#they're so underrated and for what they have so much material like i'm having a ball talking about them

[borgialucrezia]

i'm kinda obsessed with the way juan/lucrezia's dynamic flip flops throughout the show like in the first half you'd get a soft dynamic where lucrezia rides her horse in the middle of a battlefield worried sick about juan who was willing to die but backs up because he doesn't wanna cause his sister grief if he died then the second half you'd have lucrezia wrapping her arms around juan's arm smiling and cracking jokes then later at the same day they're spiting out each other, giving each other stink eye with a full antagonistic tension then later he goes back from spain going all cute on her like omg sister look i brought you a beautiful rare panther in a heart-shaped gilded cage 🥺 then later when he became frustrated that she refuses to reconcile with him and recognize all his efforts (misguided or not) are rooted to protect her he spitefully teases her with dropping her baby from the balcony....their uwu/toxicity managed to coexist because they contain multitudes lol

[golden-moony]

king of my heart | pt. 3

pairings: lando norris x fem!reader | pato o'ward x fem!reader

warnings: love triangle.

part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

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

yourusername

liked by carlosonoros, marcmarquez93, fernandoalo_oficial, and 70,692 others!

yourusername I had days full of paella, sangría, incredible places, lots of Chili energy and fast cars🏎🔥 What more could I ask for? I'm leaving Barcelona with a giant smile on my face. ¡Nos vemos pronto, España! 🇪🇸❤️

user1 i'll tell my kids this was the queen of Spain

user2 she's the queen of everything tbh

user3 yncarlos friendship is so underrated yet so cute🥹

user4 THEY'RE ADORABLE user5 yncarlos deserve more appreciation fr user6 i meeeeean they would make a really cute couple👀 user7 user6 oh girl no, they are SO sibling coded

user8 4th slide really made me hungry ngl

carlossainz55 i'm just here to say that i was the one who convinced y/n to try paella and in the end she loved it, you're welcome (unlike other people who didn't even dare to try it)

user9 now that's what i call a smooth operation yourusername you were right but just this time🙈 user10 f1 driver, smooth operator, fashion icon and food connoisseur: carlos sainz jr everybody 🙌 user11 who's "other people"??? landonorris IT'S SEAFOOD, CARLOS. I WASN'T GONNA EAT IT. y'all did it on purpose 😒 user12 OMG LANDO LKASJKEDJKG user13 so carlos, lando and y/n were out together? oh we won💅 user14 user13 YNLANDO NATION WE'RE SO BACK

user15 you drop this 👑👑👑

elbaoward the prettiest 🤍

yourusername miss youuuu💖 user16 iconic queens user17 MY FAV SISTERS IN LAW🫶 user18 now THIS is the kind of interactions i wanna see

user19 so after trying to get with lando and then with pato, she's now going after carlos? 😂😂

user20 user19 there's a thing called "friendship", in case you've never heard of it user21 she wants to be a wag so badly it's embarrassing user22 i mean it's the only way she can be relevant so🤷

user23 PRECIOSA 😍😍

user24 hope you had a great time in Spain, queen. come back soon❤️

user25 can she stop going to the races? I swear to God whenever she's around, Lando does poorly.

user26 as an indycar fan, i don't want her around either 😩 user27 SHE BRINGS BAD LUCK FR user28 and what does that have to do with her? if Lando is underperforming then that's on him lol

user29 so pretty omg 😫

user30 bestie please share your skincare routine

yourusername posted to their story!

patriciooward

liked by tkanaan, elbaoward, schecoperez, and 72,031 others!

patriciooward camera roll lately📸

user1 we really lost another one, ladies 😢

user2 girl i wanna be sad but they're so cute it's impossible😭 user3 user2 THIS IS SUCH A MOOD user4 at least we know he's in good hands 🫡

user5 CAN YOU TWO ADOPT ME?

user6 i always knew he was boyfriend material omg

user7 boyfriend of the year fr 🔥 user8 bro's in love and so am i (of them)

yourusername 4th slide is my fav cause you can see the most perfect O'ward😍 and Pato by her side

elbaoward love u babe 😻 brettkimbro elbaoward excuse me? 🤨 patriciooward yourusername EXCUSE ME yourusername i said what i said 😛 user9 i want to be their friend so bad

user10 COUPLE GOALS

user11 lando could never. yn really went for an upgrade and she didn't disappoint💅

user12 what does lando has to do with any of this?? user13 omfg girl get over it user14 she went for lando's cheaper version* user15 ynpato fans are obsessed with Lando and it shows😂

user16 i screamed with 6th slide ngl

user17 yes they're cute but CAN WE TALK ABOUT PATO ON PODIUM? THAT'S MY BOYYY🥳

user18 he deserved that so much 🥹 user19 so happy for hiiiiiiiim 🥹 user20 this weekend we got a pato podium AND ynpato moments on live tv, we really won user21 and some people say that yn brings bad luck lol user22 user21 literal clowns

arrowmclaren successful on and off track🤩

user23 admin you're so real for this user24 ADMIN IS ONE OF US

user25 MOM AND DAD ARE SO PRETTY

user26 pato's ig is about to become a yn fanpage and i'm SO here for it

user27 i mean no one can blame him tbh user28 patriciooward c'mon bestie drop more pics don't be shy

user29 in his lover era 🫶

user30 yn and pato are both SO fine🔥 they're meant to be

user31 where can I find a man who'll post me like pato posts yn?😭

user32 yn really needs to share the secret

yourusername posted to their story!

yourusername

liked by mattyp1, alex_albon, shelovesformula1, and 54, 102 others!

yourusername Always a great time, Austria 🤍

user1 QUEEN WHERE WERE YOU?

user2 it was so strange not having your stories talking about the highlights of the race🥺 hope everything is okay

user3 something about this feels so off

user4 glad to see i wasn't the only one thinking this user5 i meaaaan she posts this 3 days after the race?? something definitely happened user6 this caption feels so empty compared to the ones she usually writes user7 i mean we knew something was going on when she didn't post her usual post-race ig stories user8 she suddenly disappearing and pato deleting all her pics from his ig… yeah i'm pretty sure they broke up

user9 is everything okay? 🥺 we love you no matter what, queen!

user10 pato, elba and felix doesn't follow yn anymore omg i think i'm about to freak out😢

user11 why comment this on her post? even if something happened is none of our business. user12 GIRL I'M PANICKING

lissiemackintosh gorgeous💖

user13 why is people so dramatic? maybe yn was just tired or busy or whathever, she doesn't have to be online everyday jesus christ

user14 THANK YOU. everyone's acting like yn doesn't have a personal life outside social media user15 say it louder girl!!!! 👏👏

user16 does anyone knows if we're gonna get a vlog this week?

user17 idk yn hasn't said anything about it user18 i really doubt it tbh

user19 so pato broke up with this clout chaser? glad he's smarter than what i thought

user20 proud of my mclaren boys for getting away from this "lady" user21 user20 now we just need to keep oscar away from this bitch. user22 this is such an unnecessary comment. user23 spread your hate somewhere else, you're not welcome here.

user24 if pato and yn really broke up i'm gonna be so sad 😭

user25 i really don't get all this comments. can we actually talk about how beautiful she is???

user26 RIGHT??? she always slays with her looks user27 sis we know she's pretty but we love drama

user28 y'all wdym she and pato already broke up???😂😂😂 that didn't last long huh

user29 so funny yet so real user30 i always said pato deserved better, glad he realized it too

user31 the comments on this post are disgusting. if you don't like her then ignore her and leave her alone.

user32 people are so childish🙄 user33 user32 people are just seeing her for what she really is and it was about time lol

user34 i never thought i'd be alive to witness yn's downfall but i'm READY FOR THIS 🍿🍿

hope y'all don't hate me too much for all of this lol but i wanted drama. next part (probably) will be the last! so see u there🤍

taglist: @drunkinthemiddleoftheday @evie-119 @evans-dejong @minkyungseokie @noneofyourfbusinessworld @bernelflo @eiaaasamantha @ijustgomessitupx @honethatty12 @daemyratwst @f1fan65 @littlexscarletxwitch @sheslikeacurse @charlottejpg @lichterfee @callsignwidow @phantomxoxo @stinkyjax @rubywingsracing @willowpains @urfavsgf @biitch-with-wifi @lightdragonrayne @illicitverstappen @herebereblogs @tvdtw4ever @nataliambc

[tummietown]

the feminine urge to curl up inside a warm, breathing belly as a way to escape from the horrors of the real world

nothing would make me feel more secure than being cradled in the hands of someone so unfathomably giant and so, so, so kind. i need that right now. i need to be cared for. the thought of tender fingers curling around me as their maw opens up, a large, soft tongue curling around me slowly, reminding me of what i'm getting myself into. they'd be taking their time so as not to alarm me. with every twitch and jolt of my tiny body they would hesitate, afraid to startle me. as they hold their mouth open, warm breaths akin to that of a sugary-scented summer's breeze would wash over me in a steady, rhythmic pace. i would imagine the movement of their lungs as they breathe, envisioning each organic swell and contraction. they'd take pleasure in knowing what all i'd be thinking, aware after a certain point that my sheepish behavior is not fear, but rather,, something more light-hearted.

and then, i'd be pulled in. the light from the outside world would fade, replaced by a pitch-blackness unlike anything else. it's a comforting, breathing darkness that swallows me whole. this darkness is alive, and it tells me to simply relax. there is no need to strain my eyes with the light in an obnoxious, heartless world. darkness inside of them is where i find peace. besides, i know i'm not alone. if i was alone, the ground would not be shifting and squirming. there would be a soft *squelch* as the saliva trapped underneath their tongue is shifted about, eliciting a chuckle from me. i'd almost be able to feel the way they'd smile around me, knowing at the very least that they got me to laugh if nothing else. my laugh would trail off as my hands brush against their teeth, sharpened at the tips and yet completely harmless to me. to the lasagna i fixed from earlier, no, but i'm alive. i'm a person. they're free to tear into that lasagna as much as they'd like, matter of fact! i worked hard on it. me, however? i'm delicate to them. they know they must be gentle with me. they'd never use their teeth to hurt me. though, i do recognize that they'd like me to pay attention to those teeth of theirs. their tongue, soft and folded underneath me, would move to poke at the divot in one of their molars, bringing my attention to it in the process. i'd smooth my trusting hand over their molar and thumb at every individual detail. it's fascinating, really. i think a big reason why vore intrigues me so much to begin with is because it's all so terribly captivating. everything is alive, and everything alive surrounds me. it's comforting.

i really think we need to appreciate just how nice mouths are, y'know? i think that's an underrated part in vore. there's so much material, and yet it goes untouched for the most part, but i digress

we'd need to move on eventually. their maw would start to fill up with drool, and since i would have been anticipating the upcoming part, i'd already be comfortable and prepared for their tongue to lift, lift, lift, and send me sliding down their throat into a hot, pulsing abyss. every inch of my body would be coated in a thick blanket of slobber by this point, and i imagine that'd definitely make the journey down their esophagus much, much easier. i think most people fail to realize just how challenging it'd be to swallow someone whole without chewing, regardless of their size. or maybe we choose to overlook it bc vore can't technically exist at all irl anyway idk. i like to ramble lol

at some point, the tight, throbbing walls of their gullet would transition into a different space. i'd slip inside, recognizing my ability to move around and get comfortable unlike the other organ i was squeezed into after their swallow. as i'd lean my head back against the fleshy abdominal wall behind me, i'd feel a lack of resistance comparable to a beanbag chair and how it feels to lay in one. the walls would adjust to this new weight, moving to surround me. i would be cradled and held. adored instinctively. their stomach doesn't obviously have cognitive thought, but somewhere within the deep recesses of their mind, their brain perceives me as being more than just sustenance. i am loved here. this is my safe space, and nobody else would be able to agree. that is how i want this to be. if i could write my name somewhere in here, i would. that wouldn't last very long, though.

not a word would be exchanged between the two of us, and yet our silence holds more weight than anything we could say. my throat would feel dry, and i'd swallow a few times before raising my hand to pat at the lining of their precious gut. they'd laugh outwardly, and i'd know that if i could purr, i would be doing it. the tension in my muscles would dissolve into warmth, spreading throughout my small body. i am fragile and exposed, but that is how i like it. it's nice to feel small while being small.

for them, i'm unsure how they'd feel. i like to think that, while unnatural, this process would be enjoyable for them. the stinging ache behind their collarbone would be evidence of me, a reminder of the tiny body they carried into a comforting space. their soft fingers would rub at their neck, gracing over the spot near their adam's apple where i once was. they'd swallow again, feeling the bob of their throat. their hand would trail down to their stomach, pausing right above the taut flesh above their belly. with every rise and fall of my chest they'd feel movement, and they'd attempt to mimic it. i think they'd take in every foreign sensation one at a time, and i'd appreciate that. we're both still new to this, after all.

as they'd adjust themselves to get comfortable in bed, my environment would slowly move with me. i'd wait until i could no longer feel their movement, and then i'd curl up on my side in a small pool of gastric juices and drool. though very muffled, i'd hear the smacking of their lips and their deep, pleased hums as they savor what would be left of my recognizable taste clinging to the surfaces of their mouth. i might even hear them licking their fingers. i'd roll my eyes and bury my face into my arms, only to lift my head upon realizing that my arms are coated in slime. silly me. how could i forget? even with the constant drum of a strong heartbeat and the churning from below of a meal i prepared hours ago for them sounding all around me?

"you're a dork," i'd call out to them, my voice audibly cracking after so long of having nothing to say. the rumbling laughter that would surround me and the way their walls would squeeze around me briefly would remind me of just how small and frail i truly am within them.

"says the one who asked to be eaten earlier," they'd tease, a hint of playfulness evident in their tone. i'd scoff.

"yeah, well, i know you enjoy it. you'd be a liar to say you don't like the aftertaste i left in your mouth earlier," i would reply. they'd pause, and then i'd hear a hum without reply. being the way i am, i'd take that as surrender. not that it mattered. they'd be in a more lovey-dovey mood anyway.

the way they'd yawn would send chills speeding up my spine despite the hot, stale air within the depths of their insides. i'd reciprocate the yawn and then settle in contentedly once and for all within them, finding peace in the silence that would arise again. sometimes i like the silence between us more anyway. it's nice to enjoy your presence, especially when it's all that i can enjoy, really. i'm trapped within you. there's nothing else to focus on. everything is you. everything i look at, smell, hear, breathe in... it's you. it's all you.

thanks for that. i like being here. maybe we can do this again sometime?

[rise-my-angel]

People say Kit is a bad actor? Do they know that isn't even his real accent?!

Its primarily book purists who take issue with the show adaptation of Jon Snow, and their hangups with the differences in versions of the character end up getting blamed on Kit.

He gets called a bad actor because he isn't playing the character exactly as the book states, when in reality that's not how adaptation works. Show Jon is a lot more quiet and stoic but it really works specifically because of Kit. He's not the sass machine that is book Jon but it didn't need to be.

Kit brings so much life and individuality to Jon Snow, but because he is playing a very stoic character his subtle acting gets over looked for others, and book purists blame him for character attributes that are the writers fault not his.

The only time I'd say he isn't really trying is season 7. Kit is practically asleep during season 7 but I do not blame him. His character was being primed as an intelligent, brave and valiant heroic King, and he is side lined very hard and written so out of character it seems Kit really struggled knowing what to do. Hes trying to play the Jon Snow he has developed but they're asking him to play a version of Jon that never existed before that season, and it shows the whole season he has no idea what direction he should be taking his character in. He finds a bit more stride in season 8 because hes used to being given such bad material at that point but season 7 Kit is just a walking meme because hes clearly so fucking fed up with how bad the script is and doesn't bother hiding it. He sends up playing into it like "Okay I'm 900% done with this bullshit and so is Jon so there's my motivation". Which is why we get so many fucking funny facial expressions from Jon that season because both the character and actor are trapped in the dumbest plot with the dumbest people.

Also speaking of the accent, if you want more proof hes really talented at acting, watch scenes of he and Benjen. Or a Jon scene then a Benjen scene. Because Jon and Benjen literally speak exactly the same, they both have the exact same speech mannerisms to really sell their familial relationship and that's not how either actor talks in real life. Its really impressive.

But yeah, since the show ended people sort of take their hangups with Jon's character assasination out on Kit Harington and it's really unfair. He stuck the show out until the end but a character that had been such a massive part of his life was being ruined before his eyes and that clearly took a lot of heart out if his performance and I don't blame him for that.

Because season 1 through 6, Kits acting is absolutely spectacular and severely underrated.

[stealerofthe2ndbraincell]

what are your top 5 in9 episode endings?

Oooh I loved thinking about this, thank you! It was great re-examining these episodes specifically through that lens.

Honourable mentions to The Last Weekend and Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room. With the former I'd feel like I was repeating myself a bit.

5. The Bones of St. Nicholas

When making this list, this was tied with BCDR but I feel like TBOSN is incredibly underrated so I thought I might as well.

With the frequent flashes back to different "Warning's" Jasper was given in regards to his fate, this episode could have easily felt like it was spoon feeding details to you. Imo it avoids that completely.

I really like the decision to not make whatever supernatural force is involved explicit in nature or even that malevolent. Granted the motorbike accident with Posy and Jasper's hanging still happens, but the narrative doesn't seem to paint them as a result of evil intent.

We as the audience get to see exactly how Jasper ended up in that situation and, although his actions to reach St. Nicholas' jawbone were quite extreme, it still feels understandable how Jasper never picked up on those clues even when they're in your face - similar to the audience. He's realising what's going on at the same time as the audience.

I think this ending does an excellent job at using those flashbacks to give the audience just the right amount of information without forcing it down your throat and removing the mystery entirely.

Finally, the last bit of Jasper hanging from the tower as the other shoe drops (>:) ) was superb.

4. To Have And To Hold

The concluding shot of Adrian in chains reaching for the pot noodle is fully seared into my mind.

This isn't an ending I would call that positive, considering the surrounding circumstances and context. For example, Agnes telling Harriet that she should have left Adrian to die and reminding her of how long her torture went on for at the hands of him really reflects how not happy of an ending it is. Things are definitely better, but Adrian is still present. That uncomfortable air never vanishes.

However, it is an ending that is incredibly satisfying regardless. I think a lot of it has to do with Nicola Walker's excellent performance and that chilling recollection of the marriage vows she does before the final revelation of what has become of Adrian.

3. Mr. King

Describing it as the "ending" is pushing it a bit as the whole reveal actually takes up the last 7 minutes of a 29 minute episode, but I do really love how this one ends so I'm taking some liberty with that. lol

I love the Wickerman-esque ritual so much.

This ending makes sure to take what it's doing seriously, because otherwise it would be at risk of not matching the menacing atmosphere it contains. For example, the reveal that the criteria Alan had matched for this was having good dick and being "uncut and still sheathed" would be easy to take as ridiculous if the scene did not take it as seriously as it did - with that doll being stuffed down his trousers really driving that home.

The costume design for this ending twist is absolutely incredible. The children's masks still manage to remain intimidating within the context of the ritual sacrifice even though they are clearly made from arts and crafts materials children that age would realistically use. Winnie's entire "Mother Womb" outfit is genuinely horrifying and I'm mildly surprised they were able to get away with that in front of the child actors cause that would give me nightmares at that age. Finally, Alan's "Mr. King" mask used in the ending is so excellently made with tons of little details that I love: the little eye slits where all you get to see of his face is truly how terrified Alan is in that moment, the crown and facial hair being made seemingly from wheat to tie his sacrifice even closer to the incoming harvest etc etc.

This whole ending blends the two concepts of childish and intimidating really well where it doesn't feel suddenly dissimilar to how children talk and behave but remains so chilling and distressing throughout. Poor Alan wow.

2. The Stakeout

I love myself some vampires, what can I say more than that?

This ending contains probably my favourite twist of the whole series and reveals it in a kind of similar manner to TBOSN and achieves it's goal in a similar way - Varney's reveal of him listing down different vampire tropes that apply to him that have been scattered through the episode feels both in line with how the episode discusses tropes and never feels like it's spoon-feeding information to the audience. It also doesn't give up all the tropes seen within the episode. Just 5 that most people, and Thommo, would recognise.

The sudden shift in characterisation of Varney doesn't feel too far gone personality wise to what we've seen so far and yet he's suddenly so much intimidating.

This is even before he goes absolutely HAM on Thompson's neck. That entire feeding bit is so good. Varney feeding on Thompson is a little too long and a little too detailed for it not to discomfort the audience a bit and I love that.

(Btw it's described as very "homoerotic" in the official Inside Inside No 9 podcast, so take that as you will. I have an entire thing in my head that I could write up about how queer this entire episode is but that's unrelated and a bit rambly lmao)

That final bit with Dobson is also superb. For as little screentime as he has, Malik Ibheis as Dobson is such a great physical actor. There is that immediate impression of Dobson's absolute feral nature at this point which is done very well.

And it all feeds back to the beginning little monologue again! Love that.

1. Wise Owl

God I adore this episode.

And I especially love this ending. It's an instant tear jerker, I love it, I love Ronnie. 5 stars no notes. <333

That final sequence in the whole 70's PSA format as Ronnie grows, whilst Wise Owl is yelling the same insults desperately and pathetically is so impactful and also so different to the rest of the series in my opinion.

(Also with it keeping that style on the "Get Stuffed" final line makes it seem like Ronnie isn't even looking at his father/Wise Owl when he says it, which is perfect to me.)

In9 isn't exactly a stranger to more positive endings or an ending where a hateable individual is punished by the narrative, but Wise Owl feels a step apart, it truly feels hopeful in a way I can't say the other endings have.

I still think this episode would be really good if it had gone with a more messed up ending as I think the episode forebodes a bit, however I believe that final confrontation and the final animated sequence really makes Wise Owl as incredible as it is.

[vidreview]

VIDEO ESSAY ROUNDUP #3

[originally posted december 21st 2023]

here we are again! i've had most of this roundup queued for a while and just haven't had time to finish it, so the entries here aren't necessarily super recent. but they're still quite worth your time! so let's just jump right in.

"The Gaming Industry, Gambling, and Addiction" by GC Vasquez.

in the previous roundup i highlighted Jimmy McGee's series on the video game industry's ties to gambling. GC Vasquez has made what i think is an excellent spiritual companion to those videos, in that it approaches the same material from a decidedly personal place. the fact that the primary expected model for turning a consistent profit in the games industry (at least as far as companies like Unity are concerned, with the c-suite insisting that you'd be "fucking idiots" for doing anything else) involves pushing microtransaction gacha mechanics into every nook and cranny really cannot be criticized enough. but i think, even more pressingly, GC Vasquez points out that games have always included fictional gambling in the form of slot machines, poker tables, roulette wheels, etc, and that this demonstrably conditions kids to develop gambling addictions. on a lighter note, his video about why replay value in games doesn't matter as much as we think it does is one of those "finally someone put it into words" type essays.

"The Lost Majora's Mask Notebook | New Zelda Info" by The Hyrule Journals.

there are plenty of folks out there doing Zelda lore and history videos, but no one's got the stuff quite like The Hyrule Journals. Their documentary Line By Line, tracing the history of Majora's Mask's English translation by talking extensively to the guy who did the translation, is an excellent work of games journalism that revealed a lot of information previously unknown to me. The Lost Majora's Mask Notebook is a followup to that doc, sharing insights gained from the translator's own notebook kept during the translation process. it's cool! i would not call this A Great Video Essay necessarily but it's a good excuse to recommend an underrated channel.

"SEND IN THE CLOWN: a people's joker review" by let's talk about stuff.

oh this is a pretty cheeky inclusion, huh? one of my own videos? that's right, you got me: the whole VIDREV operation was just a shell game to goose my viewership numbers all along. the video is exactly what it says on the tin: a review of Vera Drew's incredible trans coming of age story / Batman parody film The People's Joker. i talk a fair amount in the back half about the novel ways this film got me questioning the cultural purpose of copyright and IP law, which is itself a strand of thought that began in my TUNIC review. if it seems like i'm always plugging my TUNIC review it's because i'm really proud of my TUNIC review and i would like for more people to watch it ("it" being my TUNIC review). anyway, The People's Joker is relevant now with the recent news that the film will be seeing wider distribution in the states come April 2024! so look forward to that, and to me undoubtedly plugging my People's Joker review yet again.

THE "DOESN'T NEED THE HELP" ZONE is kind of silly this time around since most of what i have to recommend is from channels that are doing relatively alright. my criteria for the distinction between does/doesn't need the help mostly comes down to vibes and subscriber count. if a channel has more than 100k subs, that to my mind means they don't need the help. this is not to insinuate that 100k+ creators are rich! youtube is a fickle mistress and everyone's revenue model looks different. i try to give precedence to folks below the 30k range, because that's where my channel's at and, coincidentally, where i tend to find the most interesting underrated creators. is it totally corrupt to put my own work in the implicitly-needs-the-help zone? call me out in the comments if you think this is a gross abuse of power.

"Playing Minecraft and Losing My Apartment" by Leadhead.

Leadhead has some great stuff, but this one hit me where it hurts. it's a video about escaping into the artificial goals of a video game at a time when personal disruption and chaos wrenches all sense of control over your own life away. i went through a pretty traumatic eviction myself back in 2021, and found myself totally incapable of making art about it. really nice to see someone else picking up that slack!

"Transition Regret & the Fascism of Endings" by Lily Alexandre.

another in a long line of bangers from Lily Alexandre, about how complicated it is to have mixed feelings on your own transition at a time when anyone expressing such emotions has their story weaponized against the rights of trans people everywhere. a lot of trans women in my life started HRT around 2017-18, and i've noticed a trend of folks in that cohort (myself included) trying to reclaim aspects of their masculinity from a safe distance by playing more with pronouns and presentation. i expect we'll be seeing a lot more videos about this in the years to come, and i can't wait! also: Lily Alexandre has some of the prettiest compositions in the whole video essay game. seriously, her color coordination and framing choices (and use of nonstandard aspect ratios!!!) are subtly artful in a way you really don't see very often on youtube.

"Should We Get Rid of Sex Scenes? (Part I)" by Broey Deschanel.

uh-oh, this one's a Nebula exclusive!!! i haven't really talked about Nebula on here yet, but suffice it to say it's an extremely important development in the business of online video. especially in this case, a video about sex scenes in Hollywood that quite literally could not exist on youtube under its current content guidelines! Broey Deschanel is a lot of fun to watch and makes some really great observations here. if you've got Nebula, it's well worth your time!

"Stop using Fandom" by mossbag.

if you have spent any amount of time in fandom (lowercase-f) spaces, you'll no doubt be well acquainted with how terrible Fandom (uppercase-f) is as a company and a product. this video digs deep into how scummy they are about filling wikis with intrusive ads, making alterations at the behest of private companies without consulting the people who manage said wikis, and their refusal to remove the wikis of any property whose community decides to migrate to another platform. one gripe i have with Fandom that didn't get mentioned is their outright ban on outbound links, which functionally murders any genuine archival usefulness a wiki might otherwise have. everything has to be in-fiction, which is just such a backwards and pointless way of doing things. they are systematically opposed to preserving community history and have no interest in fandom except as a money hungry middle-man between fans and IP owners. i highly recommend installing Indie Wiki Buddy on your browser so that you can avoid Fandom wikis like the plague they are.

"Journey to EPCOT Center: A Symphonic History" by Defunctland.

hey, did Kevin Perjurer just reinvent video essays? well… no, not really. but what he and his collaborators have accomplished here is a fascinating, impressive, and deeply odd intervention on the format which mixes archival footage, live recreations, and a "read along at home" written component to create an essay totally unlike anything i've seen before. honestly i really hope more essayists include supplemental written material in the future, especially with longer works where maybe not everything needs to be on screen! anyway, Journey to EPCOT is such a wild ambitious swing, and while i'm not totally convinced that it completely works i still have to applaud the audacity of the attempt. definitely requires a level of active participation that is well above average for youtube, not something you put on in the background if you actually want to learn anything from it, but definitely worth the effort.

"I kissed nuclear waste to prove a point" by Kyle Hill.

Kyle Hill is an educator on nuclear energy, and while i find a lot of his sillier videos a bit grating, i have nothing but praise for his work on historic nuclear disasters and the present day state of nuclear energy. it really can't be overstated how directly our general distrust of nuclear energy was kickstarted by fossil fuel companies, or how unambiguously illiterate the wider public is when it comes to the management of nuclear power plants and the disposal of nuclear waste. Kyle Hill here does a great job explaining just how unbelievably safe the whole operation is when it's well-funded and well-regulated, and stresses the inarguable fact that there's no source of green energy safer, more plentiful, or more efficient than nuclear. windmills and solar panels have their uses, but they will never be sufficient in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels if they're the only energy infrastructure we invest in at scale. and electric vehicles? oh man. the EV push as it stands is set up to be a grand historic embarrassment of catastrophic proportions. let's be good capitalists and set aside the rampant human rights violations and immense environmental impacts of rare-earth mining. the emissions from having to put down fresh asphalt more frequently due to the increased average weight of electric vehicles wearing roads down faster alone will outweigh virtually every gain from an electrified vehicle fleet, if electrifying the fleet is the only transportation infrastructure we invest in at scale.

there is simply no path forward to liberating the world from its reliance on fossil fuels that does not involve massive investment into building nuclear power plants and reducing our reliance on individual vehicles by exponentially expanding the reach of mass public transit. anything less than that is a laughable half measure whose most prominent boosters are, without a doubt, paid by fossil fuel companies to always be boosting. this is why i find Kyle Hill's work so impressive and refreshing. he talks quite a lot about nuclear disasters, but goes to great lengths to highlight that the fault lies in lack of funding, lax security protocols, and greedy parties preventing proper management, and that even with these horror stories at hand, fewer people have died from accidental nuclear exposure in history than get exposed to carcinogenic discharges from fossil fuel products every day and OOPS SORRY I'M SOAPBOXING it's a good video you should watch it

"What Happened To Spoof Movies?" by Eddache.

bit of a mood shift from that last entry, thank goodness. this here is an exceedingly thorough history of the spoof movie genre that does a great job explaining why some parodies work and others really, really do not. i had no idea how much of the recent history of spoof movies comes down to failson nepotism! a good chill video to watch if you want something relatively harmless to wile away an afternoon with.

and that's it. good luck in these final weeks of 2023, be sure to mask up, get vaxxed, and make sure your friends and family get PCR tests before any big gatherings, what with covid levels being as high as they were in 2020 in many places! i'm serious, deaths have been above 1000 a week since the end of August! so take care of yourselves out there

----

ALSO: VIDREV's askbox is open! please feel free to forward any video essays that you think might be worth talking about (even if you're the one who made it!). this includes new stuff, old stuff, professional stuff, amateur stuff, anything that can be reasonably described as a video essay. no promises that i will cover anything that gets sent to me, but i will try to give everything an honest chance when i've got the time. if you have specific questions you'd like answered, please send those over to my main account as i don't intend to answer any questions here. okay, thanks!!

<- ROUNDUP #2 | ROUNDUP #4 ->

[cer-rata]

⭐ : Most underrated character in your opinion

🌠 : Something about canon/fanon you dislike

⭐: John Henry and Natasha Irons. Not that they never get any shine. But...in a lot of ways they're haven't really gotten a lot to do in the past 20 years and that's sad. I think they're important for Metropolis, and the Superman mythos, and comics in general for what they represent, but...you know. They're there. There are characters that I think have been shafted worse, (Karen, Kara, Kenan, Jon, A--actually let me stop before I end up naming everyone) but Steel's tenure has been just...so uneventful for so long. He deserves to be on the Justice League at some point, and honestly. I would be thrilled if Steelworks got a book. Can you imagine a world where Steel and Mr. Terrific got to be characters at the same time? I digress.

🌠: That's an either/or slash, so I will ignore it and make two points instead. :3

Canon: I hate that Clark and Lois can't be like. Just...fine, at being parents even. Not even good at it but just not horrible? I feel like I've been talking about disdain for children a lot recently (it's a hill I will die on), but...I just think it's shitty writing tbh. And I looked pretty closely at the more recent examples. And they just smack of wasted potential. The stories are never allowed to go anywhere, which is so odd considering Bruce gets a new child to kick down a flight of stairs every 8 or so years. I don't' understand why the symbol of hope and progress that Superman is supposed to be is eternally saddled with making only the worst choices he can about his kids. I think even the Magog stuff in World's Finest was kinda like...Clark really?

And this is not to say I think he and Lois should be perfect parents, but there's a lot of ways for parents to stumble and shockingly, they often have to do with preexisting personality traits. Apathy and stupidity color neither Clark Kent nor Lois Lane, so if you want them to mess up their children, maybe at the very least tie those problems into flaws they already have.

Or again, maybe just tell a nice coming of age story for once.

*Ahem*

Fanon: People don't read enough comics. And like...I'm not saying you have to read everything all the time, I cheat and skim and ask for summaries, but I mean more that the general cultural awareness of the content of Superman media is far below that of Batman media and because of that people don't pull from as much established stories as I wish they would, and as such tend to lean on other characters to support narratives that are supposed to be about Supers. Again that's not some kind of moral judgement, it's just a consequence of not being as familiar with the material and it happening often enough to kind of just become a thing. I do blame the publisher primarily for the way they've marketed a select few characters ad nauseam and somehow wonder why other books aren't doing so well. Batman is only so popular because of the long, decent and consistent history he has of pretty good media adaptations, and aggressive marketing. I feel like most generations have a moment where Batman was culturally a big deal, and that's not just a reflection on the fiction but on the money and attention given it to by its caretakers.

To me fanon is a theory that answers a question left open by the actual text. I think when people just...say things happened that didn't and are in direct conflict with what is written on the page, it's just ...fanfiction. Which I like, but it's explicitly not canon and I think that should be clear always.

And that does tie in to my first point actually, because the less you know about a character, the more you make up, and if you don't really get the bones of the original idea, then it's really easy to start projecting, and then you have popularized fan depictions consumed by people who only read fanfiction and suddenly there is earnest complaining about a canon that does not exist. Which just...makes it hard to communicate sometimes, and I don't have the patience always to drag out the scans every time I want to talk about my fave, but there's no real guarantee that anyone is knows has base concept anymore, you really have to check every time.

Don't be Grant Morrison. If you want to reference something specific, read the thing first. No one knows what Clark's reaction to Kon actually was and why it was what it was, and it's...well it's actually really funny to see discourse pop up about two characters where no one present knows what's going on, but also, like. Yikes.

[ahundredtimesover]

Okay firstly, wow. Mimi the way Jungkook redresses OC's bandage, it's so domestic and cute. And how they're both vulnerable to each other (Jungkook especially since it's the first time), it's so sweet and it's actually something that happens in real life..

I love how realistic this whole fic is mimi. 1) They sleep on TWO beds and not on one like how it goes in most stories/dramas/movies. 2) OC does not end up wearing Jungkook's sweatshirt and she wears other actual clothes. 3) The owners of the guesthouse don't automatically assume they are a couple and how one person addresses Jungkook as OC's friend to her. I love thisss. Mimi you're giving us such nice butterfly-inducing scenes that are not only REALISTIC but also when both OC and Jungkook are PROFESSIONAL. The way Jungkook and OC both know they're attracted to each other and they both want to seek eachother's company but refrain from doing so because they know it's not professional and they have to stay in their limits, that's really nice mimi. And also how OC acknowledges the crush she has on Jungkook and tries to act on it like an actual mature adult.

And let's not forget that teeeenyyy bit of jealousy Jungkook felt and acknowledged when Jimin and OC hug

Maybe it's only me thinking this way mimi, but isn't OC always on the recieving end when it comes to her friends? I mean yes, she's not as free as Jimin and Soomin but what about Yoongi? Yes, OC is kind and understanding to Jungkook, but (correct me if I'm wrong) she also did accept to Yoongi that she does this because it's also beneficial to her, right? Maybe it's not mentioned in the fic because the plot focuses on Jungkook and OC's relationship but I really am curious to know how OC is her friends..

And I'm saying this again coz of how you told you literally had to ask people on how they should give a chance to The Light of Dead Stars. That fic is literally my most favourite fic of all time 🩷 It's just so beautiful and how it's with Jin and how it also shows OC's feelings' transition from Namjoon to Jin 🩷🩷

I love it so much mimi🩷🩷🩷

I'm waiting to re-read it once I'm done-done with my exams

Okkk I’m back to asks and I’m sorry this is late but I remember being so happy when I read this! ☺️ As for that whole guesthouse scene - yes, I didn’t go with the usual bc I didn’t feel like it was time, and I’m glad it’s something you appreciate bc there’s also something intimate with a two-bed situation?? And ok, with all the tension, there’s bound to be some butterfly-inducing moments bc they’re honestly so cute about their feelings (savor this) 🤭

As for your question regarding OC as a friend… yes, it seems like she’s always on the receiving end especially with Jimin and Soomin who drive to her, treat her, are affectionate to her. But she’s the type of person that people like being around bc of the emotional safety she provides - as I got older, I learned that this is an important yet underrated aspect of any relationship. Yoongi told her once that she gives comfort to people, and her friends feel this. Jimin and Soo are rich socialites who also deal with alot of stress and drama but they let all that go with OC. They’re themselves with her, and she doesn’t push them away. Yoongi has a no-nonsense attitude but she doesn’t judge him; he’s introverted and she doesn’t force him to socialize or anything. He didn’t want their friendship to change and she didn’t let it. There’s something welcoming about her. She can’t offer much of the material things but there’s safety in her presence, and that’s what Jungkook has realized, too. And that’s what I love about her. They’re all subtle since she’s not a grand person, but the care is truly felt by the other person.

And yay, another TLODS enthusiast 🥹🥹 I’m so happy you loved it! I think it’s my one fic where neither one of them started with feelings for the other, like it organically just happened hehe THANK YOU.

And thank you for this. This was such a lovely message 💕💕 I hope you’re well, anon!

[thattimdrakeguy]

Frankly, I don’t even give a damn about that whole thing with Gunn and his involvement with that certain company

If anything, this will be a cinematic universe equivalent of the time Bryan Singer directed a 2006 film for WB after the success of the first two X Men films. I bet it’ll maybe flop so badly just in the first try before it even has a chance because of the bad behavior and baggage surrounding it

Not something I give a damn enough to pay attention too. I’m only paying attention to when Godzilla Minus One and Godzilla x Kong are coming to theaters but that’s it

First of all, Superman Returns is an underrated classic. So how dare you. It has beautiful set design, music, movie moments, performances, and cinematography (Well, sometimes the movie looks oddly gross, but mostly). It's main flaw is not realizing the importance of trimming a plot down so you can keep things exciting and not lose people just long enough for them to not care.

Also, you don't have to agree with that. I don't actually care that much. It was directed by a pedophile for fucks sake. But y'know, sometimes terrible people make great work.

Even when those terrible people should be put in prison and shunned by society.

'Cause I'm not defending that asshole. Fuck him. I just liked a movie.

Fuck Kevin Spacey too. The way people talk about him, I'm led to believe he might be responsible for murders. But I ayy, that's just a theory. Just...just a theory. Let that meme that probably came to some people's mind die, because no one laughs at it anymore, it's getting sad.

But as far as Superman Legacy goes? Will probably be the best DC movie since The Suicide Squad.

James Gunn is capable of making awesome movies. And his sudden decision to make the Guardians care about killing at the weirdest time they could, will at least work for a Superman story that will presumably not have a bad guy who has killed billions upon billions and billions of people.

So, that's good, I guess.

It's so far everything else I am worried about. Not the quality of Creature Commandos, or the Green Lantern show, or the Booster Gold show. I feel like it'll be fine.

My gripe is absolutely ridiculous decisions with the greater DC Universe he's attempting to create.

For example of his most recent stupid statement, of saying stuff will carry over, but Superman Legacy is the first canon film.

Like what does that mean? If you're going to be carrying stuff over, presumably that means it is also canon. Or are you going to be retconning stuff as it goes along to serve your own desires, while mostly using stuff from past things on some occasions? Because that's confusing as hell.

It's like a kid doodling or day dreaming. They can follow and not follow what they want. They're a kid and their enjoyment is to be theirs's and usually theirs's alone.

Not so much when you're making an expanded cinematic universe, that people will want to comprehend so they can follow and enjoy themselves as it's further expanded.

Then his first slate is this:

Superman Legacy, which again I think will likely be great, if overcrowded.

The Authority (Who I heard will also be in Superman Legacy. So why is that coming up so soon? Seems self-serving and unnecessary, but I'm not judging it that badly. I'm only a little confused, and shrugging there. Not absolutely baffled or anything. They could easily do something to warrant it that makes sense.)

The Brave and the Bold:

Which is a movie directed by the dude that did the Flash, a movie that makes no sense logically, even in its own plot, and has so many bad moments and effects that it's difficult to sit through. That is also (Meaning Brave and The Bold here) ignoring most of the gold given to them from the source material. So they can have a Batman with a full family, that's likely to be too crowded for anyone to give a shit that isn't a pea brain who only needs to see something vaguely representing something they kind of know. When they have a much fresher Superman. Which creates a very similar problem the DCEU id to begin with. And is also bastardizing and missing the whole fucking point of the story it is trying to adapt. And on top of that, even if they adapting it in a way that makes more sense, would still be a TERRIBLE STORY TO ADAPT FOR THE FIRST BATMAN FILM IN THIS UNIVERSE.

Then there's: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

Which makes me questioned why the fuck Batman, and later on Swamp Thing are going to be in it, when whatever plot it could possibly have seems to be mostly Superman related.

'Cause if we're having a movie where we have Superman, the entirety of the Authority Team, and the whole Bat-Family, as well as Supergirl, and Swamp Thing...THEN IT'S GONNA BE A MESS. This isn't the damn MCU where we had 10 years of time to make sure things worked.

And if this is not building up to anything that's only them, why waste a chapter (what they're calling phases) on that then? If you're going to take more time, shouldn't the chapters be bigger so people can get a clue what's going on in your messy messy mind? 'Cause that'll also waste people's time.

Also, also, and, and, why Swamp Thing?

That has James Mangold directing, so I trust that to be quite a good movie potentially. Maybe even the best of the whole chapter.

But who the fuck starts off the CINEMATIC UNIVERSE's first phase, with a character that largely only interacts with stuff in a very specific subsection, that I highly doubt will be able to be used in a way that makes that specific movie happening so fast worth it.

If I have to eat my words so be it. Because I don't want to expect things to be bad, nor do I want them to be bad. So eating my words would be a tasty dessert. I just can't imagine what bullshit he's planning, unless he's going about something in an extremely messy way.

Then we got the TV Shows, but whatever. I don't need them to be all connected, and I doubt they will be more heavily connected, since it'd be a bitch decision to expect people to watch the shows to care about the movies. When Marvel has been going on for nearly 15 years, and can't get people to bother with their shows that will explain very imperative stuff that needs to be understood and enjoyed fully.

BUT WAIT, OH NO

Lanterns IS supposed to tie in to the greater DCU story.

So he is expecting people to care that much for a universe, that is built on major cracks, and tarp that was put up to cover the collapsing walls of the place.

And I did see someone else also say that James Gunn is making a universe for himself (While I think also making many bullshit statements which made no one care about that part), and the main liked response is "Isn't that most movies?"

No, no it isn't.

Most people that make movies, make movies expected to make sense, and be enjoyed by a larger audience.

So no. And that's very stupid to say. But it sounded like a nice defense, so whatever I guess.

And regardless, that doesn't mean he's making good decisions, and while you can say "Yeah, but making stuff for himself by default isn't bad", I would be telling you in my brain since I'm not that rude in actual conversation to shut the fuck up, because the obvious implication is that he doesn't give a shit in a way that matters for it all to work out and be good in a way that feels properly fulfilling like we may have tapped the potential finally that DC has to offer.

So we're left, instead of that, a cinematic universe that at best is going to have a Batman movie that's going to be okay enough maybe at best, despite the many heinously asinine decisions behind the making of it. And a story that is either going to be super forced, or told in a very unsatisfying manner, or at least a confusing matter.

Should I wait to see? I do not care. I don't want to watch a universe that skipped straight to Damian. Because beyond the fact I don't think he's been a good character since the Dick Grayson led Batman and Robin--and that's ONLY during the time Grant Morrison wrote it. Wasting what might be dozens of good pieces of source material to create an emotionally effective, dazzling, well-woven movie trilogy (possibly behind) for the sake of making a movie, basically because some guy who has no experience actually crafting a cinematic universe (And seems to have issues with the one he did work on when it comes to how his specifically created stuff was intertwined. Maybe not big cry baby ones. But still), wanted to make an adaptation of a story that was only good for a small fragment of time, for specific reasons, and was surrounded by massive piles of dog shit directly because of the decisions that let that series be made in the first place, while also NOT adapting the parts of it that worked--is (One massive sentence later) MOR-ON-IC.

People that write the comics CAN'T EVEN WRITE THE BAT-FAMILY, most of the Bat-Family fandom (As in the vocal parts that are obsessed with the fandom) DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LIKE.

Am I supposed to trust this movie, given all of that, to get the characters right to begin with? I don't feel like I should. It would seem to be too much to naturally assume they'll get it right given preceding evidence.

Anyways, I think Superman Legacy will be a success. James Gunn carries a lot of weight.

But I don't think Authority will do well. Hardly anyone knows who they are, and they don't have a cool hook like Guardians of the Galaxy.

People act like it's a surprise Guardians of the Galaxy was successful 'cause no one knew the comic.

I think that's also silly. Not dumb, but silly.

A lot of movies have been adapted from things people don't know. It doesn't effect anything one way or another. It just has to seem interesting enough to watch on it's own terms.

At the same time, though, I'm not sure I think people want an ultra cynical super hero team right now. Nor one that is very much of the time it came from.

Unless they're going to have Superman teach them the lesson of optimism. In which case, why the fuck are you doing an Authority movie, where they don't act like what people liked about them to begin with.

Seems lose lose.

I can't help but feel like they're either going to lose the box office, or the soul of the property.

If the Flash, a well-known character can't do it. And Shazam 2, a movie that is a sequel to a successful movie people loved didn't do it. Or Black Adam, a movie starring one of the highest grossing movie stars of the current day couldn't do it.

Then I'm not sure I can see how The Authority is going to do it.

And with competition from a sequel spawning from a critically acclaimed Batman movie, I don't think Brave and the Bold will do extraordinarily well, especially when they got the people working on The Flash behind it. 'Cause unless James Gunn magically knows they actually know how Batman works and for some reason didn't show that before, it's not going to be a great movie, or a movie the greater fan base will like. It's going to be a movie that fandom people like--maaaaybe. The fans that aren't really as vast as people think, but are simply loud, and only cares about the brand names in the end. As shown by how little true successes DC has lately. Their 'successes' are mostly based on the standards of how low they fallen. Which is de-press-ing.

Supergirl likely won't do well, since we just had Superman, and most people don't care about Supergirl that aren't comic people to begin with. Even the television series struggled a bit, and people who watched did like it--I think. Well, sometimes. It has a fandom obsessed with it, but no shit. That's what a fandom is. I can't take anything out of that, general view wise.

Swamp Thing I imagine will be great, but it's so niche I don't think it will make big money. But if they're smart they'll use just enough money to make it look good and leave it at that. So it could make money if they're smart. People like horror flicks, and monster movies. There's natural potential there.

It's a TV series' world out there, with people enjoying serialized storytelling more than ever. So I think the series' will do okay.

If I'm proven wrong, I won't be totally shocked. But I would be surprised.

When James Gunn was announced as head of the DCU, I was happy, quite happy. The Suicide Squad is my favorite DCEU movie by a large margin. I love the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. All of them. Even if I have issues with the 3rd one hardly anyone seems to talk about. Like that movie really wasted Adam Warlock. He might as well have never been built up if he was going to do so little that could easily be switched out with someone or something else.

It so happens, that I am not a man of bias though. As that may sometimes seem. The last time my blog had relevance, and wasn't used as the dark void I scream into, I was actively shitting on one of my favorite comic book writers series' that was starring my favorite DC character.

I've learned over the years of being in a fandom that acts like a cult sometimes, that just accepting what you're brain tells you is closer to reality than the nonsense mental gymnastics you came up with to convince yourself otherwise.

So I'm not letting my love of other James Gunn movies make me ignore all these weird decisions, that are weird, and to an extent awful at least in enough of a way to mean something no matter how you swing it.

Also best of luck with Zilla shenanigans. I have no upcoming movies I'm eagerly awaiting for that's coming out anytime soon. I'm abiding my time 'til Deadpool. A movie that is directed and written by people who make continuously great movies that don't make me scratch my head. Because thankfully they just have to work on one hero's story, not look over all of them, where they'd probably also mess up.

You can't have a guy who treats creative properties like toys run your cinematic universe. He has a great mind for some things, but I don't think he has the sense for this.

[noa-ciharu]

Speaking of Eurovision...

As a fellow ESC watcher I would like to ask what your twelve all-time favourite ESC songs are and maybe explain why exactly these if you don't mind •////• 👉👈

And have a nice day~

Oh damn just 12? Thats too difficult 😭 If you don't mind instead I decided to pick a country and then select one of their best songs ♥️

Helena Papariziou - my number one (Greece 2005). Maybe it's just nostalgia, but to me this is Eurovision-est eurovision song that ever won. Fast rhythm, very Greek vibes, catchy tune, nice choreography and voice, what's not to like?

Hari Mara Hari - Lejla (BiH 2006). What to say, beautiful ballad in native language, very powerful voice, in my honest opinion this song should have won back in 2006. But then again, I'm a fan of his music so maybe I'm just biased

Go_A - Shum (Ukraine 2021). What every country should do: send a mix of folklore and modern music in native language. Honestly if I had to choose a country that overal has best entries without a doubt it'll be Ukraine, they never disappoint. What's hard to choose actually is which song of theirs was the best. I can't decide but Go_A's Šum definitely goes into top 3. Also in begging everyone listen to Shady Lady, their 2008's entry

Conchira Wurst - Rise like a Phoenix (Austria 2014). Hands down one of best ballads in English sent in last 20 years. Definitely a deserved win, no matter what public at that time said cuz of her appearance. The 'but I'm gonna fly' part never fails to give me goosebumps. I feel like that song could be trans anthem

Elena Born and Stig Rästa - Goodbye to Yesterday (Estonia 2015). The classic. Very simple yet striking duet, idk how to describe it but there's something rly captivating about the song. Ans they look like they're so in love 🥺

Can Bonomo - Love me back (Turkey 2012). Add to endless list of songs that should have won over Euphoria 🙄 it's a very unique song, very catchy too. Also this is the last year Turkey took part in esc :< I miss their performances 😭

Željko Joksimović - Lane Moje and No name - Zauvjek Moja (Serbia & Montenegro 2004 and 2005) - I tried to choose only one but couldn't ;-; that's how 00s music on Balkan was like, it fills me with nostalgia. Sadly national song content in 2006 was one of reasons why union between two countries collapsed so it's more of pensive nostalgia for people here

Anxhela Peristeri - Karma (Albania 2021). This song was criminally underrated 2 years ago :< powerful ballad, perfect voice, strong tune - idk why she didn't rank higher? Albania always sends good song in their language and gets little points, it's unfair :/

Charlotte Perrilli - Hero (Sweden 2008). Yes I can't believe I'm saying this but there is an underrated swedish entry. I've hear this one back in 2008 and it stick with me ever since. Catchy 00s pop song

Andromache - Ela (Cyprus 2022). This one didn't even qualify ;-; honestly it was one of my faves from last year but it was so obvious she was nervous on stage. Plus song isn't really much of Eurovision material so I sort of understand why she didn't qualify but I adored the song nonetheless 🥰 love hearing Greek language

Dima Bilan - Never let you go (Russia 2006). His voice 🥺 song is so beautiful idk what to say really beside I'm an absolute fan (plus that imma go dig up more of his music). I do like Believe from 2008 too but prefer this song

Paula Seling & Ovi - Playing with fire (Romania 2006). What to say, very catchy song, I like it alot. Love them 90s vibes. Defo one of best Romania sent in last 20 years

Toše Proeski - Life (Macedonia 2004). Alright, I feel like I've bored life out of everyone with Crno i Belo from 2012 so time to bring another underappreciated Macedonian entry. You don't understand, this man was a legend in ex Yu countries 🥺💔 still is to this day

Cascada - Glorious (Germany 2013). Shes one of my fave 00s pop icons, imagine my delight when I heard she's on eurovision 😭 her songs are my childhood ♥️ I just wish she ranked better, idk why only 22th place for such amazing song

Doris Dragović - Marija Magdalena (Croatia 1999). Absolutely best Croatia ever sent, powerful voice, catchy tune, native language - absolutely perfect song in all terms

Alexander Rybak - Fairytale (Norway 2009). One of rare winners I 100% agree with. Violin is amazing there as well as his voice. Breath of fresh air into song context with mixture of traditional and modern I'd say

Monika Liu - Sentimentai (Lithuania 2022). So underappreciated 😭 the style, the elegance, the simplicity, the catchy tune - idk why she didn't get more points tbh

Sirusho - Qele qele (Armenia 2008). As someo3n said in comments - everyone over 18 on Balkan knows this song and that's the case with me too 😂 ethnic flavor, catchy rhymes, one of that years faves for sure

I think I covered around 13-14 counties here, especially some from eastern and central Europe that might get underappreciated. Maybe one day when/if I have time I could choose my fave song from all 50ish European countries (if I'm insane enough)

[niconebula]

homura akemi ?

I got the same character twice so I am going 2 reply directly to my friend but yes I saw you too anon!

favourite thing about them: her girlboss swagger. noo but seriously shes just such a one of a kind character. she's incredibly intense which I like and she's the star when she shows up, has an incredible amount of depth behind her actions and is taken really seriously as this fully fleshed out person.

least favourite thing about them: even her negative traits are part of the appeal so. hmmm. i'm not as much of a fan of glasses "moemura" that they keep pushing in the game to make her cute and marketable. i dont really care for magireco as a whole though.

favourite line: most famously: "more passionate than hope, and far deeper than despair, love".

brOTP: kyoko and homura. everyone talks about it but it's still so underrated. i think a lot of people forget how much she cares about kyoko. they fundamentally understand each other, the way they're both trying to protect the people they love. both traumatized by their religious upbringings, both experienced death prior to the events of the series, they're both misunderstood and labelled as the enemy but push forward anyways. homura obviously has a lot of respect for kyoko considering she personally reaches out for her help in every timeline including rebellion. love them.

OTP: i wonder what this is! its so classic its so iconic its the blueprint its a shakespearean tragedy they are ying and yang they are literally god and satan it is great. not influenced at all by me watching madoka at the ripe age of 13 and it changing my braincells for the worse.

nOTP: the incredibly cursed spin-off where she marries ... tatsuya... to get closer to madoka. this is real and i do not know who the audience was.

random headcanon: this is interesting because even though madoka is my longest running fixation, I never really "fandomized" it and my interest is mostly kept within the realm of source material - i don't make or think of my own scenarios. that being said, I have dabbled in lots of doujins and the idea of her existing solely on calorie-mates (japanese meal replacement bars) is canon to me

unpopular opinion: trying to think of a truly unpopular opinion is hard but. as a homura / madohomu enjoyer it's like well, just maybe, their relationship is kind of toxic and that it's part of the enjoyment that she or they both are a little krayzee and incredibly dramatic

song i associate with them: "hunger" by florence and the machine :)

favourite picture of them:

certified classic, drew this during art class in grade 9 except also with the top of her head cut off and I think that scared some of my classmates

[chaserainbows]

✒️ the muse's canon📝 the muse's fanon📖 a popular headcanon regarding my muse 👽 AUs 🌓 crossovers👬 shipping💟 the fandom's most popular ship that involves my muse ((For Aaron!))

send an emoji and i'll tell you my opinion on…

✒️ the muse's canon

Unfortunately Aaron has like 5 lines in canon and practically never showed up in spin-offs until Pokemas (he did show up in the anime though even if it was kinda ass) so there's not a lot to know about him but there's some pretty interesting stuff, he's a perfectionist that trains an underused type and represents one of the most minor trainer classes on the higher leagues and also he's super athletic take notes Lucian

📝 the muse's fanon

what fanon

📖 a popular headcanon regarding my muse

I can't think of any headcanons involving Aaron that are super popular since he's a very underrated character but I like the one that he's the most recent member of the Sinnoh Elite 4 because he just looks like it

👽 AUs /🌓 crossovers

I love AUs I cook them all the time for my muses (and then never talk about them because I have supreme anxiety but they do exist)

Crossovers are a little harder for me to work with if I don't know the source material very well but I also enjoy them they're really fun

👬 shipping

I don't take shipping very seriously since at the end of the day it's just for fun and I don't think there's anything wrong with retconning a ship in case it doesn't work out so I'm very open to testing ship ideas and seeing how they turn out

I love shipping it's great it's fun

💟 the fandom's most popular ship that involves my muse

It's Aaron x Lucian and it's like

eh

Like I don't hate it but it pretty much just exists to get them out of the way of Flint and Cynthia ships so it's very basic most of the time and usually their chemistry amounts to existing around each other so I don't really care about it either

[shiitnoonecaresabout]

my music alphabetized

PART TWOOOOO time for the second letter baby.

B is for............

BOYGENIUS FUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

all time favorite(still together)band. u guys don't get it. getting these three on a song together is best decision ever made sorry. i love these three a lot. phoebe, lucy, and julien are BRILLIANT songwriters who make explosive material when they're together. every song is breathtaking and every song makes u feel every emotion in the book. it may be a 'controversial' opinion but their ep (2018) is my favorite album. they each have their respective moments the same way they do on 'the record' (2023) . it also came out on my birthday so maybe i'm biased. overall, their ep hits every mark perfectly even with a whopping SIX SONGS. the lyricism within that album will hit every time. to put a song calling out ur fans ('bite the hand') as the OPENER for ur debut ep is absolutely insane and perfect. do not get me STARTED on 'me and my dog'. i won't stop:

'me and my dog' has been my comfort song for a while. but its true resonation came through more recently. in a mundane wrap up by 'Beyond The Stage' magazine, the song is essentially about an imaginary situation that is "a peaceful escape from anxiety - one that includes an entire solar system and Phoebe's late senior dog, Max" (Pasterchick, 2023; https://www.beyondthestagemagazine.com/me-my-dog-boygenius-lyric-breakdown/). i have always loved the lyric "i wish i was on a spaceship/just me and my dog and an impossible view" because it makes me think of my darling baby boy, stanley, my very bestest dog friend who has made my life insanely more bearable. the only difference is he's not very senior, being only 5 years old. but recently i had to deal with him passing and listening to this song made me feel so seen and it put that final nail in the coffin of why i love it so much. it's interesting to think how something so devastating can bring about a relation to something i had found so much happiness in beforehand. it comforted me when i needed it the most and boygenius i'm oh so grateful for that. in my safe spaces i can always imagine stan and i on a spaceship. he sure would love that view.

their ep could make me talk for hours but 'the record' is an absolute masterpiece next to it. for them to have a hit debut album like that is so well-deserved. the writing within that album is perfect and 'we're in love' only solidified my love for lucy more. to be able to hear such mundanity in the instruments in order to amplify her soft voice is a beautiful use of sound and very understandable when she is spitting the bars that she is. i have consistently attempted to dissect meanings that could be hidden within this song just because i know lucy is way too smart for any critic to know what she is singing about. people may try to dissect those songs but julien, lucy, and phoebe are tooooooo big brained for them. it's not up there but 'true blue' is another beautiful representation of lucy's talent and to write that about her bestest friends is very sweet :)))))). 'without you, without them' is underrated but is a gorgeous way to introduce the album, especially a debut one. to open themselves up to us is not a small thing and their appreciation for that intro should be larger. tell ur friends, father, mother, sister, brother, they are opening up girl LISTENNNN.

another thing i love about 'the record' is the amount of JULIEN we get. the triangle between 'anti-curse', 'satanist', and '$20' is grammy worthy. the way the album flows together is 'folklore' level and no i do not say that lightly. the friendship that flows between each and every song is important to truly understand the tight community they have formed among themselves. 'anti-curse' focuses around julien's encounter with the ocean and getting pulled under a wave "making peace with [her] inevitable death." and listening through the album you start to notice her underlying theme of feeling grounded by the two people next to her on this whole journey, phoebe and lucy. their friendship has had a strong and lengthy lore that has brought devastation among many fans realizing just how much they really love each other. which is also emphasized by their common theme of playing the "big three," as some fans like to call it, at their shows: 'please stay,' 'favor,' and 'graceland too.'

now, i saw boygenius live and experiencing those three songs was another experience for me. and that was the most i cried the whole show (can u believe that?) knowing their friendship was so strong that they could write those songs about such a vulnerable moment within it was a beautiful thing for them to feel comfortable sharing with us. i think people took for granted the way they were able to perform those songs for us after the history that has happened to produce them. additionally, i think the creative decision to place julien in the middle of all three was essential to solidifying the sole reason all those songs were being performed. they have found strength and solidity in their friendship and turned it in to some of the greatest music of 2023.

whoever said trios don't work should really meet boygenius.

this is my boygenius cover playlist. if someone wants to get it to them thank you. i need them to cover these songs.

[poetry-protest-pornography]

Okay, turns out I'm low-key obsessed with the sex scene in Work From Heart.

*This is literally just going to be me overanalyzing 90 seconds of heavy makeouts and grinding (and pretending I'm not going to write a fic about it), feel free to skip this post if that doesn't interest you. But if it does, go watch the scene 👀*

Like, this is one thing that I think they did perfectly, actually, and I was trying to figure out why no one was talking about this show, and why there was no fandom presence to speak of, despite the underdeveloped story being Prime Fic Material, and I found people complaining in reviews about everything, but even about the sex scene, and that confused the shit out of me.

Some of the complaints were from people who have obviously never had sex, but some actually complained that they seemed desperate. (And that the desperation was somehow out of character)

Yes. That is the whole fucking point, you cucumber! It's about the desperation!

Dee's entire characterization is that he is desperate for love and affection. He has very few people in his life, and at this point it's been years since he's had any kind of romantic partner. He's in love with Knight, and he almost lost him, and now they're together and alone and all he wants is everything.

He needs reassurance and confirmation and to cement their togetherness. He needs to celebrate that they're together. He needs a goddamn orgasm.

Knight just wants to give him what he needs.

So when they make it to the bed, Dee is desperate, and frantic with it. His movements get uncoordinated and messy, and he gets noisy, and he can't keep his hips still.

These two want each other so bad, they can't be bothered to get their shirts unbuttoned all the way, and Dee gets overwhelmed and gives up on anything but grinding against Knight with increasing desperation, and Knight finally catches on through his awe, and lets himself be pulled up and Dee practically shoves his nipple into Knight's mouth, and then Knight gets it.

Then, Knight flips them over and gives Dee what he needs (and I swear I am not writing this scene out, I am not going to do it), because he understands. Because Knight has been desperate, too. He's been longing for Dee for months, and the way he looks at him all the time is incredible, but when they're kissing, he looks like he can't believe he has Dee in his arms, under his hands. But he knows that Dee's desperation is a different thing, that it comes from a different place. So, he gives Dee what he needs, and takes control, and gives him the reassurance and the connection that he needs, staring at him full of love the whole time.

It's about the desperation, y'all. It's about Dee who is so lonely giving into his own desire and chasing it. It's about Knight letting himself love again and letting himself revel in having Dee in his arms. It's about getting what you want, and having it be everything you dreamed it could be.

This scene was maybe the most honestly horny scene I've ever seen, and it was great for these two characters.

Dry humping is a highly underrated sex act, and I don't think I've ever seen it in a show, honestly? It was perfect, and hot af here, and I'm so mad that no one else has written this because I am not writing this scene.

(fuck)

Anyway, I wish there was an active fandom for this show, because there is so much potential in the story and the characters. But seriously, this scene was so fucking good it's making me feel crazy, actually.

[crudely-drawn-ben]

The Sun Chronicles are good reading

Following from my post about Mike Brooks' God King series, it's time to talk about another recent series that I have loved. This trilogy is not yet complete but it begins with Unconquerable Sun (which is very good) and continues with Furious Heaven (which is excellent.) I listened to the audiobooks so I'm probably going to spell everything wrong here, apologies to people who know how to read.

The one-line pitch for these was "gender-swapped Alexander the great in space" so I was more or less sold on these from the first time I heard of them, particularly because Kate Elliott is very high on my list of criminally underrated genre authors and she consistently comes up with the goods.

I don't know the history well enough to be able to say how closely the books follow it, so I'm going to talk about them as though they're regular space opera and in that context they're excellent. The story begins in the Republic Of Chaonia (republic in name, dictatorship in nature) ruled by the brilliant but overbearing Queen-Marshal Irene and follows her daughter Sun's journey towards finding her place in this universe.

Chaonian leaders are surrounded by a team of Companions, representatives of the governing houses who offer their skills and loyalty to the leader and have their own companions in turn. These are the characters that form the heart of these books - they are well drawn and interesting, their banter and bickering are fun and authentic. Our main window on this world is through outsider and newcomer Persephone Lee, who's self-deprecating narration I came to really appreciate. In keeping with the source material, pretty much everyone is bisexual and at least one of the major characters is non-binary - queerness is very much a normal part of this world.

Sun herself is the centre around which the companions revolve and I enjoy that she is seldom a point-of-view character herself; we are more likely to see her through other people's eyes. This is something I love when writers like Dorothy Dunnett and Megan Whalen Turner do it, and although my search for a female character on that Lymond axis continues Sun is certainly nearby.

We also have point-of-view characters from other societies that confront or interact with Chaonia and seeing how Elliott gradually winds them together across these two books is fascinating. The books are action-packed and fast-paced, full of intrigue and awful parents. Elliott knows a lot about naval combat and the fleet confrontations have a sense of weight and danger. The different spacefaring societies feel distinctive and their beliefs and cultures hint at depth and mystery. The universe itself is also mysterious, as is the system of jump-gates that enable faster-than-light travel but whose design is lost to time. It feels like there's more to learn about that before the series is out.

Something that Kate Elliot consistently manages well is telling an epic story but keeping her characters at the heart of it, and once again she does a great job of that here. The threads of friendship and found family really helped to bring me and care about the individuals in the wider tapestry of the story. If you want some really big-screen grand space opera this is exactly what the doctor ordered.

So far it is, as you might imagine, a story of imperial expansion, and I'm sure there are people who will tell you that it's celebrating imperialism and conquest, but Elliott is too smart for that. Everyone in this universe is part of somebody's empire and they all suck in different ways. I have no idea what the destination is - and I like that - but the journey so far has been a tremendous ride.

[eleanorfenyx]

For the ask game:

What is the perfect environment for you to write in?

Do you prefer to write AUs, canon divergence, or canon-compliant fic?

Is there a trope you haven’t written yet but really want to?

What is your most underrated fic?

What is a line/scene you’re really proud of? Give us the DVD commentary for that scene.

What’s your favorite minor character you’ve written?

♥ Thank you for sending something back! Also in order of asking (and with the numbers of the asks fixed as promised lol):

(here's the link to the askgame for anyone curious)

5: Perfect environment to write in? - I wish I could say it's something nice and healthy-sounding like at my desk with a cup of hot chocolate yada yada yada but it is, unfortunately, in the dark in the middle of the night writing furiously on my phone to get my insomnia to be quiet and let me sleep. There's just something about that perfect storm of circumstances that leads me to bang out thousands of words at a time, thumbs flying, even if I'm super stuck every time I open my laptop when I could get so much more done so much faster if my brain would cooperate. So weird!

9: AU's vs. canon divergence vs. canon-compliant? - I've written all three and I really love them all in different ways at different times, but I think my favorite right now is AU's. I've been doing ones inspired by other media as well as just straight AU's (i.e. my Pacific Rim 3zun-centric AU vs. my ensemble/multiship 90's Strip Mall AU) and they're both super fun. I really really love getting to the point where I feel like I know characters well enough that I feel like I can pluck them up out of their source material and redesign their world to something new. Plus I get a really big kick out of people commenting that my characterization still feels realistic to them even when the circumstances are so different from canon.

12: A trope I haven't written but want to? - I think I'd really like to do something with identity porn/mistaken identity/shenanigans. I'm a big fan of miscommunication (done well, not just to draw things out unnecessarily [I have noped out of so many dramas for committing this crime against my sensibilities]) and I think that identity shenanigans can play into that really well. I read a lot of them and I think they're really fun, so I think I'd enjoy doing that sometime. Either that or mind-reading stuff like Cherry Magic AU's and the like, that also seems like such a good time.

16: My most underrated fic? - Hmm it's a bit of a tough choice. I think right now I feel like my ongoing 3zun-centric Pacific Rim AU 'Soldier, Poet, King' isn't getting nearly as much attention as I'd thought it might when I first started writing it. Pacific Rim AU's used to be everywhere back in the day and people ate that shit up like it was candy, and I suppose I'd expected that same excitement to still be around because why wouldn't people be excited about giant love-powered robots fighting aliens? I also started writing it while there was still a lot of really active buzz about Xiran Jay Zhao's fantastic 'Iron Widow', so the timing felt right and I'm really proud of what I've done for it so far, but alack alas it (feels like it) is going largely ignored. (Even accounting for the fact that 3zun is a much less popular ship than Wangxian, it still feels weirdly quiet)

18: A line/scene that I'm proud of and some commentary for it? - Two years ago almost to the day, I wrote/posted some of my first fic for CQL. It's a relatively short re-imagining of the Jingshi scene in episode 43, when Wei Wuxian is realizing that if he has no one else he still has Lan Wangji, and he comes in out of the cold to sit with his zhiji. They have a brief conversation about the time Lan Wangji spent waiting for Wei Wuxian and mourning him, and have this brief exchange:

“What if I had never come back?” [Wei Ying] whispers and the quiet heartbreak that shatters through Lan Zhan’s stoic facade steals his breath straight out of his lungs.

“I would have hoped for another lifetime together to be kinder to us.”

I'm still really proud of this even though it's so simple and I've written just shy of 800k other words, according to my AO3 stats. I think it really sums up Lan Wangji and his love for Wei Wuxian. If given no other choice but to wait then that's what he'll do, and he would have done it hoping that he and Wei Wuxian would be given another chance one day, because one lifetime just was not going to be enough. Like it would have hurt and he would have been in mourning until the moment of their unknown second chance arrived - and probably after too - but he would have seen no choice but to wait and hope. I feel like I hit the core of Lan Wangji's characterization (in the ways I want to write him, anyway) so it still colors everything I do with him in it.

20: Favorite minor character I've written? - MO. XUANYU. But particularly my Mo Xuanyu from my time-travel fix-it universe that was begun in my first ever longfic and has now spiralled outward into a much bigger universe than I'd originally thought it would. So basically Mo Xuanyu in this universe had the chance to grow up in Koi Tower from a young age, but a Koi Tower in which Jin Zixuan is the Sect Leader and Jin Guangshan is already dead. So he gets a very large, loving family who supports him and loves him for his oddities and his gender fuckery - that is 100% my self-projection - based solely on the fact that he was known in canon for wearing makeup. Like I took that and RAN with it, and now in my universe he's essentially a full-time feminine cross-dresser, though he identifies as both masculine and feminine and isn't too fussed about picking one or the other. He's everything I wish my gender fuckery could be, and I love him and want all good things for him, so I'm very attached to him. The very close runner up is my Lan Jingyi, both in that universe and in a more canon-compliant setting, so I feel like it's no wonder I got it in my head that they should be together in my fix-it universe lol.