#sorry i just think their romance set up in eps 1 and 2 is obvious as FUCK and im tired of (Some) people pretending it isnt

[spacedlexi]

"sounds nice... having a partner"

[inessencedevided]

Ah, but what scenes in particular did you enjoy? The wangxian ones in general? Or were there any particular ones that stuck with you?

-the axe cultivator

Oh, ac, I missed some of your question last time didn't I? So sorry. My head is kinda in the clouds these days

There are so many scenes that stuck with me, so I'll make a bullet list and probably still miss some ^^

It's such a small thing but in ep 1 the transition from the tale of how wei wuxian was killed transitions to the tea house via a shit from within sizhui's trea cup as he's pouring tea "onto the camera". It's nothing special but remember loving that shot so much the first time I watched that it was one of the things that kept me watching

Wangxian-wise in the first two episodes, I'd be remiss not to mention that handgrip when wei wuxian plays wangxian to calm wen ning down. Because it goes on ... and on ... and on. When I watched it for the first time I was like "ooohhhh so it's gonna be this kind of gay". You know the endless-longing-stares kind. And now when I rewatch it's just devastating. The last time they saw each other before this scene, they also held onto each others wrists but wei wuxian let go and fell to his death. And here lan zhan is, holding on for minutes and only let's go once jiang cheng threatens wei wuxian. Just ... 💔

i started shipping xiyao from their very furst sxebe together. Those two actors (i try to remeber their names but i always forget them again. My memory is shit when it comes to names :/) really just did want some of that sweet sweet homoerotic tension. Also, their first interaction stand out to me as the moment i really started to like lan xichen. In a setting that was shown early on to be highly hierarchical, he exhibited in the very forst scenes that he is willing to disregard someone's standing and look at their character and abilities instead. I just really love xichen ❤

Okay, i can't name one scene per episode, so let’s sum them up a little

I adore this progression during the cloud recesses and the yin iron arc from a flirtratious rivalry to genuine deep freindship and love. There are so many little moments that stand out because of the subtle acting joices made my wang yibo and xiao zhan, as well as the script, The lantern scene, when Wei Wuxian doesn’t betray the yin iron secret to huaisang and lan wangji goes “hu, so your bullshitting has reasons”, when they are in the market and lan zhan actually communicates that he doesn’t like crowds and wei wuxian pulls him closer but not into the crowd and so many others. When you watch closely, you see them realising little details about each other and I’m honestly so impressed with how amazingly the process of their falling in love was portrayed

fast forward a bit: obviously, the freaking montage quasi-fan vid in the middle of the cave scene set to their freaking love song. I remeber when I first watched this scene I actually, literally screamed. I could not believe it because their was no fucking way that this could be read as anything but romantic and I was not used to that much blatant queer romance!

A little less happy (okay a lot). The entire destruction of the jiang clan with a special mention to the scene when Jiang Cheng and Wei Wuxian just saw the bodies and run into fields where they fight and Jiang Cheng chokes Wei Wuxian and then they just fall back in exhaustion and sleep right there under the open sky. Everything about that scene was brilliantly done and also soul-crushing. The loss of innosence in that moment devastated me. It was so obvious that in the moment of deepest despair, all of these children’s traumas and deep-seated fears reared their ugly heads. So Jiang Cheng directs all his grief at the easiest target for his anger and Wei Wuxian just takes it because that is what he thinks is his job. And the real tragedy? This dynamic will not be broken until Wei Wuxian’s literal death. These children need therapy so goddamn badly and all they get is more trauma on top of their excisting trauma.

“The single log bridge” scene. I. Am. A. Sucker for the found family trope, especially for characters who cronically think they have to do everything on their own. So there Wei Wuxian is saying he will walk his dark path alone, but instead he finds lit lanterns and a humble feast prepared for him by people who love him. That juxtaposition kils. me. every. time. YOU ARE LOVED WEI WUXIAN! FOR YOURSELF!

(Shout out to the second time his word are refuted, this time by lan wangji and *gasp* verbally. Because there is NO better love declaration than that scene in front of basically every leader of cultivation world who politely wait for their turn to attack them)

Luo Qingyang removing herself from the narrative. I literally cry every time.

Talking about women: jiang yanli defending wei wuxian and calling him her brother. That moment is the "three things all wise men fear" quite incarnat, only it's the anger of a gentle woman

“Let me go” So ... I have SUCH a thing for couple who grapple with questions of when it is time to let go and when it is time to hold on. So Wangxian hits all my buttons. I will go further into this in my last bullet point (about the very last scene)

Oh god, this list is gonna get so long and i’m still going to forget things

In the present timeline:

Again, to sum it up, all the gentle wangxian moment where they look at each other and their entire face grows soft. Every almost-smile lan wangji sends wei wuxian, every "oh. He really loves me huh?"-look from wei wuxian. Especially in the Jingshi just after lan Xichen's loredrop. These two intensly guarded people (yes, wei wuxian is guarded,he just hides behind smiles) are so open with each other. I only have to see a guf of lan wangji with his heir down and I go feral!

Talking about that episode, the lan family backstory as a scene does things to me. And I remember watching that the first time and so much of lan wangji's behaviour suddenly making sense. Especially little lan zhan kneeling in front of his mother’s house and that being how he showed his grief really drove home just how this man exhibits emotion. I'm pretty sure that that was the moment he really became my favourite character.

Same episode and a start juxtaposition to the domestic scene between wangxian before: the talk between lan xichen and Jin Guangyao just afterwards. You could probably write an essay of meta about the parallels and differences between those two scenes and I think that's deliberate because they're back to back. The lan brother's share tea with the person closest to their hearts. One is finally able to open himself fully, the other closes up more than he ever has before with this person. The framing in that scene alone drives that message home, never mind its content. It's heart-wrenching and so well done!

Talking about xiyao: jin guangyao's death for similar reasons. Just ... arrrgh

I'm sure I've missed a ton but thus is already so long so I'll close with my favourite overall: the last scene. The parting and subsequent reunion on the mountaintop. I've stated before why this means so much to me. It is such a reassuring message to me: to have two intensely different people learn to understand and love each other exactly as they are. Being who they are, the occasionally walk different paths. But they don't limit each other. They learn to improve each other by just being there when they are and therefore know and trust that their love will return.

This was mostly cql because you asked for "scenes", but have some honorary novel mentions:

Lan Wangji: "The face says nothing. Listen to the heart-beat." 😭😭😭

The moment when wei wuxian collapses after the second siege and lan sizhui expresses surprise over this, lan wangji says something like "We are all human." I love that moment for many reasons. 1) it's one of the rare direct insights into lan wangji's thoughts. No matter how brief he is here, you don't say something like that just because. 2) and it's significant that he is the one saying it because he, too, is placed on a pedestal. In fact, I think a lot about mdzs boils down to the conflict between the inner self and outer perception and how that dichotomy can be both a deliberate shield (lan zhan being the perfect example) and a curse

I hope you and your axe are having a wonderful day 🥰

[magenta-llama]

Avengers Assemble Season 1: the stoniest

List: 

ep. 1-2 “The Avengers Protocol”

ep. 6  “Super Adaptoid”

ep. 13 “In Deep”

ep. 17 “Savages”

ep. 25 “Exodus”

ep. 26 “The Final Showdown”

Episodes 1-2: The Avengers Protocol

"You lead. I'll follow." (Steve Rogers)

What can I say, the show is gay from the start. Like, Tony is missing his team so much that he stalks them over his morning coffee on a daily basis. And yeah, sure, he stalks all of them and Steve is the last one he gets to, but come on, this show is so transparent (thank you, whoever made it this way. You make my life better every day. I love you.) And like, idk, I, personally, often leave the thing I am truly interested in to be the last one as well. Like, you never start with what worries you most when you don’t want to look suspicious.  And excuse me, what exactly was Red Skull’s “So Iron Man has a heart after all” about? I MEAN, AFTER IT LOOKS LIKE HE KILLS STEVE AND TONY GOES “NOOOOO” AND GETS KINDA ANGRY? Really, I think he is the biggest Stony shipper of the show (after Clint maybe).  And then again, “So you left the rest of your team behind - for me?” (Not that he doesn’t have a point, because the moment Tony sees Cap’s signature? He forgets everything). I tell you, he has an ao3 account, and he posts stony fics every night when MODOK is not around.

And the moment Tony frees Cap-Skull? He just wouldn't stop TALKING because he'd MISSED Steve so much TT 

Then goes part 2 - yep, the one with Steve’s “show-off” face. 

Like, he is biting his lip right there, I don’t take criticism.  He literally offers his body to Tony Stark at the very beginning of the show.

And Steve carrying Tony around in his arms? (Steve carrying Tony is a thing of this show in general - no matter whose hands are free, no matter the fact that Thor and Hulk are stronger than Steve and can move faster than him while carrying heavy stuff, Steve never lets anyone else carry his Tony. Ever.) The tender looks and shiny smiles Steve gives him? The non-stop flirting? I mean, if "Careful. Keep leading like that and we might actually stick together." was not a Captain America pick-up line I don't know what is. 

And the way Steve and Tony are right by each other's side, all the time, they just can't bear being farther than 1 meter's distance from each other. 

Do they have to be so close? There's plenty of space in Tony's house! And given that Tony was the first to turn and walk down it looks like Steve just ran after him to stick close again. 

Episode 6: Super Adaptoid

"There are a few old-fashioned things worth keeping around." (Tony Stark)

This one is just my favourite. I think I've rewatched it at least four times already. This whole trope with Tony's Modern Tech vs Steve's Old Fashioned Gut, learning to actually listen to each other and becoming closer in the end? Love it.   The way they just outright flirt and fool around from the first minute of the show? The way Tony is genuinely worried about Steve being hurt and tries to make him wear armour?

I personally find the whole concept of Tony making a suit for Steve really hot. And yes, it's always Steve. Not Clint or Natasha, who don't even have super strength. Just Steve. Tony wants to protect him so, so badly I want to cry.

I also love how Tony and Steve sit a bit apart from the others on their way home. Like, alright, Tony's piloting the jet (which actually JARVIS can do) but what is Steve doing? Just sitting there by his side and what, watching him? What had he been doing before he asked about the readings? He just likes spending time with Tony so, so much. I tell you, the only reason Cap wasn't sitting on his lap at that moment was that it's a kids' show. 

And Steve “never missing an issue” of Futura? That magazine with Tony on the cover? No, I can respect that he can just have interests of his own, but I like to think that he reads things like that to understand his boyfriend better. Or maybe impress him, who knows. He did impress him in the end :3

Also, why does Cap know how to use Iron Man's gauntlet? It didn't take him long to figure it out. Well, I actually made a fanart on that one, you can find it by “my art” or “stony” tag, I don’t know which one helps, tumblr messes with the tag search all the time.

And of course, the last scene. Oh, that last scene. That peaceful walk down the corridor while Tony's drying his hair. I have so many questions about that one scene. Like, what, were they taking a shower together? Were they going to spar? But then why do they take a shower before that..? But I've already written a post about that one, too.

Episode 13: In Deep

“So are you pals gonna hug now or what?" (Clint Barton)

The stoniest episode of the season. Possibly, of the whole show. Like, the whole episode is entirely stony. Undercover mission while gazing tenderly into each other's eyes? Trying to play bad guys, but keeping flirting and looking after each other's backs all the time? Really, the whole episode is just Steve and Tony being:

Yeah, I made a post about that one, too.

The "Tony's not following Steve's plan and Steve's pissed but in the end, they steal each other’s moves" trope? The "I know you're enjoying the role-playing thing"? I mean, how does he know Tony’s enjoying ‘the role-playing thing’? Oh, we all know how.  And Steve telling Tony how amazing he is? @tonysbubblebutt​ has already made a post about this, too. And COME ON, "Step 3 - we enjoy the view"? ENJOY THE VIEW, STEVE? REALLY?

(The view:)

Also, Tony's face when Steve hit him. For a moment, he really thought his babe was gonna hurt him, omg. 

And I like how everything is censored and yet so obvious. Like Tony putting a photo of his butt into the armour, but in pants - because kids'  show. Or Steve saying "billionaire, genius" and then trailing off - because kids' show. And Clint’s "So are you pals gonna HUG now or what?”  I mean, really?

Episode 17: Savages

"You know me, and I know Tony" (Steve Rogers)

The Camping! trope episode. Seriously, I've come up with at least three fanfiction ideas while watching this one. 

The first thing you should understand is that Tony and Steve had had a very good morning sex before the events. Or maybe not that good, because Tony just kept throwing Steve around the room and tried to make him “test drive his next invention”. Maybe he wanted to top and Steve didn’t let him, idk. Anyway, there is no other explanation for them beaming at each other for 20 minutes straight.

Really, the bet should have been about Tony and Steve being unable to go a day without eye-sexing every time one of them starts talking or, idk, moving. But just look at how wide their smiles are all the time - it makes it hard for them to even talk at all. 

But yeah, making bets. There’s actually an amazing fic about that, it’s called Quit While You’re Ahead by  @magicasen​ (ao3 work 3067199), I highly recommend you read it.

And the way they tease each other, oh my gosh. And the mysterious "next *fingers-up-in-a-scissoring-gesture* invention" Tony expects Steve to test drive- 

And both of them running around like two happy puppies when it’s time to set up their camping. 

And yes, Steve knowing Tony all so well and having so much faith in him? I love it. 

Episode 25: Exodus, Episode 26: The Final Showdown

"Sorry to break this romance" (Clint Barton)

These are just worth watching for Tony and Steve holding hands (I stopwatched 6 seconds, and those were only those shown), Steve carrying Tony on his shoulder while holding him under his butt and just Steve's "You're amazing, Tony" and Tony's "No, you are amazing. I am also amazing, but that's because you make me amazing with how amazing you are yourself, Steve." 24/7.

Bonus: Steve carrying Tony around - Season 1 edition (tell me if I missed anything)

[quantumquinn]

Vinyl and Vibes: Perfect Album Edition

Yes indeed, it is that time again, time for me to spread my musical opinions to the wind for no one to listen! But this time, there’s a twist! I’m going to do more of a retrospective, where I list off what I think are perfect albums.

Perfect albums are much harder to come by than just good jamz or singles, and imo give a much more satisfying listening experience. Of course, there’s a lot of music I love out there, so this page could go on forever if I let it (instead of just ‘probably too long of a post’). To keep things interesting I’m going to divide my albums into three sections, high school, undergrad, and grad school, based on when I discovered the music. To keep me honest, I’m only going to allow 4 albums in each timeframe. After some experimentation, 4 albums seems to be enough to get good picks out there, while still forcing me to make tough calls. 

I’ve tried to pick albums that I keep coming back to. There will be some obvious choices, some controversial ones, and some that nobody else has heard of. I’m sure there will be plenty of quibbling about my choices (no Mark, obviously no Dan Deacon), but what’s the fun of this without a little provocation anyway? 

So let’s get started!

High School

1) American Idiot -- Green Day

I mean this one’s a gimme. And, disturbingly, somehow more relevant than ever. But let’s be real, this is Green Day at their perfect balance between pretentious, obnoxious, and angsty and it’s great.

Favorite Song: Whatsername 

2) The Black Parade -- My Chemical Romance 

As if this wasn’t gonna be on here?

Favorite Song: Mama  

3) Chase this Light -- Jimmy Eat World

This one is probably more controversial, but goddamn I love this album. Jimmy Eat World is generally not a happy band, but in this album they figure out the trick of writing songs with sad lyrics with melodies that sound happy and I love it love it love it. 

Favorite Song: Here It Goes

4) The Everglow -- Mae

This album defines high school feelings for me. My iPod (you know back when you had one) said I listened to it ~400 times. And that seems about right. Every song on this album is good, but the experience as a whole transcends the parts. It as an album that pulls together as an hour long experience far better than anything else I know.

Favorite Song - The Everglow

Honorable Mentions: Commit this to Memory -- Motion City Soundtrack, Hello Hurricane -- Switchfoot, Artwork -- The Used, This is an Outrage -- Capital Lights

Aright, Undergrad, let’s go!

1) Would it Kill You? -- Hellogoodbye

This album has the perfect sense of fun and loving life that really sets my favorite music apart. Just hearing the first notes makes me want to dance forty minutes away.

Favorite Song: When We First Met

2) Jukebox the Ghost -- Jukebox the Ghost

Anyone who’s talked to me about music over the past few years knew that Jukebox was going to make onto this list. Jukebox’s songs have the perfect match of a jazzy piano with pop sensibilities and a little bit of rock to make me love them all. Every song on this album is iconic. 

Favorite Song: Postcard

3) When I Was Younger -- Colony House

To be fair, this should really only qualify for the perfect first half of an album. But what a perfect first half! Every song is filled with musings on growing up that are unpretentious enough to be interesting and melodies catchy enough that they become hard to forget. I find myself coming back to this album over and over again, far more than I would have expected when I initially came across it. 

Favorite Song: Caught Me by Surprise

4) The Colourist -- The Colourist

Man, the colourist only put out one full length album, but goddamn it slaps! I still listen to this puppy all the time. It actually brings up one of my biggest regrets about grad school: I bought tickets to go see the Colourist perform all these songs live, but missed my opportunity since that later turned out to be the visit weekend for Penn State. In the end, it was probably worth missing the concert. But only probably! They’re that good!

Favorite Song: What Can I Say?

Honorable Mentions: Celebrasion -- Sleeper Agent , The Narrative -- The Narrative, King -- O.A.R

Grad School

Ok, we’re nearing the end now, which means it’s time for my taste to get a lot more folky. I’m sorry, that’s just how it is. 

1) Amateurs -- Royal Teeth

Ok, so technically this is an EP, but I think its six songs easily merit inclusion on this list. As always I go nuts for having a female-male singer duo. Combined with the energy and indie vibe that always works for me, this album is a thirty minutes extremely well spent. Their album Glow is also pretty fantastic and arguably should be on here too. 

Favorite Song: Is It Just Me

2) Places -- The National Parks

Yes, that’s right, this album is dedicated to one of my favorite subjects: places! Closely followed by people and things. But leaving the title aside, this is a fantastic folk pop album that’s overflowing with both catchy tunes and heart. It’s a great experience.

Favorite Song: Esparanca

3) The Wilder Beyond -- Hillsburn

Man, Hillsburn is a band that puts their all into their music. From the opening drum notes of the album, you can feel that this is going to be a great ride. The album covers a wide range of moods, from excited to nostalgic to melancholy, but in every song, Hillsburn is putting their heart into these songs and it shows.

Favorite Songs: Strange Clouds

4) Wild World -- Bastille 

Bastille is one of those perfect bands that it feels like I barely need to introduce (It feels like if you’ve been alive in the past year, you’ve heard happier). If you had any doubts of how incredible they (and particularly the vocal talent) are, this album completely puts it to rest. I have to admit, their lyrics are a bit depressed, but they make up for it with insanely catchy songs that you will always be returning to. I debated between putting this album or their newest album, Doom Days, as my pick since they’re both fantastic, but this one technically came out during my grad school, so here it goes!

Favorite Song: Snakes

Honorable Mentions: I Want to Grow Up -- Colleen Green, Twin Forks -- Twin Forks, Nights Like This -- Eli Paperboy Reed

And finally...

The Special Derp Perfect Album Pick!!!

Mouth Sounds -- Neil Cicierega

This album has no explanation. And it’s great. Vivid Memories Turn to Fantasies is a legitimate bop.

----

And that’s it! That wraps up this special extra long quarantine edition of vinyl and vibes! Hope any remaining readers enjoyed this musical tour. Any thoughts? Albums I left out? Wrong opinions? Mad that Ieft out the album with Wonderwall by Oasis on it? Send those thoughts my way!

[meandmyechoes]

I'm SO Angry about Joran's finale

Look, I knew where I was heading, and I'm not even upset I invested a month's time to what any seasoned viewer can sniff a "14 and edgy" show. But boy, am I so ANGRY over something I haven't in a while (Giselle face)

Tell me why a show starts with four women in the cast somehow lets the only male character steals the spotlight in its own finale?

Who even is the fucking main character at this point. I'm so sorry Yuki and Rinko, they did you so dirty. The cool sword fight isn't even cooler than episode one. With a little thought, I do understand the narrative weight of Yuki confronting her family's killer(s), (and I think her explanation about closing the book is sound in her defense, albeit my disagreement), but the duel does not convey emotional weight. You either talk it out or fight it out and what we see, is someone who was fighting Wolverine bare-fisted last week, lost, in her transformed state. And these people essentially just, die?, to avoid therapy. I can excuse Sawa reserving fighting Jin since she still wants answers from him and she's been shown having a soft heart, but how do you explain her ebbing power level? Can't she beat Jin, talked it out, and agreed to let him go/him slipping away after an emotional revelation? AGENCY.

Kuzuhara Jin. I don't mind his story. But um… he's also the only character that had an entire episode of backstory, hmmm wonder why that is. I obviously do not pity him, or hold particular high praise for his tragic backstory. It was alright, it was believable, for his later actions as well. And I know I see relationships not default as romance unlike most outside people, but i'm not the only one a little lost on what he feels for Sawa. To me it's very simple, he sees Sawa as a vessel for his guilt and redemption. After the backstory, we have confirmation he does care for her as to repay her mother's kindness. And I think that would've been enough. Showing Jin more fatherly with Sawa would've been a nice echo with Sawa and Asahi, and clear up the confusion caused by ep9 where some sre led to believe he has romantic feelings for her. Therefore, I def. think his confession about Sawa's mother is an overkill. Like, we get that from the flashbacks, but it's still pretty iffy to hear it.

I'm already think of rewrites before I can even finish shouting about what's bad. I think in the original timeline where Sawa's brought to the Palace, had a brief alliance with Jim to take down Yoshinobu, then duels Jin for the truth and dies im her arms would've made me less angry, even though that's the most "traditional" route you can think of. In every arc she fights a big bad and in the last, cumulative masterpiece of a finale she just… dies? And Boy, there's isn't even a close-up of her beautiful face while the hopeful dialogue tortures the audience.

It doesn't make no fucking sense that Sawa died. And it doesn't make no fucking sense Rinko literally backstabbed her. It wasn't even a heroic departure. Rinko doesn't have enough personal beef to kill her which just make her seem petty and insensible. They wasted Rinko as a villain and tgey wadted a friends-to-enemies arc for her.

First off, Sawa didn't get the big hero vs boss fight; then she dies without a close-up for cinematics and— after all these hardships she still didn't get to live?? Also like, didn't you show her supernatrural healing abilities in ep 1??? She knows that right? Why doesn't she run straight to a doctor? (okay the stab would was probably more gruesome than shown given it's Rinko and she knew her time is running out so she'd rather stay with Asahi—) Even Jin, your big male saviour, asked her to live, and the show decides to kill her off?? What kind of lesson is it supposed to deliver? "Life is unpredictable" or "Finish the job or they'll finish you"? Do you just like negating your own characters??

I think it'd be better if Arc 2 and 3 switch places if they are to stay within a similar amount of plot. They could've introduced Rinko earlier and really give her the narrative foil antagonist (and duel) she deserves as man-made/orders/past vs Sawa's nature/choice/future. Heck might as well push back the Janome plot by two episodes, show more Nue's Angels bonding to warrant why Tsuki earns a namesake in Hana's daughter. (And please dwell into his/her queerness, and make his fall more convincing)

I wishfully wished Hana would fight but I know it's a long shot. At least she didn't die. Or so I thought. I can't help but read the reason her daughter is travelling with Asahi is because she and his cheerful editor husband are both murdered - while Sawatsuki is so young that their death doesn't seem to bother her? I fucking hate that implication, but I wouldn't be surprised if THIS show pulled this on us.

Are they suggesting Asahi is gonna become the new executioner or at least, seek revenge for her sister? Let's put aside if and how she finds out who murders her. But Why. Not why would Asahi want to avenge her sister, but why would you take a character established by hope and second chance, to take on an old path? To be haunted by the same ghost her sister suffered for a decade?

Why does the show decides "history repeats itself" is a good message to send? That one should always be confined by the past and revenge is the only way to seek solace? That a cycle of violence is "cooler" than recovery and honouring a loved one's legacy positively?

I called Asahi obtaining blue blood weeks ago, because they have to show her inheriting Sawa's legacy one way or another, and this is the simplest way. But like you could have the blue blood doing positive change?! Like rebuilding the Karasumori village to take in orphans?? The blue blood helping "find dragon veins" to sustain their own economy if we so follow thy own setting? I'm just, at a loss by the end of an episode. Granted, the epilogue is pretty open-ended to me, and it's obvious teasing the stage play. Objectively its sale and popularity in no way gurantees a second season, and I'm not sure what story they can tell either.

This show, is beautifully drawn, and beautifully orchestrated, yet it fell short in throwing in every wow factor a teenager's "edgy" debut story would have to pass for hooking the audience interest. They need to learn how to edit. I'd like it better if the scale just draws in a little and flesh out a personal story. In the end, I'm more disappointed in its lost potential if only it was handled more sophisticatedly than I can be bothered by how they did the characters dirty.