#they're so punchy! snappy!

[rethcore]

I have so many feelings about Reth's new animation set, good lord i am SO NORMAL about this man >///>;;

[doctor-bus]

not 2 brag (absolutely bragging) but I select great names for my fanfics. I always sit down like 'ooooh nooooo I don't know what to name itttt' and then think about it a while and put down something that SLAPS

[animehouse-moe]

Spy x Family OP3: Kura Kura

Okay, there's a lot of stuff that I'm unfamiliar with in terms of proper names and terms with this opening, but it's just so damn cool that I have to talk about it. Building on the styles of the first two openings, it brings a sense of familiarity that's completely outshone by the incredibly creative approach that OP3 brings with it.

Yes, it's the best Spy x Family opening even though the new season isn't out yet. That's what Masaaki Yuasa gets you (go check out the Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken OP)

Alright so first off, the opening cut of our characters. I love everything about it. The energy, the perspective, the color design. It's all super great, and the icing on the cake is the punchy animation that accentuates and exaggerates the movements of the characters.

Also, the music really is just a perfect match. I'm not a big Ado fan myself, but this is just an impeccable choice.

Anyways, right away the opening sets the tone for the very unique approach to animation. Quite smooth, but very snappy at times, if I were to explain it. I'm not doing a frame by frame to check or anything, but they're certainly hanging on quite a few sequences before squeezing others in or making large movements between frames. Just look at how each of the characters joins the sequence, there's actually a good deal of movement hidden in the appearance.

Though I think my favorite part from this sequence is the simplicity in wiping the characters when a new one appears. Given the style of movement and the "blink and you'll miss it" speed of it, it brings the addition to the viewer's attention and immediately while adding a good deal of unique feel.

And then there's this follow up piece. There's not much to it in terms of importance or anything but I love it. It's an extension of the dot matrix background and using it to place color on top of a dull background is very fun (also the rainbow at the top).

I think one of the things that felt absent from both prior OPs was a sense of "wow factor" in how they displayed Yor (and Loid). OP2 brings us a Yor assassin cut, but it feels more pretty and fleeting than exciting and energetic, as expected given the tone of it. Anyways, I'm very happy to see them able to explore the energy of each in this opening.

Also, the way that Yor's spike wipes the frame to introduce Loid? I love it. It's such a chaotic opening that you can easily miss simple things like transitions that can get lost in all the information. Another side note, I really like that Loid only appears when he fires his gun. Just a fun little trick that falls into place alongside other examples of wiping the frame in the opening.

Of course, Anya (and bond) gets their own splash cut like this. Really like how it places Anya on her own stage as it steps away from the style used for Loid and Yor and uses "environment" (read: speech bubbles) to convey her ability and its cons. And another very interesting detail (there's no end to them)! The use that dot matrix style to swap Anya and Bond out between each other. Super easy to miss, but it's there as one of those transitions that you can easily miss.

Wiping the frame, I can't think of a better name for it but it's something that's well loved with the direction of this OP. Just following these cuts we get another of our fearless family, but we see a different trick used. Also, really love the idea of it being framed as circus that Anya runs, so accurate to children and especially Anya.

Anyways, the idea is actually a lack of animation. Crazy, but given the style of animation through these cuts with the focus on snappy and exaggerated movements, it fits right in and looks really interesting. Furthermore (yes, there's still more), the use of visual sound effects (which say: 'Kankakeinai', most likely meant to be 'Kankeinai' as that's what's said by Ado at this point in the song.) is a great way to bridge the gap from Anya's previous cut to this one.

Oh, I should have mentioned it, but that same text-usage matching the song appears in the previous Anya and Bond cuts too.

Alright, next cut but also one (a little) further down the line: water animation. Lovely stuff. It's not realistic like what you'd see in the ending for My One-Hit Kill Sister, but has a lot of heart in it nonetheless, aiming to blend with the OP rather than make a statement about its quality.

Man, I almost forgot that there's a sequence in reverse in the OP. It's just that crazy. I've shown enough gifs of stuff so I'll spare the trouble (and save it for later) by just sharing a still. It's well animated, obviously, but aside from it being in reverse, there's just one detail to make note of: the dot matrix. It appears as an airplane for just a split second as a way to begin dissolving it from the frame (though it can be hard to make out because Tumblr compression). A very sneaky and subtle way to continue on with the direction established from the start.

There's lots of tricks in this OP, isn't there? I suppose it's rather similar to the Anya circus one, but slightly different. Keeping in line with the near impossibly hectic style of animation in the opening, we see frame-by-frame cuts alongside some of the best animated sequences. It helps keep that balance, you know? Where we give up on sharpness with some of the faster and more fluid movements, we make up with via these rougher ones.

Also, would it really be Masaaki Yuasa without some freakishly well animated cuts? Animating cars can already be a challenge in the first place, but not only do we see one heavily featured here, we see it spinning around wildly with characters in it. It's a crazy feat that only madmen like Masaaki would attempt.

Anyways, don't you dare underestimate Yuasa's insanity. He made people animate a reflection in a teapot. For like a 3 second cut. No, really, he did. Look at this ridiculously pointless detail.

Okay okay, it's time to wind down a little bit. The wonderfully creative perspective of the OP. It's mostly the cars, but on the more simple sub-to-plane cut it's featured in a more subtle sense just to add something to it, you know? Just to give viewers something a little more interesting to look at.

Alright, last cut I promise. I was very surprised, and equally impressed, to see this skydive sequence as a single cut. I thought for sure it was going to be split, but keeping it in one piece was a great decision.

And that's all I think I will chat about, because if I don't call it quits somewhere I'll never stop. Seriously, that's just how full and dense this opening is. For instance, just look at the bottom left image from the gallery above, Anya's drinking tea all fancy like. Crazy little detail that you wouldn't see unless you paused the opening. And this is full of that kind of stuff alongside the incredible and distinct direction and style of Yuasa. It's a gold mine of creativity and expression that only the man himself would be able to pull off, and I love it. Best Spy x Family opening and another to add to the list of incredible OPs this year.

[weekend-whip]

Ninjago Fic Rec Week: Day 6

Prompts: Dynamic Duos / Zane Recs! (I uh used up a lot of my dynamic duo recs already THUS here is a Zane-centric list. With perhaps some duos sprinkled in. But Mostly Zane.)

Zane Recs-

My Battery is Low (And It's Getting Dark): THE PEAKEST ZANE THAT EVER PEAKED!!! There's so many little pieces of this I could quote and quote and gnaw on forever (and I wILL) because mmmm. It's just so good. Zane being (mostly) alone with his thoughts prior to Vex interfering in NS11, with the most pointed Zane's perspective I have ever borne witness to *bows in respect*

upon these ashes, hope can grow: Or, five times the group ordered takeout and one time they didn't (or, Zane learns how to love his once-favorite pastime once again). It's snappy, well-placed, and oozes with Zane's character, although I'm so used to fluffy fics about Zane's cooking skills that this one hit me like a brick! But, that would make sense, given that it takes place after NS11 ;w;

Five Times Zane Was a Nurse: And the one time he wasn't! Ninjago is a really good series for 5+1 fics, lemme tell ya. And DietCokeIsLife definitely sits at the top of t hem!

Fractal: Zane reflects upon being a robot Nindroid and it is beautiful ;w;

MAKING ELECTRICITY// YOU CAN FEEL IT IN YOUR MIND: Zane gets struck by lightning and a cacophony of very vivid descriptions and punchy character moments follow after. A little bit bittersweet, but lovely and with a nice ending!

Cut the Act: A movie!verse Zane fic chronicling how this once "just a normal teen" has to explain what he really is to his friends...even if he is pretty sure they already know. ...Maybe. The ending made me grin like an idiot, though.

Backwards Compatibility: Zane and Pixal go on a date for the first time! ...despite being "together" for such a long time beforehand. They're still very sweet, though. Recc'ing this entirely for the snappy title ;P

From Sunrise: Zane, and the view of what the world looks like from his eyes compared to that of his friends (or, Zane likes waking up early and cold environments. Everyone else does not.)

Snow: POST-PILOTS ZANE with his cold snow day logic getting in the way of some realities for Cole and Jay. Extremely fluffy and full of fun and interesting dynamics and just all-around super cute~!!! (and Kai and Nya are there too <3)

doesn't have a title but Zane is curious to a fault: And that's all you need to know! But, I will tell you that the ending has such a glorious bite of bitter irony to it~

Wobble: Zane and Cole discuss some aftermaths of Cole's fault, all while guilt eats Zane alive. The uneasy TENSION in this one??? Delicious??? Also sad ;w;

more title-less goodness: Zane and Cole discuss the former's break up with Pixal, with neither mentioning the underlying implications in between. You know I love me some Zane and Cole interaction, but this one is zested with, like, dread and a really good, if not somewhat devastating, point to be made.

Crushing loneliness is what he leaves this world with: *lies down* How does spinchip always have such a way with words aaaaaaa (prose about Zane's S3 sacrifice that consumes my mind constantly)

Ship of Theseus: AUGH I ALMOST FORGOT THIS ONE, despite the fact I go back to it aaaaaaaaall the time????? Definitely counts as a Zane fic despite the fact he is "Unavailable" for most of it, but in the quest to get Zane back online from an anonymous viral attack, the group reflects on the Nindroid and the impact he's had on all of them, even outside of their own little group ;w; Also shoutout to the antagonist for this one, it's actually quite a fun little twist~

[matt0044]

Why was Megaforce and Samurai's dialogue like... that?

Like Power Rangers dialogue are cheesy and quippy across the board just the way I like it. But Samurai and Megaforce so often had this… placeholder lines vibe at times where they just say, "We gotta [thing we know they're gonna do and doesn't need saying]" or just… stuff that barely feels punchy as well as generically heroic.

That and the weird way they talked during combat, especially close-quarters. Nothing quick or snappy but full sentences that feel tacked on. Even Mighty Morphin' didn't make the dialogue this dumbed down.

It's just… weird, weird, weird. There's a deep dive to be made about the peculiar presentation of the initial Neo-Saban era.

[kittlesandbugs]

Fanfic Writer Questions

Tagged by @sidestepping & @askweisswolf, ty for thinking of me!!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3? 62, but if you unstack the one shot compilations... 138ish? if I can math right.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 119,010, and the bulk is FHR lol

3. What fandoms do you write for? Currently Baldur's Gate 3 and Fallen Hero, previously TWC, Dragon Age, Mass Effect/Andromeda, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? Gonna cheat a little and do one per fandom because this is heavily slated towards Mass Effect Andromeda just from age lol

Sleep it off - Mass Effect, Shepard/Aria T'Loak, Shep gets drunk at Purgatory and Aria babysits her

Little steps to the side - FHR, Chargestep/Argentstep/Chargentstep, currently 55? little one-shot fics, usually prompts, sometimes tiny ideas I get in my own head

Space snippets - Mass Effect Andromeda, Jaal/Ryder, a few prompt one-shots that picked up big steam when it finally went Explicit lol.

Bottles of Thedas - Dragon Age Inquisition, Solavellan, 20 short one-shots inspired by the collection of booze you can pick up off the ground throughout the game (minus the Warden mixes)

Business and Pleasure - Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2, Exile/Luxa, a re-write/better ending for Luxa gift fic for an exchange

5. Do you respond to comments? I am absolutely terrible at responding to comments because I see them in my inbox and I'm like oh yeah I'll reply to that later when I have time and then.... six months go by... the shame happens... I love every comment I get and I am so sorry alkdsfjoajsdfl

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Ehhhhhhhhhh most of my fics are in-between things, not really stand-alones on their own. Probably the one I milked the hardest for the ending of it specifically is Words not spoken (FHR, Chargestep, Ortega visits Riley's apartment post-Heartbreak)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Again.... in-between things... the Mass Effect Andromeda and TWC fics are largely feel good fluff, so most of them?

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not that I'm aware of, lol

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Typically fluffy and/or hurt/comfort character exploration, although sometimes I feel a need to go for a whump

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I haven't written a crossover since I was 13. I'm 37 now. I don't remember. It was pre-AO3 time for sure. XD

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Not that I'm aware of.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? No, but I've written fanfics to fanfics by @ellstersmash and @sidestepping because they're both so talented and I Felt The Compulsion

14. What's your all time favorite ship? Whatever I'm currently writing for, in this case... any combo of Chargentstep aaaaaaaaaaand Durgetash lol

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? Me, staring at my endless folder of WIPs, some of which having not been touched in five years

16. What are your writing strengths? Character explorations, snappy dialogue, short and sweet and punchy

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Writing long-haul, we're here for a good time, not a long time

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? Love it when other people do it! Very rarely do it myself!

19. First fandom you wrote for? Megaman X back in.................. 2000-ish? Very bad self-insert script fic lol

20. Favorite fic you've written? I think Time doesn't heal (FHR, Chargestep, all the Rangers and Riley experiencing the 3rd Heartbreak anniversary) is one of my biggest brain moments for writing fic, but Bottles of Thedas (mentioned above) has a special place in my heart for being the first and perhaps only large project I've finished.

Gonna taaaaaaaaaaaag... @astarien, @the-rebel-archivist, @gingerbreton, @rab-bitly, @catastrofriend

[the-everqueen]

five things you will find in my fics

tagged by @cosmictapestry to attempt self-reflection. i know my ao3 hasn't been updated in a hot second, but there ARE works-in-progress, i just spent the past few months finishing a dissertation. academia got ALL my words for the longest time so we're tiptoeing back into fic. i had to outsource a lot of this to the gf because i am incapable of finding positive things to say about my own writing unless it's a conference presentation (because i'm fucking good at those).

short AF. i ADORE long fics, 10k one-shots, and multi-chapter fics. apparently i am incapable of writing these. it's gonna be under 5k and it's most likely going to be self-contained (unless i'm playing in someone else's sandbox). ya notgirl is a chronic underwriter in all areas of life. at least i stay consistent.

snappy dialogue. this one is courtesy of the gf. i like punchy dialogue and my adolescence spent in writer chat forums means i have an eternal fear of monologues even if i'm good with them in other ppl's work.

background trauma. i don't imprint on characters unless they're Fucked Up, so this is just the natural consequence.

complicated relationships to authority/institutions (this one also courtesy of the gf). sometimes it's god, sometimes it's your boss, sometimes it's the weight of mythos. can you tell i went to grad school.

autism/adhd. it's almost never tagged but it's obviously there. i feel like this needs no explanation [peace sign].

tagging ppl scares the shit out of me, but here's my best shot: @hypokeimena, @persianflaw, @aboxthecolourofheartache, @onion-eyed (you might not know me but i love your fics!). also anyone else who wants to make a List because we love a list in this house.

[gizkasparadise]

Best dialogue exchange. Separate categories for asians dramas and others.

I just love to see people talking. And like actually saying stuff instead of mindless misunderstandings and circling around. So I want to know what’s your favourite incident of dialogue exchange because my fav liz rejecting darcy. I love it because of all that’s said. All the ways she found him objectionable and defending Jane

this was tough! i think it's because im a believer that if it's good dialogue, you don't really notice it? i can also more easily point out what bad dialogue looks like (hello whedonisms) vs. what good dialogue is. but i'll give it a try! i tend to prefer more grounded dialogue than things like big speeches

--

dramas

run on is a drama i didn't finish/dropped halfway through, but i remember the dialogue was really fun on this show!

reply 1988 has a huge cast and i really love how each character feels lived in. when they talk with each other/interact the dynamics were all varied but thought about carefully

bloody heart had some zingers if you're into political plots

go ahead is a cdrama that had a lot of good, subtle writing with the dialogue exchanges along with some heavier exchanges that hit like gut punches

business proposal is a kdrama that hits a really good place with its humor in dialogue, where it's witty without being obnoxious.

one spring night is pretty much driven by dialogue/one big character study of a drama. like 80% of scenes are people talking over a meal or drinks

--

others

umbrella academy i think has really good/natural dialogue for the most part. when the characters bicker they sound like actual family members which i think is what is a big selling point of the series/its charm

derry girls does SUCH a good job with characters bouncing off one another/having teenagers actually sound like teenagers

veep is pretty incredible in how punchy/fantastically abrasive the dialogue is. i know it's Too Much for some people, but i think it really works for the characters/setting

coen brothers (the big lebowski, fargo, true grit, 1000 more) always have great dialogue

cornetto trilogy (shaun of the dead, hot fuzz, at world's end) is really snappy without being tiresome

russian doll had some great conversations in it and some absolute bulldozer lines (in a good way!)

30 rock is my go-to show when i have migraines because i can just listen to the dialogue exchanges and they're hilarious

im sure there's others that im forgetting, but these are the top of my head!

[polyhexianchicken]

Little things your muse does to show their significant other they care?PDA that’s a definite ‘no’?

Whirl is ever observing. He acts aloof and impulsive but he's actually very aware of his surroundings and mechs he interacts with. It's also a good chunk of the reason he can push other mech's buttons so well, since he knows way too damn well which buttons to press lmao.

So, he pays attention to what the ones he trusts enjoy, what they need on a bad day or even a good day, what makes them happy, and he'll just. Randomly give them what makes them happy, without much prompt (or when he sees they're not doing well), what he also does alot is just come to them and pester them to figure out what's bothering them, because he genuinely wants to help.

So that's what usually goes behind his processor when he goes out of his way to essentially corner his trusted ones and poke them with 'What's the matter, you're horrible at lying you're not fine what's up.' until they confess. Admittedly not the smartest thing to do sometimes but that's how he shows care. It's like fixing a clock, he has to know all the details before he can choose the right gear to make it work again.

PDA that's a definit no is really only groping, he gets snappy and punchy if one does that to him, but otherwise he's not one to complain with PDA one bit, he quite enjoys it, because it feels like a middle digit at everyone that's told him he's unloveable.

[prince-liest]

Hi!! I’m wondering if you have any advice for writing for a zine? I just got accepted as a writer for a zine for the very first time and I’m a bit nervous! I know you do a lot of zine writing, so any advice is appreciated. :)

Yooo, congratulations! :D That's freaking awesome, anon, I'm really happy for you. Zines used to be an unreachable dream for me as a kid, so I feel your excitement! I genuinely adore writing for zines because you get to write short and snappy, and I think it's a really good opportunity to focus a lot more on quality over word count, plus the community aspect (and the compensation of course, haha).

It's kinda wild to me to look back and realize that I've written for 8 zines now (which feels like a lot until I look at people who have done dozens), but here's somethings I learned along the way:

Take advantage of what your writing mod offers! If they offer to give you feedback prior to the final check-in, take it, it can be very helpful for knowing if you need to amend things early. If you want advice early and they haven't specifically offered it, ask anyways! They're happy to help and it's what they're there for.

Create pitches that you genuinely enjoy the thought of writing! You should be having fun, not doing chores.

Start with a strong hook! This is a bit personal, but I don't usually like opening a zine fic with 4 paragraphs of background exposition unless that exposition is itself a hook. You want to be interesting throughout the whole piece!

One of the big difs between zines and regular oneshots is the word count restriction. I find that a really good way to make something that's punchy and feels like a full story in a shorter word count is to focus on dialogue and character interactions.

It's hard to fit multiple scenes cohesively into a short word count. I've done two zine pieces that were designed around being multi-scene, and it involved a lot more cutting down on words than my other pieces (and for one I actually asked to go over by about 300 words). Usually I try to take one "scene" and expand it enough that it is its own story piece.

Aside from the word count restriction, schedule, and maybe the emotional pressure of wanting to do something really nice, writing for a zine isn't too different from writing for yourself! There's definitely some adaptations to be made for the medium but overall I wouldn't worry overmuch about it. You got accepted because the mods liked what you showed them, and now you get to do this really fun thing! I hope you have a blast, anon. <3

(And feel free to ask me if you have any other or more specific questions about anything!)