manga for seraph of the end and plan on watching the anime soon, but it got confusing after they suddenly just kinda went back and saw the first vampire guy when mika died? I think? I really have no clue lol. I have a pretty bad sense of time too, it really sucks when there's so much I wanna do. I'm assuming you haven't seen kill counts? I watch this channel on yt called dead meat, and they give a movie synopsis alongside counting the kills in various horror movies. I think they're pretty funny. Ik that escape room movie, i found it kinda well written and fun^^ I've seen just about everything about omori except an actual playthrough, it seems really interesting. Who's your favorite characters? From what I've seen, I really like Kel and basil^^ I'm not really the best person to give advice on where to start in xmen, cause tbh, I saw a nightcrawler edit on tik tok and got obsessed with him lol. I looked up everything about him so it's not like I know nothing about him or something and I will watch the movies some time, i just haven't gotten to watch them yet. The end of the fucking world is a Netflix show about these two kids who kinda run away and be adults and realize everything's shit^^ James (boy mc) is a psychopath who ran away with Allysa (girl mc) with the intent to kill her and he ended up falling in love and killing a nasty guy that tried to mess with Allysa. Allysa is a kinda blunt girl that a lot of people say has bpd (idk if it's Canon or not) and she's really cool and badass and speaks her mind^^ James for me is totally transition goals lol

Omg like no one irl know total drama, I'm glad you do^^ who was your favorite characters? I love gravity falls too! I really liked the plot and thought it was just the best! I watched Winx and mlp when I was younger, though idk if I was old enough to understand it all :< maybe I'll watch the remake of Winx when it comes out^^ I love good animation- have you seen takt op destiny? It's absolutely goregeous and beautiful, though the plot isnt totally understandable, i feel. I've seen that video recommended to me, and I actually have it in my watch later for whenever I watch the playthrough. I'm glad you might check it out^^ and that at least I can talk to you about stuff^^ sorry this was so long lol

-ike<3

I know how you feel, I find it hard to do the same at times ! (｡>\\<)

Spy x Family is a lot of fun !! I like it a lot too ! I'm . not really up to date with the manga, but I know what's happening . kind of . I also lost track around that time, but !! I think I understand whats going on, at least. I agree, it really frustrates me (◞ ⸝⸝ ◟ )

oooo !! Okay ! It sounds fun ! Omori is really cool. . . It's my favourite game ! I really like all of the main characters. . . It's hard to pick favourites because they all sort of like . plague my mind /pos but ! I think it's probably Sunny and Basil that are my top favourites, but I really love the others ! They are all so special to me

That's fair, I've done that too, with different things ! I only watched voltron because of one of the characters at first lmao I hope you enjoy the movies then, when you are able to watch them !! ^–^

Omgmg it sounds so !!!! I'll definitely watch it ! I'll let you know my thoughts when I do ! I think I liked Gwen and and Mike a lot !! I liked Alejandro and Heather too. . . despite them being like . evil sometimes. I liked Chris too ! Who are your favourites ? Gravity Falls is super awesome, there seems to be something going on with it recently, though I don't really know what but I'm excited nonetheless

I watched them a bunch of times growing up, and I rewatched mlp again a couple months, or at least the seasons on netflix ! I haven't ! I just looked it up, though, and it looks really nice. I think I've seen clips of it because it looks familliar but I'm not really sure ! The video kind of . hit me like a ton of bricks, so, this is a warning I suppose !!

And it's okay ! I know mine can be long too :)

[scarlethyena]

One interesting feature of growing up in the US is the fact that we're constantly flooded with propaganda but often we don't realize it until later. For example, you ever think about how many popular shows and movies revolve around cops or people working in the CIA or FBI? Oftentimes it's a pretty simple "officers catching Bad Guys" and the Bad Guys in question are usually unambiguously evil and will do stuff like kill kids for seemingly no reason. Or our main characters go to a prison to get info and the place is filled with unrepentant murderers and rapists who would do it again if they had the chance. And of course lawyers and officers rightfully pointing out how overzealous our main cast are will inevitably be framed as "pencil-pushers keeping the heroes from Doing Their Job and listening to them means letting the Bad Guys Get Away" because in this fictional world, anyone coming under the scrutiny of the law is evil. So notions of human rights or police accountability are laughable and police should get to be judge, jury and executioner because doing so will Keep These Streets Safe. Oh, and sometimes they'll make the main cast diverse just to avoid the whole "the system is biased against certain groups" thing. Now, while I do have a certain appreciation for simple "popcorn entertainment" of good guys vs. bad guys, it becomes an issue when the "good guys" are real life institutions that have gotten god knows how many innocent people killed, while the "bad guys" are criminals who, realistically, may simply be individuals living in poverty who had few (if any) available options.

And this is just crime stories. Not even mentioning how many movies seem to feature the US military in a positive light. Marvel movies get a lot of flack for this, but I've noticed that the majority of USAmerican action movies seem to do this. The movie starts and our protagonist is just in some ambiguous desert area, obviously meant to be Iraq or Syria (it's always a desert too, because a lot of people see that region as a desert and nothing else, oldest agricultural civilizations be damned), being all gallant and heroic before something weird or supernatural happens or they just return home to find something's changed; maybe the film is even about their own experiences as a soldier. But regardless, there's no need to explain what they're doing there in the first place, because everyone already knows that we send soldiers overseas to fight Bad Guys in Desert Region.

Michael Parenti has so many good works and I can't recommend his stuff enough, but he did one lecture that's always stuck with me titled "Rambo and the Swarthy Hordes" where he describes how often these action movies present us with the basic dichotomy of "civilized human beings vs. savages" Who exactly the human beings are, where they're located, and who the savages are evolves over time but that same basic set up remains. It doesn't matter if they're Arab Muslims, Black Africans, Vietnamese, Koreans, Russians, or whoever. They are simply vast hordes of bloodthirsty beasts for our heroes to gun down without remorse.

And a lot of USAmericans are quick to dismiss all of this as just being simple entertainment and that people like me are politicizing a non-political topic. This can be for a lot of reasons that I won't get much into here, but regardless, USAmericans are heavily propagandized and it's so effective, at least in part, because many won't even recognize that the propaganda is there.