#the academy was such a vibe back in 2019

[thesimperiuscurse]

act i — summer.

[effervescentdragon]

Bestie i was thinking of and hot take to disagree about but it's difficult we usually agree on literally everything!! I cannot come up with anything hahahahhaha. So i'll try to stay generic. If i exclude Lewis and Nando to me the strongest drivers are in this order:

Charles

Max

Lando

Yuki (he desperately needs a chance nobody wants to give, it's frustrating)

George/Carlos equally

About oscar.... Well, for sure i expected something more.... Idk how to define it tbh

That said idk, do you agree or not? Hahahahha

Ana i fucking adore you this is SUCH a good ask! Okay okay i think i see what you mean and i do agree to some extent, however not with it all!

Id put max above charles on account that he still has 3 wdcs, however charles has never driven a reliable car at the same time max did. So i think two of them are more evenly matched because of max's experience in a reliable and unreliable cars both, plus i think you become more certain in yourself after you win. I dk think charles is the only guy who can actually challenge max, which i am hoping happens soon, so charlie boy's generational talent doesnt flicker away into nothingness.

Now. As for the rest. I agree with lando actually, out of the british ot3 aka 2019 rookies id say lando has the most chance to win a wdc. HOWEVER. idk what these long years in mclaren have done to him. Lando drives more instinctively imo, and has more raw talent, but george is really, really good at calculations. I think georgie might end up being better than lando if he just learned how not to fuck up the moments when he lets instinct overtake. Idk if that makes sense. Idk if this will make sense but to me, lando drives kinda like.lewis drove at the beginning and george drives like nico did. Ifs just the vibes i get from them, and its not a 1:1 comparison at all, but thats the closest i can come to explaining what i mean with a similar case.

Yuki is the only guy that deserves a no.1 red bull seat out of their whole lineup (excludong max obvs) and their whole academy. I will die on this hill and idgaf who says what. I used deserve on purpose (hehe) because i think he is the only one who has the determination, the talent, and the je-ne-sais-quoi (its the bastard. the bastard gene) to be rbrs no. 1 driver. I will gladly fight anyone who disagrees. He also needs a more reliable car to prove that and when he gets it, imma be decked out in proper rb merch w tsunoda on my back :)

Carlos... see, the thing is. He is good. He is really, really good. Reliable too. But i just genuinely dont believe hes wdc material. Not when hes going against max and charles and hell, even lando and george. Thats the tragic part for me. Hes been told his whole life hes good, and he really is, but.. these guys are just better. I hope he can prove me wrong, i hope its just a series of bad decisions to drive for "bad" teams, but idk. Lets see what he does in the future.

As for oscar.. im excited to see what he will do. He is INSANELY good, ive watched him in f2 and caught some f3 highlights too, and genuinely if it wasnt for lando's primary position in mclaren, i think oscar will still, despite that, give him a run for his money. Bcs i think he can only improve for here bcs from what ive seen... oh boy. Genuinely. Oooooh boy. I am super excited to see if he lives up to his potential. I think that might be what youre missing w oscar, this like, fight for being the 1st driver. Which i think isnt possible w how tightly lando is entwined w mclaren. Maybe? Idk.

So id accelt your sorting grid actually, because all of my adjustments are based on the best performance of all the boys. But there is some room for shuffling there. In the end i did agree w you. Damn. We did it again 🙈💜

[silvertws]

You know what? At this point I have more written posts than fanarts... I mean, I could post old ones, but idk if it would make sense you know? Anyway.

You may wonder, is this gonna be another Steve Saga or something post?

Oh no, I may be hyperfixated, but I still do love other fandoms, even if they are dead.

Speaking on dead fandoms.

Hi Origins Crew fandom :}

How are y'all doing? How's the feeling of never knowing what was supposed to happen to your favorite character in OoO, SNO,SAO...? Oh and the unfinished storylines in MHO? FTO? do we wanna talk about the cliffhanger in OZ? I mean, luckily some people posted videos about how the storyline was going to go, so at least we got that.

(to clarify, I'm not mad at anyone who was part of the Origins Crew DW, I could never)

Anyway.

Some backstory on how I started watching Origins.

It was summer of 2019 I think? Pretty sure at least, I know it was before I started highschool because I sucked at English before I started watching Origins.

Anyway.

First series was OoO S1 from Brandon's POV, at least that's the first video that got recommended to me, I'm unsure what episode it was, I can't remember if it was before or after the Aphrodite's ball (we don't talk about those, you guys know why. You know.) So I'm not sure if I even watched it all, but I think at the time I did go back to watch it from the first episode.

Anyway POVS right? With OoO S1 I watched Brandon (*cough cough* Brandeen), Jakey, Brian, Colin and some of Xylo.

And can I just say... IT'S BEEN 3 SEASONS, 3 SEASONS IT TOOK TO GET RID OF A FUCKING SWORD, A SWORD, COME ON. AND WHY THE FUCK, CAN SOME PEOPLE COME BACK TO LIFE, AND OTHERS CAN'T, WHAT PLOT ARMOR IS THIS- Istg that was probably the most annoying thing of them all, nothing against the creators, again I feel like I need to clarify! But it's just my personal dumb opinion that I hope nobody takes offense to???

Anyway.

I feel like I should make a post for every Origins Series I've watched, but idk if that would make sense lol TwT

Besides my personal preferences when it came to all the series, I am very grateful to the Origins Crew, they're the reason I'm here today, the reason I know English and they were the first group that really opened my eyes when it came to the LGBTQ+ community and helped me discover myself.

I know that from an outside point of view it might seem dumb, but I do owe a lot to them, all of them, even the ones who left a year before Origins dismantled, even the ones who joined just before people went their separate ways.

Because even if people might say that the storylines were dumb or maybe cliche (which, in some cases they definitely were) in the end, I still loved every moment of it, every episode every dumb character who didn't make any sense or that was weirdly overpowered (I REALLY want to specify which ones but I don't want the whole fandom to come at me, please, any fandom but this one) but to be fair they kinda all were in some way? Or at least had the potential to in my opinion.

I'm not good at keeping a conversation stick to one topic, I tend to sideline pretty often and I apologize for that. TwT

Also idk if it's just me, but when I find a group of people there's always that one that for some unknown reason I just like more and that one who I dislike, again, for no specific reason, just the vibes???

Like for Hermitcraft and Empires it's Pearl, for Fable it's Ulysses, (I love this fish boy with all my heart if anything happens to him I will cry) for Origins it was Colin and Brandon, don't ask why, I have no idea, I just did, still do consider them my favorites.

I kept watching content from the Origins creators after everything went down. Including the drama with some of the creators I suppose... (I still don't understand most of it)

From Devi Devi Academy/anarchy to Glitch generation, to My Hero Eternity, I watched some of the Fnaf content Bryan made just for the nostalgia.

Holy fuck how I miss these fuckers.

Like it was the whole dynamic they had in the group, the mini games videos in character were so entertaining to watch! Especially the crossovers, I tend to rewatch them from time to time even tho I know basically everything by memory at this point.

Honestly they really inspired me when it came to creating my own storylines, and roleplaying, some people may call it cringe, and I get it, but I still think it's fun.

It's been a year.

Well, more technically, but I didn't have Tumblr at the time of the anniversary I suppose? Can you even call it that?

The Origins fandom never felt too big, in my life I've only talked to one other person who knew about them, and it was pretty fun, we watched the uh.. second episode of my Hero Eternity together making theories and stuff, talking about my hero Origins and wondering which characters canonically knew that you know, mr "I killed both my bio parents" was actually alive. (Which from what we know, Flex knows, and I think Colin, not sure tho, because in the 3rd episode, when they were interrogating the hero, our edgy boy mentioned how he had an old "friend" who could get information and data really easily, and now, we all know Mario definitely wouldn't do that plus, did he even interact with the L.O.V.E. as a whole? I don't think so? So the only option that makes sense to me is Colin)

Anyway I drifted away from the concept once again because once I start talking I won't ever stop.

This is a long post, as usual, cause I write a lot when it comes to things I'm passionate about.

I'm very attached to Origins, all the characters, all the storylines, all the silly little things. And I'm never going to stop missing it I suppose? Not in a "omg how dare they break the group apart blabla blabla..." No, I'm just very nostalgic when it comes to it.

I owe everything to them, part of who I am today is because of them.

PS: if anybody wants to talk about this fandom I suppose, please do, please let's start a conversation. I have so many things to say.

Like you know in SNO when people didn't know Lucas and Brandon were SIBLINGS???? and they SHIPPED THEM??? yeah, hi it's me, I'm the problem it's me, HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU JUST DROP A BOMB LIKE THAT ON THE LAST EPISODE MAN, AND HOW DID I NOT EXPECT IT????? luckily for me, mine was very much platonic shipping, so uhhh yay??? Don't come for me guys, it was years ago, please ToT Also I did kinda Ship Lucas with uhh was it also called Jakey???? I don't remember anymore my friend will probably remember this because when the series was happening I'd just go on and ramble about the fact that I didn't know who I should have shipped with the angel boy.

Man shipping anyone in any of those series was HELL, LET ME TELL YOU, HELL. ABSOLUTE HELL, HOLY FUCK THIS IS WHY I DON'T SHIP CHARACTERS AT ALL.

Ok actual PS now:

Please, let's all sit and chat in front of a glass of tumbjuice/tomb juice??? (idk how to spell that, don't come for me) and not get cursed by anything while we do so.

Let's just vibeeeeeee :D

[dramaddict-and-proud-of-it]

Arsenal Military Academy

Year : 2019 | Country : CN | Nb of episodes: 48

My rate: 9/10

Synopsis :

In the early years of the 20th century, Chinese military forces find themselves locked in a drawn-out, bloody conflict as they fight back again the Imperial Japanese army.

The government drafts young male conscripts to defend the besieged northeast of the country – but a woman named Xie Xiang also wants in on the action. She decides to cut her hair short and assume her brother’s identity in a bid to join the Chinese army. Xie Xiang quickly proves herself more than capable in soldiery, and soon wins herself a place in an elite military academy in Shanghai.

At the academy, she befriends a number of young male recruits, including quarrelsome rich kid Gu Yan Zheng and the gentle and introverted Shen Jun San. As the recruits begin to hone their skills, they grow in confidence – and decide to take measures of their own in an attempt to foil the invading forces.

But their struggle becomes more complicated when both Gu Yan Zheng and Shen Jun San begin to develop feelings for Xie Xiang. Will the comrades-in-arms survive the bitter ravages of military conflict? Will love derail Xie Xiang’s quest for justice? And will all really prove fair in love and war?

Main cast :

Bai Lu as Xie Xiang / Xie Liang Chen

Xu Kai as Gu Yan Zhen

Toby Lee as Shen Jun Shan

Wu Jia Yi as Qu Man Ting

My thoughts on this drama :

This is one of these dramas that make expectations for future ones extremely high…Because it is extremely good. Who cares about actual romance, gimme some heartfelt bromance instead! Almost everything was on point. I say almost because they had to use some overused tropes... Like political corruption... But considering the story, it was logical, just annoying. Bai Lu and Xu Kai once more showed their absolutely adorable chemistry. And damn! Xu Kai is so expressive, how does one even do that with one's face muscles?? His face is an open book, absolutely incredible. The story is superbly written, and if you manage not to be bothered by the very obvious Chinese propaganda and anti-Japanese discourses, you'll really enjoy the 48 episodes. For once, I did not think it was too much. A story that is that level of complex needs many episodes to untangle all plot lines. Considering that the actors are all pretty young (between 25 and 30 years old), I must say they all played their part perfectly. It is impossible not to get attached, even to the ever so annoying and clingy Manting (with the exception of Miss Zhitian maybe). If you are looking for intense romance though, well, try elsewhere. There are some background romances, but it's pretty lowkey, and the interactions are toned down. The few displayed scenes were beautiful though, very touching. The sets, the costumes, and the way it was filmed, with that slightly yellowish filter, it gave this drama a breathtaking authenticity. It was like jumping right in the past, and seeing the events unfold, one by one. There was joy, pain, laughter, tears, smiles, anger...It's an emotionally packed drama, and I loved every second of it. Now to find something at least as good... If you're hesitating because of the 'girl disguising as a boy' trope, then don't, really. Bai Lu actually pulls it off. She managed to give that tomboyish vibe and made her character very believable. Ouch, my hands are still sore from clapping too hard at the end of the final episode... I highly recommend this drama, really.

A Favorite ?

YES

[the-chattering-tower]

For Lore asks!

I need you to tell me things about Shio and Krasna because I read "gay roadtrip" and every serotonin receptor in my brain engaged- do they have any experiences in their travels together that had that 'terrible at the time, but they laugh about it later' vibe to them?

Because I also have a circus performer named Starling (He's a Knife thrower!) I'd like to know more about yours!- Did they always want to be a dancer? Is his talent with magic from something he'd rather forget, or are they simply just reluctant to discuss it with people that don't know them particularly well-even their family among the circus?

This got long, so I'm gonna pop it under a read more!

Krasna and Shio my beloveds

Oh, absolutely! The most notable instance being randomly running into Vortex only a week or two after Shio had decided to start behaving himself. Vortex is a bounty hunter, travelling along the Molten Scar and adjacent territories picking up suitable jobs, and they have spent years on and off in the same town that Shio is from. Except they haven't visited in a few years and as a result have Completely Missed the whole thing about Shio becoming Too Much Of A Problem and Getting Yeeten

Meaning Vortex is very enthusiastic about running into "little Shio :)" randomly! It's like meeting an aunt you haven't seen in like seven years - they maybe remember what used to be your Favourite Thing when you were a kid and mostly guess right which of your siblings is the eldest, but also they only really ask about how school is going (you graduated three years ago) and if you've got a girlfriend yet. This is not at all dispelled by the fact that Vortex is covered in spikes and carries weapons neither of the gays could hope to lift. Vortex asks how things are back home, what fun journey Shio must be having this far out, and also immediately jokes about whether Krasna is Shio's boyfriend. And Shio freezes bc this is already Unexpected and he has No Script For This. Charisma gone. Gay crush called out. Oh shit oh fuck

Krasna tries his best to conduct the interaction in the moments Shio needs to get his shit together, but Krasna's way of doing that is Be Friendly and Nod Along, which according to Shio only makes things Worse and More Awakward. In the moment it's a whole lot of fumbling and digging themselves deeper into social holes to be witnessed by someone who used to give Shio mediocre candy when he was still a hatchling

Later on it does become an anecdote to laugh about though, especially for Krasna who loves to retell it and watch Shio's mortification

*

Oh! Fellow circus Starling haver! That's a fun coincidence :D

Starling is so old in terms of how long I've had them for, how long ago I wrote his bio, that I have Absolutely No Clue where 2019 me was going with the whole magic secrecy thing. So, time to reinvent it! And answer two questions in the process at once

Starling did not always wanna be a dancer, no. Once upon a time, he was a very promising student in a very prestigious magic academy. It's what they were told they were good at from a very young age, and it was true. They were on a path to greatness, according to the adults watching over him

Until one day Starling realised that it's not what he Wants. A friend had dragged them out of studying to join them at a local harpy festival for the evening, and from then it was all downhill for Starling, as far as their tutors were concerned anyway. He found joy outside of the academy walls, in ribbons and music and dance, in entertainment and laughs and quick flings

They didn't run away with the circus, no. They unenrolled, paid their tuition, set out on their own. The joy he had found mattered but he wanted to be somewhere without the shadow of the academy looming right over it

Back when they were still a new addition to the circus, the refusal to talk about where he learned magic from was indeed because he hoped to just…forget. They had worked hard to become a dancer, to hone their art, they had put a lot of love and joy into it. They worried that upon learning about his education, others would focus in on that, ignore his "lesser" accomplishment of pursuing dance and instead mourn the lost, prospective academic career. Today, it's still the reason they don't disclose it to strangers and to new additions to the circus right away, though now less driven by fear and self-consciousness and more by just not wanting to deal with it, thank you very much

Also, it's funny. A dancer with mysteriously acquired magic powers, don't tell anyone that said mysterious acquisition involved a lot of all-nighters and takeout

He had spent years refusing to do much more than basic magic around others for the same reasons. They still don't do it much, not the most powerful or complicated stuff anyway, but they don't constrain themself too hard. They've made peace with it, accepted that their knowledge does still matter, can still be useful and a point of pride without overwhelming. Only then did he start incorporating magic into his dance

[markwatkinsconsumerguide]

Consumer Guide / No.127 / Joe Williams of MODERN AGE BAND, with Mark Watkins.

MW: Tell me about the band - the name, the members, the sound you make...

JW:  MODERN AGE BAND consists of - Joe Williams (19) (me!) : vocals + guitar, Charlie Holden (18) : vocals + bass, Corey Pitt (18) : vocals + guitar and David Vine (17) : drums

We started back in 2019, with me, Charlie, David and Jamie Cartwright who is no longer in the band but has his own great solo project going on.  Corey joined at the beginning of 2022 after Jamie’s departure and that’s when we started taking on the clubs in Liverpool, playing sets of all of our own material, which compared to playing covers in pubs for a few years was a real joy for us. 

Now 2 years on we’ve got a loyal fan base starting to brew. 

The sound we make, to narrow it down, consists of some psychedelic rock, mixed with blues, Americana and Indie, just to name a few. We like to have a lot of different sounds with our songs as we think it’s important as a band to keep fresh ideas coming. For example, some songs that might inspire us to write a song could range from an old hidden folk gem that we’ve found on Spotify, to a hip hop track that has a cool bass line. That’s why it’s hard for us to put just one genre on our music because each song is it’s own vibe in a way.

MW: What do you currently like about "the modern age"?

JW: We’re big fans of the footy, me and David supporting Liverpool and Charlie supporting Everton, Corey doesn’t care much for the football. 

And of course we’re big fans of going to gigs, we’ve all got a few coming up this year, Corey and David are seeing King Gizzard in Liverpool in May and I’m seeing Paul Weller in July, just to name a couple.

MW: What are you reading, watching and listening to at the moment?

JW: At the moment I’m reading Robbie Robertson’s autobiography “Testimony”. It’s a really good insight into what it was like to go out on the road as a band non stop through the 50s, 60s and 70s. It’s a great read, some amazing stories - would definitely recommend it if you're a fan of The Band or just music in general. 

As for TV, I’ve just finished a series called “The Serpent” about serial killer Charles Sobhraj, which was a dark but interesting watch - would also recommend.

I’m currently listening to a lot of different music, but these are some I’ve had on repeat a lot lately:

Queens Of The Stone Age, The Verve, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Band and MF DOOM. 

MW: Have you ever found anything good in a charity shop? 

JW: The best thing I’ve found in a charity shop is an original 1976 pressing of “Wings Over America” for £2 in Ormskirk, I was made up. 

MW: Is having a Mayor of Liverpool worthwhile? How does your Mayor compare to the one in Manchester?

JW: To be completely honest, as we’re only young lads we don’t pay a huge amount of attention to what’s going on with mayors, however I still think that it’s definitely worthwhile to have someone in that role for the city to keep things in line. 

MW: Are you more CASH than CARD when paying for goods and services? 

JW: On the whole, I am definitely more card than cash. However, when going to a pub or restaurant I like to pay cash so I can tip the workers. But I do use card most of the time as it’s just a lot easier. 

MW: You can only choose one Easter Egg - what is it?!

JW: I’d 100% go with a Thornton’s egg, they just wipe every other brand out in my opinion. 

MW: What are Modern Age Band's plans for Easter and beyond?

JW: Over Easter and the next couple of months we’ve got plenty of gigs planned which we’re waiting to announce, and also another big announcement for a new single release soon. We’ve also got our biggest gig yet at the 02 Academy Liverpool, supporting our good pals Headfeeder and Firehead. 

We also intend on delivering much more music as the year goes on, we can’t wait to share what we’ve been perfecting for years with everyone! 

Modern Age (@modernageband_) • Instagram photos and videos

© Mark Watkins, March 2024 

[themovieblogonline]

YRF Spy Universe: 4 Pathaan Spin-Off Movies We Need Right Now!

Pathaan was Bollywood’s biggest success in 2023. While many Hollywood movies have boasted a return to theatres, Pathaan truly did that for India. The movie that saw the industry’s biggest star Shah Rukh Khan return after a hiatus of almost 5 years, also did the unthinkable. Pathaan was the beginning of a Yash Raj Films (YRF) shared universe! Which was, honestly, the biggest surprise of the movie. So now that Pathaan is in the same universe as others, here are a few YRF Spy universe movies that would be great fully realized franchise. Please note that the following will contain major spoilers for Pathaan. One Of The YRF Spy Universe Movies Is In Development Pathaan’s huge success had a lot to do with its well-written story and action blockbuster elements. But what was really unique is how the movie was able to retcon and combine other YRF spy universe movies into one shared world. The best sequence was Pathaan himself (Shahrukh Khan) in trouble on a Russian prison train, about to get killed. When his backup arrived to save the day, and it was none other than Tiger (Salman Khan) from the Tiger movies, it was quite a surprise. Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai were YRF’s own hit spy movies starting in 2012, and now they are in the same YRF Spy Universe movies as Pathaan. It was brilliant and made complete sense given both main characters work for the same intelligence agency of RAW in both movies. The connection made sense. So it makes even more sense that they announced the next instalment of this franchise to be a Tiger Vs. Pathaan movie. Although, why it’s a ‘vs’ when the characters were working together as buddies in Pathaan, is anybody’s guess. Let’s hope that the YRF Spy Universe movies aren’t making the same mistakes as the DCEU by rushing to a team-up movie before letting the individual franchises breathe. YRF Spy Universe Prequel: Jim & Kabir One of the subtler connections to the larger YRF Spy Universe was in a line of dialogue. When introducing the back story of the villain of Pathaan, Jim (John Abraham), we got a massive name drop. Colonel Luthra (Ashutosh Rana) who was a character in another spy movie from 2019, War, mentions the protagonist of that movie. Luthra reveals that Jim and Kabir (Hrithik Roshan) came up together in the spy agency, and were contemporaries. This means the hero of War, and the villain of Pathaan were, at one point, friends. Before a tragedy led Jim to the dark side. It’s totally giving Obi-Wan and Anakin vibes. So a prequel film within the YRF Spy Universe movies featuring Jim and Kabir’s early academy days as they train to be spies together would make complete sense. Maybe Kabir was part of in the mission where Jim lost his wife, unable to save them, which is what turned Jim evil. Losing another partner would also retroactively add layers to the events of War, where a similar thing happened with his partner in that story. The Female-Led Action Movie We’ve Been Craving! The invention of the YRF Spy Universe of movies also allows to have something audiences have wanted for years. Seeing how they’ve already connected Jim, Kabir, Pathaan and Tiger as being contemporaries within the same Indian spy agencies, that can also be the same for the Pakistani spy agency they’re always fighting, ISI. In the Tiger movies, Zoya (Katrina Kaif) is an ISI agent who falls in love with Tiger. While Rubai (Deepika Padukone) in Pathaan is another ISI agent who teams up with Jim, and then Pathaan to save the day. Jim even makes a crack in Pathaan about both the Tiger-Zoya and Pathaan-Rubai love stories. So it’s entirely feasible that Rubai and Zoya were also contemporaries during their time at ISI. A prequel film chronicling their journey, and how maybe their paths crossed as part of another mission, could be the awesome female-led action movie that fans have been clamouring for, for years! These prequels could also potentially setup an international evil group that could come back in future movies as the larger threat that forces all these characters to unite. The YRF Spy Universe Movies’ Ultimate Avengers Style Crossover Despite the Tiger Vs. Pathaan movie apparently coming in 2024, there would be a better way to combine all the characters for a massive team-up film. Once these prequel movies establish these characters' connections and associations with one another from years ago, they could come together for one massive movie. Imagine an action blockbuster franchise movie with Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone and Hrithik Roshan along with other a-list Bollywood stars in supporting and villain roles coming together. The mind explodes at the thought. And it could all be possible with the existence of this YRF Spy Universe. What do you think of all these potential movies? Are there any other ideas you have for other Bollywood shared universe? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter at @theshahshahid. Read the full article

[suchananewsblog]

Inside The Oscar Nominees Lunch With Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Jamie Lee Curtis & More

The annual Oscar nominees luncheon was back at the Beverly Hilton, and back just like the old days (well, 2019) before the pandemic changed everything. But if the vibe and attendance at today’s lunch is any indication the Oscars themselves could be in for a very good night as the Academy seems bound and determined to bring the show back to its old self, and that means a more traditional kind of…

[ineedacalicocat]

Ngl i actually thought you are a korean by looking your anon replies but ig I'm wrong 😅 moving on, let's talk about jimin for a bit. Man he slayed the dance that Bighit posted today!! He is absolutely stunning while dancing, his passion for dance just oozes out. I became jimin stan after seeing his dance and vocals, later I observed him in various contents, how pretty calm kind guy he is. The way he speaks and never have a dull face (except maybe last year for that Spotify video) so good human. Also, I'm excited for his album. It feels surreal thinking how REAL we are close to getting one solo album of Complete Jimin voice, dance, MV(s) and much promotional contents talking about his music, his idea in those concepts etc! Finger-crossed, haha! Also when do you think jimin album gonna release?

Oh why would u think that? Im surprised actually ahahah i dont look or talk like a korean sbshsja i just used the translation if its about the things we talked. For your question i guess its near thingking that jimin finally came and talked about it. Maybe end of february or beginning of march? But its close. I think if it was uo to jimin he would realese it maybe a couple of months later thinking how perfectionist he is. But this is bighit were talking about they gonna rush them because of that god them military service thing so i dont thing we would wait that longer. But seiing jk and tae still not doing anything considering they literally began working on their mixtapes in 2019 and still didnt come up with something tells me mybe they wont realeade anything soon so maybe jimin still has time. I mean wouldnt it be better to not rush things? I hope thats the case. But it doesnt look like that. Its juust that ive been waiting for this so long that it still feels so unreal. Cant believe we got with you and vibe. Like a whole jimin music. But we still didnt get a full jimin. These are still duets. I just want a whole rnb jimin album or anything jimin related just him dancing for a whole 5 minutes. I used to split bts songs just so i can only hear him. I dont know about you guys but jins voice just irritates me. I just wanna hear my man. Like give me the god damn album already bighit. They are so late for this. This should have been happened in 2018. But money tasted good so they stayed as a team. They were gonna disband. Oh i hoe i wish they did. Like 5 years of jiminless songs. The only album they had full of jimin was i guess in 2018-2019? I mean bts has good songs but its just so tasteless when there id no jimin and full of jk and jin. Like gimme some emotion man. And they started putting jimin in the back? Tae in front? Like are you kidding me? He just wasted his time in bts. Thats what i hate man. He should be in broadway or royal academy being on stage. Not in korea man.

[ryansjane]

Could you give me some recommendations of whatever has Nadao Bangkok produced? sounds like it was a good studio :(

I definitely can! nadao has produced a lot if not MOST of my favorite thai dramas, so that's why I'm fucking heartbroken over this, they also put a lot more budget into their series so it was really quality over quantity for them, which is very rare for thai production companies :((( I made a full video on the company here!

I told sunset about you

so I scream about this show all the time bc I truly consider it the one & only perfect bl show ever produced. in terms of production, execution & writing, this one is simply above every other show, it's so tightly run & well-made you sometimes ask yourself how they did it. the visuals are insanely gorgeous, the acting performances some of the best I've ever seen in a thai drama, the characters are super endearing, the relationship is beautiful & the queer rep??? was so important! (don’t watch the sequel though)

project s: skate our souls

another 10/10 show for me, bc it legitimately changed my life. this show is just as gorgeous aesthetically, well-written, incredibly acted, it tackles the topic of depression in a raw & imperfect way like I have personally never seen before, it has the topic of found family which will forever be my fave... this show is everything to me. it's like one of my favorite things ever. I couldn't recommend it more!

project s: side by side

once again, what characterized nadao was the insane quality of their shows, and this one is not an exception either. again it tackles the topic of mental illness that’s not very represented, it has SUCH a compelling world-building like the two previous shows as well, the acting performance is also one of the very best I’ve seen, the characters are all so precious, and this is just... A FUCKING GOOD SHOW!

in family we trust

so in family we trust is my favorite lakorn (thai soap operas that have between 12 & 30 eps, air 2 to 3 times a week and are generally geared towards an older thai audience), probably bc it doesn’t do basically anything like a lakorn lol. it’s very well shot, has a very suspensful & entertaining story, the acting performances are all great as always... and it just goes further than any other lakorn I’ve seen. it’s just really, really good, and you will absolutely hold your breath if you watch this one!

great men academy

this show was all the rage back in 2019, and for good reasons! once again, nadao said BUDGET & created an entire new world for this show! the story is very cute & entertaining while still having deeper storylines, the acting is great, the characters are adorable especially tangmo the pansexual icon, the chemistry amazing & this is just SUCH a good time! I don’t think you can watch this show & dislike it :)

I hate you, I love you

my favorite thing about nadao is that they really make amazing shorter series, and this is one of them! this is a murder mystery with priviledged teens who all betray each other, and it’s very well executed! for me it’s such an underrated thai drama that everyone should watch bc it practically watches itself with how entertaining it is!

blackout

a more recent series that deals with VERY heavy topics, but is truly done so expertly I was blown away. it’s a vertical show which really gives it a video game & escape game vibe, the shots are all GORGEOUS, the sound & set design are absolutely the best I’ve ever seen if I’m honest, the acting is great, and it’s again a very short & entertaining show that leaves a lot to think about. it’s not for the faint of the heart, but I’d really recommend it bc it’s so underrated & deserved so much better!

hormones

and finally, the first nadao show ever & one of its most iconic, hormones. hormones is for me THE classic teen thai drama that you need to watch alongside love sick & grean house, and it was an absolutely groundbreaking drama for the time, that launched the careers of most of its actors who are still thriving today! but apart its historic side, this is a genuinely groundbreaking show with queer characters (and not only men for once!), female characters that finally get the spotlight, sexual content, etc. that tackles a lot of important topics, all of that wrapped in a very endearing execution. this is definitely a show that every thai drama fan should watch!

xxx

[umbrellatte]

Hello! If it isn’t to much of a bother, may I request a five x Wanda!reader where when the reader and the umbrellas get transported to the sparrow timeline and fight each other, the reader has a run in with Jayme and she uses her powers in them? The reader then she’s her dead brother/relative they loved so much and realize it’s an hallucinations and goes berserk? Five ends up calming them down in the end. Hope this isn’t to long and if you don’t feel like writing this, then you can delete it!!

AHHHH I'M SO SORRY THIS IS LATE, I'VE BEEN CAUGHT UP IN MY ANIME TO REMEMBER I HAD THIS IN MY DRAFTS-

help, jayme won't go berserk so to speak, she's more of gonna go and doubt whether or not the hallucination was a memory or if it was just to make her go crazy.

Brother | F. Hargreeves

pairings: five hargreeves x wanda!reader

synopsis: after arriving in 2019 in a similar house with different people, a fight occurs and the makeshift snake of the other group is shown a memory of yours.

notes: five did time travel, he did see the apocalypse, but was able to return as soon as he saw the date, therefore making him the same age as everyone else, including yourself. and he doesn't look like he's thirteen, he's just genuinely shorter than the rest of the academy, like he's tall, just not enough to be 'tall' tall.

disclaimer: five is above 18 in all my fics unless stated otherwise!

warnings: mentions of death and blood

Walking away from the house, head bleeding and arm aching, you and the umbrellas made your way to a park. “Is Luther okay? He isn't walking straight, he looks kinda drunk.” you stated, in turn making then look at the ape man hybrid. “Oh wow, we look like shit, what the fuck.” straightening his clothes, Klaus complained.

“Yea, obviously we'd look like shit. We just got our asses beat by a bunch of red dressed dicks.” Diego says as he throws a knife in the air and catches it. How did you get here? In this situation? Well you see..

During the chaos breaking out in the house, you saw that Five was with the black haired lady. She was giving you weird vibes. They all were but she took the cake on the matter, so being you, you went to him, floating from below, and just in time, she stanced herself after being knocked out by Five.

Landing gracefully, you do your thing, your fingers elegantly swaying with your arms as you activated one of your powers. Mind manipulation, to be precise. “Something to shake her up.”, you thought. Then it hit you. An incident feom your past was gory enough as it is, maybe, just maybe it'll distract her for a while, maybe mess with her too for attempting to hit your beloved.

As soon as the memory plays in her head, her being in your perspective, she froze. Unfamiliar with the enironment, voices calling out to her, in a name that wasn't hers. She sees a dead man in her lap, blood spilling from him in every angle possible.

Back to reality, you took this as a chance to grab Five and run away. While this happened, you tuned into thw black haired lady's head. Seeing her walk around, questioning where she was, who was the dead man, why were there people calling out to her in a different name?

Having run away to a safe distance, you got rid of the memory in her head, thus snapping her back to reality. Only she comes back, unfrozen only to be teriffied as to what's real and what isn't. Was that your memory? If so, who is that man? What happened? Did you kill him? She deduced that it was your doing considering the last thing she saw was you doing your wiggly finger thing, your hands glowing red.

Unbeknownst to her, that man was your brother, and you didn't kill him. In fact, he saved you.

Back to where you are now, you sit on the floor. “Hey. Get up, sit on the bench, not the floor.” you hear Five's voice, and see his hand stretched out to you, for you to grab. “Yea, thanks.”

He takes notice in the sadness of your voice. “You okay?”

“Yea, I'm fine. Just.. You know how i used my powers on the snake lady earlier? I showed her a memory of mine to shake her up.”

Not following where this was going, Five urged you to continue and not hesitate by raising an eyebrow. “I showed her that memory. If it was enough to shake me, maybe it would jave done the same to her.”

He says nothing and pulls you to his side, ignoring his siblings and placing all his attention on you. Leaning into his touch, you smile. “It's alright. He was a good brother. He wouldn't want me hung up on him again after all this time.” Five only nodded, caressing your hair.

“Now we have to figure out exactly what the hell happened.”

[omgitsalive]

Ok,  so when the umbrella academy s1 was released in 2019 I’ve had this thought, but completely forgot about it 

BUT now I am thinking of it again and it all kinda makes sense to me. 

So, when I first watched the show I thought, that if the characters prototypes were guys from Mcr, because of how they were together at first, and than broke up and literally Mcr has song ���an we all wanna party when the funeral ends, and we all get together when we bury our friends”, and that is the literal plot of the beginning of the first season, so I started to think of how when you create a character you usually base them on someone you know, and since the Hargreeves have that vibe “we were forced to live together and exist as a team but we’re not the real relatives and sometimes we’re pissed at each other but we still come back to each other eventually” so though of how Gerard talked of early Mcr tours like “being in prison”, and of how the band broke up, and eventually got together. SO 

There are four male characters in the story, so let me introduce to you my prototype theory 

First one, most obvious (and the one that got me thinking of the whole thing): Five = Frank l, I mean, they literally look the same, they have similar sense of humour and to me their appearance in general is kinda alike, bonus — their names start with the same letter. Might be a coincidence, but they look so alike… 

Next one, Klaus = Gerard, not sure but, well, he struggles with addiction, and mental health problems, and he combines gothic stuff like talking to ghosts and funniest-person-at-the-party vibes, to me, basically it is the combination of two sides of Gerard’s stage personas. And Gerard still writes on his palms at the shows, and Claus’s got tattoos there. Idk. Interesting. 

Next one, I’d say Luther is Ray, but since Ray is not so public about himself, we dont know much, but to me they just give off the same vibes. And the band used to joke he behaves like he is their dad (or number 1 aka older brother / leader), makes sense in that context.

So I guess Diego is Mikey? Not sure about this one, but, well, It does makes sense that Diego has felt shadowed by his number one brother.

But in conclusion I just wanted to say that to me all the characters, when you create them, are not just prototypes of your friends, but the reflection of how the author sees them, and they all have a bit of the authors personality, but I do think that the Hargreeves are loosely based on Gerard’s perception of himself, F, M and R

[professorspork]

it’s the Kentucky Derby this weekend! I know exactly one thing (and one thing only) about horse racing: those animals get the most ridiculous names in the world.

there was obviously only one place my brain could go with this, so I now present to you:

The Potential of 2021 Kentucky Derby Horses as Names of RWBY Weapons, Ranked

Known Agenda

A strong contender! Kind of in the vein of Due Process; definitely evokes that distinctive RWBY feeling of being vague but menacing word salad. Perhaps some kind of pen that turns into a billy club? or a gun-gun 9/10

Like the King

ugh -5/10 no courage of your convictions. Don’t be like the king, be the king! This is your morningstar-cum-trebuchet-cum-beretta! be proud of it!

Brooklyn Strong

Perfectly good punchline to a stucky joke; meh name for a weapon in a world where Brooklyn is not a place 0/10

Keepmeinmind

edgy Huntsman Academy students who buy their weapons from Hot Topic name them things like this and then use them to asymmetrically cut and style their bangs 3/10

Sainthood

was going to say “sturdy but boring” and give a relatively high score because this is a very Mr. Teeth sort of title but then I thought what if it’s a butterfly knife disguised as a crucifix? Grimm don’t flee from holy symbols but I do want to give credit to the vibe so that goosed it over the top, 11/10

O Besos

Kisses! and Pyrrha’s weapons are Greek, so why not a Spanish title? a weapon named after a kiss feels very gay, and the O makes me think circle shape so yeah these are nesting chakrams for sure 8/10

(oh god there’s so many more of these, did you know there’s TWENTY HORSES in the Kentucky Derby? that feels like too many horses!!!)

Mandaloun

Now this is exactly the kind of shit we’re looking for. Much like Myrtenaster, I had to google this to know what the hell it is. A kind of window, apparently! love the inherent threat of defenestrating your enemies 15/10 especially if it’s a mandolin that’s also a mandolin  

Medina Spirit

can truly only be the name of a horse (or maybe a fancy cigar brand, or a yacht); resists all attempts to apply it to a weapon. -10/10 but it doesn’t care because it’s free like the wind. 

Hot Rod Charlie

Excellent name for a member in Junior’s dumb gang back in Vale (remember Junior?) but not a very good name for a weapon. Bonus point for evoking the idea of a transformer-esque weapon that’s also a vehicle, though! (*cough cough* Yang Rebuild Bumblebee And Do This Challenge) anyway 1/10

Midnight Bourbon

can’t believe Willow Schnee was actually a Huntress and never told her daughters! 4/10 bc it’s still a bad name for a rapier, try harder Willow

Dynamic One

gonna give this 6/10 for the psychological warfare of your enemy always waiting for the moment when you suddenly pull out Dynamic Two

Helium

...does the periodic table of elements exist on Remnant? this would be a hilarious name for a flamethrower seeing as helium is not flammable 2/10

Hidden Stash

ngl I love this name so much. so many options! sounds like a compact makeup case that turns into a cache of nukes or something. or what Sun and Neptune called their cop mustaches when solving crimes. 20/10

Essential Quality

you know how when you get a pet from a shelter they have a sad shelter name and you have to give them a new one with more personality? this is the kind of name that comes with store-bought Atlesian weapons 0/10

Rock Your World

almost certainly one of many names Yang considered for Ember Celica along the way, but not even she could pull it off -100/10 

King Fury

Finally, a king that calls itself a king! the ONLY thing this could be is brass knuckles that spell K I N G  F U R Y over the fingers and turn into spring-loaded katar blades and also revolvers. not sure why this isn’t on the show yet 50/10

Highly Motivated

this is the comment Weiss got next to every grade she ever received at Beacon, though the prized “pleasure to have in class” always eluded her. it gets the same score she always got in her late-for-a-test stress dreams: why-can’t-you-be-more-like-Winter/10

Super Stock

-3/10, sounds like a discount grocery store despite the fact that “stock” could evoke either the part of the gun or the restraining device. Better name options for a RWBY weapon that’s half gun stock and half stock-stock include Tacitus (2019 Third Place @ Kentucky Derby), Empire Maker (2003 Second Place), or Shackleford (2011 Fourth Place)

Soup and Sandwich

Perfect name, no notes, 10000000/10, dual-wield machetes and no explanation given if I had my druthers

Bourbonic

Sadly “Midnight Bourbon” already cornered the bourbon-themed market here, so we must come up with a new angle. I like the rhyme-y nod to the bubonic plague, but I’m not sure how one would weaponize that? Unless we go full Cordelia and have a box with PLAGUE written on it and chase people with that. Actually no that’s sensational 10/10

[medea10]

My Review of Wonder Egg Priority

How did I get into this anime? So at the beginning of 2021, this anime was seen as a must-see and I put it on the plan to watch list right then and never looked back. Okay, that’s a lie. Obviously I’ve heard of what happened with the sequel special that came out shortly after the series end. Time to see what the hoopla was all about! Something has to account for a series going from a nearly solid 8/10 to worse than sand in your crotch.

Ai Ooto is a bit of a recluse. She was never one to make friends at school. She did though. A girl by the name of Koito Nagase chose to be Ai’s best friend. Soon after, Koito committed suicide and Ai is left alone again. Nowadays, Ai is talking to some strange entities and one ends up giving her a free egg. The purpose of the egg, Ai must break it. Once broken, a person comes out of the egg and Ai must help protect that person. These girls are a target for certain entities that take shape of the reason why they committed suicide.

Ai has taken on the role of helping every person that comes from an egg in hopes of one day getting closer to possibly helping her best friend Koito and finding the reason behind her suicide. Until then, her purpose is to protect these wonder eggs.

But Ai isn’t alone as there are several other girls doing the same thing with someone close to them. Neiru is doing it for her sister. Rika is doing it for her fan. And Momoe is doing it for a close friend who loved her.

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: FUNimation really made this one exclusively theirs, but thankfully it’s on other platforms thanks to the new merger. On the plus side, their dub seems pretty cool. It gives me a chance to hear certain voice actresses I’ve only heard periodically or not at all since I haven’t been keeping up with FUNimation’s work as much as I really should have. Here’s what you might have recognized these folks from.

JAPANESE CAST: *Ai is played by Kanata Aikawa

*Neiru is played by Tomori Kusunoki (known for Setsuna on Love Live Nijigasaki, LLENN on SAO: Gun Gale Online, Futaba in My Sensei is Annoying, and Misha on Misfit at Demon King Academy)

*Rika is played by Shuka Saitou (known for You on Love Live Sunshine and Sazanka on Oresuki)

*Momoe is played by Hinaki Yano (known for Yuu on Love Live Nijigasaki)

ENGLISH CAST: *Ai is played by Mikaela Krantz (known for Momiji in Fruits Basket 2019, Misaki on Railgun T, Clementine on Overlord, Doll on Black Butler, Fuwa on Shimoneta, and Mutsuki on Tokyo Ghoul :re)

*Neiru is played by Dawn M. Bennett (known for Frieda on Attack on Titan, Frederica on Re:Zero, Kefla on DB Super, Sister Lily on Black Clover, Frosch on Fairy Tail, and Yamada on Zombieland Saga)

*Rika is played by Anairis Quinones (known for Yelena on Attack on Titan, Echinda on Re:Zero, and Nessa on Pokemon Twilight)

*Momoe is played by Michelle Rojas (known for CZ on Overlord, Roxy on Mushoku Tensei, Kanan on Love Live Sunshine, and Mion on Higurashi Gou)

SHIPPING: So…I feel uneasy about Ai’s teacher, Mr. Sawaki. I don’t think he did anything to Koito, but I still felt ewwie when it came to him and Ai. I might be siding with Rika a bit, but I can’t really believe this innocent crap about casually drawing Ai and dating Ai’s mother.

Now for something a little less ewwie, let’s talk about Momoe. I know it doesn’t help that she’s the niece of Mr. Sawaki, but she doesn’t give off that creepy vibe. She’s kinda had a bit of a record with the ladies due to her tomboyish appearance. Momoe is fighting for Haruka, a girl who committed suicide after Momoe turned down her romantic offer. And a lot of the girls Momoe saves found her beautiful. What about men? Well folks, Momoe was asked out on a date by a boy. However, that boy thought Momoe was a boy…so that happened. If this series intends to continue, I would like to see Momoe meet someone. Though for the moment, I would like not to see this series for a long time. I’ll get to that why soon enough.

As for her what I think she identifies as…not my place to say, speculate, or continue further.

ENDING: How did things go so wrong?

How about for starters, don’t have a recap episode as part of the regular series!

Believe it or not, Cloverworks did the very same thing and at the very same time to The Promised Neverland. No one asked for that shit. Wonder Egg did not need a fucking recap for the first 7 episodes in a 12 episode season. Or should I say 11, because I can’t believe that a recap made its way onto the roster. I shouldn’t be so bitchy since there was a different episode planned, but it was scrapped and we were given the recap. I guess everyone at Cloverworks was on a deadline.

Neiru ended up with a big clue when it comes to saving girls that hatch from eggs. One of her eggs turned out to be her best friend named Kotobuki. The only problem is that Kotobuki is in a vegetative state. So this does dampen hopes of the girls trying to get to their ultimate goal of saving their loved one. And then Momoe got her wish granted as she was somewhat reunited with Haruka, the girl she was trying to save. She sees Haruka for a few seconds and she disappears, I guess she’s alive now. Then a grim reaper appears, kills Momoe’s familiar, and force-feeds it to her. And in the following episode, same thing happens to Rika.

And then we have those two suspicious crash-test dummies selling the eggs to the girls, Acca and Ura-Acca. I had suspicions about those two from the very second they appeared. I trust Kyubey…um, no, no I can’t go that far. But these two are almost for certain the cause of all the wonder egg girls’s trauma. And they are in cahoots of some sort with Neiru’s assistant.

What really happened was Acca and Ura-Acca (back when they were living human beings) created an A.I. named Frill. She was a very intelligent little girl that seemed to be happy living with her two daddies. But she was also programmed to have flaws too (including jealousy). That jealousy was showcased when Ura-Acca meets a woman that he ends up getting married to and eventually expecting a baby. Frill kills Ura-Acca’s wife. The baby survived. Ura-Acca entombs Frill. The baby grows up into a junior high student. And then she kills herself.

We’re pretty sure Frill had something to do with that suicide. Might as well blame her for every suicide in this story while I’m at it! Those weird deities that showed up in front of Rika and Momoe mentioned Frill by name. Too bad we don’t get any insight into this. Is she to blame for pushing these stressed females to the edge? As for the final episode, Ai saves an alternate universe version of herself!

So that happened! Yeah, Ai is saving herself. Apparently we’re dealing with alternate universe bullshit here. In another timeline, this second Ai committed suicide due to the bullying and alienation she suffered due to having Heterochromia (one eye color different from the other). I sure hope the sequel special clears up my confusion about the last couple of episodes.

Hahaha, famous last words!

THAT SPECIAL: So this is what happened…

*5 minutes into special* No way they’re doing another recap

*15 minutes into special* Seriously?! Another God damned recap?! Didn’t you guys do one during the series? Why is this necessary?

*25 minutes into special* So half of this special is dedicated to the recap. Okay, this better wrap things up nicely or I’m gonna spit.

Twenty minutes later…

I hate everyone now.

So Neiru is an AI created by Kotobuki, the AI introduced near the end and decides to try and become human in the dream world or some shit. Meanwhile all the girls Ai and the others risked to save are alive but don’t know of their real friend’s existence nor want anything to do with them. And I guess Frill is still out there getting into girls heads about suicide. Ai runs away from everything until the last minute of the special where she decides to go back to the eggs in hopes of finding and saving Neiru. And Ai indicates she’s back and I don’t know, is that a nod for another season?

Hmm…what does Ai always say when she fights the weird deities?

That’s how I feel right now.

GOD DAMN WAS THIS AGGRAVATING! Everything about this series was aggravating. For starters, the animation is beautiful. Of course it is, Cloverworks does fine work (most of the time). The start of the story gave me a lot of Madoka Magica vibes. Yeah, Ai and the other girls aren’t magical girls or anything like that. But they do have other worldly powers and go up against entities and deal with existential crisis of all forms. The way the story was going, it had me excited for more. And to make things more interesting, this was an original story. No manga, visual novel, or game to muck things up. All of us are in the same boat when watching. But then things take a dip in the road and eventually go off a cliff.

So much potential! So much hope! And the execution was shit! You hate to see that happen to a series like this. It did shine a bit of a light on a pretty sensitive subject like teenage female suicide. I know suicide is at an all-time high in Japan, but I’m unsure which gender is most affected. Regardless, being a teenager sucks and thoughts can arise from anything! Female adolescence is a stressful time and some of the stories of these girls Ai and the others saved were interesting to watch. But then when we get to the story about Frill, I’m just thrown off! She’s still out there convincing teenage girls to off themselves. She’s a menace and no one is stopping her.

You know what? After watching that, I’m rethinking wanting to read a manga or light novel adaptation. Hell, I don’t think I would even watch a second season if we’re ‘blessed’ with one. That might change in the future but for now I don’t want anything to do with this shit. And as for recommendation…I don’t know what to say except avoid the recaps and make your own decision whether or not you watch the second half to the special. I personally hated the ending, but make your own choice on the matter.

If you would like to watch Wonder Egg Priority, FUNimation and Crunchyroll have every episode available.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some old Mushishi episodes calling my name.

[callumilott-archive]

the curious case of the renault sport academy: an essay

alternatively titled: the essay i wasn’t going to write about the mess of the rsa but here it is anyway, supported by facts (also titled: the curious case of anthoine & guanyu)

some standard background: rsa started in 2016, they organise training camps occasionally (tho not so much what with covid) that consist of a lot of cycling. so much cycling they all cry about it. they currently have 6 drivers signed to their academy of which one is a notable outlier - guanyu zhou. the other boys signed have all won titles at one point. guanyu has not. in fact, his best championship result was a second place in 2015, he has not placed higher than 6th since. now, renault is known for snatching up title winners, the winner of formula renault would get signed to the academy (like max fewtrell, oscar piastri) and they’ve picked up some other promising guys as well, signing them to the academy straight away.

if we count back to 2019, another curious addition adds itself to the academy. actually should say 2018 because that’s where it gets interesting. anthoine’s results in 2017 weren’t mind blowing, he didn’t score a single win but did manage to get a couple fastest laps to find himself in 4th position at the end of the year. renault invent a new role, designed specifically for anthoine as he was the first driver to carry this role: affiliate driver. it’s not quite being signed to the academy, he doesn’t run a renault livery, merely has renault on the rear wing (and ART ran an altered livery for 2 other renault kids in f3 the following year), but he does get to go on training camps. it’s a sort of halfway signing, and while i have not been able to find any proof for this, i suspect they told him to win the gp3 title for an actual signing (stick, meet carrot) or get dropped. as we know, he did win and he did get the full signing, black and yellow suit included.

the only other affiliate i’ve been able to find was leonardo lorandi in early 2019, around the same time anthoine got ‘promoted’ for lack of a better word. lorandi didn’t do so well however (18th place in the championship that year) and i haven’t heard anything about him so i suspect he’s just kind of disappeared. definitely was not added to the academy. begs the question, if you want to have a junior program filled with talented drivers and you have someone with better results than one you already signed. why the hassle? why sign guanyu with no outstanding results since 2015, but invent a whole new role for anthoine with a better result in 2017 and a title to his name (french f4 2013)? i’m gonna take an educated guess and say the answer is money.

this isnt related to my essay BUT since im talking about this anyway and i’m still pissed about this, have a little look at the very backhanded compliments of one cyril abiteboul on september 2, 2019. https://www.planetf1.com/f1-races/belgian-grand-prix/abiteboul-f1-was-right-to-race/ make of this what u will :)

moving on, there’s also the matter of renault dropping drivers like hot potatoes at a fairly similar rate to red bull, if i’m honest. guys in the academy in 2018 were long gone by the time 2019 rolled around. ye yifei was a newly signed member of the rsa in 2019, a new signing for placing third in formula renault the previous year. he had a dreadful season in f3 and was consequently dropped. he then finished second in f3 asia (late 2019/early 2020) and went on to win euroformula open in 2020. not a bad driver, right. victor martins, too. his name might sound familiar if you’ve watched formula renault in 2020, because he became champion. the year before that, runner up in formula renault (to oscar piastri). renault dropped him anyway, presumably because he did not win the title. very interested to see if they’re gonna have to sign him again because he won. anyway, i digress.

rumour’s been going around that max fewtrell and hadrien david will both be dropped from the academy for not acquiring results expected of them. in this i would just like to point out that hadrien is literally 16 and this was his second season of single seaters, and he was a total rookie in formula renault. most recent formula renault champions (max fewtrell, oscar piastri, victor martins) required 2 years to get up to speed in that category. hadrien placed tenth in a field of 22, so not entirely dreadful. max fewtrell’s season was just a disaster all around and given that he has 2 titles to his name (2016 and 2018), i wouldn’t go ahead and call him a bad driver. now i have no clue what happened or why he and hitech decided to part ways before spa but it’s pretty obvious he wasn’t feeling good in that team.

THEN there’s also the matter of the rsa director saying everyone did a fuckin terrible job except oscar. https://formulaspy.com/f1/renault-we-expected-more-from-our-junior-drivers-73087 ‘not mad just disappointed’ vibes.

in short, the rsa just feels like a giant mess and like they’re desperately trying to gather whichever driver is hot topic at the moment and then dropping them without hesitation when they don’t perform up to standard. do they even get support aside from the cycling bootcamps? and WHAT are they even gathering them for, considering there’s the ongoing issue of no renault seats ever going to a member of their academy. my professional conclusion is this: FUCK renault. thank u for ur attention