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tuiyla · 2 years ago

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About a year ago, Sal/coffeorderwrites posted a 2021 Glee gifmaker appreciation with positive vibes all around that celebrated this undead fandom’s creatives. I was honoured to be featured on there; at that point I had barely contributed anything to this fandom and didn’t really consider myself a part of the tumblr Gleeks. I hadn’t known about this very much alive community that’s still on here, still making edits and sharing thoughts and is so supportive. Being included on there was, in many ways, my first step towards where I am now in terms of the fandom. And though Sal isn’t on tumblr anymore (but maybe lurking!), I wanted to spread some positivity this year as well.

Despite the show having been off the air for 7 years now I feel like we’ve had a good year and had so many people either continue to contribute or come join this space as a newcomer. I’ve seen so many wonderful creations and I wanted to shout them out and remind all these people that their work is appreciated. Now, I’m focusing on just gifs in this post but this fandom creates so much and I very much encourage shoutouts to fanfic and meta authors and artists and anyone you can think of. Feel very free to add to this post or make a new one and spread the love. Also please do add gifmakers as well if you feel I’ve missed anyone or anything. It’s entirely possible and I do want everyone who added to Glee’s longevity to be appreciated. It’s by no means a definitive list and I did pick just one post from each creator to avoid this being a super long cheese fest but again, feel free to expand.

And one more thing before you click on the keep reading link and go to reblog every one of these sets, I wanted to shout out @gleeful-paintbox-project ( @sohoseance) and @gleesource (in particular @itstruthtime and @backslashdelta) for keeping the fandom spirit alive through their projects and fandom events. Just speaking for myself, Paintbox was absolutely crucial in involving myself more in the fandom and crawling out of my gifmaking hiatus. I cannot overstate important I consider Paintbox to be, both to the fandom in general and to myself. And gleesource’s Glee Anniversary Appreciation Week was, imo, a smashing success where I not only saw so many amazing creations but surprised myself by contributing every single day. Hope everyone enjoyed the Get to Know the Members event and is voting for their own favourites!

But now, without further ado:

@itstruthtime

GAAW Day 2 - dynamic: the Hummels’ dynamic is such a huge part of the show I’m sure it wasn’t an easy task to encapsulate it in a set but this one absolutely succeeds with great layout and just great vibes all around.

@backslashdelta

Puck + The Archer: sometimes lyrics sets are just meant to be and I consider this to be one of those, where it just fits so well and is executed in the best way. Particularly the first gif transition from archer to prey is *chef’s kiss* excellence.

@jazziergin

They’re a 10 but: an incredibly pleasing gradient with such good typography and fun text, not to mention a killer and apt final gif. Very smooth and fun all around.

@crayonstoperfume

GAAW Day 3 - quote: Ngl this set has been living rent free in my head since May. I can’t get over how magnificent everything about it is, from the coordination of the colours to how it follows the theme. Exceptional idea executed in the best way possible. (Very strong runner-up and honourable mention because I have to.)

@tthankstoyou

Chasing Pavements: an excellent choice for the gleesource get to know members event executed in a fun, purple-focused, blended way.

@burthummels

Chasing Pavements: again! Which shows how creatively and how differently you can interpret scenes. Part of the best solos series and indeed a best of gifset with vibrant green and just in general excellent colouring.

@santinacedes

Santana Lopez: once again an excellent choice for the gleesource members event, devil in red as she should be,

@flaine

Quinntana: there’s just something about black and white sets that have red as the one colour popping and demanding your attention, and there’s something about it that’s perfect for Quinntana. I loved this set the moment I saw it and still love it now, particularly the blending and typography.

@tina-cohen-chang

Tina + Spellbound: we love giving Tina her dues and to do it in an animated text kind of way just makes it that much more magical.

@angelhummel

GAAW Day 5 - color: rainbow sets my beloved, and what a fun selection of scenes.

@hummels-turn/ @sohoseance

Klaine + Labyrinth: incredibly chosen colours and such a nice typography, particularly that third gif with the transitions and just an excellent set overall.

@thetroubletones

Sam Evans: what a fun character post, what fun colours and typography and layout, and really just the whole deal.

@daltonblaine

Blam + Style: such a fun use of colours without it being, you know, all red and orange and I’m obsessed with the second gif in particular, an excellent match of scene and lyrics.

@klaintina

Klaine + The Only Heartbreaker: I’m such a fun of well-executed gradients in sets and the interplay of colours is excellent here, guiding us through a fun lyrics set.

@dilfdarren

Every Klaine duet - Let It Snow: I’ll always admire a series and this one edit within it in particular just grabbed me. Some fun typography across the board and across the 16 duets but it’s Let It Snow that I enjoyed the most.

@stydixa

Finchel: I’m nothing if not a sucker for silhouettes and this beautifully blended Finchel edit was the perfect way to hold that moment of silence on July 13th.

This was in no particular order and by no means included everyone, so again please do add!

#glee #glee fandom #gifmaker appreciation #glee gifmaker appreciation 2022 #fandom positivity

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everythingsinred · 1 year ago

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Let's Talk About NatsuMikan: Mikan (pt. 19)

Hello again! I'm gonna try to do a more or less consistent posting schedule from now on. So, without further ado, let's try it out!

We left Mikan after the New Years Arc and now things seem uncertain and hesitant. We will now enter a transition arc before we begin the Sports Festival. This transition addresses many topics that will be crucial, so it's not a filler arc, just a few lighter chapters with critical information that gives us a chance to catch our breath before things go to hell again. Let's begin.

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Chapter Seventy-One

Don’t take for granted that we’re in a transition arc. There’s still a lot to analyze here!

It’s nearly February now and a new semester is starting, and Mikan is very excited, especially because nobody has lost any stars yet. She’s in a particularly good mood today because she found out the lengths Hotaru went to on her behalf when she was on death’s door in the last arc, pleading with her brother to help them.

She’s also looking forward to Hotaru getting closer to her brother. She’s wanted that all along, for Hotaru and Subaru to get along and become proper siblings. Secretly Hotaru wants this too, but because she’s never had it and Subaru is so cold, it’s hard to actually act on it. It took a lot of courage for Hotaru to ask him to help Mikan, and she’s not about to be emotionally vulnerable with him again.

Hotaru tolerates Mikan’s affections for a bit longer than she usually would, just happy that Mikan is alive, because an annoying Mikan is much preferable to a dead Mikan. Meanwhile, Mikan is just happy to get more proof that Hotaru cares. It means a lot. But Hotaru still has a limit to what she can tolerate, so she does end up hitting Mikan after all.

If I can squeeze in a little talk about the Imai siblings, I will grab the opportunity. Don't mind me.

Later, Mikan searches for Hotaru, who has run off again. The affectionate mood has quickly moved on. She runs into Narumi, who is happy to walk with her for a bit, commenting that they hadn’t chatted for a while. He probes a bit about the Hanahimeden, but Mikan is sworn to secrecy, so she becomes uncomfortable about the topic. Narumi keeps on talking, but Mikan can’t hear him over the wind. He thanks her--for something--and then lifts her up to take her back to class. He doesn’t need her to tell him anything because he already knows.

And it’s a nice moment, even if Mikan has no idea what he’s talking about. This is a person who has proven himself worthy of her trust, so she assumes that, whatever he’s talking about, he must still have good intentions.

Until Natsume appears out of nowhere and is a jerk for no reason, kicking Narumi and sending Mikan flying as a result. She argues with him, chasing after him now to give him a piece of her mind. And he bickers back, like always. This is their normal.

The status quo!

A scene like this is important, especially in a transitional arc like this one. We’re establishing certain dynamics and how characters function with each other, which is especially crucial if things are going to change soon. This closeness Mikan feels with Natsume is something that actually makes her happy, no matter how much they argue. We already know that she doesn’t want Natsume going anywhere because she wants to always be close to him and with him. It’s important for us to know that and to be aware of that, because that closeness will soon be threatened.

Chapter Seventy-Two

Mikan is being stalked by an alice stone. She doesn’t know whose it is or what power it holds, but it’s been following her for a while, so she decides to claim it as her own. Although she gets teased for it by her classmates, she’s sure it’s an alice stone that really likes her.

Class B is having a combined ability class so that the kids can learn about alice stones. Great timing! I went into a lot of detail about all the lore the scans left out in my Natsume essay, so I won’t go over it again. Too much work to repeat myself. Just read it here.

Tono is subbing in for Nodacchi as a SA representative, since he’ll soon be doing assigned teacher training. Mikan asks him about the stone she’s found and he tells her that it’s a teleportation stone, and since it’s been following her, either the stone likes her or its maker does. The color of the stone means that the stone was made with deep feelings of care and compassion. That means that whoever made it was concerned about Mikan, which makes her even happier.

I'm including this panel for a few reasons, not including Ruka, Natsume, and Hotaru suspiciously eyeing Tono. 1. This is one of the panels that includes Hoshino before his formal introduction and departure later on. 2. Mikan seems entirely fine sitting on Tono's lap here, even though others seem concerned--something that contrasts with her behavior a little later. I'll get to that next time.

Turns out that because you’re making an alice stone for someone else, your feelings are way more involved than otherwise using your alice. It’s important to focus on emotions and conveying them through the stone in order to make an effective one. Strong feelings are crucial!

Which is apparently why the legend that exchanging them on Valentine's Day means you’ll be together forever exists. (It is the third hook-up event at the school after all!) Exchanging alice stones with your valentine is inherently romantic.

(Valentine's Day, Christmas Ball, and Last Dance traditions have, as I've already explained, false leads that have nothing to do with Natsume and Mikan's courtship, especially because when they do exchange alice stones, it's actually on Christmas, not Valentine's. Nice.)

Realizing that, Mikan starts to freak out. She remembers that she had promised to exchange stones with Ruka before. She hadn’t known the meaning, sure, but maybe he did? Was he trying to propose or something??? Though she doesn’t really like to linger on it, she more or less knows that Ruka is at least a little romantically interested in her. So maybe he meant it romantically all along, and she accidentally agreed to something so huge without fully realizing what she was doing! But did he realize?

But then Mikan remembers what happened after Ruka ran off that night, that she had offered to give her stone to Natsume and he’d rejected her, telling her to give her stone only to Ruka.

So Ruka had maybe inadvertently proposed to her and she had accepted without realizing it.

And she had proposed to Natsume without meaning to, but he had rejected her.

These scans are so disappointing, but I think it's important to note that the issue with Ruka is that she accidentally agreed to a future engagement and isn't sure if he was aware at the time. The issue with Natsume is that he obviously did know what exchanging alice stones meant but didn't want hers, which means she'd been rejected without ever confessing.

HMM! Mikan is pretty flustered now, because that night is so embarrassing in retrospect. She doesn’t know how to talk to Ruka about what happened. I think her conversation with Natsume was a lot less embarrassing for them both because Natsume already knew she didn’t know the meaning. He’s not gonna think she proposed because he’d already asked her point blank if she knew what it meant. The issue is that he obviously did know from the beginning what it meant. And he refused her…

We know that Mikan loves Natsume. She may not want to know it, but she is in love with him. Mikan doesn’t give us much of a reaction to go off of, but I’m sure it’s bizarre and confusing for her to remember these memories with added context. Just like she wonders if Ruka had romantic intentions when he suggested exchanging stones, she must wonder what exactly Natsume was thinking when he told her only to give her stone to Ruka. Had she been rejected without ever confessing? (Or really admitting it to herself?)

But Hotaru and Yuu have already made their stones--pretty large considering this is their first time. Mikan forces herself not to think about the stone exchange and tries to make a stone with her classmates.

Based on what Tono had told her about feelings of protecting someone and how well that idea suits her alice, it could be expected that Mikan might be pretty good at making alice stones. If Mikan could just focus and think of protecting one person, maybe the stone would turn out a decent size. But Mikan is already distracted, and she’s not thinking focused thoughts about protecting someone, so her stone turns out tiny, a pebble too small to even pick up.

Tono comments that it’s hard to tell if this is genuinely the best she can do since she was so distracted, but Mikan is crushed that her stone is so small.

The teachers decide to play a game with the kids, “alice stone in the dark,” where whoever you find in the dark is who you trade alice stones with. Because the teachers are participating and have powerful stones to offer, and because they tempt them with interesting student alice combinations, the kids quickly get on board.

Natsume is invited to participate, even though this was a free study period for him because of how skilled he already is in regards to using his alice and making alice stones. Mikan thinks sadly to herself that even though she’d want to trade stones with lots of people, she doubts anybody would want her lousy alice stone. It’s small and a nullifying stone. Nobody would want it. And even though she’s always self-conscious about her alice--yes, even now, even after all she was able to do during the Hanahime Arc--she still wants her alice to go to someone who actually wants and needs it, someone who would treasure it.

Mikan remembers the moment of creation, when Tono told her to think of someone who could really benefit from her alice. “Who needs your power the most? Think of them.”

We already know who that is, and so does Mikan, because she’s thought of this before. Mikan remembers the conversation they had by the lake, when she promised him she would give him her stone when she grew up. She’s embarrassed when she thinks of the same conversation she had with Ruka, but even then, she was simply responding to his offer. Ruka’s alice is so useful and impressive that it makes sense he’d feel comfortable trading it. But Mikan’s alice is so useless and boring, the only person she can imagine who would benefit from it is Natsume. So the memory will always be positive, because she remembers that someone needs her alice, the alice she’s always insecure about.

The lights go out and it’s time to get to trading.

She doesn’t understand why she thinks of Natsume, but she can’t not think of him. Of all the people in the room, he needs her alice the most. So she decides to look for him. The issue is that it’s dark and a lot of people probably wanna trade with Natsume. What are the chances that she’ll just run into him?

But the alice stone in her pocket, the one that has been following her for days, is Sakurano’s alice stone, which means it contains the wish alice. And Mikan’s wish is that her stone would go to someone who needs it, and that the person will have good luck and be helped by the stone--and that helps guide her to him.

As she searches for him, we continue to get Mikan’s memory of Tono’s lesson: that alice stones are reliant on compatibility between maker and user, but that even that can be overridden if the maker’s feelings resonate with the user’s. Sakurano wanted for his stone exactly what Mikan wants for hers--for it to go to somebody who will benefit from it, who will be helped by it. So Sakurano’s alice stone helps guide her right to Natsume, despite the dark. That’s how Mikan can be so sure she’s found him.

She's so happy!

She catches him, the exact person she’d been looking for, the person who needs her alice the most, the boy she loves (though she is not entirely aware of that yet because she doesn’t want to be). The lights turn on and Mikan is holding onto Natsume’s hand. She was right after all!

He doesn’t say much of anything, but that’s not entirely new. She explains that nobody wants her alice stone, so she figured she’d just force it on him. She leaves it unsaid that she wants him to have it because he’s the one who would benefit the most from it, because if he comments on it, it would hurt. She plays it down, like she always does with him. She drops the pebble into his hand. It’s orange, like her name, but it’s too small to really see.

But she remembers that Natsume had told her to only give her stone to Ruka, a sort of rejection before she’d ever made a stone. She hurriedly adds that it’s not an exchange, which means he can accept it and not have to worry about Ruka or about the fact that she may or may not have romantic feelings for him. She’s not proposing, so he can’t reject it. She’s embarrassed because she’s really putting herself out there with this, but she really wants him to have it.

She thinks to herself that she has a long way to go before she makes an alice stone that would be good enough to help Natsume in a meaningful way. Natsume is so important to her, even simply in regards to her alice, because he’s the one person she can think of who would be helped by it. He’s the one person who makes her think her alice isn’t useless, because he always ends up benefiting from it. And now, as she walks away from him, she’s thinking of perfecting her alice and making a more powerful stone, specifically with helping Natsume in mind. What she wants is to help him, to be able to give him a stone that would make a difference to him someday.

And we know that Mikan doesn’t like to think real, full, complete thoughts about her feelings for Natsume, so we have to make do with the fact that she’s thinking about making him another stone someday. But she won’t have the game as an excuse to hide behind next time. I wonder if she's considered that.

She runs away from him, having said her piece and dropped off her baby stone to him. I can imagine she’s probably a little anxious about having given Natsume her stone after he’d rejected the idea before, especially when she’s so insecure about her alice and he’s the only who makes her feel like her alice is needed. She doesn’t want to linger and give him the chance to judge her, because she’d be devastated.

She doesn’t wait for him to give her a stone, either, even though the point of the game is to trade. She doesn’t need his alice stone. All she really wants is to give him hers. And, yeah, obviously that’s pretty literal in that Mikan isn’t expecting anything from him and is content to give her stone to the one person who needs it, but I overanalyze everything all the time and I’m not about to stop now! I think it’s pretty symbolic of the situation next year, or how things unfolded during the Z Arc. All Mikan wants is to use her alice to protect Natsume. She does not want him using his alice for her. Yes, on occasion, she benefits from his alice, and she often gets protected by him. But she doesn’t want him to be obligated to help her (or to give her an alice stone just because she gave him one) like in the Z Arc. And she definitely doesn’t want him to kill himself to protect her, the way he does later, in about a year. It’s enough to just give him her alice stone, her protection, even if she gets nothing in return.

“I pray, with all my heart, that the path ahead of you is a little smoother,” is the wish--whether it’s Sakurano’s or Mikan’s specifically doesn’t matter, because their wishes resonated. That’s what Mikan wants for Natsume.

The next morning, Mikan wakes up and is delighted to find a present on her windowsill! It’s a huge red alice stone. Mikan is overjoyed, so happy to have received such a lovely present out of the blue. Her first thought is that it came from Natsume, but she doesn’t even finish the thought before she shuts it down.

She wants it to be Natsume, though.

Natsume?! Of all people? Giving her such a big and beautiful stone? There’s no way he would want to exchange alice stones with her--he’d rejected her before, after all. She still doesn’t know whose it is, and Natsume is still the most likely (and unlikely) culprit, but she’s just happy to have received it.

Chapter Seventy-Three

It’s Valentine’s Day at Alice Academy. The boys don’t care much for the holiday, to put it lightly, but the girls are all in a frenzy. Mikan is very excited about the fun romantic holiday--so strange, since she usually seems uncomfortable about romance. She asks a few of the usual suspects for their perspectives on the holiday: Tsubasa complains that it’s hellish for popular boys like him, Narumi diplomatically suggests that some girls take the event too far, and the girls are busy making love potions and possibly even poisons to give to their crushes. Mikan only gets more pumped the more she hears.

Mochi points out “You’re not interested in Valentine’s; you just wanna make weird chocolate.” Which is a great point! Mikan seems way more fixated on the chocolate aspect than on the love part. She is determined to make happiness chocolate, so she isn’t even interested in making a prank or torture chocolate like some of the other girls.

Koko and Kitsu ask a great question: who is Mikan even planning on giving her chocolate to? It’s all well and good to want to make chocolate, but the point of Valentine’s Day is to give the chocolate to the person you like, so who does Mikan like? Is it Natsume? Or Ruka?

Don't ask her hard questions! She doesn't want to think about it!

Mikan evasively says she’ll give chocolate to a whole bunch of people. She’s bad at romance. She’s been in denial for a very long time and will continue to be in denial. Romance is not her focus today.

Her thoughts seem to focus on Ruka for now, who she is still nervous to be around because of the whole alice stone thing. She doesn’t know what to think anymore or how to act around him after finding out the true meaning of the stone exchange. Does Ruka like her? Is she supposed to like him back? Are they technically together now even if she didn’t know it? Did he know all along? It’s easy to get swept away in anxiety when faced with an awkward situation such as this one.

The day finally rolls around and Mikan is ready to give away her little baggies of chocolate infused with happiness extract (which are no doubt disgusting, because Mikan made them), but the classroom is deserted: the boys are on the run and the girls are on the prowl. So she decides to sit down and list out who to give her chocolate to (again, all the usual suspects, but Natsume is there too, which is lovely for us).

The list is a lot longer in the TokyoPop version, including Hotaru, Narumi, Jii-chan, Iinchou, and Kaname as well.

Ruka walks in, with bunny ears on his head as a result of an insidious run in with chocolate. They hide together in the classroom, under a desk. They’re both awkward and uncomfortable because they haven’t really spoken since the alice stone practice. I know Mikan blushes a lot in this chapter, but I always took that to be her feeling uncomfortable and wanting desperately to diffuse the tension. She slams a baggy of chocolate in his face and then feels instantly embarrassed, causing her to flush even more.

She doesn’t know how to approach the topic, how to ask him about his intentions. The signs are all there that Ruka likes her: he kissed her on the cheek at Christmas, held her hand in the dark, and now he might have even asked her out/proposed to her! It’s awkward because this discussion of romance with a friend is never a light one. She does not understand her own feelings and has no idea what she would even say.

So she changes the subject with her chocolate and asks him to be the first to accept them. It’s partially because he’s the first person on her list that she’s actually run into today, but also because this is her way of offering an olive branch, of closing the gap of discomfort that has grown between them since the alice stone practice.

She’s embarrassed to have been so bold, but Ruka is instantly relieved. He thought she didn’t want to talk to him anymore, that she’d been avoiding him. But she is offering him chocolate, which must mean she isn’t upset with him. It’s wonderful, because Ruka doesn’t really expect anything from Mikan, not to carry through with her alice stone promise or that her chocolate is anything but a present from a friend. He’s just happy that the ice has melted. They can go back to talking again.

Her shoving the chocolate in his face is so funny...

I know that I said in part 1 that I wouldn’t be exploring other Mikan ships beyond what they mean for her character or in relation to her bond with Natsume, but I will say that I have a bias of loving Ruka and Mikan platonically. Because of this, it’s hard for me to view Mikan’s feelings for him as anything other than platonic. That being said, I sometimes feel like viewing them as a friendship elevates my appreciation for scenes like this more.

I believe that Mikan loves Ruka, albeit as a friend, and this tension between them sucks because she cares about him and doesn’t want to risk losing him. If he knew about the alice stone tradition when they made the promise to exchange, then that means he has romantic feelings for her and if she doesn’t feel the same way, then things might get messy. What if their friendship doesn’t survive? This scene is important because we can see that Ruka had the same anxiety, that this difficult conversation might result in too much discomfort for their bond to persevere. But in the end, they choose each other over the awkwardness.

Ruka doesn’t need reciprocity of his romantic feelings; he just doesn’t want Mikan to avoid him. He wants Mikan in his life, whatever way she's comfortable with. And Mikan, who is usually very good at ignoring romance anyway, doesn’t need to hash out all the details right away. It’s enough for them both to just get back to normal. We saw this to an extent when Ruka and Natsume both held her hand when they were stuck in the dark hallway. Mikan had been uncomfortable then, not just because of the kisses, but because the boys were acting weird too. It felt like she had to make a decision, or like things would be strange between all three of them forever. As soon as they started laughing and getting along again, she felt better, even though the romantic angle had never been resolved. Similarly, right now Mikan doesn’t need Ruka to give her answers so much as she just wants things to be normal.

Is this a healthy perspective? Not necessarily. Sometimes hard, uncomfortable discussions need to be had in order to move forward in a meaningful way. But Mikan is a child. She can’t be healthy all the time.

In any case, Ruka runs off and Mikan freaks out about how emotional it can be to give out chocolates--though she concedes it was probably only such a big deal because it was Ruka. Giving chocolates to someone she wasn’t conflicted about likely wouldn’t be as much of an ordeal. Even giving them to Ruka before this debacle would have been easier than now.

She eventually runs into her senpais (Tono, Tsubasa, and Megane), all of whom are victims of malicious chocolate. A whole ridiculous event transpires, with all of them running from vicious girls until they run into Natsume and Ruka and then poor Natsume ends up swallowing a love potion chocolate and “falls in love” with Tsubasa for a moment.

I’m just mentioning this now because Mikan doesn’t seem too jealous! I can only speculate, but that’s okay. I think she has an understanding that Natsume is afflicted by pheromones and therefore, there’s no real reason to be jealous. That contrasts with the prior instances of jealousy (the culture fest afterparty and the rumors that Natsume had kissed lots of girls before) and with the future instance (Luna). Previously, the “other person” or people were all abstract. Natsume might dance with every girl but her (a mysterious number of people) and it feels like a slight, partially because he’s singling her out and partially because she actually wants him to dance with her. Or maybe Natsume kissed lots of girls before her (a mysteriously alluded to history) and that means that something that Mikan had wanted to be special was something insignificant to him (and also that she doesn't like imagining him kissing other girls).

But Mikan knows Natsume and Tsubasa. Tsubasa is not abstract. Natsume does not and cannot really like Tsubasa. It’s also very ridiculous, so I can’t really imagine anyone getting jealous.

Then again! Mikan doesn’t laugh or seem pleased! I don’t know! That’s just my thoughts on the situation.

I don't know. Maybe this is jealousy?

Anyway, Mikan mopes since her Valentine’s Day wasn’t really all that great. She hasn’t managed to pass out her chocolates to the people on her list other than Megane and Ruka, and now all her candies are squished. But she runs into Narumi, who happily accepts the chocolate and remarks that the happiness extract worked, because he now feels much better. This was all Mikan had wanted to hear all day--that her chocolates helped make someone feel happy.

She notices a mark on his hand--and we’ll get deeper into that later. For now, Narumi just dismisses it as a bruise, though Mikan is sure she’s seen it before.

Conclusion

Mikan has had some big days regarding alice stones and chocolates. Romance is not easy. But this information we learned about alice stones will come back later, so keep it in mind!

I'll continue discussing the rest of the transition arc tomorrow. This ended up being way too long, sadly, and I'm tired and have other things to do since it's such a busy day for me. The last half of the transition arc has a little less NatsuMikan in it, and it was less fun for me to analyze for a few reasons, so I'll try to post it quick so we can move on to the Sports Fest!

Anyway, I'm roughly 90 chapters ahead of posting and I'm close to finishing the essay. I'm aiming to finish it this week, though I can't post next weekend because I'll be out of town. Since I'm so far ahead and since I'm close to done, I'll continue posting on a regular basis. We're not even half-way done, posting wise though! Let's see how many more parts we have to go!

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#gakuen alice #alice academy #ga #sakura mikan #mikan sakura #natsume hyuuga #hyuuga natsume #my meta #ga meta #ga meta: nm #ga meta: manga #ga meta: manga nm #let's talk about natsumikan #let's talk about natsumikan: mikan #that sunflower pic is one of my fav official arts ever.... so beautiful and cute #nothing quite like it... sigh #nm: m song of the day is.....#open book by the rakes #i like this song for her pov abt natsume... so cute

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quigzahhutt · 1 month ago

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you're like, the most memorable person ever

i think the most memorable fic of urs was ur lilo fic 'a little too much, just a little too soon', like first of all i think abt that title every single fucking day u dont get it and THIS specific fic. like. it was the first fic of urs that i read and i was GOBSMACKED. like the developing relationship was just developed so well. like the transitions of times and feelings and scenes were SEAMLESS istg the way u wrote their dynamic, it felt ALIVE like i wanted to just hold it in my hands. you gave so much depth to both these characters and just. yeah. u gave this little ship a lot justice with ur fic u inspire me fr. like in the smut bit when liam was thinking that logan was 'making a home in his boiling hot insides and refusing to leave.' (i think abt that line A LOT) THATS WHAT THIS FIC DID TO ME like i think abt it ALL THE TIME and it's actually what lead me to DEVOURING the rest of ur fics bc holy shit. you are an incredible writer with SO MUCH talent who deserves all the praise in the world. and like. yeah. that's probably the memorable fic. (never know how to end these HELP hope u have a lovely day/night 💕)

WAAHHHHHHH YOURE TOO KIND *sob sob*

IM SO GLAD THAT WAS UR INTRODUCTION TO ME AHHHHHH u don't understand how happy that makes me !!! bcuz I really put my heart and soul into that fic– it's easily the one that took me the longest (like 2 months I think?) and I'm SO glad so many people love it ...

hearing that the characters felt alive and the dynamic felt natural and just agghhh that means everything to me :(( I'm so glad this fic made an impact on u that's like . the highest compliment EVER !!! THANK YOU

send me an ask (anon or not) about which part of my writing left the biggest impact on you!

#i hope YOU have a lovely day my friend #asks

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kvibe-test · 5 months ago

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Fueling Dreams Through Desperation and Resilience

Desperation is an inevitable companion on the journey to achieving dreams, especially in the creative industry. I recall being 19 when I transitioned from a potential baseball career to music after a shoulder injury. The long hours I poured into my craft—I worked a typical 9-to-7 job during the day while dedicating my nights from 8 PM to 5 AM to music production and writing—were a testament to my resolve.

Having a day job afforded me certain flexibilities and a safety net, yet it couldn't shield me entirely from the desperation that comes with pursuing art. The desperation wore many masks: long working hours, bad contracts, and the pervasive uncertainty of success. But there were moments when this very desperation became the fuel for my creativity, pushing me harder, making me more resilient.

Learning From Adversity

Everyone in the creative industry, at some point, feels the sting of adversity. There were countless times I found myself a victim to predatory tactics within the music industry. I remember yelling on the phone, struggling to free myself from contracts that took advantage of my naivety and desperation. I eventually broke free, but not without scars.

Even with the benefit of my job, which allowed me to pay the rent, I still felt desperate. Many artists, unlike me, might not have the luxury of a safety net. This made it crucial for me to establish boundaries and learn from these tough experiences. "You never really know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice," as the saying goes.

Coping Strategies

So, how do you navigate such daunting feelings of desperation? Here are some strategies that helped me cope:

Passion Projects: Ensuring I always had a personal project on the side kept my love for the art alive. These were not bound by commercial success but my sheer enjoyment.

Community Support: Surrounding myself with a community of like-minded individuals who empathized with my struggles was incredibly grounding. They became my sounding board, offering support, advice, and even criticism, which was essential for growth.

Taking Breaks: In a creative industry, it's easy to burn out. I learned the importance of taking breaks—not just fleeting moments but genuine time off to recharge and refocus. Pausing periodically allowed me to return with renewed energy and fresh perspectives.

Redefining Success

Throughout my journey, I’ve had to redefine what success means. For me, it wasn't about fame or money but about happiness and fulfillment. If an artist lives in a garage but wakes up every day happy and eager to create, that, to me, is success. Being monetarily poor but rich in spirit and creativity is still a win.

Success in the creative industry is so subjective. While many gauge it through material gains and recognitions, I’ve found profound contentment in the small victories—the song that came out just right, the film scene capturing the exact emotion, the audience moved by my art.

Another poignant lesson I've learned is about leveraging talents. Many assume you need to understand the business to avoid exploitation. While there's merit to it, leveraging your work’s unique value also offers some protection. If you create something remarkable, the sheer demand can shift the power dynamics in your favor, reducing the chances of being taken advantage of.

Desperation, while daunting, is not the enemy. It is a powerful motivator and a testament to our dedication to our craft. It's essential to not let it consume us but to channel it in ways that propel us forward. The struggles, the failures—they're all part of the journey, shaping us into better, more resilient artists.

Every setback, every moment of desperation, is just another chapter in our story. A story of perseverance, passion, and ultimately, triumph in whatever form we choose to define it.

So, to my fellow artists feeling the weight of the world, remember: You're not alone. Every twist, every turn, every moment of despair is molding you into the artist you were meant to be. Keep pushing forward, stay true to your passion, and embrace the journey, no matter how turbulent it might be.

In the end, it's about holding onto the joy of creation and finding fulfillment in the process. Stay resilient, stay passionate, and most importantly, stay creative.

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first-impressions-gaming · 2 years ago

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11-11: Memories Retold

Developed by DigixArt and Aardman Animations

Published by Bandai Namco

Release Date 2018

Tested on Xbox Series X

MSRP 29,99 USD

Live the great war in an impressionist live-painting

youtube

The war. War never changes. Wars are catastrophic, devastating and traumatic happenings. They never get easier over time. What takes place sticks with you, through the generations. Nobody can get over them, it lives with and within you as if a parasite multiplies inside you. Taking over you.

When you look at gaming market and browse recent releases and most popular franchises you’ll most probably come across action ‘war’ games, such as Call of Duty and Battlefield most prominently. Or other less-known games and series which are fueled by combat, fighting, physical action. As the player, we feel empowered, victorious and invincible when we defeat our opponent, regardless of against an AI or a real player. Yet, what we forget is that, we do fail over and over until we succeed, for example you fail at a mission in a game, let’s say you are fighting a boss, you try again and again until you feel get everything right and defeat your enemy. Do we have a second, a third, or a fourth chance to beat somebody or something in real life? Didn’t think so.

It’s never easy or simple to tell a heartwarming story in a game. Games are different from movies, TV series and books in this aspect: the players take an active role in a game, whereas you are in a passive position in those mediums. A game should be letting the player to explore and figure out itself to some extend if it aims to captivate the player, otherwise the ‘game’ you are trying to develop would turn into an animation.

11-11 gets so many things right in this sense. First of all, art direction is wonderful in this title, advocating an impressionist art style in a unique and daring way. I cannot really remember the last time I got hooked up to an art style this much. Graphically the game reminds me of Loving Vincent (2017) and it builds the style in a way that fits in a game. I adored the style so much that even rotating your character around in an environment becomes a joyful thing to do. As you are walking, running or rotating, it gives you the feeling that what you’re seeing on the screen is sort of alive, it is dynamic, it responds to you. This artistic choice also shows itself during elegant scene transitions, during which the scene ends and screen freezes for a short time and paint feels swiftly and the next scene is created as if it’s being painted.

Let’s dive into the game, shall we? Two main protagonists, Harry and Kurt are voiced by Elijah Wood and Sebastian Koch, respectively. From the beginning, you can feel the high-quality voiceovers, this was a pleasant surprise to me, which pushes narration quality and art to the next level, making you feel like you are watching a movie in narrative-heavy cutscenes.

The story is linear, there’re zero side missions or any optional quests, to be frank. The game progresses at its own pace with almost zero player-based decisions. Except for when you are writing letters as Kurt (a German technician) to your family or you are sending photographs to Julia as Harry (a Canadian photographer).

The game excels at presenting a down-to-earth plot, witnessing personal lives and intimated character development, experiencing the great war from the eyes of soldiers of enemy nations and this humanises them, rendering them firstly as people, sons, siblings, fathers as such who left a life behind and came to the trenches, people who, simply, don’t feel like they belong here. What we are seeing is not ‘soldiers’, they are strangers, citizens, ordinary people, just average men who try to get by. A third of the game shows us that Harry and Kurt can accompany each other as close friends, which underlines that the nations can be enemies towards each other yet ‘soldiers’ of said nations are not, they are portrayed as extensions of those nations. Kurt and Harry (and dozens of soldiers) are not there to fight to the death, they all have a reason to be there. For instance, Harry enlists to be a photographer in the war and get recognition by the photos he takes, Kurt enlists hoping to get news from his son, Max (from whom Kurt has not heard for a long time), maybe to be in the same division with him, making sure that he is doing okay or not dead at least.

The story grows on you over time, getting accustomed to Harry and Kurt, their families, friends, lovers at home has a good vibe overall. During Part 3, the game takes a turn and Kurt returns to home, to his sick daughter Lucie to be precise and Harry (who becomes a prisoner of war), somehow, locates Kurt’s home in a rural area and pays them a visit. This village lifestyle in the middle of greenery and land is a juxtaposition for what Kurt and Harry have gone through up to that point, emphasizing the war on the horizon, an extreme catastrophe looming afar.

The story wraps up in a touching, sentimental way, clearing your mind, perhaps leaving your eyes with tears. The ending is dependent upon your choice with Harry, either to go Julia and leave for Canada or follow Kurt and accompany him in his pursuit of General Barrett, seeking revenge.

Last but not least, the game got released two days before the 100th anniversary of armistice of the great war, a nice detail tributing to all the lives lost.

#games #gaming #video game #game review #memoriesretold #Youtube

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sorryforbeingcrazy · 3 years ago

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Buffy and Spike deserved more...talking.

I´ve been marinating this in my brain for a couple of days, so here I go.

I really liked the relationship between Buffy and Spike. And I´m not only focusing on the “romance” part, but in general. I loved their transition from enemies to allies to....friends? I just enjoyed how when it came to serious threats, they always looked and relied on one another for help.

That´s why one of the things that disappointed me the most about the last season was the fact that they never really talked about how wrong they did to each other on season 6.

Season 6 is a very very dark season, for all of the characters: Willow´s addiction to magic and the effects it has on Tara, Xander´s fears that end up leaving Anya on the altar, Giles feeling that he is useless...But who really takes the trophy home in this one, is Buffy. I don´t even know how to start.

From the moment she is brought back to life, she suffers. We were expecting her comeback to be a happy moment, filled with tears of joy, laughter and hugs. Instead, she wakes up in her grave, has to dig herself out and then she walks around a Sunnydale on fire and full of demons. Can you imagine the shock? Only the crawling up from the grave should be enough to send someone to therapy for the rest of their lives. The mere thought of waking up in a coffin, six-feet undergroundnd makes me anxious...But let´s keep going.

She is back. She is traumatized and shocked beyond belief and at home with Dawn (after reliving everything that happened before she died). She is quiet, trying to process everything while Dawn is constantly talking to her about how things are and asking if she is ok. Her hands still wrecked from the diggin. And suddenly, she is face to face with Spike. (This is a sidenote related to the actors. I cannot give enough credit to James Marsters portrayal of Spike in general. But in this scene...man, 12/10, flawless). He looks at her in disbelief. And despite the fact that he was happier than ever that she was alive again, he does not try to touch her or approach her, and the moment he sees her hands he acknowledges what she has been through. So he just tell her that they are going to take care of her, and sends Dawn away to fetch stuff to clean her wounds. And they are alone in the living room. He does not overwhelm her with questions or hugs or anything. He just stares at her, giving her time to put her thoughts in order.

It may look like a trivial scene but I´m not kidding when I tell you that, for me, this is the most important scene of the whole season. And it is because it defines how the dynamic between Buffy and Spike, and Buffy and her friends is going to be.

When Spike is holding her wounded hands, letting her ask questions, just staring at each other, there´s silence. Peace. Calm. It´s the first moment since she is back that she is at ease. But the moment her friends burst through the door, is chaos. Noise, questions, worry, light, people...And this is why this scene is so important. During the rest of the season, the reason why Buffy goes away looking for Spike is because she wants that peace and quiet. She wants the calmness she gets around him, when she does not have to worry about being fine and happy in front of her friends. She can take her mask off when she is in front of Spike. That´s why she tells him that she was in a good place. That´s why he turns into her confident.

And for sometime, it works. Whenever she feels like she can´t take it anymore she goes to spend sometime with Spike. The problem is that her life gets harder and harder: financial problems, Giles leaves, Willow´s addiction, her relationship with Dawn. Her struggle becomes unbearable to the point were Spike is the only safe constant in her life. The only person she can rely on. And of course, mixing this with Spike´s feelings and their “tension”, their relationship turns physical. Very physical. And here is when Buffy starts using, quite wrongly, Spike.

The first time could be a slip, but not the rest. She may not have been aware at the beginning, but deep inside she knew what she was doing. She knew that Spike had strong feelings for her. She knew that he would never deny her and even if he did (that he actually does a couple of times) he wouldn´t last long. So she takes advantage of him and his feelings.

Someone, blind as a fucking bat, could say “Spike wasn´t minding it. He was enjoying the sex with Buffy. It´s what he wanted.” Fuck, no. He spents the whole season wanting to talk to her about their relationship. To discuss what is going on between them. If you are in it just for the sex, you don´t care to ask questions. You just don´t care. You just take what you came for and then you leave. The way Buffy does. And this bothers him. It bothers him that the moment they are finished she runs away. It hurts him. More than once he calls her out by the fact that whenever they are not “in bed”, she is constantly yelling at him and insulting him and his feelings, and yet, she always comes back to him.

Now, for those who think that Spike was fine with this I want you to imagine for a second, that you are in his shoes. As a human being, and not caring about genders. Imagine you loved someone, beyond reason (i´m not even going to throw in the fact that he saw her die even though i could). And because you care about this person, you spent time with them because they are in a bad place mentally. And that person enjoys your company. And starts spending more time with you. And one day, you kiss. Once. Twice. Then, you sleep together. Once. Twice. And god knows how many more times. You could think “If they like to spend time with me, tell me things they do not to their friends, kiss me and even sleep with me, they must feel something, right?” It´s a fair assumption. But instead, this person is constantly telling you how disgusted they feel with themselves for being with you physically, to the point were they keep what you have in absolute secret from their friends, and they run from you everytime you sleep together.

Fucking. Imagine.

Evil or not. Souless or not. That fucks you up my friends.

What leads us to the horrifying events of Seeing Red. You won´t see me coming any close to justify what Spike tries to do to Buffy. There´s no excuse in the world that clears you from that one. But I do see where it comes from. And it´s not just because Spike is evil. That´s a lame excuse of an argument. That scene, is the representation of Spike hitting rock bottom. He wants what he had with Buffy back. Even if it was only physical, it was at least something. And so, he is desperate...and well....we all know what happens. I swear to you, that scene creeped me out so fucking much.

That´s why it angers me how they did not approach these subjects on season 7. They both did terrible things to each other. They should have talked about it in depth. And even though I´m quite satisfied how they ended up acknowledging each other in ways any of the other characters do, I cannot hide my displeasure about that missing conversation. They needed more closure for what happened on season 6.

Good lord. This really turned out long.

Anyway, thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

#btvs #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy summers #spike #spuffy #william the bloody #sarah michelle gellar #james marsters #btvs season 6 #btvs season 7 #my thoughts #sorry for the rant #i just had a lot to say #buffy x spike

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chibimyumi · 4 years ago

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Kuromyu 2021 - First Review

So, yesterday 05-03-2021 was the First Day Performance of Kuromyu 2021, “The Secret of the Boarding School”. It is no secret that I am no fan of the Boarding School Arc, but even so I was very, very curious to see this arc being translated to a stage media.

This review shall not be without spoilers. Not just the story itself, because I think by now most people know how the story unfolds. I mean the execution of the stage play itself.

I shall not lie and admit that my review WILL contain my opinions, meaning it is by no means objective and might influence your opinions. For people who wish to experience the production entirely objectively for themselves, I recommend NOT clicking “keep reading” to reveal the spoiler section.

For now, I shall give my spoiler-free rating per category.

Faithful to canon: ⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Script: ⭐⭐ ★★★

Acting: ⭐ ★★★★

Singing: ⭐ ⭐★★★

Music: ⭐⭐⭐★★

Dancing: ⭐⭐ ★★★

Stage & Costume: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Hereunder I shall give the spoiler-section first preceded by “First Impression”, and then followed by the categories listed here above.

First Impression

The stream started, and seeing the Kuromyu logo in present day again after three years really was very exciting. Since 2010 on as always, Kuromyu opened with the contract scene, and I was positively surprised to see the stage set being quite elaborate! This set was the largest and most elaborate one so far without TOHO’s help.

After the contract scene the prologue gave a very quick recap of the Jack the Ripper, Circus, and the Campania Arc. I am not sure whether it was necessary to show the Jack the Ripper and Circus Arc as they provide no information needed to understand Weston Arc. But I think it was mainly inserted to speak to the nostalgia in Kuromyu fans, and as a Kuromyu fan myself, I have to say it did work. It did not take much time, I think maybe 1 minute per arc, so it was fine.

The recap of the Campania Arc was important as it served to equip the audience with the information that there’s a reaper who creates zombies. Undertaker was shown as the main antagonist of the Campania Arc and responsible for the bizarre dolls.

There was a short brawl between Undertaker and Sebastian, which is in fact a very good choice in my opinion to showcase the dynamic between these two supernatural powers...............except that only 10 minutes in, and the musical already MASSIVELY screwed up by portraying the fight as though Sebastian beat Undertaker. The ONLY reason Sebas is still alive is because Undertaker decided so. Normally I wouldn’t care that much about errors in a recap, but this time it serves as the exposition of Undertaker and Sebastian’s dynamic: It should have shown that Undertaker is an incredibly dangerous foe and that Sebas is scared shitless because of that. Especially because this ties in with how this arc was concluded.

“But okay, fine. Maybe the script has other plans, so I shall let it be,” I thought. Moving on. But it did “plant a seed” in me that this musical is either going to contradict itself, or that it is going to defy canon. That was the first impression.

The prologue transitions into the setup of the case quite smoothly, and I have to say it was skillful. You very quickly see Ciel change into the Weston uniform and the admission ceremony was swiftly started. Immediately you get introduced to Agares, the prefects and their fags, and the musical does a good job defining the atmosphere as: “something is off here”.

Faithful to canon: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ★

The overall musical was really quite faithful to canon. Most plot points were as they were in the manga, and enough so that I would recommend anybody who doesn’t understand Japanese to first re-read the arc as homework. If you have the arc fresh in your memory, it is very easy to trace every action back to the canon.

There are some details that were omitted or changed, probably done so in consideration for the stage medium or run-time, and done reasonably so. Unlike the previous Kuromyus, 2021 adds very little new elements that were not there in the manga. No added extra depth, but also no unnecessary additions.

There were a few things that were very off-canon, namely the characters. But I think that falls under the “acting” header, rather than this header.

Script: ⭐⭐ ★ ★ ★

The script was a real disappointment. You might wonder how faithfulness to canon can be 4/5, and yet the script only a 2/5 in my opinion. WELL, most dialogue was based on the text in the manga, but told as dry as possible. It was also as though the script writers didn’t trust its audience intelligent enough to understand things on their own, or even remember something that was said literally 5 minutes ago.

Exposition Ad Nauseam

There was a tremendous amount of exposition, exposition, exposition, ad nauseam. There was exposition about who Ciel is and what the Queen’s Watchdog is and what his job entails, and that is entirely fine. That’s necessary background information for spectators unfamiliar with Black Butler. However, there was also a lot of exposition that could easily have been left out, or concluded through context. For example, there were quite many expositions about the history and status of the Weston College. In my opinion, a competent script writer could have let the audience known that the Weston College is really important just by giving the information that the blood relative of the QUEEN attends the school, and by showing the Red House, since their entrance is based on social status.

In this post I wrote about my following concern:

Unlike tennis, cricket is a very foreign sport to most people. Cricket cannot be shown without explaining the rules. So if Kuromyu were to happen, these expositions that were dry in the manga to begin with, are going to be even dryer on stage. Does an actor narrate the rules? Do we want Sebastian to sing us the rules??? Or do we want the kids to sing us the rules themselves while they are batting the balls?

And alas, true to my fear, Sebas indeed narrates the rules to us... But even worse, he also explains cricket by using baseball analogy... This is an incredibly ineffective and time-wasting method, because:

it takes the audience out of the moment,

it assumes the audience knows enough about baseball to let it help understand cricket,

and it assumes the audience actually cares about the name of every single strike....

Repetition Ad Nauseam

Then there is the problem where many info-dumps sounded like: “LIKE I JUST SAIDDDDD, DON’T FORGET!!!”. The script for Sebas is the biggest offender. There were many moments Sebas was just saying the same thing twice. At times he repeated the same information, and there were some moments where he regurgitated already given information. (Sorry I’m just being nasty here, but that’s what it felt like (;;≽▽≼;;) )

Sebastian has this obsession with constantly proclaiming himself an omnipotent, one hell of a butler, which makes him capable of doing anything... and after a while it just gets a bit tedious. I have the feeling the scriptwriter really has the hots for him, and therefore can’t shut up about how powerful he is.

While Sebas is the biggest offender, he is by far not the only one. This musical is guilty of doing a lot of very unnatural lines that no person would ever say. Soma for example, seems incapable of saying anything without shouting that he is the Prince of India and Ciel’s BFF. First time, FINE. But the entire time? My god....

Characterisation

Then there is the characterisation of characters in the script. Of course in great part the characterisation is dependent on the actors too, but no matter how amazing an actor is, you do as the script demands.

As discussed above, Sebas is done dirtiest by the script. This script also makes him incredibly arrogant and a bit too happy to be in his master’s service. Similarly, Ciel is also written entirely dependent on Sebastian, and equally happy that Sebas is happy to serve. In the first song between Ciel and Sebastian, without any prompt Sebastian asks his master for his orders, as though that’s what Sebas is looking forward to all day. And the first thing Ciel says in response is: “can you take on this reaper [Undertaker] and the large number of moving corpses?” to which Sebas responds: “Leave everything to me, because I am the Phantomhive butler.” ........and then he proceeds to defeat Undertaker effortlessly.........!?!?!?!?!?! When fighting Undertaker, Sebas also says: “what a bother” as though it’s just a bit of an unpleasant chore rather than a life-threatening fight. And just before Undertaker disappeared all the way at the finale of the arc, Sebas seriously says: “I really don’t get along with you”. SERIOUSLY, WHO WROTE THIS?!

Myu!Ciel is CLEARLY the master of this Sebastian as he seems to be on a permanent power trip. He “it’s an order”s Sebastian for the most trivial of things. At the beginning when Sebas was fighting intruders already, Ciel “it’s an order”s Sebas to take down the intruders.... HE’S ALREADY AT IT!!!

In chapter 70 where Sebas and Ciel simultaneously think of Soma, Ciel doesn’t give Sebas an official order. This shows the audience that there is a certain level of trust between master and servant that they’re on the same page AND that Sebas has come to a stage where he will actually do what’s necessary.

In the musical however, Ciel gives a full “Sebastian, it’s an order, get the procedures done to get him here, to the Weston College.”

This is also an example of how unnatural and repetitive the script is. Who would EVER say “get the procedures done to get him here, to the Weston College”???? Of course procedures need to happen first! And “here” alone would have sufficed, scriptwriters. We KNOW where “here” is! We didn’t forget since 5 seconds ago!

Lyrics

The lyrics are technically not the script, but they are ridden with the same problem as the script itself, so I shall take the liberty of discussing these under the same paragraph.

There is a LOT of repetition in the lyrics as well. The P4 especially sing “Weston” and “tradition” like the ENTIRE time. One song literally goes: “this is Weston, Weston, Weston, Weston, at Weston we uphold our traditions, traditions, traditions, traditions.” The other song is: “It’s cricket, it’s cricket, it’s cricket,” and another “I am Ciel’s BFF, BFF, BFF, Ciel, lord Ciel, lord Ciel, lord Ciel’s BFF.”...... *shudders* ((ﾟﾟ((Д))ﾟﾟ)) AAAAHHHH!!!!

Acting: ⭐ ★ ★ ★ ★

The acting was by far the most abominable in the musical safe for two gems: Chesslock and Derek. There are too many characters to discuss, so I shall keep it to the main/noteworthy ones.

The gems

Chesslock has this tremendous energy and something very wild about him, and his jumps are so incredibly precise it’s amazing! Derek has but a very small role, but the moment he showed up as the zombie you already immediately saw there was something “off” about him. It was very subtle, but still clearly unhinged. When he was acting living-Derek, you also clearly saw what type of prick he was. Amazing! These two were the brightest stars of the show.

The....... not gems

The most unwatchable ones were Soma and Harcourt. Soma doesn’t have a big role, but he bothered me so much he is ironically the most memorable one. It’s like Okada saw “loud and obnoxious (in a good way)” in the manga, turned it up to 12, and gave the worst portrayal possible. As said above, the script making him repeat “Indian prince” and “BFF” the entire time doesn’t help, but blaming just the script would be letting Okada off too easily.

Harcourt...... gave me so much secondhand embarrassment I literally got a cramp looking at him. When the diarrhea happened he was screaming like a pig about to be raped and slaughtered... and I am NOT making a rape-joke here. I would never. He really did sound like he was unwillingly aroused and terrified at the same time.

Sebastian

Let’s start with the good things: Tateishi’s Sebas did have his presence and his movements were fairly neat. He was never just standing there. He is quite elegant, and not swaggering or pulling spasms on stage unlike a CERTAIN someoneeeeee. He could work a BIT on the coordination of his extremities, but that’s only when I’m nitpicking.

But otherwise.... he was a bit underwhelming to be honest. The main problem is not necessarily Tateishi’s acting-skill maybe, but his interpretation I think... but I can’t say his acting was amazing even at knife-point. The way he acts Sebas makes him look like a complete fanboy of Ciel... which is just not Sebas. He is incredibly eager and at times I could almost see a puppy tail wagging. Whenever he is getting an order from his master he is just beaming. And with Undertaker there was not a single hint that Sebas is scared of the only foe who managed to mortally wound him.

His interaction with Ciel was also very SebaCiel heavy. In the manga where Ciel challenges Sebas why he didn’t go after Undertaker, Sebas is clearly emphasising the importance of the contract, and half-threatening his master not to dare “it’s an order” him to go after Undertaker.

In the musical however, Sebas is all UWU, as though saying: “I couldn’t let the big baddy hurt you... uwu”. Without exaggerating, Sebas caresses Ciel’s face THREE times and then embraces him.

Ciel

Ciel was very unbearable to watch in my opinion. Not as bad as Soma and Harcourt, but otherwise an “honourable” third place after them. In the manga it was a bit cringey to begin with because he is supposed to fake being (*ÓωÒ*), but seeing a 20 year old man do that... and play it up to 11 was just jarring. Ciel is like “tehe” very often, but never actively skipping like a forest fairy.

This Ciel also has tremendous mood-swings! He is either UWU or actively a ice-cold diva... and at times he is also being UWU when he’s not around others???? There was also not a single moment where I could see him cooking up a plan. No hint of intelligence or cunningness to be found.

Unlike with Tateishi I can’t really come up with anything good to say about him.

Undertaker

Undertaker was the best among the main three (not that the bar is very high). He is making efforts to tease-threaten Sebas, which I think is a very nice added detail (it’s just that Sebas reacts to none of them... sad.) and even though his role is pathetically small (he doesn’t show up as the principal), he still managed to present himself in the spotlights.

Greenhill had his energy, he was funny, and something really funnily militaristic about him. Though, I was missing nuance in his acting because at not a single point could you see Greenhill might have a trauma for killing people.

Redmond was Viscount of Druitt light and he had a very strong emphasis on the BL aspect with Maurice......which was just personally not my cup of tea. But I have to admit that aspect was played up too in the manga. So I guess he was faithful to canon.

Violet was quite charming and eccentric. He did play up the gothicness of the Violet house, which was actually kinda nice! He also had a deep friendship with Chesslock, which I really liked. When Violet didn’t do shit during the tournament Chesslock was really miffed about that, and challenged him. And then Violet showed Chesslock a portrait he drew of him, saying: “you just looked so cool I had to capture that.” That was amazing! He is a bit bitchier and sassier than in the manga, but I really don’t mind.

Bluer.... William light. He was the least memorable of all of them.

Singing: ⭐ ⭐ ★ ★ ★

Nobody really hurt my ears, but also nobody quite hit the notes... and the notes weren’t that hard.

Music: ⭐⭐⭐ ★ ★

Eehhhhhhhhhhhh I’d say the songwriter played most songs a BIT too much on the safe side. Not a single song was memorable, but they didn’t offend me either. The main theme was fairly nice actually, but only when just the instrumentals played. I think it might have been the singing just being too chaotic for me to actually hear the music.

Dancing: ⭐⭐ ★ ★ ★

Chesslock is an tremendously good dancer, his movements were precise and energetic. But otherwise.... nobody really popped out, but there was nobody who looked like a noodle on stage either.

The main problem is choreography; with some exceptions they were very underwhelming and messy. There were a lot of group dances, but often enough people were just a bit out of sync and messy.

Stage & Costume: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Stage Set

The stage set was VERY good. It was well made and mobile; they could be moved around and functioned as different props. Examples include the cellar in which Derek and his gang were committing crimes, and the boat of the parade even. The set also had this really magical aesthetic about it which communicated the glamour of the Weston College well.

Costumes

The costumes were well made. The logo on the uniforms for example were actually embroidered rather than those iron-on plastic things. The wigs were .... very messy after jumping around a bit and they looked very greasy. But that’s fine. They did their job and I realise I’m just spoiled. TOHO makes their wigs using real human hair, and that’d be an astronomical sum for any normal 2.5D company.

My ONLY problem is Ciel’s “lord costume”. This photoshoot photo underneath is doable, but trust me, on stage it is a nightmare. There are no clear photos of this costume on stage, and I think I understand why.

It was glittery velvet which just SCREAMS cheap Halloween costume, it was ill-fitted, almost like it was 2 sizes too large. The costume makers didn’t take stage-lighting into account, so the fabric and details glistened all over the place. Under the limelight the “golden” aiguillettes were PISS yellow. And the suddenly black sock suspenders protruding from his white boots were just...... distracting.

BUT, this was just one costume and he only wears it in the prologue and the finale of the show. Even though it’s God-awful, the rest were well made enough to compensate for this abomination.

Conclusion

So now finally the conclusion! The musical was..... fairly faithful to canon, but the execution leaves quite a lot to be desired. The interpretation/acting of the characters were the most disappointing one, while the stage/costumes were the most charming.

Do I recommend buying the stream/DVD/BD?

Stream: Yes.

I personally do recommend buying the stream as it’s only 3800 yen, especially if you like the Weston Arc itself, and/or are curious to see how they did it. Even though I myself really hate the Weston Arc in and of itself, I was very curious to see how it’d be translated to a stage medium. Despite my mostly negative opinion of the musical, I don’t regret buying the stream at all!

The best reason in my opinion to buy the stream though; it’s a very good and legal way to get a “preview” to see if you want to spend approximately 10000 yen on the proshot.

DVD/BD: Depends on you.

I myself have decided not to buy the DVD because I don’t think I’ll be rewatching it after the stream-archive period is over. The DVD/BD are the most expensive so far, and to me the final product is just not worth that amount of money.

But if you like the Weston Arc, or the performers, or you think you will be rewatching it and you are a collector, I think it is a very nice addition to your shelve.

#Kuromyu 2021 #Kuromyu #Secret of the Boarding School #Review #Weston Arc #Musical

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carbootsoul · 3 years ago

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oh i wanted to clarify that i do really love your stories on ao3 (i use this blog as a spam bc my main writing one is were I'm shy on), and i was mainly on a kaebedo fic searching today and loved the way you played into diluc's dynamic with kaeya. i don't usually read for diluc because kaeya's always been my main interest but the small moments of intimacy you place between the two warm my heart yk! like how kaeya could have just ended the job and mondstatd's sign of hope but how his sheer love for a younger brother blinds the task. i also found the "i want you (you want me baby)" fic so entertaining it had me floored. i really like it when authors take albedo's perspective bc he is hard to write for. he's someone who won't interpret love the same way as someone else, someone who needs pushes to finally accept his own humanity. i think it's sweet how your fics focus on the idea of want? kaeya wanting diluc to live and for them to finally be happy? albedo wanting to fall in love and be fragile enough to be human? it kind of reminds me the dynamic of Orpheus and Eurydice in hades town :)

ALSO i forgot to mention this but your implementation of beauty fascinated me. i love your way of having it flow together? attraction to kaeya is beauty, and how albedo continues to find or depict the beauty in things through wishing to capture it with art. i can't provide the best explanations for your works but i think there's so much character you bring.

additionally, i really like the aspect of initial attraction between the two? ik a lot of people think they're a slow burn, but i think it fits them as people to be fast paced yet slow in realizing their love for one another. they talk about matters that seem important, albedo can look past all the mindless speech and will hammer down on the topics that really mean for the real kaeya to appear. i think i can't properly describe the emotions at the moment bc my head is in sheer shock of it all, but i just thought "wow they have layers". like the scene in church, how kaeya most likely has religious trauma, and how albedo notices the stain glass---maybe it's me who grew up as a forced into church, but it's how simple little depictions like the dislike of worship in both characters that make them seem so human.

hope you're doing well love :)

oh my god this is so nice thank u so much <3 <3 i feel almost the exact same way about diluc (i mean he's fun but i won't usually search out content abt him because kaeya is more interesting) BUT if i think abt him for more than a few seconds i get the most insane brainrot ever. i've got a fic abt his bisexuality that's been open on my computer for months and it's embarrassingly long bc this guy just makes me have so many thoughts if i dwell on him. bc yeah he and kaeya are siblings and yeah they are both so alone even when they aren't. insane.

i really like writing for albedo but yeah it is a little different than writing for a lot of characters!! its a fun experiment imo and i don't think i've quite got it down but it's a weird balance between "this guy is just living a normal life hes just a dude" and "this guy is essentially a god and he was created for one reason and that is Destruction" thats fun to mess w. hehe i'm glad u thought the want theme was fun!! it was on my mind bc i think it's a queer thing that isn't explored v much- the transition that happens when u discover that attraction and wanting things is fun and not a chore or something to be scared of is a rly exciting one! and so of course i needed to project onto albedo my favorite man. also the idea that queer love/attraction is something beautiful, not something dirty of embarrassing was something i was messing with :) also i think part of albedo embracing the fact that he is alive is really connected to the fact that he loves things that are alive? things that are alive are beautiful -> albedo is in love -> being in love is beautiful -> albedo is beautiful -> albedo is alive

NO YEAH obv kaebedo is fun as a slow burn (part of the initial reason this isn't slow burn is only bc im incapable of writing slow burn) and i think maybe in my actual perception of the canon timeline they are a slow burn- obviously the initial interest in one another is there from the very beginning but i think it takes a while for anything to go past the superficial. however these two are both so starved for anything resembling understanding (albedo dumps his problems on a random 17 year old in canon like five days after their first meeting, this guy is dying for someone he feels can hold his confessions) that i also think them taking that potential for connection and running with it is totally plausible too.

oh man i've got so many thoughts abt the church of barbatos & also kaeya's specific relationship w the church. to get out of the way: beyond the obvious aesthetic influence/internal structure, i don't think the mondstadt church has much in common w modern christianity. since the existence of barbatos isn't disputable (the archons exist and no one debates this fact) and barbatos doesn't punish people who don't go to church, going to church isn't a "do this to escape eternal damnation/prove that you believe in god" thing but a "do this to celebrate/find community" thing. obviously there r still a lot of social pressures surrounding it but i don't think the core of the church is as harmful as christianity can be. anyway

i think the church a complete nonissue for albedo: rhinedottir obviously wouldn't have raised him religious and i'm sure he's not a fan of the seven, but i think he's too detached and rational to hold anything against the church for something the gods did. the church of barbatos especially is so far removed from the actual god, the only thing about it that would stand out to albedo would be the stained glass (this thing of beauty, which interests him unlike the rest of the church). but kaeya.. "mr i have complex relationships with everything in the world" i mean in canon his best friend is a nun, i'm sure he went to church regularly as a child/teenager, etc etc but at the same time he is from khaenri'ah in a very raw way & he wasn't able to approach the church from the adult perspective albedo has, since he's been going since he was six or something. i do think the church of barbatos is/was an important part of his life but i also think it's a very hard thing for him to reckon with, especially after master crepus's death. idr what exactly i said in the church but honestly i bet he still goes to church for the social aspects.

anyway thank you so much for these asks, they absolutely made my day <3 i hope you're doing well too and i'm so glad you liked my writing :)

#leo.ask #<3

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jazy3 · 4 years ago

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Thoughts on Grey’s Anatomy: 17X8

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

I freakin’ loved this episode! It was so so good! Which surprised me considering what they focused on. Based on the promo I knew that this would be DeLuca’s goodbye episode and so I expected to like the other parts of the episode we were shown in the promo such as Hayes talking to Meredith at her bedside, Richard’s storyline, and Derek’s return. However, I was not expecting to enjoy any part of DeLuca’s farewell storyline and I was pleasantly surprised. I think that’s because they focused on the effects of grief and guilt and how everyone processes those emotions differently.

It was a really interesting character study on how each person feels a loss in their own way. Despite not liking the character I actually found DeLuca’s memorial service quite moving. I think it was because they found a creative way to do it and because funerals in the real world like we normally do aren't possible right now. My grandfather died last summer and while he didn’t want a funeral my family and I weren’t able to get together to mourn his loss as we usually would and that’s been hard.

I wasn’t particularly close with my grandfather, but the loss of traditional grieving rituals in this time of COVID-19 has been frustrating. I liked that they found a creative way to have the characters mourn the loss of a fellow staff member. I expected to see Carina more, but as I understand it her storyline played out more on Station 19 which makes sense. I felt like they did a good job of showing the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) and how everyone experiences them differently.

Teddy and Owen displayed survivors' guilt and frustration that they did everything right and he still died. At the end we see Teddy in a catatonic state and it made me think that she might be sick with COVID herself or that there was something else wrong. While I've never been a Teddy and Owen shipper I did like the moment at the end where Owen noticed something was wrong and came over to her and told her that he would take her home and when she didn't respond he picked her up and carried her.

It reminded me of the Season 2 episode where Denny dies and Izzie refuses to leave his side so Alex picks her up and carries her over to a chair in her prom dress. Very different relationships, but a nice parallel in my opinion. This episode had a lot of those. Teddy seeing DeLuca in other people’s faces was freaky! I have to say that guy is way more interesting as a ghost then he ever was alive.

I totally got Helm's reaction. I understand why she said and thought those horrible things about DeLuca. He was an ass for a really long time. I probably would have done the same thing myself, but that doesn't mean she wanted him dead. I thought what Maggie did for her was wonderful. My heart broke for Schmitt when he described his emotions. Richard was angry and Bailey went overboard trying to figure out what happened. Everyone's experience of a loss is different and I like that they showed that.

I’m glad that Richard told Bailey what she needed to hear. It was painful, but in trying to find an answer or a reason for what happened she was unintentionally hurting the people around her who were suffering too. The strength of Richard and Bailey's relationship is that they can tell each other the truth when no one else can or will. I loved his monologue to Catherine about trying to find a meaning in the puzzle of life and questioning his faith which is such a big part of his sobriety. James Pickens Jr. did a beautiful job in that scene.

Say what you want about Catherine, but I loved her response. Richard was trying to find meaning in the meaningless and in response she shared with him that her latest scans showed that the cancer hadn’t grown. Logically it should have, but it didn’t. Sometimes there are miracles and sometimes there are senseless deaths. Life is a puzzle. We don’t always understand it. That was exactly what Richard needed to hear in that moment.

On a more upbeat note, I loved the beach scenes this week! They were perfect! They were everything I dreamed of for my favourite characters and more! We got to see Derek and Meredith get closer and talk about the kids. When Meredith is heartbroken that Derek never got to meet Ellis or to know her he tells her all of these wonderful things about her. How she’s just like Meredith and makes it clear that he’s watching over them always.

He talks about Zola and how she writes to him in her journal and how Meredith taught her to ride a bike. I teared up! I've been waiting for them to discuss the kids and here it is! Hearing Derek talk about Ellis and knowing that he watches over Meredith and the kids was so emotional for me. I loved hearing him describe who she is and getting to learn more about her. I'm glad he encouraged her to go back. As much as Derek and Meredith miss each other she's needed back in the land of the living.

Her kids need her and so does everyone else. I loved Derek's gentle teasing. His facial expressions. And then there are her scenes with Hayes! God they were perfect! I've been waiting for this! I loved how Meredith kept joyfully asking him what he did to make Ellis smile so wide and laugh so loudly. She knows he can't hear her yet there she is dying to know what he said or did. The sound of her voice when she said that was everything for me. They already feel like a couple. So much in sync.

I love that Derek, who was shown to be extremely jealous in life, encouraged her to hear Hayes out. I really felt like he was giving her his blessing and the fact that they established that Hayes has met the kids virtually and they know who he is sealed the deal for me. Hayes has now received Cristina’s approval, Derek’s blessing, and is shown to have positive relationships with Meredith’s friends and family in Seattle. I loved that Hayes told Meredith to fight and talked about how her kids were doing and how everyone needs her.

I loved that he came and sat at her bedside and begged her to fight and not give up and that he talked to her even though he wasn’t sure if she could hear him. I love that he sat with her through the virtual memorial even though he wasn’t close to DeLuca and didn’t like him. The cheerful greeting and familiarity with which he greets Amelia and Zola and the stories he tells Meredith indicates that he’s been having regular video chats with Amelia, Maggie, Link, and the kids and that he’s chosen to stay by Meredith’s side when he just as easily could have left while she was on a call with her kids.

It will also make the transition easier when do start dating because the kids will already know him. The music in this episode was really beautiful. Especially the songs that played during the beach scenes. I really enjoyed the drunken Link, Jo, and Jackson scene. I felt it brought much needed levity and humour to the episode the same way the beer scene with Jackson, Link, and Winston did in the previous episode. Their scenes were funny and raw and provided a good balance for the episode.

I also loved seeing more of Jo and Jackson's friends with benefits relationship and more of Jo and Link and Jackson and Link's friendship. I'd actually forgotten that Jackson and Link were friends so it was cool to see that dynamic again and that Link is supportive of their situation. The drinking game to me felt like a throwback to the Season 2 episode where Meredith and Cristina are at Joe’s Bar playing a game of whose life sucks the most and she tells them that Derek is married and Cristina tells her she’s pregnant. These revelations eventual lead to Cristina scheduling an abortion and declaring Meredith her person.

It was cool to see Maggie and Winston working together at Grey Sloan Memorial. Winston living in Boston was only going to go on for so long because as we've all found out this past year there's only so much you can do virtually. I knew he'd be moving to Seattle at some point and I'm glad to see him working at the hospital and hanging with Maggie's family. The scene where he danced it out with the kids was too cute! I'll be interested to see more of their dynamic moving forward as Maggie used to be his teacher and is now his boss. I'm also glad that both Winston and Hayes are finally getting the proper screen time they deserve.

Their storyline with the naked guy cracked me up! My two favourite lines of the episode were when the guy freaked out because he realized he wasn’t wearing his mask and Maggie said, “You’re not wearing much of anything.” And when Maggie and Winston went looking for him and Zander Perez, the resident from Pac North, told them, “If you’re looking for a naked guy he went that way.” I laughed so hard!

The scenes with Zola got me. She is a real trouper. She definitely is Meredith Grey's daughter through and through. I'm a big believer in found family and one of the things Grey's does really is show that there are many different ways to be a family and that family is what you make of it. True family is made up of the people who love and support you unconditionally not genetics. I really love that they've shown the strength of that bond between Zola and her family.

My favourite hidden moment of the episode was Tom! He appears in the background at DeLuca's memorial which means he's getting better. If he's well enough to be outside at the memorial then his condition has greatly improved since last we saw and that's great! Tom's a wonderfully complex character and I'm glad he's doing better. He appears in a bunch of deleted scenes that were released through the Grey’s Anatomy Twitter account which I highly recommend. The writing in this episode was excellent!

This episode was written by Adrian Wenner whose previous credits include the Season 16 episode ‘A Hard Pill to Swallow’ in which Meredith and Hayes work that vaping case together and get to know each for the first time. Honestly, my only complaint about this episode is that I wish they’d done it sooner! I wish they had bumped this and the previous episode up. The Mid-Season Finale felt very anti-climatic to me and was poorly received by a lot of fans. I wish they had just scrapped that episode or combined it with what we saw in the Mid-Season Premiere and then jumped into this episode after the break. But we’re here now and that’s the important thing.

Onto next week’s promo. Damn does it look interesting! We see that Owen has brought Teddy home and she’s not eating or speaking and he’s worried if her condition does not improve he’ll have to admit her. I’m sure he’s having flashbacks to when Cristina did the same thing after the plane crash. She appears to be experiencing some kind of nightmare sequence where she sees DeLuca as a ghost and Meredith speaks to her. Looks intense!

Until next time!

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goblinconceivable · 3 years ago

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More Leverage ‘cuz binging

stuff and thoughts

1.3

Aha, there be NW going a bit flaily, in completely appropriate usage and reminiscent of Ford while being distinct rather than competing. “Manic” lols

Like that little ongoing joke about Sophie not running things like Nate speechwise. And that little speed up to the scene transition? I really like it.

Parker’s performance on the shooting range? She’s come so very far as a grifter. Eliot seeing the cop car and riffing? So has he. All highlighted by Breanna racing to catch up.

Even though we don’t know these gamblers, I love this extension of the Team’s “social network.” Back in the day we had Maggie, and the “Second Team,” but in this revival they’re more integrated into a worldwide web. I think they were all actors at the fake auction, hoping to see more characters, and some blasts from the past. Archie? Maggie? Sterling is 100% going to show up at some point, I figure a quick cameo at the end of the halfseason break. It’s a nice touch that this time the gamblers are indebted to Ford, keeps the memory alive while loosening up the playing field. (Also knew the woman at least was in on something with her slightly off line read “not again”) Subtle and effective foreshadow :D

I would like to hear more about that gorilla enclosure.

Hey they showed the red button, and like the gun in the first act... Buuuut, is this another winging it situation, or a flashback setup?

Parker eating Eliot’s cake?!?!? double lols

I am satisfied with my flashback reveal explanation.

And yeah, the pearl. Gun #2.

1.4

“We usually let our clients find us.”

Well, no. Remember way back when, Hardison had set up web crawlers to find clients? Remember one episode ago when they picked up the job based on a TikTok post from a teenager to her friends? And they already knew this was in Harry’s backlog and that he’s seeking redemption. All in all, stupid line.

O. M. G. Parker and ELIOT know Klingon! And Beanna had a lovely comeback! And Eliot did his twitchy thing! They’re becoming a family it’s so cute :D

Okay they didn’t know, but why do I know? Didn’t he talk about it with his old boss and they were listening? Didn’t they do a background search on him? This feels shoddy and unnecessary, just there to have him going rogue without... actually... having gone rogue.

Breanna brilliant. Again harkens back, this time to Parker and whatever that duck thing was. Building her own brother/sister relationship with Eliot, which makes me miss the old Parker/Eliot. I think Parker grew up along the line and their dynamic changed a little, which is natural but makes me really want a good scene between them. Which itself is odd because the Klingon thing just happened and that was adorable, but maybe it didn’t hit how I wanted because it was at heart about something between Eliot/Hardison and Parker/Hardison rather than Eliot/Parker.

I will mention here that despite preferring the Eliot/Parker dynamic in fic, in canon I love Parker/Hardison and hooking up Eliot and Parker romantically would be very wrong. But platonically speaking, I do think they’re my favourite dynamic onscreen.

Re: Harry/Sophie scene... This feel unearned, is this the intended episode order? It must be, given the platform, but I was not aware that he was not in that raw “redemption” phase anymore such that he’d be ashamed enough to hide this? I don’t feel how this was his “Big Regret,” why this case carries the emotional weight. Yes, people died, but he wasn’t there or personally know anyone affected. People died from the opiates.

It’s hard not to compare with the original run, especially because there are so many callbacks, but this feels like a vague shadow of Nate, the first that comes to mind is his emotional conversation with Maggie about not getting the experimental treatment approved. And that was earned and fundamental and an actual admission of deep trauma. Maybe more an analog to Eliot’s reveal about Damien Moreau, since that wasn’t central to the show premise either, but that was POWERFUL. For reasons we all know why. I don’t know what this is. Which makes it feel cheap. Convo with Eliot lends legitimacy, but I don’t feel it, don’t feel that Harry’s depth is the same.

Probably because they haven’t shown us that he actually knew he was on the wrong side all along but was burying it. I don’t know if Eliot’s speech is harkening to that, but even if it is, not organic.

But hell if I don’t adore the reveal that Parker was there. Because a) she knows that about Eliot so she doesn’t even need to comment and Eliot doesn’t care she hears and b) adds some dynamic to the scene and c) speaks to the comfort in their roles during a con, even if they really haven’t done them in a while. Though we know Parker and Eliot do most of the travelling, is that seperate or together?

It’s been increasingly nagging me, but they’re going after Jason, when clearly they should be going after his wife? Or was she not involved then? I’m fuzzy on that? So instead they’re triggering a dude who was being manipulated, and at least atm it appears to be about catching him rather than using him to get to his wife, who is legit our expected kind of evil? I just feel bad for this guy. All kinds of confused with this episode.

The end was satisfying I guess, but also not? But also yes? I’m used to a hammer fall at the end, stamping the bow into the thing, but in this case the ending was initially funky because they didn’t get justice, just money and such. I do like that we get the intended result in a roundabout way but there was no flashback to the workman’s comp thing to show the real ending with a wink and nod.

I just didn’t get this episode, maybe on a second viewing without pausing it’ll go better.

#leverage #redemption 1x3 and 1x4

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springmagpies · 4 years ago

Text

My Uncle Reacts to AoS Season 4

So, instead of getting chores done this morning, my uncle and I finished Season 4 of Agents of Shield. Here are his reactions! Enjoy! Fair warning, it is a long post because Steve had a lot of feelings.

4x01

Before the episode: I’m guessing Coulson was like “I got too close to the situation and could no longer be impartial.” And then he passed over the title of director to May or that general guy. Talbot! That’s his name.

He’s like ghost rider is all. Holy crap he is ghost rider! I didn’t realize he was marvel.

Why’d they have to break up the band?

I am concerned about the robots.

Well, ghost rider is badass.

4x02

“You’re an engineer Mack. And a small tank.” Bwhahahahahaha, that’s so true.

The director is Talbot. Ooooh, not Talbot. Someone new.

Oh, Daisy has a picture of Lincoln. I miss him.

May is not okay. May needs a nap.

I still can’t get over Mack offering that maybe they’re just ghosts. Fitzsimmons faces were amazing.

Mace is such a politician.

4x03

*Lincoln is mentioned* Owwwwwww

I love the Phil, Mack, and Fitz team up.

Wow, Fitz is badass this episode.

Okay, so Elena is amazing. That shot with the light was awesome!

4x04

Fitzsimmons moving in together, count me in.

I see where Daisy is coming from, but not awesome that she’s using her friends and then leaving.

Come on Daisy! Come home.

Heylo? Hahahahaha

Radcliffe, I don’t think telling the android it’s okay to lie sometimes is a good idea.

What’s that face she’s giving? Oh shit, is she feeling things? Is she feeling things for Fitz. That’s not good.

I don’t trust James. *moments later* Called it.

Yes, Mack, two fire dudes just fell into fireworks.

Jemma for sure knows she’s an android.

“I prefer a classical beauty myself.” Awww, Fitz.

4x05

Oh, Fitz, a high five will not fix her being mad at you. Trust me.

“I’m sure they have it under control.” *cuts to chaos* Okay, that’s the best transition of the whole show.

Robbie, please don’t go after that guy. Just keep going please. Dammit. Why can no one just follow instructions in Shield.

Way to go Jemma! But what happened with Mace?? What did he do?

May had a heart to heart with her and she’s still leaving? Is Daisy really going to leave after all of this? She can’t, right?

Robbies uncle is going to get sucked into that book. Yeah, look at his expression. That’s not good at all is it.

Well that senator sucks.

4x06

*Mace mad at Coulson* Daaaang

Fitz is so smart. He would be a millionaire if he was an inventor or something. But he just wants to help people.

Wait, shit, Eli is bad!

*Fitz, Coulson, and Robbie disappear* Oh no!!!! Wait, that’s how the episode ends! Noooo!!

4x07

Shit, where are they.

Oh, so that’s where they are. That’s not good.

“I have to phone Simmons to tell her... I’m in another dimension.” Bwhahahahaha oh no.

That’s not Mack. Holy shit!

“Oh Mack’s the ghost rider no big deal. But you can’t hear us.” Oh my god, these lines are amazing.

The dialogue this episode is fantastic.

No!!!!! Don’t give the darkhold to Radcliffe. He’s already so morally grey!!!

Fitz is going to hit Mace

Aww, Fitzsimmons

There’s some flirtation with Phil and Melinda going on.

Have we seen who’s in that photo Mack is looking at? Hope?

Oh hey Robbie, how was hell.

Ummm, is Aida building a brain? Is she corrupted. Yep. She’s corrupted. We’ve got a corrupted android. Great.

4x08

Coulson’s comedic timing is everything.

Oof, Robbie is not having a good time.

“Oh yeah, Fitz solved that” Of course he did. He’s Fitz.

*Badass Fitzsimmons duo scene* They truly are a dynamic duo aren’t they. That shot was awesome!

*Daisy looking at Robbie’s car* well, you’ve got a sweet car.

*Mackelena finally kiss* gasps. There it is!

*Aida kills Nathanson* Oh dears.

*Reveal that May is an LMD* Wait wait wait. Holy shit. Oh shit. Damn.

4x09

Aida’s so sweet to May. And she sweetly killed Nathanson like it was nothing. Not creepy at all.

Once again Mack’s lines are amazing.

Yeah, don’t attack the android guys. Not a good idea.

“Why would you want to hurt me Leopold.” Aaaah haaaa, umm. No.

“Well, Simmons has only been kidnapped twice on this planet.” Hahahahahahaha that’s hilarious.

Smart people are stupid. That’s amazing.

*Aida freezes may* AAAH, she doesn’t even know she’s a robot!

*Radcliffe reveal* O. M. G. He’s corrupted. He played them. Asshole. Dammit he read it for just a second! No!

This is a good part of the show! I’m really enjoying this.

4x10

What the heck’s in that brief case?

And Radcliffe is now super creepy.

Poor Fitz, he doesn’t know his friend totally betrayed him.

“I did this to protect you.” Awww, Fitz. I mean, let’s not make robots, but that’s still really sweet. He just wanted to protect Simmons and everyone.

*May wakes up* Jesus, god May. She’s a badass. Imagine waking up like that! God! That’s terrifying.

“I can’t help feeling like somethings off.” Yeah, May, you aren’t real.

Mace isn’t an inhuman! Oh damn.

*Fitz analyzing Aida’s head* Uh oh Fitz.

“Is it weird that I found that attractive?” Hahahahahahahaha. Fantastic.

*Coulson back in charge* hell yeah!

*May finds out she’s an LMD* Aaaaaaah! Well, that’s an existential crisis.

4x11

Does Radcliffe have more of them? Because he just happened to have May.

*May waking up over and over again* Feels like I’m watching The Good Place.

*Aida breaks a glass* That’s concerning that a robot would make a mistake like that.

*Hope reveal* Oh that’s awful! Poor Mack.

Whose the other LMD?

*Radcliffe LMD reveal* Ohhhh noooo. Poor Fitz.

4x12

Hey! I was wondering where the lanyard guys were!

“You’re going all Gollumy again” bwhahahahaha that’s amazing

“I’ve lost too much already, I’m not losing you.” Awww, Phil.

*Robo Radcliffe talks about Fitz’s past* Oh my gosh, that explains so much. Oh Fitz! Screw Fitz’s dad.

How many Koenigs are there?

Awww, baby Fitz!—Maggie

I bet that’s his real mom too!—Steve

Fitz and Simmons are cute!

*Philinda kiss* Noooo! She’s a robot!

“Sorry, you weren’t meant to last” Radcliffe you ass. You evil ass.

4x13

*Agnes reveal* Eeeek, creepy. That’s who she’s based on!

Wait, is she really Australian? Damn, she does a great American accent.

Mace really got the short end of the stick in a lot of this didn’t he.

*Shockley gets turned into an inhuman* Oooh shit.

Did they just put Shockley on the plane. The dude that blows up? Well, damn.

*Fitzsimmons realize Shockley is the bomb* Way to go dynamic duo. Now gooooo! Oh, they’re going. Simmons pushing Fitz is amazing.

Aaaaaah! Fitz! Fitz and Mace!

*Fitzsimmons hug* Awww. I know I’ve said it before but they’re cute.

Noooo! Mace! Shit they kidnapped Mace!

*Aida takes put on Agnes’s necklace* Ewwwww, creepy. Creepy creepy creepy! Aaah.

4x14

*The superior walking* He must have this ‘I’m so cool face’ on at all times.

Aww, is Radcliffe in there to be with Agnes. That’s so sad.

*Flashback with Phil and May* Aww, May is all playful. It’s before the sad times.

*Mace chained* that’s not great for your circulation.

They’re going to kill Mace. No, don’t kill Mace.

“Morales, you’re with me.” Uh oh, Morales. More redshirts with names making me nervous.

“You’ve enhanced yourself with alien technology.” Actually Fitz built his hand.

“Cool origin story, bro.” Okay, that’s incredible.

“Concern only slightly lessened.” Davis is just like ‘thanks dude.’ Fantastic.

Mack doesn’t need super powers to be a badass.

*LMD reveal* Holy shit. Holy shiiiit. They switched out all four of them??? All four??? Holy shiiiit. Fitzsimmons are all alone. Aaaahaaa.

“Even filth has a purpose.” Ewwww, and she’s leaning over him like that. So creeeeppyyy. Eewwww.

“He’s a shrink.” Oh awwww. It’s Andrew. She falls in love with him.

Well I guess Phil and Melinda’s robots can be together. Kind of weird but okay.

Oh my god, this is stressing me out!!!

‘Even filth has a purpose.” Gaaah, ewww. I’m still thinking about it.

So is Radcliffe even in control anymore? Or is he too preoccupied with the framework to care. Like, is Aida just doing whatever the heck she wants now because that’s unsettling.

4x15

Where are all of them? Oh they’re in the framework. Uh oh.

Ewwww, Aida is evil! He’s (Ivanov) alive and she’s cutting into him.

Aaah, they’ve got them surrounded. It’s so creepy.

This is some body snatchers shit.

*fitzsimmons LMD scene* *Steve biting his nails with wide eyes* oh my god that was awful.

*Steve rewinds to rewatch the LMD scene* they’re so good. And it hurt so much to see Fitz go so cold. Owwww. Because it was him and how he would act and then it just shuts off. Ugh, they’re so good.

*Jemma stabbing Fitz scene* Oh he’s thought about getting married. Oh my god, that’s so awful. So disturbing. That hurts. They’re so talented.

*Daisy LMDs* Ohhhh that’s so disturbing. This is all so disturbing. Oh my gosh.

*Daisy and Jemma scene* Awwww, they found the only other person to trust. That’s so sweet. Gosh, that was also a brilliantly acted scene.

They’re all such good actors. All of them.

God, this is all so disturbing.

*Aida kills Radcliffe* oh shit. Aaaaah. That’s so creepy.

“Because you and Fitz belong together.” Thats the truth.

“Their poor base” -Maggie

“And they just retiled the bathrooms.” -Steve

Ooh, quake jump, that’s so cool.

*Slow motion quake* That’s sooo badasssss!

*Davis flying the Zephyr* Aah, Davis. Careful. He just started training.

*LMD May blows up the base.* oooh ho. Damn.

“Lincoln?” Oh noooo. That’s awful.

*Ward reveal* Whaaaaat?

*Coulson reveal* Whaaaaaat?

*Mack reveal* oh nooo, he’s got his daughter.

*Fitz reveal* Whaaaaaat? But, damn.

*Jemma reveal* Whaaaaaaaaat? She’s in a grave? Who’s in the car with Fitz?

*May reveal* is she an avenger? *Hydra logo appears* Waaaaait. Whaaaaaaaaat?

What the hell is going on. What the hell? What is this place. Are they all evil? Some of them evil? Mack isn’t evil right?

*Ivanov’s head* Ewwww creepy.

Whaaaat the helllll. As Fitz would say *does Fitz impression* what the hell?

Dammit why do I have to put the kids to bed!! I want to watch the next episode!! Gosh dang it.

That’s disturbing count: around 15

4x16

“Skye?” Skye??? Skye!!!

*Logo* ooooh, agents of hydra

“You’re on another planet this morning.” Yeah, she is. No shit Ward.

*Daisy looks up Lincoln* Awwww. Owwwww.

*Jemma jumps from the grave.* Lucky she was in a shallow grave.

They’re having a bad week.

Vijay isn’t real. He’s at the bottom of the ocean.

*Ward punches Vijay* wait, did he want him to stop talking? Hmmm.

*Coulson class scene* Aaaahhaa that’s not awful at all.

*May Bahrain reveal* oh shit, it changed that much! Shit.

“We’ve got him doctor” Radcliffe? *Fitz reveal* Ooooh nooo! Noooo! Shit, noooo! Jemma died and he went all dark. Nooooo.

“It’s a magical place.” Oh damn!

“My father used to say...” Shit, does Fitz have his dad’s influence?????

*Ward double agent reveal* Ooooooh! Shiiit. That’s so interesting!!

“This isn’t the framework this is hell” Jemma’s so pissed.

“Drones, Dwarves. Whatever.” Awww, Jemma’s heart just broke right there.

Are they stuck in the framework! Well shit!

*Fitz and Aida kiss* Ewwww. I mean it makes sense in this world because of course she’s using Fitz but ewww.

She replaced Jemma with herself. That’s not creepy at all.

“Daisy?” Aaaah! He remembers!

This place is messed up! Interesting, but messed up!

4x17

“I make my own soap now.” Bwhahahahahaha. That’s amazing.

Aww, Mack has his daughter. And she’s adorable. Oh no!

Ophelia? Oooh, she’s got her own name.

“I’d cross the universe for you.” Ewwww! Noooo. He literally crossed the universe for Jemma.

*Fitz and Aida make out* *Maggie screams and Steve shivers* But why is Fitz so hot in the framework though—Maggie *Steve nods*

“The soap made me do it.” Bwhahahahaha

*Mace reveal* Aaaaah! Mace! He’s all gruff now and an inhuman! He got everything that he ever wanted.

“And we’ll make our society great again.” Ewwwwwwwhewe!

This is so interesting! I’m really liking it!

*Mack and hope get taken by Hydra* that’s so awful! That is so disturbing!

Coulson is so nerdy, I love it.

“You’re Daisy Johnson. We’re agents of shield.” Mack remembers.

*Revealed that Mack doesn’t remember* No! Shit.

*Fitz kills Agnes* *sharp intake of breath, Steve stays silent for a very long time.*

*Mack joins Shield* Good job Mack.

“How do you feel?”-Maggie.

Steve quietly: “sick.”

4x18

I love how Mace is all scruffy and his suits all scratched.

Aaah, evil Fitz makes me sad.

*Jemma seeing Mack and Hope* Yeah, it’s an oh shit moment.

“Tell your old man all about it.” *Steve gasps* Oh no.

“I don’t know the kind of man I’d be without you father.” “That’s why I’m here.” Yep, to brainwash him.

TRIP!

*Brainwash room* Oh no! It’s the other kid too! No!

MACE! Noooo! Why would Aida do that. She’s so evil.

That’s so messed up.

*May used Terrigen on Daisy* Yes. Good job May. And hopefully it’ll heal her in the process.

4x19

Ha, Bakshi has a tv show.

Aww, mace is dead. He was a good man.

*Daisy quakes Aida out a window* *Steve laughs* That took her by surprise didn’t it.

“It’s like sipping poison...” Mmm, Fox News.

“You’re the new head of hydra” Yikes.

*Ward throws remote* Umm, you guys have limited remotes!

*Steve pauses show* I don’t like any of this. It’s interesting but I hurt inside. It hurts that Fitz is evil. Mace is dead. Agnes is dead. Radcliffe is in prison. May was evil. I’m sad.

Aww, Coulson all of a sudden became that paternal leader.

Wait, so she totally used Fitz in like every way. What a jerk.

Trips the best.

Sorry Ward. She wants to feel bad for you but she can’t.

So much Scottishness this season. I love it.

*Radcliffe yells at Alistar* yep, because you’re a worthless asshole ya jerk. Oof, he just throat punched Radcliffe.

Aww, Coulson is coming into his own.

“When this is over-“ Do I get Skye! “Do I get my Skye back?” Called it!

I liked that scene with Grant. It was the redemption that the other Ward didn’t deserve but this one did. It was nice. Also really well acted.

“Hydra giving alternative facts.” Ooooh, they’re calling them out. They are so not fans of Trump and it’s amazing.

*Coulson on the news* This is Shield’s please vote! Please vote.

That was amazing.

4x20

Yeah, I hate all of this.

This all hurts.

*Fitz talks to Radcliffe* Come on Radcliffe, please don’t betray us. Please.

*Jemma kills Alistair* Well, that’s not going to help us.

“I’m sure everything is fine.” It is not. Simmons killed Fitz’s dad.

I hate this. It’s fascinating and I hate it. She’s just made him mad. God, no.

*Trip saying goodbye* Awww, this hurts. He’s goneeee in our world. Whyyyyy.

Is Aida trying to build her spine *body being built on the other side* Ohhh. Damn.

*Coulson gets shot* SHIT

*Coulson wakes up* You’re going to have to fight a killer robot, Phil.

*May wakes up* Awww she did it! She followed him!!

*Radcliffe redeems himself* Yes! Radcliffe! Yes! Thank you!

*Fitz falls through* Thank God!

Thank you Radcliffe.

*Mack not coming with* Maggie, I really don’t like this.

Oh gosh, Fitz is so freaked out. They’re all so freaked out. Aaah, Aida!

*Aida and Fitz teleport* Well that was unexpected.

I feel really ill. Like, this hurts a lot. I hurt a lot.

It’s like The Red Wedding but drawn out over 4 episodes and I hurt.

4x21

Before the episode: I came into the framework so optimistic and it crushed me. Like I thought May was an avenger and then it was like hahaha pain.

Oh yeah! And then she teleported with Fitz. JERK!

Fitz really got screwed by the framework didn’t he.

*Coulson kills Robo Ivanov with a shield* WOAHHH!!! That was amazing! ...and disturbing.

*Coulson recounts what happened with Robbie Reyes* BWHAHAHAHAHA. It sounds so ridiculous when you recount it but it’s so amazing watching it.

Will she stop teleporting Fitz! He already feels sick!

Yeaaaah, giving Fitz his abuser back and replacing the woman he loves with yourself is not what would make him happy Aida!

“If he wanted to kill us he could just flood the place. Why is he stalling.” TO FLOOD THE PLACE, PHIL!

“I drank the bottle of Haig” “you piece of—“ *Steve can’t stop laughing*

*Mack almost drowning* Oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit. OH SHIT.

*Fitz and Aida rescuing mack* THANK GOD.

*Jemma shoots Aida* well, yeah.

*Jemma shoots Fitz* Love ya Fitz, sorry man.

“What do we do with Fitz?” Talk to him!!

“I’m just like Ward.” Oh ho, that hurts.

“There’s only room in my heart for her.” YES! Oh shit, Aida’s not happy.

OH SHIT!

NO DAVIS! DAVIS!

*Toddler starts crying IRL over a toy* Now imagine if we gave her powers.That’s what’s happening with Aida.

*Fitzsimmons pod scene* oww

*Yoyo plugs herself into the framwork* This is a mess.

*Aida throws bottle in anger* His vodka!

*Aida and Ivanov scene* Aaah! Inhuman robot sex. Oh. Nope. Murder.

*Robbie comes back* Welcome back buddy! SHIELD shit has hit the fan.

4x22

“How do we kill Aida?” Hell chains? I’m thinking hell chains.

*Robbie waiting for Shield* Hello, back from another dimension? No way, us too!

Well Radcliffe is screwed if the framework is falling apart.

“I’ll talk to him. He’ll remember me.” No he won’t Elena. Wish he would though.

*Robo!Daisy shoots Talbot* *Steve sits with his mouth open* NO!! I mean, he could be annoying but he was a good man! And he’s been around since season 1!

“There’s a pulse.” How? Yay! But how?

“Once you say you can’t stop me. Well—“ it’s like when you say you feel safe on Survivor and then get voted off the island.

*Daisy & Robbie team up* Boom bitches!! That was super cool!

Mack’s not going to leave until Hope de-materializes. And that sucks ass.

“Robot May was much more supportive.” HA! That’s amazing.

EVERYTHING’S A MESS AND EVERYONE IS HURT AND DIE AND PAIN AND OWW AND THINGS.

Maggie: “What?”

Steve: “You heard me.”

*Aida kills LMD!Jemma* WHAT! What the hell? I feel so sick. Oh thank god she’s an LMD! But I feel ill.

Eeeewwwww the kiss Aida gave Fitz on the cheek is so disturbing.

*Jemma shoots Aida* YES! AWESOME!

*Coulson ghost rider reveal* HOLY SHIT THAT’S AMAZING! I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER!

*Aida dies* Well that was awesome and terrible and poor everyone.

They really do a great job of making you feel sick don’t they.

*Mack and Hope scene*

Maggie: “you okay?”

Steve: *wipes away tear* no.

Wait, is there more to Coulson’s deal with the Ghost Rider?

“Gave me a glimpse of the life I could have here.” Oooh! Mack and Elena! She did almost die for him. They’re in love.

*Robbie having to leave* He and Daisy couldn’t like kiss before he left? No? Fine.

*Daisy speech to Fitz* someone hug him, please!

*Diner scene* Whaaaat?

We’re in space next season!!?? Whooo!!

They’re all so messed up after all of this. I feel messed up after all of this.

#steve reacts to aos #personal nonsense #agents of shield #season 4

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inheritorofmemories-archive · 4 years ago

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@themoonwheniamlost, please keep in mind you encouraged this massive display of nerdery from someone who might someday end up writing stuff and thus loves to overthink anything related to writing.

Your post here is the perfect opening for me to say: the pacing of this movie in incredible and I would love to see the script. More under cut because once again I do not know how to keep things short.

I heard reviews saying the movie is too slow and I'm sorry but they die 12 minutes in. What else do you need??

And before that, and the thing from your post that prompted this: the very thing you get, the opening even, is the very dramatic and curiosity inducing line from Andy “I’ve been here before. Over and over. And I'm so tired.” How many time did this woman lie in a pool of her own blood? Wait, is she dead? I want to know, I shall keep watching to find out! And that’s followed by the found family opening and giving you clear indications of every characters. Booker and Andy share a thing in common (it’s called depression kids) ie: the book, the alcohol in the tea; Joe and Nicky are JoeandNicky and also their hugs tell a lot about themselves -open and loud love or reserved and quiet love- Joe’s “Admit it Boss (another good element, she’s the boss and they don’t question it. Sexism who?), you’ve missed this” and Nicky’s “We can do some good” being fundamental piece of their characters, then cool team work showing all their skills and how well they work together, and then bam! Immortality and stakes of the movie in two minutes : can't die, people know they can't die, oh no gotta clear that up. Also Tired Andy has given up.

And then you have Nile, lots of elements about her in a short time : she's kind with the children when she has no obligation to, she’s a competent marine and a good person “Keep it respectful”. She’s also leading her team, and she’s good at her job, make the women leave the place before attacking, “we need him alive!” and oh no she's dead! But she's not, oh shit another immortal while they're being tracked? Gotta find her and Copley, let's split up. More characterisation of the team with how they deal with the dreams.

Moment focused on Nile with the Frank Ocean scene, how she’s feeling rejected and overwhelmed but music and art is a safe space for her that she finds comfort into. Then Andy finds her and the plane fight : introduce dynamics and personality. Tired Andy is woken up from her catatonic state by Nile (look how she smiles when Nile deck her), Nile is so smart and quick on her feet (the belt around Andy’s wrist) and also she's a fighter she doesn't give up easily. But she's still scared of what’s happening to her, and Andy is gonna help her.

Then moment of exposition and bounding that's not too dragged out and just enough info dumping while still being enjoyable to watch with the jokes (more like misery loves company/what he said, we killed each other/Many times) and the emotions (the entire Quynh scene) and then we focus some more on Nile (and her relationship with Andy); how scared she is, how she’s dealing with it all. And in a fluid transition (being a big explosion) another fight scene! And even in the action, we still get Andy and Booker and feelings, fear and love and care for another.

But this fight has more stake, and it serves to show the spectator the violence of Andy and how she deals with it (you need to feel it). Nile has doubt and fear over Andy’s actions, understandable when you see the state of the church when she leaves. Then the van scene for Joe and Nicky and to feed us little gays who clearly need the positive representation; then Andy finds she's mortal, then Booker's back story for Nile, then the scene with Celeste and then Nile and Andy talking on the car : developing the emotions and characters. On the side, Joe and Nicky with Merrick : bit of plot and characterization of the antagonists (Merrick is a sadistic asshole, the doctor is the same and Copley starts to have doubts) but also more food for us (oh, that time in Malta).

Then, betrayal!! Smart Nile figures it out on her own, but before Andy does so we know what’s going on when Andy steps into the room and we can watch Booker’s reactions. Oh no, Andy is gonna die, but Nile come back to save the day. Also, we learn their purpose! After the emotional scenes and development we get the last fight scene, but it's for the plot not just action for the sake of kicking ass (which they can do very well but that’s not the focus, it’s the ground for the inclusion of Nile in the team and the development of their relationships). We get Nile accepting her immortality (going down fighting, what a fitting song), Booker facing them, Andy standing up again despite how tired she is (she trust Nile’s word! “I’ve seen it, I know all the good you’ve done” and she gets up!) and the team getting out. Also, "I go first, next time it's you" and "he speaks Russian?" for the evolution of Nile and Andy's relationship, nicely done.

And now it's the end, it’s not as quickly paced, now we can settle down and feel again, bad guy's dead and they're safe. They heal and deal with the last problem: Booker. More Nile development, she's in the team now and she'll deal with her family. More Andy development, she’s ready to fight again! Moral of the story: human survive by helping each other and being kind and good. Survival through others, and it works! The movie tells us so!

The last scene is very obvious but still, cliffhanger needed : Oh No. Quynh's back and we have no idea what she plans to do but she's planning alright. See you in the next movie, bet you’ll want to see what’s gonna happen next.

I would love to see the script because that movie deals really well with the plot and the progression of the stakes and the character's arc. It's all very fluid and at no moment it felt wrong or forced. Of course you feel the info dump at the church but it's done really gracefully compared to other movie where you get a lecture instead of a conversation between characters that feels natural and real, human.

All the character arcs are clear: Nile accepts her immortality and finds her place in the team, Andy finds hope again and a will to fight.

#sorry for that but i've been thinking about this since that review calling the movie slow and boring because it's not!!#just because you get emotional stuff doesn't mean it's boring you're just emotionally stunted and can't relate to kind people #I also have something about the ost of the movie if you're interested in reading more of me geeking out about stuff i'm passionate about lol #tog #the old guard meta #gina prince bythewood #greg rucka #em speaks

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glitter-trip · 4 years ago

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I reviewed and ranked every song on My Chemical Romance’s sophomore album‘Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge’

I got really bored, so I decided to rank every song on my favorite album of all time and it was really hard because I love all these songs so much. Some should be higher or lower in the ranking, but it was just kinda hard to rank these, so here’s what we’re left with.

Helena:

Good, but certainly overrated

Beautiful vocals, but no parts that make me feel really intense or stand out. Too fast almost.

The “Goodnight” at the end is the best part

Rank: 1/13

Give ‘Em Hell, Kid:

Intro riff slaps!

“Oh baby here comes the SOUND” i love that

Murder scene dynamic comes through

‘You're BEAUTIFULLLLLL’ you get to scream this part to your friends in the car

Establishes non cis themes

“No way i'm kissing that guy” more non-het themes

Good beginning, amazing ending. Middle is a little bit repetitive tbh, but overall a good song

Rank: 5/13

To the End:

Chills in the whisper

STRONG AF BEGINNING

The buildup is *chef’s kiss*

Fucking iconic

Passionate, loud, this song is solid and it fucking slaps

Parade line foreshadows next album

This shit is beautiful

Rank: 10/13

You Know What They Do to Guys Like Us in Prison:

Beautiful intro

Timing and pace is perfect

Gay as fuck and im living for it

Gerard raised the fucking stakes its wonderful

You can feel the insanity, vibes are immaculate

Flows so fucking well its amazing

You can feel the desperation and all the other intense feelings and its fucking beautiful

“DO YOU HAVE THE KEYS TO THE HOTEL CAUSE IM GONNA STRING THIS MOTHER FUCKER ON FIRE FIRE”

The end laugh

Rank: 13/13

I’m Not Okay (I Promise):

Immediately recognizable intro, basic, but classic

Strays from original storyline, but its a bop, so i'll let it slide

Comforting and shows that its chill to not be popular and shit

Riffs are immaculate. Real wonderful usage of multiple guitarists

Bridge hits so hard

“Trust me.” *chefs kiss*

Rank: 9/13

The Ghost of You:

It feels like a break. Very tired.

Sad. just really fuckin emotional

You can cry to this song

Prechorus and chorus hit so good

Bridge feels absolutely fucking ethereal

Voclaization before the end chorus/outro is fucking immaculate

Rank: 2/13

The Jetset Life is Gonna Kill You:

Wonderful emo church vibes are established with the organ

About addiction

It all hits so fucking good

“Hotel bella muerrte” that fucking rolled r could kill me

Drums after bridge thooooo

“Oh sugUR” ends wonderful

Rank: 8/13

Interlude:

Slow wonderful gerard voice

Soft guitar, love it. Just like in “Romance”

Should be longer or at least change somewhere. Too consistent.

Its still lovely tho :)

Rank: 3/13

Thank You for the Venom

Intro is a shock back to life after interlude

I feel like i could commit arson AND get away with it

Gerards voice gives me chills AGAIN

Verses hit and the words resonate theres so much passion

Fast and alive and i feel my heart beating

Chorus is just so MCR

Love the imagery

“Preach all you want, but who’s gonna save me?” love that

Calling the church and society out in the most wonderful way

Ending is rlly good

Rank: 6/13

Hang ‘Em High:

Western vibes

SCREAMING I LOVE IT

I would willingly break the fuckin law for this man

THE FEELING

SO ALIVE

Wonderful distortion

Rank: 7/13

It’s NOt a Fashion Statement, It’s a Fucking Deathwish:

Solo guitar intro and joining of the other guitar when the words start works so well

The riffs are immaculate

More stellar imagery

Chorus before bridge is wonderful when it kinda stops and its just cymbals

Love how fast the end is

Rank: 4/13

Cemetery Drive:

Tells another part of the story

Vocals and instrumental blend so well

Wonderful use of buildup and break down

“I wont stop dying wont stop lying” the passion.

The yearning. You can feel it.

This whole song feels so real and genuine

“IS THIS WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANT ME FOR” *Chef’s kiss*

Slaps.

“Way DOwn’ isnt even repetitive. It works

Everything about this song is amazing

Using way down to fade out is genius

Its so different. This is a breath of fresh air

Rank: 12/13

I Never Told You What I Do for a Living:

Intro isnt as good as others

Lyrics are genius and descriptive and they add so much depth to the story

“IM SO DIRTY BABE!” uuuuuuuuuuh this is sin

I like how some parts are calmer and some are more erratic.

Its so chaotic. This is art

The break down changes the song so well. Wonderful transition

The story is so beautifully laid out

The emotions are so high its just so raw

So many things going on its just a whirlwind of raw feeling

Best album end ever

Wraps everything up so beautifully

Rank: 11/13

#mcr #my chemical romance #my chem #gerard way #Frank Iero #ray toro #mikey way #three cheers for sweet revenge #should i do this again with other albums??

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kdtheghostwriter · 5 years ago

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SNK #119 - Jaeger ni Kissu

Let me get some Fs in the chat, pls.

So, what the hell? Shiganshina am I right? What’s the deal with that crazy place, huh?

You would think this fandom, more than all the others, would be used to getting the slider when they expect a fastball. (That’s right! I know baseball stuff!) Even I have to admit, though, Isa got me with this one. It’s all pretty thrilling to me as a reader. I’ll explain why later but first, some housekeeping. Remember when I said this a few months ago? That Eren’s expression was less relieved and more shocked leaning toward concerned? Welp.

Arm extended; mouth agape. The universal signs of “No, not that you asshole!” It’s also masterful paneling to have Colt’s cry of “Wait!” superimposed onto the Attack Titan, which we know can’t speak. Eren was mortified by the idea of his hometown being overrun with Titans yet again. That was hardly surprising. What did surprise me was Zeke’s look of shock as the Grice brothers revealed themselves. He still screamed, of course, as should have been expected. But that moment of hesitation…hmm. I guess he really did like Colt. It’s not out of the question. He just liked his plan more.

And since we’re on the topic, I’d like some words about this panel right here.

Dammit all, this one hit more than any of the others for me. See, Zeke, it’s not just you who understands the joys and the sorrows and the burdens of being an older brother. I do myself. Falco realized what was about to happen and tried to save his brother’s life by pushing him away. Colt refused and held him tighter.

Don’t worry, Falco! Your big brother will always be with you!

Fuck me, how am I supposed to keep my chill after a scene like that? Sure enough, Colt was scorched as his brother transformed into a mindless, lumbering monster which transitions me nicely into something else I said in the aftermath of #117. Someone did indeed have to die. I only guessed wrong who.

Reiner is going to survive this manga whether he wants to or not. More importantly, what a champion Porco is. Knew he was cooked, so he put all his energy into healing his body. Then he left the cockpit to distract Falco’s Titan and save two people. The fact that he did this right after seeing the memory of his brother confessing to Reiner that he lied is no accident. He wasn’t just proving to Reiner he was better; he was getting one back at his big brother. It’s equal parts heroic and tragic which is par for the course of this series. He died in almost the exact same way Marcel did all those years ago – saving Reiner’s dumbass from being nommed up. I’ll miss you Porco, but at least you’ll live on in the memories of the little one.

Speaking of little ones: maybe we should start calling her “Deadeye” Gabi Braun. This was such an inspired choice. Not just because of who pulled the trigger in the end (and partly because of whose gun she used), which got the intended reaction, but also because of who she hit. I thought for sure she would have taken aim for Zeke. It would have made sense. A wounded, stationary target is a lot easier to mark than one sprinting at full speed. (That’s what MGS3 taught me at least.) She’s a soldier, though, and the main reason she hijacked the blimp in Liberio was to kill The Usurper. It’s unclear to me if Magath’s mission here is strictly Dead or Alive or if they were trying to capture him but either way her mission, for now, appears to be accomplished. I say “appears to be” because it’s time for my favorite monthly mini-game:

WHY, SWAY, WHY??

There’s a lot we don’t know yet about Titan powers, Eldian biology and the transference from one vessel to another. If Marley’s goal specifically was to recapture the Founder instead of simply stopping Eren from using it, this is what Zeke would call a miscalculation. We know that Titan Powers get transferred Avatar-style to a rando newborn Eldian when a Shifter dies before succession. I actually believe there’s a lot of story left to go. But! There isn’t enough left to now try and track down, out of all the Eldians still in the world, which one holds this terrifying power. (That would make a great AU, though.) Not to mention, we don’t know what happens in the case of a Shifter holding more than one power. Do all three Titans go to one child? Do they get split up back into three by the P A T H S? We don’t know. All of this is reason to expect some chicanery in the next few months or so. Besides any of that we are no closer to knowing what Eren’s true intentions are in regards to why he wants to use the Founder. Isayama Hajime is absolutely the kind of author to blast his main character into oblivion before the story has concluded. He is not the kind of author to leave a stone unturned. We found out about the Shifters and we found out about the basement. Whatever knowledge was revealed to him will not be kept secret, even if it isn’t by his own hand.

Sidebar: decapitation is weird, even in messy circumstances like this one. The electric signals in the brain often keep firing for minutes after the head has been removed. This is how beheaded snakes continue to hiss and bite after the fact. My troll prediction would be Eren’s head landing in Zeke’s hand like so many baseballs in his lifetime; the Coordinate is activated and Shiganshina proceeds to have a bad time.

I don’t know, folks. I couldn’t help but think of one very important rule as I read the closing pages.

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Always Double Tap, dude. Gabi just had to go for the swag. See, if she had popped Eren’s head like a bloody firework I would have said, “Welp, you had a good run, kid.” But nope. You went and left the most powerful being in existence an outside outside chance of survival, and if he does, even for a few seconds more, everybody is screwed.

No segue, I just love these two teaming up. It makes sense that Mikasa and Armin have gotten closer as Eren has gotten more distant. I think seeing how that dynamic evolves as the story builds to its conclusion will be very important. For now, on the surface level, they just really care for each other.

The last time I got a feeling like this, I was a young lad watching Samurai Jack in the early 00s. I would watch every week without fail on the Cartoon Network, engrossed for the entire runtime. And then, oh, the long and nagging wait. I can admit that having most stuff On Demand is impossibly handy for this particular moment in history, but goddamn do I remember having to wait a whole ass week for my favorite show to come back. Fans of Shingeki no Kyojin don’t realize how good they have it.

Replicating that feeling is almost impossible, not just because of how product is released now. Every story has been told before, in some way. Sometime in the last Millenia or so, our slimy lizard brains have come to expect certain beats and structure from stories. It makes the stories good, but also predictable. I can tell you as a writer, it’s so very difficult to find a way to surprise people in a genuine and engaging way.

This is going to sound more cold and callous than intended but, it does involve manipulating an audience to achieve your desired outcome. You want to lead them to the place you want to go and let them think it was their plan all along. This is the Art of Storytelling: I know what you want better than you do. This involves knowing your audience, and I think it’s safe to say after his “I want to hurt people with this,” comment that no writer on the planet right now knows his audience better than Isayama.

Fans of SNK should be happy. I’ve said this before: it isn’t the best book out right now (that’s still OPM, read that shit) but it is the most unpredictable. That doesn’t always make a story good, but in this case, it’s the greatest factor. Feel free to speculate and discuss. That’s what fandom is for. Just give up now on trying to work out what comes next. Only one person knows that. Isa has had this story plotted out for years with diversions here and there. We won’t know until it all ends. Enjoy this ride now. I can promise you we will never see anything like this manga ever again.

Stray Thoughts

- Still no Kyomi. Still no Tiny Queen. I know the main character just got his head yeeted but let’s get some deets now, pls.

- I was so looking forward to the memes and am happy to report that I wasn’t let down. Well done, friends.

- The 104th Squad continues to persist, as does Yelena. We’ll earmark this for later.

- The fact that both the Jaeger Brothers got shot before Floch Forster is high dark comedy.

- In a battle this chaotic, things like skill and experience are often nullified. It makes perfect sense that Eren would be caught off-guard by a soldier he didn’t even know was there, child though she may be. Right place, wrong time. These Things Happen.

- Armin taking out the Cart’s turret gun was a slick little callback to when he bought time for Eren to take down Bertolt.

- I’m interested in Armin’s game plan here. Marley’s infantry is about to be overrun by Titans, so what else does he aim to do? And how will Yelena interfere?

- Nile said he wouldn’t see his family again. We all knew he was right but man, the look on his face when his number was called. That’s tough. Shout-outs to Pixis, getting one last sip in. You a real one.

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