#the suspense is crafted so wonderfully…

[bluecookiedisaster]

Movies like Marrowbone are proof that you should never let rotten tomatoes influence what you want to watch. 49 fucking percent. My fucking god.

Looooooord this movie- what the hell do I even say? It is so much more fucked up than I expected. Watch it.

[schweizercomics]

THE GREATCOATS by Sebastien de Castell

I drew these up as one of the (mostly literary) paper figures I do each month for Patreon.

Despite always being drawn to the trappings of fantasy, there are precious few fantasy books (or movies, etc) that have resonated with me. One very notable exception is the Greatcoats series, four novels that follow a trio of comrades from an effectively-dissolved band of dueling magistrates, who, in their heyday, had been charged with enforcing unpopular verdicts against politically powerful folks who had, until that point, been untouchable by the rule of law.

It’s kind of a thrust-the-Musketeers-into-a-medieval-setting thing, and there are swordfights and sucked-into-political-intrigues-even-though-you’re-ill-suited-towards-them a’plenty, for folks who like that sort of thing, and I very much do.

From the first read (I’ve now read them all thrice, along with a collection of short stories), these have become some of my very favorite books, and I could not recommend them more highly. They can, at times, be a hard read; the world in which the Greatcoats live is an unjust one, and whatever terrible things you can imagine people doing (torture, sexual assault, murder, animal cruelty, etc) can and probably are enacted in it, but what has, to me, set this series apart from some other “grim” fantasies is the balance between the knowledge that the world is an unfair, cruel, and terrible place, with the wholehearted belief that it shouldn’t, and doesn’t have to be. Idealism colors every action of the leads, and there’s something incredibly moving and powerful about characters who persevere against impossible odds towards fairness and justice despite encountering the very worst examples of their absence, never in ignorance or denial but out of pure stubbornness.

De Castell crafts a narrative with masterful control over how it’ll affect the reader; it’s melodrama in the best way, with huge operatic emotional beats. They never feel calculated – they’re all earnest, and they’re all earned. There are sections that make you weep, that make you laugh, and (I suspect this is the rarest, and most difficult to achieve) that make you want to cheer, stomp, salute. Moving speeches, incredible narrative payoffs, characters for whom you desperately root. Plus, of course, the suspense of peril and the best action sequences I’ve ever encountered in prose. De Castell’s first-person narration of fight scenes from the point of view of a strategist follows a pretty wonderful pattern of beginning the fight, edging the audience, and then turning to an aside that informs the context of the fight - a lesson learned long ago, an observation about the human condition, a technique frequently incorporated by duelists, an anecdote – and then return to the fight, the new context both heightening the peril and also providing a means by which the reader can fully appreciate the very clever way that the hero(s) win despite being outmatched. It’s a great internal “meanwhile, back at the ranch” and it gives each action encounter (and they are joyously plentiful) narrative weight.

Again, I can’t recommend the series more highly. It has some truly great characters – the leads, the supporting cast, the villains are wonderful and terrible, and the setting is rich and immersive. De Castell describes it as “swashbuckling fantasy,” and it swashbuckles its heart out.

You can get it in print, or in unabridged audiobook (Audible has it, and probably your library does, too), wonderfully narrated by Joe Jameson.

There are a number of other great characters, too – co-leads in their own right – but to draw them is to provide spoilers, so rather than do a whole cast, as I sometimes do, I’ve stuck to the three that you get from the first page.

Design (for process buffs)

There’s not too much visual description about the characters; Kest is described as of average height and build, with short hair, Brasti has hair long enough to tie back and a beard and is tall… and I think that’s it (at least so far as I’ve noticed, or remember).

There’s a tendency to make archers lean and wiry – it compliments the arrow imagery, and a tight, sinewy form seems a carryover of the bowstring to its user, but I wanted Falcio to be lean and triangular, and stoic Kest to be square, so it got me thinking that Brasti ought to have rounder features to offset and compliment the others. He’s a country boy, too, and where I’m from the troublemakers are often a little meatier, so it felt fitting, though it does suggest that he's physically imposing in a way the stories don’t push. But I kind of like that beefy, country swagger he’s got. He’s carrying two bows, as it’s a plot point that he has bows for different purposes: a fast one, and a powerful one.

The eponymous coats were tricky; they’re practically magic; serving as armor (via little bone plates sewn under the leather) and utility belt, with little pockets for whatever the story may require the characters need. I wanted a way to make them modular, so I figured on making a pretty sturdy chest piece that folds back to allow the coat to be open and unbuttoned, and a rolled epaulet that unrolls and can be used as a gorget to protect the neck during a duel (or from the cold).

I wanted each of the characters to be able to wear the coat differently, to reflect their personalities: Kest, always at the ready and doing things the “right” way, has his greatcoat fully rigged. Byronic Falcio needs to be able to dash about with tragic romanticism, so his coat needs to be a little more open – I probably should’ve had the chestpiece partially unflapped ala the Rocketeer, but I also wanted it to read clearly. And Brasti wears his because he has to, so he has all the trappings tied or buttoned back.

Last Thoughts

For artist and writer pals, I’d highly recommend listening to any of De Castell’s interviews on podcasts or on youtube; he’s generous with his process and has a lot of great thoughts about the act of writing.

[blistering-typhoons]

Okay, so I watched one or two Rathbone Holmes stories back in high school and decided I didn't like Nigel Bruce, but I've also seen you talking positively about the Rathbone Holmes movies/ episodes. If you're willing, can you say why you like them and/ or which you would recommend starting on? Is it a series to watch in broadcast order, or are they more stand-alone? Which ones are your favorite? I want to give it a second chance.

hiya, thanks for the ask :D adding a cut here cuz this post got realllyyy outta hand- so so sorry xD

I wanna preface by saying that I totally get the frustration of Nigel Bruce Watson- as much as I've come to care for this portrayal, there are still moments of disappointment? I feel? Mostly once you see all the potential in him before it gets unceremoniously dumbed down for the sake of comedy, and it can be trying sometimes, but I've learned to breeze past those moments and! There are definitely movies where he shines brighter than others! In the end, you may warm up to him or you may not, but I fully commend you on taking another chance :D

I did not really start off in broadcast order (my ass still hasn't seen rathbone and bruce's HOUN- bloody disgraceful lmao) and mostly watched in order of vibes, which seems to have worked out alright xD

I started off with Scarlet Claw, and after rewatching it this morning, I feel like it's an alright place to start! It's a good sort of mystery and there was enough element of equal partnership to get me invested in Holmes and Watson. But, I'd say it's still pretty lukewarm, enjoy it as I do, so to compound this long ass post lemme throw a list at you real quick of rathbone movies i strongly recommend-

The Pearl of Death:

Starting off with Pearl of Death not only for the 'Watson gathers the braincells' quality but because it's one of the genuine classics in the series- a brilliantly crafted movie from start to finish, and in my opinion, one of the better shot ones. This one is a good start, it's a bit slow in some places, but it's a good, neutral film that showcases I think some of the more concrete themes and brilliancy of the movies.

House of Fear:

I honestly dunno if I'm biased about this one, but it is genuinely one of my favourite movies of all time. It's the very second one I watched, and it's still in my nighttime viewing collection- I fall asleep watching this movie, which is a compliment I swear. Watson has a more active role, is genuinely trying his best for most of the runtime and falls more in line with 'genuine failure to succeed' more than just 'bungled it up for a gag'. It's a really, really excellent mystery and I adore Holmes and Watson's dynamic throughout- 10/10, freaking banger movie.

Pursuit to Algiers:

Then, of course, the Big Daddy herself- Pursuit to Algiers. This one falls less in line with a mystery (our baddies become pretty clear at one point) and more suspense, but man is that a good thing. The dang thing takes place on a boat for most of it, Holmes and Watson are attached to eachother like pairbonded shelter dogs and have the most balanced, affectionate of interactions, Watson gets to sing! And not to give away any spoilers (yeah shush, i know the movie's old) but a particular plot point happens in this movie and as a result, Nigel Bruce gets to do a genuinely heartbreaking piece of acting- seriously, there is a shot where he goes out onto the deck, completely silent of music and just looks out into the ocean that still has me unwell even after all this time. Goofy moments still happen in the movie, but they feel more organic, and overall there is a wonderfully grounded approach to Watson here- he's still silly, but it's a fun silly, and a silly that Holmes indulges in with him. The depth of affection between these two is ASTOUNDING in this movie, bloody unhinged behaviour. Great movie, do watch it :D

I'd say those three are, at least in my opinion, the best of the best! I do enjoy the others, but I think it best to venture into those once an affection has been developed, they do strain the patience a bit at times I'm afraid. (And it goes without saying, some of the movies have a definite propaganda vibe to them, which is charming sometimes and sometimes just grating, really depends on the day i think- none of the three movies listed above fall under this category though- and the of course, general warning for all the really poorly aged 1940s stuff, but you know that :>)

Except The Spider Woman. In really the bluntest of terms, fuck that movie, all my homies hate The Spider Woman, do NOT watch it (i'm only half joking, oh god its so bad)

Anyways, uh, sorry lmao-

I really must thank you for letting me put this incredibly useless knowledge to use, I'm so goddamn sorry it came out in this absolute massive scrawl- I wish you all the luck in your rathbone holmes adventure, and I hope you have an illuminating time either way it goes for you :D

[average-joseph]

make a poets as ya fantasy book novels list i dare you!!!

This one looks fun!!! Thank you!!!

Pitts. - Claws. I personally like to block this book out of my mind. It's basically about this 12 year old girl who meets a cult of talking cats and essentially becomes their leader. She grows fur and everything. Worst book I ever read. But I think it's weird enough to fit strange and awkward Pitts.

Charlie. - Ace of shades. Nothing but the most dramatic and obscure novels for him. And like... it's about crimes, gambling, and alcohol. It's perfect for him.

Cameron. - The Hobbit. Big words, lots of detail. Everything is explained there's nothing left for interpretation.

Todd - Eragon. It has such a wonderfully crafted story where everything is poetic and beautifully placed. The characters have such depth and the scenery and the dragon is described nicely. Good for a deep person like Todd.

Neil. - Twilight. I'm not sorry. Neil is a dramatic girlie who lives for romance novels and crappy rom coms so why not make him into the worst ya series ever.

Meeks. - The Hunger Games. Lots of suspense. A very interesting story where you have to figure out what's going on. Lots of mechanics and science in this one.

Knox. - The lightning theif. The goofiest of ya novels. Knox is clumsy so I can only see him as a book that makes me laugh a lot.

[kjhmyg]

Hello, I just got to reading Rough Edges Chapter 16. I wrote this after finishing it.

Nothing. Mouth closed. Mind quiet. Heart settled. Nothing to say because all the greatness of the story speaks for itself. Freaking out during the chapter in all the positive ways but completing it feels so... relieving. And it may be because I haven't relaxed and read any fanfic in MONTHS. But reading yours is always so special to me. I get SO wrapped up in the story. Your writing is captivating. I'm in every moment. And my mind tries to wonder about if things are foreshadowing, and I'm trying to figure things out or guess what's happening next. And you have such a great balance of leaving options for the reader to wonder but never giving away even slightly too much. It's so fun because it's not just reading a wonderfully crafted story, but my mind is working parallel trying to actually figure the story out. And the whole while I just become SO much more enmeshed in it all. I think the BTS break has been getting to me a bit in not having them all together, and so I've lost my own connection with them. Having trouble engaging with them or things they do past and present. I know this is fiction, and we don't know them fully, but reading this helped me relight some of those connections with them. It's comforting. 💜

PS: Trying to figure out who the secret agent is has my heart in KNOTS. Thinking about who it could be revealing themselves... gosh that'll take a lot out of me ❤️‍🩹

hey love! thank you for coming back to re after months, i hope you've been well since <3 and thank you for your kind words!! i try to make it as enjoyable as possible, though it may be cliche or predictable to some, but i hope there's still some sort of suspense left to make it exciting heh.

and i totally get you. it's cause we're so used to having the boys as a group that it feels sort of odd to not see them promoting together. but in its own way, i do feel it's a privilege that we get to see diff sides to them and also for them to discover and work on their own styles of artistry. with that said there's nothing wrong with feeling a little disconnect!!

hehehe im exited for the reveal!!!

[amiwritesthings]

8 Shows to Get to Know Me

thanks for the tag @bossymarmalade

grey's anatomy - og from the beginning, there till the bitter end, no matter how bad it gets

sons of anarchy - the show i didn't want to watch at first but then couldn't stop watching after a couple of eps

friday night lights - forever obsessed with Small Town, USA and i'm a sucker for everything team sports themed

the last ship - the only show that's ever had me on the literal edge of my seat with suspense, hits different post covid

rookie blue - my beloved, most relatable messy main character ever, i rewatch every year, sometimes twice.

friends - will never not be funny to me

bones - i wish being more like bones was socially acceptable #nofilter

scandal - i wanna live in shonda rhimes' head okay, i don't usually enjoy shows about politics much but this is so wonderfully crafted and you end up routing for everyone at the same time it's a mindfuck in the best way

tags (if you feel like it): @wastemanjohn @deanwinchesterpregnant @coffincanary @wheresurmoose

[rookie-critic]

Rookie-Critic's Top 25 Films of 2022: #10: Watcher (dir. Chloe Okuno)

Sometimes a film is just really good. It's not really artsy or metaphorical or "indie" (whatever that even means), it's just well-made, well-acted, and well-crafted. A real all-arounder. That's Watcher. Director Chloe Okuno's feature film debut is an incredibly effective thriller, and one that anyone can sit down, watch, and enjoy. The story is solidly paced and wonderfully written and the suspense that this film doles out is beyond comparison to anything else that came out in 2022. You are as afraid of Maika Monroe's protagonist Julia's situation as she is. Her paranoia is yours, and when she is gaslighted and put down as overreacting multiple times throughout the film, you feel as if you are being discredited as well. The film makes no bones about its story being predictable, that's almost the point. That's the beauty of Watcher and the reason it works so well as a piece of feminist media, what's happening to Julia is obvious, it's literally staring her right in the face. She knows how to solve it, she knows who it is, and nobody, literally no one has her back, except for someone who has dealt with her exact situation before. At first I criticized Watcher for being too predictable and for being slightly unoriginal, but as I got further away from it and had the time to reflect, I started to understand the core focus of the film. It didn't need to have some big twist, it didn't need some grand scheme or overly artistic "vision." It wears its message plainly and conveys it through an incredibly real, plausible, and heartbreakingly familiar scenario. This is one of two films in the Top 10 that got neither awards buzz nor a mainstream audience, and it's one that could have easily gotten and was deserving of both.

Currently streaming on Hulu.

I know I wrote a review for Watcher, but I never moved it over here from my Facebook page. Oh well, this is a little more in-depth than that one was, anyway.

[keytoyourhearts]

Review of The Nightward by R.S.A. Garcia (2024), 1st book of the The Waters of Lethe duology

SYNOPSIS:

On the day she would be granted her Blessing at nine years of age, Princess Viella’s court is overthrown, and she is sent on the run after witnessing her mother and queen murdered.  Her bodyguard with a hidden past, Luka, manages to escape the court with the now-Queen Viella relatively unscathed and must now keep her safe from the Dark and the secret magic found in the pages of the Nightward.  They eventually meet the third of their trio, Eleanor, a warrior-mage tasked with escorting Queen Viella to nearby court to give the young girl a fighting chance at retaking her thrown.

See my full review and rating below the cut!

RATING: 3/5 STARS

MY THOUGHTS:

I received an ARC of this book through a giveaway, thank you to the author and Harper Voyager for the opportunity! Overall, I found The Nightward to be an atmospheric, high-fantasy adventure that had me so enthralled, I could not put it down- until the sci-fi aspects were introduced.  I was unaware and found it incredibly jarring for unexplained technology to appear after such an exciting fantasy environment and premise were unfolding in front of me; it felt unnecessary to convolute the plot further.  I am also not well-versed enough in Caribbean mythology to know if it was done well, but I did find the included mythology intriguing.  While I may not pick up the next one, I mostly enjoyed the time I spent in the sci-fantasy genre and The Nightward.  It made me feel things that most books could only dream of.  RSA Garcia is a strong writer, and I would love to delve into more of the worlds she so vividly creates.

TAGS: fantasy, sci-fi, sci-fantasy, magic, speculative fiction

CW: explicit depictions of violence & death, sexism, misandry

RECOMMENDATION: I would recommend this novel for fans of sci-fantasy looking for something emotion evoking, who also don’t need their hand held through world-building and mystery unraveling.

THE GOOD:

The atmosphere of this novel was wonderfully crafted and such a pleasure to read.  RSA Garcia is obviously a talented writer when it comes to her beautiful environmental descriptions and exposition, not to mention her skill in evoking emotion and developing an air of suspense.  The opening of The Nightward exemplifies this.  I was so stressed, so heartbroken, and I knew what was coming!

I found the choice to make a nine-year-old one of the main characters to be interesting and refreshing.  The dichotomy of being practically helpless and emotional while also sophisticated and intelligent due to her upbringing made Viella a compelling protagonist despite not actually doing very much to further her journey.

THE BAD:

Despite the wonderful descriptors, I found the world-building to both be poorly explained and convoluted.  The magic/caste system still does not make sense to me.  I could not tell you the difference between the Word vs. the Sight, except that only certain genders can use one but sometimes both but sometimes none at all?

Perhaps this is rectified in the formal release, but my copy of this novel did not include a map, and boy, did I need one.  Queens and courts are introduced seemingly at random and when convenient, and they are sometimes conveniently connected by portals.  I cannot even tell you if we were on the same continent or a different world by the end.

Unfortunately, The Nightward lost my attention soon after the beginning, which is a travesty for how much I enjoyed it.  Most of the midsection felt like a slog of repetitive scenes and strangely informative dialogue, like the characters were too busy explaining things for the reader to continue their conversation.  Many side characters felt pointless and unmemorable, like their ‘stories’ were only included to pad the page count.

Speaking of padding the page count, here is my final gripe: it is a personal pet peeve of mine when authors are so focused on building up to next book in the series that they leave the ending of the first without resolving a single thing.  It is not a cliffhanger if the climax never comes to a head, it is poor pacing and drawn-out story beats that force readers into purchasing a sequel when all of this could have been solved by writing a single, albeit longer, book.

[glenrocklibraryteens]

BOOK REVIEW: AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie Genre: Mystery   Pages: 272  5/5 stars

"And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie is a young adult mystery novel that takes place in Europe 1939. Ten strangers are welcomed to stay at Soldier Island, completely isolated by the Devon Coast. Anthony Marston, Mrs. Rogers, General Macarthur, Emily Brent, Justice Wargrave, Vera Claythorne, Phillip Lombard, Dr. Armstrong, William Blore, and Thomas Rogers, are the strangers invited to this secluded island, only to be met with mysterious deaths as one by one each stranger is killed. 

Each character has their own secrets which makes this novel so intriguing. It's filled with mystery, insane twists, and a captivating plot. This book includes so much mystery which is my favorite genre. The suspense the novel gives you is amazing. I could not put the book down when I started reading because of how much it drew me in. Agatha Christie put together a great plot and did an outstanding job at combining mystery and the mindsets of each character. Nothing felt out of order and was written beautifully. If you are one to enjoy a thrilling, mysterious, and wonderfully crafted story, I highly recommend reading this novel. You definitely won't be disappointed.

[okruchlodu]

Gale said ❛ i trust you have an explanation for this. a very good one. ❜

The obsidian star hung about her slim throat flamed with reflections of the sun beaming through the windows. Her mouth, wonderfully lovely and narrow, crimson with lipstick, twitched and drew to one side, deigning to contort into a faint, cold smile.

The sorceress purposely did not lower her gaze from him. There was a cruel taunt latent in the words flung at her, but Yennefer kept her hand soft around the dagger held between her fingers, nervously fiddling with it, her expression blank and dispassionate, smooth as night. A curious amalgam of something dark and bitter, and flaming, fierce pride dictated that she would swiftly smother any emotion summoned forth by the shadows in his voice, shutting it away within an icy heart.  No— she had neither room for regret nor time to waste away upon such meaningless, useless talk that meant nothing to her. She was Yennefer of Vengerberg, more storm than woman, made of such nerve and flare and pride and swallowed secrets. It was not within her nature to allow for emotion to burst forth and take control of her. Yes, thought the enchantress furiously; she was cruel and unforgiving, ruthless and pitiless, a raging, wild storm hungered for the world entire with a fervor that could never be slaked— she could simply not allow herself to dwell on what her choices would mayhaps mean for the world around her and everyone in it; not even for him. Not now when that which she had too long a time now longed for with such feral, vicious desire was well within her grasp; she could truly not afford to care.  And yet, there she stood, face twitching in a furious attempt to keep calm.  The tempestuous, drowning mixture of anger and pride struck her, anyway, despite her best efforts to keep her perfectly crafted self-composure from shattering.

Before she could think overmuch on it, she turned the knife over in her hand, and held it out to him, hilt-first.

❛ you would question my intentions? Truly? Now— after everything I've done to get us here? You do me a grave injustice, if so, Dekarios. ❜ — a sharp, haughty toss of her head, and there fell a profusion of wild, dark tresses elaborately curled, spilling like spun silk down her back. ❛ Very well. This growing, dramatic suspense is too banal for me...❜ her voice dripped in breathless, seething disbelief, bitter and cold, yet still, collected, calm, almost, smooth and dark like river water rushing trough the woods. Violet eyes flashed, glowed with a burning, wild loveliness, strangely bright and malefic. ❛ —Here. Take the knife. Cut a vein open, find out yourself if I've been somehow deceiving you if it would please you. ❜ she urged calmly, held out her hand for him to take like an offering to a God, to an altar of unflinching devotion (dark, dangerous, brimming with promise), a horrible pity oozing in a cold, melodious voice, made strange and menacing with contemptuous amusement. Yennefer ought to have bristled, too, made furious with the accusation hung in the air between the two of them, but she felt nothing but a hollow pang—she could not be shaken, there was nothing in her to tremble and feel shame or regret. Only impatience to be done with the melodramatics.

@waterdepths

[kageyama-ritsu]

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Screenshot Let’s Play and Transcription

Since June of last year, I’ve been doing a mostly-on-sometimes-off playthrough, transcription, and Let’s Play of the Steam and GOG port of Higurashi When they Cry/Higurashi no Naku Koro ni on Something Awful. Someone else actually already made a forum-based, screenshot Let’s Play of this game years ago (and finished it!), but half of the images in the first arc are broken and it’s a little hard to parse.

So I thought, why not kill three birds with one stone? I can create a proper transcription of Higurashi that will be saved on its own dedicated server (the LPs in Something Awful are archived both on SA and lparchive.org, the latter once it is completed). I can also reread this sound novel that I am incredibly fond of.

Most importantly, I hope that this LP gets more people to read Higurashi. For people who either don’t want to pay 50 dollars on Steam/GOG for all of the arcs or sit down and commit 60 hours to watch video footage of a game released in 2002, this format lets you read it at your own pace in just a couple of days.

This is how the LP is presented. People who are familiar with and/or fans of Higurashi will notice a few things about this— and my choices are explained in the masterpost (which you can see as soon as you click the link to the LP). I also recorded every update in video form and put a link to it at the top of every update. (Higurashi is a sound novel after all, not a visual novel.) The recordings also have some fantastic voice acting, so check that out if possible.

I update three times a week on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday.

Here’s the link.

My sales pitch, for those uninitiated to Higurashi or do not know why they should read it, is under the cut.

Some people may know of Higurashi because of its rather infamous Studio DEEN anime adaptation. The yandere anime or whatever.

(This is the cover of a Higurashi video game released in 2014 but the art is pretty similar to the anime’s ssshhhhh)

In the game, you play as Keiichi Maebara, a city boy who recently moved to the peaceful and close-knit village of Hinamizawa. While he initially spends his days playing various games with his new friends, the discovery of a string of disappearances and murders that happen in the village set him on a path towards conspiracies, paranoia, and a fight for his own life.

One of the game’s more memorable aspects is how it endears you to the characters through the slice-of-life aspects of the story, until those idyllic days slowly morph into something much more sinister. That in and of itself is nothing new in the horror and thriller genre— pretty much every dime a dozen horror movie starts with a peaceful suburb being threatened with a serial killer or monster on the loose, after all.

Where Higurashi differs is that it doesn’t stop there, but starts pulling the reader in, makes them want the horror and thrill to stop, for the idyllic days to come back. They start off engrossed in the wonderfully unsettling atmosphere that the author, Ryukishi, crafts with nothing but images, text, and sound. As they read one arc after another, they gain more questions even as some are answered.

Because, surprise— Higurashi is a slife-of-life, comedy, horror, suspense, thriller, murder mystery.

Every arc takes place in the same timeframe: June of 1983, but things are different. Something that happens in one arc doesn’t happen in another arc, and vice versa. Even though the characters do  not retain their memories of past arcs, they still perform different actions at different times as strings are pulled behind the curtain. As someone with an omniscient viewpoint of the entire story, it is your job to piece together the puzzle and figure out just what is causing the deaths in Hinamizawa.

If that interests you, I’ll link the Let’s Play once more at the end of this post. The first post is the masterpost, which has even more information on the game as well as the LP itself. If nothing else, please read the trigger warnings. Higurashi is not a kind game to those who are squeamish. This may only be Ryukishi’s first big work— his writing and pacing is fairly rough for the first two arcs— but there’s a reason this game so thoroughly took over the fandom consciousness in the 2000s. His writing is, if nothing else, completely his own and paints vivid depictions of the cruelty humans have to live through every single day.

(A tidbit to note is that the author used to be a social worker. He writes about the topic with great skill but it is all very hard to watch/read.)

The game is also uh…very anime. It was initially sold in Comiket, after all. If you have a low tolerance for anime bullshit this might be a hard read for you. But underneath everything, the story is, at the core, a very touching one about the bonds between friends. Higurashi has a heart, no matter how ugly its exterior may seem at first glance, and I urge you to give it a shot.

Here’s the link again.

By the by, if you’re interested in a more “straightforward” murder mystery (more of an actuual murder mystery, much less straightforward), you should check out Ryukishi’s next work, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, which someone else already LPed. If you want to see how he might be like, trying to, solve…world conflict…?, the person who LPed Umineko also did one for the first arc (or Phase as it’s called) of Ciconia no Naku Koro ni. It’s all a bit vague for Ciconia, we really only have one chapter to go off of. None of these “sequels” require knowledge of the former entries to enjoy them.

[thefeministphysicist19]

Just finished JKR’s latest book, The Ink Black Heart, and I cannot recommend it enough. It’s the first time I’ve seen the internet and its culture portrayed so accurately in a novel and it’s *brutal*. She doesn’t pull any punches, especially when it comes to far-right groups and incels. Sometimes it’s so vile that you think “this can’t be real”, but then you remember it is really how they speak and how they behave. JKR has even more of my respect for addressing these topics in the way that she does, but I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to give away spoilers. It’s also a wonderfully crafted book. I love mysteries and it’s been a while since I read one so detailed and suspenseful right until the end. I haven’t read any other books in the series but I’m definitely going to now. Seriously, go read the book 🖤

[princesssarisa]

Cinderella September-through-November: "Ever After: A Cinderella Story" (1998 film)

Here we find one of the most beloved period romance films of the '90s, which many people consider the greatest screen version of Cinderella, even though it's far from a straightforward adaptation of the fairy tale. Ever After re-envisions the classic story in two ways: first of all, not as a fantasy but as realistic historical fiction set in 16th century France, and secondly, with a feminist twist. In its framing scenes set in the 19th century, the Brothers Grimm are summoned to visit an elderly French noblewoman (Jeanne Moreau), who tells them the story of her great-great grandmother, the "real" Cinderella.

Drew Barrymore stars as 18-year-old Danielle de Barbarac, who was raised as a tomboy and a bookworm by her loving father, but after his death was reduced to servitude by her stepmother Baroness Rodmilla de Ghent (Anjelica Huston). One morning she throws a volley of apples at a man she catches stealing her father's old horse... and this young man turns out to be the rebellious Prince Henry (Dougray Scott), who pays her a purse of gold to keep her quiet about his adventuring. Disguising herself as a countess in a borrowed gown, Danielle sets out to use the money to free a manservant whom her stepmother sold into slavery to pay her debts. In doing so she again meets the Prince, who doesn't recognize her, and his casual snobbery toward the poor earns her disdain, but her courage, intelligence and idealism earn his respect.

Thus begins a five-day romance arc that includes visiting a magnificent monastery library, treking through nature, and first battling but then befriending Romani bandits. Danielle's convictions teach Henry to rethink his classism and to use his position to improve others' lives, while Henry in turn helps Danielle to find new inner strength and willingness to defy her abusers at home. Meanwhile, Leonardo da Vinci (Patrick Godfrey), newly arrived at the French court, befriends both the Prince and Danielle, and ultimately becomes Danielle's "fairy godfather" of sorts, helping her to attend the royal masquerade ball and crafting her mother's wedding dress into a stunning angel costume. But Henry still doesn't know that his love isn't really a countess, and Baroness Rodmilla is determined to see him marry her elder daughter Marguerite. At the ball she exposes Danielle's identity as a "servant" and Henry rejects her. To make matters worse, Rodmilla then washes her hands of Danielle by selling her as a slave to a lascivious gentleman. But just in time, Henry realizes his mistake and Danielle's own fighting spirit frees her from her captor, leading to a fairy tale-worthy "happily ever after."

This film effectively has everything viewers could want from a period romance: the romance itself, of course, but also action, humor, clever dialogue, suspense, and an excellent balance between capturing the spirit of a fairy tale and fleshing it out in a "realistic" and human way. While there isn't complete historical accuracy (to name one minor detail, the Mona Lisa is depicted on canvas when it was actually painted on a wood panel), the 16th century atmosphere is wonderfully vivid, with the lush visuals capturing both the beauties and the grittiness of the era. And the characters are equally vivid. Danielle is a feisty Cinderella for the '90s, who swims and climbs trees, quotes Thomas More, talks back to royalty, punches her stepsister in the eye, and wields a sword to rescue herself at the climax; yet Barrymore infuses her with enough humanity and vulnerability to save her from being a cardboard feminist role model. Scott's Prince Henry is truly her "match in every way," strong-willed yet good-hearted, and flawed yet with an arc of positive growth. Their chemistry is excellent as they make their quick progress from bickering to friendly bantering to love. Huston's scheming Rodmilla is a quintessential wicked stepmother, Godfrey's Leonardo is fittingly wise and witty, and the supporting cast is excellent all around, with a particularly fresh spin on the characters of the two stepsisters. While the pretty elder sister Marguerite is a loathsome brat, the younger, plainer Jacqueline is a decent person, just cowed by her mother and sister, and she eventually chooses to break free from them. (This marks the start of a minor tradition among the more recent Cinderella retellings, including Disney's direct-to-video sequels: giving one of the stepsisters a redemption arc.)

It's no wonder that Ever After is such a beloved film, both among Cinderella lovers and among fans of period romance in general. Young girls (or boys) who grew up loving the Disney film, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, and/or other traditional Cinderellas should give this version a viewing once they reach middle school or high school age. Whether or not it becomes their favorite Cinderella, it will most definitely engage them.

@superkingofpriderock, @ariel-seagull-wings

[spikesdru]

my rewatch of passion btvs 2x17:

Angelus, u deeply poetic creep

Ngl I love the Scoobies walking out of the club together, something abt it is cute

The music playing is really great. It’s ominous and suspenseful and creepy

Look, Angelus’s “feelings” aren’t remotely positive or normal, but we gonna act like love isn’t there?! Even if it’s in a more fucked up and toxic form 

I know this is a teen show so you can’t go as hard as say, HBO, but the writing is great at showing how sickening Angelus is

Xander’s outrage at students being in the library is so funny and the Scoobies leaving makes it even better

I love that the whole ep, Giles stresses how important is is that Buffy ignores Angelus and doesn’t retaliate, then he’s the one who gets hit and automatically goes to fight back 

LOL WILLOW’S THOUGHTS ON TEACHING THE CLASS

Oh Calendiles. We should’ve gotten more time with them 

I love the detail of garlic being hung around Buffy’s bed

“You’re still the only thing he thinks about” Angel’s love in its most monstrous form

Angelus is SUCH a shit stirrer omfg

Ok, so, here’s the thing abt restoring Angel’s soul. Is it REALLY the right thing to do? It literally is a curse. To remember such awful things? We know Angelus doesn’t want it, and he’s the demon, he’s the body, Angel is only the soul. Killing him might just be the best option

It’s such a nice gesture that Buffy reaches out to Jenny about Giles, even if she hasn’t forgiven her

Buffy uninviting Angelus was a badass move 

I appreciate that the show has blurred lines when it comes to Angel/Angelus in both this szn and the next. I feel like AtS worked so hard to separate them which I didn’t like, they needed that ambiguity bc it’s what sets the character and the way others react to him

Ohhh Jenny’s so happy about solving the soul spell but IT WON’T LAST

“Two birds one stone” and the vamp face reveal? So diabolically cool 

This whole sequence is a great scene. So suspenseful and action packed, and it’s such a significant death that really elevates s2

DB should’ve played more villains. He has the energy for it

Joyce is riding Buffy hard for having sex which is a parent thing to do but it’s painful bc Joyce really has no idea how that affected Buffy

The whole Giles thinking Jenny planned a romantic evening only to find her body is so fucked and devastating and you feel that shit in your chest. It’s such great writing

And seeing how giddy Giles is until it’s ruined makes it WORSE

Angelus relishing Buffy’s reaction to Jenny’s death is so messed up but fascinating in that her pain is his joy

I love how Cordelia’s car is COVERED in garlic

Ugh Xander’s speech. I don’t think you’re entirely wrong but you’re such an ass about it

Giles is doing pretty well but he won’t win

The Buffy/Giles aftermath scene is such a great moment in their relationship 

The whole ending scene man. Fitting way to end this wonderfully crafted ep

[grigori77]

Summer 2021′s Movies - My Top Ten Favourite Films (Part 1)

The Runners-Up:

20.  LUCA – I’ll admit I really wasn’t sold on Disney/Pixar’s coming-of-age fantasy comedy, which revolves around a pair of young sea monsters living off the coast of the 1950s Italian Riviera, who discover they can assume human form when they dry out and go on land on a quest of discovery.  Thankfully the strong reviews convinced me to give it a chance – this is a frothy and irreverent romp through an exotically nostalgic world filled with Vespas, pasta-eating contests and found families that’s fun for kids of all ages.

19.  FAST & FURIOUS 9 – the high concept action franchise may be bursting under the ever-increasing weight of its own ludicrousness, but it’s still TONS of fun, packed with stunning over-the-top action, colourful globe-trotting and a loveable bunch of misfits we’ve grown incredibly fond of over the past TWENTY YEARS.  This time Dom (the irrepressible Vin Diesel) and the team are up against ruthless hi-tech mercenary Jakob (John Cena), a lethal jack-of-all-trades with a dark connection to the Toretto name.

18.  REMINISCENCE – Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy’s attempt to make it on the big screen looks set to go down as one of the biggest cinematic flops of 2021, which is a shame because the feature-debuting writer-director has crafted a genuinely fascinating speculative sci-fi noir detective thriller.  Set in a darkly dystopian future in which Global Warming has caused the sea levels to rise and society to start breaking down, it tells the story of Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman), a former soldier who ekes out a living using revolutionary tech to help the idle rich relive their fondest memories, until a life-changing mystery from his own past resurfaces, threatening to tear his whole world apart.  Frustratingly, it looks like most audiences are going to bypass this, which is a criminal loss.

17.  FREE GUY – after a seven year hiatus, Night at the Museum director Shawn Levy returns to the big screen in fine form with this deliriously inventive fantastical comedy adventure about Guy (a typically on-fire Ryan Reynolds), an NPC in an anarchic, Grand Theft Auto style MMORPG called Free City who discovers his own sentience after falling in love with Millie (Killing Eve’s Jodie Comer), a player with a hidden agenda that puts them both at odds with the game’s nefarious creator, Antwan (a thoroughly hilarious Taika Waititi).

16.  EVANGELION 3.0 + 1.01: THRICE UPON A TIME – visionary anime creator Hideaki Anno brings his long-running sci-fi saga to a close with this fourth instalment to his wildly ambitious cinematic “Rebuild” of cult TV series Neon Genesis Evangelion. It’s as frothy, melodramatic and bonkers as ever, packed full of weighty themes and crazy ideas, while the animation maintains this series’ ridiculously high levels of quality and the action is as explosive as ever, and Hideaki brings the whole mad mess to a climax that’s as rich, powerful and thoroughly befuddling as the saga deserves.

15.  THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD – Sicario writer Taylor Sheridan returns to the director’s chair (after impressive debut Wind River) with this intense and enthralling suspense thriller adapted by bestselling author Michael Koryta (along with Sheridan and Blood Diamond’s Charles Leavitt) from his own acclaimed novel. Angelina Jolie is (ahem) fiery but fallible as haunted smokejumper Hanna Faber, whose PTSD drives her to protect a desperate boy (Finn Little) who’s being hunted through the wilds of Montana by a pair of relentless assassins (Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult).

14.  CRUELLA – far from the clunky cash-in retcon many were predicting, Disney’s ambitious black comedy crime caper does a thoroughly admirable job in delivering this fascinating and deeply compelling reimagining of the story of rogue fashion designer Cruella de Vil (one of the best performances I’ve ever seen Emma Stone deliver, hands down), the dastardly villainess of 101 Dalmatians. She’s certainly far more complex here, no longer a raging monster, but far from a whitewashed PC apologist, either, much more of a morally grey antihero with a very wicked dark side – then again, with I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie at the helm it’s not really a surprise.  Richly designed and dripping in spectacularly adventurous period detail, this is an divine romp from start to finish.

13.  THE GREEN KNIGHT – the latest feature from writer director David Lowery (Ain’t Them Bodies Saits, Pete’s Dragon, The Old Man & the Gun) is as offbeat and unusual as you’d expect from a visionary filmmaker with such a wildly varied CV.  Adapting the fantastical chivalric romance Sir Gawain & the Green Knight, he’s crafted what’s surely destined to be remembered as the year’s STRANGEST film, but it’s a work of aching beauty and introspective imagination that sears itself into the memory and rewards the viewer’s patience despite its leisurely pace.  Dev Patel is unbearably sexy and wonderfully complex as Gawain, while Sean Harris delivers show-stopping support with stately charisma and world-weary integrity as King Arthur.  This film is sure to divide opinions as well as audiences, but I think it’s a bona fide masterpiece that must be seen to be believed.

12.  CANDYMAN – after watching this wildly imaginative and frequently gut-wrenching soft-reboot/sequel to Bernard Rose’s acclaimed adaptation of Clive Barker’s short story The Forbidden, I feel supremely confident about emerging writer-director Nia DaCosta’s coming MCU breakout with The Marvels.  Wisely papering over the clunky previous sequels, this streamlined trailblazing deep dive into the pure horror of the legend of the righteously mad spectral killer haunting the Chicago housing ghetto of Cabrini-Green sees a daring modern artist (Aquaman’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) find his latest project turning into a dangerously self-destructive obsession. Writer-producer Jordan Peele’s fingerprints are all over this, but DaCosta clearly shows signs that she’s going to be a hell of a talent to watch in the future.

11.  THE WITCHER: NIGHTMARE OF THE WOLF – I wouldn’t normally shout about an animated spinoff to a TV series like this, but I was SO INSANELY IMPRESSED with this brilliant prequel to Netflix’ popular fantasy show (which clearly intends to lay some origin story groundwork for the impending second season) that I just can’t help myself. Recounting the backstory of Geralt of Rivia’s own Witcher mentor Vesemir, this beautifully expands on the already compelling universe the series has created, as well as delivering some breath-taking thrills and chills through some of the most exquisite cell animation I’ve ever seen outside of the greats of anime.  A must-see for Witcher fans, then, but one I’d also highly recommend to anyone who likes their animation a bit more grown-up and edgy.

[generallypo]

[   Constellation ’Director of the False Last Act’ is looking at you.   ]

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dark academia!hsy, yeeee! the white coat is fantastic, but unlike kdj and yjh, she doesn’t really switch up the color scheme. no, her bum-aesthetic purple hoodie does not count. i think she’s super hot. i yell about how much i love her under the cut.

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yo han sooyoung is actually amazing, incredible, powerful, witty, drop-dead sexy... what makes her so irresistible? let me explain

1) yeah, kdj takes the kdj company to end of the scenarios, but please. how many times does he have to kill himself to get there? not to mention his intentional (and unintentional) kill count? 

sure, he does the job, but damn is he kind of inefficient about it. say what you like about hsy’s methods or personality, but the 1863rd round far surpasses the 1864th in terms of the lives preserved while still managing to take the team to the end.

without the benefit of cheat-like knowledge, skills, and resurrections, hsy almost single-handedly orchestrates the events of the 1863rd round to a satisfying finale. kmw, problematic as he is, survives and becomes an admittedly better person, yjh finds a timeline where he can rest in peace, and the rest of the cast have their eyes set on the hopeful end of all scenarios. all this, while only being HALF of a person (hsy originally split off into two after misusing her avatar ability). do her actions lead to the happiest ending? no. but it’s the one that sacrifices the least and saves the most. for the greater good, in other words. 

hsy may be an intrinsically selfish person, but unlike kdj, she has the ability to grasp the entire picture and avoid tunnel-visioning into a crappier, more convoluted and self-sacrificial solution. ironically, it ends up saving more lives. perks of being a talented writer, i guess. 

and the 1864th hsy emerges as a leader in her own right as well. the epilogue arc shows her assuming roughly the same role as her 1863rd self in kdj’s absence: yjh breaks off from the main group (AND BECOMES A TERRORIST AKFDJDSLKSL HAHAHA) to assume a similarly antagonistic role to the remaining members of kdj company. as a result, she’s the most powerful lawful incarnation remaining, and once more the incarnations circle around her for direction.

2) independent, confident, competent (hot and kinda shameless about it). this woman has the most delightfully unrepentant attitude towards life -- how to defeat the man with the strongest defensive ability without dealing a single blow? summon a horde of your naked dancing clones to terrify his innocent sensibilities, and then cackle at his helplessness. the fact that her sponsor is literally the chuuni-est cringefest in the entire galaxy and she gives no fucks about him is just additional comedic gold. her undisguised disgust for what should otherwise be a highly respected/feared entity is a clear indicator of her supremely dominant position over everyone else, and i admire her consistent irreverence of everyone and everything.

hsy is the only character who can consistently bully kdj, brush off his deflections, and bully him again. 1863rd round hsy gives kdj about 50 migraines in the span of 5 minutes of conversation before confirming her superior wit. jhw comes close, but unfortunately, she actually respects the rat bastard. i wish i could mention yjh, but let’s be real: he -- and just about every existing version of him -- has been whipped for the guy for at least 250+ chapters now. 

hsy, on the other hand, has no regard for anything except herself... man, i respect that so much. what a queen. 

and i won’t lie! i didn’t like her in the first fifty or so chapters. plagiarism? homicide? kind-of-in-general-just-being-an-obstacle-to-kdj’s-plans? yeah, i almost fell into the trap of disliking her purely because she didn’t cave immediately in the grand scheme of kdj’s plotting -- thereby denying me the power rush that came with seeing kdj bulldoze his way through the puny attempts of small fry characters. she’s neither a friend nor a despicable foe, but rather someone who acts independently and in her own self-interest, WITH the ability to thwart major players if need be. aka, the one who frustrated kdj’s plans -- and me -- the most. 

going by my previous isekai/power-fantasy trope experience, i figured she’d get pegged into the sexy-but-sassy harem candidate, or get killed off if that didn’t work out. in hindsight, i’m just pretty fucking dumb, but honestly, i can accept that with gratitude -- 

-- because in fact. the whole ‘she-gets-in-my-way-so-she-either-goes-into-the-harem-or-dies’ trope in light novels/webnovels and the like, is, frankly, misogynistic and boring as hell. i had some admittedly low expectations for ORV, which consequently blasted my ass to the moon and left me there sobbing for 42 years as i mourned my stupidity and paid my respects to its incredible ending and character development. hsy is a particular delight, especially in her meta awareness of these tropes -- blatantly stating she isn’t obligated to kdj for saving her life and declaring the damsel-in-distress cliche as ridiculous, for example. 

and it really is, because suspension bridge effect aside, you’re not gonna want to bang a total shady stranger in the middle of the apocalypse. it’s the little statements of self-awareness, self-worth, and frankness that build up hsy’s charm. as ORV progresses, these little windows of her personality bloom as her presence takes stage center -- and then BAM! you really get to know how strong she is, how hugely capable of love she is, how subtly but wonderfully she expresses it, how she leads and protects those close to her, and how damn good she is at it. hsy is amazing. we stan an iconic queen -- no, black flameS EMPRESS. *kneeling*.

3) writes an entire EPIC, just to keep one lonely, broken fifteen-year-old alive. like. at that point in ORV, i knew. i knew. hsy is the fucking GOAT. seeing her spend the rest of her life on WOS, making sure it reaches completion because it’s the only thing that will sustain kdj until the advent of the scenarios... that hits too hard. inadvertently, it also damns the rest of the world to the terror and tragedy that the star stream brings.. but that’s the call she makes in order to save kdj’s life. 

obviously, there’s no precise beginning to the timelines -- ORV is so neatly crafted in its cycle of writer, protagonist, and reader -- but i’d have to argue that hsy holds the greatest power in the trinity. creating the existence known as ‘yoo joonghyuk’ and granting life-changing hope to an otherwise forgotten boy.. is pretty powerful. yjh, for the most part, is a slave to the scenarios (until he breaks free in the 1863rd and 1864th rounds, in particular), while kdj (unwittingly) admits it himself: he’s truly the most powerless god in existence. i forget exactly where he mentions it, but it’s in response to lgy’s reverent commentary that, with all his knowledge and presumed confidence, kdj seems like the protagonist of story or a god to him. kdj’s inner monologue, of course, is appropriately self-deprecating and scarily accurate.

in a lot of ways, WOS -- and ORV itself, really -- is a love letter to readers. it’s a two-way connection, writer and reader, between someone who creates with all their passions and someone who consumes and responds with equally sincere feelings. Ways Of Survival -- the story of a man who defied death and grief and great powers far beyond his being -- is a fictional guide to surviving in a ruined world. but to a battered, bullied, and ostracized boy, it’s not just escapism, or wish fulfilment anymore. WOS is the map to navigating the hell of his reality. there’s a certain power in the right words being spoken -- or in this case, written -- at the right time, even if it’s only for the temporary burst of endorphins upon reading an especially delightful chapter. even if it’s forgotten the next day, you’ve managed to connect. you’ve touched another person’s heart. you made them think about questions they’ve never considered before; maybe, you made them smile. 

what can i say but the honest truth? ORV, without a shadow of doubt, has most certainly reached me. i’m a goner for this story and its excellent characters -- long, long gone. something has changed, something that wasn’t there the previous day. 

the mark has been made on the reader -- small as it is, it’s irrevocable. behold, in all of its little magnificence: the power of a writer, and their story.