#sorry for the low quality image but i think it fits the vibe

[iamthemovie]

thrift finds!

[morporkian-cryptid]

Lupin III - The Castle of Cagliostro, and its extremely gay and romantic title scene

Hello everyone, this is your new installment of “Elliott rambles about her fandoms”!

Today I am going to be talking (well, mostly yelling) about the opening credits of Lupin III - The Castle of Cagliostro.

Because I’ve rewatched that movie almost two weeks ago, and I’m still going into a fit of hysterics every time I so much as think about it.

[Image description: Lupin and Jigen sitting in front of the Fiat, with a small nomad cooking space set up. It is night, Lupin is reading a map and Jigen is holding a pan above a small gas stove. The lighting is dim and comes only for the stove. The subtitles of the song lyrics read “My love for you burns”]

https://twitter.com/spacequeenemily/status/1118274079662977025?lang=en

This Twitter link is the only video of the title scene I could find online; the image quality is a bit low but at least it’s the full scene. Please watch it, I promise you won’t regret it.

Fair warning: long post with much capslock, very swearing.

Okay, so.

The lyrics of this song, Fire Treasure, go more or less like this (from the subtitles of the movie, which I assume are the official translation) :

I want to go with you, searching for happiness / No matter how hard the road or how the night may grow cold / I just want to wander on with you

Who else is there to comfort and hold / This lonely traveler when their heart grows cold? / Who else but you can make all my dreams come true?

Like a raging fire my love for you burns / All I want is for you to know how I feel / Make me your prisoner and never let go

(additional lyrics which are on the wiki but not in the title sequence)

You, who wander the wasteland  / I want to let you sleep / The shooting star is for you

I want only you to understand / This love of mine that blazes with flames / I'll clear away the enigmatic mist

You can find the official japanese lyrics here on the Lupin III fandom wiki.

Now this is a pretty basic love song, and we know most of the theme songs in this series are love songs and it doesn’t always mean anything (looking at you, Red Jacket opening theme). The music itself (without the lyrics) is used several times during the movie, especially in scenes with Lupin and Clarisse; and reused later in several movies involving similar dynamics.

But the only time the whole song, with lyrics, plays in The Castle of Cagliostro, it’s during the opening credits / title sequence. Aka, Lupin and Jigen’s road trip.

Yeah. This longing, yearning love song about a lonely traveler and the person who silently loves them and wants to follow them through all the troubles of the road and look for happiness by their side... Is played along with of a video of Jigen and Lupin traveling together.

And oh, if only it was just that...

It could have been two guys being bros, two friends having a fun road trip together. They could have shown the banter and playful fights between them that we see in the rest of the movie. But NO. THIS is what they gave us instead:

[The silhouettes of Jigen and Lupin sitting on and leaning against the Fiat, with a boat in the background and an orange sunset-like sky]

[the Fiat driving on a narrow bridge in the middle of an expanse of water glistening and reflecting the pink and purple sky]

[Lupin lying on his back in the grass, and Jigen sitting near him and cooking in front of a small portable gas stove, the Fiat parked next to them. It is night, and the gaz stove gives a soft glow, the only source of light in the picture.]

[Lupin sitting on the roof of the Fiat and Jigen standing left of it. They are waiting for a train with wooden wagons to pass. There are white flowers in the foreground on the right of the screen.]

[Night time, on a backdrop of dark blue sky with white stars. Lupin is sitting on the roof of the Fiat, lighting a cigarette (the Fiat itself isn’t in the frame). Jigen is standing near him, smoking a cigarette, with only his head visible. The subtitles of the song lyrics write “Make me your prisoner and never let go”.]

[The same scene from a different angle, the Fiat is now visible, with grass in the foreground, Lupin is seen from the back and Jigen from head to feet. The dark blue sky is fading into white at the bottom, suggesting sunrise.]

They could have given us a fun, “straight pals being bros” road trip. Instead, they decided to give us a soft, nostalgic ambiance, with orange and pink sunsets, the boys wistfully looking into the distance under a starry night sky, smoking cigarettes together in silence, with the soft glow of a shared meal around a campfire. THEY MADE THE CHOICE TO MAKE THIS AS FUCKING ROMANTIC AS POSSIBLE. THEY WILLINGLY MADE THAT DECISION.

We all know that this franchise’s subtext is not exactly subtle in establishing, to name just one obvious example, Jigen’s orientation (hum hum kabuki-related slang, hum hum bootleg playboy magazine, hum hum shameless flirting with burly soldiers).

But THIS. This isn’t a “I hate women” joke. This isn’t a two-second frame showing a bootleg gay pinup magazine. This isn’t a subtle parallel between Lupin’s relationships with Fujiko and with Jigen. This is the most OBVIOUS and EXPLICIT bit of subtext I have ever seen in this goddamn subtext-packed series. This is A FUCKING LOVE SONG, WITH THE WORDS “MY LOVE FOR YOU BURNS” EXPLICITLY IN IT, PLAYED ON A VIDEO OF JIGEN AND LUPIN ON A ROAD TRIP WITH THE MOST ROMANTIC AND SOFT VISUALS POSSIBLE. ONE MINUTE AND FIFTY FIVE SECONDS OF TYPICAL ROMANTIC SCENE WITH TYPICAL ROMANTIC VISUALS AND A FUCKING LOVE SONG.

This can’t be an accident. You can’t accidentally make a scene like this. I mean come on, “Like a raging fire my love for you burns, I just want you to know how I feel” with a panning shot of a starry night sky and Lupin and Jigen silently sharing a smoke? HOW DO THEY THINK WE ARE GOING TO INTERPRET THIS? IS THERE ANY OTHER POSSIBLE FUCKING INTERPRETATION THAN “JIGEN IS MADLY IN LOVE WITH LUPIN?“ NO THERE ISN’T. THERE FUCKING ISN’T.

They go and try to tell us that Lupin and Jigen are just friends, they give Jigen barely believable female love interests whom he has little to no chemistry with, they write Jigen getting angry when he thinks Lupin might be gay, and then they turn around and make THIS. FUCKING. TITLE SEQUENCE.

It kills me because IT’S CANON but also it’s not! They’re not stating that Jigen loves Lupin, they’re not confirming that they’re a couple, at no point in the 50 years of existence of this damn franchise has either of them explicitly declared that they were in love with the other, and that is most likely never going to happen. But this fucking scene exists. This fucking scene is CANON, and it’s technically still subtext, but it is the most OBVIOUS and IN YOUR GODDAMN FACE subtext EVER.

Disclaimer: I agree that most of the anime and movies’ (still relatively un-subtle) subtext can be disregarded or interpreted as platonic if you want, and I absolutely respect anyone’s desire to interpret them as platonic friends. All visions and interpretations can coexist. That being said, I’m sorry but for this specific scene I will not, ever, budge from the position that it is a fucking romantic love scene and that there is no other possible interpretation, I’m sorry but just FUCKING LOOK AT IT. LOOK AT IT AND TELL ME THIS ISN’T MEANT TO BE ROMANTIC. I DARE YOU.

This scene is just at the VERY LIMIT of explicitly stating Jigen and Lupin’s love. But it’s STILL NOT EXPLICIT. The song says “I love you” but neither Jigen nor Lupin does. The song on its own could relate to any number of characters (and in the rest of the movie it relates mostly to Clarisse, and more generally to all the girls Lupin leaves behind). The video without the music, while being very sweet and having a romantic vibe, could still be interpreted as a road trip between friends. And yet. AND YET. They made the conscious decision to put THAT SONG with THESE IMAGES. And to then “leave it to our interpretation”.

The Castle of Cagliostro was the second movie of the Lupin III franchise. It came out in 1979, not even ten years after the first episode of the anime aired. This is one of the establishing movies of the franchise, the one that propelled Lupin III on the international scene, the door through which generations of fans have been introduced to the series. A now iconic and unmissable pillar of the pop culture myth that Lupin III has become, a jewel of hand-drawn animation, produced by one of Japan’s most internationally well known animated movie director, future founder of one of its most iconic studios.

This isn’t a “blink and you’ll miss it” nudge in an largely forgettable TV special with weird chara designs and a plot created by writers seemingly on crack. This isn’t a subtle nod to long time fans and shippers like Part 5 did in 2018. This is the FUCKING TITLE SEQUENCE of the CASTLE OF MOTHERFUCKING CAGLIOSTRO by HAYAO GODDAMN MIYAZAKI. AND IT’S A LOVE STORY.

It’s been a week and a half, guys. And I still want to scream. I will never be free. Lupin and Jigen are in love and the world needs to know.

[higans]

hi i want to write about korin and vil’s relationship because it’s a lot and even though this verse is literally a meme to me at this point, i’ve accidentally gone and got attached to some of korin’s dynamics with characters.

i want to preface this by saying i’m clearly not a vil roleplayer and i’m not someone that knows like ... a lot lore nor character wise. all of this is based off of my personal interpretations and what canon (the wiki KHGLDF) has provided me. so with all that in mind i’m sorry if something in particular might not fit in your mind. 

to begin it should be noted that despite maybe not appearing so right off the bat, korin absolutely fits within pomefiore’s dorm. the seeming obsession and pursuit of perfection and beauty that both vil and the dorm as a general vibe exhibit are qualities that she has, just in a uniquely subtle way. so in a way korin and vil are extremely similar. it’s their methodology, however, that’s at complete odds and thus where their strife starts.

korin’s fixation of beauty and being perceived as pretty is undoubtly connected to her childhood. she’s always struggled with her appearance and as she grew older made it a point to always present herself in a certain manner.

i think before epel’s inclusion within the dorm, vil’s “project” was korin. which led to a lot of the scrutiny that we see epel under in ep 5 being focused on her instead. at first it was actually very pleasent for her. she wanted to change and vil was just the catalyst she needed in order to start that. plus, it was ... almost kind of like bonding? in korin’s mind it felt like a friendship that she had never had before — i.e like ones you see in teen movies. 

vil for their part has never been cruel or melicious with their comments and nitpicks, however. from what we see it comes from a genuine place and a wish to help. but korin, on the other hand, is highly sensitive and predispositioned to an extremely negative self-image. something not exactly known to anyone, let alone vil. so those critiques, instead of being seen as a way to improve, began to quickly worsen her already low self-esteem. they felt more like attacks on her being and as korin isn’t someone really capable of verbalizing her problems it goes on until she does finally snap.

basically they live in a sick cycle of vil not knowing what they’re saying hurts more than helps and korin, instead of explaining that, gets defensive and incites an argument instead. obviously this would wear down literally anyone pretty quickly so after a certain point all their interactions just become ... extremely passive agressive.

there’s, of course, other problems too. korin’s lack of care towards school and her grades in general is also a pretty big sticking point because by all accounts she’s a representative of pomefiore as a fellow third year. it’s a bad look to have an upperclassman be so indifferent and downright disrespectful at times. especially when said third year does often get in trouble and the responsibilty falls to vil to clean up her messes.

ALSO! a big inspiration for these two actually comes from howl and sophie from howl’s moving castle. more specifically, from the scene where howl starts to break down over his hair and sophie’s reaction to it. i think it’s extremely fitting in that korin sees vil’s struggles as ... almost trivial compared to her’s even though they’re the exact same.

howl: i give up. i see no point in living if i can’t be beautiful. sophie: fine! so, you think you’ve got it bad? sophie: i’ve never once been beautiful my entire life!

at the end of the day though i believe they both deeply care for each other but just aren’t really meant to be friends until they both work out their personal issues which may have started after episode 5 but i can guarantee it hasn’t fixed everything.

[amphtaminedreams]

Filling the Met Shaped Hole (No, Not Like That): The Best Red Carpet Looks of Awards Season 2020

Hi to anyone reading,

I want to jump straight into things and ask a question. Which is the best Met Gala theme of the last 5 years and why is it Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination?

Seriously though, despite the fact that I’m not sure anything will top Heavenly Bodies with the preceding and succeeding Met Galas being relatively disappointing (the camp theme definitely could have been taken further and lets not even talk about the Comme Des Garcons disaster), I still get excited for the gala every year, staying up til whatever hour of the morning so I can see all the fashion live. Of course, it makes complete sense that this year’s event has been postponed until October given the circumstances but the chosen theme of Fashion and Duration had the potential to be quite interesting, so I hope we do eventually get to see it; whilst I don’t miss endlessly scrolling through photos of every white male celebrity wearing the exact same suit and tie to the point where fangirls claim Harry Styles to be a pioneer of breaking gender norms because he wore a pink top, I long for the days where we could all temporarily coexist in peace and harmony thanks to the internet’s collective dragging of the Kardashians for paying no attention to the theme whatsoever. We should’ve guessed life as we know it was about to be flipped on its head when they actually turned up in something interesting last year.

What I’m trying to say is that I would love nothing more than to jump back in time to when tomorrow morning’s top Google search would be best Met Gala looks, and not how many lives did Boris Johnson’s fuckery cost us today. So in honour of the lack of trivial content, I thought I’d fill the Met shaped hole in our lives (amongst many other unfilled holes; today the freezer door at work hit me on the ass whilst I was putting ice cubes out and I think for a split second I got all flushed) by putting together a collection of my personal favourite red carpet looks from this year’s awards season and their respective afterparties: the BAFTAs, Brits, Critic’s Choice Awards, Golden Globes, Oscars, SAG Awards, and the Grammys to finish with.

Enjoy!

British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award (yes, that’s the BAFTAs but I needed a longer title)

(L-R: Zoe Kravitz in Dior, Rooney Mara in Givenchy, and Scarlett Johansson in Versace)

I am a British fan of television and arts but I will gladly say it: of all the awards ceremonies, the BAFTAs is hardly the most exciting, and the red carpet even less so. As I said, lots of boring men in boring suits and middle aged women being dressed by stylists who seem to think we’re dead from the neck down by the time we hit 40 and dress us accordingly so. Any hint of a décolletage explicitly forbidden.

There were a few good looks, however. From left to right, above we have Zoe Kravitz in Dior, Rooney Mara in Givenchy and Scarlett Johansson in Versace, who looks so amazing I almost forget that 1). Versace is going down the drain and 2). Scarlett Johansson would stand in front of a forest and take the role of a tree if she could. Which, along with her whole defence of Woody Allen, is really shit-she’s genuinely great in Marriage Story and an otherwise talented actress. As for Zoe Kravitz, she is up there with Robert Pattison as one of my biggest crushes right now and looks amazing in literally everything she wears, and Rooney Mara is consistently low-key yet elegantly dressed. 

(L-R: Greta Gerwig in Gucci, Florence Pugh in Dries Van Noten, Renee Zellweger in Prada)

Renee Zellweger proved an exception to the rule when it came to women over the age of 40 generally having clueless stylists-her dress is beautiful, very reminiscent of the delicate, demure beauty of 50s icons such as Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. Florence’s dress, I actually really loved. It didn’t seem to go down all too well with actual Florence Pugh fans but red and pink together is an elite combo; I’m still firmly on the “surprised that it works but I’m into it” train. I mainly included Greta’s dress for the green velvet, to be honest; it’s disappointingly low-key for Gucci but nice enough all the same.

(L-R: Andrew Scott in Paul Smith, Charlize Theron in Dior, Daisy Ridley in Oscar de la Renta, and Emilia Clarke in Schiaparelli)

I was particularly excited to see Emilia Clarke in Schiaparelli-yes, I adore her because she played Daenerys Targaryen and I was ride or die for that bitch but also whenever I see her interviewed she has the most exuberant energy and honestly I want to be best friends. It’s not the most interesting dress Schiaparelli has ever put out there, but I like the fact that she went for something unique all the same.

Forest green is a colour I find hard to resist which is why I included Andrew Scott’s otherwise kinda basic suit (points for it being velvet) and Daisy Ridley in Oscar de la Renta. As elegant as the dress is, I would love for her stylist to have really leaned into the forest nymph vibes I’m getting and do something a bit less uptight with the hair and makeup; like imagine loose curls with tiny braids and hair rings and a dark lip and a slight smoke around the eye and...yes, I have very specific visions, I know. As for Charlize Theron, her work with Dior is the only reason I care about the brand; there’s definitely a case to be made here for giving Maria Grazia the benefit of the doubt, assuming that she tries all the prototypes on women who look like Charlize and that that’s why she’s happy to send dresses that are otherwise relatively underwhelming down the runway. 

The Brit Awards

(L-R: Charli XCX in Fendi, Ellie Goulding in Koche, Hailee Steinfeld in Fendi, and Harry Styles in Gucci)

In my opinion a much better reflection of quintessential British style than the BAFTAs, I originally ruled out including any music award ceremony red carpets in this post until I saw Maya Jama and Charli XCX’s looks. Consider me pleasantly surprised by Hailee Steinfeld’s cobalt blue burnout dress, a classic incarnation of the regal bohemian aesthetic Fendi channelled in their 2019 haute couture show. Plus Charli’s emo take on Glinda the Good Witch is also Fendi, driving home for me just how much I love their collections. I don’t know if I’d be sure about Ellie Goulding’s dress on the rack but the simple styling makes it work and she looks gorgeous, and Harry Styles looks just as pretty in a Gucci look that is MADE for him.

(L-R: Adwoah Aboah in Vivienne Westwood, Celeste in Gucci on the far right! I’m not sure who the guy in the middle is, I’m sorry and if anybody knows drop me a message and I will correct this immediately!)

Unfortunately, Harry Styles and Celeste didn’t get to pose together because this is really a perfect his and hers Gucci look; I feel like seeing one outfit next to the other would really highlight the quirky elegance of each. That being said, it feels criminal to talk about elegance without including Adwoah Aboah in Vivienne Westwood in the sentence; the dress is obviously stunning quality on its own merit, but Adwoah is what elevates it from unremarkable to ethereal. Fuck the weird ass knight figure that’s currently on top of the Brit Award, this woman is the definition of statuesque! Put her on top of the trophy you cowards!

And just to get it out of the way, when it comes to the guy in the middle, to quote Keke Palmer:

Sorry to this man.

Honestly, I saved all the red carpet photos from a Nylon (I think it was Nylon?) article back when the awards aired and towards the end of the photos they stopped including names-this happened a few times when I was looking through red carpet galleries. I reverse image searched where I could but not every photo turned anything up. If anyone does know who this man is, message me so I can include his name. He looks sick, and as far as suits go, this one is built upon and accessorised enough that it’s actually a look rather than the same old variation of a suit we’ve seen a million times before that may as well be the straight man’s designated red carpet uniform. 

(L-R: Maya Jama, Neh Neh Cherry in Bottega Veneta, Laura Whitmore)

And now the woman that forced me to include the Brits red carpet in this post in the first place: Maya Jama. Don’t get me wrong, my mind isn’t blown by this dress on its own, I probably prefer Laura Whitmore’s (Jaded do a similar newspaper dress and I’ve resisted adding it to my basket for 6 months now, this is the ultimate test of whether or not I finally cave), but Maya looks fucking MAGNIFICENT. The fit, the gloves, the confidence with which she carries it, it’s all SO good. Considering the timing, this is basically her Princess Diana revenge dress levelled up, 2020′s Jessica Rabbit moment. 

(L-R: Maya Jama, Ellie Goulding, Kendall Jenner)

Obviously anything is gonna be a step down from the red carpet look but Maya’s Brits afterparty outfit was cute too, if a tad Pretty Little Thing. 

Don’t ask me what Kendall Jenner was doing at the Brits afterparty btw, because I have no idea. We live in a world where the Kardashian-Jenners just seem to occupy every public space possible and I’ve begrudgingly accepted it at this point. I don’t have the energy to question it-and it helps that green catsuit is actually Very Cool™. 

For the last of my favourite Brit Awards looks, we have a few more afterparty photos-from left to right we have Charli XCX again, Lizzo, and Anne Marie. It was Charli posting her dress on Instagram that sent me searching for afterparty looks in the first place; apparently wearing nothing but feathers and crystals is something that appeals to me, and the more I read that statement, the more it sounds spot-on. I’d categorise it as gothic glamour hoe, and slot it in with the rest of the night-out clothes in my wardrobe that I think I’ll finally have the balls to wear out of sheer desperation once this lockdown is over. The Blossom to Charli XCX’s Buttercup here, we’ve also got Anne Marie looking extra AF and I loveeeee it; it’s an ensemble somewhere between a high-end version of Alaska Thunderfuck’s candyfloss Sugar Ball dress from season 5 of Drag Race (Alaska DID deserve to win AS2 nation, rise up) and a low-key version of a Katy Perry California Dreams Tour costume. I don’t call it low-key as a drag, just a regretful admission of the fact that maybe wearing a cupcake bra which squirts whipped cream out of the boobs is a bit too much for most of us. 

Critic’s Choice Awards

(L-R: Alison Brie in Brandon Maxwell, Chloe Bridges in Azeeza, Cynthia Erivo in Fendi, Florence Pugh in Prada)

I was going to say the Critic’s Choice Awards is kind of America’s version of the BAFTAs but then I remembered that the BAFTAs is really the only big TV and film awards ceremony we have here in the UK and that it’s kind of sad that I have to compare our most high-profile red carpet of the year to L.A’s most low-key one. Getting Cynthia Erivo and Florence Pugh to infiltrate is the best we can do. 

THAT BEING SAID! 

They both look amazing. This is Florence’s best red carpet look of this year, imo (she the prettiest icicle I’ve ever seen), and Cynthia Erivo’s arm must ache from serving the entire awards season. And in Fendi! Taste!

Side note before we move onto the next set of looks: has anybody else watched Alison Brie in Mad Men and Community simultaneously and experienced the extreme cognitive dissonance that comes from watching her play a tragically nerdy (relatable tbh) 18 year old and an overly-sophisticated 30 something married to an ad man in the 60s at the same time? Weird, but anyway! The orange dress with the red lipstick is channelling Marina Diamandis’ Froot era style subtle sex appeal and is a timeless, playful combo. Put the hair up into a beehive and it’s Megan Draper on a date in Cabo-don’t know much about the place but I know the sea is aqua and the sun seekers are blindingly white and the cocktails are plentiful (and whatever colour you want them to be), and all that together is a juicy palette if we’re talking cinematography. The Mad Men directors are out there somewhere shaking their fists at the sky that they never got to consult me on that, I’m sure. 

(L-R: Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Dior, Saoirse Ronan in Erdem and Zendaya in Tom Ford)

Zendaya’s red carpet look was the stand out of the Critic’s Choice Awards for sure; the skirt I can do without but I hope that hot pink metal breastplate ends up on display somewhere because that is ART, and she is the perfect person to wear it. The Tiffany Pollard “she's so powerful” meme was made for this moment. 

Also, can we talk about Phoebe Waller-Bridge backing up my Dior 2019 Haute Couture wasn’t *that* bad hypothesis? Because unless I’m mistaken this is one of the dresses from that collection and it is quite beautiful. Yeah, black mesh isn’t going to start a revolution or anything but it’s so delicate looking it almost seems out of place on a red carpet-I don’t know if it’s the structure of the bodice or the tulle but I can totally see this in a gothic ballet, whether that’s sensible in theory or not. Probably not. But then again I did quit ballet when I was 10 after months of getting people to near poke me in the eye on the way out of class so it would look like I’d been crying and I didn’t have to go to my lessons after school. So what do I know? Fuck all, in case that wasn’t clear. I also feel a little vindicated by Saoirse wearing one of the Erdem dresses I loved from last year’s collection-if multi-award winning actress Saoirse Ronan’s probably ridiculously well-paid stylist liked it enough to pick it out for her then I guess I’m doing okay in terms of taste levels.

(L-R: Olivia Wilde in Valentino, Lucy Hale in Miu Miu, Mandy Moore in Elie Saab, and Margaret Qualley in Chanel)

The last few Critics Choice Awards looks I picked out above aren’t thrilling or anything but they’re cute enough to include-from left to right we have Olivia Wilde in Valentino, Lucy Hale in Miu Miu, Mandy Moore in Elie Saab and Margaret Qualley in Chanel. It’s kind of besides the point, but Margaret worked with Chanel throughout awards season and I just wanted to add my two cents in here and say that I think she’s the perfect person to collaborate with (also think Laura Harrier would be a good match, anyone agree?) and that in a similar vein, I urge Miu Miu, the creative directors of which I’m sure are eagerly awaiting the opinion of irrelevant Tumblr user amphtaminedreams, to work with Lucy Hale more often. I feel like if girl stopped starring in those shitty Blumhouse horrors and did something a bit more sophisticated she’d fit the brand right down to a T.

The Golden Globes

(L-R: Cynthia Erivo in Thom Browne, Dakota Fanning in Dior, Jane Levy in Steven Khalil, and Janina Gavankar in Georges Chakra)

Finally! I hear you cry! A more exciting red carpet! It’s not the Oscars, but celebrity stylists still pulled the big guns for this one, the Golden Globes probably being considered the second most prestigious American awards ceremony of the year. Plus Dakota Fanning was there! Big yay for me! She and Elle can practically do no wrong in my eyes and are probably the only 2 women that could take on Dakota Johnson and Jennifer Lawrence when it comes to established red carpet style. 

Cynthia Erivo did it again, of course, as slick, as dignified and as regal as she was at the Critic’s Choice. The woman really has got this power stance thing locked down; she always seems so cool and confident in everything she wears that the whole getting dressed up to go out out out (we call going to the club going “out out”, but I’d say a red carpet is a slightly bigger deal than my local club with the sticky floors hence the 3rd out) thing looks like second nature.

(L-R: Zoey Deutch in Fendi, Karamo Brown in Grayscale, Lucy Boynton in Louis Vuitton and Kat Graham in Georges Hobeika)

Lucy Boynton was another of my Golden Globes stand outs, and in general is someone who I really look forward to seeing at red carpet events. She (or her stylist, I don’t know how much of a role she plays!) always seems to commit fully to an outfit and sees it as part of a whole concept where the makeup, hair and accessories are equally as important and that is a girl after my own heart. 60s space age empress is the theme here and I’m all about it-well, either that or a feminine editorial take on the tinman from the Wizard of Oz but the former sounds a bit cooler and does way more justice to how good she looks so we’ll go with that. Quick shoutout to Kat Graham too because she looked absolutely radiant. 

(L-R: Shailene Woodley in Balmain, Winnie Harlow in Laquan Smith, and Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent)

The trio above I really couldn’t skim over, Winnie Harlow especially; my America’s Next Top Model grudges aside, she consistently turns it out at every event she’s invited to. She’s another woman that wears pieces with such confidence that they look like they were actually made on her body-even if the garment itself isn’t the most breathtaking in the room, she’s the one that draws my attention. Though she’s got these dainty, other-worldly qualities about her, what you’d expect to be a gentle presence is firm and commanding and whilst the sharp drama and glitz of the dress probably helps, that’s just the way Winnie Harlow is naturally, based on her other red carpet appearances. 

Zoe Kravitz is an interesting one because, on the one hand, her looking amazing with that bone structure (I would trade a vital organ to look like that any day) is a given, but it does also seem like she went out of her way to do something a bit different this past awards season. I have always loved her street style for its trademark edge and the androgynous, oversized silhouettes that she leans towards, and the overt femininity of her red carpet dresses is that grungy, skater girl aesthetic completely flipped on its head. It’s cute, and if anyone can pull a dress as kitschy as this off, it’s Zoe. She’s got that just rolled out of bed look we all dream of that screams “I’m over this shit” whereas the rest of us have to rely on dark circles to get the message across. It’s very weird to think that she and Shailene Woodley were in Divergent together, especially since Zoe in particular has changed so much since. 

My main note with Shailene was just that I got excited to see that Balmain dress off the runway-it was one of my favourites from the S/S 2020 collection (IIRC, mostly on the basis that I’m pretty sure it wan’t haute couture), and it looks good! Not wildly good because I’m not sure the fit of the dress is inherently all that flattering, but still good-she makes it work.

(L-R: Taylor Swift in Etro, Sofia Carson in Giambattista Valli and Scarlett Johansson in Vera Wang)

I know a lot of people online didn’t seem to like Taylor Swift’s dress, but she looks cute, imo. I will say that I’m surprised it’s Etro! At first glance I would’ve thought Carolina Herrera or Oscar de la Renta or something along those lines. And predictably, I think Sofia Carson looks flawless. If you’ve read any of my other posts you’re probably sick of hearing it but I really can’t resist anything that is this modern Disney princess, like powder pink layered tulle? Feathers? What did you expect me to say, ew? I think deep down my clothing preferences will always be that of a 9 year old girl and you know what, that’s okay. Sometimes. Well, when it comes to red carpets. That’s when you can kinda get away with it.

(L-R: Bell Powley in Miu Miu, Billy Porter in Alex Vinash, and Charlize Theron in Dior)

There’s a few things worth mentioning when it comes to the above outfits. Firstly, and most importantly, I need to proclaim my love for Billy Porter. No man is doing it like him, honestly. To compare Harry Styles in his pink suits is unfair. The drama and the beauty and the flair that Billy brings every awards ceremony is on another level and that’s all I have to say about that. If you disagree, I’m gonna need a bullet pointed essay-I am that firm in my opinion.

Second, Bell Powley in Miu Miu semi confirms the direction their PR team tend to head in when choosing women to work with. I might be totally alone here but I feel like she and Lucy Hale both have one of those porcelain doll faces which work really well with Miu Miu’s signature girlish silhouettes and overly-ornate details. 

And thirdly, just to restate my earlier point: someone give Charlize Theron a pat on the back for bringing some life to a Dior design. That is all.

(L-R: Jodie Comer in Mary Katrantzou, Joey King in Schiaparelli and Kaitlyn Dever in Valentino)

All the newcomers really turned it out too, which is a sentence I type through gritted teeth; to call Jodie Comer of My Mad Fat Diary origins a newcomer pains the former depressing 2013 black and white Tumblr user in me, though I suppose to the US audiences uncultured in the ways of British teenage angst Vilanelle is her breakthrough role. And how Vilanelle is this dress too!? It’s bold and it’s attention-grabbing and it’s fun and it is definitely very theatrical female fictional villain that you were inexplicably drawn to as a child before you realised why as an adult-”oh, it’s because she was hot”. 

Joey King in Iris van Herpen was a pleasant surprise too considering that when I first looked through the red carpet photos I only knew her as the girl who was in that shitty Netflix original-having watched her in The Act, I apologise for the dismissal! And I admire the sartorial choice! I adore Iris van Herpen designs but as a short girl, wearing one of her dresses to a red carpet event is a risky decision-I hate to admit it because casting a diverse range of people for shows is something I have come to expect of my favourite brands, but the appeal of a lot of IvH pieces comes from the movement of the garments on standard willowy runway models. Fortunately, the styling is really complementary here, and whilst it can’t be denied that the dress itself does swamp her a bit, I liked that she and her stylist stepped out of the box. 

Kaitlyn Dever’s red carpet look is obviously a lot more typical, but you can't go wrong with a Valentino dress, and this one in particular is so suited to the aura she gives off-it’s young and it’s fun and it’s fresh and the intricate floral print, otherwise muted if not for the spring influenced pops of pink and red, is timelessly pretty.

(L-R: Akwafina in Dior, Saoirse Ronan in Celine, Beanie Feldstein in Oscar de la Renta, and Renee Zellweger in Armani)

Lastly, there was Saoirse Ronan in Celine-one of my highlights of the night; she looked phenomenal, a glacial toned dream, and it was pretty different to what I generally expect to see her in. I might be way off base and in need of a bit of a review of her red carpet style, but I feel like she usually leans more towards pretty than edgy with regards to her styling at these kinds of events and a loose fitting, gun metal glittered slip dress is, imo, the perfect way to hit that previously uncharted midway point between the two.

(L-R: Kate Bosworth in Prabal Gurung, Kathryn Newton in Valentino and Sarah Hyland)

Now onto the afterparty looks, and I’m not gonna lie, they’re usually the highlight of the ceremonies for me; I feel like the initial ceremony is all about looking respectful and maintaining that whole dedicated actor image, whereas it seems the literal point of these showbiz parties is a competition to be the best dressed person in the room. Competition really makes people step their game up, and we always get to see more young talent whose style tends to be more current than that of the people we see on the red carpet. 

I’ve got to say, as annoying as I found her character in The Society, I have to overlook that gut instinct of irritation when I see Kathryn Newton and accept how stunning everything going on here is; honestly, she looks like an angel, and I feel like the team at Valentino must reeeeally like her to put her in that dress.

(L-R: Alexa Demie, Ashley Benson in Georges Hobeika, Maude Apatow and Barbie Ferreira)

Obviously I was super excited to see the Euphoria girls on the red carpet, especially Alexa Demie-she does 90s/early noughties inspired glamour better than anyone else on the young actor scene right now and her personal style and the sass she does so well as Maddy Perez shines through every time. Whilst Barbie Ferreira’s look is more casual and achievable for the rest of us in terms of wearability, it’s just as interesting a take on the same period; the delicate pink makeup, hair and jewellery with the 90s inspired slip dress in light teal is a red carpet take on soft grunge for the ages. As for Ashley Benson, she always looks gorgeous and that’s all I’m gonna say before I get emotional and start going into a rant about how her and Cara Delevigne’s relationship was one of the only good things about this shitshow of a year and how now that they’ve broken up the single flame of hope inside me has been extinguished and how their sex swing is gonna get so lonely with them caught in the middle of an ugly custody battle and-

You get the idea.

(L-R: Storm Reid, Sophia Bush in John Paul Ataker, and Sydney Sweeney)

(L-R: Billie Lourd, Paris Hilton, and Camila Morrone)

The Oscars

(L-R: Charlize Theron in Dior, Cynthia Erivo, and Florence Pugh in Louis Vuitton)

Ah, the Oscars. This is where the big money is really spent, and bad decisions are made-in fairness, this year’s winners were a lot more satisfying than usual and I think all of us felt that Parasite was a well-deserved win. I really thought it was gonna be Once Upon a Time in Hollywood just as a bit of a token gesture to Tarantino considering it’s his 9th film, though undoubtedly his worst of the ones I’ve seen, so I was relieved that this wasn’t the case. That being said, it still pains me to see the horror genre being ignored by the academy-in my mind, Florence is here for her performance in Midsommar just as much as Little Women. 

At the risk of getting repetitive, just assume my opinions on Charlize Theron in Dior here are the same again, that Cynthia Erivo is still bringing goddess energy (this is probably my favourite of her looks), and that against the opinion of the masses, Florence looks divine in this colour. I mean, when I say the masses I just mean the people I follow on Twitter, but still, I just wanted be an excuse to be dramatic so that I could insert a meme.

(L-R: Natalie Portman in Dior, Regina King in Versace, Scarlett Johansson in Oscar de la Renta, and Sandra Oh in Elie Saab)

Once again, Scarlett Johansson’s stylist is doing God’s work; this outfit is everythingggg-the Oscar de la Renta dress is probably my favourite thus far. Like we’re talking angel, but make it fitted and sexy, and I hope you read that in the Tyra Banks voice I intended because 2 memes in a row would rob me of any credibility I’m building as a fashion account and I’m not ready to trash that for bad memes just yet; give it a couple of mental breakdowns and I’ll be there. Natalie Portman’s look was a favourite of mine too, with the cape over the top adding a sophisticated touch to the celestial, slightly bohemian feel of the dress. I initially found the detail of the names embroidered into said cape to be quite moving-in a dream world, directing would be my career of choice and so I really admired the statement-but finding out that Portman herself is the only director hired by her own production company ruined that for me a little bit. Then again, multi-millionaire celebrities making performative gestures for good publicity and not doing all that much to make any real change? Colour me shocked.

(L-R: Beanie Feldstein in Miu Miu, Brie Larson in Celine and Billie Eilish in Chanel)

Now, of all the Miu Miu looks so far, I think Beanie Feldstein definitely got the best one. The intricacy of the embroidery, the silhouette, the old Hollywood stye curls-it’s all so graceful. I’d say this is probably her best look of awards season and she and her stylist did a really great job.

And as for Billie Eilish...Guys...do you think she might be wearing...Chanel...by any chance? I’m not sure.

Seriously though, as far as an oversized tweed suit with the brand’s logo emblazoned all over it goes, I like this look. The acid green roots and the jewellery are what make it for me, adding to the grunginess of the outfit which is interesting against Chanel’s prim and proper aesthetic of the last few years. I know she has good reason for the way she dresses, but I’ve never quite been able to appreciate it-this outfit proves to me that her style doesn't automatically equal ugly and occasionally, she can make it work.

(L-R: Leona Lewis, Colton Haynes, Dita von Teese)

Elton John’s Oscars afterparty being the less exciting of the two big ones in terms of fashion-the other being the Vanity Fair afterparty which I’ll cover in a moment-I thought I’d whizz through it (posturing aside though, I bet Sir Elton’s party was a lot more fun).

(L-R: Chiara Ferragni, Donatella Versace, Bella Thorne)

This is a big statement considering Alexa Demie attended, but I think Chiara’s outfit and overall styling might be my favourite of the partygoers; if they decided to do a live action Barbie film in 2020 minus the PG ratio-because lets be real, she’d be a noughties Paris Hilton type and get up to some SHENANIGANS-this is the look that would become iconic. 

(L-R: Ashley Greene in Off-White, Alexa Demie, Sydney Sweeney, Annalynne McCord)

It was a hard decision to make though: I’m just as into Sydney Sweeney’s interpretation of burlesque come 1950s red carpet Barbie, Ashley Greene’s surprisingly delicate Off-White number, and Alexa’s dress and (as always) impeccable styling. That being said, Chiara’s clearest contender here for the best dressed of the night is Annalynne McCord. I know I'm one to throw similes around but she looks like an ACTUAL Disney princess-the dress is magical and an absolutely flawless fit. She carries it with such grace. I'm truly in love.

(L-R: Tessa Thompson in Versace, Vanessa Hudgens in Vera Wang, SZA)

As for the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty, there were SO many iconic moments this year. SZA was the definition of the fire emoji, Tessa Thompson’s throwback Versace was the mermaid’s take on BDSM fashion I never knew I need to see, and I’d die to turn up to my graduation ceremony (here’s hoping for a successful attempt at the old uni shebang this time, lol) looking as elegant and simultaneously extra as Vanessa Hudgens did in Vera Wang. I mean, this was before Vanessa went on her dumb Instagram live corona rant because she was upset she couldn’t go to Coachella and I still kinda lived for her, mostly because of moments like this. She’s always been the queen of channelling a more hedonistic, carefree era and this dress is the most refined example of that boho decadence yet. It sounds dramatic to say but the rich purple is such a bold choice considering it’s a a colour we rarely see on the red carpet but now I’ve seen eggplant coloured silk I need it, lol. 

(L-R: Suki Waterhouse in Fendi, Lili Reinhart in Marc Jacobs, Lucy Boynton and Margaret Qualley in Chanel)

Then there was Suki, Lilly, Lucy and Margaret as well who all went full angel mode in some of my favourite runway looks of last summer’s haute couture week; Suki’s Fendi dress and Lili’s Marc Jacobs number were highlights of both their shows and there’s something even more magical about them both when the uniformity of the runway is removed. I also would go on about how much I love Lucy Boynton’s style for the millionth time but I think you get my point.

(L-R: Nicole Richie, Cynthia Erivo, Hunter Schafer, Billie Porter)

The more I look at the photos I saved from the Vanity Fair “red” carpet, the more I come to the firm conclusion that these looks are my favourite as a collective. Along with the elegance and sex appeal of the outfits above, we’ve got all these looks too which are so VIBRANT and fun and experimental. Billie Porter is absolutely majestic and continues his reign as the king of in-your-face, theatrical red carpet style, and Hunter and Cynthia look so radiant. Whilst Nicole’s look isn’t as colourful, she still brought drama with the satin gloves and the smoke lined eyes, and she is definitely ready to step on someone’s neck here.

(L-R: Halima Aden, Ella Balinska in Schiaparelli, Emma Roberts, Ciara)

(L-R: Kiki Layne in Michael Kors, Kim Kardashian in Alexander McQueen, Kylie Jenner in Ralph and Russo, Lashana Lynch in Michael Kors)

(L-R: Rowan Blanchard in Iris van Herpen, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Stella Maxwell, and Sarah Paulson with Holland Taylor)

I’ve got to say, it’s really cool to see Rowan Blanchard in Iris van Herpen too; it’s interesting that as far as I know, she and Joey King were the only ones to wear her this awards season, both being up and coming actresses. It would be a good choice for the brand, probably best known for its futuristic, conceptual aesthetic, to also focus its PR efforts on the young potential inheriting that future. Orrrr it could just be that Rowan, Joey and I have the same (good, lol) taste-not gonna lie, from my experience of stalking her instagram Rowan Blanchard does make some unique fashion choices and her feed is full of bold outfit inspiration.

(L-R: Adriana Lima in Ralph and Russo, Alessandra Ambrosio in Armani, Billie Eilish in Gucci, and Donatella Versace in Versace)

Then there’s Billie Eilish, who is really on another level. This is her second custom made baggy suit of the night, this time Gucci. IMAGINE. Chanel and Gucci making custom pieces to suit your very specific style. Again, though, I really like this; whilst it’s very clearly a Billie outfit, it’s got a level of sophistication, cohesiveness and glamour to it that takes it to that I can admire. 

(L-R: Camila Mendes in Moschino, Barbara Palvin and Dylan Sprouse, and Chiara Ferragni)

Honestly, the Vanity Fair red carpet really belonged to young talent this year, and Camila Mendes in one of my favourite Moschino looks from the Picasso collection really seals it. She could’ve just gone for a basic pretty dress-this isn’t a natural choice-but she really does have the proud, regal look of a woman who knows some man is gonna paint her a portrait that will end up in a famous gallery one day. 

One last thing before I move on, though. How the fuck does Chiara Ferragni get everywhere?! And by that I don’t mean how does she get invited, I had the shock of finding out this woman I followed on Instagram because I liked her outfits and thought she was pretty is a hugely successful businesswoman in Italy long ago. Power to her. She’s a big deal! I get it! I just mean, physically HOW? How do you hit Elton John’s party AND the Vanity Fair party in one night and look this good? God really does have favourites, huh. Well, I guess in this hypothetical scenario where I believe in him anyway. 

The SAG Awards

(L-R: Dakota Fanning in Valentino, Kaitlyn Dever in Ralph Lauren, Scarlett Johansson in Armani, and Zoe Kravitz in Oscar de la Renta)

So, I kinda forgot the SAG awards existed and thought that my post was basically finished before I looked in my folder and saw the one dedicated to this ceremony. My initial reaction was like “oh, this is the shitty Oscars, right?” and I assumed the red carpet would be shit and that I could call it a night-it’s 3:30am, I wish I was calling it a night-but then I looked and saw that I had even more outfit photos saved in that folder than I did for my Oscar dedicated one. Because fuck, I want to to sleep, but the SAG awards had a surprisingly good turn out?! So maybe not as irrelevant a ceremony as I thought? Because Dakota Fanning turned up looking like some divine mythical being again, Scarlett Johansson pulled another incredible look out the bag, Zoe Kravitz was a modernised Audrey Hepburn, and Kaitlyn Dever read my comments about her dress being “timelessly pretty” and said “bitch, you really thought” before showing up looking hot as fuck. Truth be told, I think the SAG awards were first but in this universe where Kaitlyn Dever would pay any attention to my opinion of her outfit do we really care? 

(L-R: America Ferrera, Andrew Scott in Azzaro Couture, Camila Mendes in Ralph and Russo, Caleb McLaughlin )

(L-R: Lupita Nyongo in Louis Vuitton, Lily Allen, Nathalie Emmanuel in Miu Miu, Cynthia Erivo in Schiaparelli)

See, I was going to make a comment above how I took back what I said about Camila Mendes not just going for pretty dresses (which I guess I just did here instead-JUST TO BE CLEAR SHE STILL LOOKS STUNNING) and then I uploaded the next photo set and got distracted by 2 things:

1. How weird it is that British legend Lily Allen, who does not get NEAR enough credit for her smart her songs were might I add, is dating David Harbour AKA. Hopper off Stranger Things!?

2. How mad I still am about Game of Thrones and how dirty the writers did Nathalie Emmanuel (and Emilia Clarke and Lena Heady and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and basically everyone else on that show but that’s another story).

In this same universe where Kaitlyn Dever cares about my opinion can we make the issues I have in the last bullet point not exist? Please?

(L-R: Sophie Turner in Louis Vuitton, Renee Zellweger in Maison Margiela, Phoebe Waller-Bridge in Armani, and Renee Bargh)

(L-R: Gwendoline Christie in Rick Owens, Madeline Brewer in Monique Lhuillier, Kathryn Newton in Valentino, and Lili Reinhart in Miu Miu)

Finishing off the SAG looks, we’ve got the four above. 

Once again, Kathryn Newton was Valentino’s blushing crown jewell; Allie Pressman hate aside, she really is the perfect dressing up doll for the brand. Fresh faced and poised, she has all the elegance and gentle femininity necessary to make floating down the runway as Valentino models do look natural, and Lili Reinhart did an equally good job being a Miu Miu girl. She makes that idiosyncratic cutesy-ness work, all the frills and fragility of a china tea set look easy where I’d just look like I’d been consumed by a charity shop doily. Madeline Brewer did a good job too, helping a Monique Lhuillier design pop in a way that it doesn’t usually. When your hair is bright red and your dress cerulean blue, coral tinted lipstick is a *ahem* choice, buuut in this case it paid off because the result is a look which demanded my attention-ML dresses are reliably pretty, however, they tend to be predictable. Madeline and her styling did a good job subverting that formula. To end the section, though, I feel it’s only fair to save my fave woman til last-probably one of the few people in the world that isn’t a Rick Owens model that can pull off his designs. Ofc, I’m talking about the queen that is Gwendoline Christie. If we’re talking embodying brands, she did justice like nobody else could to the spectacle of Owens’ formidable, out-of-this-world aesthetic. This is her version of the princess moment, and when you’re as striking as she is, nothing less would do. 

At least my girl Brienne of Tarth is thriving<3

The Grammys

(L-R: Ariana Grande in Giambattista Valli, Cardi B in Mugler, and Pia Mia in Julien Macdonald)

TBH, like I said with the Brits, I never planned to do any music award ceremony red carpets, just because I feel like the fashion tends to be more geared towards a younger audience buuuut I’m kinda glad I changed because Ariana looks INCREDIBLE. MESMERISING. TRANSCENDENT. JFC. There’s a reason the photo of her on her Wiki page has been changed to one from this night and it’s because she looks absolutely exquisite, like some kind of moon goddess with an R&B touch which I suppose is kind of her brand? Sometimes I go kind of lukewarm on Giambattista Valli and forget how mystical but at the same time frothy and indulgent and all around luxurious the pieces can be. This is a cupcake of a dress and I want to eat it. Cardi B has become a bit of an unexpected fashion icon and Pia Mia looks as hot-party-girl as ever but I feel to put anyone next to Ariana in this dress seems harsh because she just completely stole the show and I don’t even know if she won any Grammys.

(L-R: Josephine Relli, Gwen Stefani, Jameela Jamil in Georges Chakra, and Chrissy Teigen in Yanina Couture)

Other than Ariana, I’m not gonna lie, there was nothing wildly exciting, BUT I did think there were some beautiful colours out on the runway-plus for all her occasionally bad takes I really like what Jameela Jamil stands for and her style has always been very quirky cool. The electric blue tiled effect with the black mesh underneath kinda reminds me of a peacock, and contrasts wonderfully with the carpet-it’s very reminiscent of her T4 days. She’s one of those people that seems to get aggression directed at her that’s completely disproportionate to whatever it is she’s supposed to have done; sometimes the way she goes about saying things is wrong but the intention behind what she’s saying is usually good. Then again, the internet still despises Chrissy Teigen (in a way that’s kind of excessive considering what we seem to collectively let some people get away with) for a dumb AirPods tweet and I’ve included her too. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT, this time anyway. I just think she looks good!

If I’m going to get controversial about anything, it’ll be Gwen Stefani. She looks stunning, the dress is stunning, and the boots are stunning. The outfit is not my problem! My problem is how she seems not to have aged at all. This woman is 50 years old! That she drank the blood of her Harajuku girls is the only explanation here. Can you imagine if she tried to pull that shit today? She’d get rightly accused of being a culturally appropriating weeb in about 10 seconds flat and we’d have to pretend to stop liking Cool and Hollaback Girl. 

(L-R: Finneas O’Connell in Gucci, Lucky Daye, and Shaun Ross)

(L-R: Tess Holliday, Dua Lipa in Alexander Wang, Tyler the Creator, and Grace Elizabeth in Giuseppe di Morabito)

Back to what I’m supposed to be talking about in this blog post: the fashion. And here, most importantly, Tyler the Creator looking like a cast member of the Grand Budapest Hotel. IDK why. But I love this man.

(L-R: Lil Nas X in Versace, Lizzo in Versace, and Shawn Mendes in Louis Vuitton)

(L-R: Billie Porter, FKA Twigs in Ed Marler, and Swae Lee in Giuseppe Zanotti)

See in general, the men were a lot more interesting on the Grammys red carpet. With the exception of Twigs, Dua and obviously Ariana, the men’s outfits are a lot more memorable; Billie Porter became the most fashionable meme on the internet, for god’s sake. And even when their outfits weren’t extravagant, they were just more interesting, imo, which is a rare occurrence. I didn’t expect Finneas O’Connell to be the writing half of Billie Eilish (the other half being Billie herself) I cared about and yet, in that Gucci blazer, here we are. 

(L-R: Jessie J, Hailee Steinfeld, and Madison Beer)

(L-R: H.E.R, Usher, FKA Twigs, and Matt Shultz)

Of the afterparty looks, my favourites are what we can see of these more casual outfits-I love what F.K.A Twigs and H.E.R are wearing, the headscarf with the leatherjacket on top is in particular very throwback rockabilly, and I’m even into whatever it is Usher’s got on.

(L-R: Olivia O’Brien, Amine, and Alrissa)

(L-R: Salem Mitchell, Machine Gun Kelly, and Sydney Sweeney)

Now, how to round this all up!? How to relate the confusingly persistent but very welcome presence of Sydney Sweeney on, like, ALL these red carpets back to the MET!?

IDEK. It’s been a long year. 

The Met Gala has usually come and gone before we know it, but with everything going on, it’s been the longest January-May I think most of us have ever known. I keep going on about COVID-19 in all my posts now but I have almost forgotten how to write an intro and outro because the pandemic is pretty much consistently on the brain and unless I have something right in front of me to use as a distraction, my mind tends to wander off into a very anxious place. I think, like many others, I feel frustrated and disappointed and angry with the way the situation is being handled by the people who are supposed to protect their citizens, and by how much of a fight some are putting up against measures that are in place to try and save lives. The point of this ramble, I guess, is that whilst we should never forget what’s going on and do the best we can to help prevent the spread of the virus, it’s okay to still care about mundane shit. Was this post one big long distraction for me? Probably. But if there’s something harmless you can do to keep your anxiety at bay, don’t feel bad for doing it. Contrary to popular belief, you can care about more than one thing at once. You can be sad that something you were looking forward to has been cancelled whilst still being sad for the people who are suffering because they’ve lost love ones or who have been forced into precarious living conditions. If talking about clothes on the internet is going to help you get through this pandemic, power to you.

If anyone has read til the end, thank you! I hope you are well! As always, feel free to reply to the post or inbox me with your thoughts! It doesn’t even have to be related to this post. If you’re struggling with everything going on, feel free to reach out too. I spend too much time on the internet anyway, lol! My plans are to finish my fashion week reviews and then I have a Lana Del Rey albums inspired lookbook which I pinched off the stans on Twitter (who I will of course credit when I write it!). For the time being, look after yourselves!

Lauren x

[osmw1]

Poison-Wielding Fugitive   Chapter 63

“…”

Celes had been brooding about who knows what the whole trip, but we’ve finally made it back to Lif’el. “We’re finally home…”

The haggard knight grumbles after knocking on Wayne’s door. Rurika cheerfully answers the door but her expression sours after seeing Celes in her sorry state.

“She’s been like that ever since stopped by a village and lifted a curse.”

“Huh… more importantly right now though, go take a look at your grandpa.” “What’s wrong?!”

Did his condition worsen?! Sensing something amiss, Celes perks up and rushes inside. In his room was the scene of Wayne striking a pose at us; his muscles glistening.

“Oh, welcome home! Somethin’ the matter?”

That’s our line! We were worried something happened to you, you old fart!

“Mu!”

Muu flexes too and begins imitating Wayne.

“… umm…”

We all turn our eyes toward Rurika.

“Since he hasn’t been able to work for so long, all of his pent-up energy is being unleashed all at once. Please, do something about him…”

That’s what it was? Jeez…

“So? What’d y’all bring home? I’ve come up with a few plans of my own too. I can work all night!”

… ugh. I wouldn’t have guessed that Wayne and Arleaf are related. He’s more like the proprietress—they’re both monsters brimming with energy.

“Uhh… in that case…” We hand over all the minerals we got from slaying the ore monsters and from mining.

“Whoa! That’s quite the biggun you bagged!” “Yeah, we couldn’t have taken down Safkrym without Celes, so save the best parts for her.” “You got it. Now, stand back and watch my hammer sing, boy.”

After giving the mats a once-over, Wayne starts the work on our equipment. Rurika—though exhausted from dealing with him—watches on with a tender smile. Still, better to be too full of energy rather than how he had been before. We head on over to the forge.

  While Celes already had an idea what she wanted to get made, Wayne planned something good for us. Everything’s been paid for already and our armor is finished too.

Elba Leather Coat (Toxic) Quality: Legendary Required level: 45 Bonus effects: Extreme Toxicity, Low Chance of Contracting Bloodflower or Dorimsvoyta, Magic Proficiency Increase (Medium), Water Resistance (Greater), Self-Regeneration, Cloaking, Camouflaging Skills Increase, Footstep Noise Reduction, Sensing, Curse Resistance (Medium) The hides of Elbatoxin—whose toxins are still imbued within— Crocgator, and King Boss Rat are stitched together to form this formidable piece of armor. Drains Mana while toxins poison the user. In exchange, all poison damage is maxed when this armor is equipped. Tougher than the average metallic armor and grants user Self-Regeneration at the cost of Mana. This magnificent work protects the user while granting the user deadly powers.

It’s called a coat, but it’s more like leather armor. The collar kinda looks like the frill on Elbatoxin’s neck. Maybe he chose leather armor for me because my skills are quite Ranger-like. It’s a huge leap from what we’ve been using up till now, eh? At least it’s leagues ahead of my old Smoke Armor.

‘The toxic nature of the armor would not normally allow any other human equip it. But for thee, ‘tis nothing but a boon.’

It’s so toxic, it could transmit deadly diseases. That said though, I haven’t caught either of them yet. Plus, I could use the Extreme Toxicity effect with my Poison Absorption to send my stats sky high. I tried it on and I could feel the warmth of Self-Regeneration slowly seeping into my body. And, it also slowly replenishes my stock of poison.

The only downside is that my natural recovery rate would be reduced. Still, it’s way better than my previous equipment all in all. I feel quicker on my feet than ever before. It’s just like the times where I had been in the poisonous swamp. Of course, they drilled into me the fact that no one else must put equip this Elba Leather Coat. The average joe would no doubt drop dead from putting this on.

I’m not sure exactly what it’s made of, but Arleaf received a beautiful set of robes. If I were to hazard a guess, it’s probably of a combination of Elbatoxin, wolf, and rat hides. From a cursory glance, it doesn’t look that much different from what she had been wearing before though. Wayne’s a blacksmith, right? All this sewing and stitching must be Rurika’s handiwork then.

Elba King Leather Vestment Quality: Superior Required level: 55 Bonus effects: Poison Resistance (Medium), Miasma Resistance (Medium), Magic Proficiency Increase (Greater), Magic Correction, Casting Time Reduction (Lesser), Voice of the Soul (Miniscule) The hides of Elbatoxin—whose toxins have been thoroughly removed—and other monsters have been cut incredibly thin and sewn together for this combat-ready dress. Drains Mana to repel poison and miasma, making gas masks redundant in light miasma. However, the voice of the dead would be ever so slightly perceivable to the user. In exchange, it grants the user resistant to dark magics. Allows user to slightly drain Mana from the souls of the departing.

The description is giving me real bad vibes. Will Arleaf really be okay equipping this? She said that after trying on the dress, these… triangular things would swarm onto her. That’s probably images of the King Boss Rat’s last moments, I’m guessing. Completing her set is a new staff. It’s a simple staff with a crystalline object affixed to the top of it.

Elba Lens Rod Quality: Superior Required level: Base level 50 Bonus effects: Magic Proficiency Increase (Medium), Dark Magic Proficiency Increase (Medium), Magic Attack Increase (Greater), Magical Accuracy Increase (Medium), Familiar Proficiency Increase (Medium) Low chance of bacterial magic activation under normal attacks. This staff uses the lens of Elbatoxin’s eyes as a catalyst.

Elbatoxin is really making himself useful after his death. It was a huge pain in the ass, but I guess the useful mats redeems it.

‘This is proof of the blacksmith’s skills… but never had I thought his work would be this splendid. Even in my hoard, I have nothing that can hold a candle to these treasures.’

Such high compliments from a connoisseur like you, Veno? Well… the Smoke Armor you gave me was pretty good too, wasn’t it? Not to forget, the stuff you gave me in the beginning was for easy to use for novices; of course, it’s going to be a huge difference.

Oh, and since Muu is a Warrior, it got a helmet and a cuirass made of metal. It must’ve been tough making armor to fit them. But it’s not like we haven’t tried stuffing him in regular armor though.

‘Forget not that Muu is a Myconid. In the past, I have seen before a Myconid in the shape of a particularly muscular human.’

Will Muu evolve into that? Despite sounding selfish, I would much rather Muu stay the way they are now.

‘Thou art being difficult for Muu… ‘tis not such a bad thing to become muscular, is it?’

Isn’t it? And suppose that Muu will naturally evolve, will it really become like that?

‘Let us worry about it when it happens.’

Right. He grew out of some mold on my robe. I think Muu still has that robe. I remember seeing it use it as a mat to sleep on top of. In any case, Wayne seemed to have made all of that while we were out on our trip.

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[kaibutsushidousha]

Artbook Data - Tsumugi Shirogane

Best girl doesn’t disappoint.

Seiyuu’s comment: Mikako Komatsu

She looks very much like a class representative, so I first expected her to be like a cool big sis, but when I got to play her it turned out she was much instable character, always getting overexcited about the things she like. I didn’t have much experience with this type of character, so I had a lot of fun with her. I’m really looking forward to play this game for myself.

Kodaka’s comment: The fanatic mind hidden in “plain” sight

She’s named “Shirogane” because it’s a name gives sort of a “honours student” vibe and “Tsumugi” because she is the one who weaves the story. This is a verbal representation of her mentality that allowed the killing games to continue. The keyword for her design was “honours student-like” and for her personality was “cringey otaku”. I personally wanted her to have vaguely likeable features without looking any special, but if I made her too lacking in personality it would get suspicious, so I tried to make her stand out from time to time while still keeping her plainness as her central gimmick and find this balance was extremely difficult.

The “Super High School Level Cosplayer” characterization was established starting from its final punchline: the alternating transformations. Reverse-engeneering from this established conclusion, we defined her as a cosplayer. And then we made her mixing this with the vaguely-defined “honours student” keyword we set from before. I had quite a tough time trying to decide how her “true personality” sprite, how it should be different from her regular sprites, what indications should I give to the seiyuu and stuff. I wanted her to be something more than just threatening... So we made her in a way she feels like an escalation of the outside world’s worldbuilding, a world hopelessly obsessed with DanganRonpa.

She has some “fun cosplay stories” in the first half of the story and her free time events. These were all stories I got by interviewing real cosplayers. I think that’s  the first time I actually interviewed someone to make a character. But it was very worth it, seeing how well-liked she is among the cosplayers.

By the way, about her cosplays of past characters, I really wanted to include the the characters from the DanganRonpa 3 anime. However, we didn’t have enough budget nor ready sprites, so my idea was almost immediately rejected. We’re limited to videogames, 1 and 2. Ultra Despair Girls was removed for being as spin-off and I cry every time I remember this fact. But even without them, the voice acting cost for the final parts already killed me... I’m sorry I had this idea.

Design Notes:

Plain Glasses: A must-have item for the plain folk. We’ll never figure out whether wearing glasses make you plain or if being plain attracts glasses but we still not for sure this is the plain character’s trademark.

Plain Face Out of Costume: Normally, she gets called a plain face a lot. But if Shirogane words “When I take my glasses off, I transform” are real, she could probably look like a different person with the power of her make-up.

Company Badge: 

A misterious company’s badge. She keeps it hidden in her person instead of wearing it so it won’t disturb her plain visual. Is it a cosplay office or is it perhaps something else...?

Plain Conversations: Shirogane’s speech pattern has the distinticve otaku quality: she’s only talkative about her hobbies and normally just reacts to what other people are saying and nothing else. She shows up for breakfast every morning, so the reason why people forget she exists so much is indeed because she is plain!?

Plain Body: When it comes to cosplaying a wide range of characters, having curves too wide can sometimes be counterproductive and you can hear many ingenious tricks to purposely make your chest look smaller, bigger, etc. Good thing she’s was born with a plain, moderate body, perfect for cosplaying.

Plain Uniform: A high-waist skirt with a form-fitting jacket. But even an uniform so cleverly design to emphasize her femininity so strongly becomes plain when Shirogane wears it.

Underwear: A pair made for the ultimate final battle. But they are not for show, so she firmly refuse to take low angle photos.

Favorite presents:

Cosplay Carrying Bag: A carrying case highly demanded by cosplayer for being easy to carry. Very useful for things like travels and of course, conventions. Something Shirogane would probably consider a trusted partner.

Photostore: An image editing software used mainly to retouch photographs. Perfect to erase flaws in your make-up or visible freckles. Indispensable for any cosplayer nowadays.

Sewing Set: A portal kit all the basic tools necessary for sewing. In the context of cosplay, she can use it to immediately fix a damaged piece. Indispensable for Shirogane’s daily life.

Steels Glasses Case: It’s sturdy enough to protect your glasses from any kind of shock, even being stepped on by an Exisal. After all, glasses are as super important as underwear! 

Hated present:

Death Flag: An item with an unexplainable effect of increasing it’s owner chances of dying. A rare case of an item hated by Shirogane, who is otherwise very proud of her open-mindedness.

Key phrases:

Cosplay is an Equivalent Exchange: The cosplays that defined Shirogane as the Super High School Level Cosplayer are famous and popular enough to earn her sponsors and their selling point is faithfulness to the original’s character design. That said, she prefers devoting herself to making the costumes rather than wearing them and acting the character. For that reason, she has a lot of complaints about the current community of idol-like cosplayers and vocally expresses them in order protect the quality and the soul of cosplaying. By the way, the condition for her cosplay is an “Equivalent Exchange”. She claims that if she imitates real people, she breaks out in a horrible allergic reaction and is limited to only playing fictional characters... Leaving aside the question that this can’t be described as Equivalent Exchange at all, this is a terrifying allergy that colors her whole body pink. You can tells it’s harsh just by looking at it.

Glasses are underwear!?: For Shirogane, a fervent defender of plainness, glasses are an indispensable prop, an item to be always worn, no different from underwear. The glasses are the trademark of the plain. By just wearing a pair, you are turned into a plain person and disappears from the plains of existence... That quicly leads to you having innumerable plain anecdotes, like passing unnoticed by the cashier, being left behind by your friends, entering the movie theater with a ticket, becoming an expert in covert investigations, etc. Leaving aside the question of how many of those are true, the point here is that appearence is important.

God has Black Hair and Red Eyes: Angie’s God prioritizes convenience above all else, changing it’s appearence according to the believer. So, if you’re wondering what would he be like for the fiction-loving Shirogane, the answer is the expected one: she sees a God loaded with fantasy tropes like “black hair and red eyes”. She, who values those characteristic hard to find in real life and makes fervorous speeches about “Red-eyed black-haired characters are all perfect”, has already completely turned to an Angie devout. I... just hope  someone who would wholeheartedly listen to all her hyperfixations descends from heaven to her soon!?

Main Quotes:

“Huhuhu... Don’t you know? Those who see my true form pay a terrible price, you see?“: The foul-mouthed Iruma told Shirogane “If you take off your glasses, you’ll fade away“. In other words, if she loses the glasses that mark her as a plain character, her character would lose it’s meaning of existance and disappear. However, Shirogane said she’s off, if she takes her glasses off, she will transform. “She was actually hot all along without her glasses!” is a plot we see a lot in shoujo manga, but in Shirogane’s case we’re very curious to see what her real face will look like!? 

“Sorry... I’m in a bit of a financial trouble. Oh, if only someone could support me, that would be so great“: Now, Shirogane ascended to the top of the cosplayer world with overwhelming fame and reach. But before, she was a measly cosplayer that lived barely scraping by and had to earn her money through part-time jobs. A simple and easy option if you wanted to earn money fast, is to work in a place that sells alcohol to rich men, smile sweetly and conquer sponsorers. It’s admirable how far her passion towards her hobbies go!

“But, as I thought... maybe you should be The White Kanata“: After teaching the Cosplaying 101, Shirogane finally starts luring Saihara into the unescapable path of cosplay (popularly known as “cosplay hell“) and starts endlessly brainstorming garments that would suit him! After considering fantasy knights, failproof school uniforms and even crossdressing, the answer she arrived at was the protagonist of an old superhero anime Saihara also knows, “The White Kanata“. It was the first character Shirogane ever cosplayed and visibly a character she has strong feelings about. Knowing about their unexpected common point, Shirogane became unstoppable, filled with the will to put her soul into Saihara’s outfit.

Final comment: She clinging on to her otaku hyperfixations, fully trusting the belief they do no harm nor good. Shirogane’s presence runs full speed on the path to plainness, but it turns out she wants to make it shine on the cosplay stage!?

[japanessie]

MY FIRST STORY ~ ALL LEAD TRACKS review「レビュー」

(c) Japanessie. Photo is mine (^^) Back : ALL LEAD TRACKS 1st Edition (L), Amazon Edition (R ) Front : STORYTELLER Edition. The disc is the bonus DVD

MFS’s ALL LEAD TRACKS had been the fastest postal delivery I had ever experienced in all my time doing online shopping from overseas. The Amazon package reached me on 20th July 2017. The album release was 19th. Amazing, wasn’t it? Sadly, it reached me on the same date of Chester Bennington’s death and my musical world stopped for a moment. So, this post took a back seat. But here it is now.

Being the Limited Edition nutso that I am, just as I “declared” in a previous post, I got myself the 1st Edition, the Amazon Edition and of course the STORYTELLER Edition. Goodbye money ... XD. By the way, it’s called ALL LEAD TRACKS to reflect that each song on this album is a theme song.

I had ONE intention when I bought this album. That was to hear HOW Teruki Nishizawa would bring himself out of his shell and project that more into their music. Generally, MFS is not breaking any new ground with this one. Not an issue as they have never been that type of band to me anyway. What I was expecting was how they would revive and update already-explored musical territories, particularly Teruki and man, he did not disappoint me. I was a bit disappointed by his lack of solos on ANTITHESE. So, he kind of made up for it on ALL LEAD TRACKS. Though not up to the “guitar hero era” level he grew up with, it’s flashier than his guitar solo work on ANTITHESE.

These are my thoughts.

1. LET IT DIE 

(Music: Nob, Lyrics: Hiro; Theme for PS4 Game LET IT DIE )

My first impression when I saw the trailer was that it sounded like it was something they had written to be given to ナノ @ nano. I could just hear her singing that chorus. There was a feminine quality to it of which its rock edginess was compensated by Hiro’s scream at the end. However, a few people gave feedback that they preferred this song over the earlier released trailer REVIVER. I, on the other hand, just felt the sweet chorus was contrasting to the image of Grim Reaper in that trailer.

Teru said on STORYTELLER that this song is his favourite from this album. I so believe him XD It’s easy to tell that the guitar riffs were created by a big Metallica fan. Not even the current Metallica but the classic Metallica from the 1980s. Teru knows his heavy metal history and it shows. Of course, he doesn’t do it quite as aggressive as them because MFS isn’t a straight-ahead metal band but it’s impossible for me not to hear influences of a certain classic Metallica song in it (^^)

The bass lines are particularly heavy on the intro and the breakdowns throughout. Not surprising when the song composition is credited to Nob. Ever since MFS became a 4-piece band, he has been making the bass sound more prominent in the band’s overall music arrangement. Then, I also feel that the combination of Teru’s clean guitar lines on top of the thick rhythm section steers the sound towards something that would fit Linkin Park around New Divide era.

* I wish Chester was still around and eventually discovered Taka’s little brother’s band. It was so close. He already befriended Taka and he did like the LET IT DIE game very much.

But still, despite the heavy rhythm and the Metallica-inspired guitar riffs, the overall feel of the song is still sugary sweet to me. I guess I was just expecting something "harsher”. It’s not that I think it’s bad but to me it’s just an odd pairing for a bloody survival game like LET IT DIE.

2. REVIVER MV Version 

(Music: Hiro/ZENTA, Lyrics: Hiro; Theme for smartphone game Hortensia Saga)

The thing that caught me most about the MV was “Hey, this song is different from the Trailer!”. I noticed certain guitar line was missing from the intro and the echo produced when one holds the notes on the guitar strings at the end was not there either. I was looking forward to seeing Teru’s hand as he held the notes there but it didn’t happen. The camera shot showed him but his hand was in the power chord position instead. 

Yes, as it turned out, MFS recorded another version. Overall, the rhythm guitars on this version are thicker. This one sounds like it would be the one to actually be played Live. It’s easier to handle onstage for a single-guitarist band. It’s power chords and then a short solo and then back to the crunchy power chords again. The faint here-and-there guitar embellishments can be left to backing tracks. Teru brings out his inner old-school rocker with the solo. Short but leaves an impression through the way he ends it. Hey, finger-tapping always will never fail anyone!

Hiro took a big risk changing the key at one point of the song a.k.a the part he fell underwater in the MV. Considering his naturally high-toned voice, low notes are not his forte. He had problems singing the lower notes Live when MFS showcased Last Call on Sukkiri. It’s understandable considering his natural voice. Which is why it surprised me he dared to change the key here. The key change itself is tricky but hitting low notes for a high-pitched vocalist is entirely another challenge. 

As predicted, Hiro really did have problems handling that part when they performed it Live for Fukuoka Hawks.

As a theme song, to me REVIVER is more fitting to the game it is intended for compared to LET IT DIE. The entire song sounds like a journey and the way the song ends gives you the feeling that the hero of the story will meet his triumph in the end.

3. この世界で一番の幸せ者にはする事など出来ないかもしれないけど .....

(Music: Hiro, Lyrics: Hiro; Theme for Buzz Rhythm July 2017)

Who in the world would put THAT as a song title but Hiroki Moriuchi, huh? His version of “normal” is another world on its own XD. 

Title reading & translation: kono sekai de ichiban no shiawase-sha ni suru koto nado dekinai kamoshirenai kedo ..... Though being the happiest person in this world is something I may not be able to do  .....

Just like my feelings towards LET IT DIE, this one also has that ナノ @ nano-ish vibe to me. Yes, I can imagine her appearing at the chorus. 

My fav part is the bridge at the first half of the song (00:20 ~ 00:39). It’s such a sweet melancholic melody which suits Hiro’s soft voice perfectly. It brings out the yearning feeling for a person really well which is what the lyrics are about. Sadly, this part never gets repeated.

Teru’s solo on this one is moderate and well-paced. Not the flashy hair metal style at all but more towards what Steve Lukather of Toto would play. I'm sure the majority of my readers don't know who is Steve or Toto. Well, Steve Lukather is one of the most recorded guitarists in history because he played on so many records of major artists in the world.

Lyrics-wise, I am hoping that this is just an exaggeration of Hiro’s imagination because if it’s real, then the object-of-affection is likely to be ........... . I think I’ll just keep my thought to myself for that ....haha ...but I really do hope it is just an exaggerated story of his crush on a celebrity or something XD

4. The Storyteller 

(Music: Hiro, Lyrics: Hiro; Theme for 全心 aka Zenshin Documentary)

This song is so like an updated version of old school Bon Jovi (^^). Back in 1986 and 1987. Never Say Goodbye to be exact. While the sound is not something new, to me it fits the purpose it was intended for.

The Storyteller has this somewhat lethargic feel like something you do while chilling out or recurperating from being drained out of energy after a long hard battle. Lethargic was also the exact word I used to describe Bon Jovi’s Never Say Goodbye back then

Like a badly wounded soldier after a war struggling to walk home on a lonely road and thanking the ones who came and offered to hold his hands along the way. Like somewhat apologetically saying to the kind-hearted supporters, “I'm sorry that I'm broken ..... but ..... thank you ..... thank you for your kindness and for believing in me,".

That's exactly what the song is about. With his bandmates by his side, Hiro fought long and hard.  ..... and it's exhausting. The Storyteller feels exactly that. Hiro wrote it from that state of mind and his bandmates complemented it with the sound. Honestly, I don’t relate much to many song lyrics but I do relate to this one. It’s my story. I started this blog to help clear up so many misunderstandings towards them particularly Hiro. It takes hard work & sheer dedication and this song captures that feeling of exhaustion. I’m grateful for my journey though (^^)

The song topics are different but look at how both songs end with almost similar sentiments. What a co-incidence (^^):

Bon Jovi: Holding on we've got to try .... holding on to never say goodbye

MY FIRST STORY: So let's keep on walking till we reach the end .... till we reach the end

The moment I knew that this song was specially written as the Zenshin theme song and dedicated to the Storytellers, I could already imagine the video it would be presented with. Band members footage,  fans footage, behind the scenes footage, onstage, offstage ... all in slow motion and black & white filters. Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi, Bon Jovi, eh?

Ooh ... even the MV is old school Bon Jovi circa Slippery When Wet album. All Bon Jovi MVs at that point were about the band and the fans. Bingo!

Written as a “gift" to Storytellers, they keep the MV private for the Fan Club. So, non-members may just trust my words on this.

My only gripe is it’s a missed opportunity for an emotional guitar solo. Ok, It takes a lot for Teru to show his emotions to the world. So, maybe it was still awkward for him to put one in. Someday dear (^^)

* Still it tickles me to hear Hiro's mumbled pronounciation especially when his "reach" sounds like "rish" (^^)

5. Smash Out!! Budokan LIVE version 

(Music: Hiro* (?), Lyrics: Hiro; Theme for Shinjuku Swan II) 

* This is confusing because in Zenshin, the music was credited to Nob

Now I'm contradicting myself. I openly admitted that I wasn’t fond of this song when I reviewed ANTITHESE because I was disapproving of some choices of words in the lyrics. Strangely, with this particular Live version, I get so drawn to Hiro shouting out the swear word “Uze!!!”. Besides him saying it out loud at the Budokan with his parents in attendance, I guess it tickles me because Teru once tweeted a photo of Hiro and captioned it “Uze~”. Aahh! Now they’re equal ^^

The music is louder and livelier than the recorded version. The guys played the music faithfully to the album. Teruki replicated his guitar solo perfectly note for note. From my experience watching him play this song in front of me, I think Teru enjoys doing this one Live. Then, Hiro's live vocals are ...... well, he's not Taka. But that's expected XD

Me : I'll take this version over the studio version.

Common sense : The lyrics are the same yo!

Me : But Hiro said “Uze~!!" here.

With that, I concluded that it's more worth it to listen to the Budokan Live version just to hear Hiro shout out .....

“UZE~!!"

Refer here and here for its meaning. Could be directed to his haters XD

6. 花0714 special acoustic version feat. UK from Moroha 

(Music & Lyrics : MY FIRST STORY; Theme for a friend's wedding*)

* Reportedly it was for KTR

I have always been a fan of good acoustic guitar ballads. Glad to see this being kept alive by younger generation of guitarists like YouTube star Sungha Jung.

UK's playing is reminiscent of Artful Dodger or that kind of artists. A rock guitarist I can think of who has this kind of acoustic flair is Vito Bratta formerly of White Lion. A certain sound UK made is a technique my brother once tried to teach me many years ago. You do it by lightly pressing the string with your finger joint rather than your fingertip. It was bloody hell difficult and I gave up.

* UK is pronounced as "oo-kay". Check him out here. He’s the one with the acoustic guitar.

This version is also Nob's favourite from this album. He said so in this NO Music NO Life interview with Tower Records. Of all the tracks on this album, he hopes the most  for people to listen to this one.

How fitting! I was thinking of Nob the whole time when I first listened to this version, knowing that he played the acoustic guitar on 21 Miles. I commented in my ANTITHESE review that Nob has this touch of gentleness with his guitar playing. No surprise he likes UK's style.

This version finally fulfils what I want a wedding song to be. At least for my kind of wedding. Romantic and intimate. Just like a wedding should be a celebration of you and your spouse, this one celebrates the intimacy of a soft singing voice and a gently picked guitar.

At the end of the day though, whether you choose this or the original, it depends on what kind of a wedding it is. I personally will take this one. But as romantic as it is, this one will get lost in a grand wedding XD

7. REVIVER Original Hortensia Saga version

(Music: Hiro & ZENTA, Lyrics: Hiro; Theme for Hortensia Saga smartphone game)

This is the one that originally went to the trailer. I have no idea why they made another version but "double REVIVER", I'm not complaining. Hey, I get to hear Teruki Nishizawa working it up TWICE!

The guitars really are different. This one has less crunchy rhythm guitar. The clean guitar line in the intro plays along interchangeably with the synthesizer instead. This version would sound stronger Live with actual TWO guitarists in my opinion. I would say once Sho comes back, they can opt to play this instead of the MV version.

Teru created a different and speedier guitar solo for this version. He left all the power chords to the other one. He also built up the guitar line towards the ending and held the notes there. This is the part that I initially found missing when I first watched the MV.

Both versions are good. I don't really prefer one over the other. I just feel that the MV version is more suitable for a single guitarist Live. This one needs two guitarists onstage to bring out the Live feel for the double guitar layering. One guitarist with backing tracks doesn't have the same impact, at least to my ears. But if you don't mind that, it doesn't matter which version they choose then (^^)

Additional thoughts:

I'm glad I got those 3 Editions of the album. Understandably, some musically younger fans can feel totally alienated by the old school references the guys kept making throughout the album. Looks like the members' tastes are from a different generation than their audience. Strangely, I did not mention Kid'z at all in any of the songs. He kinda not stood out too much this time. He's high-energy as usual. He played his parts well but he didn't dominate the band. Live is a different story I'm sure XD

[circularwastemememe-blog]

Resistance

Even I do feel relatively in peace, there are aspects of me that I truly need to re-examine. 

I ran into some obstacles. I gotta look into my soul and emotions to gain some insights.

I found my previous collaborator trolling me again, and that really annoys me. I try to find ways to make a difference to my circumstances but I feel truly frustrated as though the world is against me. 

My mom asked me to stop fighting back or announcing his wrongs in public. But I cannot go on letting others treat me as shits. This is unfair. I also hate the fact that my life is full of such type of drama to deal with. I stand alone because there seems to be no one to help me. Then I start to feel resentful. I begin to wonder who the fuck would wanna involve themselves in such world of mine - a world that is full of discrimination, fights, anger, failures, disappointments, and hard works. Then I begin to hate my body, my voice as though they are separate beings disconnected from my face. I won't say I'm going to break down but there is something wrong that needs to be fixed. How to find the problem? Go to find it in the worst matter that is highly likely to trigger you - watch Clara's new video. Gee, it sounds almost like a dark joke but I mean it. I had been filled with negative vibes towards this woman, who had been the source for a great many negative inspirations despite that it is hard to associate all this with her beautiful, flirtatiously pleasant face. 

I forced myself to be detached: If I did not have any bit of personal conversation, even just feeble connections, if she were truly a total stranger, if I did not know her life a bit, how would I feel about her video? I think I'd subscribe to her channel and leave her a positive comment full of appreciation and encouragement. And I'd share her video on Facebook posts and with some of my guy friends with my best wishes that she would get a substantial career with her lovely singing voice and her skillset on cinematography. Yes. That is me. I would be doing that as a pure good wish for a beautiful woman who gives me minutes of relief and aesthetic exaltation, which is sheerly impersonal. Even I don't know her, I wish her well. 

Then why I wouldn't since I did have some feeble interactions with her before? Because she manipulated me with her beauty and made me give her more values than she deserves in my life, all for her vanity. Because she knew what happened to me and chose not to say a thing to relieve me. She pretended to be a liberal-minded humanist but she ain't. What makes it worse? She pretended she cared but she did not. All her beliefs are just words to invite likes so simple-minded suckers like me would leave a comment saying she is beautiful inside out. She seemed sweet and gentle with positive words but she was not really a considerate person at all. All her good manners are for her self-image but the well-being of others. Because after all that, I just realize she is very selfish, narcissistic and cold. After having some idea about her, her video appears like she is winking to deliberately seduce/manipulate the audience as she abuses her sex appeal to get the recognition/attention she wants, like she is making fun of people who sincerely care about her as she celebrates her success of making many people fools for her. She is like that type of person who smiles and flirts with guys while her female friends are dying next room and she is not going to do a thing about it. Other guys told me she is trying too hard to be edgy and authentic but fail. Other guys told me that she is rich French middle-class whose stereotypical temperament is, they always do what they want and they don't give a shit, proud and selfish. Others said, why would anyone wanna show nude pictures in public without being paid to do so? This chick obviously loves herself very much. 

She has all the qualities to be a great female singer or artist. (I don't really know whether she can write any song except that she cannot really do live singing with her ukulele since all her videos are processed and edited together. Which is fine. At least she can make good effects with cinematography.) But she just does not have much of a soul to sustain all that even she seems to try very hard by changing her styles. No one bothers to tell her that because they are busy figuring out ways to get into her pants.

Then, I gotta pretend I'm not me and ask me one important question: Do you want her? 

The truth is, I don't know. It seems common senses to want her because all that she is given out there. I bet most people would say yes if they are asked, within ten minutes. I always try to hold a pure mind when it comes to beautiful ladies despite their drawbacks. I wanna mold them into that wonderful woman with my love by overlooking their faults so they will get to become that perfect companion I always want. Then why you don't know, dude? Why? Are you pretending? Yes and no. I'm afraid of the harm she's going to do to me if I don't keep my guard. I'm afraid of giving her that importance, that burdensome value in my life, that much power. And obviously, she cannot do good with all that power. If she is likely to shoot randomly with a gun, you should have enough senses not to hand her any ammunition. Ok, all this is resistance. Who would wanna be with someone who holds such strong, negative opinions towards them?

If someone holds such a negative view of me, what would I do? I will try to understand them first. At least they bother to complain. It is better than people who don't say a word. Silence is the highest form of contempt. It is never my wish to crash anyone's self-esteem. It is not a zero-sum game - you win and I lose. No one wins, in fact. Judging from that, Clara must feel a need to contempt me so she can win by all means. Also, her need to win in this case is very questionable as though there is something unspeakably weak and frail hidden beneath. 

Maybe I'm being conscientious with this question. Without building a solid bonding, whatever motivates me to want her is superficial - I wanna caress a beautiful face and go to bed with good-looking people as everyone in this world would like to. I also know how it feels to get people into liking you for your appearance. Admiration given free is valueless. Only admiration earned has everlasting values. It is also pretentious to deny your attraction to her but all that is kinda superficial. I have eyes and I'm human and I do enjoy watching fine things. Objectively, I do appreciate her in some aspects but I don't admire her after living through all this. I must say, she handled it horribly. In the end, she acted like a 12-year-old who was unable to sustain an authentic friendship and unfriended some unwanted ex-suitor on Facebook. I was surprised but not so surprised. I somehow felt sorry that she had let herself go and descended to a new low point, as though she were my teenage sister and I was with all that patience in this world to wait for her to get reformed. 

Further, judging from my experiences of going to bed with beautiful men, they are usually mediocre lays. The moment I screwed them or they screwed me, I felt bored. Looks is not everything. I tend to give woman's looks more value than man. As to men, I prefer to look at their souls. 

I guess I'm okay now. Despite the excruciating distress from this experience, I've come to accept myself a bit better, appreciate a bit more of what I have and the few true people around me. I thought she was what could make me happy but I was wrong. I worked so hard to get what I've always wanted, things and people as goals to attain, people who seemed to be able to make me happy, but all I got was more and more unhappiness in my pursuit of "happiness." Now I just wanna be around people who don't make me unhappy. People who stay around and interact with me to create true values for me. Such values will always exist even they age and change physically. That is precious enough for me.

Clara will eventually age or die someday as we all do, or change her hair and get into an un-fitting style that uglifies her, and all she had created was just a lovely image without content for me. My portraits of her would always be there as I genuinely spent years of my life creating something out there with my heart and soul. I love those works for their true emotions and raw affections even they could be fruits of erotomania. Reluctant as I was, with my fate, I had created true values out there, despite being unseen by this world. Which is fine. Because I believe in me, myself and my art. May the world rot and perish, they will be there as always.

I'm sorry to have been so harsh on her. She is just a girl who wanna celebrate the few things she has had online so she can like herself a bit better. I place her under my microscope for scrutiny because I was also a girl who looked for importance online. I thought she was higher and it broke my heart to see my "idol" act like some commonplace person as it angered me that she had fooled me so well. Gee, I still sound so negative. I think I should make an effort to grow up and forgive her as she is just a lost girl who plays goddess, like my 5-year-old niece who gets delighted when we call her Snow White and treat her like a princess even she is not. (Hopefully, she will grow up and mature in time and be alright with herself, even without someone who treats her like a princess.)

I think I'm alright now.

[thedramafilesblog-blog]

Appearing before the Dramacourt: The Universe’s Star EP 01

***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***

Issues:

Whether this particular take on Reapers is hilarious.

Whether being asked to write love songs while not actually being allowed to experience love is realistic.

Whether the friendship between the Ghost and the Reaper is believable.

Whether it was right for Suho to seem like a secondary character when he’s actually the male lead.

Whether this drama caters to a real fan girl fantasy?

The Rule(s):

Absolutely. This drama does not fall short in its interpretation of a Reaper’s lifestyle.

Hell No! It makes absolutely no sense that these poor kids are being forced to write love songs when never actually having experienced it at all. In what universe (LOL!) is this realistic?

Totally. As people who are fangirls and have BFFs who are fangirls as well, we totally feel the ‘realness’ of these two girls’ friendship!

Not really. But then again, the female lead is really really good, so his whole ‘rich idol schtick’ tends to fly under the radar.

Totally. What fangirl doesn’t want to save their bias from impending death?

Analysis:

RedRosette J: Hey Peeps! We’re back with another new review! This time we decided to review this mini-drama within a mini-drama (?). Its part of the Three Colour Fantasy series that aired (some are still airing) somewhere between February and April this year (this drama is the colour White). Right off the bat, the first drama, The Universe’s Star, totally won us over. Probably because most of the dramas have been absolute crap recently *cough Hwarang cough* and we just didn’t want to waste time on the longer ones. But if you guys have been reading our reviews, you’ll know that its really hard to win our favour and this drama did! I binged this drama on a Sunday night and let me tell you, it has been awhile since a drama has given me that ‘I don’t know what to do with myself’ feeling once it ended, but this drama did. 90% of this drama was great and I loved almost everything about it.

Jubiemon J: I actually finished this drama earlier than RedRosete who insisted on waiting till the series was over until she’d watch it. I really enjoyed the drama series overall. The cinematography is amazing and the plot is intricate. The director/writer (she took the two roles) was amazing with her work! She has a very recognisable film style which is very beautiful and artsy. I loved it. Anyway, I’ll focus my comments on ep 1 later on.

RedRosette J: Perhaps the biggest thing was that it was written and directed by Kim Ji Hyun, the genius behind Splish Splash Love (such an amazing drama btw). The cinematography was beautiful; absolutely breathtaking shots with a very nostalgic vibe. The script was very well written. The lead actress Ji Woo was really amazing as a underdog, loser, nerdy girl type that everyone loves to root for. She was really good in bringing the cringe to awkward interactions with the male lead and sold us on her inferiority complex. The side characters were played by pretty seasoned actors so the quality shone through. They may have been on screen for a few minutes, but they were already very well developed and well portrayed.

My only criticism for this drama was the male lead, Suho. The character was a bit bland and the obvious ‘perfect goody goody idol who’s really a boy next door’ type and I felt like he really couldn’t or didn’t bring much else to the table. There were some comedic moments which he did very well (he should seriously consider slapstick roles), but I felt like overall, the bulk of the romance was carried by the female lead. It might have had to do with the fact that Suho was a newbie actor, I don’t know, but something was definitely lacking. But other than that, it was a really well done drama.

Jubiemon J: I actually think the director was really smart making sure that the writing and filming of this drama compensated Suho’s lack of experience in acting. From episode one, we understand Woojoo (Suho’s character) from the female protagonist’s POV. She is the one admiring him from afar and letting us understand him. In a way, we’re spoon fed Woojoo’s personality like how an author would descriptively write about a character in a novel. We don’t understand Woojoo initially from his actions or behaviour. We’re pretty much told what he’s like because of her. That storytelling technique works perfectly not only because this drama is about a fan loving an idol, but also because we won’t be able to see Suho potentially act in a cringy manner.

I don’t think Suho’s character was a huge negative to this drama and I don’t think the director cast the wrong actor. Suho does fit the clean, proper idol image very well; I think as an EXO member people do see him as the boy next door with great manners. I do get a sense that either Suho may not be very experienced in love in real life, he just is not a very expressive person in love, or he may not have loved someone very deeply on a romantic level. I say that because although he is great at showing his feelings of unrequited love or acting nervous/shy around his crush, he is not so believable when it comes to the lovey dovey moments he shares with Byul (I’ll probably talk about that later.)

She dead…

LMAO!

Snippets of truth 

How gorgeous is that?!?

Stealing puppies and hearts like…

She’s a really good actress! 

Issue 1: Whether this particular take on Reapers is hilarious

RedRosette J: Lately, the dramaverse has been giving out really awesome interpretations of Reapers (Lee Dong Wook in Goblin anyone?) and this drama certainly doesn’t fall short. I liked how they had to put on the fake makeup to look more “dead” and they wore the hanbok style outfit like a uniform. I loved how it was all super bureaucratic with a Manager and a Scorecard board. Hilarious. (Just like real life). I loved the sentiment that even in death, competition and targets are a real deal. It was also funny how the reapers were rewarded according to how many souls they reaped; which was why Byul was on the bicycle having very low stats and the hoobae guy drove a fancy black car. You could feel the pressure on the Reapers to work hard and the lack of cooperation of the dead people, just like a real life client relationship LOL! It was really well written for such a short drama.

Jubiemon J: I liked this fresh approach to grim reapers. I didn’t feel like I was watching a rehash of the reapers from Goblin, which was a plus. I did like how they made it seem like a company thing and the company culture was not as formal as the one in Goblin. I really enjoyed the bickering among the employees and the gossiping. That was hilarious!

#brokeassreaper

#worklunch

When your co-worker drops a bomb on you…

Job stability is an issue even in death *sigh*

Issue 2: Whether being asked to write love songs while not actually being allowed to experience love is realistic

RedRosette J: Finally! a drama is actually openly addressing this dilemma. For anyone familiar with Kpop, you know that the idol trainees usually aren’t allowed to date which is completely insane because then they are expected to sing and write songs about romance and love which they know nothing about. Especially because most become trainees when they are very very young! It is completely unrealistic and the stupidest rule ever. Kudos to this drama for bringing it up!

Jubiemon J: Yes it’s completely unrealistic for idols to sing or write about love songs and not even get a chance to experience love. How are we supposed to be convinced about what they’re singing or writing? That’s why I don’t think it’s bad at all for idols to date. They should! They’re normal human beings with other emotional needs.

RedRosette J Aside: This is just a bonus and totally unrelated to the drama but BTS actually roasted their boss on a Christmas parody song about this no dating rule! Skip to 1.08 for the lyrics! )

Issue 3: Whether the friendship between the Ghost and the Reaper is believable.

RedRosette J: Totally. I love these two! Death didn’t stop them from being fan girls! Honestly, as a fan girl myself, I totally understand the friendship with another fan girl; its a weird sort of understanding…it’s difficult to describe….But anyway, these two were a total hoot! Especially when they “stalked” him to “protect” him. Very well done!

Jubiemon J: They’re so cute together! I feel like Redrosette and I sometimes have very similar conversations as these two regarding our favourite idols! Hahaha! Of course we don’t stalk our idols though. These two . . . . Hahaha.

BFFs

When you tryna stop your BFF from doing stupid stuff

When you lying about being sick to get off work

#realtalk

Issue 4: Whether it was right for Suho to seem like a secondary character when he’s actually the male lead

RedRosette J: It’s odd but this drama really focuses on the female lead and even when we do see the male lead, its really with a preconception of what he is like because we’ve already been introduced to him through her eyes. He also didn’t say or do much and his acting range was quite minimal so its hard to judge exactly what was wrong with the character, but something was just off. I wish that they’d cast a more seasoned actor for the role because it would have brought the added connection to the romance. I wasn’t really sold on Suho selling us the romance. It really fell flat for me and I just couldn’t feel the sincerity from him so it really didn’t feel like he was the male lead if you will. Sorry. But hey, at least he’s so so so much better than Baekhyun so….there is that.

Jubiemon J: Ah, I talked about this earlier, so I’ll be brief. I think it was right for Suho to seem like a secondary character in the first episode. She’s a fan, so she has to love from afar. It’s not realistic for a fan to suddenly meet an idol and bam they’re in love. You can also feel the strength of her love for him as an idol through this way of storytelling. Plus, as I mentioned before, since Suho doesn’t have much experience in acting, this storytelling works in favour for him. There’s not really an opportunity for him to suck at acting because he is doing what he’d probably do every day as an idol.

*cue First Love – BTS (Suga)*

Bunnies and Suho. Yes Please. 

Issue 5: Whether this drama caters to a real fan girl/fan boy fantasy

RedRosette J: Absolutely. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve had my fair share of fan girl fantasies so this drama is right up that alley. And she sold it very well. I mean coming back from death to save the pop star you had a crush on only to have him actually fall in love with you? Yeah. That’s where its at.

Jubiemon J: So true. I think any fan girl/fan boy would be able to understand how Byul feels!

When your crush sits next you O.O

hubba hubba

Conclusion: Appeal Allowed.

Rating: 4 = I’ll Give You A Cookie (It’s been awhile since anyone got cookies from us, but this episode totally deserves it! In fact, take 2 cookies!)

File No: The-Universe’s-Star-EP-01 Appearing before the Dramacourt: The Universe's Star EP 01 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***