#the main takeaway is that people are very creative

[lady-raziel]

long reaction to the update

ok. so they put out an update video! since i've been commentating for the last three days i might as well subject you all to more of my thoughts today.

main takeaway: this was a good apology video. i mean it. short and to the point, no overproduction, heartfelt and honest (and not a ukelele to be seen. thank god.) they took ownership of the situation, apologized, and restated how much they value their relationship with the fandom.

their solution is to make the watcher tv platform into kind of an iteration of patreon where content is available for early access before it is released onto youtube later. this is clearly a better option than paywalling everything for everyone. i'm not sure what the relative breakdown of costs turns out to be when you compare how much they were making on patreon after the platform took their cut VS how much it costs in overhead to run and maintain their own platform (how much it costs annually to contract via Vimeo, essentially). but i'm sure that's part of the calculation.

all things considered, that does seem like the best option out of all the alternatives. it allows them to not completely abandon any of the pans they have simmering over the fire for the time being. i don't think i ever thought they were going to just say "oops, forget about the streaming thing! let's pretend that never happened!" because at this point they've invested quite a lot of time and money into it, and i don't disagree that keeping it in some iteration may help them make up some of the funds they're lacking.

i would say, it's fine to keep the streamer. this is one of the ok outcomes, all things considered-- but if they're going to do it, they've GOT to do it smart from this point forward. listen to both the fans and the consultants intimately. both are going to have valid points, and both are going to be right. listening to too much of either side will sink this thing because each has motives and expertise that the other doesn't. if the fans say $6 is too much, listen to them-- but have conversations with business consultants about how much you realistically need to charge to make things work.

also, i'd use this whole situation as a learning experience. watcher is a young company, and it's literally inevitable that mistakes will happen. what's different is that the watcher crew haven't really been in a position before where they've been on the receiving end of the internet-angry-justice-hammer to this extent. it's one thing to watch it happen to others, but it's a position of extreme privilege (and a bit of hubris) to think "but that won't happen to me, because i'm built different." naw, man-- two things in life are inevitable: death and fuckups. the callout posts get us all in the end.

what's really important is that they use this as a wakeup call that even the most loyal fandoms will only follow you so far to the cliff's edge, and you don't want to push that. you have to strike a balance between the passion projects that you think are worthy and the stuff that maybe doesn't excite you as much anymore but the people want to see. a little fanservice keeps the lights on, as unfair as that might seem. i'm gonna make 50 markiplier choccy milk memes just so i can make one niche political joke once and a while for 6 likes. it is what it is.

i'd also use this as a chance to take a very careful look at company structure and finances. it's not fun to do and nobody likes it. trust me-- this is hard whether you're a single adult trying to pay the bills or the freaking US government (speaking from experience on both-- i have to read the president's budget for work frequently). but you all have to ask hard questions about the ratio of creative staff you take on VS staff for administrative and other business roles, as well as the costs and benefits of everything you spend money on. how many staff members are essential to location shoots? can this video be shot with 2 cameras instead of 3 and thus you don't need another cameraperson? you might even have to come to the decision that instead of pitching a new show it makes more sense to use those funds to hire your essential non-creative roles or contract firms or freelancers.

paying staff a fair wage with benefits speaks highly of what watcher wants their values to be. it's hard to find such a position in a creative role and still actually get to work on things you care about. but it would be much worse if watcher didn't make realistic decisions about finances and it lead to the death of the company and everyone losing their jobs. the whole watcher company can work, in my opinion, but not without some sacrifices. they're going to have to run it more like a business and less like a youtube-channel-turned-business in the future if they want to survive.

last thing i'll add is that while i do think this was a good apology video, i still think they hurt themselves by not putting out some sort of statement on Friday or Saturday just to say that they were formulating a response. As i've said in other posts, it's ok and in fact beneficial to not make a kneejerk reaction, but it's also very important to communicate that you SEE what's happening. you SEE what people are saying and THAT'S why you need more time to respond. saying nothing and leaving the angry public to wonder if you dropped your phone off the Hoover Dam or just don't care? that's a fumble. it's a common mistake companies make in a crisis, but that doesn't mean it doesn't erode trust fast.

this could have been handled better in many ways. we see that, and i'm glad watcher says they see that too. crucial going forward is taking all this and patching the errors that caused all this to fall apart and learning from the experience.

tbh at this point what i'm most sad about is that the watcher crew have probably been too stressed out and upset to appreciate some of the absolute bangers people have been laying down to clown on them. i think if it wasn't about them they might be touched by the collective attitude and creative spirit. /j

[starsworldd]

astro observations part 6

i am back!! please take with a grain of salt per usual. to all my people finishing up ap exam week hope you still have some life left in ya and know that i support you❤️ i only have one ap exam left!!! woo hoo🥳

✢ while many people on here say that cancer risings look like 🌝 in all honesty it depends a lot on their moon sign like everything else with a cancer rising😭

✢ venus in the chart shows where we express our harmonic side the easiest. it may show where we sacrifice bold, assertive energy in exchange for contentment and satisfaction with the people around us or the things (physical or non-physical) around us. venus represents ease

✢ 6th house placements feel restricted often and may feel as though the everyday routines they complete lack a purpose to the bigger cause. although this is very much so a purposeful house, this house also does highlight repetition and with so much repetition these placements can easily feel as though they’re stuck in an ever-perpetuating cycle of the same exact thing everyday — coming from a 6th house sun ☀️

✢ 6th house placements especially sun are also really good at community service, they will put their heart and soul into that stuff

✢ virgo placements get along with saggitarius placements. same with virgo and scorpio

✢ somebody mentioned saggitarius and scorpio both being signs of transformation not just scorpio and i could not agree more. saggitarius being ruled by jupiter wants to expand and make things bigger. making something that was once limited to something large takes transformation and change does it not?

✢ water and fire signs are the 2 sides of the same coin in my opinion. i think the majority of people think that fire energy is too much for water energy, but water energy can be just as overwhelming as fire energy. they both prioritize their emotions and intuition. but people paint water signs so passively and as if they lack confidence which is not necessarily true. fire expels their emotion and intuition through action. water often expels their emotion and intuition internally or metaphysically. this doesn’t make water less motivated, both fire and water are equally motivated. i would say that water is motivated by a bigger purpose or sacrifice. but fire is motivated by feeling and power. but the main takeaway is that water and fire are both intuitive and emotional. just different outputs!

✢ mars conjunct venus in the natal chart often points to some sort of artistic talent, songwriting, performing, singing, etc…

✢ people with both mars and venus in earth signs are very attractive. earth being physical and associated with touch, mars and venus being the feminine and the masculine energy…you get the point

✢ virgo venus and scorpio mars people are the real heartthrobs around here

✢ scorpio is so similar to fire energy it’s so true. scorpio is fire energy but somebody put a dampener in their room or something like that

✢ scorpio placements are good at turning pain into power. i think this is why people often associate scorpio placements with fame or high professional positions

✢ gemini give off the color yellow to me 💛

✢ libra moons have an amazing taste in fashion

✢ mercury retrograde people are really creative

✢ fixed mars people are so attractive im not really sure why but they just are (to me at least). they can also be good dancers especially taurus and leo.

✢ i went on a date with a guy who had an aquarius stellium and boy was he boring…standing out this, standing out that, yes those things can be true but aquarius represents society and the “audience”, and in these contexts people can appear the same from one another (not all aquarius people are boring just offering a different pov bc people always saying aquarius is different and unique from the rest)

✢ jupiter 5th house people have an elite sense of humor

✢ capricorn placements and having naturally good teeth

✢ jupiter in the 6th house is such a blessed placement imo. it’s giving “everyday is a new adventure” 💫

hope you enjoyed!

[cosmicseafoam]

Randy Moore on the Sunken Teeth Co live part2

part 1 about the drop here

These wont be super in order as I'm gonna try to group them

Dividers by @wrathofrats

He's in the middle of making a record so new music soon-ish

It's not a new band, he says this is a "Randy record"

It's being produced by his friend Henry Chadwick

They'll be in the studio this weekend to record more stuff

.

Someone said "I hope you're taking care of the Mothman enamel pin I gave you" and he said he transferred it from his jacket to a pin board in his room to keep it safe so he doesn't lose it

"Do you still have the Sunken Teeth Bracelet I gave you at the SLC show?" he said "Yes I do! Anything that anybody has ever given me, I still have and I cherish cherish cherish everything that people take the time to hand me and make. 🙏🏻 I'm very appreciative. You guys are awesome"

He was fucking around a bit with a delay to make voice effects and said "I'm just trying to add some production value, y'know, just a little something, know what I'm saying?"

At one point he did something with the delay pedal and then said "never mind that was dumb and I've embarrassed myself"

He's excited to see the new Nosferatu

He doesn't have a dog but wishes he did

He's from the Bay Area

He drinks sparkling water

He's been watching The Sopranos for the first time (he's on s6)

He hasn't seen Twin Peaks

He hasn't gone to Spirit Halloween yet because he thinks he should wait for Lucy to get back from tour so they can go together

He hasn't watched Longlegs because he's "been busy doing stuff"

He's playing with Sweet Gloom in Santa Ana and San Diego on the 9th and 10th of August

He hasn't watched Over The Garden Wall

He really liked the Danzig dance scene in Abigail

If he was to get a Nightmare Before Christmas tattoo it would be of the masks that the three kids wear to represent him and his siblings

Someone said bring the 'stash back, he said "I don't think so"

He hasn't been to a Rocky Horror shadow cast and the thought scares him cause he doesn't want people to touch him while he's watching the movie

Someone asked which chipmunk he is, he said his sister Alyssa dubbed him Simon, herself Alvin, and their brother as Theodore.

He's not doing any overseas gigs any time soon

He said he's trying to recharge creatively and physically

He's an Aries

He uses the Ernie Ball regular slinky 10-46 guitar strings in the green pack

Someone asked if he plays mermaids he said "of course"

If he was a muppet he'd be "The Count. Obviously"

He has not listened to BRAT

He mains Dry Bones on Mario Cart

He likes Halloween because he thinks the weather is nicer, he likes sweater weather

He's never watched Baywatch

He gets scared of walk-through haunted houses

He is not going on the next Alkaline Trio tour

He likes Sisters Of Mercy

He has 10 or 11 guitars

He's been playing guitar since he was 11 or 12.

He takes his coffee with lots of sugar but Lucy drinks hers black which he "could never"

He doesn't know what he's gonna be for Halloween

He's not watching IWTV

He wants to visit Salem and the cemeteries in New Orleans

He has paper bats strung up on his shelf and he said "The bats keep my record collection safe. From... the sun! Idk."

He hasn't watched the new Deadpool movie

He likes The Shining

.

"I'm a real vampire, it's confirmed"

"I can fit in your pocket. I can get in there, for sure. IIIIIII can get in that pocket"

Someone asked how tall he is and between questions he said "I'm 6 feet tall", "I'm LIKE 6 feet. I don't know what I am, I haven't measured myself since I was 12 so who cares", "I'm like 6ft on a good day. People shrink, fluctuate. Who cares. Who cares about anything", "Yeah I'm like 6 feet on a good day, it's not that big of a deal. 6 feet is like NOT that tall. Maybe? I don't know", "I'm ACTUALLY 7 feet tall. Let that be the takeaway from this." and finally "I'm two bats tall."

Someone in the chat said "Basically 6ft is not 6ft, why do men lie?" and he responded "I'm sorry. I'm just- I'm just a boy"

Favourites:

Vampire movie: The Lost Boys, he later mentions it was filmed in Santa Cruz which is close to where he lives and he hangs out at the bridge sometimes

Beatles song right now is "I'm looking through you"

Chappell Roan song: Red Wine Supernova

BoyGenius song: "probably Satanist" but he really likes the first EP a lot

The Strokes song: either The Adults Are Talking or Last Nite

Cryptid: Mothman

Newer horror movie: Nope by Jordan Peele

Tattoo of his: ballerina on a tightrope or the crocodile underneath her

He owns a first pressing of Goddammit by Alkaline Trio and it's his favourite record of all time

Someone asked him to rate the 1990s ninja turtle movie out of 100 and he said "It's probably 100, it's maybe my favourite movie"

He can't pick between Creature Of The Black Lagoon and Dracula, they're his two favourites from the Universal monsters

Dogs or cats? "Dogs"

Metallica album: Master Of Puppets

Misfits song: Night Of The Living Dead or "Astro Zombies is always a favourite" and he did specify Danzig Misfits

Spirit World song: ULCER

Dracula: Bela Lugosi

System Of A Down song: Toxicity

Guitar model: Fender Jaguar

Dead Kennedys song: Kill The Poor. He said Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables is his favourite DK record.

He likes MCR, his fav album is Three Cheers and fav song is I'm Not Okay

Fall Out Boy song: Dance Dance

Fav song EVER: Sleepwalk by Santo & Johnny

Animal: Bats. No specifics, he said "I like 'em all!"

Alkaline Trio song from the new album: Shake With Me

Halloween candy: the pumpkin reeses cups

Concert: He saw Green Day do a secret show at Gilman Street which is a really small DIY venue

Thing about touring: he likes to see the friends he's made over the years cause he doesn't get to see them often

White Claw: Raspberry. He doesn't like Black Cherry so he gives those to Lucy

Cemetery he's visited: Hollywood Forever

AFI song: Fall Children

Zombie Film: Night Of The Living Dead

Horror movie actor: Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee

Pokemon: he's a Charmander guy

Place to travel: "My bed. I love sleeping"

Food: Pizza. He said he's a pineapple on pizza guy.

Liv was in the chat and ask for a toy shelf tour

Pee-wee Dracula painted by Matt Skiba, given to Randy as a gift

He has a Green Day tour poster from when Dog Party (his gf Lucy’s band) opened for them and he said “super proud of Lucy, she’s the best”

Funkos: Rivers Cuomo, Dracula (which the lady at walgreens didn't charge him for), and Twenty One pilots but he's trying to get rid of his funko pops

He’s trying not to collect things anymore

Kiss Alive figures

Ozzy bark at the moon werewolf eating a mini brand ball taco

Ninja turtles 1990 movie figures

Fake ninja turtles ice cream

Alkaline trio Campbell soup cans from the my shame is true record

Metallica figurine setup

He thinks he has about 500 records on his shelf

Someone asked for a tattoo tour and he said "that would take too long" but he did show off his arm and speed run through some of them.

tooth

flower

moth

birds

crystal ball

rose through a heart

ballerina + crocodile

bats

skeleton

panther

scorpion

His first tattoo was a mermaid on an anchor on his upper arm. Her tail is "seafoam green" which he said is his favourite colour.

Most of his tattoos are in a traditional style, but he said he's "got some crazier ones" on his leg.

Ones he didn't specifically mention but that I've seen from photos:

a broken arrow

an astronaut lady

bats on his collarbones

portrait of a lady on the back of his arm

a few random roses scattered around

a large flower on his elbow

(what looks like) a rose inside a diamond with a straight razor underneath

(what looks like) a mummy/wrapped sarcophogus

Legs:

dagger and rose

Elvis TCB lightning bolt

a small flower with a smiley face in the center

creature from the black lagoon

[rainbow-starlight]

time for EVEN MORE CHARACTER ANALYSIS 🎉

(this time, with enneagrams!)

So, I love a good personality test, as I know many Tumblr users do. I’m particularly fond of Enneagram, because I feel like it gives a lot more insight into someone compared to, say, MBTI.

So, of course, I sat down and took the test twice: Once for canon Sun, once for canon Moon. A lot (and I do mean a lot) of this is based on speculation, so if you disagree, please let me know why!

I mostly did this because, y’know, there isn’t a lot of characterization for these two, and I wanted to see if I could gain any new knowledge from this. (Which, yep, it absolutely worked.) Hopefully this can be useful for anyone who wants more perspective on writing these two in a more day-to-day sort of setting. It’s almost all speculation, but I found it really interesting.

So, drumroll please… 🥁🥁🥁

Sun is a 2w1, and Moon is a 8w7!

Pretty different from what I found for them online (Sun as a 7w6, Moon as a 1w2). Thoughts on what these mean under the cut.

Most of my information comes from here! Some paraphrasing, some direct quotes. I won’t be directly citing everything because this isn’t an essay.

Sunny

The biggest and most interesting takeaway from Enneagram, to me, is the core hopes and fears.

Sun’s primary hope is to feel loved, and his secondary hope is to be good, have integrity, and be balanced.

Sun’s primary fear is of being unwanted and unworthy of being loved. His secondary fear of being corrupt, evil, or defective.

This is really interesting to think about in the context of the virus. He’s scared of being left behind, maybe doesn’t even understand why Moon is acting the way that he is and is terrified something’s just wrong with them. This could even apply in regards to being moved from the stage to the daycare, in a way.

His main motivations are to express his feelings for others and be needed and appreciated. His secondary motivations are to improve everything and be beyond criticism so nobody can say anything bad about him.

When going through a period of stress, Sun would become more like Moon’s worst traits. He’d be more proud, egocentric, confrontational, aggressive, dominating, vengeful, and demanding of obedience. If he were in danger during this period of time, he’d likely become destructive in his attempts to get out of it, even if that’s not the best way to handle it. He’d also likely become depressed, moody, irrational, hopeless, and ashamed of himself, more prone to self-destruction. He’d probably chase away people who try to help him and self-isolate.

I think that can definitely be seen in the ruin part of HW2 with Sun’s voice lines to the player, as well as how harsh he is on the player during arts & crafts.

When going through a period of growth, Sun would be creative, self-aware, introspective, gentle, compassionate, excitable, spontaneous, cheerful, and productive. He’d be able to be vulnerable yet emotionally strong, grateful for what he has, and excited about just existing. Very much like fanon Sun, honestly.

An unhealthy Sun would likely be manipulative, inflexible, self-serving, and domineering, able to excuse and rationalize his behavior because he sees himself as a victim. He’d likely be obsessive about others’ imperfections and wrongdoings, perhaps to the point of cruelty. He’d be prone to nervous breakdowns.

An average Sun (closest to what we’ve seen so far) would be people-pleasing, orderly, abrasive, overbearing, impatient, self-sacrificial, and codependent. Full of approval and flattery for others. He’d likely hover and mettle in others’ business and scold others for anything done not to his exact specifications.

A healthy Sun (unheard of so far in the games lmao) would be unselfish, compassionate, caring, hopeful, warm-hearted, forgiving, encouraging, and appreciative. He’d actually take care of himself, too.

To help Sun grow into that healthy category, here’s some stuff that would help…

Addressing his own needs before others’.

Not expecting appreciation for the good things he does.

Asking people what they need from him instead of just assuming and trying to help, and accepting that sometimes people don’t want his help without assuming that they dislike him or are rejecting him.

Not trying to call attention to his own hard work.

Learning to recognize the affection and good wishes of others, even if those things take a different shape than he’s familiar with.

Learning to relax and take time for himself, without feeling like this will lead to chaos and disaster.

Not expecting others to change immediately when he explains something, because what’s obvious to him isn’t always obvious to others and people just don’t typically change right away.

Not getting worked up about others’ (or his own) shortcomings, because frustrated with others gets him nowhere and harsh self-criticism just makes him feel worse.

Getting in touch with his own feelings and needs.

Moon

Now, this one was definitely harder. We get so little characterization for him. And yet…

Moon’s primary hope is to protect himself and be in control of his own life and destiny. His secondary hope is to be satisfied and content, and have his needs fulfilled.

Moon’s primary fear is of being harmed or controlled by others, and his secondary fear is of being deprived and in pain.

This is really telling compared to Sun’s. Moon isn’t scared of some sort of fundamental flaw within himself. He also cares much less about what others think of him, and just wants to be happy and safe.

His main motivations are self-reliance, to prove his strength, and to be important and in control of his environment and situation. His secondary motivations are to maintain his freedom and happiness, to avoid missing out, to keep himself excited and occupied, and to avoid pain.

I feel like this definitely tracks. He’s a gremlin that makes a hobby out of bothering the staff by pretending to be a boogeyman. That’s not “security” work (sorry, Moon).

When going through a period of stress, Moon becomes secretive, fearful, perfectionistic, and critical. He’d be reclusive and out of touch with reality, obsessed with yet frightened by his violent thoughts, and incredibly self-destructive. He’d judge others harshly while rationalizing his own actions and wouldn’t hesitate to punish others to get rid of perceived ‘wrongdoers’.

This aligns pretty well with what we’ve seen of Moon with the virus.

When going through a period of growth, Moon picks up some of Sun’s best traits. He becomes open-hearted, caring, focused, compassionate, encouraging, nurturing, loving, perceptive, curious, independent, innovative, and whimsical.

We haven’t really had a chance to see anything like this with Moon, but it feels closer to popular fanon perceptions as well.

An unhealthy Moon would be ruthless and violent. He’d be reckless about his own safety and straight-up murderous. He’d be impulsive and never know when to stop or when he’s taking things too far, and eventually run out of energy or get too broken-down and just give up on himself.

An average Moon would be self-sufficient, hardworking, hyperactive, self-centered, and proud. He wouldn’t pay much attention to his own emotional needs. He’d be combative and intimidating to get his way, and not shy away from threats to get obedience. He’d always be doing things to avoid boredom and have a larger-than-life persona just for the fun of it.

A healthy Moon (at long last…) would be brave, confident, resourceful, decisive, cheerful, passionate, and assertive. He’d actually be very extroverted and easily excited, which goes against a lot of popular headcanons for him, but then again this is the guy whose entire characterization is one long performance of hide-and-seek/tag with the monster under your bed. I feel like it makes sense that he’d be more social when the threat of his worst fears coming true isn’t looming over his head.

How would Moon reach that healthy category?

Recognizing that he’s at his best when he does things like take charge or help people through a crisis. He needs to use some self-restraint and try to inspire others to do what he wants instead of just forcing them.

Learning to let others have their way sometimes, and recognizing that doing this usually won’t mean sacrificing his power or his real needs.

Recognizing that the world is not against him and letting in the affection that’s available.

Accepting that he depends on others and not alienating them.

Not overvaluing being feared/obeyed, and recognizing that those things are not a stand-in for love.

Learning to be less impulsive.

Learning to listen to others, as well as learning to be comfortable without constant stimulation.

Accepting that he doesn’t have to have everything immediately.

Choosing quality over quantity in experiences.

Making sure that what he wants will really be good for him in the long run.

What do these types mean for their relationship and how they’d interact with each other?

They’re more alike than they initially appear!

Both are action-oriented and want to have a personal impact on their environment.

Both can be sentimental and deeply feeling, with a soft side that isn’t as apparent.

Both can play the roles of provider, protector, caretaker, and nurturer while avoiding or even denying their own needs.

Both tend to overwork themselves and be the ‘strong one’ in relationships, although Sun’s type is more likely to be the power behind the throne whereas Moon’s type is more likely to be the one on the throne, which I found really interesting.

Both are passionate, generous, and have good people skills.

Both are strong-willed and like taking on responsibility, as long as they choose it themselves.

Both easily play the roles that the other needs and wants. They see each other’s best qualities and can be the other’s strongest supporter and admirer. They also have clearly-defined roles, so they tend to not get in each other’s way. They make powerful allies who complement each other’s strengths, particularly the good effects they have on others.

However, they have very different values: Sun’s type is more person-oriented, and Moon’s type is more practical. Sun’s type also tends to be more indirect, whereas Moon’s type tends to be more direct. Sun’s type is much more likely to get attached to people and see things from their point of view, whereas Moon’s type does not.

When they’re not doing so good, they may be prone to arguments over whose views are correct: Moon’s confrontational attitude and tendency to shut others out, or Sun’s possessive and self-sacrificial behaviors. Sun’s type is more likely to get caught in a codependent relationship with Moon’s, becoming an apologist and enabler for his bad behavior.

The breakdown in mutual communication/respect/trust would involve Moon seeing Sun as insincere and manipulative, and Sun seeing Moon as cruel and domineering. They’d both become more controlling and harsh with each other, both prone to paranoia and fear of betrayal.

I feel like that’s kind of where we’re at in the games. Sun chooses not to outright warn people about Moon a lot of the time, and they both try to gain total control of their shared body and shut the other out.

AAAAND… DONE!

I hope this was at least an interesting read for you guys, and offered a new perspective on these characters! I recommend checking out the link for further insights into the personality types, because I tried to just limit it to character motivations and interactions and that alone has been ridiculously long.

hey, sunnie, why’d you do this?

neurodivergency. next question.

[vertigoblockbuster]

Mrigashira: Gentle, multifaceted

Mrigashira is the 5th of the 27 nakshatras

Following Rohini and preceding Ardra, Mrigashira lies in the late degrees of Taurus and early degrees of Gemini. It is symbolized by a deer or just the face of a deer. Mars is the planetary ruler of this nakshatra and it's governing deity is Soma. Soma is often thought of as its form as a food or drink, and the deity Soma is kind of like the personification of the qualities it brings to it's consumers.

The Symbology of the Deer

Deer are herbivores which means they don't hunt other animals. They are also very selective when it comes to the plant material that they eat. Part of why deer are such picky eaters is because the growth and health of their antlers is impacted by the quality of their food. Antlers are important for confrontation/combat and they also function as impressive displays during courtship, so the bias of deer towards nutrient-dense plants makes sense.

"Baby with a rack like this, you won't be worrying about these clowns." - Bambi's dad, probably

The herbivorous nature of deer and their high selectivity when it comes to their food suggests that people with prominent Mrigashira placements in their birth chart are 1) fundamentally gentle and 2) curious, restless, and diffuse because they constantly look for the next best thing. If you know anything about deer you also know that they are very flighty and timid animals, qualities this nakshatra possesses as well.

Another important characteristic of deer which is revealing of the nature of Mrigashira is their preference for groups. They are herd animals, not solitary ones. Something this nakshatra cares deeply about is pairing things up. Mrigashira-heavy people will be multi-faceted people with broad minds. They ceaselessly collect new ideas and update their ideologies naturally as they move through life. They look for ways to apply what they learn - not only in the way it was applied in it's original context, but in all areas of their life. These are people that will read a book about Finnish cuisine and their main takeaway is they need to reinvent their relationship to their career.

Mrigashira is ruled by Mars

Mrigashira, Chitra, and Dhanishtha are the Mars-ruled nakshatras. The planet Mars in astrology represents the way you assert yourself. Mars wants to get the job done and doesn't really care about your opinion. Actually, if you wanted to go outside and hash it out Mars would be happy to do that. It's an aggressive planet, a hot planet, a physical planet, an "I'm going to get what's mine" planet. Everybody needs a healthy sense of drive, and the condition of your mars says a lot about how you accomplish (or don't accomplish) your goals. It also gives information about your sexual desires and physical body.

So why does Mrigashira belong to Mars? How does it make sense that the planet of war lords over the same star represented by such a delicate animal like a deer? What links the hot-hotheadedness of Mars with the flightiness of the deer is desire. Mrigashira natives naturally take interest in collecting knowledge, friends, and ideas as they move through life (like a deer combing the forest floor for good food - behavior driven by a hunger, or desire) and want to combine them in ways that make everyone happy. They are driven by this desire; to diffuse and collect, and then to creatively recombine.

Soma as a Deity and as a Miracle Drug

Soma governs Mrigashira. He is the god of the Moon. As a deity, he rarely appears in Vedic mythology in human form. It's more common that Soma refers to the special drink that the gods consumed to gain immortality and supernatural strength. In ancient times it was drank by yogis and sages to bring them closer to the gods while they performed rituals. Soma provides the consumer with 2 things: health (immortality and strength), and pleasure (delight and happiness.)

Soma was created specially for Indra, who was king of the gods as well as being the god of rain and storms. Before Indra ruled the gods it was Varuna who held this authority. After Indra defeated the demonic serpent Vritra, he turned the other gods against Varuna and took his place. Varuna left big shoes to fill and Indra needed assistance to fill his new role. This is where Soma comes in.

Soma the drink was created for Indra by Soma the Moon god so that Indra could become unconquerable. Another name for Soma is Amrita, meaning "no death." All food is Amrita because we need it to live. Soma is what nourishes the plants that we get our food from - water. Water is the element closely connected to the Moon, both relating (in an astrological context) to things like emotions, femininity, nurturing and nourishment, and introspection. What Soma created for Indra was a plant that could be made into a special drink that had an intoxicating effect while nourishing the body. It's like if eating a home-cooked meal sent you on the best trip of your life.

There has been no consensus when it comes to identifying Soma in nature. It is thought by some that when Soma was prepared by regular people, it was made with poppy, cannabis, and Ephedra. Some theories exist linking Soma with magic mushrooms/psilocybin. R. Gordon Wasson was one of the first people from the West to start trying to identify what plant the Rig Veda could have been referring to when mentioning Soma. He thought that the Soma plant was Amanita muscaria, or fly agaric.

The Lesson of Mrigashira

The broad and multifaceted nature of Mrigashira can manifest as aversion to commitment. It can result in someone who is unable to stand for anything, know what they believe in, or find their own center. Focus of energy becomes too scattered to get anything done.

The medicine of Mrigashira is the balancing act of being multifaceted and diffuse in love and life without becoming a commitment-phoebe. If you're on the more rigid side, Mrigashira asks you to be open to de-compartmentalizing different areas of your life. If you're on the more fluid side, Mrigashira asks you to exercise more control over where your attention is going.

A Song to Listen to with Mrigashira Themes: Just Another Man by Glenn Campbell

-----------------------------

Credit is due to Vic Dicara for a lot of the information I talked about here. If you're interested in learning more about Vedic astrology, his YouTube channel is a great resource to do that.

[kuwdora]

The Witcher Netflix - 3x08 Episode Reaction In season 3 of The Witcher Netflix we got our first look inside the Nilfgaardian Empire. I was taken by surprise because sometimes I think the show isn't subtle with certain things. Sometimes showing without telling. Or telling without showing in a way doesn't offer viewers enough information to understand the impact of a creative choice. The glimpses we got of Nilfgaard are, in my opinion, a subtle bit of worldbuilding that doesn't lose its impact without showing too much or telling too little. In the books Nilfgaard's culture and history, its military strategy--it's all pastiche from different historical empires. That is a hallmark of Sapko's style. I'm sure other people have spoken more definitively about that on tumblr and elsewhere. CDPR absorbed a lot of Roman Empire influences from the books for its own take for Nilfgaard. And now we can see TWN's production is also picking up on that as well and going with Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine) flavor. So let me share a few screenshots from episode 3x08 that caught my eye. This is a mini-commentary with some thoughts, not a deep analysis. We had this establishing shot of a Nilfgaardian city (which I'm presuming to be the capital). This looks like Constantinople to me.

A modern day photo of Constantinople ruins for comparison:

Next we have Emhyr with several men dressed in what comes off as very Eastern Orthodox-inspired vestments, right down to the monastic headwear (mitre, I think?). I'll leave more the in depth TWN and costume critical takedown to perseruna. But those hats definitely kept screaming Eastern Orthodoxy at me and making me circle back to Eastern Roman Empire.

And finally we have this scene of Francesca and Fringilla in the church. In all of my groupchats everyone was losing their mind about their conversation and heartbreak. But I was losing my mind over the fact that they were a) in a Nilfgaardian church or temple and b) this shot was framed in such a way to show us the statue of an ambiguous church figure in the background. Standing in between Fringilla and Francesca, no less.

I can't help but think this might be a statue of the Nilfgaardian Emperor who, in the books, is implied to be a prophet or important figure in the religious sphere.

"...Recently the main topic of preaching has been of a Saviour who will come from the south. From the south! From beyond the Yaruga!” “The White Flame,” muttered Demavend. “White Chill will come to be, and after it the White Light. And then the world will be reborn through the White Flame and the White Queen… I’ve heard it, too. It’s a travesty of the prophecy of Ithlinne aep Aevenien, the elven seeress. I gave orders to catch one cleric who was going on about it in the Vengerberg market place and the torturer asked him politely and at length how much gold the prophet had received from Emhyr for doing it… But the preacher only prattled on about the White Flame and the White Queen… the same thing, to the very end.” -Blood of Elves

(thank you to @akilah12902 for sourcing this quote for me when I was looking for help!) This just reaffirms my thoughts that Fringilla and Francesca are arguing before a statue of Emhyr. A surprising amount of symbolism for this scene and show. Anyway. This was my main takeaway from 3x08. It was nice to be pleasantly surprised by this.

[call-of-ishmael]

One of the arguments back in the peak of bridget discourse i didnt get was "daisuke lied! He didnt mean for her to be trans from the start"

Okay and? Half of these people were probably jojo fans and araki is constantly changing his mind about stuff sometimes even in the span of a single chapter

This shit is par for the course, writers change their minds, and hell sometimes they are like "yeah planned all along" which is lame but who cares why would they care?

They care cause its a trans character and the current sitiuation politically makes our very existence a "debate"

Similarly i heard a lot of weird smears about how he wasnt the true designer for bridget which again do you know how multi person art projects work? The person desiging the character is not gonna write them forever creative teams shift around and people leave thats irrelevant

The whole "controversy" is emblematic of how much they simply hate trans people just existing

First bridget wasnt really trans it was a translation error

When that didnt work they said she was bad trans rep and taking away from gnc rep

When people didnt care they moved on to smear daisuke

There was never any real concern for good rep, no actual argument beyond hate, beyond hating seeing us exist

Yeah some trans girls didnt like it even at first and some still dont like bridget but ive seen so many more that came around and realized a lot of the noise was just misinfo and they came around to liking her, now bridget is a huge trans icon

As silly as it sounds it really was kinda eye opening to the kind of online enviroment there is surrounding trans people how this all played out

It was all so toxic people were deliberately fabricating things about her backstory to make it all seem monstrous

I guess main takeaway is: please be mindful of things transphobes say cause they are fully aware of how disinformation works and how to pit people against each other, even trans ppl against other trans ppl

[khtrinityftw]

Interesting excerpts from the KH2 Ultimania Nojima interview...

As detailed before, Nojima co-created Ansem with Nomura and handled his involvement in Hollow Bastion as well as the fall-out from what he did, plus End of the World. Other than that, Nojima had far less to do with KH than Jun Akiyama and Daisuke Watanabe did.

Also as detailed before, Nomura wrote the main plot (beginning, middle and end of the game) while the Event Team did the Disney worlds' plots, then Nojima adapted them into his script. The big problem was, well, "he relayed his thoughts to me and then I was free to do the rest", all while Nomura's thoughts in question were confounding to Nojima and difficult to translate into script form.

Mystery Boxes!

Nomura wanted sea salt ice cream as a visual.

Nojima turned it into a plot point, the absolute mad lad!

Hence the weird cheesy Christmas special feel to the Halloween Town visits. It was a deliberate creative choice and I love it.

Ngl, I wish their roles were slightly more important.

Thanks a lot, Nomura. -_-

Was that supposed to be the takeaway there? Well, Nomura did say in his interview that he deleted more details from this subplot.....

FUCK YEAH! Aerith ain't so pure; she can be dark too! Love it!

Look, you can ship Sora and Riku if you please, but I appreciate Nojima being explicit in saying that the intention behind their relationship is the strongest of friendships: two guys who are like brothers even though they aren't related, which means it's ripe for being emotionally tumultuous ("not easy to have" / "embarrassing").

Thank you for that, Nojima, and I hope that you actually stick to this sentiment in your subsequent writing, unlike Nomura who sold out.

The padding. Good lord, is this man self-aware!

The final thing I want to note, which I have noted before - Nojima is really good at dialogue. Not only is his mastery of it responsible for that iconic exchange between Sora and Kairi at the end, but it also helped every character have a unique voice and memorable lines that feel like stuff they would say. Even lines people mock are often deliberate (ex: "we totally owned you lamers!" - as Nojima says elsewhere in this very interview, Seifer is supposed to project faux coolness - "trying too hard to be cool"). He wasn't the best writer for the KH series narratively, but he's at the top of his field in dialogue.

[kuroppiii]

ro lovey !! wanted to get ur opinion on challengers bc i wanna watch it ^3^

sending kisses to my fav film freak <3

my opinion? well..

yes yes and yes but also yes especially bc yes and yes

!! watch it so when you read the next parts of my miya twins series it'll hit harder

( my actual n extended film freak thoughts under the cut lol ദ്ദി（• ˕ •マ.ᐟ )

ok but fr when i walked out the theater (the FIRST time i watched it 🥸), i legitimately thought to myself "cinema is so back"

!!! disclaimer, i was already pretty biased going in bc of a lot of factors:

i've already always loved tennis to begin with

it was directed by the same director of call me by your name (one of my all time favorite movies)

zendaya.

the actor for pat zweig was in emma (2020) (another of my all time favorite movies) and was absolutely hilarious in it

the actor for art has been in some musical theater productions i like (he was the og connor in dear evan hansen and was in disney's west side story adaptation)

BUT EVEN THEN! the movie itself was just so refreshing given major films of the past few years. like it’s simply a good and fun watch. especially for a more “artsy” film that got so much publicity—like saltburn was also very creatively stimulating but to be completely honest… it was lowk kinda boring for like half it’s runtime. 😟

the movie feels a lot like a tennis match actually in that the way the story is told has a lot of back-and-forth, and in how that it's practically watching hot people getting stressed tf out by that for like 2 hours (LMFAO)

and just all the baseline film stuff like the writing and acting and score and cinematography were great, i ate it all up and it was scrumdidddlyumptious

the vibes were so fun to get lost in too: summer, hot, tennis, gay, lots of audacity, lots of drama from that audacity, and just such a roller coaster of emotions where you definitely start thinking these characters need sooo much therapy 👌

but probably the best thing about the film is it's rewatch value!!! bro when i say that's my favorite thing about my favorite films i really mean it. i've watched the movie three times now (😭😭😭), and a lot of people will tell you to rewatch it that amount so you can watch it from the perspectives of the three main characters. but also just a fuckin good time to watch it!

every time i watched it i had a different takeaway or noticed something i didn't before which led me to talk about it with my friends who watched it with me.

and that's why i like film and art so much in the first place!!! because i think those things are really meant to be thought about and shared and talked about and debated over to bring ppl together. so ofc this film did that perfectly and that's why it easily landed a spot in my top five films ever. :)

[acomputeryguy]

Really surprised to see people criticising the new TV show for its messaging (e.g. the Jobs episode overtly critiquing western work structures) when the YouTube episodes did... exactly the same thing?

Episode 1 (Creativity), Episode 3 (Love [read: religion]), 4 (Computers), and 5 (Food) were all commentaries on their subject matter. The fifth episode is the most obvious with its use of the "health shape" (versus the food pyramid) and the contradictory, confusing guidance on what food is "healthiest" to eat.

Episode 2 (Time) also kind of counts, but that's the more existential of the subjects, the overall point being to just not take time for granted because it moves on inexorably no matter what.

I think people get so lost in the theory-making with the YouTube shorts though that there's not enough focus given to the commentary happening in each individual episode. Nobody really talks about what Healthy was trying to achieve, fans instead obsess over Duck's image being on the food cans, the horror of Yellow Guy appearing to have eaten his friend, the fact Red is missing having had his mind blown in the previous episode... But on the surface, the creators are poking fun at the way food is advertised and talked about.

The behind-the-scenes narrative was something adopted by the fans, not really the true creative intent. I've always felt that, personally. And I think it's very telling that the creators didn't vibe with Wakey-Wakey if we keep that in mind. DHMIS on the surface has always been about commentating on current affairs (or topics that are prevalent in Western culture).

The reason it's difficult to pin down one single over-arching theory for the YouTube series is because each episode can exist independently, with the exception of episode 6. And the TV series repeats this. To put it simply, it feels a bit like a way of saying that the "lore" implications are a last thought, and not necessary to enjoy the series as a whole. If DHMIS wanted to expand its world and lore, it could have started with episode 6 and given us a very different series. What we got was how the YouTube series initially started but with a longer runtime per episode and more chance to the develop the three main characters. The extra set of stairs Yellow Guy misses before going back to his friends, however, feels like an invitation to keep theorising anyway, because it was the internet's obsessive need to find meaning in DHMIS that ultimately bought it its popularity.

But again, this then takes away from the "British-ness" of the series, which is really under-appreciated (and really being torn down by the loudest critics over here). I hope the series does well outside of fan interactions because as a jumping-in point for the uninitiated, it hits all the right beats for a quirky British comedy akin to The Mighty Boosh. It's just a little sad Channel 4 have parked it in an 11PM slot and right behind a Jimmy Carr-led panel show...

But yeah... YouTube's Episode 5 beats the audience over the head with its message just as much as Jobs does... The format is very similar too - even so far as Duck's discomfort with the subject matter that is being taught via the song not matching up with what is actually happening. He is the only one in Jobs to resist whilst Yellow Guy gets caught up (as he did in the YouTube episode) and Red Guy is for the most part, MIA (out in the "real world", playing his part as the company's manager).

The only key difference between the YouTube shorts and the Channel 4 programme is that, with a 23-minute run-time, the songs can't take up the entire episode and so as a consequence they aren't the most iconic takeaways.

What we've lost in quirky musical format, we've gained in character and relationship development for the trio though, and I'd argue that's not such a bad trade-off...

[utilitycaster]

I’d been wondering if you were going to listen to the Behind the Screens episode! As someone who was likewise put off by people’s “promotion” of that system, I appreciated hearing about it from trusted actual-players who were new to the mechanics as well.

That said, was there a specific mechanic that you didn’t gel with based on the podcast? Or is it just that the episode didn’t do enough to get you past the vibes you were already picking up from the game?

Sure! There were a few things that I'll cover below as specifics, but I think the biggest takeaway overall I have, as D&D player and a DM, is that it feels like D&D places the largest burden on the DM, and Pathfinder places it far more on the players. Which isn't good or bad, but I think, especially in terms of accessibility, placing the burden of crunch onto the person who says "yes, I like the crunch" instead of on your friend who wants to pretend to be Aragorn for a couple hours a week, makes far more sense. Murph actually says in the episode that 5e was optimized for simplicity, and PF2e for consistency, and I think he's right, and I happen to strongly prefer simplicity in this context.

I also say this as a crunchy person, but you know the D20 bit where Ross Bryant talks about TTRPGs and is like "Come to a world of fantasy...after you fill out your taxes"? The complexity of character creation comes with benefits and drawbacks. The way I described it to someone else is that in my first job, my role involved liaising between our software developers and our end users, and sometimes, software developers were like "this is so intuitive!" and the end users were like "what the hell is this." Pathfinder feels like game designers made the game they wanted to play, and that is great...if you are a game designer. Many people are not. Honestly, that's the biggest takeaway, actually. Pathfinder feels like it was made by game designers or software programmers or some other group of people who are very smart experts in something and don't necessarily know how to like, engage with the layperson in a meaningful way. (I also suspect this is why the fan community is afflicted with similar conditions.)

Specific things I wasn't a fan of:

The three-action economy sounds...ok in theory, but my hunch is it gets rough in practice. Like, it's great you have more room to allow failure of one action on a turn without everything failing, but have you ever been playing D&D and someone takes forever to decide what to do? multiply that by 3. I get wanting to foster creativity and cool moves, but it feels oddly mandated, and you are actively punished for just wanting to hit it three times, which is the main joy of having a sword. Also I checked out the SRD for more information and not only is this a LOT to learn, the mere act of concentrating on a spell takes two actions. Which brings me to the next part:

Emily Axford, who I trust on mechanics, and who was doing a very good job to be as positive and welcoming with a system she does not know as she could, was like "seems like it's not great for casters", and well, yeah. I get where they're coming from, because it is true that at L20 in D&D, a cleric can make god grant boons and a fighter can hit dragon with sword 4-5 times, sometimes 8-9 times. However, you do become a wizard because you want to see through reality, and you become a fighter because you want to swing a sword a lot. Anyway, point being, as a caster main, this is not appealing to me.

I never really got mad that a nat 20 dex save on fireball means you still take half damage, so the critical success/critical fail on saves is like. It's fine. I don't really feel strongly about it, but it doesn't feel like a cool selling point to me either. It's also like...if you really love this, it's very easy to throw into your home D&D game without having to take the rest of Pathfinder along with it.

This is a weird one but I feel like the reflex/fortitude/will save concept is SO CLOSE to being great but falls short. I agree that the three uncommon stat saves (strength, charisma, intelligence) are, well, rarely used and kind of vague. However, in practice, I also find this means many people tend to be super precious with dex and wisdom and won't dump them, even if it makes sense not to have good dex or wisdom, and this also means that charisma casters or strength-based fighters can feel stretched thinner than they genuinely are, stat-wise. It feels like a great way to balance this and trim the fat would be to, perhaps, allow your highest mental stat to be your will save stat, regardless of what it is, or permit strength or charisma to sub for con in some fortitude checks. However, Pathfinder eliminates strength, charisma, and int saves entirely, which unbalances this even further, and like, fuck that.

There were probably more but like, in general, I understand that Pathfinder absolutely has an audience and its fans, but it's just...even when presented by someone who I know isn't being a condescending asshole, who is also coming from D&D, and whom I like, I was just like. This is definitely for some people, and I am not one of them.

[borrelia]

okay here are my combined takeaways from the director/producer commentary on robots (2005):

production designer william joyce was also a creative lead on rolie polie olie (started in 1998). so you may connect some stylistic similarities there lol

he and director chris wedge knew each other for quite a while before this and had been dreaming up this movie since, if I heard them correctly, they were teenagers?

the movie started from the setting, then characters and story were developed for it.

they took a Lot of pride in the setting, in figuring out how a world of metal people would function. artists would design Cool Things In The World and they would scramble to figure out where they could put it in the movie. they knew that including lots of background details would give the world life, and they were very happy to see it

if you don't remember the 3d animation scene in the early 2000s, you might not intuit that they were constantly amazed by what they were able to do. the technology was in a rapid stage of development, so there is physics and rendering in the complete movie that they simply could not have done at the start of production. these two were in constant awe of how good the movie looked

on that note, lighting was a big priority for them. they talked a lot about trying to find ways to texture and light metal so that it could look friendly, or so that the main characters would pop in a crowd.

the dominoes thing wasn't initially intentional. they were pretty late in production when they figured out that the way they would approach bigweld's reclusiveness would be Big Dominoes.

oh right, they were writing the story like As it was being animated. this was not a very linear production. the script was Not finished when they moved to the next steps.

they both liked to point out the Function of scenes. like "ok here's where we had to put in more exposition, here's where we had to introduce the stakes, this scene is important for letting the movie Breathe after all that action" etc etc. as part of that, they also liked to point out scenes that Didn't have a function, they were just extended gags or maybe at best helped to flesh out (hah) the world. they liked these scenes tho :) they took a lot of inspiration from buster keaton gags

there was originally a lot more stuff about cappy and from her pov :( her whole deal was that she was Also, like rodney, a small-town bot, but she upgraded herself in order to succeed in the industry. so that was like, her motivation to sympathy and to help the heroes. also that was the connection point between her and rodney from which they built their romance, which, was also, largely cut.

the voice actors never recorded together. at all. but would come back and do retakes when they heard the others' line reads.

they point out that robots is Almost a musical. which, yeah! it does feel like that! there are musical moments, or moments that feel like they Belong in a musical. but besides fender's singing in the oil song (which robin williams just. made. unprompted. bc of course he did) there's no actual singing.

bigweld has two designs, i never noticed! between the time the children's show was shot and the next time we see him, he got upgrades. apparently most other people didn't notice either so I'm glad I'm not alone lol

robots fun movie with a lot of love in it and these two seemed exceptionally proud of the result :)

[thebossestunicycle]

Final Flash Update: an actual review

The DCEU has always been very hit or miss for me, but it has a special place in my heart. When Man of Steel came out, my dad was OBSESSED with it (still is), and it became the first superhero movie I ever watched. Despite the mediocre scores internet-wide (and how the terraforming scared the shit out of me as a kid), I cannot help but love that film to death. It really sparked my interest with superheroes and just ‘nerdier’ stuff in general.

While the DCEU opened me up to the whole world of superheroes, it also became part of what made me so weary of comic book movies. While there were good movies like Wonder Woman (2017) and (hot take) Black Adam, and great ones like the Snydercut, there were also huge disappointments that left me feeling pissed off when the theater lights turned back on. It’s not like all of these movies are downright horrible in every way (exception being 2016’s Suicide Squad), but each seemed to have its own form of kryptonite. The Justice League (2017)’s being its lack of character development; Wonder Woman 1984’s forgettable plot; and of course, Batman v. Superman’s Martha scene.

With the DCEU’s track record, the over saturation of superhero media, and with Ezra Miller being… Ezra Miller, my hopes for this movie were extremely low. But I actually left the theater feeling pretty.. decent?

Here are my main takeaways. Spoilers ahead:

Plot + Characters

As of now, I haven’t noticed any critical plot holes, which is pretty great, especially considering it’s a multiverse movie and all. Everything that blew up in Barry’s face was tied up nicely. But I am sorta curious to see how moving the tomato can caused Ben Affleck to become George Clooney.

The time mechanics were also pretty neat, like how a new future creates a new past.

I kinda like Barry a lot. He’s wicked awkward but it’s funny to watch.

Younger Barry too! He was such an airhead in the beginning that I was shocked to find out he was the guy that our Barry kept seeing when he time travelled.

I found Keaton’s Batman entertaining too. But the whole time Keaton didn’t really seem like he was trying to act. He just looked happy to be Batman again, which I can’t blame him for. On that note, I wish Bale’s Batman made a cameo somehow.

I was underwhelmed with the Zod plot. I was ready to watch him totally kick Flash’s ass. I didn’t mind Kara, but again she was a bit underwhelming too.

I got excited when Zod mentioned discovering Clark in his pod somewhere in space. I was like “Oh shit, did they take him in and train him to fight for them?” Seeing an evil Superman would’ve been crazy, but nah, they just killed him instead. Lame-os.

Effects / CGI

Oh man, I did not enjoy some of the choices made here.

First of all, the deep fake cameos. And also, deepfaking people like Adam West and all, who are dead, is a little odd. However Nicholas Cage showing up was very funny.

Then there was the CGI in the Speedverse (?? correct me if that’s the wrong name). It was video-game level. I felt like I was watching a skyrim-inspired acid trip.

Even outside of speedverse, the quality was really spotty.

Action

Oh my god, it’s so refreshing when there’s even the tiniest ounce of creativity in fight scenes (Looking at you, MCU).

Diving deeper into Barry’s powers was cool and seeing him fight with (and then against) himself was neat!

Then there was also pretty standard Batman stuff that I’m a sucker for

NEEDED a better Kara v. Zod fight. I wanted lasers. I wanted them to go to space. ANYTHING

Overall Emotional Reaction

Both Barrys hit hard a few times. The desperation to fix everything. Having to let go of their mom and accept their fate(s?). The scene when he said goodbye to her for the last time was pretty sad.

The themes were simple: accept your past; pain makes us who we are; etc etc. But there’s nothing really wrong with that.

The jokes landed! I laughed with, not at, most things

…Okay, I did laugh out loud at some things, like the deepfakes and when the Barrys phased for the first time.

But yeah, it was really enjoyable to watch. The runtime wasn’t an issue at all. Dull moments were rare (though I didn’t give a single shit about Barry’s dating life at all)

Final Score:

Characters: 7/10

Plot: 7/10

CGI: 4/10

Action: 7/10

6.3 / 10

If I had to rank: above Black Adam, below Wonder Woman

but seriously can they just recast flash already. I wish ezra miller all the best on rehabbing themselves, and they really do a great job with the character, but it’s like they’re trying to get a jail sentence with everything they’ve done

[willmarstudios]

Bookworm Will Review #5

Title: "Be Dazzled" Author: Ryan La Sala Rating: 4/5 Review: (MILD SPOILERS) This book was a HUGE wave of nostalgia for me as a retired cosplayer and the added romance was so perfect!

I was recommending this to all of my cosplay friends because it just that wholesome. What really left an impact on me was the character discovery that we got to witness from Raphael, Raffy, as the story progressed. At first I wasn't sure how much of a fan I was going to be of the alternating timelines between past and present, but it really helped give the reader insight on Raffy's and Luca's relationship.

To me the best part was the internal struggle between Raffy trying to learn exactly how he wants his relationship to look. I don't mean that physically, but here is where I can see it varying from person to person; Raffy's ambition to be the best helps him dedicate himself to his work because he obviously has big dreams and wants to achieve them. For himself because that who is he, but ALSO to get his mother approval. That mentality of 'once I make it big, I'll be enough and then everyone whoever doubted me will see as who I really am!' is motivating, but so toxic at the same time.

Once Luca got in the picture, we got to see that shift in Raffy's perspective of still wanting to be the best, but unable to figure out how to let others into this life he is so determined to be apart of. Raffy's ambition clearly started to impact his relationship, not just with Luca, but with his friends as well. That mentality really connected with me because as a creative, it can be so difficult to 'make it big' so being all determined about that 'grind life' can really show an ugly side to people.

I went to college with @derpkind @moonmilkii @skelelock and the students had a self appointed saying, "Sleep Comes After Death", that used the university's initials (IYKYK). While funny as a freshman, you slowly start to learn how unfunny it was. For me, and I feel Raffy's case, it was a consuming ego of being unrecognized the way that you wanted to be. Some times it was to be the best of the class, other times it was to be acknowledged for having talent during critiques, overall it leaves you viewing the world around you differently (especially other creatives).

When Luca confronted Raffy about his behavior and the notable shifts as they worked on cosplay together, it was such a reflective moment for the plot and for me as the reader. Luca was struggling with wanting to be helpful, even though he wasn't the best craftsman, but saw that Raffy was able to get SO MUCH more work done without him there as a distraction. I can relate as being someone who is very type A, I usually prefer to work alone, but after finally asking Luca why he wasn't attending one of their hangout sessions did we finally get to see the climax of Raffy's character development. To Raffy, the competition was to fulfill his dream while to Luca, it was to spend time with each other so it could be their thing as a couple.

Did Raffy want Luca in his dream?

That hit such a relatable nerve with me because (TMI incoming), I've had to face this with my own relationship. I work a full time job and then spend most of my free time fulfilling creative work for my portfolio which has caused me to neglect my partner. My partner and Luca both share the love language of quality time together, but when that quality time gets in the way of someone's dream or end goal, it can be messy. To myself and Raffy, it looks like we are trying to make it big as creatives to BENEFIT our relationships: at least thats how it seems to us.

The main takeaway that I took is to let go of that ego, let go of those competitive feelings until you can separate it from everything else. Healthy competition is possible and more fun that groveling over a loss. The moments where Luca was with Raffy in their studio working, Raffy kept phrasing certain things Luca did as a distraction which yes, can be truly frustrating if you are trying to achieve a goal, but I believe Luca was trying to teach Raffy the importance of breaks.

We all should allow ourselves a break. We need to take time to be ourselves and really ENJOY our passions and hobbies. You never know what someone is going through and projecting your stress on others is never ideal, especially when it comes to a hobby like cosplay.

When they were together watching anime or just embracing each other inbetween crafting sessions were moments that made me feel so warm and fuzzy.

(Forgive the long ass tangent)

Long story short, I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it! I did wish we could explore more side characters like Evie and May and even Luca's family, but overall such a fun read!

[perpetuallyperplexedpolyp]

August 10 2024, 3:17 PM. I had been awake for 20 hours straight. Had an assignment due at 11:59 PM, which had already been wrapped up with a few final touches left over. I told myself that I had been up trying to get the creative juices flowing because night is the time when I am at my best. Okay, hold on, it is not how that sounds like. I think. Anyways, I did not sleep, felt like fever was catching up with me, was extremely giddy and full of energy nevertheless, and today it hit me. I was just trying to have a reason to not really think. Think apart from assignments. And what sleep deprivation does to you is keep you hooked on just the completion of a task. To not think about the possible terrible future you might have to live with or the impending guilt you are going to feel very deeply in a few days, even though you know you are not doing anything that wrong but still having to lie to some people hurts a lot because you have never done anything spontaneously fucked up all your life which wouldn't even make that embarrassing of a story. In that zombie-like state, I felt more alive, confident, and a tad bit smarter than I usually feel (which is never). I could've crossed the 24-hour mark easily, but I did not have anything else to occupy myself with, apart from the tough week ahead. I really don't know why I am writing this, especially when I have another assignment due of the same professor which he just told us about one day before and the submission is today and I wish I could rip off his head, but writing this down really helps. Who knew?

So I think the main takeaway is that once a month or two, try not sleeping for one day. It just might make you see things clearly in a bit shaky camera movement kind of way, but CCTVs are the things that help people track down rapists and murderers and robberies.

[cheswirls]

ok i def have decided i need to rewatch the finale to get a good consensus but after browsing the show's tag (granted this is 2 days after the finale aired so i understand the immediate hype has died down and people have had time to digest and criticize the show as a whole) and being met w a lot of long commentary posts instead of content for the finale i wanted to see (gifs, art, etc) i'm gonna attempt to formulate my thoughts in more detail before doing anything else

largely i do not think anyone's criticism matters to me but it was interesting to see the difference in opinion and a lot of the same critical beats i've seen repeated over and over bother me so (this is in no way a response to anyone btw!!!) here's my two cents:

jellyfish can't swim at night was good. i liked it! but there's a difference between good and great, and the same for liking and loving a show. i know that it was very entertaining and i had a lot of fun watching every episode, but i also didn't think about it much until it was saturday again and a new ep was out.

when i wrote that other post-finale thoughts post i had to look up kiui and kimura's names. i had to make sure meru was the correct girl i was thinking of. there's no denying i enjoyed the show, but i also think that joy was limited to when i was watching it. when i get super into an anime, i have no trouble memorizing everyone's names. the character designs in this anime are all unique and creative while still being in the scope of real-world possible. i say this to highlight that no one looked the same and yet i still struggled to remember everyone's given names, and it didn't help that most of the main cast each had a legal and stage name!

the show being Just Good isn't a problem, btw. it was never meant to be ground-breaking or tell this fantastic tale, after all. it's always been a show about teenage girls making music, and that's completely fine! actually, i didn't even look at it thru yuri-tinted glasses until the 5th episode and hadn't considered anything else beyond that at all (re, kiui possibly being nb). i said before that i was a little sad that kano/mahiru never went anywhere, but after soaking in the (limited) opinions of the masses, i changed my mind: i think it's fine.

largely why i think the finale was okay despite being rushed is that it left everything on a good note. i didn't even realize ep12 was the last until the title card, and yea i do think the narrative could've benefited from a 2-cour season or even a 13th episode, but the way things ended wasn't bad by any means. the point (imo) was to establish things getting better and wrapping up what was left uncertain or was at least not good. by 'not good' i mean not happy, etc. the finale certainly did this and i think it was pulled off rather well! but only because this anime is what it is. the story the creators wanted to tell was accomplished, the most important beats were closed out, and all ends well :)

my main takeaway abt all the yuri "bait" is that i've decided that i don't think of it as bait anymore. the anime in full takes place over the last year of high school for these four girls, and it ends with them graduating and getting ready to pursue their own paths in life. it's a happy, uplifting sorta open-ended, and i appreciate that. these four have found themselves and have worked through some of the issues in their lives that were holding them each back. now they have to get out into the world and explore their lives further. it's great! it's great, and i like that it ended this way. there's no need for absolutely everything to get wrapped up because it's not over! as shown with the montage in the very end, things are still moving forward, just beginning.

it's been a bit and i might be misremembering, but i think the kano/mahiru kiss in ep5 was the first kiss for one of them. it was impulsive and they didn't really talk about it, but i don't think it just "went nowhere" because of everything that followed. they're still on really good terms and they went out (i think one of them explicitly used the term 'date' when they did) and at the end i've decided that it's okay that nothing was explicitly defined. that implies to me that they're both figuring out what they want, and it's something either or both of them will have to grow into. there's a vast difference between queer bait and between putting a pin in a thought/idea. it goes along very well with the anime's open ending for me too.

the first two years after i graduated high school were easily the most pivotal years of my life. i learned so much about myself, and it's largely because of the different environment i was in. now that the four main characters are out of that life (even if only free from social stigma by not being highschool age anymore - kano and kiui weren't in school much but it is still something they can put behind them) and have more freedom to be able to do what they want (even if it just means not being trapped in school for 8+ hrs a day) then they will all definitely begin to change as people, more than the show has already expanded upon. and that is so exciting to me!!

another point abt the open-end is that i think from what i've seen, it's that aspect of the finale that's getting criticized. it's fine to not like open-endings! but they are legit forms of storytelling, and it's not "bad writing" to not tie everything in a pretty bow. to me, after watching the finale, the point of it ending the way it did was to highlight that none of the four main characters' stories are over. the vibe of this show was never supposed to be 100% serious and i think "teasing" mahiru and kano's relationship was meant to plant a seed of the possibility in each of their minds. not liking open-endings is not valid criticism for saying the entire show is terrible and the finale was bad. everyone can have their preferences, but the anime was never supposed to be groundbreaking plot-wise or content-wise and i think having a stigma against it in full bc it didn't feature what you wanted it to is stupid and childish. it showed a snapshot (not even a full year!!!!! c'mon now) in the lives of four different people and did a good enough job of navigating all of them in the runtime it got. not every anime has to be 100% conclusive and this is definitely a good example of such.