#the zone cast cosplay

[nexuspudge]

𝑴𝒂𝒈𝒏𝒖𝒔 𝑹𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝑰𝒏!

[haunted-house-heart]

i'm taako from tv btw. if you even care

[starlight-seeker]

So uh

Remember my Lup cosplay?

This?

Yeah. She had a GLOW UP. Here’s some pics from the con recently with my boyfriend as Barry 🥺👖💋🌂🔥

@normalcryptid

Nerd. 💙

[mosscos]

Whoulda thought three years after these pics we’d be engaged and living together? (It was me I had been in love with them for six months lol thanks McElroys)

——

Rainer and Fitzroy Maplecourt of The Adventure Zone: Graduation

——-

@theadventurezone

[little-listener]

It’s fine he’s got magical powers

[ofmdrecaps]

09/06-07/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; David Jenkins; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Ruibo Qian; Vico Ortiz; Kristian Nairn; Anapela Polataivao; Erroll Shand; Andrew DeYoung; Kay Buchanen; RoseCityComicCon OFMD Panel; Tell Tale Voting Reminder; Another Call To Action; Help Matt Maher go to ECCC!; Love Notes; Daily Darby / Today's Taika;

Hey Crew, I'm working on reaching out to folks to get permission to post more Rose City Comic Con pictures! Hope to have more up tomorrow.

== David Jenkins ==

David and Kinga got married! So happy for you Chaos Dad!

Source: David and Kinga's Instagram

== Rhys Darby ==

SO MUCH RHYS today! He was out doing comedy at Largo LA!

Source: LargoLosAngelos More Comedy with Rhys, 9/10/24 at 8 PM in LA! Learn more!

Guess who's substack is up!?

Source: Rhys Darby's Instagram

== Taika Waititi ==

The Toronto International Film Festival is on! Indigenous.tv is reminding you to keep an eye out for Taika!

Source: Indigenous TV

== Ruibo Qian ==

Ruibo is in Shanghai!

Source: Ruibo Qian's Instagram

== Vico Ortiz ==

Vico and Ane are cosplaying Crowley and Aziraphale at Rose City Comic Con!

Vico will also be part of the Drag Pac's Youth Town Hall on Sept 14, 2024 at the Plaza De La Raza LA! Wanna check it out? Visit their site!

Source: Vico's Instagram

== Kristian Nairn ==

Kristian Djing "Hold the Decks" for us!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kristian Nairn (@kristiannairn)

Source: Kristian Nairn's Instagram

== Anapela Polataivao ==

Our beloved Auntie's movie TINĀ (MOTHER) will be premiering at the Hawaii Film Festival this year in October!

"HIFF44 opens at the Consolidated Theatres Kahala with the World Premiere and directorial feature debut of Miki Magasiva’s nuanced drama from New Zealand/Aotearoa. Samoan actor Anapela Polata’ivao (ONE THOUSAND ROPES, OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH, SHORTLAND STREET) portrays Mareta, a well-respected and gifted vocal coach in her community, who finds herself at a crossroads, needing to find work after the tragic death of her daughter, a death she is still processing. Mareta goes out of her comfort zone to become a substitute teacher at an elite, all-white private school and forms a choir that begins her healing as a matriarch and caregiver. Director Miki Magasiva and actress Anapela Polata’ivao are scheduled to attend HIFF44 Opening Night."

New Zealand/Aotearoa 2024 | English, Samoan w/English Subtitles | 124M

Source: HIFF Instagram and Website

== Erroll Shand ==

Everyone's sending love to Erroll for his role in The Twelve! Really hoping it'll be available outside of NZ soon!

Source: Jodie Rimmer Instagram

== Andrew Deyoung ==

One of our writers had their new movie premiered at the TIFF!

Source: FilmAndy Instagram

== Kay Buchanan ==

Our fabulous leather worker-- Kay Buchanan has a new movie coming out that she worked on props for! Grafted, a AoNZ horror film will be released in AoNZ on Sept 12! Check out the trailer on her IG!

Source: Kay Buchanan's Instagram

== Rose City Comic Con ==

Our crewmates over at @adoptourcrew were kind enough to share updates from the Cast Panel at Rose City ComicCon this weekend! If you have twitter, you can check it out over at Adopt Our Crew Thread. If not, you can see them below!

Source: Adopt Our Crew Twitter

== Tell Tale Voting Reminders! ==

Only a few more days to vote for Stede and Ed in Tell Tale TV's Battle of the Ships! Please vote here when you get a chance!

Source: Tell Tale TV's Instagram

== Another Call to Action! ==

Sounds like there's going to be another anniversary trailer happening on 09/15! Several crewmates are asking to QRT David's Tweet here with the text "Because The Night Belongs To Lovers #OurFlagMeansDeath" and something a little extra to help keep from being flagged as spam! Let's get ofmd trending again that day!

Source: Lucy's Twitter

== Help Matt Maher go to ECCC! ==

Looks like a few of our crewmates talked to Matthew Maher (Black Pete) and he really wants to go to Seattle! Let's help him get to Emerald City Comic Con, if you have a moment, please put in a request to have him as a guest at their next con! Thank you to Mira (@/havethisonelife on twitter) and @/Callousnstrange for trying to help Matt!

Source: CallousnStrange / Mira (HaveThisOneLife)

== Fan Spotlight ==

= The Gay Pirate News Hour =

The inaugural episode of Gay Pirate News Hour is out now covering a month's worth of OFMD fandom news and speculation including David Jenkins getting married, Rose City Comic Con, and reasons to clown about season 3. GPNH will be live on youtube once a month!

Source: Our Flag Means Fanfiction Instagram/Youtube

== Loves Notes ==

Hey there lovelies! I've been sitting with my Dad in the hospital for a few days, and it's given me a lot to think about. Today especially was particularly hard, and I wanted to send out a couple reminders I think are important.

It's okay to be scared. Things don't always go as we plan, and scary things DO happen, and you are absolutely valid in feeling fear in the unknown.

It's okay to ask for help. Sometimes, even if you are the proudest person in the entire world, you need help, and it's okay to ask for that help. Even if you're estranged, or have difficult relationships, ask for help, the worst that can happen is someone says no. Better to know for sure then not ask.

You're absolutely wonderful lovelies. You. When you're scared, when you're happy, when you're sad, you're beautiful, and you're wonderful, and you deserve love and help just like anyone else. Please ask for it if you need it <3 Rest well, I'm rooting for you.

Source: MichellCClark Instagram

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

Today's theme is hair, gifs courtesy of these wonderful folks, @piratesleeves and @unaragazzadelnord

[14dayswithyou]

The gang at Disney headcanons?

Ren He'd secretly want to go on all of the fast paced, thrill-seeking rides and haunted attractions; but he'll stay by your side and go on all the rides you want to instead. Ren will pay for you, and you only — everyone else has to supply their own ticket and money to buy food, drinks, and souvenirs. He also won't let anyone else sit next to you and will 100% take up the entire seat if necessary jdhgjhds

Moth They're with you in spirit! Right now, Moth can't afford to travel abroad just to go to Disneyland T_T But if they could, they would prefer meeting the Disney cast and taking pictures with them! It might even give Moth ideas on who to cosplay next.

Violet She'd want to check out all of the attractions and landmarks! Lots and lots of photos are taken that day, and she'll happily go dressed (vaguely) as Kida Nedakh if you wanted to dress up as well ^^ She also somehow keeps getting seated next to Teo on all of the rides, and it takes everything in herself not to unscrew his safety harness every time.

Elanor One of the only two who actually has a plan for the day ^^; She has the entire map memorised and the most optional route from A to B fully panned out. El is usually the type to bring her own snacks, sunscreen, and spare hats for everyone; and greatly prefers to stand to the side and wave at the gang while they zip past on all of the rides.

Conan Designated Dad™️ of the group and the other one with a plan. Conan is probably the one who carpooled everyone to and from the airport/hotel, and will most likely be the one who drives everyone back to Corland Bay. Like Elanor, he's more than happy to sit on a bench while everyone else has fun. He'll wear the Mickey ears if you put them on him — but only if you share your photos of the characters to his phone later (so he can show them to his daughter!)

Jae Bee lines straight to the bumper cars and the closest water park with you (and by extension - Ren), Leon, and Teo in tow. He's the one that gets chewed out by Elanor for not waiting half an hour to finish his churo before swimming, and also the one to buy cute little Disney accessories for Maple. Jae probably won't go on any of the rollercoasters, but he'll happily go on all of the teacup rides!

Leon Happily goes along with whatever you have planned! He doesn't really have any expectations or desires, though he does find the thrill rides/rollercoasters especially interesting. Would probably be the one going on the drop towers and laughing his head off while Jae is screaming for dear life and Ren is stone-faced next to him.

Teo All of the little kids will 100% mistaken him for Gaston, so you have to be the one to pull him away before he starts swearing and saying vulgar phrases. Teo probably prefers going on the scary rides just to watch your mortified expression and have someone cling to his biceps. He'll also sneak off into the restricted zones for fun, so make sure to keep an eye on him (or ask Elanor to).

Olivia Only came along because she won free tickets from a raffle. She situates herself next to Ren and Teo always, and gets a bit irked whenever Ren follows after you like a lost puppy instead of her. Olivia would want to try all of the different foods and get a souvenir to remember the day by! She might also ask you to burn any embarrassing pictures of her from all of the fast-paced rides.

Kiara Doesn't mind paying for everyone, and is most likely good friends with the hotel manager at the place you're staying at (so you knoooow you're getting good rooms!!). Would likely be trying all of the foods with Olivia or taking photos of flowers for her mood-board/fashion inspiration folder back in London. Secretly buys matching cellphone charms for herself and Elanor. If you catch her, she'll most likely buy one for you too.

[catgirlscout]

Johnshi Week 2024 | Day 3 | DnD Headcanons

Since the prompt for day 3 of #johnshiweek2024 by @johnshidaily was DnD Au, I thought I'd share some headcanons for Johnny and Kenshi.

You can also read them and chapter 2 on my Ao3!

Johnny would definitely go all out. He would make up a whole intricate backstory, act out his role, and put on a full cosplay for every session. His dice match his character, and he even bought and painted a miniature himself.

I can imagine that he would also love to be the DM and create his own little TTRPG campaigns. He loves improvising and gives each side character a distinct voice. Everyone always gets super intense during fights, and he feels very proud of himself for being able to pull his friends into the scene. If they would struggle making a character sheet, he would help them and throw in some prompts.

Back in school, he used to be a real nerd about DnD. He still has all of the books. This is really where his love for screenwriting comes from.

As for his character, he is really diverse. He loves to make new ones and figure out every little detail about them. In a game with the MK1 cast, I think he’d be either a Paladin or a Bard. I’d personally choose Paladin over Fighter in his case, because he wants to fight for the right cause and be a knight of the people. And if he’s playing as a Bard, he’s definitely gonna try to romance everything and anything!

He loves playing as any race that isn’t fully human for the fantasy experience. Non-human species have a special place in his heart. So, his choices would probably be Halfling, Orc, or Dragonborn. Perhaps even Elf, but he would probably stray away from your typical perfect, never-aging Elf, even though he’s fancy like that. But he prefers the whole underdog, having to train hard to become the hero storyline. Twist villains or morally gray characters are also totally his thing.

Kenshi, on the other hand, never had time for games in his youth due to growing up with the Yakuza breathing down his family’s neck. But of course he let his best friend Johnny talk him into it. He’s pretty new to DnD and doesn’t quite get the rules yet, but once he’s in the zone, he really gets sucked into the world-building, exploring everything there is and leaving no stone unturned and chest unopened. It’s become his escape from reality in a way, at least for a little while.

His character would probably be pretty true to himself, and he would make choices based on what he would do in real life. Of course he always fights with a sword, preferably an old family blade that wields some type of magic. He doesn’t roleplay so much, although he begins talking very epically when he’s making important decisions. From that point on, his character goes through a lot of development.

For class, Johnny advised him to go with Warlock, but Rogue would also be a good alternative. Race-wise, he would most definitely go with Tiefling, as that is closest to what he feels like, and the fiendish ancestral origins fit best with his actual background. When given the option, Kenshi also always chooses to lose his eyesight one way or another, if he doesn’t start out blind. Both Liu Kang and Johnny have continuously told him he doesn’t need to, but he does it anyway. The self-insert is real!

[pink-lightsabre]

c3 105 thoughts dump

when... are we getting new opening titles... please i wanna see more of dorian in the beginning credits...

IMOGEN GIRL WHY ARE YOU NOT INSIGHT CHECKING THIS CONVERSATION. WHY ARE YOU TAKING THIS AT FACE VALUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

oooooooooooooh she's gonna broadcast downfall. "it'll harm everyone." while that is true. i dont think yall can hoard that information. personally.

we really didn't do any check about that. wow. that feels ill advised!!!!!!!!

a mass poisoning???????? perhaps a little like molaesmyr?????

it could be a trap! that's true! which is why IMOGEN NEEDED TO DO A CHECK ABOUT IT!!!!!!

do not. try to bargain with fearne's bio dad. please.

oooooooooh what IS ira doing. that's a great question.

"i thought we would have A plan and now it seems like we have A LOT of plans." dorian that's so relatable

man i wish the silken squall was at this meeting. i understand that theyre not bc they're very isolationist but. i want to see dorian interacting with his parents SO bad

the judicators are still so fucking creepy. and the fact that aeor had their own arcane version FUCKS me up.

"it's pretty low... 24." LMAO

i hope someone gave vex advanced warning that dragons were gonna be there. otherwise her favored enemy ranger sense gotta be going BANANAS.

braius flirting with dorian. absolutely hilarious. 12/10 sam i love it.

"i've got my faith in you. and my finger." // "it's a pretty big finger." // "dont underestimate me." ROBBIE

RARY'S TELEPATHIC BOND!!!!!! THE GROUPCHAT!!!!!!

pie dice!!!!!!!! i love that.

oooooooooooooooooooh who is there. WHO IS THERE!!!!!!

fearne being poly is so special to me. i love it.

robbie cosplaying as dorian with the deep necklines of his shirts. is chefs kiss.

braius sticking his nose EVERYWHERE. way to go sam.

HELLO MATTHEW WHAT THE FUCK

DORIAN'S DAD IS THERE?????????????????????????

APPARENTLY I WAS WRONG AND THEY ARE THAT ISOLATIONIST. OH MY MCFUCKING GOD.

i need to run laps around my house. i cant handle this.

oh no cyrus looked like their mom. D;

"i'll shake it off."

DRAGONS!!!!!!!

FIRE ASHARI!!!!!!!!!! robbie gets to know the feeling of a character he voiced being there! i love this for him.

related to that. i cannot w a i t for the robbie daymond c4 permanent cast member announcement.

zone of truth cast by a fucking dragon!!!!!!!! my god that's so cool. but jesus christ what is the DC on that. 20 apparently!

robbie calling himself the rizzler. hate that. LMAO.

it's not bolo. and that is a TRAGEDY. LONG LIVE BOLO.

VOX MACHINA TO THE MALLEUS KEY. LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

people being upset that vm gets to take down the malleus key and m9 gets to take down the weave mind while bh takes down ludinus. understandable i suppose but COULD NOT be me. i love how interconnected c3 is to everything and i love the other heroes getting to take other shit down.

"time is short." // "and so am i."

"ash. just for a few minutes. lock it up." THAT'S RIGHT DORIAN.

ashton i swear to god... do not blow this...

PHEW thank god braius can lie. my god. SPECTACULAR work braius. way to fucking go.

PLUS FOURTEEN!!!!

saint graham... sam what the hell

travis peer pressuring his wife into using her abilities. i fucken love it.

LOVE the contingent from the matron's temple supporting laudna. absolutely wonderful.

i want. the first thing. that dorian's father says to him. to be about dorian wearing gold.

ashton going to talk and EVERYONE going "no no nonononono!!!!!" hugely relatable

okay okay that wasn't bad actually!!!! way to go ash!

magical girl fearne in her titan transformation. amazing.

a bard with performance anxiety! truly i love that so much. robbie ur mind. absolutely genius.

orym can you step up and talk about all dorian has to offer

ROBBIE YOUR MIND. ABSOLUTELY GENIUS.

F I N D G R E A T E R S T E E D

"orym totally blue screens" oh so relatable. a HUGE mood. i've also been that horny.

chetney reminding everyone that he's old... old as balls...

all the speeches were so good. i am. of course. absolutely biased towards dorian's.

OH THESE TITLES F U C K

does chetney have A KID

liam GLARING at matt while he's playing dorian's dad. EXTREMELY relatable.

"word of cyrus's passing has reached us." O U G H E "we wanted to make sure you were properly aware." excuse me whilst i sob on the floor.

oh no. oh no this is not how i thought this was gonna go. oh no i'm gonna cry. dorian "locks up with physical affection" storm. my favorite for a reason.

OH NO SAM WEARING THE FRIDA HOODIE. I DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE. frida still doesn't know what happened to fcg....

NOT DORIAN CRYING IN HIS FATHER'S ARMS

aaaaaaaaaaand there's the other shoe dropping! "those willing and capable" because you think dorian ISN'T?

y e a h this is more how i thought this was gonna go. oughe my heart.

there's dorian's anger! oh it is so precious to me.

i'm gonna throw up dude. oh my god. matt and robbie i love you. IS THE ZONE OF TRUTH UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a deeply revealing question!

A CEREMONIAL BLADE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

"a smile and a look in his eyes you've been chasing your entire life. pride." O U G H E

"you made my favorite toys growing up." HAHA I KNEW IT.

THE C-POPPERS!!!!!!! chetney has a fan club this is so great.

"can i get a painty." m a t t h e w

chet calling imogen his assistant. what a throw back to dorian and imogen at the masque in jrusar.

braius you silver tongued motherfucker.... god that's so good

PIKE!!!!!!!!

THIS IS TRUTHBEARER. LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

that's so funny. oh my god.

HOW MUCH HE LOVES DORIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! liam obrien i am kissing you on the mouth

LIAM OBRIEN I AM KISSING YOU ON THE MOUTH

dorian and orym having so many conversations AROUND how much they love each other. never actually saying it. or talking to each other about it directly. makes me want to chew concrete.

oh ashton....................... i love u. i really do.

"i think what she said was trustworthy" AGAIN YOU WOULD HAVE A BETTER IDEA IF YOU DID A CHECK ABOUT IT

imogen and keyleth... kiki saying imogen reminds her of a younger her... saying she's gonna need to convince the rest of vm to do this malleus key mission... oh i am sick

matthew.......... why the random d20 roll

oh if we're going back to nana morri does that mean SOMEONE will FINALLY ask orym about his not new anymore magic and how/why/where it came from. or if there's a conversation between orym and nana morri about the state of his deal since fcg died.

chetney you dumbass. that was NEVER gonna happen. HER CALLING HIM A YOUNGIN. amazing.

the BQILF lmao

y'all simply HAVE to be more careful with ashton and the worshippers of the luxon. this is how people get kidnapped and experimented on in underground layers.

oh the tragedy of ashton only getting to be okay and not in pain when he's in the titan form. ugh that makes me so sad.

god i love callowmoore so much!!!

ASHTON BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE CAAAAAAAAAAAAAREEEEEEEEEEFUL

chetney is so excited about having a fan. i love this for travis so much LMAO.

NOT WHISPERS ABOUT WAYLOND

"he made me a beautiful toy boat! i gave it to a street urchin." LMAO

THANK YOU MARISHA FOR CALLING OUT DEALS MADE WITH NANA MORRI

this is truly so funny. i relate to this man so much.

"this is the room you're gonna die in." // "i'm okay with that."

[lollytea]

Huntlow ft Gus au where they roleplay Cosmic frontier and being O'bailey helps Hunter feel more confident to flirt with Willow? Kinda like in Community when Annie, Troy and Abed roleplay Inspector Spacetime and Abed totally changes when getting into character

OKAY OKAY OKAY But after all this Collector shit is over and everything settles down. Hunter and Gus LARPing in their Cosmic Frontier cosplays and Gus casts an illusion curtain so Camila's basement really does feel like the inside of a futuristic spaceship. They even get Camila on board to join them. (Remember how excited she was to LARP in Yesterday's Lie?? She's never done anything like this before but she would be so into it!!)

Anyway. You KNOW how Gus and Hunter are. Obviously Gus is a born performer and very committed to theatrics but also there's Hunter who is intensely hyperfixated on Cosmic Frontier and not only connects to O'Bailey but also sees him as a fictional role model of sorts. He's cool and smart and kind and confident and basically everything Hunter aspires to be. So O'Bailey is basically Hunter's main blorbo. He WOULD be the type to keep a notebook full of O'Bailey characters analysis. He understands this fictional man inside and out. Everything from his big grand life aspirations and inner turmoil to his little character tics and personal details.

So when he and Gus get into the zone? Oh Hunter would take it so deathly seriously. Gus would too so they're perfect LARPing partners.

I think it definitely fits with Hunter's tendency to lose himself in the roles that he plays, like how his personality altered when he was wearing the Golden Guard uniform. Except, in this case, Hunter's face is on full display and rather than O'Bailey being a character Hunter can hide behind like the GG was, it's more like Hunter is just having fun playing pretend, while using O'Bailey as a bit of an outlet for him to experiment with the person he wants to be. Role-playing as this character he really likes helps with his confidence significantly as with the bonus of being unmasked, it's easier for him to tap into it as Hunter.

Eventually. Eventually.

Because when they first start playing pretend, Hunter believes that he's playing an entirely different person than himself. But he has so much fun with it!!!

Anyway Gus and Hunter get very into their roles, acting out extremely tense and emotionally gripping scenes. Camila is also very enthusiastic, though she has a tendency to break character every once in a while by devolving into squeals because this is just SO cool!!! Why did she and Manny never do this??

Anyway Willow almost always shows up to watch. For the plot. She sits there and she watches Hunter go full cool hero protagonist mode for the plot. She's very interested in....whatever the fuck is going on. There's an asteroid about to hit the ship she thinks. She doesn't know what an asteroid is but she assumes this is a bad thing.

It's Camila that kickstarts the chaos. She notices the scene is waning in regards to cool shit to say and decides to spice things up. As O'Bailey and Avery are engaged in a tense dialogue, she shuffles over to where Willow is sitting and takes her by the hands to hoist her up.

"How about you join us, Mija? :)"

"Oh!" Says Willow, blinking out of the stupor that overcame her when Hunter started a dramatic monologue about the safety of everyone in the galaxy. "Okay...?"

She had never done something like this before. But now that Camila is leading her over to the boys, she thinks to herself...hm. yeah...Yeah!! Yeah, this could be fun!!!

"Captain Avery." Camila says sharply, snapping her posture straight. "Botanist Kumiko O'Bailey has been sent to inspect our vegetation crop and report back to the Nebula Federation."

Gus and Hunter turn to look at them and Willow feels the push to engage.

"Uhh. YES!" She announces, adopting a powerful air as she places her fists on her hips and tips her chin up high. "It's me! Kumiko!! And I'm here to...uh. To do what Camila just said."

"Quando."

"What Quando just said."

"Also...." Camila continues. "She mentioned wanting to see her husband."

"My what now?" Willow blurts out under her breath.

Oh. Right. Kumiko. Kumiko O'Bailey. She had heard that name once or twice. She knows at least a chunk of the lore. Hunter talks about it often.

So. So she's currently playing the role of...

"Kumiko!" Hunter exclaims and rushes to her side. And then suddenly there's hands and they're long and narrow and warm and they are cradling her hands. And though Willow has held Hunter's hands plenty of times, it was always initiated by her. It's his sudden bout of forwardness that stuns her speechless.

Where is this coming from?

"Um..." Willow finds herself mumbling idiotically.

"You weren't answering any of my communications." Hunter says, looking deeply invested in the colour of Willow's eyes. "I was worried..."

Hunter has not acknowledged that this is something he would have been far too shy to do with Willow Park under any other circumstances. Because he is currently Chief Engineer O'Bailey and he is extremely committed to portraying this role faithfully. And if there's one thing he knows about O'Bailey, it's that he loves Kumiko with abandon.

"Aw, well, you know how it is," Willow grins, still a little breathless. She tries to tear her eyes away from their interlaced fingers, a slight blush seeping across her cheeks.

"The communication....thingie...was busted. So I just figured I'd hop on a spaceship and come find ya."

Under the assumption that she's nailing this role, Willow decides to get a little rambunctious with it. She tilts her head to the side, tweaking her smile into something overtly flirty. "I missed you <3" She says in a honey sweet tone that she has used on him on numerous occasions. It usually renders Hunter completely unsure of what to do with himself. It's adorable.

But not this time.

Hunter, completely unruffled, responds with a warm endeared smile that sends Willow's pulse coursing. "I missed you too." He says softly.

And then. One of those accursed hands of his. It settles into a gentle caress against her face.

Willow's eyes are just about about bulging out of their sockets.

"But wooow," Hunter croons, stroking the pad of his thumb across her cheekbone. (Her skin is hot and he is gonna notice, which is only making it hotter.) That's when the flirtatious touch to his own smile cracks through. "You traveled all those lightyears? For me?"

Willow does not have a fucking clue what a lightyear is. But she likes the sound of the word when he says it like that.

"You betcha, babe!" Willow responds enthusiastically, trying to regain some handle on this scenario. "You know I'd travel a million lightyears just to see you."

She flirts. Her. Willow.

Hunter unexpectedly taking the lead here is throwing her off. She's floundering.

Is this what she does to him all the time?

Hunter's smile spreads and he takes a step closer.

Willow would have taken an instinctive step back but she is currently frozen to the spot.

Hunter's eyes are very brown.

"Well..." He says musingly. "You've seen me. Will that be everything, Mrs O'Bailey?"

Willow is certain her heart forgot its main functions before promptly bursting into a frenzy.

How has his palm not scalded against her cheek.

Willow is about to say something. Potential responses swirl around in her head.

She isn't quite sure what is about to happen. All she's processing is that Hunter is standing very close and she has some ideas of what she would like to happen right now and she's pretty sure if she just--

"Oooooh. Go Hunter!" Somebody suddenly whoops and Willow gets to see the O'Bailey persona shatter like glass before her very eyes.

Luz has descended the stairs with not an ounce of context of what is going on. All she sees is Hunter cupping Willow's cheek and moving closer and closer.

Camila is observing with a broad beam, while Gus leans against a nearby wall, a little bored.

With that, Hunter is yanked back to the reality of the situation. He's not in space, he's in a basement. He's not Chief Engineer O'Bailey, he's Hunter. And she is not his wife Kumiko. She is Willow Park.

He might have been about to kiss Willow Park.

Heat floods his face and he breaks into a splutter of rapid-fire apologies. The words are spit out so frantically, they begin to tangle together.

And as charmed as Willow tends to be with flustered Hunter, she is quite disappointed that whatever that was is over.

Meanwhile Hunter is dangerously close to the realization that flirting with Willow Park is something as impossible as he originally thought.

[secret-diary-of-an-fa]

Doctor Who: Rogue Review (Doctor Hoot. I Swear That'll be Funny the End of this Review)

You know, I never thought I’d be this grateful to see a murderous owl-person kill someone with lightning and then steal their face, but here we fucking are! Six episodes into an eight-episode run and I’ve never been happier to see Regency ponces get fried with space-electrics. Y’see, Rogue is yer basic bread-and-butter Who episode: a confined environment with a colourful cast of characters who serve as cannon-fodder for a quirky monster-of-the-week with a batshit crazy motive. The Doctor and Insert-Companion-Here show up for a good time then realise there’s a monster-of-the-week at work (because the Doctor is a man who can’t go five minutes without running into something that wants to eat human bones or enslave a planet or whatever) and then they Do A Thing that solves the problem. Along the way, there’s some romance, some cheap shots about how shit and unequal the past was (yeah, ‘cause the 21st Century’s a fucking rose garden- people in glass houses should probably learn to jack off in the basement, etc.) It’s all very funny and energetic and entertaining but at the end the status-quometer has moved maybe one quarter of a degree. In any series of Doctor Who from 2005 to 2015, Rogue would have come and gone largely unnoticed: an enjoyable bit of filler rounding out a twelve-to-thirteen episode run because it can’t all be Daleks and Weeping Angels and meditations on man’s inhumanity to man. Here, in the year 2024, it arrives like a cool, refreshing glass of water in a desert, brought to you, the viewer, by a sexy little butler in very formal hot-pants.

See, aside from Boom! (which had a very good point to make and made it very well), this series of Who has been… well, it hasn’t been bad. Russel T. Davies can write a diverting 45 minutes of television and nobody can take that away from him. But it hasn’t reached the stellar heights of certain the original Who come-back either. Between the Space Babies being creepier than that episode’s monster-that-wasn’t-really-a-monster (NEWS! NEWS! NEWS! unsurprising twist is unsurprising!), Jinkx Monsoon not getting the acting direction she needed to make Maestro properly terrifying, the giant slugs that literally didn’t move the entire time they were on screen and a woman in black whose power was making people run off in a surprisingly camp way, this series has felt very short on effective antagonists. I mean, I get that the vibe we’re going for is ‘the real monster was mankind all along’ chic, but that’s The Twilight Zone and Black Mirror, not Doctor Who. It’d be like if Red Dwarf suddenly came back as a serious drama (aside to whoever’s making the upcoming three eps of Red Dwarf: PLEASE DON’T DO THAT, THERE ARE SO FEW THINGS LEFT THAT I LOVE THAT HAVEN’T BEEN RUINED). So, when, within the first few minutes of Rogue, one Regency Ponce grabbed another by the lapels and fried him with lightning before assuming his form (and then we got a shot of something with a beak), I was like “Oh thank fuck for that! I thought the death-ambulances from Boom! were going to be the only interesting villains this season!”

So, you probably already know (because why would you be reading about Doctor Who if you’re not also watching Doctor Who? It’s not like its a monolith of cultural relevance any more), there are two plots going on in Rogue. The A-plot is that shapeshifting Murder-Owls (the episode calls them ‘Childer’, but they’re fucking Murder-Owls and I will fight anyone who says otherwise) are killing people to assume their form and ‘cosplay’ as human beings. They’re bored: it’s how they pass the time. The B-Plot, meanwhile, involves the Doctor having a whirlwind romance with the titular Rogue, who is a bounty-hunter from the future sent to capture or kill the Murder-Owls. Ultimately, the two plots tie together in a way that gives the episode its emotional heart. Without spoiling anything, the Doctor must sacrifice his budding relationship with Rogue in order to save the day from the monsters-of-the-week, while Rogue, whose been playing the heartless vagabond all episode, must knowingly sacrifice the same in order to save the Doctor’s companion, Ruby, knowing that that friendship and her wellbeing is more important than his own, thereby proving that he was worthy of the Doctor after all, even though proving it means they can’t be together. On paper, it makes perfect sense. In practice… it has some flaws. See, there’s a lot going on in Rogue and the generally fast pacing of Fifteen’s adventures is much in evidence here, but a compelling romance- even a compelling flirtation- takes time to execute properly. It kinda feels like the two don’t really have enough breathing room: they fall for each other in record time because the plot demands it and then get irrevocably separated at the end, also because the plot demands. There’s no sense of slowly building attraction and mutual chemistry, which is a shame, because Rogue himself is an interesting character who, in an ideal universe (one where, for example, season lengths didn’t keep shrinking and squeezing out grace notes) he might have come back and developed properly. Now, even if he does come back, they rushed through so much of his relationship with the Doctor, I’m not sure how they’d salvage it.

I suppose I should mention the fact that it’s the Doctor’s first gay fling. Oh, would you look at that, I just did and now we can move on. Joking aside, I do have some thoughts on the Doctor’s signwaving sexuality, but since none of them are dementedly homophobic or, conversely, overtly Pride-y, they’re not really relevant to this specific episode: they’re more general notes on characterisation and how to do it well from the perspective of a budding professional writer WHO IS GOING TO BE READING AT A PROPER LITERARY FESTIVAL LATER THIS YEAR LIKE A FUCKING BOSS, BY THE WAY! Really, I think the pacing issues here would kill the flair regardless of the gender of the other person involved and that’s kinda all I can add for now. I feel, however, that I can’t really blame writers Kate Herron and Briony Redman. They’re working within the constraints of a shortened season part-funded by an American corporation that doesn’t understand it and produced under the aegis of a showrunner who, while perfectly competent, seems to have lost the magic he had when he brought the series back in 2005.

If all this sounds a bit negative… well, it is and it isn’t. Yes, my opinion of this season of Doctor Who isn’t high compared the show’s heyday, but I am enjoying it enough that I want to see it improve. I don’t critique out of hate, but out of love; out of a desire to see something I cherish learn and improve. We know Doctor Who can be better, so why isn’t it?

But this episode, specifically? Yes, it’s good. The problem is that in most previous seasons it would have been below-average good, whereas in this season it’s above-average good. On the one hand, that’s a bit sad. On the other hand, it’s proof that there are still people around the BBC who know how to write an episode of Doctor Who in the classic mould, and that seems like a good foundation to build on.

[takaraphoenix]

I'm halfway through the first season of One Piece and I'm so madly, deeply in love with this.

The most important part about an adaptation is staying true to the characters. Not only do these actors perfectly capture the personalities and quirks of the Strawhats, they also look perfect. The fact that this adaptation didn't shy away from the anime hair colors is impeccable to me, I love that so much. Not to mention the accurate casting according to what Oda-san once said the characters would correspond to in our real world.

The costumes? This is... this is like watching a cosplay gathering, honestly? The most source material accurate costumes I've ever seen in an adaptation, I think? Down to the little details! I mean, they could have gone off-script beyond the most iconic costumes of the main cast but every little costume detail I recognize from the anime makes me so overjoyed.

The dynamic between the actors. Oh, it's also been a hot minute since I rewatched the anime from the start so seeing them all start out as freshlings, getting to know each other, it's such a joy.

It's also just the little details, like hearings Bink's Sake in episode two?

This feels, fundamentally, like something made by someone who really knows and loves One Piece - and that's more than you can say about most adaptations.

And the effects look good too! I mean, of course does the stretchy lad look weird because humans aren't supposed to be able to do that, but him, Buggy coming apart and back together, the Sea King? All the weird anime-things that are easy to incorporate in animation, they're... working?

I'm also in love with the fights. And that's a genuinely baffling thing to say for me, because I hate fight scenes. So much. I'm known to just skip forward during Lord of the Rings rewatches when there's fighting, I always zone out when movies or shows have fighting sequences, but something about the way these are choreographed makes it really exciting to watch because they feel more like, I don't know, dancing? In that they're interesting to watch and not boring punch-punch violence?

I am having the time of my life watching this. I'm enjoying every minute of this show. I thought, at best, this would be a good laugh - because how can you adapt OP with actors - but... they made an adaptation faithful to both characters and plot, and they made it fun to watch and I'm baffled and excited and grateful for that, because how did I get lucky enough that my favorite anime of all time is the... first anime in history (known to me) to get a good American live-action adaptation?

[catholic-character-tournament]

Round 1 - Resurrect Bracket (Losers Bracket) Side A

ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to [make it to the finals]

Propaganda below ⬇️

Temenos

so his whole thing is he's an inquisitor who is just fundamentally bad at being a priest on account of he does things like forgetting scripture and not being able to help but doubt the institution which gets everyone hes ever cared about killed. he's gay. he says shit like "careful, i bite". he's in yuri with a holy knight. he's one of my favorite characters and i want to beat him over the head with a cast iron skillet

fucked up gay little cleric who was supposed to grapple with the fact that the institution he serves is corrupt except he has been in doubt from the very beginning and very clearly doesnt put much stock in the scripture hes made it his lifes work to preach. hes kinda a freak with it. every line he speaks is said with the cadence of a gay guy checking under his nails while ignoring you as he talks. i have to hit him with mallets and shatter him into pieces.

This man is the world's worst clergyman. He's a high ranking member of the holy inquisition, but nobody respects him and he mostly just uses his position to investigate random murders for fun. He regularly forgets how the bible goes and little kids have to correct him on how the plot goes of the jrpg equivalent of jesus's resurrection. He has a holy knight for a boyfriend. He tortures people for information any other character can just ask for. His best friend out of the rest of the main 8 is an assassin and gang member. He tries to get people to commit crimes with him. His story is about uprooting the corruption in his church and killing high ranking church members and also Literal Fucking Jrpg satan. He regularly blasphemes and everyone around him looks in horror as he shouts at god and encourages people to become atheists. His catchphrase is "doubt is what I do." He is still somehow the most devout character in the entire game despite being a total fuck up of a cleric who does not deserve to be here whatsoever. Pls let him win it'd be SO FUNNY

Hes genuinely just the funniest guy. Very little about his story has to do with the faith but like. He routinely roasts the entire pantheon of in-universe gods. He beats people up (metaphorically of course) as one of his main game mechanics. He got stamped as the resident gayboy SO fast. His starliner definitely has higher intelligence than wisdom even though clerics use wisdom. Every chapter he appears in he solves a mystery by zoning out so hard his god blesses him with extremely vivid hallucinations. He's so deeply fucking traumatized. One of his battle skills is fully just beating his enemies up with his staff. He ends up defunding the police. He can very casually become a thermonuclear bomb but in a very holy way. His best friend is a 23-year-old assassin that exclusively calls him "Detective". Is he Catholic (ish)? Yeah, but he certainly doesn't always act like it.

He constantly commits heresy and doubts the gods but is still the not-Pope's right hand man

Listen, imagine you'd go to church and your priest gets roasted by kids for forgetting how the bible goes. That's him, canonically even. He's like if a redditor who wants to be a detective was cosplaying as a holy man. He's someone whose whole thing is doubting the gods and the church, to the point where he makes another person question his faith too, even though he is technically The holy man. He's absolutely unhinged and gay. He's 30 years old and absolutely does not look like it. He's traumatized, and cannot be sincere and honest about his feelings even once. He should go to therapy actually. Like desperately. For his sake and everyone around him.

he is from the faith but he doubts everything around him to find the truth through it........ also i'd like to see him torment the crotchety priest i had to do a face-to-face confession with in high school. it'd be funny.

FATHER BROWN BUT MAKE HIM GAY AND PLAGUED BY TRUST ISSUES. This man will forget his own sermons, beat people up for infos and, at the same time, gets to be the fantasy equivalent of a youth pastor. He somehow manages to be the most unhinged person in a party that includes a vengeful math professor who can and WILL mug people. He might not be the most devout Catholic of them all, but he is definitely the *funniest* one. Give it up for the world's shittiest priest!

i’m gonna be honest temenos is a TERRIBLE catholic but he’s funny and i love him. he also has a weird gay thing going on with a paladin it’s great.

Link

Well, maybe not specifically catholic. But behold, OFFICIAL ART: https://cdn.wikimg.net/en/zeldawiki/images/a/ab/LinkPraying.png

in the original legend of zelda game there’s a bible (localized to the book of magic due to nintendo of america’s guidelines), a cross in the adventure of link, and in a link to the past, there’s art of him kneeling in front of a crucifix. hyrule has its own religions but there are undeniable christian roots.

[autumnbrambleagain]

fondly reminiscing about dark souls pvp, let's rank them

Dark Souls 1

Invasions: Hard to access, if you want to do a low level pvp twink invasion you have to earn it by beating half the game at a low level. Still a chance to run into people 100 levels higher than you who are invader-catching. A chaotic mess, positively. Sometimes you chase a newbie as they run in fear. Sometimes Havel ambushes you. Sometimes infamous hacker Tallgeese sees you but he likes your funny bloated sorcerer cosplay where you cast the laugh spell a lot, so they banish you from their world and send you a message saying "That was amusing. You get to live." You have no idea what you're going to get. A true disaster mess. I miss it every day. You were indicted. 10/10.

Darkroot Garden: A fun sidezone where people invade you all the time, or you can invade people who dare to trespass. Lots of fun shenanigans. Work for a hot cat monster protecting Artorias' grave, the flavor adds a lot to the meal. 8/10.

An Arena or Something?: I think they eventually added a 1v1 pvp zone but everyone just did fight clubs in Oolacille or Undeadberg and that was fun too. No thrill of the hunt, though. Nothing staked, nothing gained, nothing lost. Masturbation. 6/10.

Dark Souls 2

Invasions and Counterinvasions: Holy shit. You mean blue cops now show up to HELP people being invaded? Fantastic. But there's no unlimited red eye, and soul memory means you eventually outlevel your desired zone no matter what (without the ring). You have to do the tryhard arena to get reliable red eye cracks without cheating in an infinite amount. Takes a lot of the luster out of it. BUT, but the level designs lead to a lot of super fun shenanigans, and the chance of fighting, or being, a bluecop, made it more fair for newbies too. Bonfire ascetics means you can reignite a zone and be invaded in it even after you beat the boss once, letting you draw in invaders to fun zones and have silly battle times. Incredible build possibility compared to the last game, with only a moderate chance of running into identical meta builds, lots of creativity if you stick to it. Ultimately loses a point off perfect because of the soft caps on invading, makes it up for all the other improvements. 9/10.

Bell Towers 1 AND 2: Basically Darkroot Garden, you and another rando invade in waves against someone and their friends. Hang out and see how long you can last before you have to run for the exit, or invade people over and over and see how you can ruin their day. 10/10.

Rats: Be the final boss of a dungeon you get to build up over time. Holy shit. The rat king is so fucking hot and he has an entire storyline where he goes from hatred for humans to dreaming of a day where you live and die together as one because of you showing him humans can be loyal and worthwhile too. Holy shit. My king. Work with your rat allies, set up traps, pick your position, bombard them from afar with magic or a bow or ambush them or just stand at the door like the final fucking boss encounter. Get sucked into someone's rat world and try to touchdown travid football them or dig in and fight them back. Fucking fantastic. Holy shit. The best it ever was. 999/10.

Blood Arena: And if that isn't enough, you can just queue up for some 1v1 tryhard face-smashing. Fine enough. Basically grindr for pvp. More build variety than DS1 makes it not so asinine and straight pvp without stakes or environment shenanigans has something to say for it this time at least? 6/10.

Dark Souls 3

Invasions and Counterinvasions: Well, they existed I'm sure. Undid a lot of DS2's limitations on it, but also didn't introduce anything special. ?/10? Kind of depends on where you invaded, when, who. Could be fun, could be boring, could be frustrating. If you liked invading in the previous dark souls you'll have fun enough in this one/10.

Another Forest I Guess: None of the flavor of the first one, and pretty much only visited by low level peeps. Covenant leader is a dead wolf that won't even talk to you. It was... fine. Mindlessly rehashing Darkroot Garden, down to you defending a bunch of Artorias cosplayers. Eh. 7/10.

Anor Londo Is Here For Some Reason: I don't know why you're working for Aldrich because they insisted none of the covenants have dialogue or personality this time around. It's just this but on Anor Londo. But, the monsters are on your side and there's a bunch, and the level is super fun to fight in, so it gets a bit of a pass. 8/10.

Mound Makers: Holy shit. This should have been more fun than it was, and it was already pretty damn fun. The ability to turn on other invaders and work with the players was really neat, be a cooperator and help them against monsters and then turn on them, hilarious, but it didn't get as much play as it could have but that's just on people not being funny enough with it. I wish the covenant had any explanation as to what a mound is or why you're building it, but at least it had a covenant member who explained anything to you. The game's redemption more or less. 9/10.

Arena: A lot of the PVP got shunted into the arena, but it was a decent arena system. Lots of build variety this time around, too. Didn't mind it one bit, but it felt a bit like masturbation when you could be having more organic pvp encounters. 6/10.

Elden Ring

Invasions and Counterinvasions: Only possible on people who already have a cooperator summoned. Usually multiple cooperators. Giant areas and chance to invade anywhere means you can never prepare or control the environment. Constant gank squads, moonveils, rivers of bloods. Rare that you find someone who wants to be invaded or enjoys it, usually people ganking or doing boss runs or coop and they resent having to deal with invaders. Stacked so heavily against the invader it's like they got tired of people complaining about how much it sucks to be invaded they decided to just make it miserable for invaders instead to discourage it from happening. 4/10 at best.

Arena: Again, feels more like masturbation instead of organic, natural pvp. Lots of neat build variety, though! Don't really get anything out of doing it, though. Uh. Wait. Wait is this all there is what do you mean it has less PvP zones and options than the original dark souls holy shit

Concluding Thoughts

Dark Souls 2 was the best dark souls and Elden Ring is the worst, thank you for coming to my Ted Talk

[regarding-stories]

Chill and slice of life: Wotakoi

Something I enjoyed very much was Wotakoi: Love is hard for Otaku, a slice of life series showcasing eventually six main characters grouped around otaku couple Hirotaka and Narumi. There's no grand romance or strong drama there but a quiet exploration of the otaku culture and relationships for young adults that have settled into the world.

You see, Narumi and Hirotaka were childhood friends, bonding over their love of games, manga, and similar pursuits. Hirotaka is an obsessive gamer, completely unashamed about it - and almost unashamed about his social shortcomings as well. Narumi walks the tightrope between appearing normal and hiding her otaku obsessions and actually living them. She's in on the deep end, though, publishes fan works, enjoys men-on-men love manga (yaoi) and is up for gaming, anytime. She however left her last job because she was outed as an otaku and left by her boyfriend. And in her new job she immediately runs into Hirotaka and discovers her reserved coworker Hanako is actually a hardcore otaku obsessed with cosplaying.

Being in full blown denial she goes drinking with Hirotaka only to tell him she would never date him, he's deep in the friend zone, and also not her type, while also admitting that she only dated assholes that did not really accept her for who she is. In the end, Hirotaka asks her to date him regardless, and Narumi agrees in spite of all she said.

Soon they are joined by Kabakura (the supervisor) and Hanako who are both also otaku who secretly date, and we watch them hang out together and build their friendship. Kabakura is a very closeted otaku who obsesses about manga and anime. He used to be sports rivals with Hanako in school and asked her to date him right when it was clear they would never compete again. They are a very stable couple while getting all heated up and fighting each other very often. This also stems in Kabakura not being able to express his feelings which makes Hanako, the outwardly confident woman very insecure. (Hell, Kabakura is the only character who's addressed only by his last name.)

Hiding in a society where everybody pretends

Both couples hide their relationships at work but spend significant time with each other, exploring their various nerdy pursuits. It's great to watch these four go full nerd on topics, join their passions, fight over them, get all hot and bothered.

One of the cutest scenes is when Narumi runs into Naoya, a cute barista, and they seem to hit it off while Kabakura and Hanako watch, with Kabakura all obsessing about the inappropriate closeness between the two, to the point that Hanako teases him that he's not Narumi's dad. The resolution is that Naoya is Hirotaka's little brother (which was obvious to Narumi) and the only normie in the cast, drawn into the world of otaku by the initial four characters. He's naive to a fault and an eternal sunshine of positivity, a strong opposite to his reserved, outright cold and unsocial brother.

Eventually he runs into the extremely shy introvert Kou and due to the way she dresses misses the fact she's a girl. Being unable to really make social connections due to her anxiety and obsessive thinking, Kou is also an extreme gamer like Hirotaka. She just doesn't get a chance to hide from Nao who elbows his way into her life. She's also incredibly adorable as a character and I'm personally glad every time I see her.

Once the cast is complete we see them put in various situations, like a company trip to the hot springs. Or Hirotaka and Narumi going on a date with a "no nerd stuff" rule. Or Kou being Nao's protector in games.

The actual romance between Narumi and Hirotaka is suggested to be a very slow burn for two consenting adults, hindered both by Hirotaka's shyness/problems with expressing feelings and how familiar they already are around each other. Things go even more slowly between Kou and Nao. I started volume 4 out of 6 (ended) and so far nothing has happened between the two. I hope it will.

But Wotakoi seems to go at its own pace and its view of human relationships seems more grounded than all these big feelings/dramatic confession stories, clearly aimed at a crowd that has already cooled down a bit over the realities of romance. It shines a loving light on the insecurities of its cast members and their relationships to each other. And while it takes place in the same kind of locations you would see in many other Japanese shows, it transports a completely different feel.

To me, Wotakoi is like a relaxing bath at the right temperature. It has charming characters and it lets us into their lives. Instead of being goal-driven (who does the protagonist end up with? will the heroine be won over?), it meanders like a river in nature, generating engaging situations and the small confessions, fights, and scenes of shared love that can flower in the more every-day way. I said it's relaxing, but it's never lame.

In fact, I'm very interested what will happen to all of them. If I had one criticism then it's that by now it has too many in-game scenes. In spite of what I said about it "meandering" I have the feeling it does go somewhere and that ultimately it's a romantic show about expanding feelings and familiarity, and in some sense I can't wait for that to unfold.

[EDIT] PS - I finished the collected manga volumes. Wotakoi gets even better as it races towards its end. I treasure all its characters. Go, Ko-kun!

[theultimatefan]

Tomei, Christensen, ‘Vacation,’ ‘The Office’ Q&As Among Top Programming at FAN EXPO Philadelphia

From celebrity Q&As to industry, cosplay, gaming, anime, and entertaining, informative sessions from all areas of pop culture, FAN EXPO Philadelphia presents its collection of nearly 200 programming panels and meetups during the event, Friday through Sunday, May 3-5 at Pennsylvania Convention Center. There’s truly something for every fan and every taste every hour of the show into the evening throughout all three days of the convention, right until Sunday’s 5 p.m. finish.

FAN EXPO Philadelphia celebrity guests such as the Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny, The Wrestler), Rosario Dawson (“Ahsoka,” Rent), Hayden Christensen (Star Wars) Chevy Chase (National Lampoon’s Vacation, Fletch), Danny Trejo (Machete, The Book of Boba Fett), Mark-Paul Gosselar (“Saved by the Bell,” “Pitch)”, Tom Cavanagh (“The Flash,” “Ed”), Chloe Bennet (“Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” “Nashville”),“The Office” foursome of Rainn Wilson, Kate Flannery, Creed Bratton and Oscar Nunez, Ethan Suplee (“My Name is Earl,” Remember the Titans,”) and many more are among those who will conduct individual and group interactive sessions with fans, headlining the slate.

There are dozens of informative, entertaining panels by superstar creators as well as cosplay, gaming, trivia, film, horror and other pop culture themed sessions. Fans can review the entire event schedule at http://fanexpohq.com/fanexpophiladelphia/schedule. Most panels are free with event admission. Just a few of the other highlights include:

Friday: • 4:45 p.m., Con Survival: How to Make the Most out of Cons, Workshops Room 125 • 5 p.m., Devil Hunters! Chainsaw Man Cast Q&A with Ryan Colt Levy and Sarah Wiedenheft, Theater #2 • 5 p.m., Evil Animated: The Top 10 Animated Movie Villains, Family Zone • 5:30 p.m., A Conversation with Ethan Suplee, Theater #6 • 5:45 p.m., Mythbusting with Adam Savage, Main Theater • 6 p.m., Let’s Talk About Loid: Spy x Family Q&A with Alex Organ, Theater #5 • 6:30 p.m., Three Point Perspective: Cartoonists and the Publishing World, with Jamar Nicholas, Pat Higgins and Brad Guigar, Theater #6 • 7 p.m., Pilot the Galzxy with Denis Lawson, Theater #2 • 7:30 p.m., LED Basics for Cosplay, Theater #3 • 7:30 p.m., Spotlight on Artist Jonathan Glapion, Creator Stage • 8 p.m., Sip ‘N Color, Aloft Hotel, 101 N. Broad St.

Saturday • 10:45 a.m., Charmed Ones: Spotlight on Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan, Main Theater • 11 a.m., A Fairly Odd Panel with Butch Hartman, Grey Delisle and Dee Bradley Baker, Theater #2 • 11:45 a.m., A Conversation with Cameron Monaghan, Main Theater • 11:45 a.m., Tales of the Jedi, scripted show featuring members of the Saber Guild, Theater #4 • Noon, More Marco Diaz! Star vs. the Forces of Evil’s Adam McArthur, Theater #5 • Noon, Rebel Moon’s Sofia Boutella, Theater #2 • 12:30 p.m., Using the Force to Create Great Star Wars Art, Creator Stage • 12:45 p.m., Saved by the Bell with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Main Theater • 1 p.m., This is the Way with The Armorer Emily Swallow, Theater #2 • 1:45 p.m., Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Meet Chloe Bennet and Jeff Ward, Main Theater • 2 p.m., Padawan Training with the Jedi Sith Alliance, Family Zone • 2:15 p.m., K-pop Random Dance with Love Groove, Cosplay Red Carpet • 2:45 p.m., Philly’s Got Talent: FAN EXPO Edition, Theater #4 • 3 p.m., An Outlandishly Creative Discussion with Brandon Rogers, Theater #2 • 3:45 p.m., All the Voices of Alan Tudyk, Main Theater • 4 p.m., Women of Star Trek, with Star Trek: Voyager's Kate Mulgrew (Captain Kathryn Janeway) and Star Trek: Picard's Michelle Hurd (Raffi Musiker), Theater #2 • 4:45 p.m., A Return to Scranton: The Office Cast Reunion with Creed Bratton, Kate Flannery, Oscar Nunez and Rainn Wilson, Main Theater • 5 p.m., It’s A Me Charles Martinet “Mario,” Theater #2 • 5:15 p.m., Spotlight on Andy Kubert, Theater #6 • 5:30 p.m., Heroes in a Half Shell: 40 Years of TMNT, Theater #3 • 5:45 p.m., FAN EXPO Philadelphia Cosplay Championship Cup, Main Theater • 6 p.m., Into the Speed Force with Tom Cavanagh, Theater #2 • 6:15 p.m., Bootleg Safari with Aaron Reynolds, Theater #6 • 7:30 p.m., Hayden Christensen and Rosario Dawson: A Galactic Reunion, Main Theater • 9 p.m. - 2 a.m., Official FAN EXPO Dance Party, Concourse Dance Club, 1635 Market St.

Sunday • 10:45 a.m., Late Bloomers: Cosplay is for Older Fans, Too!, Workshops Room 125 • 10:45 a.m., Meet Aunt May: Spotlight on Marisa Tomei, Main Theater • 11 a.m., Geeking out with Felicia Day, Theater #2 • 11:30 a.m, Comics for Younger Readers, Creator Stage • 11:45 a.m., The Voices of Gaming, with Jen Taylor, Patricia Summersett, Roger Craig Smith and Neil Newbon, Main Theater • Noon, A Grim Adventure: Grey Delisle and Richard Horvitz, Theater #2 • 12:45 p.m., Mastering the Elements with the Cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Dallas Liu, Ian Ousley, Elizabeth Yu and Maria Zhang, Main Theater • 1 p.m., The History of Animation with Don Bluth, Theater #2 • 1 p.m., Slime Time with the Philadelphia Ghostbusters, Family Zone • 1:45 p.m., A Seasoned Warrior: Meet Gina Carano, Main Theater • 2 p.m., Jedi Games with Matt Lanter and James Arnold Taylor, Theater #2 • 2:30 p.m., Writing for Comics, with Heather Antos, Peter Tomasi and Rodney Barnes • 3:30 p.m., Comic Book Gurus Podcast Live!, Theater #6 • 3:45 p.m., National Lampoon’s Vacation Reunion with Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid, Beverly D’Angelo and Dana Barron, Main Theater • 4 p.m., The Man, the Myth, the Legend: Spotlight on Danny Trejo

Single-Day Tickets and Three-Day Passes for FAN EXPO Philadelphia are available now. Ultimate and VIP Packages have sold out. Philadelphia is the eighth event on the 2024 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events/.