#then he started talking about studio ghibli films

[jeonjcngkook]

industry baby: bts jeon jungkook collab

lights, cameras, action!

turn the lights down low and the music up for the newst collab to hit mainstream screens around you. whether you’re reading about this through the hottest magazine in town, hearing about it through the newest tracks to hit streaming platforms or watching it all go down on demand; immerse yourself with the incredible seventeen new fics from our talented writers that are bound to be the newest talk of the town. afterall, we’re all part of the industry, baby.

title: part time lover | by @sketchguk​

pairing: investigative journalist!jungkook x daycare-teacher!reader

genre(s)&au(s): smut, fluff, angst, fake marriage au, dad au, spy x family au

summary: there is no crime more perfect than marrying jeon jungkook. your relationship is nothing more than a ruse - while your friends pester you for being perpetually single, jungkook desperately needs a wife to complete the pristine image of a family, fooling his way through the parent interview at the nation’s most prestigious private school. only time will tell how deep your lies will run as you find home in one another’s minds. because untangled in the moonlight, he is but a spy, exposing a secret world of corruption, and you, an assassin, ridding the streets of danger one hit at a time.

➝ [PRESS PLAY]

title: the never ending man | by @joheunsaram

pairing: animator!jungkook x journalist!reader

genre(s)&au(s): ghibli studios au, documentary au, friends to lovers, angst, fluff, maybe smut

summary: reclusive award-winning animator jeon jungkook is known for works of whimsy, creating heart warming epithets that provoke reflection of the world. when the news of his early retirement shocks the world, you decide to bring the man behind the pen to the forefront, documenting his last work. his fans deserve to know him, much like you do. after all, in his ten years in the industry, you're the only journalist he has ever deemed worthy of interviews.

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title: malevolence | by @jeonjcngkook​​

pairing: vampire-pornstar!jungkook x human!freader

genre(s)&au(s): modern vampire au, porn star au, smut, pwp, predator pray

summary: in a world where vampires live amongst the human world, it is strictly forbidden that hybrid relationships exist between the two. but for jungkook, bending the rules is just as much fun as bending his women; so when the opportunity for him to break more laws occurs, it only makes sense that he hunts you down to join him on set.

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title: hi, baby | by @sailoryooons​

pairing: pornstar!jungkook x pornstar!freader

genre(s)&au(s): strangers to lovers, pornstar au, pwp, slow burn if you squint

summary: from the moment jungkook met you on set, he was head over heels. the only problem? you weren’t scripted as his partner for any of his sex scenes. but there would always be another chance to sleep with you - right? after months of bad luck,things going awry, and mismatched schedules, jungkook finally gets the invitation to participate in an episode of the aphrodite house where he’s asked to pick his favorite pornstar to film with. it’s his dream come true and he can’t wait to have you.

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title: chatroom | by @chryblossomjjk​

pairing: nerdy-virgin!jungkook x camgirl!reader

genre(s)&au(s): smut, a lil fluff and humor, strangers-to-lovers

summary: absolutely ravenous and sexually frustrated, jungkook decides to join a chatroom.

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title: best lover | by @joonberriess

pairing: stalker!jungkook x stalker-cam!girl

genre(s)&au(s): yandere, smut, angst

summary: a devoted fan leaves you in confusion and terror when he starts appearing outside of your streams. but whoever said you were innocent too?

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title: ambivalence | by @mercurygguk​

pairing: pornstar!jungkook x pornstar!fem reader

genre(s)&au(s): enemies to lovers au, pornstar au, angst/smut, tiny bits of fluff

summary: you and jungkook used to be a thing before your careers took off but it ended badly, the result being hatred for one another. now, the universe is sick and twisted in all sorts of fucked up ways and brings the two of you back into each other’s lives; on the set for a porn video.

➝ [PRESS PLAY]

title: tired of pretending | by @gimmethatagustd​

pairing: musician!jungkook x ghostwriter(f)!reader

genre(s)&au(s): non-idol musician, coworkers to lovers, slowburn, smut, fluff, angst

summary: jungkook is known for his sensual pop songs that profess a love so deep fans regularly speculate who might be the recipient of his affection. outsiders don’t know that you’re the one writing his songs as his ghostwriter. while jungkook gains fame and fortune by unknowingly singing love songs written about your love for him, you feel yourself growing even more invisible.

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title: industry baby | by @joonberriess

pairing: solo-artist!jungkook x prissy-brat!reader

genre(s)&au(s): enemies w/benefits au, smut, small amounts of angst

summary: solo artist jeon jungkook has always been one for controversy despite being one of the best out there. his notoriety for drinking, partying, and breaking hearts reaches a all time high when he drops a diss track, however not just aiming for the industry, but for you too. you don't know what's worse, him revealing that you fuck on the low or him calling you the "industry's baby".

➝ [PRESS PLAY]

title: rolling stone | by @kooktrash​

pairing: idol!jungkook x non idol!reader

genre(s)&au(s): idol au, friends-w-benefits, smut, angst

summary: he was a rolling stone with no ties to anyone or any place and that’s how he and his fans liked it. now he’s found you and it’s never been this hard to convince someone that he’ll stay.

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title: happily ever after | by @kookingtae​

pairing: shy!jungkook x freader

genre(s)&au(s): reality dating show au, angst, smut, fluff

summary: previously on a reality dating show, you had brushed off fellow contestant jungkook’s crush on you in favor of the exciting, toxic fling you had with taehyung. but now that the cameras have stopped rolling and you’re back to spending everyday life with the boy you friendzoned on national television, you’re faced with the realization that maybe you made a mistake. maybe reality tv isn’t reality at all.

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title: a case of you | by @jeonqkooks

pairing: actor!jungkook x actress!reader

genre(s)&au(s): enemies-to-lovers, slight fluff, angst, slight smut

summary: jeon jungkook is the show business’ golden boy ever since he rose to fame seven years ago. with a face sculpted by the gods, as well as oozing charisma and talent, it’s no surprise that he turns heads and steals hearts wherever he goes. but underneath that facade of the perfect man whom everyone adores and the highly acclaimed actor that every casting director wants to book, there are hushed whispers left and right that jungkook is a nightmare to work with. as the actress starring alongside jungkook in his upcoming drama, you have a front row seat to see if he’ll prove the rumors false, or if he’ll make the biggest project of your career go up in flames.

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title: love spilled canvas | by @caelesjjk​

pairing: painter!jungkook x actress!freader

genre(s)&au(s): friends to lovers, angst, romance, smut

summary: fame isn’t everything it’s made out to be. the pressure to be perfect. the highest of expectations weighing on your shoulders, it all becomes too much to bear. when it all comes crashing down, you seek out the person who has always felt like home and take up refuge in his gorgeous apartment that’s more than far enough away from your movie star life. jungkook is a painter. the most talented one that you know. but what you don’t know, is that he’s been in love with you for years. so of course he lets you stay with him for as long as you need. but when he finally lands an exhibit at a very high end gallery after you’ve gone back home, the last person he expects to see walk in is you.

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title: sticky situationship | by @rkivian​

pairing: tv host!jungkook x reader

genre(s)&au(s): fluff, crime au, crack, smut, great pretender au, the ugly truth au

summary: it isn’t lost on you, your local, hot shot tv host trying to distract you from the fact that he isn’t who everyone thinks he is, because he’s doing quite a terrible job. but… you might as well take advantage of it.

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title: not like the movies | by @here4btsfics​

pairing: screenwriter!jungkook x reader

genre(s)&au(s): enemies-to-lovers, angst, smut, fluff

summary: the biggest mistake you ever made was in college when you hooked up with the one and only jeon jungkook at a graduation party. you two had hated one another since high school when he betrayed you, and sleeping with him was a moment of weakness. fast forward five years later, you’re a successful screenwriter, mainly for romcoms, and you just got an amazing opportunity to help write for a movie for a major production company. the only problem? jungkook was signed onto the project as well and you two have to work together without killing one another in the process.

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title: PR disaster | by @ughcore​

pairing: actor!jungkook x publicist!reader

genre(s)&au(s): enemies to lovers, smut, comedy

summary: after a slow year in the business, you unexpectedly find yourself employed by Hit Ent, tasked with the unfortunate role of taming infamous rake jeon jungkook in preparation for a movie role that could make his career. with the intention of cleaning up his image, you aim to find him a respectable fake girlfriend, hardly expecting to find the task a whole lot more challenging than it seems - especially when you get to know the guy behind the headlines…

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hosted by: @jeonjcngkook​ & @mercurygguk | collab theme by: @mercurygguk​

[enha-hype]

who’s ponyo?

pairing : byun euijoo x gender neutral reader

genre : fluff, strangers to lovers, cafe au, bit of comfort at the end

warnings : kms jokes, mentions of a sad movie lol

synopsis : what happens when you run into the human version of your favourite studio ghibli character at the cafe you frequent?

w.c. : around 1.5k

a/n : ik i said i was gonna disappear for a bit but guys i can't get ponyojoo out of my head 😭 especially after the recent go one! ep where juju’s in the water and some of the teamies start singing the ponyo theme song sdhdjkdkdjdkdk

🫧 you meet him at a work/study cafe that you both happen to frequent

🫧 you both notice each other on your first week there and feel immediately drawn but you’re both too shy to approach the other and keep putting it off 😮‍💨

🫧 lots of stealing secret glances when the other isn’t looking

🫧 you’re a huge fan of studio ghibli movies and since you don’t know his name, you’ve nicknamed him ponyo after your favourite character from your favourite ghibli film so that’s how you refer to him when you’re talking to your friends about him: “guys you should’ve seen ponyo today, he must’ve been really sleep deprived ‘cause he kept dozing off and i swear to god he looked so adorable i think i was staring at him for 5 minutes straight before i realised,”

[more below the cut!]

🫧 your friends roll their eyes: “yeah yeah you find him cute no matter what he does. come to us when you actually do something about it.”

🫧 little do you know that euijoo’s been bugging his friends pretty much the same way. he’s telling nicholas how pretty you looked one day while you were concentrating on your work and his friend groans in exasperation. “oh my god euijoo, when are you planning to actually do something about this annoying crush of yours? because i swear to god if you don’t ask them out soon then i will,”

🫧 fortunately for your friends, an opportunity presents itself soon. that friday when euijoo is leaving the cafe after he’s done with his work, he forgets one of his books on his table.

🫧 you happen to notice and are halfway through calling after him when you realise that you don’t know his actual name

🫧 so yeah you end up going “hey ponyo! shit. uhh i mean...oh, hi. yeah, i meant you. you uhh left your book,”

🫧 in your defense,,,,why did he actually turn around when you called him ponyo lmao maybe because you were shouting in an otherwise quiet cafe?

🫧 anyway boi is super flustered and confused at first and when you point out that he left his book he’s like ahh thanks and comes back to pick it up

🫧 you’re super embarrassed at the fact that you actually called him ponyo out loud so you make yourself busy trying to ignore him and the eyes of all others around you

🫧 he seems to have been in a hurry bc he just grabs the book, yells out a thank you! and rushes out without pausing to clarify what you called him and why

🫧 the next day, you’re breaking your head over a particularly frustrating assignment so you don’t notice him enter the cafe or walk up to you until he’s pulling up the chair opposite to you at your table

🫧 which is new. you usually sit at opposite ends of the cafe and it’s usually not very crowded around the time you two visit so there’s enough empty tables around to not have to share with anyone. not that you’re complaining of course. you’re just confused

🫧 you look up at him questioningly but he doesn't say anything, just sits quietly and gets on with his work. you stare in bewilderment for a few seconds longer before you decide you’re too busy for this and resume your work, although your heart is racing

🫧 it goes on like this for a week he’s trying ok give him some time to work up his courage. it’s hardly his fault that you’re so annoyingly breathtakingly beautiful he just comes and quietly makes himself comfortable at your table and the two of you do your own thing

🫧 then the next day, he finally breaks the silence. “i’ve been wanting to ask....what did you call me the other day?”

🫧 you go red in the face. “oh um, ponyo. sorry it’s just that your resemblance to her is astonishingly similar and it just slipped out because i don't know your actual name haha,”

🫧 “ah. well i’m euijoo” he smiles, extending his hand. god he has such a gorgeous smile. you shake it, praying he doesn’t notice the slight tremor from how nervous you are “i’m y/n,”

🫧 “nice to meet you, y/n. but who’s ponyo again?”

🫧 wait, he doesn’t know ponyo??? “you know, from the ghibli movie....?”

🫧 he still appears clueless and jeez he really does look so much like ponyo with those adorable boba eyes widened in confusion and it’s so distracting and– anyway. “don’t tell me you’ve never watched a ghibli film before?”

🫧 he sheepishly scratches the back of his head. “no, i’m afraid not…”

🫧 you gasp. “ohmygod, are you kidding me?! you absolutely have to!!”

🫧 “okay, watch it with me then,” he blurts out. he’s honestly as taken aback as you are lmao - he’d been planning on slowly building up to it

🫧 your eyes widen in surprise, you almost choke on air owing to the abruptness of it. “like a date?” you ask before you can stop yourself. shit he’s going to say he never meant it that way and it’s going to be so humil–

🫧 “yes. like a date,” he confirms, grinning wide. you’ve seen him smile a handful of times before, but for some reason this one knocks the breath right out of you.

˖✩࿐࿔

🫧 you thought he was cute before? well he’s even cuter now that y’all are together and you’re pretty sure the amount of cuteness aggression he gives you on a daily basis is borderline unhealthy like you might actually combust at this point RIP.

🫧 you continue meeting up at the cafe regularly even if you’d just seen each other that morning. it’s a nice cozy place to study and besides you’ve both gotten used to it

🫧 needless to say you always sit at the same table. he has to be touching you in some way or the other - if there's not many people around and you’re sitting next to each other he’ll intertwine his fingers with yours as he reads, if your hands are busy writing or typing he’ll settle for having your knees/shoulders pressed together and if you’re sitting opposite to him then he'll do the feet thing under the table

🫧 you’re no better btw, just as downbad :

🫧 one day at the cafe you both go to counter together holding hands and the baristas are like omfg y’all are finally together?! took y’all long enough!!

🫧 you’re like ??? and they explain they’ve been shipping you for MONTHS ever since they noticed you’re interested in each other and were getting SO frustrated about the fact that neither of you were making a move that they were lowkey considering taking matters into their own hands lmao

🫧 you’re about to pay and they’re like “oh this one’s on us. consider it a thank you for finally putting us out of our misery” 💀

🫧 on days that he gets there before you, he makes sure to have your order ready just in time so that it’s the right temperature when you arrive <3

🫧 you’ve made him watch all your favourite ghibli movies by now and one day he suggests watching something you both haven’t watched. Grave Of The Fireflies is one ghibli movie you’d been putting off cuz you heard it was kind of sad but you figure, hey it’s a ghibli movie. how sad can it be?

🫧 BIG MISTAKE: IT’S NOT “KIND OF SAD”, IT’S DEVASTING

🫧 you and euijoo are a mess watching it, straight-up sobbing towards the end

🫧 you know that viral clip from the script reading of that kdrama The Midnight Studio where a lot of the cast members are crying while reading their dialogues cuz the story is supposedly that devastating and then towards the end two of the cast members sitting next to each other happen to make eye contact and burst out laughing seeing each other’s tear stained faces?

🫧 yeah basically imagine that as the credits roll - you turn to look at him at the same time he does and you both can’t help laughing at the sight of the other - a bunch of crumpled tissues scattered around both of you, your eyes rimmed red and faces blotchy

🫧 he opens his blanket and holds his arm out, beckoning for you to come join him, and you snuggle up close and bask in each other’s comfort

🫧 you still can’t stop thinking about the movie and tearing up though, so you get some ice cream and end up rewatching Ponyo

🫧 when the theme song plays you turn to him and sing along as though you’re serenading him, to which he chuckles and pretends to imitate ponyo HE’S SO CUTE UGH

divider credits : @saradika-graphics @cafekitsune

[ghibli-collector]

Another interesting article about the new Ghibli film Boy and the Heron with great insights into Miyazaki’s relationship with Joe Hisaishi and Toshio Suzuki making films over the years. Again it has a few spoilers

What’s it like to work with Hayao Miyazaki? Go behind the scenes.

News of Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement can’t ever be trusted.

The Japanese animation master’s repeated claims that he’ll give up filmmaking are a response to the strain that creating each of his largely hand-drawn universes entails. At least that’s what Toshio Suzuki, a founder of Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki’s right-hand man for the past 40 years, believes.

"Every time he finishes a film, he’s so exhausted he can’t think about the next project,” Suzuki explains. "He’s used up his energy physically and mentally. He needs some time to clear his mind. And to have a blank canvas to come up with new ideas.”

A decade after 2013’s "The Wind Rises” was heralded as Miyazaki’s final film, the 82-year-old auteur’s newest feature, "The Boy and the Heron,” is being released in the United States after major success in Japan over the summer, where it opened without any traditional publicity.

Though the director hasn’t given any interviews about "The Boy and the Heron,” Suzuki, 75, who is also a veteran producer, and Joe Hisaishi, 72, the longtime composer on Miyazaki’s movies, describe in separate video interviews the master’s working process and how their collaborations have evolved — or not — over the years.

Suzuki is casually dressed and speaking, via an interpreter, from Japan, where he sits next to a pillow emblazoned with Totoro, the bearlike troll that serves as the studio’s logo. He says the new fantasy film is Miyazaki’s most personal yet. Set in the final days of World War II, the tale follows 11-year-old Mahito, who, after losing his mother in a fire, moves to the countryside, where a magical realm beckons him.

"At the start of this project, Miyazaki came to me and asked me, ‘This is going to be about my story, is that going to be OK?’ I just nodded,” Suzuki recalls with the matter-of-factness of someone who’s learned it would be futile to stand in the way of the director.

For a long time, he says, Miyazaki worried that if he made a movie about a young male, inspiration would inevitably be drawn from his own childhood, which he felt might not make for an interesting narrative. Growing up, Miyazaki had trouble communicating with people and expressed himself instead by drawing pictures.

"I noticed that with this film, where he portrayed himself as a protagonist, he included a lot of humorous moments in order to cover up that the boy, based on himself, is very sensitive and pessimistic,” Suzuki says. "That was interesting to see.”

If Miyazaki is the boy, Suzuki adds, then he himself is the heron, a mischievous flying entity in the story that pushes the young hero to keep going. Director Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli’s third foundational musketeer, who died in 2018, is represented onscreen by Granduncle, a wise but weathered figure who controls the fantastical world Mahito ventures into.

Suzuki first met Miyazaki in the late 1970s, when the animator was making his first feature, "Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro,” an amusing caper. Back then, Suzuki was a journalist hoping to interview him.

But Miyazaki, who was working on a storyboard, had no interest in talking and ignored him. "Out of kindness, I thought it was a good thing to introduce his works to my readers, and for him to be very cranky and disrespectful, I was very angry,” Suzuki remembers.

He stuck around the studio for two more days of silence. On the third, Miyazaki asked him if he knew a term for a car overtaking another during a chase. Suzuki’s reply, a specific Japanese expression for such action, finally broke the ice and kick-started their long-term relationship.

"Miyazaki still remembers that first meeting, too,” Suzuki says. "He thought that I was a person not to be trusted. And that’s why he was very cautious about talking to me.”

Over the years, Suzuki has become increasingly indispensable for Miyazaki. "He always tells me, ‘Suzuki-san, can you remember the important things for me?’ And then he feels that he can forget about all the important things not concerning his films. I have to remember them for him,” Suzuki says.

Best friends more than mere collaborators, Miyazaki and Suzuki talk every day, even if there’s nothing urgent to discuss, and make it a rule to meet in person on Mondays and Thursdays. "What we talk about is very trivial most times, I guess he feels lonely or misses me, but it’s always him who calls me. I never call him,” Suzuki says, adding with a laugh, "Sometimes he even calls me in the middle of the night, like at 3 a.m., and the first thing he says is, ‘Were you awake?’ And obviously I was not. I’m in bed!”

In contrast, Hisaishi, the composer who first worked with Miyazaki on the 1984 feature "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,” has a strictly professional relationship with him.

"We don’t see each other in private,” Hisaishi, wearing an elegant sweater, says through a translator. "We don’t eat together. We don’t drink together. We only meet to discuss things for work.” That emotional distance, he adds, is what has made their partnership over 11 films so creatively fruitful.

"People think that if you really know a person’s full character then you can have a good working relationship, but that doesn’t necessarily hold true,” Hisaishi says. "What is most important to me is to compose music. The most important thing in life to Miyazaki is to draw pictures. We are both focused on those most important things in our lives.”

On "The Boy and the Heron,” Miyazaki didn’t provide Hisaishi with any instruction. The musician watched the film only when it was nearly completed but still with no sound or dialogue. At that point Miyazaki simply said to Hisaishi, "I just leave it up to you.”

"I feel he was just thinking that he could rely on me and expected me to come up with something,” Hisaishi says. "I feel like I was very much trusted to do this.”

For all of their previous collaborations, Miyazaki would bring on Hisaishi to discuss once three out of the four or five parts of the storyboard for a new film were ready. That the process changed this time was possible only because of their shared history.

"It’s as if we’ve been Olympic athletes making a film once every four years for 40 years,” Hisaishi says. "It’s been a long time of training and performing. When I look back I’m amazed that I could write music for these very different films.”

In his contemporary classical work, Hisaishi had been working on minimalist compositions with repeating patterns, and he took that approach to the new film.

While he maintains they are just colleagues, every January for the past 15 years, Hisaishi has composed a small tune, recorded it on a piano and sent it to Miyazaki as a birthday present. This tradition has now become the seasoned musician’s lucky charm.

"After about three times I thought, ‘This has probably run its course,’” Hisaishi recalls. "I didn’t send one the following year. That whole year I wasn’t able to work very well. It was sort of a jinx that I had not sent him something, so I started sending him the music again for his birthday,” he adds with a laugh.

Both Hisaishi and Suzuki say their interactions with Miyazaki have not changed much over the decades. On the contrary, the men have become staunch creatures of habit.

Asked why his profound connection with Miyazaki has endured so long, Suzuki says: "I don’t necessarily agree, but he once told me, ‘I’ve never met someone so similar to me. You are the last person that I will meet like that.’”

BY CARLOS AGUILAR

THE NEW YORK TIMES

[buncatz]

stv as stoners:

paring : ot13 svt x reader

genere : crack , fluff

warning: obvius mentions of 🍃🍃, talking to animals/plants, mention of food, spacing out, different forms of consuming, ghibli films (mentioned one time) and i think that's it !

seungchol (scoups): blunt energy, looks like he is the most resistant one but after one blunt he is more than fine, he gets soo cuddly and will pout if you don't give him what he wants, so expect a lot of kisses and cuddles with him, also is the designated roller

jeonghan: weed infused brownies are his thing, gets high easily, eyes easily gets red so he always brings his eye drops, becomes more menace than usual and will tease you for your red eyes (even though he is worse than you), but also becomes a cuddly baby, after all he just loves teasing and cuddling

joshua: has a pipe definitely, just zones outs and stares at some plant and starts talking with it almost the same as when he is talking to himself , he becomes more relaxed but also will laugh at everything you say, probably gets lost in your eyes bc he is spacing out thinking about your beauty

jun: pipe guy N2, cuddles with him are a must, always finding a way to kiss you even when he is talking, and talking abt that, he wants and will talk to anyone and everything, it's actually so funny bc he is telling the most random things at Doljjong like that one time you both got so high while watching ghibli that you started thinking that you were in a ghibli film

hoshi: mini bong guy, he likes to fill his lungs with smoke and just coughs until his eyes are watery, sm munchies so expect a full banquet to bye in 10 minutes, laughs at everything but he gets so relaxed he ended up falling asleep ( like in that TTT 2021 )

wonwoo: joint guy, he is spacing out, he will stare and space out, later on he just laughs at everything and subconsciously tries to get closer to you, after a while he ends up being a cuddly cat and will be your pressure blanket

woozi: also a joint guy, loves to smoke in his studio and create silly music, he lets you make the joint but most of the times it's him, will also space out bc he is mesmerised with his galaxy theme lights and you both ended up in his couch cuddling and listening to his new song

dokyeom: down for anything but mostly gets high with bong or joint, laughs at everything and anything, he gets more creative with his jokes and its more funny than usual ( yeah he can be more funny) will get SUPER CLINGY like expect being wrapped in his arms and kisses most of the time

mingyu: he is THE bong guy, gets sm munchies so he always brings something to eat, becomes the clingiest mf, always smiling like an idiot to you, also will end up falling asleep while telling you why he loves you sm (you give him the last bite)

the8: TEA 👏 INFUSED 👏WEED, he becomes one with the earth, he is so zoned out or becomes the most creative person and will talk with plant (like joshua) bc he thinks he can talk to them

seungkwan: pipe guy also, he gets more funnier and more talkative, probably doesn't realise that he is ranting and you have to shut him up with a kiss and he gets so flustered

vernon: joint, he is the most talkative when he is high, but he just rants about anything that it's in his mind like he watched sherck 2 before you guys got high? then just expect him talking about the whole movie saga over and over

dino: down for everything and i mean everything, he is the most creative one (he just says shit) he would say anything that comes in his head, he is more cuddly randomly and will pout if you don't give him a hug

[this is my first post so don't judge me so badly]

[sleepingdeath-light]

comforting his s/o during their period hcs ; howl pendragon

requested by ; anonymous (23/02/23)

fandom(s) ; howl’s moving castle / studio ghibli films

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; howl pendragon

outline ; “hii! im a new blog on tumblr, and i really love studio ghibli! :D this is my first request- and so could i request howl, haku, and san comforting reader who's on her period ! ty <3”

note ; changed this from a fem reader to a gender neutral reader so that anyone who has periods can read this

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

earlier on in your relationship howl… well he wasn’t the ideal person to go to if you needed or wanted help or any sort of emotional support when it came to your cycle

like yes he’d offer you potions and spells to ease your pain (as much as he hated to admit it, he did genuinely care for you and didn’t want to see you in agony all day) but otherwise he tended to avoid you entirely unless he needed to speak to you

he’d leave you to clean up after yourself, discourage you from talking about your symptoms, and just let you handle everything yourself — you’d be fine on your own, he reasoned, so he was fine to go off and do whatever it was he usually did when you were too busy to join him

but once he started to mature as a person and outgrew his more selfish tendencies, howl became an incredibly loving and attentive partner — both in general and specifically when it came to your periods

he makes sure to stock up on everything you’ll need well in advance of your period coming, masters more mild versions of heat and cold spells to offer more specific support for your aches and pains, and learns how to wash blood out of fabric so that he can just focus on taking care of you without having to rely on your guidance for simple things when you should be resting

(even if he’s still not the most comfortable with blood — he just reminds himself that he’s doing it for you and pushes through that discomfort with the reassurance that he’s earning your appreciation and affection by doing all of this)

really he does whatever he can to make sure you’re as comfortable and as stress-free as possible throughout your period — taking your advice and suggestions to heart so that he can be the best partner, and the best person in general, that he can be

whether that means running you a bath and lighting your favourite scented candles, going out to the nearest market and buying you whatever food you’re craving, or sitting in bed and cuddling with you until you fall asleep, howl is more than happy to do it if only you ask

[sunanthrope]

Canine Nonhuman Media

Under cut. This is gonna be a long list and will be updated. But growing up I always knew I was a dog and was always open about being canine, and consumed canine media almost exclusively. So here you go

Books:

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George - A story about an Inuit teenager who gets lost in the Alaskan ass end of nowhere and lives with a pack of wolves. This book is beautifully written and showcases Inuit culture, as well as fending for yourself, communicating with other species, and thinking of yourself as not entirely human. Miyax (Julie) is such a complex character as well and through the length of the book her story is revealed, as well as the story of her father, her late mother, her penpal, and eventually, why she ran away in the first place. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Julie by Jean Craighead George - The sequel to Julie of the Wolves. This book is set after Miyax is rescued from the icey wilderness and returned to civil life. It shows in detail how Miyax has adapted the ways of her wolf family and is conflicted by her father's return, because he is her family too. She is put off by her father's white wife, and longs to return to her wolf family. Delves into the idea of found vs blood family, as well as nonhuman family and not relating to humans.

The Survivors Series by Erin Hunter - So yeah, this book series is aimed at preteens. I recently started reading it though, after a long time of refusing to go near Erin Hunter's books due to trauma relating to Warrior Cats, but this series is so far amazing. I'm not far enough to say much else on it, but I will say the portrayal of how the dogs think is eerily similar to how I think.

Movies:

White Fang (2018) - I watched the 2018 movie when it first came out and fell in love with it. It's still a comfort movie for me and I feel a very close kinship with White Fang, because he's exactly like me in so many ways. This movie talks about animal abuse, dog fighting, Native American genocide and theft of land, and learning to trust again.

Balto (1995) - I love this movie and will always love this movie. Touches on subjects of learning to accept yourself, of loving both sides of yourself -- which can also be taken as a stanced on Mixed-Race BIPOC people, as Balto is half wolf and half dog, described as not quite either. Also a super heartwarming story!

Wolf Children (2012) - The story of a mother and her two werewolf children. After their werewolf father dies, the mother struggles raising her children, not only because being a mother is hard, but because her kids are half-wolf. The gradual growth of character in this movie is incredible. Touches on accepting yourself, of accepting your family, and of learning to love your true nature and decide for yourself who you want to be.

Princess Mononoke (1997) - Ok I just love Studio Ghibli. But Princess Mononoke was the first Ghibli film I watched and I adored it. It's a story about love, about found family, and about growing up and learning to leave the nest. She overcomes her hatred of humans in the end, learning that not all of them are bad. Also a story about Eco-consciousness and how factories and unsustainable living harms the environment. Princess Mononoke is so insanely hot too good lord, she was the entirety of 12 year old me's gay mind. Wanted to be her, wanted to date her.

[agustdiv1ne]

ok so I got an idea - idol! yeonjun x idol! reader? like they meet at an award show and he's just totally entranced by the reader and then they start hanging out

bye this is cute :') ty nonnie! (i definitely got carried away bc i'm a jjun simp sorry in advance)

yeonjun tends to get tunnel vision when he's preparing to get on stage; the mama awards are no different. sharp and focused, he runs through the choreography for the dance break again and again, as if rewinding and replaying the same role of film over and over again. it's hard to distract him with anything else when he's like this.

a backstage crewmember calls his name, letting him know that he needs to be in position soon. five minutes. he has five minutes. he can do this.

he spends these five minutes taking deep breaths, adjusting the details of his outfit, double-checking that his mic box is in place, and...watching you?

truly, he doesn't mean to. he's just trying to keep the inevitable nerves from taking root in his chest, just keeping himself occupied, observing how you lead your fellow members from the dressing room, gathering them in a circle in a giving them a pep talk. it's admirable, really, how easily you're able to guide your group, how they seem to hang on to your every word. there's a burning passion backdropping your pupils all the while. a mix of determination, conviction, hunger. and fuck, he doesn't even know you, nor your name, but there's just something about you that draws him in, and there's this aura about you that screams self-assurance and maturity....

shit, he thinks. get it together.

"one minute," he hears through his in-ear, and he scrambles to his position, finding the mark on that platform that will rise up to the main stage. he sneaks one last glance at you. he finds you staring back, and right before the platform beings to rise, you send him an encouraging grin, you mouthing 'fighting!' accompanied with a small fist pump. your members watch on at the exchange.

he nearly forgets his own damn lyrics.

when txt's performance is over (as successful and jaw-dropping as ever), he's corralled back into their dressing room. sadly, there's no sight of you backstage anymore. disappointment buds in his chest, and soobin and beomgyu poke fun at his crestfallen expression, before soobin, ever observant of the events that unfolded earlier, tells him your name, how you're also the leader of your group, and that you're close friends with him.

thus, yeonjun begs, nearly grovels, for soobin to introduce him to you. begrudgingly, soobin lets him join a little hangout where he knows you'll be there. you and him hit it off really well! though he's so nervous that his hands shake, he's able to keep the conversation flowing, and he learns that on top of being the leader, you're also the oldest. it's something to bond over, and you find yourself giggling at his terrible jokes and overall goofy demeanor as the night rolls on. numbers are exchanged, as well as pleasantries about having a good time. both of you return to your respective dorms with giddy looks and butterflies in your stomachs.

you, much to his surprise, are the first to ask him to hang out one-on-one. slowly, he learns your little quirks as friends first, keeping his lovesick thoughts about you to himself (and sometimes shares with his members if they promise not to make fun of him; they do anyway).

he's sneaking into your dorm every now and then, as do you with his dorm, greeting and high-fiving soobin when he's there. he learns you're competitive (outrageously so), that you love ramen as much as he does, that you love studio ghibli and that you have a crush on howl pendragon. he grins at that.

"i wish i could be sophie," you sigh one late night on txt's dorm's couch, leaning your head against his chest as howl's moving castle flits across the tv.

"i could be your howl," he states without thinking, eyes still glued to the screen. and suddenly he's panicking, eyes moving down to your smug smirk. yeonjun looks away, but you refuse to let his gaze wander, head following so that you maintain eye contact.

"do you like me, choi yeonjun?" you question, eyebrow raised. he's rendered a stuttering, blushing mess and he's quick to deny it. absolutely not, no, we're just friends! or so he claims. you cackle, and his face twists in pure confusion, asking what exactly is so funny.

"you don't have to lie, jjunnie. soobin told me all about your little crush on me," you say as if you're talking about today's weather, too casual and too flippant and soobin told you what?

you're really laughing now, and yeonjun starts to wish that the floor would just swallow him whole. he tries to get up — he really wants to hide in his room forever now (and kill soobin later), but you grab his hand before he can flee, pulling him back down onto the couch so that he's facing you. gone is the shit-eating grin, your face now teeming with sincerity.

"i like you too, you dummy," you confess. his eyes open impossibly wide, and you bite your lip to suppress a grin. "thought i made it obvious when i asked you to hang out with me."

"oh my god," he groans, head falling onto your shoulder. "i'm so oblivious."

"a little," you agree, earning you a whiny "hey!" you continue. "you said it first!"

"my girlfriend should be nice to me, not act like them," he complains with a pout, nodding at the closed doors of the other members' rooms.

"oh, so i'm your girlfriend now?"

"yes, my extremely loveable, beautiful girlfriend. and i'm your extremely loveable, handsome boyfriend," he declares.

"i like the sound of that," you say, beaming, before you plant a chaste kiss on the tip of his nose.

the nearest door swings open to reveal a very drowsy taehyun, kai peeking over his shoulder from further inside the room. he takes one look at your legs strewn over yeonjun's lap, rolls his eyes, and says, "congrats on finally getting together, lovebirds, but could you please shut up?"

[kaleen-art]

Lupin Movie Marathon Analysis #2

The Castle of Cagliostro

I wanna start with my personal history with this movie. A former friend of mine had introduced me to Lupin III around early 2022, and ended up convincing me to watch the first 2 episodes of Part 2. I enjoyed them, but they made no real impressions on me.

Then, he recommended this movie, “The Castle of Cagliostro”. He told me the film was on Netflix, so I made myself a quick breakfast, sat down, and put on the movie. What I saw that day made such a huge impact on me, that I’ve been stuck in Lupin III hell for the past 2 years now.

This essay has taken a long time to write. It’s been really hard for me to accurately summarize my scattered thoughts on this movie, because not only is it genius, but I have such an emotional attachment to it that I wanted to do it as much justice as possible. So join me, as I dive into The Castle of Cagliostro, why it’s great, and why I love it so much.

The Castle of Cagliostro is the quintessential Lupin movie. While the previous film, The Mystery of Mamo is fantastic in its own right, Cagliostro has had the most influence on Lupin, and arguably anime as a whole. But in order to talk about Cagliostro, we have to talk about its director. Hayao Miyazaki. THE anime director. Famed for his works at Studio Ghibli, this is his theatrical debut as a director. However, his first rodeo as a director was actually the first Lupin TV series, which I find necessary to mention when discussing why Cagliostro is such a good Lupin film.

Lupin III Part 1 had a rocky start being directed by Masaaki Ohsumi, who would later go on to direct the fifth Lupin TV Special, Voyage to Danger, a special I hold in high regard. His work on the first Lupin series, however, is subpar. While he is a talented director, his emphasis on the darker aspects of Lupin without the charm that makes the series so endearing to fans leaves me wanting more. Despite already having planned more episodes of Part 1 (leading to an unusual production process), Ohsumi was fired for refusing to tone down the unappealing mature content of the TV series. That’s when A-Productions, the dream team of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (of Studio Ghibli fame himself) came into play.

The A-Productions era of Lupin III Part 1, which encompasses episodes 7-8, 10-11, and 13-23 is fantastic and perhaps my favorite interpretation of the Lupin cast. They’re all fun, lovable, and charming with just the right amount of silliness, and from the character writing to the action, this era of Part 1 more than delivers. But this is not a Part 1 essay (despite my prior false promises, sorry), so let me get to the point.

A-Pro, and specifically Miyazaki had the tough task of turning Ohsumi’s Lupin he had already established as a deadly and reckless killer burglar into a charming mischievous thief. And though I have heard some people say the transition between the two was night and day, I rather disagree myself. I think throughout the earlier episodes of Part 1 you can see Lupin’s character slowly morph as A-Pro took more control of the series. The perfect example is Ep. 7, “One Wolf Calls Another”, directed by A-Pro, though originally planned by Ohsumi. This episode was A-Pro’s way of wrapping up the Goemon plot initially presented in the prior episode, “The Coming of Goemon XIII”. In it, we see Lupin slowly but surely warm up to Goemon eventually resulting in the conclusion to the episode, where the two are seen laughing after getting into a comical chase.

So, my point is, throughout Part 1, we as the audience see Lupin transform from the more ruthless Ohsumi-era Lupin to the Lupin we all know and love. But here’s where Cagliostro comes in. Though there was no explicit need for it, Miyazaki wanted to conclude this character arc of Lupin. Using what he had learned during the production of Part 1, Miyazaki wove together a plot with elements of ep. 10, 11, 21, and more, leading us to the 1979 classic, The Castle of Cagliostro.

This is where the essay really starts.

The Castle of Cagliostro subverts your expectations in many ways. Already, we start out with the Green Jacket. Despite the prevailing attitude amongst Lupin directors being Red Jacket, to evoke a more manga-esque feel, Miyazaki deliberately chose the Green Jacket. This will especially become important when talking about Lupin’s characterization in the movie.

The film starts out like a typical Lupin romp, right as Lupin and Jigen complete a typical heist. And up until the car chase, it seems like this is just going to be typical Lupin fare, comparable to that of one of the later Part 1 episodes. That’s until the car chase. The scene starts out pretty abruptly, disturbing the rather peaceful movie up until then. Between Treasure of the Flame (or as it’s usually called, Fire Treasure) and the shot of Jigen changing the tire as Lupin lies in the Fiat, the film has remained pretty calm.

Then, BOOM! The car chase is purposely disruptive, with its bombastic music choice and spectacular animation. It’s tonal whiplash, but in the best way possible.

As the movie continues, we see Lupin’s motivations change as the movie slowly grows farther away from our preconceived notions of what the movie will be. He slowly grows less and less focused on Cagliostro’s counterfeit cash, and more on rescuing Princess Clarisse. Like Mamo, this film is sort of like another character study on Lupin. His partners take a backseat, as in comparison to Mamo, which specifically tested Lupin’s relationships with his comrades, this movie wants to challenge how we perceive Lupin as an individual.

And this is where I get to the meat of this essay. Lupin III. The characterization that either makes or breaks this movie for people. While most people in this fandom do agree that this is an objectively well-made movie, I have heard one too many times the complaint that Lupin’s characterization is not accurate to how he really is, and therefore, it is not a good Lupin III movie. Many find him too kind, not insane enough. But I rather disagree with this. In fact, I think this is a great characterization of him. The problem is that most people don’t view this movie how I believe was meant to be viewed.

Besides the subversion of expectations, Miyazaki specifically picked the Green Jacket not just to evoke feelings of Part 1, but to specifically tie this movie back to it. As I said earlier in the essay, despite it being a byproduct of Part 1’s irregular production, throughout Part 1, we see Lupin embark on a character arc of sorts, becoming more empathetic throughout. Cagliostro is the natural conclusion to this. We can assume Cagliostro takes place at least a good amount of time after Part 1. Part 1 (as confirmed in the show itself) took place when it came out, set in 1971-1972, so in that same vein, I’d place this movie around 1979, almost a decade later.

It’s obvious why Lupin acts more maturely when you view it from this angle, because he’s now in his later years, perhaps even mid-life. He’s simply grown as a person. Miyazaki wasn’t just making another wacky silly Lupin romp, as enjoyable as they can be. He was making a point about the character. And in order to prove that point, he made Clarisse. 

Clarisse is an amalgamation of a few side characters from Part 1. Primarily, Lisa (episode 11) and Rie Makita (episode 21). Like Lisa in her respective episode, Clarisse serves as the damsel in distress for Lupin to rescue. But unlike Lisa, who was mostly helpless throughout the episode, Clarisse is able to put up a good fight against the count when it counts, which is comparable to Rie, the so-called “tomboy”. By herself, she’s already a great character. Kind-hearted and strong-willed, she’s just really likable. I have yet to see someone who dislikes Clarisse.

But I think what really makes her such a unique character is her relationship with Lupin. A lot of people (usually unfamiliar with the Lupin character) tend to misread their relationship as a romantic one (and the Streamline dub, I’ll get into that later, does NOT help) but when you take into account Lupin’s supposed age it’s a little gross. But disregarding that, the genuine friendship they develop is adorable and really humanizes Lupin. Once again, this movie serves to show how he’s grown, and Clarisse is the symbol of his growth. 

As @lastflunky notes in her analysis of Cagliostro which I really enjoy, Clarisse saves Lupin’s life, and in return, Lupin saves her life. Young Clarisse saves Lupin 10 years prior, and in return, Lupin saves her from the Cagliostro guards pursuing her at the beginning of the film. Then, Clarisse prevents Lupin from being shot by Jodot by guarding him and sacrificing the rings and her freedom. Lupin repays the favors by of course saving her and defeating the Count for good. This not only puts a twist on the whole damsel in distress concept by making Clarisse capable, even in a bad situation, but also just goes to show how much these two genuinely care about each other. It’s beautiful and their relationship is honestly one of the best parts about the movie.

Count Cagliostro is a good villain, in the sense that he's awful. While admittedly not as interesting as Mamo, he's a fierce antagonist and very intimidating, especially to Clarisse. During the scene where he's talking to Clarisse after throwing Lupin in the castle dungeon, the tension is as thick as a knife. He's a well-written villain in that, though you hate him, he keeps you on the edge of your seat. And because of how evil he is, it's even funnier to see Lupin mess around with him. (His death is also incredibly gruesome, but then again, Mamo burnt to death and then got his brain exploded, so what's worse?)

I’m going to discuss the other characters relatively quickly because this movie and therefore my analysis is very Lupin-centered. Jigen follows his Part 1 characterization. He’s cheeky, fun-loving, and always at Lupin’s side. I personally like Jigen when he’s more like this and less like his more cynical Part 2 depiction. Besides that, though he doesn’t have a lot of depth, he serves as a means for Lupin to provide exposition and as Lupin’s partner when needed. And for that, he does a good job. Goemon is much the same way and has incredibly little time in the movie. A lot of people have complained about this and while I do like to see Goemon utilized, personally I’d prefer that they only use him (or any character) for that matter when needed and not just to be there for the sake of being there. Because of that though I don’t have much to say on the subject of him. I like Goemon’s design in this movie though, the skintone is a little darker than how it is in Part 1 which I dig.

Zenigata is GOOD in this movie. Which makes sense if you know anything about Hayao Miyazaki. He’s the perfect mix of serious and silly, as though he is very stern, he also has his comedic moments, such as when he exposes the Cagliostro counterfeit bills to the world, a scene that STILL makes me laugh out loud. His alliance with Lupin makes for a fun dynamic and overall he’s just great. Very rectangular, 10/10.

Fujiko Mine is an odd case in this movie because to a lot of people, she isn’t Fujiko. This movie definitely appeals to a more “All Ages” demographic, which obviously means the more sexy side of Fujiko was toned down. And while another writer may have struggled to make a more typical femme fatale archetype work, because of how good Miyazaki’s Fujiko is (watch Part 1), she’s still just the right amount of petty to make it Fujiko, to me at least. My final note is that her relationship with Lupin is nice. They’re not lovers in the movie (in fact, Fujiko says they were past lovers to Clarisse) but I still find their dynamic fun and cute. Overall, I love Fujiko in this movie. She's great.

This movie has almost the opposite message as Mamo does. While Mamo is about Lupin never changing, this movie is about how Lupin has to change to be the best version of himself. And while I believe the movie isn’t as deep in themes as Mamo is, I still find that a really great message and take on Lupin as a character from Miyazaki. As much as I love insane deranged Mamo Lupin, there’s something to be said about Cagliostro’s sheer earnesty. I love this movie.

Now that I’m done with my plot dissection, it’s time for the part of the analysis where I talk about everything else! The art.

This movie is GORGEOUS. While Mamo uses limited animation to create more interesting angles and shots than this movie, there’s something to be said about the beauty of the smooth animation, detailed character movements, vibrant colors, and beautiful backgrounds. It all comes together to make such a VIVID film. I love it. I love every second of it.

The designs are also great, as they're very Part 1 influenced, and I can't NOT love designs brainstormed by my favorite Lupin artist, Yasuo Ohtsuka.

My favorite scene in the movie, in terms of animation, is definitely the scene where Lupin leaps from the roofs of Cagliostro Castle. I love how it starts, with Lupin fumbling with the string and dropping it. The character animation is so subtle yet so expressive, and when he starts barreling down the roof and makes those grand leaps, in tandem with the music cues… it's awe-inspiring.

As for everything else, the soundtrack is amazing and has the amazing “Treasure of the Flame” as well as my personal favorite Lupin song, Samba Temperado, featuring to this day, my favorite rendition of it. The Japanese voice acting is great too, featuring a standout performance from Yasuo Yamada as he takes a calmer and more mature take on the character that I really enjoy. Sumi Shimamoto’s Clarisse is really cute (and she also voices Nausicaa from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind which I really like), and Taro Ishida’s Count Cagliostro is very menacing, which fits the character really well. Everyone else provides a great performance as well.

Anyway this is getting long, so dub rapid fire! Streamline dub has pretty good voice acting (Bob Bergen’s Lupin is a personal favorite) but the script is really inaccurate (which isn’t their fault, evidence suggests they received a really awful translation of the JP ver.), and they added a really stupid romance subplot with Lupin and Clarisse. Manga dub is pretty decent, even though I don’t love the VAs as much, and the unnecessary swearing doesn’t really work for this movie. The Family Friendly cut is also pretty okay, but the editing is a little rough.

So, now comes the conclusion. But before I end off this essay, I’d like to say why I personally love Cagliostro so much. Even aside from the actual quality of the film, it just means a lot to me. It was what made me a real Lupin fan, and got me to meet so many wonderful people through this fandom. It’s so accessible, so simple, and yet so rich in depth, that it’s just… the perfect movie.

I had never really considered it until this rewatch, but it was as Lupin and Clarisse looked toward Cagliostro Castle that something clicked in my brain. This is my favorite movie ever made. I’ve heard some people argue this movie is bad or overrated, because it influenced the later Lupin films to be more bland and stale, but personally, I don’t think it’s fair to judge the movie by things completely out of it or its makers’ control. The Castle of Cagliostro is an amazing movie, and it’s a fantastic Lupin III movie. 

That’s the end of this essay. My rating? 10/10 movie.

Special thanks to Shmeepy, Curley, Kat, Sapphic, and the others in Caggy for reading this essay as I posted WIPs.

Also thanks to Delaney Jordan and lastflunky for their analyses of Miyazaki's Lupin and Cagliostro respectively, they were big inspirations in writing this essay.

Join Cagliostro Central, my Lupin III server named after this very movie.

Also if you just like seeing stuff from me read my comic, yes I'm a filthy plugger what of it.

Ok bye see you in September for Babylon (hopefully I get it out sooner)

[rachelillustrates]

My top 7 Faerie stories/worlds atm 🦋

**Note, I am super dupes aware that I haven't read/watched everything, so please feel free to reblog/comment with recommendations!**

Faerie is the pulse of my heart, and my mind/spirit/etc. spends a LOT of time thinking about it, SO here's the most resonant of depictions of the realm/faeries themselves in my current opinion (and why).

(And not in any particular order:)

Elfhame, @hollyblack 's "Folk of the Air" series and all related books

Arda, Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" and all related adaptations

"Suitor Armor" by @thepurpah

Studio Ghibli's take on spirits in Japanese folklore

Brian and Wendy Froud's take on Faerie

"Fraggle Rock"

"Tock the Gnome," by myself!

Thoughts:

(Art by Rovina Cai, from "How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories")

I feel very much that Holly Black gets the lushness and richness of Faerie, plus the trickery of it, and that level of dangerous beauty - what attracts humanity to it, etc. How everything is in extremes, too, but also how parts of it echo the human experience - both in terms of courts, but also in terms of the heart, and the emotional impact of intense circumstances and intense feelings.

I am, admittedly, not all caught up yet since I haven't read her earlier works, but of course I recommend starting with "The Cruel Prince" and reading forward from there (the more recent "Stolen Heir Duology" having an extra special place in my esteem)!

(Also special shoutout to the fact that there are Nisse - Gnomes! - in the recent books, AND that her take on Redcaps is absolutely Orcish 💚)

(Also also, cw: Changelings. They can be a triggering/upsetting subject, considering how our concept of them as humans seems to have come about. She does make pretty heavy use of them, but not in the ways that one might expect, and always from a very emotionally-centered space - not a humans-abusing-potential-fae space.)

So, Tolkien - yes, I am including the world of his works in this because even though he considered them religious and specifically-denominational, he took SO MUCH inspiration from folklore and faerie tales (do not even get me started on what got edited out of "The Silmarillion" istg) that Arda is not wholly Christian, from my Faerie-worshiping queer-ass faerie perspective thankyouverymuch. Not to mention what is being done in fandom with the faerie-races, especially the Dwarves and the Hobbits, AND what recent adaptations are opening up with the Orcs!! Obviously, his take on Faerie is a much more literally-grounded reality - they exist in the Earth-based world (as if Faerie has bled into what we expect Earth to be), they have magic (at least the Elves and Dwarves do) but it's both somehow super ethereal and super physical at once. And divinely connected, since the biggest magic in Middle-earth (or any part of Arda) comes from the lesser Gods - the Valar, and the Maiar who serve under them as well as from Big Sky Daddy Eru, but we're not talking about him right now. So that, to me, really speaks to the spiritual nature of Faerie too - which is always always always personally interesting to me, and Jrrt's take on the fae was absolutely foundational in my budding concept of them, before I even really thought about who they are in a conscious way.

I don't know where to recommend starting, since I got into the world through the Jackson films, first, and I wouldn't change my experience for anything because it's given me SO much. But in fandom, shoutout to the works of @conkers-thecosy (read her fics here!) as well as "A Long List of Happy Endings" by vicious_summer and "The Mushroom Mine" series by @chrononautintraining for Dwarf Stuff - and "Splint" by HelenaMarkos for Orc Stuff. Plus, as much as I know it's divisive, "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is - again - doing wonders about the Orcs AND doing very well by the Dwarves too, in my opinion, showing them as a fully realized and thriving people (though Dwarf women should still have beards, Amazon!! And there seems to be some confusion around how the name of Durin functions...)!! Available to stream on Prime, here.

"Suitor Armor" takes place in a world that appears very similar to medieval Earth, and as such the worldbuilding itself doesn't feel very specifically Faerie - yet. However, with the main character having significant ties to the fae, and with the story still having space to explore their culture once the tale takes the characters there, I have faith that we are gonna see more of this take on Faerie specifically soon. In the meantime, what we have seen so far - how faerie magic works, how they relate to each other, etc. - rings true for me, and is lovely to behold, especially in the face of the tragedy around their circumstances in the Big Plot.

Free to read here (and coming to bookshelves in 2025!!).

As for Studio Ghibli - Miyazaki's take on the spirits of Japanese folklore - which are absolutely Faerie - was SO formative for me growing up. I don't have anything else to say about that except that he's right!!

I recommend "Princess Mononoke," "Spirited Away" and "My Neighbor Totoro," particularly. All available to stream on Max right now (but buying physical media is better, and they're very likely available to rent other places, too).

Brian and Wendy Froud's work has, of course, also been absolutely formative for me - especially when I started getting into Faerie properly. Their work doesn't require much commentary either - they're just correct 💗 Nothing I've experienced has ever contradicted what I've read in their books, and I feel like their work really, really gets the energy of the fae and the liminality of their existence. And that there is kindness, and light, as well as danger.

I recommend "Trolls" and "Faeries' Tales," to start with, and of course the quintessential "Faeries" by Brian Froud and Alan Lee, which started it all.

(Also, considering what's below, special honorary shoutout to their work on "The Dark Crystal." Definite overlap there and absolutely counts.)

Obviously there's some crossover with The Muppets here, considering they come from the same studio, BUT if we're looking at just "Fraggle Rock" on its own - absolutely. Though a very different take than those mentioned above, if you're looking for the whimsy and delight at the heart of the fae, the Fraggles have it.

Both the original series and the reboot are currently available to stream on AppleTV.

Okay, and my own! What I'm doing with the world of "Tock the Gnome" is a little bit different - again, we're looking at a realm that isn't free from some of the physical bounds we find on Earth - but in its vast history there is Faerie at its purest, and the characters are on a Big Quest that will be instrumental in restoring the realm to what one would expect of Faerieland (all wrapped up in a body-positive, sapphic-presenting queer romance, btw). My focus is on Gnomes and Orcs, in particular, since the fact that they're also fae is a big part of my message. Recognizing that, as well as recognizing the importance of connectedness between people and the balance of that and personal sovereignty, and how damage to those things might impact the whole of a magical realm.

All pages available to read for free here, across several platforms (with print issues available here).

🦋💗🦋👏👏

[thinkingfandoms]

An accurate list of the best movies I've ever seen

This list also includes reasons that are all too objective and nonsensical. Avoid asking too many questions. And share what you think in the comments!

Hercules

Hercules is probably my favourite Disney movie. And I also think that's where my interest in Greek mythology started. Hades is my favorite villain from this company and he's such a mood.

The Prince of Egypt

Oh dear you don't know how much I love this movie. I know every song by heart and was lucky enough to sing them with my choir. I'm a big fan of animation and despite how old is this movie, I think it remains one of the best ever produced. I cried more times over this movie than over all the others on this list combined.

Friends & Family

I only discovered this film this year but it quickly became one of my favorites. I have never laughed for so many consecutive minutes at a movie. I approached it because it's unusual to see a gay mob-themed movie, but I immediately fell in love with all the characters and the final scene remains one of the most comic I have ever seen.

Treasure Planet

I have a soft spot for animated films about great adventures and self-discovery. Jim has been my only animated crush for years, and his story has always resonated with something inside of me (maybe the desire for adventure and his recklessness, idk). Plus, of course, "'I'm Still Here" is one of the most beautiful soundtracks ever created.

Howl's Moving Castle

One of the first films I saw by Studio Ghibli and my absolute favourite. The love stories created by this Studio are always wonderful, and this one is no different. Plus I always saw myself in Sophie (especially about the crush on Howl) and, well, there's Calcifer, what more do you want?

Les Choristes

Another thing I love: movies about music. It may be that I've been playing an instrument for years and singing in choirs, but I've always cried watching kids rediscover a new side of themselves through music and songs. And these songs are composition's masterpieces. I still remember them all by heart even though French isn't my native language.

A Christmas Carol

I'm slightly obsessed with this story, with Charles Dickens and with Christmas. I was born on Christmas Eve so you can imagine how close this theme is to my heart. I have seen several versions of this story though, and for some reason, this one remains my favourite. It may be that it's different from other more colourful versions and really shows the darkness behind the original story, idk.

How to Train Your Dragon

I literally grew up with this saga: I was 8 years old at the first film, 12 at the second and 17 at the third. I watched Hiccup grow up with me as a friend and Toothless as a fellow adventurer. I'll forever be grateful to Dreamworks for creating the best-animated saga that cinema has ever seen.

The Three Musketeers

This movie is so random that it's perfect. I watched it again recently (after like 8 years) and realized that maybe my daddy issues come from this movie: Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom and the freaking Mads Mikkelsen together, seriously? I'm not surprised it was one of my favourite movies growing up.

A Monster in Paris

The love I have for this film is enormous. I could never get over the beauty of the songs in it. The characters are so well written and Francœur will always be in my top animated characters. It's too amazing to be real.

Rise of the Guardians

I could talk for hours about this film and have not even touched the tip of the iceberg. I have an insane obsession with all the characters, starting with and especially Jack, my top animated crush for years. It's all so perfect that I don't see how people never nominate it when it comes to top animated movies.

The Hobbit

Again, I have serious problems with films about fantasy adventures. I have always preferred The Hobbit saga to its sequel because the story has always fascinated me more. And the main character especially: for me Bilbo >>>> Frodo. And then there's Thorin and Luke Evans. You know, daddy issues.

Mune: Guardian of the Moon

Another French animated movie, another obsession, another adventure, another animated character in my top. This is an example of how to do good animation. There isn't a colour out of place. The settings are authentic, the characters are original, and the adventure they make gets me every time.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

I'm maybe a Muggle, but I prefer Fantastic Beasts to the Harry Potter saga. That's not to say it's better, mind you, but it reflects me more. We all know how we Hufflepuffs (and Ravenclaws) have no real representation in the HP movies, so to be able to have at least one prequel saga starring a Hufflepuff (in which I also find myself far too much) as the protagonist is wonderful. And I have an unhealthy urge to become a magizoologist.

The Greatest Showman

It's the movie I have watched the most of these. I know every song by heart and every line too. It always manages to be a roller coaster of emotions. And it has Hugh Jackman in it.

The Boy Foretold By The Stars

I'm a big supporter of the Philippine's film company. This is one movie is gentle, funny, and not based on the usual drama between Christianity and LGBT+ people (which is what I thought when reading the plot at first). Moreover, another underrated thing, the Philippines' music company here has thrown in masterpiece after masterpiece of songs, perfect for this movie.

Bros

This is my top comfort film in the last year. It's like watching a Hallmark movie but hotter, much more sincere and gay. Very gay. And the relationship between the two main characters is so cute and sweet. And funny.

Top Gun: Maverick

I love this saga but especially love this particular chapter. I love Maverick and his relationship with Rooster, and all the other characters are so well-written. And don't get me started on the story... I LOVE it. There isn't much else to say except that Cruise is a great actor (and a terrible person).

Glass Onion - Knives Out

I love my silly little gay detective. And I have a little passion for movies and mystery series. I found this saga's chapter more compelling than the first one, and the characters gripped me more. Also I fell in love with the setting. Oh and then there are Daniel Craig and Hugh Grant.

[nerdbarbie]

Full Name: Elizabeth "Buffy" Best

Fan Affiliation: Eltingville Comic Book, Science-Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Role-playing Club, Member #005, Secretary of Anime

Favorite Shit: Dungeons and Dragons, Sailor Moon, Cowboy Bebop, Cosplay, Cheerleading, Studio Ghibli, Pretty anime boys, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Berserk, Doctor Who, Yu Yu Hakusho, Cardcaptor Sakura, Serial Experiments Lain, Buff superheroes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Pop music,

Art Credit: cute clothes for everyone by angietown.

Height: 5'0 Role on the cheer team: Flyer Age: 15 at the start of the story, an adult by the epilogue obviously ( I'm working on the timeline, don't look ) Birthday: October 16th Family: Marquel Best ( father ), Shauna Jackson ( mother, estranged ), Odie ( family dog, German Shepherd ) Other Relationships: Brittany Bennett ( cheer team member, frienemy ), Britney Berry ( cheer team member, frenemy ), Mitch Campbell ( fake boyfriend ) Notable Inspirations: Heathers, Bring It On film series, A Wrinkle in Time ( 2018 ), 90s coming of age films, Daria, Downtown, The Fits, That 70s Show, Brandy's Cinderella, weird girl tropes, loving the unloved

Buffy is a cheerleader usually seen around with co-captains of the cheer squad, Brittany and Britney who would absolutely destroy her if they found out she likes nerdy stuff - or so Buffy thinks.

Goes into the comic shop with a black hoodie comically pulled over her face and black sunglasses

Heard the boys talking about a DND session and followed them to Bill's basement, scaring the shit out of them when she finally spoke up and asked them to look over her character sheet ( an elf barbarian )

Literally the embodiment of that one 4chan post about having a girl dm who makes snacks and puts gold star stickers on character sheets when she thinks the players did a good job

The boys stress her out, but she loves them and they make her feel like she can be herself ... mostly

Josh is wholeheartedly convinced she's a cheer squad psyop hellbent on taking down their whole operation

The world's Silliest Girl who is also so deeply insecure and anxious all the time

Made up cheers for all the boys

B-I-L-L! Bill Dickey will knock you out and send you straight to hell!

J-E-R-R-Y! Jerry, Jerry, he's our guy! If he can't do it, don't you try!

Pete, Pete, he can't be beat! Stay on out if you can't take heat!

L-E-V-Y, Josh will leave you mystified! L-E-V-Y, time for you to say goodbye!

The overall vibes are very old school MTV shows with the running gag being buffy trying to hide hanging out with the boys from her cheer friends bc she doesn't want them or herself targeted for bullying ( naturally the culmination will be her giving up on needing their or anyone's validation )

Kind of a doormat, but it gets better as time goes on

Makes the boys less shitty with effort, but they also make her more comfortable with her interests and more able to stand up for herself

Signed her member card in hot pink glitter pen, leading to almost instant regret at letting her join

[l3st1b0urn3s-707]

I'm watching all of the Studio Ghibli movies starting with Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, so let's talk about it!

This film was released a year before the studio was created, but it's often considered part of its catalogue. It's based on a manga of the same name by Hayao Miyazaki, who's also its director.

It's a post-apocalyptic film about a world that's mostly covered by the toxic jungle, a poisonous forest, result of a huge war that happened on Earth arroud a thousand years before the story takes place, and it's filled with mutant insects. Nausicaä is a princess from one of the few human enclosures that still exist at the time, and she likes invesigating about the toxic jungle and its creatures. One day, an army from a neighbouring kingdom invades the Valley of the Wind, the place where she lives. They are determined to destroy the toxic jungle, and they want to use a Giant Warrior, one of the old gods that destroyed the world in the previously mentioned war, to complete this task. Nausicaä will try to free her people and stop this army from potentially ending the world.

I first watched this film in the cinema earlier this year on its 40th anniversary and I remember feeling furious throughout the whole film. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing, but seeing how this pacific people had war forced onto themselves made me feel a kind of rage that I can't really describe. It's sad because they didn't want anything to do with it. And it's also sad because it reminds me of current situations happening right now in the world, which sadly don't differ much from fiction.

The film has a clear pacifistic and ecologist message, both very common on Miyazaki's works. One thing I really like about this film is how it explains that every piece of an ecosystem is as important as the rest, even if you think it isn't helping. Humans die after breathing in the toxic jungle, but the trees that form it purify the water that people drink. If you mess it up, you'll die. Nausicaä is also a very strong heroin, guided by her ideas and her love for the people arroud her. Miyazaki's films also tend to have feminist topics.

Even if this film isn't my favourite from the studio catalogue, I think it's very, very good. It really sets the themes for future Ghibli works, specially Miyazaki's. The soundtrack is also absolutely amazing. Joe Hisaishi is one of my favourite music artists, and the songs he composed for this film are definitely some of my favourites from his works.

I usually love stories that make me feel strong feelings and make me think a lot, and this one definitely did. I think this film is super cool and beutiful and really worth watching. And it's also the kind of film that I like to rewatch over and over again. So maybe, this post will encourage someone to discover it and have fun watching it :)

[dodgeballstuckonthegymceiling]

Hello! Can I plz ask for the ROTTMNT brothers (separately) react to their s/o being cute and innocent? Like they love watching animated movies, become a blushing mess if there's a kissing scene in a movie or in real life, love to draw, cook/bake, and dance, also are curious about everything. Oh, and they don't understand dirty jokes and if someone curses they put a hand over their mouth and look flabbergasted. They also are shorter than them and have small hands.

Raph, Leo, Donnie and Mikey x innocent Reader

Raph

★ He's a little embarrassed to tell you how much he likes kids shows/movies. He acts like he watches them for your sake but we all know the truth. He really likes sitcoms and slice of life films.

★ Raph can fit both of your hands in his and it makes you a blushing mess. It doesn't help that he likes to hold your hand.

★ Anyone who makes a dirty joke or swears around you is getting the look. You know what I'm talking about, the look that just says "you messed up" without actually saying anything.

★ He always tells you how much he cares about you. If anything happened to you he wouldn't know what to do with himself. Leo calls you an "old married couple" because the two of you act like one.

Leo

★ Oh you're shorter than him? Ho, ho, ho.. Be ready to get teased. But he's the only one who's allowed to do that. If anybody else tried to, he's quick to defend your honor by getting himself into a fairly petty fight.

★ He acts like the typical "knight in shining armor" when you have a problem and tries to fix it for you. His end goal is to get you to praise him.

★ This guy starts whining when you start to bake or cook because he knows he's not aloud to help. Last time he tried to help you the kitchen caught on fire.

Donnie

★ To preserve your innocence he has added a content filter on all your devices, nothing is getting past it. All swear words now get censored and look like white squares, like this: ◻️◻️◻️

★ Baking is kinda like chemistry, right? If you invite him over to bake with you he takes it upon himself to measure everything out for you and re-reads the instructions at least 5 times.

★ He's seen a lot of kids shows because of you and his favorites are Adventure time and Courage the cowardly dog. You have weekly movie nights and take turns picking what to watch.

Mikey

★ Like raph, he loves kids shows and movies. But unlike him he prefers animation. Something tells me he's watched all of the studio ghibli films. (His favorite is ponyo)

★ You better let him pick you up. Now that he has a S/o that is shorter than him he wants to try carrying you. Your relationship is very wholesome.

★ Date night's with him include laying on a blanket on top of a building, drawing stuff in each other's sketchbook together and eating snacks he made for the two of you.

★ His brothers love you because each time you come over they get amazing baked goods, needless to say Splinter likes to invite you over. Hell, his entire family wants Mikey to hurry up and put a ring on you.

[dragonmarquise]

Since devil theory is into anime, what types of genres do they usually watch????

Oh boy, this is gonna be a fun one to talk about :D

Well, for the most part. Also a bit long!

But first, something that’s probably not needed, but just in case: A disclaimer that some of the series mentioned here might not have aged well in terms of like… depictions of minorities or handling certain serious topics in questionable ways. I know a lot of the stuff I loved as a kid had problems like that.

*gestures towards Cardcaptor Sakura which has at least 3 different child/student x adult/teacher relationships, including the protagonist’s own parents for fuck’s sake!!*

Long story short, some of the mentioned series here are ones I have watched myself at some point in my life! I still love some of these for the good parts, but I’m not gonna make excuses for the bad parts (if what I just said about Cardcaptor Sakura doesn’t already make that clear). Again, this kind of thing is probably obvious for most people? But it’s also probably a good idea to state the obvious anyways.

So yeah, now that the disclaimer is established, onto anime talk!! Also a bit of manga talk here and there, since there’s overlap with different series. :u

Reiterating from my big Devil Theory post, all four of them had a little anime-manga club going during their school days (Nunchaku was an honorary member since she still lived in the US during this time). Adding more to this headcanon/idea, they kinda-sorta still have the club going, but it’s really just the four of them hanging out and watching/reading/talking about anime-manga stuff together like friends anyways. Also debates on stuff like power levels, which characters would win in a crossover battle (a la Death Battle), arguments over why a certain manga series does or did not deserve to have an anime adaptation, etc. :P

Also each of them have been bullied for this particular interest to some extent and at some point in their lives. Even with anime and manga being more “acceptable” these days, their first instinct is to still keep quiet about it, and hide any merch they have from anyone who notices. It takes each of them a while to actually open up about the topic to their own partners, let alone any friends outside of their own little circle. They get there eventually!

Moving on to the specific topic of favorite genres, in general they’ll at least check out the popular stuff together. Astro Boy, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, YuYu Hakusho, One Piece, Bleach, Naruto, Hunter x Hunter, Full Metal Alchemist, Mob Psycho 100, My Hero Academia, Delicious in Dungeon, Odd Taxi, also various anime movies like the Studio Ghibli films, so on and so forth. You probably get the point! Dragon Ball and its sequels is probably the big one they all remember starting off with. Each of them also have preferences for other stuff they’ll watch/read on their own!

Just as a reminder of who’s who, I’ll put in parentheses which OC corresponds to which DT palette, and a little blurb about them.

For specific favorites for Sai (spring palette, guy with anger problems who gets it sorted out eventually), his favorites are pretty straightforward: as long as it has awesome fights, he’ll watch it! He’ll suffer through a show with a crappy plot if it at least has excellent animation for the fight scenes. Like basically “we saved the budget for the fight scenes and cheaped out on everything else” levels of blegh. Same with manga, it better at minimum have cool art and fight scenes or it ain’t worth it in his opinion. Also he was absolutely inspired to get into art because of those fight scenes, and thus he now works as a freelance artist!

For Nunchaku (summer palette, butch lesbian with high gremlin energy), she really likes sports manga. Admittedly I don’t know a whole lot about this genre of anime/manga myself, but from snippets I’ve seen, I know it can get wild sometimes! Because of the period of her life where her parents forced her to do as many sports as possible, she knows a decent amount about a lot of different sports. She likes to see how the series she reads/watches compare to the real thing, and enjoys when things get really ridiculous.

Also a big fan of the early seasons of Pokemon, Digimon, and Yugioh. Those were her big intros to anime besides Dragon Ball. The later seasons of those three, eh, not so much. She doesn’t hate them but doesn’t love them either, y’know?

In addition to that, she also keeps an eye out for good wlw/yuri series. Nunchaku mostly checks out series made by (or at least written by) actual lesbians, bi women etc. But even then she has a very small pool of stuff she particularly loves, and is also frustrated with how little butch x butch stuff there is.

For Bō (winter palette, blond hair and weightlifting tech guy), he will check out anything involving mecha or cool technology, though he doesn’t always like them (Neon Genesis Evangelion is probably a big one that he regrets watching at all). At the least, if he likes the designs of the mecha/robots featured in the series, he’ll still buy figures or kits of them.

With series he’ll check out on his own that he actually likes, it’s mostly gay manga (i.e. stuff that tends to get labeled as "bara" in Western anime fandoms, even though the term itself is not generally seen as a positive in Japan. At least from what I’ve researched, it probably varies). Of course he enjoys them because Gay, but also because they tend to feature characters with similar body types as him who aren’t meant to be jokes in some way. Which, probably says a lot, doesn’t it? :(

So then besides those two genres and the big popular series he’ll check out with his friends, he’s more into gaming. Like, they all play video games and have their favorites, but Bō is the only one who would call himself a gamer. He has suffered through a lot of horrible video game adaptations of various series, lol…

And finally Daishō (autumn palette, leader of Devil Theory and sometimes basically roleplays as an anime villain while in costume lol), with his love of horror movies, he is also of course a big fan of horror anime and manga! Though whether he genuinely loves what he reads or not kinda depends, due to… sorta complicated feelings.

Okay so, the idea is, for a long while (including even into adulthood), he would check out particularly gruesome and gorey series, even if it got to a point of making him feel genuinely ill. Like, I’m talking about stuff with no deep story or themes to them, no cathartic or at least bittersweet endings. They were mostly if not completely just for the shock value of truly horrific things happening to the characters, who never survived in these series.

And a lot of the time, he read them just to laugh at the characters for being stupid, thinking they deserve the suffering. This also applies to non-anime/non-manga series too. He’d check out the stuff even big slasher fans would want to avoid, if that gives a better idea of what he was seeking.

After sorting out some personal issues (a lot of issues actually, including his big guilt about almost getting his friends and himself killed due to the deal with Faux), he comes to realize he only bothered with that particular subset of horror as a form of self-harm. Again, the big guilt about the Faux deal going wrong, though also guilt about feeling like he’s not doing enough for his friends, that his problems aren’t as bad as other people’s, and so on. Made himself suffer through horror content he can’t stand himself as a sort of subconscious punishment.

Once he works through those feelings, he stops reading/watching stuff like that. He even throws out and burns a lot of the books/DVDs/etc that he collected from that horror subset. After that, he still enjoys horror stuff of course! But he actually respects his own limits and doesn’t force himself to watch/read stuff he knows will just make him feel terrible or ill. He’s a big fan of Junji Ito stuff, plus other stuff in the same vein.

And, I think that about covers it! I was expecting to namedrop a few more series than this, but eh. :P

[stargazeraldroth]

Red Flags (An [Unfinished] Errorink Oneshot)

Summary: Error asks Ink on a date to an unspecified AU. Ink accepts, despite his friends trying to discourage him from doing so. The date seems to be going relatively well until some concerning things start happening during their conversation. If only red weren't such a beautiful, attractive color.

Warnings: Human Centipede. That's it, that's the warning. And Error's text might be difficult for some people to read.

The date was going better than Ink had thought it would. Or, rather, it was going better than what Dream and the others were so paranoid over. Honestly, they could be so protective sometimes. Ink knew they meant well, but it could be a bit overwhelming at times. He's just grateful they didn't need to be convinced to not follow him to the restaurant.

That is, of course, assuming they just never told him about that. And were currently stationed somewhere he couldn't see, observing everything from a distance. It would be so embarrassing if they barged in and interrupted the date with their worries over Error being a "red flag".

Granted, if that did happen, the one saving grace Ink would have is that the restaurant was entirely empty except for him, Error, and the AU's Grillby. It was some kind of precaution, Dream said, to ensure that there were minimal casualties if something went wrong. Ink preferred to think of it as them being considerate of Error's dislike of social spaces. He had to admit, he was surprised the glitch suggested a dinner date instead of something like stargazing in Outertale. Not that he minded, of course! He was simply shocked Error was willing to step out of his comfort zone so soon.

"YoU'vE eAtEn FiSh BeFoRe, RiGhT?" Error asked, jarring Ink from his thoughts. "AsIdE fRoM sUsHi, I mEaN."

"R-Right!" Ink stammered, blushing at his hesitation. "There's so much that can be done with it! Uh… what's your favorite kind?"

"DoN't KnOw. I'vE nEvEr ReAlLy EaTeN aNyThInG oThEr ThAn ChOcOlAtE." He shrugged. "YoU wAtCh CaRtOoNs, DoN't YoU? AnY fAvOrItEs?"

"I wouldn't say I have favorites, really… I think they all have their unique charms. But some personal picks would be anything by Studio Ghibli- you know, like 'Spirited Away' and 'My Neighbor Totoro'? The Powerpuff Girls was pretty good too, I think. My favorite was always Blossom. Do you… watch anything other than Undernovela?"

"YeAh, I'vE wAtChEd SoMe MoViEs. ThE hOrRoR fRaNcHiSe IsN't ToO bAd, SuRpRiSiNgLy. AnOmAlIeS cAn MaKe GoOd CoNtEnT."

"… You know how I feel about you referring to the AUs as that."

"RiGhT, rIgHt. My BaD."

"So… any horror films in particular that you like? The Conjuring's popular, isn't it?"

"YeAh. BuT I'm InTo OlDeR fIlMs… SoMe PeOpLe SaY iT's A bAd MoViE, bUt I tHiNk It'S gReAt!"

"And what movie are we talking about?"

"HuMaN CeNtIpEdE."

Ink nearly spat out his drink, setting the glass down immediately. Error seemed a bit surprised by his reaction, his eyes going a bit wide and his smile wavering. Ink managed to swallow the liquid without choking on it, but still let out a few coughs after the fact. After a moment or so, he was finally able to get himself in check, and gave an awkward smile.

"'Human Centipede'…? As in, that 'Human Centipede'?" He asked.

"Is ThErE aNoThEr SeRiEs CaLlEd ThAt?" Error asked in return. "AnD I kNoW wHaT yOu'Re ThInKiNg, AnD tHe AnSwEr'S nO. I dOn'T lIkE iT fOr ThE gOrE oR bOdY hOrRoR, I lIkE iT fOr ThE pLoT!"

"Uh… I've never… watched the movie…" Ink admitted nervously. "I've only heard things about it… but! Uh, first time for everything…? What's it about?"

"DePeNdS oN wHiCh OnE yOu'Re TaLkInG aBoUt." There was more than the one!? "BuT sInCe YoU'vE nEvEr WaTcHeD iT, I'lL gO wItH tHe FiRsT oNe. ThE sEcOnD iS mY pErSoNaL fAvOrItE, bUt ThE tHiRd OnE mIgHt Be A bIt… InTeNsE fOr A nEw WaTcHeR."

By The Creators. What the hell happens in the third movie?

"AnYwAy, ThE sImPlE vErSiOn Is A GeRmAn DoCtOr KiDnApS tHrEe PeOpLe AnD sEwS tHeM tOgEthEr To TrY aNd CrEaTe OnE sYsTeM, sO hE cOnNeCtS tHeM aSs-To-MoUtH-"

Why did he agree to come on this date in the first place!? Sure, Error was fairly attractive and all, but he's… well… Error! Why would he have ever expected him to have normal interests when one of his hobbies was collecting people's souls!? He had stopped listening to whatever it was Error was saying, only catching an occasional word or two. He reached to his side and grabbed his phone, hoping to send his friends a quick text and ask them for some advice. Hopefully, Error would be so entranced by the sound of his own voice that he wouldn't notice Ink's distraction.

Just as he was about to hit the button to send his text message, sharp fingers appeared over his phone screen. The device was torn out of his hands and tossed in the air, skewered by blue threads. Ink watched, mouth agape as the pieces of circuitry and the case fell onto the table. His eyes reluctantly shifted to the person sitting across from him, locking with narrowed red sockets.

Red could be such a beautiful color.

"Is ThErE a ReAsOn YoU'rE oN yOuR pHoNe?" Error questioned, evidently displeased. "I wAs ExPeCtInG yOu To LiStEn To Me."

"I was… uh… um…" Ink stammered, struggling to think of an excuse. He couldn't just tell Error he was going to ask his friends to get him out of their date! He'd lose his mind! "I was… looking up the other movies! You said there's a third one, right?"

"… YeS. BuT yOu CaN't WaTcH tHeM oUt Of OrDeR! EaCh OnE sTaRtS wItH tHe EnDiNg Of ThE lAsT oNe, YoU'd SpOiL yOuRsElF!"

"Right… um, so the first movie… how does it end? Does it have a happy ending?"

"I wAs JuSt GeTtInG tO tHaT bEfOrE I hAd To SaVe YoU fRoM yOuR oWn CuRiOsItY. I hOpE yOu'Re PaYiNg AtTeNtIoN, InK. I'm QuIzZiNg YoU oN tHiS."

Shit.

[kiltons-monster-manual]

So, that Zelda movie...

I was just watching a thing on Youtube about the upcoming Zelda movie - just a fan speculating on what he wants to see. He made mention of how, over the years, Zelda-fandom has, by and large, imagined a potential Zelda movie as animated rather than live action. I actually have some thoughts on that - why Nintendo probably chose the live action medium. I imagine that it is because they want Zelda be to be more serious than the Mario movie. (I have yet to see the Mario movie...). The "cartoony" CGI style fits with a Mario story, wherein Zelda? The Zelda games have a very epic feel and while, I, myself, would have loved to see a good anime movie of it (as in, the ultimate dream for a Zelda movie is Studio Ghibli, am I right?) I can just imagine how some of the talks / speculation with Nintendo went regarding medium-decision. The Legend of Zelda is a game series that is more popular in the West than in Japan. They probably had in mind Americans as the main fanbase and there remains a depressing trend in America concerning animation. Loads of us love it and understand it as a serious medium - but we often have to find our serious, mature and generally epic animated films and movies from a foreign market (mostly anime). Most studios in the United States seem to still think of animated fare as "children's / family entertainment" or else, the adult stuff, which started catching on in the 1990s due to the success of The Simpsons as "comedy sitcom with edgy humor." That is the dichotomy of Western animation - either it's "for the family / kid-geared" or it's got raunchy sex jokes in it and isn't particularly deep. And those Western animated series that DID get deep? Still with that kind of edgy humor. (Seriously, I do think that Bojack Horseman is one of the deepest shows I've ever seen, but it still was "wacky adult edgy humor sitcom" half the time and even most of the time before it got to the deeper stories it wanted to tell). And I believe that Nintendo, in conjunction with Sony? Whomever... on the idea of making a film based on a very beautiful, sweeping, epic fantasy game series (with a notoriously critical fanbase) couldn't risk the constraint of having it be relegated to being marketed as "kiddie," nor did it fit the other big Western animation market. And they probably thought that homegrown anime would be a hard sell for the American market, only accessible to geeks rather than a mainstream audience. And so... they chose live action in hopes of capitalizing on successes of recent live action + cgi fantasy series such as the Lord of the Rings films, the Game of Thrones TV series, The Witcher and similar. Probably a wise decision. Unlike the youtuber I was watching, I hope they actually use Adult Link in it, although, like said youtuber, I hope they use an unknown actor. I also want him to be soft-spoken and given only a few words, because that's everybody's idea of Link (unless they want to go with the buckwild version that everybody's been playing in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom lately)... but I really, really don't want to see a live action link torturing those poor koroks.