#sorry for the abysmal quality lol

[grants-blue-eyed-stare]

Gettysburg. Yes.

[indescriptequilibrium]

ok b4 i make these damn credit requests n send reports to customers i gotta write a bit of testicles philosophy that's been clankin around inside my cranium for a while. if u don't wanna read bout stuff like this pls scroll by but if u do pls bear with me while i talk about an incredibly sensitive topic that's almost impossible to tackle with any level of seriousness due to the Absurdity of transness

so im gettin neutered in 2,5 weeks. this has been a long time comin n now it's suddenly crystalized into a tangible date that's rly close (close enough that it alrdy caused sum Despair n schedulin stress on my part cuz im a anxious scaredy cat (sorry n thank u<3)). this is a huge fuckin deal. i've had dysphoria bout these guys for as long as i can fuckin remember. i'm nowadays pretty ok w/ havin a dick, but the accessories r abysmal n need to go.

first things first, they're uncomfortable. anyone who has some will attest that life w/ balls is at best bearable (mens underwear n pants leave a lot of space for convenience) n at worst horrid n painful (to safekeep reproductive capabilities they're equipped w/ a frankly ludicrous amount of nerve endings). i'm in almost a constant state of mild-to-severe discomfort cuz i'm very dysphorically aware of them at most times, like rn. they're always moving around no matter how well secured in place n the more u secure them in place the more uncomfortable it can get. n Adjusting their position especially in public no matter how stealthy i am about it makes me feel like some kind of a pervert cuz well i AM grabbing n moving my junk around. ugh. so this is very much a dysphoric "THIS BODY PART DOESNT BELONG" type situation.

secondly, i do NOT want to reproduce, especially not via inseminating someone. that's a horrid thought n makes me feel like some kind of a gigeresque parasite-spewing breeding maschine. note: this is a Personal Feeling, making n having babies is a perfectly normal thing to want to do. but i do not have the need to do it via my own biology.

third, FORM FACTOR. fuckin gods i own so many pieces of clothing that will finally fit nicely when im free of the two pain orbs attached near a very critical part of pants n underwear. i've looked at n adored how pants fit ppl without this kind of junk in the way forever n been so so envious even b4 i had the language to describe it. i rly hope it's as comfortable as i imagine it.

fourthly, i kno it's not a requirement to be an androgynous person to lack reproductive ability, but shit fuck godsdamn it, it will help with the feeling. kinda like how changin my legal gender was altogether very unimpactful (as it should be tbh...), but gave me self-confidence n entitlement in my identity. the idea of being physically something between genders is amazing n freeing as hell. masculinity has weighed heavy on my shoulders n this'll take some of the load off. stop giggling

fifth n final point that i have in mind rn: i can stop takin fucking spironolactone!!!!!!!! im convinced just this will be a huge quality of life improvement, i'm so dried up it's crazy. i piss like every couple of hours n my lower lip has been chapped af for weeks. t1d dries u up already i rly don't need an additional drug doing that. plus i'm p sure spiro has some side effects goin that i'm not even aware of but i'm eager to find out what changes.

all in all this is HUGE. i'm gonna probs cope w/ the wait w/ a lot of humor n some of this humor will make me more dysphoric (dysphoria has been growing the whole winter) but pls bear with my ballsposting soon i'll stop talking about them forever and i rly have NOT mentioned the guys ever cuz of the dysphoria so final chance to say goodbye i guess? lol. anyway gotta work now bye hope this was somehow revelatory re: my feelings w/ this whole issue for those of u who r for some reason interested in the general genital situation lmao

[gunsatthaphan]

the speed at which shows can be put out and some ppl being surprised always makes me laugh. tbf things get rushed a lot and it's not ideal, but iirc, nlmg & msp started and finished filming in the fall and aired december. im pretty sure vice versa aired ep 7 the week filming wrapped. ourskyy2 had fast turn around time too. so crazier things have happened imo. i actually get surprised when they take a while. like umg was filmed last summer so it felt like forever waiting for ep 1 to drop. or abaab & bmf & mlc starting filming like 6ish months before airing. idk but they got filmed in the summer or fall and didn't air til the next spring-ish. for me i sort of expect shows to come out quickly lol. like during filming or a month after. even if that's not actually the norm.

yes, things get rushed and that's exactly the problem of mass production. it's always quantity > quality and I'm sorry but that's something I will never get used to.

I'm surprised that they're working so fast because they're working with a schedule that I'm not familiar with. I work in postproduction and I realize these are different projects but depending on the production it takes at least 7-8 months before an episode of something goes on air and up to 1-1.5 years for movies and there are countless steps that are being reiterated in the process in order for the product to be presentable so I just can't comprehend how they're working so fast and airing their stuff while still shooting at that (which is working harder not smarter) but then looking at the sloppy editing and abysmal sound of most of these shows I guess it shouldn't be so surprising. gotta make compromises somewhere. And needless to say the difference in the ones that take their time is more than obvious e.g. be my favorite, moonlight chicken etc.

[littleragondin]

1, 14, and 21 for the ask game. Also special question just for you: best siblings this year?

Ohoho thank you for asking! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ I caught up on quite a few shows from 2022 this year but I will only pick from shows that came out in 2023 for those questions, and ones I have finished as of today.

1. What are your top 10 QL this year?

Starting with a hard one aren't we? Okay let's try it, top 10 based not always on quality but definitely on the love I have for them! (except maybe for the top 2, ranking has changed 5 times before I posted so take it as fluid lol)

10- Love in Translation. This one was a surprise because I did not expect much, but it was very good comedy, had emotionally intelligent characters, a great female love rival, and while the plot might have been a little weak (especially over the last 2 episodes) it was still a lovely romance.

9- Kimi to nara koi wo shite mite mo. Five excellent episodes, that gave us Amane the loveliest, saddest boy and Ryuuji as the kindest one. Bonus point for Enoshima's gorgeous background.

8- A breeze of Love. I do love non linear storytelling, and the miscommunications in this one really worked for me. Loved it a lot.

7- My School President. I am a sucker for a musical show, and those teens were simply the cutest. They started the year with a bang for me.

6- I Feel You Linger in the Air. Yes, the last two episodes had big pacing problems, and the ending was kind of sloppy and under explained but my god. What a ride. The emotions hit it every single time for me, and for all the crying I did, I still came out of it with my heart full.

5- Our Dating Sim. I think my favorite second chance romance in a good long while. It used its allotted time perfectly to tell the story it had to tell, the way it unfolded felt believable, and the shift in perspective regarding the conflict was really well done. Also, like everyone, still haven't recovered from "Have you been well? Without me?"

4- Bokura no Shokutaku. Food related jdrama rarely miss the mark for me (looking at you Zenra Meshi (눈_눈)) and this one was so gentle, with great siblings, and so so so much love it had to be on the list.

3- Laws of Attraction. Look. I was bound to put this one in the list if only for JamFilm, but it also gave me unhinged men (Charn and of course Nawin oh boy), absolutely badass ladies - from Maya and Rose to our grandmother extraordinaire, and a side dish with a broken rich boy and a devoted bodyguard. Delicious.

2- Unintentional Love Story. Despite the abysmal kisses, I loved the romance, they had wonderful hugs and tons of hand holding, and the second couple was a delight.

1- Kimi ni wa todokanai. Probably my all time favorite trope made so, so perfectly well, with the cutest characters, the best pink boy in the world, and a banger opening. No notes.

...missing some high quality stuffs (Moonlight Chicken, sorry dear) but well. Ten is ten 🙈

14. What are your top 5 favorite tropes used this year?

5- Catching the clumsy one before they fall down the stairs. Both Kimi to nara koi ... and Kimi ni wa todokanai did it and I loved it both times. 4- Age Gap. While not always a fave of mine, I have really enjoyed it every time I encountered it this year! (be it in The New Employee or Love in Translation, or I Feel You Linger in the Air and Moonlight Chicken) 3- Dancing/waltzing together. I can't keep track of all the iterations we had of this, but you can be sure I loved it each time. 2- Second chance love. I love people getting to try again when the sentiments are still there, and we had some really nice one too (Our Dating Sim obv, but also Shigatsu no Tokyo wa...!) 1- Obligatory ☆*:.｡.o Childhood Friends to Lovers o.｡.:*☆ for this one. It's a favorite of mine period, but we had some really good iterations of it this year (yes yes yes kimi ni wa todokanai, but also Shigatsu no Tokyo wa... and technically Tan/Methee in LoA)

21. Who was the softest character/pairing in QL this year? Which pairing had the best communication?

Oh, I feel like we had quite a few very soft pairings this year... But! I think I will pick a show that had all of it: softest character, couple, AND good communication > The New Employee.

Seung Yun was just the sweetest, his relationship with Jong Chan was absolutely adorable, and (from what I remember) their communication was top notch.

Honorable mention for sweetest couple to Napdao and Wela from Lucky My Love, my girls were the cutest.

Bonus. Best siblings this year?

Siblings?? My favorite thing in the world?? (°◡°♡) (technically I have watched To Sir, With Love this year so I could nominate Best Brothers Yang and Tian right?)

My favorite siblings this year came from Japan! I have to hand it to Minoru and Tane from Bokura no Shokutaku. They were so adorable I'd be remiss not to pick them.

Close behind are the Ohara siblings, Yamato and Mikoto from Kimi ni wa todokanai - they clearly took great care of each other and their dynamic was the cutest.

[8dayrain]

my camera quality is once again abysmal but look!!! i found my old monster high dolls !!

the hair on them has definitely suffered save for venus and ghoulia since they already had pretty straight hair to begin with. (poor frankie's hair especially has gone through the wringer LOL)

if anyone happens to b interested, the dolls in order are

abbey bominable (13 wishes)

venus mcflytrap (basic)

ghoulia yelps (skull shores) - i think the necklace and purse are actually from a barbie doll or something but i used them on ghoulia since the reds matched haha

frankie stein (ghouls rule)

create-a-monster doll (vampire and sea monster starter pack)

sorry for nerding out a bit but these dolls were my childhood and im so glad i finally found them :D

[stevenrogered]

Keesha & Memphis 2008 / 2020

[slopmaster9000]

updated record collection + my new turntable 😎

[frangstfontaine]

*screams in Atlas*

aaaaaaa!!! needle-wielding children!!!!!! 

[plumbobsandllamas]

My dog’s simself could not get any more accurate.

[dolugecat]

On some Japanese social issues I had learned about at uni and abroad):

(Rb ok!)

Legit had an epiphany about the true hidden meaning of the last arc of Mob Psycho 100. It’s hella projection but for real there is nothing neurotypical about Mob or Mob Psycho. I do not wish to enforce my interpretation on others (ironic bc I do that all the time but this is a serious social theory). There are some interesting and very sad social issues in Japan that the west really doesn’t understand but would I think help people understand a lot of context behind not only Mob Psycho, but also a lot of other anime. I learned this at my shitty university (prestigious but horrific) and while studying abroad in Japan and talking with Japanese peers. Get ready here we go (and tw for bullying and darker things):

Unfortunately in East Asian education systems, bullying can be extremely intense. Growing up I assumed it was over exaggerated extremely in anime for drama but it really can be so horrific. From what I’ve heard, there is often a single kid or so who is just shit on by everyone else, even the teacher. Mogami land *is* the reality of some Japanese kids. I’ve read that in Korea, this social punching bag sometimes is just the darkest skinned person (yayyy colorism /angry) and or someone who does not fit in. I mean, we have that in America too, but maybe not as common for the bullying to be as focused on one misfit rather than several. These kids just can’t escape the stigma too, kids from other schools find out they were a major victim at their old school and it starts anew. Thus there is so much stigma and incentive to join in on bullying so you aren’t the one. Sadly, this also ofc leads to higher suicide rates. That’s where the “shoe on building roof” anime trope comes in, bc somehow taking off shoes is relayed to death (I forgot why sorry)

There is a difference in how intense in general high school vs college is too. In the West, commonly college is the more intense curriculum and is harder than high school, but in Japan it’s usually the opposite. Grind suuuupppeeerrrr hard for entrance exams (huge standardized tests that determines what college you can qualify to) bc unlike the ACT or SAT here, that test is by far the most important factor for college admission. Then chill and relax a bit in college. Can’t relate. Name and prestige is very critical for job application, more important than here. That’s why planning out your future is sooo much more intense for Japanese high schoolers than in America, and why there is sooo much more pressure to excel in high school than here. Japanese school years and holidays are done different than ours, I’d suggest looking it up.

Social prestige of going to an American high school or college is nuts. Like whyyy do you value our shitty education, Japan’s is much higher quality (it’s bc we neo colonized them). Being able to speak English is very, very highly valued and any association with Americans make you cooler. From my experience, some Japanese students got very excited to practice speaking English with us, and their biggest issues with learning it is pronunciation, lmao. Wasai english is unique slang that is indeed English words but it’s kinda different and it’s kinda jarring to remember lol. So, Teru having parents that are working overseas isn’t too uncommon, idk about leaving him absolutely alone, but I did have a ex-friend who just came from Japan in middle school who’s situation probably wasn’t too far off from that. Empty wealth with no love, it’s no wonder those kind of people can end up being huge bullies (minori?)

I did a presentation on 引きこもり(hikikomori) for which means “shut in”, (like Serizawa) and it’s fucked up. It’s a social phenomena where according to some Japanese researchers a mix of undisciplined parenting, guilt/not living up to expectations, and hopelessness makes an alarming amount of youth/ young adults literally never go out side their house/room. Often a parent is “enabling” the behavior by supporting them, but idk the articles seemed a bit victim-blaming to me when I read it, but I don’t think I should make a judgement too hard, not my place. I will say I do suspect and believe I read something to support that ASD might play a role in hikikomoris (there is pitiful resources for autistic people in Asia, much much less support than even here, to the point I don’t think most know it exists). Like come on, with the other points I laid out my personal opinion as an Asian American with autism is that it really seems it’s unknowing ableism against autistic classmates, but I didn’t grow up in Asia so I don’t want to say.

Mental health in general is tragically quite abysmal in Japan, and with it being so hyper competitive and brutal work culture, it’s no surprise birth rate in Japan is so low; some Japanese young adults say it seems unethical to bring a life to such hostile world. Suicide rate is of the highest in the world. It’s fucked, I’ve interacted with some of the locals in Tokyo and they were so nice, but the business men just looked dead inside, it’s so sad.

Relationships between child and parent is also strained bc of this intense work and school culture. Quality time is too scarce when you gotta work so much. And the pressure from parents to do well in education or else you might end up socially stigmatized is rough. Bc your job is who you are, it’s hyper capitalism (thanks us for making them do this)

With autism being so unknown, support for parents in raising autistic kids is almost nonexistent. What happens if the “darker” side of ASD shows up in kids? I used to be a menace when I had meltdowns, I felt so bad but really just became so indiscriminately violent. See where this is going? Legit, I think ESP is a sort of metaphor for neurodivergance to ONE. There is so much stigma around it, and even less way for kids to understand why they are different than the others. My Korean family can’t admit we all got ASD, too much fear and internalized shame.

I got finally diagnosed with ASD as an adult and I’ll tell ya, I relate too much to Mob hurting Ritsu. I felt so bad, but also not in control, I knew what I was doing but not how to stop. Luckily, is was blessed in that my hyperfixations involved science and logic, so I did well at school. Sadly, our boy Mob just don’t got the passion or ability to do well at school. His kanji is very bad, even to point of not being confident he wrote a kanji (世) they learn when they are 9, in elementary school (thanks @katyatalks). Him being a bit berated by his parents for having bad grades and bending spoons seems harsh to Westerners I think, but IMO it’s pretty tame from what I’ve seen of some Asian parents (I get to say that lmao). Ofc, however the shaming is very real and Mob just agreeing with them about how weird and stupid he thinks he is so sad. There is even more pressure for the eldest to be better than here, I feel from some interactions. Nonetheless, it’s implied Mob is quite emotionally detached from his parents, even though he loves them, which also adds to his emotional complex. Combined with originally fragile self esteem and feelings of worthlessness, we got one emotionally stunted boy. However, contrary to common belief people with ASD are sometimes hyper empathic and experience emotions very intensely. We are prone to having “meltdowns” which if not assisted with can be quite violent if very intense. For me, my worse meltdowns as a kid came from when I didn’t understand why I wasn’t getting what I wanted, it seemed selfish and cruel of me but I couldn’t control it. I wanted to be a good kid, so why did hit my moms leg at target when she refused to buy me Pokémon toys? I couldn’t come up with a good reason for why my mind just commanded my body to do bad things, just a single thought was controlling me, I want I want I want I want I want ____. Which I argue could be what ???% represents… bc well…. Yeah….. hmm….. not in control of self (mob unconscious), selfish (not actually, I’ve forgave myself but my “normal” kid self was so ashamed), destructive, hurt family, wanting to stop but can’t, that’s kind of…. Too relatable.

But legit, since realizing my new HC, I’ve started to think of the last chapter of mp100 when I “explode” and it helps me feel better and I do gain “control” a bit easier. I don’t feel so bad anymore either, Mob!

[lunatic-fandom-space]

Ayyyyyyyy Guess Who Just Finished Watching Angel's Friends

Me. I did.

So yeah, the start of this post is going to be a spoiler-less review-recommendation kinda thingy and then I'll put all of my other thoughts which include spoilers under the cut

Also, I would like to mention that Im only talking about the cartoon here, I have not read either the comics or the books at this point (I didnt even know that there were books before checking wikipedia to make sure that I actually watched every episode of the show lol)

Lets go babey!

This series is very not-good, but it has some interesting concepts and scratches some of my itches, so I like it. But before we get into that in detail, heres a summary of the basic plot, taken from wikipedia:

"Four Angels (Raf, Uri, Sweet and Miki) and four Devils/Demons (Sulfus, Cabiria, Kabale and Gas) are sent to Earth, in an unused area of the Golden School, where they learn everything they need to become Guardian Angels and Guardian Devils. The Angels and Devils are required to form pairs as part of their education, each of which will have to deal with a human being, known as Earthly Ones, and help them choose between the right and wrong way in life without being discovered. Angels and Devils cannot operate at the same time, so they decide, clashing in the Challenge Room, who will work first. Moreover, they are subject to the V.E.T.O. (Vetoed from Exposing, Touching or Obstructing/Overhearing in the comic – Italian: Vietato Esporsi, Toccare, Ostacolare/Origliare)."

Something that isnt mentioned here is the romance between Raf, the protagonist, and Sulfus, her devil rival, but its a pretty important part of the story that I'll talk about in more detail.

First, the animation is fine. Its kinda clunky and the posing is pretty unnatural at times, you can tell that the budget wasnt that high. The lipsyncing for the english dub is pretty abysmal in the first season but it gets better in the movie and in the second season.

Second, the voice acting is... something. It has that very not-good anime dub quality, which makes sense considering Angel's Friends is already very anime, even more so when youre watching it in italian (with subtitles bc you dont understand italian) and they randomly yell english phrases like "Think Fly!" or "Angel's Friends! Together forever!" or, my personal favourite, "Devil's Enemies! Supreme Temptation!" when transforming or using their powers. The dub is decent enough, Ive only watched the movie in italien and their voices seem mostly the same, with the exception of Sulfus, who sounds just awful in the dub im sorry. I hate listening to him talk, which is pretty bad considering hes the love interest. I mean, he makes up for it by having a great personality but man, what I wouldnt give to have him sound like he does in italian.... But the worst thing has to be the..... moaning, that the voice actors inexplicably do. Its very uncomfortable, I have no idea who is responsible for this but they have stuff to atone for

Third, the characters are pretty good, I like them a lot. Theyre not that deep, but theyre likable and pretty fun. Raf is a pretty nice and likable protagonist without being bland, although I kinda hate her subplot/backstory-thingy. I can ignore that for the most part though, so I dont really mind. Honestly, I think I would've liked Sulfus as a protagonist a bit better, but that might just be my bias towards edgy and pathetic (affectionate) guys coming through lmao. We mainly focus on Raf and her angel friends and their friendship is really cute. I kinda wish they paid more attention to the intragroup-friendships, if you know what I mean? Like, Raf and Urie were best friends and Miki and Sweet were kindof a duo, but thats kinda it and I really wish we explored some other dynamics a bit more. I wouldve also liked them to focus a bit more on Sulfus' friends, but at the same time, I get why they didnt. When it comes to stories where romance is incredibly important, I personally prefer it when the two characters in the main couple are both the protagonists, or when one of them is more like the deutergonist as opposed to just the love interest, but it works well enough here I guess

I also like the little background-plots (?? idk if thats the right word) that the humans get, theyre pretty charming and its fun to watch the angels n devils influence them

Speaking of the protagonist and the love interest, I absolutely adore the romance between Raf and Sulfus. Theyre soooooooo cute together its insane <3 Its gonna be kinda hard to explain why I love them so much as a couple without spoilery examples, but I'll try

Their dynamic is a fairly basic Good Girl/Bad Boy kinda thing (because of course it is) but like, in a way that I dont find absolutely loathesome lol. I usually really hate that dynamic because it feels like writers tend to use the fact that the guy is a 'Bad Boy' to make him toxic and insufferable for some reason while making the 'Good Girl' into a pushover who cant call him out on it, and then the whole thing is inexplicably framed as romantic?? And yea, I cannot vibe with that Im sorry. Fortunately, Raf n Sulfus arent like that :D Their relationship is pretty healthy and most of the drama between them either stems from external stuff or from the fact that their love is yknow, forbidden and no one really wants it to prosper (I think??? Idk honestly the storytelling isnt particularly clear here, I'll get into it later)

I think a lot of it comes down to the fact that Raf enforces her boundaries and Sulfus respects them despite their mutual interests, do you know what I mean? Like, okay, another thing that I love about their relationship is that they actually find out about each others feelings pretty early on and actually communicate about them; From Raf's perspective, the issue isnt "Oh no! Im in love with a devil who will never love an angel like me back :'(", its "Oh no! Im in love with a devil and he loves me back, but we cant be together because its forbidden :'(". And she basically tells Sulfus just that, and he goes "Well, rules were meant to be broken but fine, I get it I respect your decision pls tell me when you change ur mind tho" and I think thats neat

The fact that they know about each other feelings and are able to actually talk without turning into mushy flustered messes around each other is soooooooo incredibly refreshing. Like, I was comparing them to the Love Square from Miraculous in my head, since thats the last romance-centric Magical Girl show I watched and its literally so much better, I refuse to believe anyone actually likes it when the main couple doesnt communicate and dont get together until the last episode. And to be fair, Raf and Sulfus dont actually officially get together either (it looks like the series was cancelled prematurely and they were saving that for a potential third season), but they talk, they compliment each other and confess their feelings to each other and its just so nice, yknow?

The external drama between them doesnt feel contrived either. They straight-up have one of those stupid moments where the love interest appears to do something bad bc of some Outside Influence, like cheating or smth, and the protagonist gets mad and yells at the love interest while the love interest is like "no! wait!! I can explain!!!" but keeps getting interrupted except it didnt feel stupid at all, I was actually really invested in the drama rather than thinking "man, this is so dumb" like I usually do when this kind of stuff happens in stories.

The last thing I wanted to talk about was the story and the storytelling. Its pretty alright. I appreciate the structure of the two seasons with both of them starting out with a string of small, mostly unrelated, personal problems (that are mainly the angels and devils trying to make things better or worse for their human charges) while the villains are doing stuff in the background with the good guys being almost completely unaware until they achieve their first Real Victory and then the rest of the season is all the important characters banding together to actually stop them from achieving their World Destroying Final Goal. Theres a good amount of potential and set up to explore interesting themes about morality, free will, maybe love too idk, but the series is far too immature to really delve into any of it. Like, this isnt Winx Club Seasons 1-3, this is more like Winx Club Season 4 or maybe 5 idk I havent watched those season in a while. I would LOVE an animated She-ra (2018)-style reboot of this show because oughhhhhhhh theres so much good shit here but aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Also idk if this is the right place to put this, but the unsubtle and honestly pretty clunky dialogue really isnt helping lol

The biggest issue I have with this series is definitely the pacing. Im gonna be honest, I dont think I truly understood what people who critize media meant when they were talking about The Pacing before watching Angel's Friends and. i sure do now. The first few episodes especially feel like they tried to put 22 minutes worth of story into an 11 minute episode and like, I wouldnt call the experience of watching those episodes dreadful, mainly because they go by pretty quickly but, it sure isnt great. It gets a bit better, I think??? I honestly couldnt really tell you if actually gets better or if you just get used to it. I wasnt too bothered by it once I got used to not always looking at another screen while watching something because I have a pretty low attention span and tend to feel understimulated while watching TV shows, so the fast pace actually helped me in some weird way lol. As a kinda-writer, it was still really noticeable though and not in a good way

Another issue that I have is the fact that Raf and Sulfus' friends dont really seem to have an opinion on their love?? Or rather, its not really explained how much who knows and they dont really touch on it, which I think is kinda important for stories revolving around a Forbidden Love but, oh well.

So yea, thats about it for the non-spoilery stuff I think. I would definitely recommend to check Angel's Friends out, if only for some of the good ideas and the lovely kinda-subversive-in-a-way romance.

Alright, time to talk about what I liked, what I disliked and some missed opportunities in more detail (Apologies in advance if this next part is kinda disjointed lol)

The finales were my least favorite part, hands down. I especially didnt like the second season's finale, which is a shame because I really liked everything until they get to the Libra of the Veto and fight Cassidy and her cringe fail kinda-husband (forgot his name sry). Like, I loved the relationship drama between Raf n Sulfus and all the stuff with the clone and I thought Blue was really intriguing and the like, heist arc(?) were they infiltrate Angi Town and Match City respectively was sooooo much fun, but then the finale was just. eh. I think it might be because thats when I realized that oh, no theyre not really going to expand on all this interesting stuff that I would like them to expand on, are they. And yea, they didnt.

I was especially disappointed that we didnt really find out what Blue's deal was. I get that they were going to do that in a third season, but since we didnt get that, its just. Idk, disappointing, I guess?? Like, I predicted her being someone outside of the angel/devil binary basically in the scene she was introduced and I was theorizing about what exactly she was and where she came from and hyping myself up about her and then it was just.... nothing. Shes connected to Reina, but, how?? I personally thought she was a fallen angel given her primarily devilish features, but lack of horns or a halo and the weird shape of her wings. Maybe they elaborate on her in the books but i dont even know if those follow the same continuity as the show sooooo yea

The episode that truly made me like this show as much as I do was probably season 1 episode 26, where they kiss but it wasnt just the kiss, it was the whole build-up to it. Like, I feel like it couldve been so easy to mess up and make Sulfus come across as really unlikable or frame it like Raf was in the wrong for being upset when she wasnt, but I think they did it really well. And then ougggggggh the actual kiss...... I just really wish their lips didnt look so weird and ugly while they kissed lol

I kinda already mentioned this earlier but I like it happens so early in the series too. Ngl I initially didnt like that their relationship progressed so quickly (yea, the main couple having their kiss by episode 26 is pretty normal but remember that the episodes here are 11 minutes long) but theyre just so sweet together and I kinda realized that I actually prefer this to the usual way of writing 'slowburn' romance where theyre in mutual love but cant communicate at all for bullshit reasons lmao

The only thing that kinda pisses me off about this episode in hindsight are Sulfus healing powers which NEVER come up again. Like !!!! BRO how are you gonna give one of your main characters healing powers and never have him use them??!?! And its not like there werent opportunities!! Like, during the season 2 finale when Raf was injured and unconscious and everyone was telling them to go rest before their battle against those generals I was going "oh! Sulfus is gonna use those healing powers that he has but hasnt used for the entire rest of the series for some reason" but NO

Like, okay, in order to further explain why that sucks Im gonna go into another thing that really bothers me and thats the lack of gray morality

So, the angels as a whole are Good, the devils as a whole are Bad but in like, an emo school bully kinda way and anyone who threatens both angels and devils at the same time is Bad but in like, an actually evil way. Thats honestly perfectly fine in the first season, where we have the angels, the devils and Reina whos outside the binary and threatening to eradicate the existence of both angels and devils at the same time. When the devils are tempting humans into doing The Wrong Thing in the first season, I remember it always being unambigiously bad/selfish (in a bad way), while the angels are always in the right and theres never any doubts about that ever. The second season has these moments(?) that seem to call that into question but with absolutely no payoff

The most obvious is example is Sarah Jane, specifically her little plot about wanting to go to the mall with her friends but her mom not allowing her to because she wants her daughter to practice for a concert thats 3 months away. Thats unfair and her mom is obviously being shitty here and iirc even Urie and the other angels are like "thats unfair" but they dont wanna let the devils win so they convince Sarah Jane to just invite her friends to her practice instead of going to the mall and thats like. fine, I guess. I just think it sucks that the morality of the angels was only questioned for a brief moment and then tossed away because they found an adequate comprise, yknow?? I feel like they couldve had an interesting conversation about how its maybe not always wrong to be selfish (if youve watched Sanders Sides, basically the whole Selfishness vs Selflessness stuff but w/ angels and devils)

Also, it feels weird that no one really calls attention to Cassidy?? Yknow, that angel that was evil and wanted to incite a war?? That wanted it so much that she willingly worked with a devil??? But also, the War Of A Thousand Centuries was seemingly not considered to be bad itself, but rather the fact that Cassidy and her cringe fail kinda-husband tried to re-incite it after there war a law/truce put in place preventing them from fighting. And Im noticing thats kind of a theme in the series as Im writing it down here, where the Morally Wrong Thing tends to be the thing that makes you break a rule or disobey someone. And like, even beyond my own personal issues with that philosophy, that just makes for some pretty boring storytelling

And then theres the fact that. Okay, how do I explain this. It seems like theyre trying to make Raf a bit more 'diabolical' while making Sulfus more 'angelic' even more so in the second season, which, on paper, is a good way to approach their romance. But like, theyre not really doing that?? At least I feel like they arent. Its a bit hard to explain, but let me get back to those powers they gained right before they kissed. Raf uses her fireball powers quite a bit, she is (symbolically) being diabolical throughout the series, while Sulfus only uses his healing powers once, do you get what Im trying to say here??

Idk man, I was originally gonna write some more but ive been writing this post for hours andmy brain is running out of juice so yea. Hope you liked this

[tsukishumai]

too lazy to do 🍰 anon right now lol, but heLlo!! I’m 🍰 anon!! you can continue to call me 🍰(cake) Or Rue!! But to answer your question I was specifically looking for you to do tsukishima!

<3

- 🍰

Hello!! Omg Rue is such a pretty name🥺🥺 ahh I hope you didn’t think I forgot about you! Sorry this took so long, work has been slaying me this week 😭

Hope you like this! (and between u&me I’m so glad u picked tsukki I love him sm)

Tsukishima hates it when you pull his headphones off to try to get his attention. The first time you did it, he almost punched you. Even five year olds know not to touch other people’s things?

Word count: 1k

Warnings: Minor Angst to tooth rotting fluff

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Tsukishima was tapping away almost furiously on his keyboard, bopping his head along to the music flowing from his over-ear black headphones. It was a fairly new pair – a Bluetooth one that you’d gotten him for his birthday. He had the volume maxed out, slightly impressed by the sound quality; he knows this habit of his was bad for his ears, but he’s had a stressful day. He was so close to getting this last part of his paper done, and the familiar rhythm of his favorite songs were helping him stay focused.

He sat up a little, straightening his back and attempting to roll away the tension in his shoulders from being hunched over for two hours. He moved his head side to side, cringing a little at the resounding ‘crrrkkk’ of his neck cracking. He could feel a slight burn in the back of his eyes, taking off his glasses and attempting to rub it away with the face of his palm.

Tsukishima hated to admit it, but he was feeling burnt out these days. What with the extra practices and the increasing amount of school work, the blonde boy was stretched extremely thin. He didn’t know how the other two idiots on his team could put in that much effort into volleyball – surely their classes had the same curriculum as well?

Oh yeah, Tsukishima remembers, it’s cause they’re failing idiots.

Tsukishima chuckled at his own comment, typing out the last few sentences of his paper, practically slamming his fingers down on his keyboard. He let out a heavy sigh, leaning back on his computer chair and stretching his hands out in front of him. He picked up the cup of coffee that was nearly forgotten at his desk, taking a large gulp and cringing a little at the lukewarm temperature.

That’s that, he thought, glancing at the textbook mocking him from his bag and running a tired hand through his hair, what were the chapters we needed to read for English again?

He was flipping through the pages of his planner when suddenly, the thumping sound of his music disappeared. It took him a second to register a pair of hands plucking his headphones off his ears.

“Tsukishima Kei!”

He swiveled his chair around, tired eyes finally landing on your figure standing in the middle of his room, headphones still blaring music dangling from your hand. You waved a little and gave him a sheepish smile, one that Tsukishima would have found cute if not for the abysmally bad mood he had been in prior to your arrival. Normally, he would have stood up and given you a kiss by now, but all he could feel was irritation brewing in his chest.

“What the fuck?” He bit out, reaching out to grab the headphones back from your grip. Your brows shot up in surprise, looking slightly taken aback by his aggressiveness. “How many times have I told you not to do that??”

“I’ve been calling your name – “

“So you just snatch my headphones off my head like some monkey?” Tsukishima stood up quickly, his towering figure causing you to take a step back, “Any idiot can see that I’m in the middle of doing something. Do you even know how rude that is, or are you just that dumb? Even a fucking five year old knows not to touch other people’s shit!”

The tension in his shoulders melted away with every foul word that tumbled out of his mouth. Your face quickly shifted from surprised to calm; your eyes darted around his room, noting the pile of dirty clothes in his hamper, the crumpled protein bar wrappers littering the floor, and the mountain of paperwork scattering his desk. Tsukishima could feel himself shrinking under your probing gaze, sitting back down and looking away as the irritation in his chest transformed to a guilt that sank to his stomach.

You huffed a little and crossed your arms. “Are you done?”

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes at you, before begrudgingly answering with a soft, “Yeah.”

“That’s not how we talk to people, Kei,” You began your lecture, pushing passed him and setting down a brown paper bag he hadn’t noticed you holding on the desk, “You said you were going to work on that. See, that’s how I know you’ve been working for too long! Your sodium levels are through the roof, you salty asshole. But don’t worry,”

He stayed silent as you emptied the contents of the paper bag, watching you take out napkins, utensils, and finally, a clear plastic container containing one perfect slice of strawberry shortcake.

“I brought you something sweet to make up for it!”

His little heart grew three sizes in that moment. You always were really good at making him feel like an asshole.

He smiled at the little squeal that came out of your mouth when he pulled you down onto his lap. You giggled as he placed quick little butterfly kisses along your neck and jaw, tightening his hold around your waist. You placed a hand on his chest, lightly pushing him off.

“Alright jerk, let’s eat this damn cake already,” you say, opening the plastic container and grabbing a fork.

“Feed me,” Tsukishima mumbled, returning your surprised look with an expectant one.

“Excuse me, what?”

“You heard me,” Tsukishima said, opening his mouth for added effect. You roll your eyes, if only to hide the rising heat in your cheeks, cutting off a piece and feeding it to the waiting Tsukishima. He closed his eyes in satisfaction, and you were only able to admire the view for two seconds before Tsukishima placed a hand on the back of your neck and pulled you down for short, soft kiss.

“I’m sorry for raising my voice at you,” he said, nuzzling his face on your neck. “And for being a dick about it.”

You wrapped your arms around his neck tightly. “I’m sorry, too. I won’t grab your headphones like that again.”

[empressxmachina]

Is THIS what will push me to make an AO3 account? (not clickbait) (surprising)

[See this journal in a better layout on my blog site or on DeviantArt.]

I’ve fallen so down abysmal for the Help, I Shrunk My… series – “…Teacher“, then “…Parents”, and finally (?) “…Friends” – especially the last movie and its scenes between peers, that I have such an uncharacteristic urge to write a fanfic.

Yep, fanfic. I did say uncharacteristic. But with the cuteness and quality, especially at certain scenes in “…Friends” like below, I don’t think you can blame me.

“Holy shit, I’m going to pass out/die/shit myself/etc.” -me, at nearly everything in this series

(Post?) Pubescent Pairings

A. The Classic Couple.

I’m already, because I’m a serial romantic that loves a good self-insert, thinking to name the whole story “Help, I Shrunk My Lover/Girlfriend” or something cheesy like that (maybe even in German?) for Felix and Ella to be stuck together and have to deal with (post?-) pubescent awkwardness. I mean, I feel so honey-dicked that we got cute shit like this and its amazing scene…

God, look at that FOV, the (lack of) focus, the size difference, the subtitle, that face… Fuck.

…but it had to be ruined because – SPOILER – the dumb, lusting teen boy couldn’t see what was literally right in front of him for years until the end of the third movie! Plus, being steps away from a married couple of hotheads, who knows what kind of fights or arguments they’d get into? Are you telling me you wouldn’t want a scene like this again?

That stick is actually way too big to really be a toothpick (or is it?), but I’m not mad. We stan a brave queen.

B. The Will-They/Won’t-They Duo

I’m thinking of making Mario and Melanie into each other, too, as irony based on how much they hated each other for most of the last movie. She stole his phone (and everything else) and then his heart. (lol, I’m so sorry.) Maybe she’d still have some fancies for Felix but then sees that Mario has redeeming qualities of his own, on top of a rich background (not that it matters, but money is cool). My main focus in mind was just for Ella to be shrunken, with Melanie being the supportive gal pal, but given she’s new and hasn’t yet been small herself, maybe this would be the time.

I think Mario would’ve totally gotten over the prepubescent power drive from the first movie by now and certainly no longer has even the slightest grudge over Melanie causing and/or catalyzing chaos that could be played with if he had to deal with a small her. Surely.

C. The Bros in the Back

Would it be too presumptive to make Chris and Robert maybe gay for each other… or even absolutely the opposite? I respect a strong friendship and/or bromance, and LGBTQ+ representation is always a win, too. But for either, I don’t want to do anything “just because” or because it’s “(not) woke;” it should add to the story and have meaning. After all, a situation like “Dude, I love you, and I’ll love you forever, but not like that” could be just as cute. We stan supportive introspection between men. Bros before hoes, you know?

Though, maybe they’re likely the great masterminds to figure out what/why the plot thickens. They seem like the most intelligent of the squad, even if they were only henchmen at the beginning.

D. The Elders

I guess it would only make sense for Schmitty or Felix’s parents to get shrunk again, as is tradition. Maybe the former would be due to considering retirement from teaching/being principal.

I’d do anything to get Hausmeister Michalsky protecting her with his hat again.

As for the parents, it’d likely be a wrong place, wrong time situation. I don’t know.

Unless Sandra and Peter were snooping again, I doubt Felix would willingly do this to them.

Overarching Themes

Aging for Innuendo

Regarding all this, I do know that I’d like to make the story time-skipped a bit, making the kids at least U.S.-adult-aged for my own sake. I am a fan of double entendre, cheekiness, and raw emotion, so I’d love to spill them all over a story or characterization if fitting. However, I couldn’t bear to see or write any kiddos explicitly going through with any entailed implications – that shit’s illegal, lmao. Plus, why even risk something like that when an age-up takes away all the trouble, thus not make any innuendos or ideas awkward?

In a fun way, small or not, wouldn’t seeing the gang party together with real man’s drinks or whatever be cool? What about someone getting turnt on a thimble’s worth or a gummy bear’s paw?

The cups have been used. That’s adorable. +10 points for realism.

In a trash way, if a greater trust was built between Felix and Ella to wear one would suggest taking a bath with the other, and a small Ella floating in the soap ocean bumps into something on her back, only to realize all of Felix’s (normal) limbs are out of distance, in view, and/or just not able to touch her yet he’s blushing, then what would that imply? (It could be nothing, but it could be something.)

Why, Though?

I just can’t figure out a supposedly new catalyst for the ultimate shrinking plot point, mostly due to the main chaos causers, aka the ancient magic users that tackled the school, being sent to the Shadow Realm in the last movie. I do have some ideas, but I’d always love to hear more.

*Oh, Hulda Stechbarth… Bless this crazy bitch, lol.

Throughout the series, people going to our wanting to go to America was frequently brought up. Maybe, like Ilvermorny is to Hogwarts, maybe there’s a (maybe American) (college?) counterpart to the Leonhard school that is interested in the kids. Could the sudden shrinking be a part of the admissions or entrance exam process, such as figuring out how to reverse it? I can’t imagine someone still wanting to go to a school that risked its prospective students’ lives, but who knows? Still, I’m sure the friends would debate whether going overseas for any school is the best idea, especially with the ridiculous costs. Could differing views cause tension?

What if one between Felix and Ella considered it, but the other didn’t, and a coincidentally timed dream for them to stay together – not unlike Minami-kun no Koibito, if you know it – made one of them small with no way for Felix to turn the affected back to normal (due to the tests)? What if people start believing that Felix is intentionally not transforming people back, despite not being at fault but trying his best the whole time?

I suppose another villain is cool, too, but what would be their spite? Would Felix getting all of Leonhard’s power be enough to spark something?

***

I want to do this, but I rarely finish anything now. I can’t even think of a proper plot! Maybe putting this out into the world will inspire myself or even someone else to give a fanfic a shot or at least expose this series to our fandom more (like when I found Dwarfina and blushed at every scene, despite not knowing a lick of Tagalog)!

The third movie pretty much just released, so I only see it (legally) able for streaming (via renting or buying) via Vudu and Amazon Prime Video (in the U.S.). It maybe more widespread in Germany where it was made. (Though, VPNs do exist…) But the first and second movies can be bought or rented from multiple sources, surely.

In any case, let me know what y’all think, and feel free to share your thoughts!

[gunsatthaphan]

I was tagged by @sunsetknowsaboutyou thank you very much!! 🥰

1. your all time favorite bl and why  I get asked this question so many times and it’s a nightmare to answer every time djkfhd. I used to stick to TOL for the longest time but the more shows come out, the more it changes. At the moment I would go with Lovely Writer as my number one. It would be a lie to say I loved every single thing about it but nubsibgene just captured my entire existence jsdhf what can i say. I love them so much 😭

2. that one bl that scarred you for life  The Effect. Do not watch if you don’t want therapy. 

3. is there any bl that made you feel very single?  the easier question would be is there a bl that did not make me feel single lmaoo. I get attached to characters very fast which mostly results in me being extremely aware of my singleness at all times lmao. So yeah basically it’s most of them but if I had to pick one I would go with We Best Love. The chemistry of these bitches offended me personally. 

4. if you could change one thing from a bl, which one would it be? Aey’s & Mork’s story from LW because it was criminally underdeveloped and could’ve been so much better. I still don’t know why they just abandoned that entire story arc but yeah I wish they hadn’t just thrown away a story that had so much potential. 

5. that one bl you detest (don’t hold back)  oh gosh lmao. There are a few that are just straight up awful but I think I would have to go with Thank God It’s Friday because everything about is terrible. Which sounds bad because the cast is so young and it’s obviously an experimental project etc. but the production quality is abysmal. Another one that I consider terrible is So Much in Love. The story is all over the place and the acting is b-a-d.

6. your top five: like with question 1, this is also hard to answer bc it changes a lot lol. but currently I’d say it’s: - lovely writer - TOL - to my star - why r u  - we best love 

7. that trashy bl that you lowkey like  way too many lmao I live for crack shows. the first one that comes to mind is my engineer. Also bad romance which isn’t technically a bl but it’s a guilty pleasure for sure bc it was messy as hell lmao. 

8. your favorite korean bl (it’s important we know)  easy. to my star. iconic. life changing. still think about it every day. 

9. season 2? which one?  I mean I would be thrilled about a second season for all my favorite shows but not all of them have sequel-potential. I’m still super sad about the 2moons3 cancellation and I think they could’ve made it work so I will go with that. 

10. a bunch of dramas will air soon. which ones are you the most excited for?  BAD BUDDY OMG WHERE IS IT 😭 Also Not Me (cuz offgun supremacy), Cutie Pie (im super intrigued by the story also Zee!!!), The Theory (Dome and Ken in the same series bitch sign me up), Middleman’s Love (aka the Mii2 return that will end us all), Baker Boys (technically not a bl but I’m living for LeeSingtoPluem), Between Us (shouldn’t we have gotten that by now???) & Never Too Late (I loved the trailer and I think it will be a lot of fun)

11. tag them! I don’t know who has done this already so if you have or you have been tagged already then feel free to ignore as always. also sorry if I keep tagging the same people sdjkh don’t feel obligated if you’re annoyed. 

@itoldsunset @emisfritish @dollopheadsandclotpoles @bl-recs-and-reviews @meteorjam @fiat-pattadon @offspring-of-calliope @dangerous-button @german-bl-kpop-lover @tiansgalaxy @theblbois @zeejade88 @bruisingknees @earthmixs @tobeornottotc @metawin @earthpodd and everyone who’s in the mood <3 

xxx

[omoi-no-hoka]

Hello! I'm sorry if this has been asked before, but how do you become proficient at handling conversations in Japanese/handling grammar very well? I read your post on the JLPT, and it addressed issues I have been tip toe-ing around--indeed, passive actions such as listening or reading are easier than the active ones. How did you go about that? Did you write a bunch of sentences daily? Did you have a conversation partner? What would you rec. to someone who lives outside Japan? Thank you!

This is an excellent question, and one that I get asked a lot irl by Japanese people in particular. Let’s talk about gaining fluency and the ways we can go about it!

How to Gain Fluency in Japanese (and Other Languages)

Speaking Fluency versus Accuracy

Language proficiency is divided into two separate categories:

Fluency: Although there are no widely agreed-upon definitions or measures of language fluency, someone is typically said to be fluent if their use of the language appears fluid, or natural, coherent, and easy as opposed to slow, halting use. In other words, fluency is often described as the ability to produce language on demand and be understood.

Accuracy: Correctness of language use, especially grammatical correctness and word choice.

By the above definitions, a “fluent” speaker may make grammatical mistakes, but they can speak without having to stop and think too much about conjugations, word choice, etc.

An “accurate” speaker can speak with nearly zero grammatical/word choice mistakes. However, the speed of their utterances isn’t generally taken into account, so it could take an “accurate” person twice as long to articulate the same idea as a “fluent” person. 

Ideally, you need to strike a good balance between these two qualities when speaking. I have a boss, God bless him, who is 100% fluency and 0% accuracy and…man is it hard to understand what he’s saying sometimes, but he can generally get his point across just barely. I have another coworker who is 100% accuracy and takes about 3 minutes to form a sentence because he wants it to be perfect. 

How to Increase Speaking/Writing Accuracy

First, let’s talk about the easiest thing to improve, which is accuracy. It’s also (in my opinion) the least fun thing to improve, because it means grammar books and vocabulary memorization. 

You can only use a language accurately if you know what is correct and what is incorrect, and you can only learn that by studying grammar and vocabulary (or if you’re a native speaker and picked it up innately, you lucky bastard).

So here’s some things you can do to increase your accuracy:

For example, if you’re having a hard time using the passive, you need to review that part of your textbook and find some exercises to drill it into your head. 

Say the correct thing aloud. Lots. Sometimes I just walk around my apartment and narrate everything I see/do like a crazy person, but that’s good practice. 

Write example sentences using the grammar you’re struggling with and say them aloud too. 

There’s a bunch of cool apps that connect you with native speakers that can help correct you too! I used to use HelloTalk, I think. 

If you’re a creative soul, when I was studying for the JLPT, I took 1 grammar point and 5 vocabulary words from my JLPT study books and used them to write a 2-page short story about the adventures of ネギ, a stray black cat that smelled like green onions because she napped in an onion field. Then I had a Japanese friend check it over for me and mark mistakes. I hand-wrote them to improve my abysmal handwriting at the same time. It was really fun! I sometimes think about doing it again just for funsies.

When someone corrects you, don’t feel like your entire life is over and you’re a failure and you’ll never get it right haha. I’ve seen people fall into that hopeless mindset, and that’s just nonsense. It’s a good opportunity for learning and nothing more! Say the correct thing you’ve just been taught out loud, then write it down if you can. And, if possible, find a chance to use it in conversation asap.

How to Increase Speaking/Writing Fluency

Now this is the hard one. Especially for those learners who do not have native speakers nearby. 

I’m going to be dead honest with you. I started formally studying Japanese at uni, and I had a Japanese roommate/best friend since year one. I had a 4.0 GPA in my Japanese classes (and only my Japanese classes lol) because I was and still am a MEGA NERD about it. 

...But it wasn’t until I studied abroad in Japan my 4th year of uni that I gained fluency. 

There are a lot of things that can hold us back from fluency. An interesting thing I’ve noted is that Foreign Language is perhaps the only subject in which a student’s personality can directly affect their progress. To gain fluency, you have to go forth and speak, but if you are naturally a shy person, that is going to hinder you. If you are the kind of person who takes mistakes/failures poorly, you will be less likely to take risks and try to say harder sentences. In contrast, you can get full marks in math regardless of the above personality traits. 

I’m not saying that you have to be an outgoing explosion of a human being in order to gain fluency. But what I am saying is that you have to be willing to seek out conversations, and you have to be willing to take chances. Get out of your comfort zone. Use that new word you picked up the other day. Try to explain something that is difficult for you. 

My problem was that, while I lived with a native speaker who would have happily taught me anything I asked, her English proficiency was much higher than my Japanese proficiency. And when I struggled to say something in Japanese, I’d fall back onto English. And when she told me something I didn’t understand in Japanese, she’d repeat it in English instead of Japanese, because that was easier for us both. The same thing happened when I was in Japanese class as well. I always had the assurance that I could fall back on English.

But when I elected to study abroad in Japan for 3 months, I knew that this was my big chance. So on the host family form in the “other requests” area, I wrote that I specifically wanted a host family that could not speak English. I was setting fire to my crutches, and I was scared but excited to see them burn. 

By the end of my three months in Japan, I had gone from “Chotto matte kudasai” and needing a minute to form my reply, to “Okay, yeah I see that movie too and I liked the action scenes, but I didn’t care for the story little.” (I’ve underlined mistakes that I would have made in Japanese, to show you that I sacrificed some accuracy to obtain higher fluency.)

So, in short, the easiest and quickest way to increase your spoken fluency is to throw away all the crutches you can and use the language as much as possible. Every single day. Even if you’re just having an imaginary conversation with yourself! And like I said, there are a bunch of cool apps that connect you with Japanese people who want to learn English and you can do language exchanges with them. I had a lot of fun with those in the past. 

As for increasing writing fluency...well. That’s a tough question with Japanese, because I can type Japanese at like 100 wpm, but my Japanese handwriting fluency is at a 10/100. I can read and type at the level of a native Japanese high school student, but I can only write the kanji that 7 year old can write. That’s no exaggeration.

The big reason for that dichotomy is that my work is paper-free. 100% of my work is done on screen, so about the only time I have to write out something is when I’m filling out a form, which includes my name (katakana), address, and maybe occupation. 

If you want to increase your Japanese handwriting speed, just keep on writing. Write those little short stories about ネギ like I did, or find some writing prompts (I just started a side-blog with writing prompts yesterday btw) or keep a little diary. Make opportunities to write. 

How to Have Nice Handwriting in Japanese

Okay, full disclaimer: I am the absolute LAST person qualified to talk about this, because I have awful handwriting in Japanese. 

Unless you have prior experience with a different language that uses kanji, or you lack the keen eye of an artist, you will likely struggle to develop neat handwriting. 

Personally, I really like using this app called Japanese Kanji Sensei. It’s on Android (not sure about iOS), and if you pay just a few bucks you can make your own kanji sets and stuff. Anyways, it will show you how to write the characters prettily. It gives you a good frame of reference for what nice, pencil/pen-written characters (versus calligraphy characters). It has hiragana and katakana on it too!

I get a stylus and write out the characters on this app for the muscle memory, so my hands remember the sensation of writing a certain character. (The muscle memory is different if you only use your fingertip.) This muscle memory and repetition is how Japanese people learn how to internalize kanji as well. I really enjoy and recommend this app. I’m sure that there are others out there like it too.

Summary

TL;DR: Review your textbooks, take risks, use every resource available or make your own, and just have fun with it! 💗

[echoes-of-realities]

Hi :) could you tell me how you did the glitching effect in the catradora fanart???

Putting this under a read more since I figured screenshots were the easiest way to explain and now it’s a Long Post lol!

I recovered an old copy of this to demonstrate so the glitch effect won’t turn out exactly the same as it looks in the original art. Also I use clip studio paint, but I’m sure you can do something very similar on other programs! And sorry that the screenshot quality is absolutely abysmal on desktop—I tried to crop them so that you can at least see the important parts lol

//

First combine all your layers that you want to do the glitch effect on into one layer. Then duplicate the layer 3 times so you have 4 layers

Next, select the very top layer and go under edit > tonal correction > level correction

This will pull up the level correction menu. Select red from the drop down menu and then take the circled arrow and drag it all the way to the left and hit OK

Now your selected layer will look like this:

Next select the layer directly below the top (now blue-green) layer I just hid the blue-green layer so you’ll be able see the layer that we’re working on lol

Go to edit > tonal correction > level correction again. This time select green from the drop down menu and then take the circled arrow and drag it all the way to the left again and hit OK

Now the layer sorry that tumblr completely ate the quality of this one will look like this: 

Next select the layer directly below the (now red-ish) layer you were just working on. Again I just hid the layer above so you can see what I’m doing lmao 

Alpha lock this layer, then take a black brush and color the whole layer black

Now take the top blue-green layer and change it from normal to screen. Do the same to the red-ish layer right below it

It will now look like this:

Now take the top blue-green layer and select the whole layer and then transform it (or just hit command + t like I do lol). Adjust it to the left or right, and then do the same in the opposite direction with the red-ish layer below. Play around with them until you get the effect you like!! Adjusting it too much can make cause a little eye strain though so be careful, unless that’s the effect you’re going for lol 

Once you’re happy with how it looks, combine all four layers together. Then select your rectangle selection tool and set it to “select additionally” under the tool options. Now make as many or as few randomly sized boxes as you want. These are where the glitchy effect itself will go so go crazy lol

Now go under filter > transform > wave shape

This brings up the wave shape menu where you can make the glitch effect itself. I like the way the rectangular wave looks the best for glitches, but you can use any of them really. Then just play around with all of the values until you get something that you like!!

Make sure you keep everything selected, and then go under filter > effect > mosaic

Adjust the block size until you're satisfied with it (personally I prefer to stay within the 1.00-2.50 range, otherwise it starts to look less like a glitch effect and more like just plain mosaic effect)

And ta da, you’ve got a glitch effect!!