#the holy grail of romcoms

[alienoriana]

Where is the lost Hugh Grant/Meg Ryan romcom, Tumblr?

[jackie-gremlin-ghost]

Just some cute TGAMM headcanons I have:

During a McGee Family Movie Night, they all decide to watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail. They all find it hilarious… however the killer bunny scene alone scared the daylights out of Molly and Scratch. "How can something so cute be so scary?!"

Darryl has accidentally called Scratch “Dad” at least once. Scratch would never admit it, but he was both flattered and thought it was adorable. Molly, on the other hand, couldn’t stop crying because of how cute it was.

It didn't take long after moving in for Molly to realize that Scratch is a sucker for cheesy movies, no matter what the genre. The easier he can riff on them, the better. He'll never outright say it, but his top favorites are horror and romcoms.

[wolfstrong]

gar have you watched single all the way on netflix yet. its made by the ppl who made hot frosty its literally a gay romcom and its christmas themed and theres dudes making out on screen. my mom is obsessed with it my old ass 69 year old mormon mother fujos out to it. well i think you might enjoy bc theres sweet christmas romance as well as cute scenes and humorous jokes to make you giggle. and one of the actresses looks identical to my older sister but that isnt something you would know.

nJdjwjxjwjaiKJdiwjxjjeiwbsiwbQJEIFHWODBWIWJWIHS NO 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 OH HELLLLLLLLLLLL YEAH BABY thank you for informing me of this. Hallmark has done a gay one for the past couple years now but they are super rare. It’s like my holy grail. 😋😋 ugh I’m so excited thank you

[r-2-peepoo]

Do you have any good Codywan fics to recommend? Preferably on AO3, preferably not too spicy, and preferably ones that will leave me happy inside and not drowning in a post-Order 66 pit of despair. If you don’t feel like answering this, that’s fine, I hope you have a good day! :)

First of all, I am so sorry for not replying to this sooner. I didn’t see the notification and also I really wanted to make sure I gave you a good list. I love getting asked this so thank you for giving me an excuse to make another one of these posts. Here is a link to the first one I made.

These are all masterpieces in my mind. I have like twenty bookmarks in total even though I read fics all the time so here are some of my holy grails:

AUs

Oh, the weather outside is frightful by Celaestis (Christmas fluff modern au)

 I wish there were more Christmas fics because I just love them and it certainly doesn’t hurt that the writing quality of this one is nothing short of breathtaking. This is ever so slightly spicy but its mostly fluff. Just a line or two of spice and it’s implied too. This writer has a way of describing things that is so intricate and intimate and I am just obsessed with their writing style.

love me long, be my sunlight by ricken (love island au)

I have never been able to sit through an entire episode of Love Island but when I tell you I screamed when I first saw this au. It is the most fun I have had with a fic in so long but it’s also actually incredibly heartwarming too. And what a creative idea as well. This is one of the fics I reread a lot and if you give it a go, you’ll understand why. It’s positively delightful and is such an original concept too. 

Probably the spiciest fic on the list but there’s nothing crazy. It’s mostly just dialogue and references (it is a dating show after all) and the spiciest scene is interrupted. I had such a blast with this one and I really wish more fics were like this.

hunger + dreams by catboydogma (hockey/figure skating au)

Tell me why Codywan suit every genre. The very concept of a Codywan figure skating au is enough to make me screech but this one!!! It’s just so cute. Truly the most adorable little getting together fic and it does such a good job characterising everyone too. The interactions Obi Wan has with Anakin and Ahsoka are so much fun and Codywan deserve to be happy above all else and this fic absolutely delivers that. I would read a thousand chapters of this if I could.

Silver Lining by Wixiany (skiing au)

This fic!!!! Oh my god!!!! I have always believed that Codywan have suffered too much in canon that every au they are place in should be a romcom and that is precisely what this fic is. The sweetest little romcom ever. This fic has everything. A ski-slope accident meet cute. A Cody’s scar origin story. An Omega cameo (if you know me, you know that my opinion of any Codywan fic skyrockets if my fave Star Wars girl makes an appearance). Basically no angst!!!! I think this fic cured all of my problems ngl. I cannot recommend it enough. I genuinely just found this like thirty minutes ago and it has instantly become one of my favourite Codywan fics ever.

An Officer and a Gentleman by jimmytiberius  (regency au)

I read this one last year and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. This is a Codywan regency au and regency era literature may be the only thing I love as much as Codywan so naturally the being combined is immaculate. This fic does a fantastic job of capturing the delicate romanticism of the time period and it’s a style that suits Codywan down to the ground. It just makes sense for them. I mean a Sense and Sensibility au??? Are you serious??? What an amazing concept. If you’re familiar with Jane Austen at all, you’ll feel right at home with this fic because it is just so incredibly sweet.

Rhapsody in Blue by KCKenobi (orchestra/mystery au)

Now I know I mentioned it on my last post but I have vowed to always recommend this fic whenever anyone asks. It is truly my favourite fic of all time and I’ve read it multiple times now. How many fanfics can you say have their own soundtrack? I think this is the third time I have recommended this fic in a post but it really is that good. This is a warning for some angst but I would never recommend a fic with an unhappy ending unless specifically asked so you can rest easy knowing that everything resolves well in this story. 

What I also adore about this fic is that it does brilliantly what so few others do, which is that it doesn’t ignore its side characters. They are not just props in Obi Wan’s story. Each person, no matter how small their appearance, feels like a real person. They’re so believable and every relationship, platonic, romantic or otherwise, is completely fleshed out.

There's also a very sweet Codywan oneshot here but it is set during the pandemic and is a bit of a heavy read depending on how much that topic affects so be careful.

I would also like to say that, while this author doesn’t generally write Codywan, first of all when she does it is magical. Secondly, she is absolutely fantastic if you like platonic fics. There’s so many to read and every single one I have read so far has been wonderful. 

Canonverse fics

Incognizant by marshMeister (5+1 fic)

It wouldn’t be a true list of recommendations if I didn’t mention a fic by one of my favourite humans @legobenkenobi. When I say he is one of my favourite writers ever, I am not just saying it because I talk to him basically everyday. I cannot think of a single other person I would trust more to characterise both Cody and Obi Wan. It’s perfect every single time, whether its just in a post or in a full fanfiction, and this fic is such a good example. It’s that classic 5+1 format but it’s so sweet and so in character. 

What’s the one thing that could improve a Codywan fic though? Anakin being completely oblivious and (lovingly) made fun of for it. He has absolutely no clue how Codywan feel about each other even though basically the rest of the galaxy knows so this fic is him figuring that out and it is joy to read (and then reread like six times).

Also if I could make it required by law to read everything Ben has ever written, I would. So definitely check out literally all of his other fics.

if i don’t make it back from where i’ve gone (just know i’ve loved you all along) by thebitterbeast (featuring art from thegreencarousel) (time travel, non linear fic)

This fic does have some angst but rest assured everything works out eventually. It’s such a unique take on the events in canon and I already enjoy a time loop/ time travel fic. But the part I love the most about this fic is that it’s pro-Jedi. Too many Codywan fics find it necessary to disparage or misrepresent the Jedi and their beliefs in order to make the relationship work but Jedi are allowed to love! And this fic is such a beautiful reminder of that. It also captures the gentleness that Cody and Obi Wan have in their relationship with each other in such a lovely way. I fully accept this as the new canon.

Ghosts of the Dead by Just_Here_To_Procrastinate (zombie au)

This is definitely the heaviest fic on the list but trust me. It’s a masterpiece. Also happy ending too, so don’t worry. Just be cautious for mentions of blood and gore if that isn’t your thing. It doesn’t go overboard with it at all but better safe than sorry.

This is a zombie au and I understand that genre isn’t for everyone, but when people say that they’ve read fanfictions that are better than traditionally published novels, this is the kind of this they’re talking about. There’s a section of this fic which is maybe one of the most beautifully written things I’ve ever read. I wish I could give more context but it happens to be at the most pivotal moment of the entire story and I don’t want to spoil anything so you’re going to have to trust me. This fic is insanely good. It’s quite a long one and worth every single second you spend reading it. I love the narrative style and how it fits into the actual plot of TCW too. The characterization is fantastic too.

[ohbo-ohno]

book recs pls? U have amazing taste

im gonna assume this is half in reference to the lilith vincent book i mentioned earlier so i'll give you some of my favorite romances 💞 i tried not to rec a book i've already suggested here before, so some of my very favorites ever are left out!

the authors I'll read like literally anything by are Tessa Bailey, Lily Gold, Ana Huang, J.T. Geissinger, Elsie Silver, Harley Laroux, Rina Kent... and probably someone I'm forgetting tbh but those are some of my favs

also i got a little out of hand and these are kinda all over the place lmao, but here we go! my standards for romance are very low btw so don't judge my taste

Darker romances:

Sticking with Lilith Vincent - I love her books Brutal Intentions and (to a lesser extent) Pageant. Brutal Intentions is a step-dad romance, Pageant (the first of two books, I think the second is wayyy better) is like... dark, mafia, reverse harem, kidnapping, a whole lot tbh. Look up trigger warnings!!! I think she lists them at the start of the book

I don't particularly like H.D. Carlton (I very much so disliked Haunting/Hunting Adeline) but I fucking LOVED her book Does It Hurt? If you want fucked up characters, toxic relationships, noncon, and a pretty well-written subplot for a self-published romance I would recommend this one! (tbh I'm half convinced it's ghostwritten, I cant fathom Haunting Adeline and Does It Hurt? being written by the same person)

Sinners Anonymous & it's sequels by Somme Sketcher. Mafia romance. Age-gap. Kinda trashy but very fun imo. Also read Danielle Lori's Made series if that sounds neat to you!

M.L. Marian's Claimed & Tamed series. Each book follows a different man in the same family where the tradition is that men kidnap their wives. My favorite is Caught <3

Romcoms/Lighter stuff:

I like most Mariana Zapata books, but my favorite is either Under Locke or Luna and the Lie. I've read 7 of her books and they're all basically the same structure with the same characters, so if you read one and like the dynamics you'll probably like her others

One Percent of You by Michelle Gross is my favorite single mom romance of all time. Tattoo artist who hates kids falls in love with his over-worked neighbor who's a single mother of two. SO cute and soft

Bittersweet by Morgan Elizabeth. tattoo artist x baker, this is one of my favorite romcoms ever.

Sunny Disposition by Deanna Gray. Amnesia, college, hockey, roommates to lovers, this is a very soft and fun read that I enjoyed as a bit of a palette cleanser. Iirc it was a little long, but a good time

Other??:

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare. I don't like historical romance much, but this doesn't really feel like one to me! A woman makes up a soldier to write letters to so she can avoid getting married, and years later he shows up on her doorstep ready for their wedding. This is so much fun

Transcendence by Shay Savage - two words for you: Caveman Romance. This is told entirely from the caveman's perspective and tells the story of him meeting a woman who's very odd (because she's from the future) and their life together. It drags a little bit at times, but I think it's so so fun and the end had me crying

King by TM Frazier goes a little off the rails, but I had fun with it. The main character is called 'Pup' for like 90% of the book and that was enough for me. Our FMC has amnesia and is taken in by a local gang leader and the plot goes from there

Under His Heel by Adara Wolf - ok before I say what this is about, I cannot overstate how dark and fucked up this book series is. They're disturbing. I loved them, I've read them all at least twice, but they are deeply upsetting. It takes place in space in the far distant future and follows our main character Alex as he becomes an indentured servant for a sociopath named Captain Tracht. These books are a weird mix of porn and plot, but if you want fucked up smut and fucked up relationship dynamics, this is the holy grail

[dicktat]

Rating men of Villedor🔥 on their ✨Submissive and Breedable meter✨

Aitor:

Starting with the canon DILF. The true unproblematic man out of the other trail mix of a cast (fruity and nuts). Toned body, divorcee rizz, beautiful cut, 30 years in the closet still no drip (get back in there!!!). Only downside well unfortunately he’s British. (cr: from twitter)

Submissive: 2/5 (his boots are made for walking) Breedable: 3/5 (averagely manly, muscular body, not macho)

Barney:

Extremely closeted homosexual, lost an online argument by saying gay men “makes him fucking vomit” and got a reply that says “then loosen your throat” and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. That was three years ago, insists “$20 is $20” but anything for a bottle of eyeliner.

Submissive: 0/5 (Very defensive about it)Breedable: 1/5 (sex appeal of a twig)

Juan:

Our beloved bimbo. Listens to WAP and Ayesha Erotica while blowing a PK. Regina Jorge. Puss in glitterboots. True neutral switch. His body, just like him, swung both ways on the noose, true legend in bed AND in death.

Submissive: 4/5 (scored 100% on an online bdsm test) Breedable: 2/5 (stinky rat man)

Vinny:

Canon Twink supreme. Techland redefined fucktoy with his tsundere attitude and sass. The closets equivalent of him would be blonde pushover anime girl that gets rejected at the end of the romcom.

Submissive: 5/5 (definite femboy fodder) Breedable: 3/5 (far too flat)

Hakon:

The holy grail of a manwhore, discord kitten, Villedor’s favorite princess, runs an only fan account of the post apocalyptic world. Got pinned under some guy during a fistfight once and started meowing. Pathetic kitty man.

Submissive: 4/5 (rawed by life so hard that he started enjoying it) Breedable: 5/5 (French bussy unreal)

[impishmisconception901]

Welcome To My Ramblings

Hi, I am ImpishMisconception.

I am 37 years old, just had my birthday on September 1st. I am single and I don't have any children. I live in Toronto Ontario Canada.

I don't work, I live on ODSP (disability) as my only source of income.

My pronouns are she/her and they/them. (These pronouns may change and I will update them if need be as I continue discovering myself.)

I am a Cis female and for now identify as Cis female (which may change or may not, I do not know right now.)

I am Asexual and Bi-romantic. (This is subject to change as I learn more about myself, I maybe Bisexual or Panromantic or Pansexual. I don't know right now.)

I have Autism, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Depression, Anxiety, and Vertigo.

I was homeschooled by Christian (Protestant) Conservative parents and indoctrinated into Christianity.

I am now an Atheist and have been for about four years now.

My hobbies are going for walks, reading, playing hidden object games, playing Mahjong, playing The Sims, listening to music, daydreaming, watching YouTube videos, watching movies, and watching reruns of the TV shows Granada's Sherlock Holmes starring Jeremy Brett, Mash, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and Star Trek TNG.

As for what kind of books I like, well here is a list of my top ten favourite books.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

The Phantom Of The Opera by Gaston Leroux

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Around The World In 80 Days by Jules Verne

Philosophy for Dummies by Tom Morris

A Tale Of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

I also love reading Shakespeare and the original Sherlock Holmes mysteries by Sir Author Conan Doyle.

(The above book list is subject to change as I read more books.)

As for what music I like, I am on Spotify so feel free to click and follow to see what music I listen to - https://open.spotify.com/user/1o69jk1m6k59cilaskhlziw19?si=7c4e116e5e274735

As for the movies I like, I love musicals, comedies and romance and romcoms are my addiction. I also am a huge fan of Disney/Pixar movies.

Here is a list of my top ten favourite movies.

The Phantom Of The Opera 1929, 1990, and 2004 versions. (Yes, I know the 1990 version is a miniseries but I am counting it as a movie for this list.)

Pride And Prejudice 2005 version.

The Princess Bride

Ever After

Gone With The Wind

The Lake House

A League Of Their Own

Monty Python's The Holy Grail and The Life Of Brian

Airplane

The Devil Wears Prada

List of my top ten favourite Disney. (All the Disney movies I list are the original versions, none of the live-action remakes.)

Dumbo

Sleeping Beauty

Beauty And The Beast

Aladdin

Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs

Mary Poppins

The Sword In The Stone

The Jungle Book

The Emporer's New Groove

Mulan

Here are my top ten favourite movies that are honourable mentions.

The Sound Of Music

Dead Poet's Society

Good Morning Vietnam

You've Got Mail

Four Weddings And A Funeral

French Kiss

The Adventures Of Robin Hood

The Cutting Edge

Titanic

Mrs.Doubtfire

Here are my top ten favourite Disney movies that are honourable mentions. (Again originals, no live-action remakes.)

The Rescuers Down Under

The Little Mermaid

The Lion King

Robin Hood

Cinderella

Pocahontas

Alice In Wonderland

Pinnochio

Tangled

The Aristocats

I am also a fan of Disney/Pixar movies and here is a list of my top five favourite Disney/Pixar movies. (All originals no live-action remakes. Sorry there aren't ten, I haven't seen that many Disney/Pixar movies. )

Toy Story

Inside Out

Wall-E

Finding Nemo

Cars

Here are some other children's movies I enjoy that aren't Disney/Pixar

The Wizard Of Oz

Madeline Lost In Paris

Hook

Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory

Shrek

Happy Feet

Jumanji

Here is a list of my top ten favourite Halloween movies.

Beetlejuice

Ghostbusters 1984 version

Hocus Pocus 1993 version

The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Young Frankenstein

Dracula 1931 version

Dr.Jekyll And Mr.Hyde 1931 version

The Addams Family 1991 version

Hotel Transylvania movie series

I also enjoy the whole Halloweentown movie series and both Twitches movies.

Here is a list of my top ten favourite Christmas movies.

A Christmas Carol 1951 version

White Christmas

Miracle On 34th Street 1947 version

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Scrooged

The Santa Clause

Polar Express

Christmas With The Kranks

It's A Wonderful Life

Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas

(The above movie lists are subject to change as I watch more movies.)

So, that's about me, which is what this blog will be about.

I will just ramble on about whatever whenever. I make no promises about how often I will update the blog. I will just ramble on about whatever I am thinking or feeling or whatever whenever the mood hits me.

I am also on Reddit so feel free to follow me there if you want to - https://www.reddit.com/user/ImpishMisconception/

I am on YouTube but I don't make videos, I just watch stuff but feel free to follow me there as well if you want to - https://www.youtube.com/@impishmisconception7762/featured

If there's anything else you want to know about me, please ask.

[steddie-fanfic-recs]

turn and face the strange

by dynazty

Rating: Mature Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationship: Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington, Background Robin/Vickie - Relationship Character: Steve Harrington, Eddie Munson, Robin Buckley, Dustin Henderson, The Party (Stranger Things), Vickie (Stranger Things), Nancy Wheeler, Maxine "Max" Mayfield Additional Tags: Post-Season/Series 04, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Mutual Pining, everyone lives! because ignorance is bliss folks, eddie is self destructive and steve is sick of it tbh, Underage Drinking, Recreational Drug Use, Concerts, Slow Burn, Shotgunning, Parental Trauma, they fuck you up, your mom & your dad, it's not all angsty though!, Fluff and Humor, Movie Dates, mostly written before vol 2, Sexual Content, HIV/AIDS mention, everyone gets a tragic backstory woooo, Found Family, this is basically a romcom who are we kidding Words: 86,938 Chapters: 20/20

Summary

“I’m coming, man. Jeez. This isn’t life or death.” Steve opens the driver’s side door roughly. “Alcohol thins your blood. Lose too much and it will be life or death.” “It’s just a flesh wound,” Eddie insists in a bad British accent as he plops down in the passenger seat. When Steve only gives him a blank look, his grin falls. “Monty Python and the Holy Grail? No? Come on, dude, how do you work at a video store?” (Or: The aftermath begins to set in. Sometimes, comfort can be found in the oddest of places.)

[ultraericthered]

Anime Update V3 9

From Me To You - Well, this is...just alright. The premiere episode of this series really does play out like a pilot chapter for a manga, with our main female lead Sawako (NOT Sadako from Ringu, as she'd like to remind you) falling head over heels for our male lead Kazehaya way too fast in between signing herself on to play the role of spooky spirit for a test of courage for the school. I feel that it might've been a bit more spaced out if a proper series had already had the go-ahead. Besides that, the most obvious impediment right now is that our leads just...aren't Tohru Honda and Kyo Sohma, which is a bit unfair to say since that's such a high bar, though I will say Sawako does have some similar vibes to Tohru in her own introverted oddball way, and she's even won the hearts of the two local delinquent girls! And the twist at the very end with Kazehaya was a welcome surprise that marks a sufficient shift from the sort of romcom you might've been expecting, and he even says the thing!

Hunter x Hunter - Meruem has begun isolating himself from his servants, including the Royal Guard, and half the episode is spent on this wolf-looking ant trying to piece together what's going on and also take advantage so that he can gain a stronger position. Gon's party talks their shit through and finally goes to break into the palace.

SHUFFLE! - The front half of the episode focused on the other Best Girl of this show, Mayumi, as she ditches a group hangout at the pool to go work at maid cafe waitressing, has a mishap where she forgot to put her panties back on, and being actually pissed that Rin does NOT have any interest in seeing those panties for himself. The back half shows us what Ms. Nadeshiko was doing at the same time, which I don't quite get what the angle for it was (Is she a romantic option for Rin? If so, hell no!), but the episode ends up tying both halves together with a nice, relaxed meeting in a backside hot tub.

The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II - Got to see our favorite wealthy blonde beauty Luvia again, and there was something being set up between her and Reines. But it was incidental to the rest of the episode, which was a more forgettable mystery compared to what we'd got before and ended with Waver, Gray, and those boys from class having to stop some crazy old bastard working underground. Only at the very end does the deal with Luvia come back into play, and Waver has to get the news of a coming new Holy Grail War!

KonoSuba - Got to see the first season finale where Kazuma, his party members, and all the reinforcements who choose to back them up take on a Destroyer to stop it from...well, destroying shit. The ending slayed me, with Kazuma not just calling out how everything we've seen so far was basically his longest prologue ever before he's truly ready to strike out and make a name for himself, but then the whole party getting arrested for the havoc they caused. I thought it'd take a while to get a Seinfeld ending, but they just threw it at us at the end of the first season! That is brilliant and fits way too well!

Symphogear XV - Not sure we needed to have the Noble Red girls resurrected as literal monsters serving Shem-Ha, but that's the direction this story has taken now. But hey, at least it led to Kirika and Shirabe kicking Elza's ass again! Tsubasa then allows the girls to hijack Noble Red's teleportation spell, aaand we're now on the moon!

Eureka Seven - While Axel Thurston has to both construct and deliver the Nirvash's new ref board during the Coralian crisis, the federal military sends Anemone and TheEND back out to observe the Coralians and attack the Gekko, leading to Nirvash VS TheEND Round 2. I got worried for Axel for a moment, but he made it out alright and got to deliver the board to the Nirvash, and so Eureka and Renton together managed to defeat TheEND this time around. But this seems to have been only the opening act of something bigger and darker, as Dewey lays out his master plan to bring about the erradication of Scub Coral and the subjugation of all who dissent.

[chariiluvv]

thinking about this more...

in my mind knox watches romcoms. nothing but romcoms. 10 things i hate about you? of course. 27 dresses. yes. when harry met sally? his holy grail. he won't take shit from anyone over it. he watches any movie and he sighs and goes. just like me and chris <3 also i love him but knox is a coho fan.

charlie listens to kanye religiously, as any teenage white boy does. defends him by saying everthing before donda is a masterpiece! also listens to frank ocean. god the clutches trouble by frank ocean has on him

pitts is weirdly obsessed with slashers. like, he watches the kill count videos on youtube when he doesn't have time to sit down and watch a whole movie. has dressed up as every famous slasher villain for halloween. the only horror movie he refuses to touch with a ten foot pole is it. god, he hates it.

meeks' childhood book series - like, his obsession - was skulduggery pleasant. gets increasingly frustrated when people have no idea what the fuck he's talking about, so whenever someone asks him what his favorite book series is, he just says harry potter (also he's a ravenclaw but he thinks slytherins are cool as fuck)

cameron would never tell a soul but his guilty pleasure is the twilight series - in both book form and movie form. he tells everyone he thinks it's stupid but he's team edward. like, the biggest edward defender to live. read midnight sun and didn't think red flag... he had heart eyes. trust.

todd listens to math rock and midwestern emo music. obviously other genres/artists interspersed here and there (the smiths, weezer, cage the elephant, etc) but he discovered camping in alaska in middle school and something in his brain was changed forever. charlie makes fun of him because all of the singers sound like shit.

neil has an unhealthy obsession with glee. if you play any song made before 2017 in the car with him, he'll start yapping about how glee did it better. do not pass him the aux. please god please. every other word out of his mouth is a glee reference. he forces the poets to watch glee with him so they will understand his references.

god sometimes i think about the poets and what modern media they would like and i just think todd would have VERY strong feelings on matilda. not sure if they’re positive or negative yet but very strong.

[thebellekeys]

30.09.21 : September Wrap-Up

July 2021 Wrap-Up

August 2021 Wrap-Up

So I read 12 books this month, and I'm gonna talk about 8 of them using my regular tier-ranking system.

The "I wasted my time" tier: I was just really disappointed in or bored by these books, so they got low ratings from me.

All the Light We Cannot See was plain boring for me. Yes, I know compared to all the critics that have praised this book, my take that it's lackluster doesn't mean much, but this book tasted like air. For a book so character-centered, I have no idea why I couldn't give a shit about any of them. As for A Very Large Expanse of Sea, this book felt rather... incomplete? The romance was just basic, and I found Mafi's depiction of Islam and the main character's motivations just kinda weird.

The "Holy Shit" tier: I really loved these books! All between 4-5 stars and they really made my day because I thoroughly enjoyed them!

The Burning Girls was a fast-paced, eerie horror read that deals with ghosts, religious dogma, and is set in the dreary English countryside... Emily Brontë would approve of this book, I presume. The Love Hypothesis was a surprisingly great read! I despise romcoms and almost never read them, but Goodreads was putting it in my face so I had to pick it up and found, for once, that I actually liked the main ship and the way their relationship progressed. Finally, Dial A for Aunties was a fun read about family, heritage, identity, and most importantly: how to conceal a dead body in a wedding with a couple thousand guests! It made my week!

The Holy Grail tier: These books are my babies and no one can take them away from me like these were so fricking good.

Let me tell you... In My Dreams I Hold a Knife is the love child of The Hunting Party and If We Were Villains and I ate that shit up like a starving woman. The best feature was the unbearably insufferable narrator who made this story so real. False Witness is harrowing yet beautiful, dealing with the legal world and crimes against women, and I literally think about the opening and closing chapters of it all the time (Callie defense squad!!!). Finally, The Atlas Six was my favorite read of the month. It's existential and fantastical, meticulous and murderous, and I literally would sell an organ to get the sequel tomorrow.

[feralaot]

if u have time, could you do what stupid netflix rom/sitcom everyone would choose to watch when its their turn to pick the movie? ly <3

yes yes yes

AOT characters + their sitcom or romcom of choice for movie night

no warnings

modern setting

eren: stranger than fiction (2006) because for some reason he still thinks will ferrell is the funniest man alive

mikasa: to all the boys I loved before (2018) because she says it’s very deep and intricate but really she’s just projecting onto the main character

armin: my best friend’s wedding (1997) but not because he actually likes the movie he just finds both julianne and michael equally attractive

jean: 50 first dates (2004) because he first saw it when he was like 8 and it ingrained an affinity in him for adam sandler

connie: superbad (2007) for no reason other than he absolutely loves michael cera

sasha: cloudy with a chance of m- moving on

historia: but I’m a cheerleader (1999) and I’m not going to elaborate I just suggest you look up the plot and fill in the blanks yourself <3

ymir: hates romcoms and sitcoms with ever fiber of her being, she only watches them with her friends if historia is there to keep her from losing her shit. did genuinely enjoy but I’m a cheerleader though

levi: always be my maybe (2019) is his guilty pleasure movie and he’ll suggest it nonchalantly but is internally begging that everyone agrees to watch it

erwin: falls asleep on the couch before voting even begins so he never has a say in the options to begin with

hange: they’ve been indefinitely banned from movie night

reiner: grease (1978) he does genuinely enjoy the plot and all but he won’t admit that he also thinks john travolta is a handsome man

bertholdt: in & out (1997) I rest my case

annie: doesn’t like movies. would rather watch that 70s show

porco: scott pilgrim v. the world (2010) and I don’t have an explanation for this one, it’s just the vibe I get

pieck: monty python and the holy grail (1975) still makes her lose her shit no matter how many times she forces her friends to watch it

zeke: the death of stalin (2017) because he thinks it’s haha relatable and everyone is kind of concerned about that

[dramarants]

KDrama Actors Who Caught My Eye

GIF by iamacolor

Ji Chang Wook 

Surprise! Healer is one of my all time favorite dramas and this man has one of my all time favorite faces. He gives the sweetest heart eyes, can handle heavier emotional scenes, and most of the main roles I’ve seen him in are puppies with grumpy exteriors which he does so well. His latest drama choices haven’t been great (older posts in his tag can tell you more) but his swoon factor makes the mediocre ones worthwhile!

Dramas watched: 7

Greatest Hits:

Healer (2014) - action, political drama with fluffy angst romance

Suspicious Partner (2017) - lawyer romcom with a serial killer plot line

Empress Ki (2013) - jcw as a sheltered crown prince, the show guts you

Latest:

Melting Me Softly (2019)

Lovestruck in the City (2020, still airing)

Park Seo Joon

Tumblr was in love with this man when I first started watching kdramas and he grew on me too. He kept showing up in popular recommendations (and in the boba shop across from my favorite study spot on campus lmfao) and his charms work well in bringing warmth to some of the typically “alpha” characters he’s played. What can I say, I’m a sucker for smiles.

Dramas watched: 6

Greatest Hits:

Fight for My Way (2017) - slice of life romcom, a tumblr fave!

Itaewon Class (2020) - slice of life with some punch, great OST*

What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018) - psj fan holy grail romcom**

Breakout Roles:

She Was Pretty (2015)

Kill Me, Heal Me (2015)

*haven’t seen this yet but really looking forward to it!

**ngl this cloying tropefest was too much for me but v cute, great kisses

Kim Seon Ho

Oh man where to begin. When I first saw him on the Start-Up thumbnail, I thought “who casted him, he seems creepy” and good lord was I wrong. By ep 3, I was completely awestruck by his talent, expressions, charisma, dimples, voice - okay I’m stopping you get the point. This man is an insanely wonderful, versatile actor (plus a total dork on season 4 of 2 Days 1 Night!) and I can’t wait for all he has in store for us.

Dramas watched: 7 (in 30 days, whoops)

Greatest Hits:

Start-Up (2020) - tech workplace drama, jipyeong breaks your heart

Catch the Ghost (2019) - subway action dramedy, lead role!

Welcome to Waikiki 2 (2019) - pure comedy, he just looks pretty even when he’s suffering

Breakout Roles:

Good Manager/Chief Kim (2017)

Two Cops (2017)

Im Siwan

I’m cheating with this one bc there’s other actors I’ve seen more of but recently I’ve been obsessed with his absolutely adorable, grounded portrayal of Ki Seon Gyeom in Run On and I just started Strangers From Hell where he plays a much darker role! He’s an idol turned actor I believe, and while I haven’t seen a lot of his work, I’m loving what I’ve come across so far.

Dramas watched: 2, one in progress

Greatest Hits:

The Attorney (2013) - legal drama movie, his breakout role 

Misaeng (2014) - classic workplace ensemble drama, so so good

Run On (2020, still airing) - feel-good slice of life, awkward cinnamon rolls with various burn degrees

Latest:

Hell is Other People/Strangers From Hell (2019) 

Honorable Mentions: 

They stood out in the roles I saw and star in dramas in my watchlist!

Kang Ha Neul - 3, so glad he never got braces for his dorky smile

Jo Jung Suk - 3, hospital playlist is what really sold him to me

Nam Joo Hyuk - 5, didn’t realize I've seen so many of his dramas

Yoo Ah In - 2, secret love affair?? Jesus Christ??

Lee Junho - 1, his performance in just between lovers is exquisite

Jung Hae In - 2, fits the beta lead trope so well if you’re into that

Kim Myung Soo - 3, held his own across shin hye-sun, a cutie

Oh Jung Se - 2, stellar performance as kang tae 

Lee Jae Wook - 2, mostly fascinated by how a man can look like a dinosaur but still... cute? dare I say hot?

Jang Seung Jo - 1, wanna see more after his role in jtbc’s chocolate

Kim Won Hae - 9, one of the busiest drama dads/comic reliefs in the biz let’s be real

Sung Dong Il - 8, another busy drama dad/comic relief/evil historical politician but his role in my drama journey has to be acknowledged

Happy to discuss or get recs for dramas with strong performances or your favorite actors!

[sofiadragon]

I second this wholeheartedly. "Crack treated seriously" needs to be exchanged for "sitcom" or even just "comedy" because that's what most of the stories with that tag are these days. Crack fics were the junk food of fanfic where the emperor has no clothes but we're going to tell him how beautiful the pleating on his imaginary vestments are with the biggest shit eating grin and a wink through the forth wall. It's overexagetated and absurd to a shocking degree, just for fun because we can. See also: lampshading.

If the story has a serious take or moral through-line to 'take itself seriously' for the majority of it's length it ceases to be crackfic because now It's Always Sunny and can be tagged sitcom, romcom, or comedic character exploration. If it is almost all crack with one quite serious bit, consider the "satire" tag while you are Waiting for Godot. If the tag is trying to mean it went through multiple drafts and a beta, it's still just Crack and the author has gotten deeper into story craft. The best comedies and stand up routines go through heavy editing processes to refine them too, crack fics treat the source material with disdain, not the writing process.

True Crack fic is like the works of Mony Python. Spam Spam Eggs Spam Spam Spam and Toast... Their purest Crack are their sketch comedy/clip show style productions. The Life of Brian is a movie-legnth Crackfic based on the Bible. The same concepts treated seriously become Good Omens or Dante's The Divine Comedy, which have hilarious bits and plenty of jokes but are not primarily absurd. If the story treats its source material unseriously and with no respect and is an absurd collection of shocking moments, then it is a crack fic even if it is also a Holy Grail of feature length satirical comedy.

I wish more people would take the time to look at a fan wiki when they are unsure of how to tag their stories and I wish more literature teachers would stop giving kids the impression that comedy is low quality or low effort.

do you much care for silly aus taken seriously?

Some consider that to be all I write, however, personally, I think "crack treated seriously" is an overused term that needs to be put back on a shelf.

Specifically, I see it used all the time when a) something remotely funny happens in an otherwise serious story b) when the readers decide that a situation or scenario is "funny" and can't suspend disbelief and go along with the story.

It's a "lol, these stupid characters don't know they're in a comedy" and it's become incredibly grating to me.

Which is not the answer to your question, which is, like all things, is it done well? If it is, great, I'm here for it. If not, then no.

[dangermousie]

I have finished the first ten episodes of The Sword and The Brocade and the verdict is in.

Alas, it’s not going to replace Monarch Industry as my obsession. In fact, even though is is solid - solidly written and acted and filmed - it is, as the Russian saying goes “not the hero of my novel.”

It is just not my type of story at all. I hate hate HATE harem narratives. I’ve made a post before exactly why so I won’t rehash it, but suffice it to say that I’d almost rather watch a brainless fluffy period romcom than a harem narrative however well done.

And that is what this drama is. I didn’t expect a battle and political epic with an us against the world OTP like Monarch Industry (or Wallace’s own General and I), but I did think this would be largely a love story with minimal if any harem stuff. More fool me - while obviously the narrative will eventually have Shiyi and Xu Lingyi fall for each other, the bulk of the narrative is spent on all the fighting between Marquis Introvert’s various women for position.

I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE THAT TYPE OF NARRATIVE!!!

The thought of all these women having no other opportunity in life, no other way but to fight for the “privilege” of sleeping with some man because that is the only way they can have money and power and position and safety is truly depressing. I mean, sure, Xu Lingyi is played by Wallace Chung so he’s mega hot, but NOBODY is hot enough for that. And XLY is a good man, so on one hand they are not competing for a dumpster fire, but on the other he clearly has zero interest in any of his women and yet they are all (except Shiyi) treating him as Holy Grail and Jesus combo because what else do they have?

To see them chase after a man who has as much emotional investment as he would in a pet rock (he’d probably prefer a pet rock) and to spend so much emotional and mental energy on him and jockeying for position is like drinking a cup of misery. I mean, take Lianfang - she finagles that fancy brocade and all that fuss in that household about who gets to wear what piece of fabric, a dozen grown women involved, all spending so much effort on something so ultimately petty because what else do they have - their world is the size of a thimble! And then he basically tells Lianfang she’s wrong to wear the fancy brocade (because he doesn’t love his wife but he’s proper about what’s owed to whom rank wise) and honestly, the most depressing part about that is Lianfang decides to fight to be a legitimate wife after that because what else does she have? She HAS to hate Shiyi because she can’t hate her “husband” as that is hopeless and makes her life untenable. But she is spending all her effort for a man who dislikes her and she knows dislikes her, because she literally has nothing else.

(When he told Shiyi things can be solved through discussion, why do women scheme? Because if they don’t, others will - he’s a man, he has other options. They don’t rely on civilized niceties like discussions because the stakes for them are so dire.)

And the really tragic thing is - NOBODY is happy under this system. The first wife was not happy, his concubines are not happy but it’s not even that he enjoys having those women around. He’s also miserable because he’s smart enough to see none of them care for him as him but solely as a meal ticket and a status symbol. It’s a rotten, miserable system and everyone is living lives of quiet desperation (except Shiyi who plans to ditch and work for an embroidery shop) and it’s just so dreary and demeaning.

It’s a pity because the interactions of two passive-aggressive introverts that are the main couple are a delight and they are both decent to others and each other (even when he thinks she’s a schemer, he stands up for her to her family or even does little things like covers her with a blanket, and he’s never tried to force her into sex) and the chemistry is lovely. But it is just the type of drama that never really clicks for me.

It’s an easy watch so I will keep up with it and it’s certainly well made, but it’s just not the type of narrative that ever works for me.