#they chose brands of Shittiness that are entirely believable as something the character would do if they were Like That

[angorwhosebabyisthis]

tag rant screenshot time:

have been unpacking the scene where they bully and manipulate five into joining in the training session, which i've had to do a little at a time because there's A Lot and it is Upsetting Shit, but this bit in particular i'm just

how to make me instantly want to punch a character in the throat: have them pull the 'i can treat you however i want, up to and including physical violence, because it's my house' card, aka every abusive parent ever lmao

[kitkatt0430]

So I'm finally watching The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and... I'm not sure how I feel about it thus far.

I do like Sam & Bucky's dynamic. Bucky being offended that Sam gave up the shield makes sense because Bucky misses Steve and is projecting things on to Sam. It's not fair, because Sam is his own person and deserves the chance to find himself first, but it's very human of Bucky to behave that way. Especially while he's struggling to make apologies to the people he hurt as the Winter Soldier, probably because he feels it's selfish to seek this catharsis for himself when it means dragging this pain up for them instead.

In turn Sam is also kinda projecting his feelings about Steve onto Bucky. Steve left Sam with a legacy he feels unsuited for, or at least unready for. Bucky is Sam's connection to Steve and he doesn't need Bucky piling on, making him feel guilty about giving up the shield when he already feels bad about it himself. At the same time he really wants to have a good working relationship with Bucky and be there for him in the way he can no longer be for Steve.

Their staring contest therapy is hysterical.

That said, their reaction to John Walker as the new Captain America was a major over reaction and kinda shitty. I get it. They feel like the only person who should be picking up the mantle of Captain America is one chosen by Steve Rogers or at least similar to him in some way. All John really has going for him is he has a very impressive military record. He's a good soldier, but he's not really the kind of person who Steve would have picked and he's got very little in common with Steve, though there are some things they do have in common that stick out.

John is very much suffering from gov officials making promises they didn't intend to keep. Sam gave up the shield with the promise it would be retired and instead the government chose a new Captain America to wield it. Which isn't a great look for the gov where the Avengers are concerned, but it's not exactly unexpected. Despite what Steve clearly believed, Captain America isn't a personal title for Steve Rogers alone... it's an honorary military title. (The fact that they didn't name a new Captain America while Steve was on the run still surprises me, tbh.) And the military is going to use everything at it's disposal to make itself look good which means passing on the mantle one way or another. Sam would've made good optics if he'd accepted and John makes for good optics for completely different reasons.

John was absolutely the wrong choice to be Captain America - honestly he kinda comes off as being in over his head after being picked for being a white guy who bears a superficial resemblance to Steve and has never been accused of terrorism... unlike Steve... which allowed for rehabilitating the Captain America 'brand' for the military. He probably could have made it with support but he gets none and I know from spoilers that Lemar is going to die, sending John over the edge not unlike how Steve reacted when he thought Bucky was in danger. So, you know... superficial resemblance but not entirely superficial.

Honestly, the next Captain America needed to be better than Steve and I could see Sam having that potential. John really just doesn't have it. But that doesn't make him a bad person - he really does seem to me that he's a good person trying his best and it's unfortunate his best isn't enough in this situation.

Anyway, Zemo and Sharon have shown up and I'm enjoying how these two are playing Sam and Bucky to varying degrees. Seriously boys, get your acts together.

So while I'm enjoying a lot of the character interactions overall... this is very much a case of strawman bad guys. Their goals are ultimately good - putting an end to border fanaticism and making immigration between all countries easier is something that very genuinely needs to happen - but their bad methods are used to pretend that increased, selfish nationalism is the right way to go. Someone has to be Captain America. And anything that 'threatens' the borders of America must automatically be bad, including the idea of a world without borders.

There's a lot of rah-rah-USA in the MCU and I knew that going into this show, but it still really sucks a lot of the enjoyment out of watching this for me. When your antagonists are acting in ways inherently anti-thetical to their own stated goals for the sole purpose of making them more villainous/justifiable to treat badly, it makes them less interesting villains overall and it does feel like that's what's going on with the Flag Smashers. It's one thing when bad guys act counter to their cause for a purpose, but when it's solely for drama...

[sailolive93-blog]

The best Guide to Reddit Marketing around 2019

"Yep, i do all my modelling in C4D as I just know the tools so well there. I do minimal retopology in Zbrush on organic shapes but any hard surfaces I make in C4D. I'd recommend the "Introduction to Subdivision modelling in C4D" by Shane Benson on Vimeo (he goes by Sheppard O'Neill on YouTube if you prefer that) and it was his tuts that got me into box and subdiv modelling.

I'm also releasing a modelling workshop in C4D and models from the kitchen scene that these belong to will be in there to��learn. Just not these two as they belong to marketing for the workshop. very well "Brand new Reddit account with two extensive comments defending Boa Vista Orchards huh...? We joked earlier about spotting the Boa Vista account in here but it looks like we actually have lol! > I just talked to the dude who does the marketing for Apple Hill and he sent me this So you just randomly talked to the guy and he emailed over his entire statement...? " "I too wonder why they didn’t just create a new line and call it the mach-e instead of mustang, I believe it has something to do with the marketing department since they knew it’ll stir a lot of discussion" "Precedent suggests it depends on the marketing around the product being sold and the implied purpose. " "Wow, ha. The fact that you think that it’s ok for the government to strip away my personal health insurance so that I HAVE to be on the same shitty plan on everybody else is crazy. If healthcare is “free” and universal, the quality of healthcare is bound to decrease. I can choose to pay for whatever the fuck I want and whatever healthcare I want. I give to charity and I have plans on giving a lot more to charity as I get further in my career and start making more money. Believe it or not, you aren’t the only one that cares about people just because you want “free” healthcare for everybody. And there is also no such thing as free healthcare. It has to be paid somehow and middle class taxes will go up no matter how complicated you try to make the source of payment sound. And regarding free college, that will also raise middle class taxes. You keep bringing up this. 02% of financial transactions bullshit as if that’s going to cover all costs. Have you done studies on this yourself? Do you even know that? You act like all these things can be magically paid for without anybody in the middle class being negatively affected. I have a bachelor’s degree and I didn’t feel like college was very challenging. It was more like a series of annoying classes I didn’t need when all of college could have been boiled down into one year of the core classes of my major of marketing. College is a fuckin scam and it’s only truly necessary for a very limited amount of majors. You’re just another minion that kisses the feet of big-government Democrats that try to make us feel like horrible people for not allowing them to sucks insane amounts of money out of the economy and spend it how they would like to. inch "That's including the localization teams for every language though, as well as PR and marketing. >! Some of them might even be legacy accreditation for the Gen 6 models they're *still* using.! < " "Time is a cost and you should track where that cost is going. That said, if you are working on general administrative/nonbillable stuff within your own department, it's pretty easy to have that time automatically go to the right cost bucket, so generic entries for that sort of thing are fine imo. The stuff that really has to be tracked is anything for clients or for departments that are outside your default (e. g. engineer writes a blog post, that's marketing time etc). micron "I believe there are some lessons on Google Academy for Adss (now called Skillshop) but hands-on experience is tricky. Two ways are possible, 1) is for you to have your own website and use Google Ad Sense, but this is more from the advertiser side rather than publisher or technical side 2) ask a digital or marketing agency that is near you if you can shadow/assist/internship/work experience for a week or so. This may be difficult depending on where you live and agency people are always very busy, so if you do ask tell them how you could help THEM not the other way around. To be honest, start with Analytics and Paid Search as they are arguable more accessible and have more out there for you to learn" "We are in the same boat, but different industry. Here's my approach, starting this week: I'm joining business groups that my target clients are a part of, for example, manufacturer groups. Then I'm going to target that organization with our services. I'm then going to offer to speak about the service I offer and how it helps businesses. Not a marketing spiel, an educational talk. Good luck" "One might consider a lawsuit if a car or alcohol company advocated or implied the action of drinking and driving in their marketing" "This post has been removed for breaking Rule 1. No Spammy Titles. Do not mention anything about selling anything in the title. Absolutely ZERO marketing in the title. Do not even ask for people to contact you for more. Be enticing. Post quality pics with quality titles. Read the rules for info on how to market yourself here. If your posts keep getting removed then you will be banned. READ THE RULES! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Remember to[contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/? to=/r/feetpics) if you have any questions or concerns. *" "I came of grew up and came of age in Chicago during Jordan's time with the Bulls and the shortest answer is that it's almost incomparable because the level of fame basketball players before Michael Jordan was laughably lower than now. Even today MJ has a logo that might be more identifiable than the company that created it. I would argue no athlete in any sport has surpassed MJ's level of fame. MJ pioneered so many avenues of endorsements, its like comparing planes in the era of propeller planes with jet planes. Jordan like most greats, stood on the shoulders of giants, specifically Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Those two spent the better part of the late 70's and early to late 80's dominating the sport of basketball. Also add in Isiah Thomas of the Pistons and arguably "Dr. J" Julius Erving of the 76ers and those four were the superstars of the four teams that won EVERY NBA championship of the decade. Before Michael Jordan won his FIRST NBA Championship in 1991, he was arguably bigger than all of them. Before MJ, being a big name athlete meant getting your name on a breakfast cereal box called Wheaties, and doing the commercial saying the plug line "Gotta eat your Wheaties! " That's not a joke. Check 'em out on youtube, they're cringe worthy. MJ's meteoric rise in my opinion was helped by a few special advertising campaigns. I think first would have been his Nike commercials with Spike Lee, another pioneer. He just made "Do the right thing" at a time when black people making movies with black people in the movies wasn't really a thing. Spike Lee also happens to like playing characters in his own movies and Mars Blackmon was a character in that movie that Spike Lee chose to portray in a series of commericals with Michael Jordan. Again, pardon me for repeating, but I have to say it again for context. You have a supremely talented and charismatic young athlete being marketed by a young shoe company (Converse Chuck Taylors were still THE basketball shoe) hiring a visionary and ground breaking director to do something that had not been done before. And they crushed it. Again, at this time Michael Jordan wasn't winning NBA championships. He was having savant level performances, but get bounced out of the first round by the Celtics, or getting manhandled in the playoffs by the Pistons. By the time he did win it all in 91, MJ was doing things that no one had done in fields well outside basketball. Michael Jordan in Flight is one of the first videogames to have 3D. He had already supplanted Dr J in the one on one basketball video game with Larry Bird. Gatorade put out a marketing campaign with the song "Be Like Mike" and that song was the top song for the summer of 92 in Chicago on most radio stations regardless of genre. You're already familiar with Space Jam, but before Space Jam, the Looney Toons were relegated to afternoon after school syndicated (rerun) television stations. Michael Jordan made Bugs Bunny cool again to a whole new generation that knows of them only through MJ. I hope that helps. inches "Yeah I don't want to turn it around and criticize Musk over this or anything, but Tesla is great at PR and marketing while convincing people they don't actually try to be. inches "No, you dont need more parties, you need to ban all parties and establish government funded elections where everyone with a certain amount of support by the people can run using government money and marketing channels. Equal funding, equal marketing, equal candidacy, by the people, for the people. Sounds too good to be true? Well fuck you, because parties are corrupt barbaric cavemen shit. " " Funny Cartoon Images for website content - Family Funny Images and illustrations, Ultimate single panel funny cartoons used for websites, social media and emails https://www.freecartoonsdaily.com https://www.cartoons.cafe   www.cartoons.cafe www.acmeblanks.com sign up now! Funny Cartoons, Funny family cartoon images, Custom Cartoons, Niche Cartoons, Humorous Illustration Services, Business Cartoons, Medical Cartoons, Custom Comic Strips, Book Illustration Services, Political Cartoons, funny hospital cartoons, cartoons for marketing, corporate cartoons, work cartoons, business cartoons, Computer Cartoons, farmer cartoons, farm cartoons, tractor cartoons, Pig cartoons, pig farmer cartoons, cor farmer cartoons, wheat farmer cartoons, soybean farmer cartoons.... inch "That's including people associated with the marketing and promotion of Sword and Shield, which means people at Nintendo and the Pokemon Company rather than actual programmers at Game Freak working on the game itself. The same article you're looking at gives 200 at Game Freak - which is likely wrong since Game Freak had 143 employees, and Game Freak openly stated most were working on Town. You could include the modelers from Creatures Inc, but given that the models are the same as those developed for X and Y by Creatures Inc years ago, they are likely still being credited for "work" on this game that was actually done quite some time ago. " "Imagine what a lucky break JonTron was for FlexSeal. Their products are actually pretty decent, but their marketing was almost typical infomercial stuff that no-one over fifty would've seen. Next, out of nowhere, some YouTuber makes them famous amongst younger customers. People make "that's a lotta damage, " and "I sawed this boat in half, " memes. Everyone knows who they are. Chances are, when you need some stuff like this you'll at the very least know about their existence and you might buy their stuff because at least you know they're legit. Some people will buy it when they need something like that, literally for the meme. All they have to do is keep the ball rolling with tweets like these (because, of course, people actually follow them on Twitter now). " "That's my point. The pub you linked to is disney land. I'm looking for somewhere that recreates the  a more authentic historical experience. I think these places have got their marketing wrong which is why they are closing. They should be trying to recreate an experience closer to that in the Pathe news reel. If you just sold fresh��baked bread, potted Hare, a variety of local ales you could heat with a poker while smoking a hilarious pipe you could capture a huge slice of the real ale / hipster / foodie market. " "No game in the genre had been competition for the Diablo franchise since it's inception. D3 no matter how you look at it was a huge commercial success being in the top 10 video games sold of all time at one point. Diablo now has become what WoW was before, tons of games saying they are a WoW killer and none of them doing it. So now we looming at Diablo killers but they all end up falling off somewhere because they don't get the same $$$ support / marketing. inch "8M opening weekend bad = bad marketing. Bad quality movie would be revealed in the multiplier (word of mouth and no rewatches). In this case I don’t think there was anything compelling from the movie they could focus the marketing around which led to the 8M OW. " "I’m in the same boat. I have to get 14 credits by may2020. In the last 2 weeks I did principle of marketing 3 credits score 66 and principal of management 3 credits score 62. This week I’ll take precalculas which is 5 credits and calculus which is 4 credits. I did not pay the $89 for the test because I did modernstates which pays the testing fee. It also reimburses me for the $20 testing fee" "Marketing. McAf€€ gets money from users, Micro$oft gets money from McAfee. They beget the green, motherfuckers that they are. Sometimes  http://tipofmytongue.topreddit.info  who install 3^^rd party stuff tho, it's not only Microsoft. Anyway, it's a motherfuckery of bloatware if not malware. "McAfee antivirus is one of the worst products on the planet" -John McAfee" "You're arguing entirely from marketing hype instead of actual quality, which is entirely stupid and comes down entirely to Sont having far greater of a userbase and them having less games to pump more money behind. Besides, let's not pretend Sony has an actual library of games here. Both Xbox and Sony have completely shit the bed this console generation in terms of exclusive libraries. Sony has had like, 8 good games this entire generation as exclusives. You have Death Stranding, Uncharted 4, Horizon, Until Dawn, Bloodborne, God of War, MLB The Show... That's about it? I guess you also have Detroit and Last Guardian depending on who you ask, but I defo don't wanna throw Days Gone on that list. But in any case, you could lump all of those games into loke 3-4 genres. Am I missing anything? But yeah, stop saying dumb shit like "Well its not a household name so its irrelevant" because you're entirely missing the point and reducing the entire industry to what can or can't be marketed. As well, its telling that Sony has stated their goal next-gen is to have less games release but have them be bigger, where Microsoft is going the opposite direction. Keep the the big titles, bur also have a little something for everyone. Diversity is important. Your Battletoads reboot might not sell as well, but its important to folks who like it. Games shouldn't be live or die based on how well they fit in established and marketable trends. Its absurdly reductive" "I actually never had injected one, whats the main difference? And is it really a big improvement or rather a marketing bait" "It’s all part of his NYC persona. Marketing. inches

[thebestoftimes]

50 QUESTION BOOK TAG FOR WORLD BOOK DAY

By me, Jess. I made this for world book day but then got depressed and didn’t post it on time lmao but here ya go kids be warned though it’s a long one. Also the numbers thing got fucked up and I couldn’t fix it.  I got a lot of these questions from other tags I’ve seen and google so if something sounds familiar... that’s why.

Who or what sparked your love of literature?

Aw my parents fueled my book habit when I was a kid and took me to the bookstore all the time and since then all my teachers have always encouraged me and made me love books even more than I thought possible.

Do you have an ‘odd’ book habit? (page sniffing/never leaving the house with a book)

It’s true that I never go anywhere without a book. I got one in my backpack or purse or reading on my phone but it’s always there.

Do you have a book that you think has changed your life? How?

A lot of books and series have made significant impacts on my life (like I can’t picture elementary school without Percy Jackson being in my life) but like as a person I can’t think of any one book that has changed who I am. It’s been a team effort.

Which book have you reread most frequently?

I think I reread Hush Hush every year lmao idk why

You can meet any author and ask one question. What author would you chose and what question would you ask?

I’d want to meet Shakespeare and ask him if all his characters really were just that gay or if we’re all reading too much into it.

Best book published this year so far?

It’s only March but The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Imagine you’ve started a book and don’t like it. Do you see the experience through to the bitter end, or are you able to talk away from it mid story?

I used to always finish what I started but now that I’m in college and have a mountain of a TBR I’ll just stop.

What book is top of your wish list/TBR pile?

Uhh A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos  is on top rn

Favourite place to read?

My bed. Boring but a classic.

If you buy books, do you lend them out? Ever had a bad experience?

Of course. No all my friends respect my stuff and return them promptly.

What fictional character do you ship yourself with?

So many but I think Gansey and I from The Raven Cycle would make the best couple.

Weirdest thing you’ve used as a bookmark

I use whatever near me so I might have done something weirder but lately I’ve been using tissues because I have a tissue box by my bed and never real bookmarks. But I’ve used graded homework, a toy car, a crayon, earbuds, etc.

Favorite quality/qualities in a protagonist and antagonist

Wow this is s hard okay for protag I am a sucker for like stubborn, smartass with a martyr complex. Sad but true. Antags I love a good morally grey character or anti-villain. Tragic backstory but smart as hell. The worst (the best). Characters like the Darkling from The Grisha Trilogy, and Warner from the first Shatter Me book (I know he’s a good guy NOW but back then we all thought he was a sadistic and sexy villain).

Favorite genre and favorite book from that genre.

YA Urban Fantasy babyyy and that’d be City of Bones by Cassandra Clare or Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare:)

  Best/worst movie adaptation in your eyes

Best: Harry Potter and The Hunger Games | Worst: Percy Jackson

Do you prefer reading your own books, or library books?

My own.

How do you choose your next book to read?

Literally whatever I’m feeling like at the moment.

Your favorite word.

I love many words but I have a soft spot for “lively” and “lilt”.

Book that got you hooked on reading/how you got hooked.

I’ve always been obsessed with reading but The Peter and the Starcatchers Series was like my shift from nicotine to heroine.

Opinion on dog-earing, margin writing, ect.

I only write in the margins of books I have to read for class/textbooks. And that’s for studying and active reading purposes. For any other situation: no.

Top 5 immediate to read in no order

A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos

A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

The Wicker King by K. Ancrum

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E Schwab

Most underrated book you’ve read

Definitely The Foxhole Court/ All for the Game series. Fairly small fanbase for some of THE most amazing books I’ve ever read. And the memes will have you in stitches.

What is the first book that catches your eye when you look at your bookshelf?

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell because of the exceedingly bright cover/spine haha

How do you arrange your books on your shelves?

LOL I do not have a system at all. I keep series and authors together and that’s it. Everything is placed where there is room.

You have the power to change a book’s ending. Which ending would you change and what would you make happen instead?

I’d change the end to Allegiant and SPOILERS SPOILERS not make Tris fucking die over her shitty ass brother. I know why she did it but like Veronica girl wyd with that. And I’d want the entirety of Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins to be rewritten into a book that just focused on the domestic life of Finnick and Annie and no one dies.

Favourite book cover?

This is SO HARD. Either The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin or Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Which book from your childhood has had the most impact on you?

My entire personality was shaped by the Maxmimum Ride series by James Patterson. For better and worse.

When reading, what do you value most: writing style, characters, plot, world building, pacing, etc?

Characters. I think all of those things are essential and as I read more and more, the pickier I get, but I find myself leaning towards being a fan of a book when I become obsessed with the characters. Like hey!! New friends!!! For my brain!!!

Do you prefer buying books or borrowing them from a library/friend?

Buying them even though I shouldn’t. It’s a real problem.

What books/sequels that are being published this year are you most excited for?

SO MANY OH MY GOD

Okay some of these already came out because it’s March right now but I’ll include them anyways.

SEQUELS/ SPIN-OFFS AND SHIT

The Wicked King by Holly Black; King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo; Dream by Natalia Jaster; Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare; The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare; Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco, Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater; Defy Me by Tahereh Mafi; The Shaw Confessions #3 by Michelle Hodkin

FIRST BOOKS

The Binding by Bridget Collins; Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan; The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi; A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer; Romanov by Nadine Brandes; The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen; The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

Which fictional character would you want as a sidekick?

Percy Jackson because he’s my firstborn son and one of my favourite characters of all time. He is talented, smart, hilarious, an amazing friend, and the sweetest of boys (when he isn’t the sassiest of boys).

How many books have you read so far this year?

Only 15 I am so behind :(

What’s been your favourite read so far this year?

Oh man. Gotta be Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo :)

You’re stuck on an island with a suitcase big enough to hold five books. What books are they?

I probably shouldn’t cheat and say How to Build a Boat huh

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

The King’s Men by Nora Sakovic

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

If you had to go out to dinner with any character who would it be and why? What would you talk about?

Will Herondale and we’d talk about books

Is there a book you have such a hatred for that you would throw it off of the highest tower knowing that the last copy of it will be destroyed so that not another living soul can read it or would you rather keep it and give it to someone else who might actually enjoy it?

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne or After by Anna Todd

Do you believe books make nice decoration?

I mean. I think they should be read before used as decor but I love showing off my books so I guess both. But I don’t believe in buying books for the purpose of decoration instead of reference or reading lol

Do you listen to music when you read? Or do you need complete silence? 

I need silence or low amount of white noise. I used to read and listen to Taylor Swift when I was a kid but I can’t do it anymore.

Do you have a favorite book? If not are you in the group that believes there are too many great books out there to just choose one?

I tell people it’s City of Bones by Cassandra Clare but in all honesty no I don’t have a favourite.

Do you sleep with books under your pillow.

Nope

Do you go to the library or do you have a book buying addiction or are you one of those lucky people who is able to do both?

I do both. Mostly bookstore though.

Own any book inspired clothing?

Yes. Several items :)

Have you ever read a book in another language?

I read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Tristan and Isolde, and Beauty and the Beast in French. And parts of Les Mis.

Strangest book you’ve ever read?

John Dies at the End by David Wong. Still not sure exactly what was going on. 

Favourite type of non-fiction?

Memoirs babey

Favourite non-fiction?

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Favourite subject to read about?

History

Favourite book you’ve read in school?

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Favourite work of Shakespeare?

Hamlet

Character you’d love as a mom or dad or guardian?

Hmm Sally Jackson, The Women of 300 Fox Way, or Tessa and Will (they totally count because The Last Hours Series)

I tag literally whoever wants to do this and @fangirl-daydreamer97 @acleeds12 @iviisastrawberry @221bdoom @bicycles-bees-bisexuals @betterthanapit @dippindots126 @vlctorvale

[saeranlover]

Here’s the first part of the backstory of one of my main OC’s (Ciel’s) grandmother... I’m literally just rambling and going with the flow lmao-

“You don’t get it, do you?! Those things are biologically inclined to kill, and attack, and cause suffering! They can’t do good, Alessia!”

“You’re a stubborn little suck-up, Sol! Some angels are annoying – like you – so surely that means that some demons can be good too!” With a slight huff, the dark haired woman turned her back, and tapped her foot. “Stop being so judgemental!”

It was a clear understatement to say that the duo were causing a scene in the town centre, with the noise of the fountain not even being enough to drown out the bickering. The fight had been started simply by Sol, the man of the two, mentioning how his parents had imprisoned a demon for simply entering the heavens, despite them insisting it was an accident. Sol had made a slight remark that it was ‘a good riddance’, and had set Alessia off in a fit of anger.

However, at the point which the fight had reached… It seemed that neither angel was going to get their point through to the other.

Alessia’s shoulders dropped when she heard her friend muttering to himself as he briskly walked away, leaving the onlookers giving her intense stares from all directions. Needless to say, she didn’t stick around for much longer. She had to find a demon who could prove her point… prove that not all demons could be given the brand of a nuisance.

Luckily for her, she had been doing her research… There was a popular gathering place for demons in the human world – at first glance, it was merely just an inn of sorts… But everyone who worked there was a demon.

She had to admit, she liked the concept.

Once she had calmed herself down and pulled herself together, Alessia left the heavens without saying a word to anyone… She didn’t want anyone disturbing her after all.

It didn’t take her long to locate the place where the demons were all gathering, seeming as most humans she could see quite clearly avoided the place, as well as because of the dark aura which she could pick up from the building. It did scare her somewhat, but she was not in the mood to return home upset that she couldn’t even approach a demon, let alone say that she feared them.

Inside, the heavy feeling on her chest… subsided, for some reason. Everyone inside was laughing and smiling, enjoying their time. To Alessia, it seemed as though despite them being known to angels as beings which only knew suffering as a form of entertainment… They were also inclined to other emotions. She couldn’t wait to rub that in Sol’s face-!

“… Hey. You. Stranger. What made you walk into this place, rather than the other inn down the street? People prefer that other inn.” Alessia flinched when somebody tapped at her shoulder and spoke, so she quickly turned around to be met by a man who was tall just like her, but a slight bit shorter… Definitely taller than everyone else there though. “Hey, answer me.” He ran his hand through his hair, which was a pale green colour and just as odd as some of the other colours around, before raising his eyebrow.

She clenched her fists slightly, before taking a deep breath. “This is the place… where demons meet, correct?”

The entire building fell silent, as though she had said something which she shouldn’t have.

For a few moments, the person who had spoken to her looked curious, before a smirk grew on his face. “And if I’m guessing correctly, based on the shitty clothes you’re wearing… You’re an angel, right?” When Alessia bit her lip, the man laughed. “Well, it seems that you’ve got the right place, little angel… The thing is, we don’t let your kind in here. You’ve all imprisoned, traumatised, and even killed our friends, our families, and all those dear to us… And sweetie, you chose the wrong day to even try to set foot here…”

“Well I came here to prove to the others that you’re all not the maniacs they think that you are-!” The frustration on Alessia’s face seemed to be nothing but entertaining to the demon as he placed his arm over her shoulders. “I just want to talk-!”

“Relax, we’re not going to hurt you… However… We can’t be having any other angels come to this place, so you’re not going to be returning to your home.” He then laughed as she tried to shove him away unsuccessfully. “And as I said before – you chose the wrong day to come here. You see… My name is Dusk Lovell. I am the newly crowned king of Hell.”

All colour drained from Alessia’s face then. She’d heard horror stories about him!

“As king of Hell… I can punish you for your crime of trespassing onto demon territory, even if it’s for such a sweet little reason of trying to prove that we’re not as bad as we’re made out to be. And so...” By this point, she was both angry and scared, made worse by the fact that some demons were cheering on their king, others were hissing at her, and some even seemed to be intensely staring at her. Before she could try to make a final attempt to back away from Dusk, her leg turned horribly cold and she realised that he had wrapped his tail around her ankle. “I sentence you to, hmm… How does life imprisonment in my castle as my entertainment sound? I quite like the thought of it, you’ve brought me much more fun over these few minutes than the fallen angels sent to Hell by your silly head angels have over many years...”

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

“Son, you’ve not been speaking to that friend of yours recently… Normally the two of you are attached to each others’ side! What has happened to her? And what about that marriage proposal you wanted to do?” In the heavens, Sol had been rather silent since his argument with Alessia. His parents had been highly concerned for him, as he had been acting completely out of character since that day.  He had planned to ask for her to be his lover the time where he had seen her last, but their argument had sent things completely off-track.

“… I don’t know. I haven’t seen or heard from her since we argued. Her family says that she hasn’t been home since that day too.”

“But Sol, that would mean she has been missing for a whole week!”

Sol remained silent, before he leaned against the window he was stood by, and gazed outside. He hoped that she would appear in the garden like she usually would do – there was a tree which the two of them had planted a few weeks earlier which she loved to check up on, to make sure that it would thrive. Eventually though, he got distracted by the flow of the stream until his eyes closed, and he fell into a light sleep.

Unfortunately, Sol was woke up by the sound of a loud knock on the door, followed by his parents talking. He was curious, so he went to the stairs and slowly made his way down until he could overhear the conversation which was being held.

“Y- Yes, this letter was directed to both of you… A- And it a- appears to have been sent by the demon royal family...”

“What?! Pass it here, quickly!”

“Let me see it too, dear...”

There was a slight silence for about a minute, before there was the sound of a frustrated shout. “The demons have what?! That angel is our son’s closest friend! And they’re holding her as a prisoner until we release all of our demon prisoners! They believe that one angel life is enough to free hundreds of their disgusting kind?!”

Sol couldn’t quite believe what he had just overheard, so he slowly emerged in the room where his parents were talking, his entire body visibly shaking.

“Mother… Father… Did you just say… That Alessia is being held prisoner by d- demons…?”

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

Alessia had no idea how long she had been stuck inside this one small room. All that she could remember was struggling to get away from Dusk, much to the delight of the other demons… Then everything went black, and she woke up on the bed by the barred window of the room.

Not once had she seen any living soul from inside the room, she had only heard the occasional noise of executions outside… Demons were more disgusting than she had been led to believe…

One thing was currently scaring her more than anything though – she could feel everything about her which made her an angel diminishing. Her powers of healing were weakening, as she couldn’t even deal with the bruises which were covering her leg from when Dusk’s tail had grabbed hold of her. Her wings, on the odd occasion where she could get them to appear, were growing weaker and were constantly in pain. The only thing which relieved her was that she wasn’t stuck there as a fallen angel – that meant that her wings wouldn’t begin to turn all red and dark, and also that if she ever could, she would be able to leave Hell without any consequences.

Suddenly, as she sighed quietly, the door opened. Fear filled her body, and from the corner of her eyes, she could see that it wasn’t just any demon who had entered… “I’m not speaking to you, Dusk.”

“Well, isn’t it a shame that I’m talking to you, Alessia? Yes, that’s right… I’ve found out your name. I sent a little message to the big-shots in your silly Heavens… And they replied in a rather hostile way. So, I think that you’re definitely going to be staying here now. And to think, if they would have released the demon prisoners, I would have let you leave...” He approached her as she silently stared at the floor, before he threw a piece of paper at her face. “Read it. You can see just how ‘kind’ and ‘pure’ your leaders are.”

As much as she didn’t want to believe it was a real letter, Alessia recognised the handwriting which was on the paper… That was definitely the writing of Sol’s mother – one of the two head angels. As well as that, there was all of the official seals on the paper… It made her want to cry as she picked it up, and looked at what was there.

‘To the so-called ‘king’ of the demons,

How DARE you capture one of our kind, when you and your animals are constantly torturing us and the humans. The lady which you are holding as your unlawful prisoner is the love interest of my son, the next in line to become head angel. As such, we demand her release immediately, or there shall be consequences. All demons being held within the heavens have been sentenced to death already – you would not wish for worse to happen, would you?’

Alessia tensed up reading the letter, before she creased it up in her hand before dropping it onto the ground. She knew that Sol’s parents were strongly anti-demon, but actually saying that an angel’s life was worth more… it almost disgusted her. Angels and demons existed to create a balance in the human world – Angels to protect and guide the humans, demons to invoke the negativity in their lives to provide growing experiences to make the humans stronger…

“… This is exactly why I wanted to prove to them that demons aren’t all bad! Just as some angels are bad, some demons can be good...” Tears were pouring down Alessia’s face by then, before Dusk kneeled down in front of her and took hold of her chin so that she would look at him.

“Well, sweetie… I have a proposal. I will grant you more freedoms as my prisoner, as long as you assist me in a little task which I have to show those idiots that demons can’t be bad… You get what you wanted, and more freedom during your life imprisonment… And I get those fools off my back, even if it’s for a short while… We struggle greatly as a race when angels are breathing down our necks constantly.” Dusk then held out his other hand, a devious smile on his face.

Much to his surprise… Alessia took hold of his hand and nodded.

“… They’re being rather shocking. I want them to stop… I’ll help you. Just… Don’t call me ‘sweetie’. Please.”

[desdemona-wren]

V.A.A{p}

1. What color is your character’s hair?

Naturally black, currently in the story line I believe it is Magenta or Amaranth. May also be a bright icy blue. She changes it rather often. 

2. What color are your character’s eyes?

Gray, but they can’t seem to make up their mind as to whether they want to look greenish or blueish. As is the case with light eyed people. 

3. What color is your character’s skin?

She’s part Thai and part Greek (and all American) so she’s fairly tan. 

4. What special aesthetic characteristics does your character have?

She’s got cool hair. 

5. Does your character have any piercings? Tattoos?

Septum. Ears pierced thrice on each side (standart lobe, double upper lobe). Daith piercing in left ear (with cute crescent moon shaped earring). industrial piercing in right ear (may or may not be an arrow. long live the goddess artemis u fools). You could TECHNICALLY call the buying/selling runes embedded in her wrists piercings since they’re permanent runes. She also has a navel piercing because how could she not? And a smiley piercing. Maybe even a few “down under”. Not that you could prove it. 

Forgot this also asked about tattoos. She doesn’t have anything too visible. She has the phases of the moon across her back (right shoulder to left shoulder) in an eerie metallic gold that’s 1 part magic, 2 parts irradiated fuckery. And one on her arm somewhere. Don’t know what its of. Her favorite animal probably. 

6. What’s the sexiest physical characteristic of your character?

Definitely her giant nose. 

7. What’s the ugliest physical characteristic of your character?

Uh. She has really bad breath in the morning. 

( I'M HER MOTHER. 

SHE'S PERFECT IN MY EYES.

EVEN IF HER BOOBS ARE LOPSIDED AND SHE HAS WEIRD QUESTIONABLE SCARS AND SHE HAS A HUGE NOSE

I LOVE HER THE WAY SHE IS)

BONUS: What element of their appearance is your character most insecure about?

Violet is really insecure about her height. She thinks she’s too short. 

8. What does your character wear?

She’s a goth so. Bright colors and idk rainbows. That’s what goths wear, right?

9. When your character smiles, what does their smile look like?

Probably a little terrifying. Or awkward. She’s not much of a smiler. 

10. What does your character’s laugh sound like?

Harsh and deep but feminine. Or when she’s nicer and isn’t being a bitch her laughter is kind of melodic and contagious. 

BONUS: What sort of things would make your character laugh?

Generally being mean to Jasmine or pulling a really good prank. Though she also laughs a lot when flirting. 

11. What is your character’s normal style of speech?

Her voice is slightly raspy, but light. Most of the time she sounds annoyed.

BONUS: What are some memorable things your character has said that showcase their unique voice?

“Female orgasm enhancement?” She asked, tapping her long black fingernail against the front of the bottle. She moved her gaze from the potion in her hand to take in the two officers before her.

“Your,” she cleared her throat, quirking an eyebrow at the male officer, “partner not pulling his weight?”

12. How does your character express/handle anger?

By blowing shit up and losing control. Or also being a petty bitch. There is no in-between. 

13. Does your character cry?

Everybody cries.

BONUS: What sorts of things would make them cry?

Idk man. Maybe breaking a nail or ripping her brand new tights or getting kidnapped and tortured for three years only to find out everything she’s ever known is a lie and her entire life is in shambles. 

14. How easy is it for other people to read your character’s emotions?

I mean. By nature her entire species has difficulty expressing and reading emotions so. I mean, I don’t think people can really read each other that well. 

15. Is your character religious?

She’s basically obsessed with sun gods and moon goddesses. Casters don’t have to be religious, but some of those who use witchcraft or “the old ways” find it comforting to believe in something. Violet is one of those people. 

16. How does your character view those of other faiths?

She doesn’t care about them. It doesn’t directly affect her, after all. 

17. What are your character’s core values?

I mean. First do no harm? She was training to be a medical caster so she wants to help people. She has a lot of good ideas on how to fix things in magical society, but she’s lost her way a little bit. 

18. How willing is your character to fight for those values?

She’s done a lot of things. Even sort of pimping herself out to better science.

19. What is your character’s favorite food?

She’s real into fruit. And maybe also too much into khao neow sang kaya. 

20. What is your character’s favorite color?

Gold.

21. What are your character’s sleeping preferences?

When she was in the medical corps she pushed herself until she passed out somewhere weird. Now that she works in a store she gets between 6 to 8 hours a night. Sometimes more. She’s a lot more well rested than she used to be. 

Habit wise she generally sleeps in her bed, hair up, shorts and a tanktop and completely diagonal across the whole thing. In med corps she was lucky if she found a nice hard floor to pass out on. 

BONUS: What position does your character typically sleep in?

Diagonally across her bed on her stomach or right side. 

22. What is your character’s sexual identity?

Cis female? If that’s what you’re asking. Fuck it I’m combining 22 and 23. Violet is canonically cis female and bisexual. 

23. What are your character’s sexual preferences?

BONUS: What sexual experiences or choices does your character feel especially good or bad about?

Violet hasn’t done a lot of the sex. She hasn’t had time with her medical career. They start training really young and everyone is really serious about it. So she doesn’t have much to feel good or bad about. She’s largely neutral to the whole thing. Dancing naked in the moonlight covered in blood and surrounded by a dozen of your peers before ominously chanting some weird song prior to a three day orgy is normal every day wixen shit, after all. 

24. What type of music does your character like?

Violet likes 80′s female power ballads and music without lyrics that she can work to. Movie scores are generally a favorite since most of those are instrumental. 

BONUS: Does your character have a song that is “their song”?

Uh. Fite me.

25. What is your character’s birthday?

She’s a Sagittarius. December 2nd. 

BONUS: Does their astrological sign seem to fit them?

Violet is a Sagittarius and she does have a thirst for knowledge and an impressive intellect. She’s curious and quick-witted and extroverted. So I’d say it fits her well, but that’s why I chose the sign for her in the first place. 

26. What family structure did your character have growing up?

She doesn’t remember much about her parents, they died in a fire when she was young. She grew up with her older sister in a boarding school. They were rather staunch and strict, but she had a cool lady named Hecate around to help her realize her true potential. 

27. How well did your character get along with their family?

Violet and her older sister, Persephone get along famously. Plus her mother figure, Hecate is constantly around being her best self. She has a pretty great family dynamic. 

28. What is the worst thing your character has ever done?

Probably left that sticky note for Jasmine. 

29. What is the best thing your character has ever done?

That remains to be seen. 

30. What is the most significant romantic encounter of your character’s past?

Uh. She stabbed Jasmine in the hand once. 

31. Has your character ever been in love?

Not that she knows of. So far. In this time line. 

32. Has your character ever been in lust?

Uhhh. Sure. All those orgies. 

33. What is your character’s level of sexual experience?

Pretty lacking. She’s only been to a few blood/moon orgies. 

34. What is your character’s most embarrassing moment?

Lol generally existing. But no really, probably accidentally stabbing a cop in the hand. 

35. What is your character’s biggest goal in life?

to SUCCEED AT THE THING SHE WANT TO SUCCEED AT CAUSE IT IS A THING TO DO AT ALL THE COSTS.

Also to change the cost of casting. She wants to erase the emotional disconnect it causes in wixen and magical beings of all types. It’s sort of a huge problem. Though for a long time she goes about that the wrong way. 

36. What does your character believe is their greatest virtue?

Probably being a healer.

37. What does your character believe is their greatest vice?

Probably not knowing when to stop a bad or toxic behavior due to being casted out. Overcasting is a huge bad habit she’s picked up recently. She’s never been able to cast recreationally before leaving the medical corps to help her sister with their new potions shop. So she’s gone overboard lately and it’s been sort of ruining her life. 

38. What motivates your character most?

A strong desire to find an easy way out of her past mistakes and hopefully make things better for future generations. 

39. Is your character objective-oriented?

I mean, probably? We’ve already discussed her interest in goals? I don’t understand why this question is even here.

40. Would your character rather be a great person or a good person?

Violet is offended by this question. It’s a fucking weird stupid ass question. 

41. Would your character rather be hated for being who they are or loved for pretending to be someone else?

Violet doesn’t give a fuck. If you don’t like her, that’s your problem, fam. 

42. Is your character an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert?

Extroverted. 

43. Is your character creatively expressive?

I mean. Sure, if you consider potion making an surgery and art. I suppose. I mean, she makes potion making look fucking cool. 

44. What’s your character’s disorder?

Violet is a giant fucking nerd.

Who is cursed with a flair for the dramatic along with the crippling depression, lack of empathy or any sort of emotional understanding, and general shitty person disorder that comes along with magic and its use in modern society. Wixen are very off-putting to say the least. 

45. What is your character’s standard emotional state?

Stressed. Probably angry. Maybe a little confused. At least at first, until she goes through a brief apathetic phase. Then basically constant earth shattering rage. 

46. Is your character materialistic?

Sure. Violet likes pretty things. What 19 year old isn’t a little materialistic. 

BONUS: What are some of your character’s prized possessions?

Man her weird spiral rainbow wand that she doesn’t use because wands have been obsolete for centuries. But the ~~~aesthetic~~~ tho. 

47. What is your character’s major learning style?

Practical application. Putting herself in a situation or a simulation that would require her to use the knowledge she’s been provided with and has studied several times. She learns both by reading and by doing. 

48. What question isn’t on this questionnaire that your character is just burning to answer?

She likes girls more than dudes even though she’s bi. She also wants to have a pet red panda because they’re cute. Her favorite animal is probably a bear. Idk. 

49. I am a _________. How would your character complete that sentence?

“I am a medical professional and this is jackass.”

50. Life is an act of _________ing. What verb would your character use to complete that sentence?

Dude probably “fucking” what kind of a dumb ass sentence is this. Violet is fucking perturbed. 

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

This was a great read, people! A really great read. I devoured it like crazy… and laughed so really hard. It’s like the equivalent of a great page-turner, that you know is, in fact, very bad. You can’t help reading it but a voice in your head tells you “bad bad bad” in a loop. Great read, bad pilot. For Loveis quite something. To be honest, it’s not like I expected much from it. Since the logline I knew. I knew they ordered it for bad reasons. Those reasons are still mysterious to me, though. Because I can’t even imagine there was not at least one better and more worthy pilot script than For Love in development. What’s with Michael Cooney exactly? It’s his third pilot pick-up at ABC after Runner in 2015 and Spark in 2016. And well, those two were not great either, but way better than For Love. I don’t want to make any assumptions but there is something really bizarre here… They probably saw it as a potential Once Upon A Time successor. But do they really need one for a show that is currently doing horrendous ratings on friday night? I don’t think so. Let it die and don’t even try to replicate its distant success.

Anyway, yes, it’s as cheesy as the title suggests. That’s not the only problem, though a big one that makes most of the early dialogues completely ridiculous. Cheesy can be charming and comfy. Look at The Good Doctor, ABC’s new hit. It can be sometimes, but it’s okay. Because you care about the characters and because the writing is solid. Other example: long-running Once Upon A Time again. What saved it even when it became really bad? The Disney brand. The famous characters. The nostalgia. There is nothing that can save For Love. Most of the characters are bland, one-dimensional, even the heroine. She has nothing special going for her. Except she’s a journalist, and I can’t think of a lot of journalist characters on broadcast networks right now. Her best friend is, for now, just her best friend. And nothing else seems to be going on in her own life. Uninteresting. The men are love interests, not much more. The dead one is a perfectly annoying prince charming kind of guy, while the alive one is flavorless. Both come off as corny, silly. Maybe the actors can make them more charismatic but it’s not like they chose them for their acting skills… The bitch? It’s soapy so of course there’s a bitch! Not even her can do magic! She’s not a “good” bitch. She’s certainly not nice but her bitchiness is not funny in action.

There’s one character though that I’m in love with. For all the bad reasons. She’s named Marie Jojo. Which is already funny in itself. She’s a 90 year-old woman, trapped in the body of a 12 year-old. Well, it’s more complicated than that but I won’t bore you with the details. Let’s just say the Dumaines are actually immortal voodoo practitioners who transfer their souls from body to body so they can live forever. They adopted a poor child so Marie Jojo, the matriarch, can still make their lives a living hell every damn day! And I can’t wait to watch her scenes if the pilot gets picked-up. I mean, a 12 year-old talking like a mean grandma must be a precious thing to witness. It has every chance to look totally ridiculous! That’s where all the fun is. That’s how For Love must be watched, I guess. As a very guilty pleasure that even Lifetime or Freeform -and they know a thing or two about shitty shows- would even be ashamed to air. But really, that’s where it should end up just in case ABC Studios think that this jewel needs to exist for real. I know I’m very mean right now and I’m sorry for this. But when I get the chance to review something as bad as For Love, I do it with all my heart… and bile acid.

What else can I tell you? There’s a Russian psychic, a weird guy with a skull levitating by his sides, a whole fake circus coming alive with dragons, fire and eveything as part of a magic trick to scare the heroine. Can’t wait for the OUAT special effects team doing their magic! Rival families, a war which is brewing, our little Hope caught in the middle of all this, not knowing what to do and who to believe. But she keeps on moving “FOR LOVE” of course… I give you one thing, only one thing that I like about this script: its setting. New Orleans is not that much used for television shows. The Originals recently, season 3 of American Horror Story… And it’s too bad because there’s a rich history there to delve into. For Love doesn’t even try. There’s a great sense of the geography of the city, the old part of it, the more recent one. But does it say something about it? No. Not yet at least. One character is a candidate for mayor so there could be a political story to tell too. But honestly, will they ever make something out of it? Probably not. That’s not their subject. Their subject is magic. And their love triangle. And a TV show based on a love triangle can’t be good by the way. Love triangles are okay for a few episodes, maybe a few seasons if you’re inspired (Dawson’s Creek dit it, The Vampire Diaries too). But not an entire show.

I took a long hard look at this script. I read it from the first line to the last. I didn’t skip any. And I decided I didn’t want to be a part of it. AT ALL. Even though I shamelessly enjoyed it sometimes. For Love is ridiculous, simply ridiculous. And ABC isn’t that desperate. Nothing would justify a series order. Nothing! I sound very dramatic but I’m appalled by what I just read. If somehow they pick-it up, then it’s dark magic, voodoo dolls, I don’t know, but not the decision made by someone in his right mind. For the love of God, can someone cast a spell to erase it from ABC’s roster? 

sources: Season Zero

[loycos]

i finished watching the Judas Contract.

ok, guys, let me explain before i start. 1 )I’ve been a fan of the Titans for a long time. i watched the animated series when it aired, when i was 10 y\o. read the comics when i was 16. i prefer the comics version of the characters, but my favorite characters are still the titans i loved from the animated series- i just love their comic book, older personas better. these characters mean a lot to me.

2) i’m used to seeing a lot of shitty products with their brand name on them.

3) i have an entire au in my head that is based around them- it sort of combines my favorite elements from the show and comics into one.

I’m telling u all of it because this is the closest version i’ve seen of the titans i have in my head. and for that, i’m already impressed. i enjoyed this movie a lot- i know it’s far from being perfect, and i’ll address it soon. but my review is mostly positive, because i came in with very low expectations, and got a pretty good product. 

spoilers from now on:

* i’m confused as to why the beginning flashback was the one they chose. it doesn’t have much to do with the subject of the film- you’d think they’ll open with a flashback that shows how terra even got on the team- the only thing we saw last movie was her flying on a rock towards the titans tower. by the second scene of this movie, you already have her on the team, and no one questions it. but even me, who saw the last movie and is very familiar with the story they’re gonna tell, was taken aback for a second. TL;DR- introduce this lady properly to the viewers before diving in the deeper meta of her existence.

* the dialogue is quick and most of the jokes hit right. i laughed quite a few times. Raven’s snarky-ness works here. actually, everyone’s kind of snarky- except Kory, ofc- but hey, theyre teenagers.

* they actually foreshadow?? quite a few things a s well?? like Kory randomly hangs weapons on the walls of their new apartment and Dick kinda questions it but it mostly seems like a comedic thing- but in a later scene it pays off. they do it a lot with other things as well.

*everyone’s relatable (except the villains, of course. unless youre sleeping with minors  or taking a bath in someone else’s blood, that is). they added tiny scenes here and there to remind u that nobody on this team is perfect. the most obnoxious members for me are Damian and BB- and while they were cocky and bratty as usual, i didnt mind it as much cause they were given more depth and less screentime (ehm DAMIAN).

*the story follows the original comic pretty closely, for all the good parts. the cool machine the titans were put into- the exact same design. Nightwing saving the day. the cheesy traps the titans fell for. some shots are like panels from the comic, it’s insane. 

*minor detail that i liked- in the last fight, when they were fighting against Deathstroke\Brother Blood simultaneously- notice how Robin and Nightwing took care of Deathstroke, who is an assassin without superpowers while the super powered titans- Starfire, Raven, BB and Beetle took care of the  superpowered villain. small detail but it makes sense. no more Damian taking down a bunch of demons.

the characters, in general:

*Damian got his ass kicked. a lot. finally. and then Deathstroke makes a comment about it!?!? like dude knew exactly what i was thinking lol.

*BB shows some emotions beyond ‘turned on’ and ‘cocky’. his jokes are corny... it’s not even a complaint cause that’s comics bb for u. ppl who only watched the animated series dont know the pain.  

*stop making him say ‘mama’ tho. it throws me off the scene.

*Dick finally has something to do!?! i would say he’s the most boring out of the main characters, but he’s not bad at all. he kicked some ass there.

*Blue Beetle. i loved his portrayal here. A+

*Terra was given an interesting backstory, and yet they didnt turn her into this woobie teenager that was mislead (i mean she was, but shes far from innocent) they showed that some people cant escape their dark past, even if they’re not 100% evil. I loved how Terra was handled here- shes more like her comic book version, but not as over the top and ridiculous. i can actually believe that they fell for her scam here. 

*Raven didn’t have much to do in here, but she was definitely entertaining.i wish they would drag the Terra\Raven tension more, it was a big thing in both the comics and the show.

*and last but not least, my absolute fav, the orange wife herself, Starfire. She... was nice. she seem to have some debuts about her capability as a leader, shes never dumbed down. She visually looks better in this film (so does Raven, btw). i wish we’d seen more of her struggles, but i dont know if it’s just my inner fangirl starving for more or she was actually lacking something. i guess that because it’s not her story she doesnt get much of the spotlight, but comon. when is it EVER gonna be her story??? i’m waiting dc. that flashback doesnt count, it had nothing to do with anything.

*oh yeah, the villains. Deathstroke was so sassy lol. he broke the 4th wall a few times, called Damian a brat and kicked his ass (he’s a kid tho, slade, fucking chill). has a romance with Terra (i DIDNT think they would go in that direction holy shitttt)

*brother blood monologuing in his dramatic voice... very comic book like. ha.

*Jericho and Wondergirl.... well next movie i guess.

*some scenes were incredibly cheesy, but there werent that many.

* animation was AWFUL but it’s tolerable.

overall: its an ensemble film. and they did their best crouching as much character development and personality without losing track of the story. the result is decent enough. I personally loved it, if youre a fan of the titans i’d say its a must.

[someguyranting1]

What’s in a Scene? How SAO Became the Worst Anime Ever

Sword Art Online is ass. OP to ED and everything in between, the whole thing stinks and I hate it. But I didn’t always. As a matter of fact, when the series first started airing, I thought, “This is okay. I mean, I’ve seen better, but I’ve seen worse, too. I’ll see where this goes.” Somewhere between that and this, though, that stopped being my response to the show. At a certain point, I could no longer form words and was mostly just vomiting blood for the duration of each episode. And I’m not alone in that. Pretty much everyone over the age of 12 agrees that this show sucks.

What they don’t agree on is WHEN it started sucking. When did Sword Art Online get terrible? Some would say it happened when they locked the only likeable character in a rape dungeon and made Kirito’s sister want to fuck him. Others would point to the gratuitous tentacle rape scene, and boy, gee whiz, there sure is an excessive amount of sexual assault in this show. Then there’s the “I told you so” camp who say it was terrible all along and all of the bullshit just made you realize that after the fact.

For me, there’s a precise moment when Sword Art Online goes from being okay to being one of the worst fucking shows ever, and it’s all Yui’s fault. Yeah, you heard me: your innocent daughteru ruined fucking everything. Let me explain.

In the beginning, Sword Art Online had some stuff going for it. Not a lot (the fight choreography was always pretty bad, the cast was always bland, and the premise was never original), but it had a solid sense of tone. We’d seen “trapped in an MMO” stories before, but never with this kind of horror tinge to them. The world of Aincrad had this oppressive air hanging over it. From very early on, there was this sense that just about anyone could die at any moment. The first few episodes do a great job of establishing that. And while it didn’t break any new ground in terms of character writing, it had some good stand-alone episode plots, like the one where all of Kirito’s friends got murdered, and the whole murder mystery thing where they’re trying to figure out how somebody was breaking the rules of the game, and… Actually, those were the only really interesting episodes, but hey, lots of okay show have had less.

The main thing that the show had going for it early on was that underlying sense of dread. It felt like something where nobody, except for this one guy, was ever really safe. Nobody important died after the first few episodes, but that was fine...for a while. If the show was kill-happy all the time, that would be a problem in itself. You’ve gotta pace these things. It’s hard to get attached when characters are going in and out through a revolving door.

Still, by Episode 10, there had been enough near misses that it seemed like Kirito and his harem might be a little too invulnerable. It seemed like the right time to kill someone off to raise the stakes. It’s at this point that they chose to introduce Yui.

If you don’t know (congratulations, you’ve saved yourself from a shitty show), Yui is a little girl who Kirito and Asuna find wandering around the woods near their home and decide to adopt as their daughter. She’s sweet and innocent and might as well be walking around with a timer counting down to her sad death. It’s cheap and lazy enough to introduce a pure cinnamon roll character purely for the sake of killing them off, but that’s not nearly bad enough writing on its own to drag this show down to the total dog shit territory it now occupies.

The bigger problem with this is tied to what Yui is. Yui is actually a fully-sentient AI, which means that she’s the only character in the entire cast who, if killed, could be brought back. And that’s very, very bad for the show because if Yui dies and is then brought back, that renders the threat of death from a narrative standpoint permanently meaningless.

Remember: as of this episode, that’s the ONLY interesting thing about SAO. Death in media isn’t interesting because, “Oh, they’re dead! That’s sad! I’m sad!” It’s interesting because it inherently changes the dynamics of a story. A character who was once a force in the narrative now ISN’T. Any arc that they might have been going through is cut abruptly short, and from this point forward, the writers can’t rely on their presence to move the story forward or build up other characters.

Most stories never pull that trigger, and I’m cool with that because, like I said, it’s hard to write around. I’m okay with a show being a little toothless as long as the story is engaging and the characters are fun. Also, there are plenty of ways to make your characters suffer without killing them off.

However, when a show acts like death means something and then does something that very transparently reveals that the writers aren’t willing to sacrifice potential plot lines, it’s like watching Mickey Mouse take his head off at Disneyland: it ruins the magic. There are RULES against this kind of shit. If a character dies and is then brought back, you might as well write, “And then they got on a bus for a couple of weeks,” for all the fucking difference it makes.

Obviously when the show was airing, I was really dreading this prospect. I was hoping that the show would pull something out of left field, maybe fake me out and kill Asuna or Kirito off, instead of do the stupid, obvious thing that it was definitely going to do. But then, I got to the end of Episode 12 and I watched Kirito and Asuna mourn for little baby Skynet, and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

IT WAS WORSE! They don’t just kill Yui off in the most trite way possible; they do it while immediately undercutting all of the dramatic weight of the moment because, as Yui is being deleted, Kirito pulls some techno wizardry out of his ass to store her in an inventory item. And because of that dumb dragon feather episode, we know that means she’s coming back. They could AT LEAST have left it ambiguous as to whether or not they could bring her back, but, “Nope! Can’t let anyone think their waifu might not come back! They might stop watching and giving us money!” However, even that isn’t the most asinine thing about this scene.

In this moment, as they reach the game master’s console in the depths of this dungeon, Kirito reveals the heretofore unknown fact that he’s a PhD-level programmer, thus irreparably ruining his character forever. Kirito was already stupidly overpowered, but at least it made a bit of sense. He was a beta tester, so his base skill level being higher than most other players’ was justified. Doing Kendo in real life gave him good reflexes. He also spent, like, the first year of the game solo queuing instead of socializing to reach his ridiculously high experience level. That became less believable as he also proved to be the most eligible bachelor on the entire Internet, but you can at least justify that as girls having a crush on him for saving their lives, rather than that coming down to any innate social skill on his part. It’s easy to justify a lot of things about Kirito because he has no defined personality at all. However, when you add to those traits the fact that he’s got the scripting skills to not just hack the game from inside it, but to custom-write code in the space of a few seconds to store data as an in-game object, I’ve gotta call bullshit.

Hacking games requires time and at least some knowledge of the source code. There’s no way Kirito has that. Even if the thousand or so carefully selected beta testers for SAO were data-mining the shit out of the game, they only had it for a little over a month during summer vacation and they only saw a fraction of the content. It would be hard to get a full picture of how the game works in that time frame under NORMAL circumstances, but SAO is also the first game of its kind, built from the ground up for incredibly complicated, brand-new proprietary hardware.

Already, Kirito’s doing something that nobody outside the company should know how to do, but even if we assume that there’s a command already in place to store a script as an in-game object, think about what he’s storing. Yui is a fucking AI, the most complicated kind of program conceivable. Her code needs to be immense to account for the broad variety of situations she might need to deal with, and it also needs to be capable of rewriting itself on the fly in real time. Kirito is taking that huge, complex code, saving its current state of operation, and converting that information into a custom item in a game whose script he must be figuring out in real time, all in the space of a few seconds. NO! NOT FUCKING POSSIBLE!

In this moment, Kirito ceases to be a real human being and I lose all suspension of disbelief for this entire show. It’s just not believable that any person could be capable of pulling off the shit that we’ve seen him do up to this point. Maybe some of it, but not all of it, and especially not A FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD FUCKING CHILD!

Also, as if he wasn’t special enough already, the scene establishes a few moments earlier that he and Asuna are the only people to ever experience love or joy in SAO during the entire two years that the game has been running. This is so fucking stupid, it hurts!

This scene amazes me for how thoroughly it manages to ruin the entire show. It would be bad enough to ruin the whole story by implicitly admitting that they never plan to kill off anyone who’s had any kind of character development ever again (unless dying is part of their story arc), but in doing so, they also manage to make it impossible to relate to their PROTAGONIST. From this point forward, the show has no dramatic stakes. It CAN’T have any. Kirito’s been established to be able to do basically anything, and we now know for a fact that no one important will ever really die.

Furthermore, if you want to nitpick, this scene raises a ton of questions, too, the big one being, “WHY?! Why is THAT what Kirito did with his backhand access?” If he had the time to isolate a huge, complex program and store it as environmental data and write a custom script to save that file to his personal computer, why didn’t he, I don’t know, globally reactivate the game’s logout function? He had access to the fucking source code! And that would’ve been a lot simpler! There was probably just one value he needed to set from True to False, or maybe a few lines of code that had been commented out. Comparatively speaking, it would have been easy, and he’d have been saving, I don’t know, upwards of, like, 7000 people’s lives? But no. Preserving his wife’s Tamagotchi is a lot more important than that.

There’s been a lot of complaining in this review and not a lot of hard analysis, but that’s because there’s not much in this scene to analyze. This is one of the most flat, boring scenes that I’ve ever watched in anything. Every shot is static and dull, especially the obvious, predictable reaction shots that it uses to ham-fistedly attempt to tug at your heartstrings. Furthermore, the set is a blank, white room with nothing going on. There’s basically nothing to even look at here. That said, if nothing else, I guess I can take solace in the fact that nobody was even trying when they made the scene that ruined the whole show.