#this truly is the episode ever. its so good. like the whole main plot is already so so fun and i love to see marge experiment jobs

[the-spite-of-a-dandelion]

Honestly I don't really know what I'm saying here, it's late, but I'm just thinking about episode five of DBDA: The Case of the Two Dead Dragons.

Cause like, I feel the reason I enjoy this episode so much it because it's different than any other in the series really. And I mean that in that it's much more focused on the people the case is about than any other episode. And I feel like, if Dead Boy Detectives were as long as it deserved to be, like, at least five seasons, 20 episodes each, we would have seen a lot more like it.

Like:

Both episodes one and two, The Case of Crystal Palace and The Case of The Dandelion Shrine are Crystal and Niko's cases, and they are not only recurring characters, but they become part of the agency, so I feel these episodes are also different than episode 5.

Episode three, The Case of the Devlin House is probably the closest to episode 5 in regards to what I'm thinking of, as it does have the agency learning about the Devlin family, and all the fucked up shit that they went through and what the dad did. But still, you don't really get to know the characters the case is about. The agency doesn't talk to them really. The closest we get is Charles reading from Hope's diary, but that is only a fraction of Hope and the family's perspective on what happened. And that makes sense, because this episode isn't entirely centered on them, it's also about Charles and his trauma.

Episode four, The Case of The Lighthouse Leapers, also doesn't really allow you to get to know the people that the agency is saving either. They barely talk to the people who died because of Angie, and you don't really get to know the one who hired them, Dagfin, that well either.

Episode six, The Case of the Creeping Forest, doesn't even really have anyone who actually needs saving. There's Monty, who "hires" them for the case, but he's already a recurring character. And like, there's one bit where the ghosts outside the forest say it's like, bad, but that is it.

And then, for episodes seven and eight, The Case of The Very Long Stairway and The Case of The Hungary Snake, there aren't even clients. And these episodes don't really include any characters we haven't met before then.

Episode five, The Case of the Two Dead Dragons, is different though. We get to know Shelby and Maren. Hell, we even get to know Brad and Hunter a bit. I'm pretty sure they talk to Twitchy Ritchy for longer than most other one off characters related to the case in any other episode for goodness sake! We hear Shelby's story straight from her mouth, and get to see how much it affected her. This adds weight to the story, it makes us need to understand what really happend, to bring justice to somebody even if that isn't who we originally thought it was. We meet Maren, we get to see how desperate she was. How desperate she is when she tries to kill Crystal. When she realizes what she nearly did. We get to hear how she turned herself in, we get to understand what happened from her perspective. And we get to truly hate Brad and Hunter for what they did to both Shelby and Maren, who we get to feel for even though they only show up once.

And it just adds to how much more impactful this case feels as compared to how the mysteries of other episodes would be without the weight of the main characters' stories being there.

The Case of the Two Dead Dragons stands on its own, and we deserved to see more episodes of DBDA like this.

I've heard so many people nowadays say that they hate "filler" episodes, but they are so goddamn important.

A show isn't just a really long movie. It's a collection of stories that all come together, and that is beautiful. But recently there's been this push to make shows shorter. To cut out the filler and give it one really long, (or even just short) plot that encompasses the whole thing.

Dead Boy Detectives is truly great, one of the best shows ever, in my opinion, but it could've gotten a chance to be something more.

It could have not only continued the stories of the main characters, but it could've shone light on so many other stories. And considering how well this show does that in just eight episodes, the representation it has, I think a show like Dead Boy Detectives would be perfect for the job.

But alas, it didn't get to do that. It remains a little eight episode show that didn't change the world of television. But I will say that it definatly changed the world of those who watched it. And if it got the reach it deserved, if it got the amount of time it deserved to tell what it needed to tell, if got the marketing, if it got the chance...

This show is already amazing.

But just imagine what could've been.

[danhumphrey]

major hornets nest moment here but i must speak my truth. its so fascinating to me how will byers was clearly written with the driving motivation and intention of making him a beloved fan favorite character and instead he falls so flat that, if you asked the average casual viewer of the show who doesn't engage in the fandom like, say, your coworker, the odds of him even being in their top five of favorite characters is pretty low.

will's disappearance kicks off the plot, singlehandedly. the first episode is literally called the vanishing of will byers. his name is shouted so much in the first season that most people would recognize the reference if you used the right cadence and desperation that winona ryder does. after not being featured much in season one, you'd think season two would've just like launched will/noah schnapp into stardom with how much more screentime he's given and how dramatic his plot is that season. but instead the fan favorites of season 2 were by and large el, hopper, dustin, steve, max, even bob who's barely there. that's not to say that there AREN'T will fans out there (and online i understand there are like entire armies dedicated to him/byler, but i'm talking about the average opinion of viewers as a whole, not just in fandom spaces) but think about all the stranger things merch you see in stores, the halloween costumes, the characters that appear in promotional materials when the show has partnerships with brands....will is so rarely featured. idk if any of yall ever got the chance to visit the stranger things pop up shop in any of its various locations, but there was such little mention of will in the stores theming or merchandise that it was almost funny. actually it WAS funny, to me, someone who does not care for him

i think the flop can be attributed to many things. one, noah schnapp is just not a very good actor and he doesn't have the same appeal in his performances that millie, sadie, caleb, gaten, priah, or finn do (although finn i've noticed is also kinda falling out of favor from majority audiences). one could argue that noah schnapp intentionally isn't given much to do, which is true and i'll circle back to that, but the decline in his acting between seasons 2 and 3 is truly a sight to behold. when he's not like tied up and screaming, he reallllllly struggles on the smaller scale performances compared to the other cast members his age. he doesn't really have the charm that gaten does or the humor that priah does or the depth that caleb does. (i don’t feel bad about saying this, btw, given noah schnapp’s behavior)

back to the vanishing of will byer's screen time. my beloved prettymuchit's eric striffler commented on how diminished will and mike's roles in the story have become in s4. "noah schnapp is below the grips on the call sheet" is my fav line, but he also makes an observation on finn's role that i think is soooo accurate. when mike and will are kneeling down next to the pizza dough freezer and watching el just kinda twitch while she fights vecna in her mind, eric and his co-host miles say "this is so embarrassing! finn's like, 'oh so gaten's fighting the monster? and i'm kneeling next to a tub at a pizza place? i used to be this show" and i think the same exact sentiment can be superimposed onto will

but i think this happened naturally, as the nature of the show is to shift its focus from character to character. not to mention the duffer brothers' obsession with tweaking their story to give audiences what they want. i've always held the belief that there isn't one main character of stranger things, rather a rotating circle of characters depending on the season you're watching. season one is mike, season two is hopper, season three is el, season four is max imo. again that's a little subjective and arguments could be made to swap those a little, but overall i think those characters stories and point of views take center stage during each of their respective seasons. by season 3, the duffers wanted to kick things up to a larger scale. the UD is no longer targeting just will, it's targeting the entire town. this works because a THIRD season in a row where this one kid specifically gets possessed would just be bonkers, so they kinda had to let him take a backseat. i'm not sure why they didn't let will be more involved in the mystery-solving portion of season 3....to this day that decision baffles me, but what's done is done and the will that everyone watched in season 3 literally just kinda follows everyone around and gets a small little slice of a plotline about wanting things to go back to normal, but alas

it like totally worked, though. though there are MANY complaints commonly made about season 3, i've never heard anyone offline complain that there wasn't enough will byers. i think the group in s3 that had the most success like, commercially, would be scoops troop and then a bit farther back i think most audiences enjoyed hopper/joyce/murray's dynamic. i think if there had been a huge outcry in the minimizing of will's role, the duffers would've backpedaled immediately. they aim to please. they can't even commit to killing of a main character out of fear that audiences will lose interest if we permanently lose hopper or max, so they just do some creative writing that allows them to milk the emotional consequence of those characters deaths without actually writing them off. if audiences on a large scale demanded that will be center stage, he would be. but they dont!

final point: i think will gets fucked over by the duffers obsession with romance. in season one, two of will's strongest dynamics are with his mom and brother. which like, yeah. theyre his immediately family and he is 12. but in seasons 2 and 3, jonathan spent all his screen time with nancy and from 2-4, joyce has spent all her screen time either with hopper or in the pursuit of finding hopper. these characters are written together as a package deal, typically. it was refreshing and unexpected to see jonathan get a whole season with a friend of his very own and his siblings, but they barely took advantage of that. jonathan and will get ummmm one (1) scene to talk about their emotions in a fucking 20 hour season. it's hard for will to be a main character when he rarely gets to interact with the people that make up the other half of his main dynamics.

as for byler, im of the belief that it will not be endgame because i just don't think they're going to break up mike and el at this point. i could be completely wrong and stand corrected, but im like 90% sure lol. i do think that will's s4 storyline resonated with a lot of people. even eric striffler! i think the issue is that the vastttt majority of people who watch this show above the age of like 15 do not feel invested about the romantic relationships between any of the kids. because why would they!!! theyre literally in middle school for 3/4 of the show. you would be hard pressed to find a vocal will stan online who doesn't also dedicate 90% of their engagement with the show to byler. which makes sense, because most if not all of will's scenes revolve around mike to some degree. but according to neilsen, the majority of stranger things audience is consistently in the 18-49 age range season by season. its more likely for adult audiences to identify with adults (or characters who are narratively treated like adults, like steve and nancy) than with any of the kids. esp when the kid in question, despite being written as the focal point of the show, has less relevant plotlines, less interaction with other characters, and an actor who just doesn't deliver on charm the way his fellow younger costars do

[mejomonster]

Justice in the Dark ep 29 SPOILERS AHEAD

My thoughts are all jumbled and incoherent forgive me AAAAA

Okay so like.

1. Hearing Pei Su's monologue to Zhang Zhao Lin? So great. So so great. So sooooo great. I forgot how much I loved it.

2. Finding out Pei Su's plan with Du and Director Luo (Luo Weizhao's dad) at the same time Luo Weizhao does? Immaculate. I feel like (but i could ve remembering wrong) the novel gives some aspects from Luo Wenzhou's pov and some from Fei Du's perspective so we know about Fei Du's plan earlier on.

3. haha HAHA episode 28 tricked me into doubting myself lmao, I was right about the final bad guys! I thought so.

4. I am so curious why the apath thing was added to the plot now. Originally my theory was the apath sci-fi "justification" for cruel abusers was how the show was going to eventually justify the main villains being a corrupt leader of police, and a rich CEO abusing tons of people. But both of them are not apaths, and Fan Si Yuan isn't, and those are all the top villains. This show really just committed to making police corruption and rich CEOs abusing others with their power as the main evil of the Xinzhou (Yan city in the novel). I am perplexed... if the apath thing wasnt made up to justify portraying corrupt police and politicans (and Luo Weizhao's monologue to Director Zhang in episode 29 pretty much is the same theme as the novel - generations of abuse and corruption within the police force, within the rich and powerful running the city, the police not protecting people and needing to face justice for it) then.... why? Why include apaths as a sci fi element? What was the censorship thing it was trying to cover their ass for? In Guardian the dixingren/mutant thing was a way to turn ghosts/supernatural into "plausibly sci fi" so it was allowed, but Mo Du has no magic elements. I figured it's worst plot point in terms of potential censorship would be the police-corruption thing. I feared they'd either change the bad guy, or make them an apath. Mm. Maybe apath was added to justify Pei Su saying unhinged shit like he'd strangle someone theoretically. I mean Pei Su doesn't DO anything cruel or evil, but I know cdramas used to (maybe still have) rules about protagonists not allowed to do certain immoral things. Maybe apath was invented for the show to justify Pei Su saying certain things as a protagonist??? I truly do not know why they added apaths as a plot point.

5. Or maybe... it was to justify why Fan Si Yuan was killing innocent people/driving victims to help him kill people??? Maybe they felt Fan Si Yuan was too moral seeming if he was only going after murderers, so they made him have a vendetta against "apaths" a made up subset of humans? I mean the whole point of Mo Du is there's soooo much grey area, so many personal differences in how one views morality. Its like the quote from the show "criminals are good people who've been hurt" I don't remember exactly what it was. But basically everyone was once a good person, and individual's pain can drive them to do cruel things, and like Luo Weizhao and Du Jia and Pei Su say - its up to the individual to decide if they'll harm or not. Fan Si Yuan is meant to be a lot like our heroes, a lot like Pei Su seeking vengeance for victims. Director Zhang and his brother the CEO are meant to parallel other brotherhood bonds we've seen (and Pei Su/Luo Weizhao). Zhang Donglan is the son of an evil man, just like Pei Su, and yet we know Pei Su has done more questionable things than Zhang Donglan ever has, morality wise. Anyway... my point is, maybe the show felt Fan Si Yuan needed to appear more clearly "evil/cultish" to be the final villain in a cdrama? I have no idea.

6. Last thing about the apath thing - I initially thought the show might be shitty and use "apath" to wave away every evil thing done by someone on the show, and villainize any apath character. But so far the show has surprisingly not done that - Pei Su remains written as an apath, yet Luo Weizhao clearly believes (and convinces the audience) that apaths can be just as moral as anyone else and decide to be kind (like Pei Su). Several of the worst villains, many of the Janitors lackeys, Fan Si Yuan, Zhang Zhao Lin, Director Zhang, are all NOT apaths. So the apath angle was not used to handwave away corrupt police or abusive rich people en mass. Which is what I feared would happen. So I'm just really left puzzled WHY the show felt they needed to add "apaths". Was it just not okay to show in a cdrama Pei Chengyu abusing his wife and child if he wasn't an apath? Was it to justify the Su teen girl who almost killed another girl, is there a rule in cdramas against showing kids capable of killing/harming other kids? Was it to justify showing Pei Su kill a bird? I am just perplexed what adding "apaths" to the plot, allowed the cdrama to include in the show that otherwise would've not been allowed on screen.

7. Pei Su covering his eyes! Just like Luo Weizhao covering his eyes, when his mom died, when he had flashbacks, AAAAAA. So intense, that moment. Knowing height die. Knowing he'll play the cruel monster one more time. Knowing he'll face justice after this, whatever he deserves, and he'll take down the other people who deserve justice first. Knowing how much he's changed and grown, and how hurt Luo Weizhao will be. Knowing everything he's done since we first saw him in the therapist's office, afraid of things changing in life and the need to accept it, as been working up to THIS.

8. Zhang Donglan hostage! I love that part. I love that Pei Su doesn't want to hurt him, admires him even, but Zhang Donglan is innocent the way Pei Su never has been. And Pei Su can be as cruel and terrifying as his own dad, and can and will threaten other horrifying men like Zhang Zhao Lin.

9. Pei Su on the ground, the set is SO COOL. Again I did NOT picture anything that visually interesting when reading. Pei Su on the ground, seeing the world like a child. The height of a child. Knowing he saw himself as a monster once, and yet here is all the hypocritical "once victims" who now are participating in crime and murders done to others Pei Su wiuld never choose to do. So who is the real monster? The man who looks down on him, this Janitor thinking he's cleansing the world, is a hypocrite.

10. Luo Weizhao is going to break my fucking heart.

[oneatlatime]

Lake Laogai

This Lake had better have Appa in it. With little water wings on.

Skipping the commentary as usual.

The Previously On section suggests that a whole lot of plot threads are about to crash into each other. Strap in folks.

Lefty Sokka!

Beat up Sokka quota fulfilled by his sister's critique of his art skills. It's not like he had paper to practice with at the South Pole.

Sometimes I forget that Aang is 12, then he does something like attempt to rescue his pet from a nefarious city-wide conspiracy of silence with lost cat posters.

"Good tea is its own reward." That means no, he isn't paid enough.

Remember what I said in my last post about Iroh bringing too much attention to himself?

"senior executive assistant manager" someone on the writing team has worked retail I see. Nothing like meaningless promotions with no raise attached! It's right up there with employee pizza party.

I have to pause here and point something out. This whole scene with Iroh? This is an adult fantasy. I don't mean dirty, I mean this whole scene was put in specifically to appeal to the adults who got roped in to watching this kids' show by their children. A rich man walks through the door of your shitty retail job, immediately spots your natural greatness, and offers you a much better paying job with unlimited creative freedom and a better house to go with it? Find me a burnt out retail worker who hasn't conjured up this fantasy five times a shift.

And so the plots come crashing back together. This won't end badly.

"patience really pays off" I checked. He waited literally three seconds.

Shout out to Toph in the background playing catch with a ball she can't see. Casual flex of epic proportions.

Remind me never to go to Lake Laogai. Sounds like it's lousy with Ju Dees.

So the Ju Dees don't know about each other? Because she seems honestly confused. Does Ju Dee think she's the only Ju Dee? What happens if two Ju Dees run into each other in the street?

Posters are illegal but I haven't heard a peep about recarving a bunch of fields into a zoo.

This is maybe the second time Aang's blown up over Appa. Frankly he deserves more blow ups about the whole situation.

I don't think knocking down walls will help find Appa, but I applaud Toph's spirit.

They took out a whole wall and then exit by the door anyways. That's funny.

I really hate this guy, but I have to admit that he may be the first truly competent villain of the series.

'The Jasmine Dragon' also lets anyone with half a brain know that you're Fire Nation. Try the Jasmine Badgermole instead.

Zuko really can't catch a break, huh? He wasn't happy being a tea server, but at least he was resting. But every time he gets five minutes to himself, the main plot reappears to drag him back into the action, whether he wants to or not. Although he hasn't figured out that he doesn't want to be dragged back yet.

Every line of dialogue in this scene is a good point. Zuko's right, Iroh's right. The Zuko's right again, then Iroh's right again.

YES YES YES GET HIS ASS

That was satisfying!

I'm not understanding why Sokka is the voice of reason here. Is he incapable of holding a grudge? He's the one that had all the animosity with Jet to begin with. Shouldn't it be Aang who wants to hear him out?

Toph is a living lie detector now? I can't think of an example off the top of my head, but I'm sure that could have come in handy previously. Any other incredibly useful skills we should know about?

Jet is oddly defensive for someone who claims to know he did wrong.

Ever get so excited that your spine malfunctions?

Sokka just has a metre long map in his pocket. Good friend to have in a pinch.

Avatar first! Katara is rude to an old person!

I'm going to have fun with Toph's new ability.

Toph, you have never been more right. It is the worst city ever. You are really shining this episode.

I know this is a serious scene, but I need to point out that Jet's guyliner is on point.

This shot is jarringly out of place. I think it's because it both black and white, and live action. Those have to be real clouds.

So the Blue Spirit can talk after all. Careful, your Zuko is showing.

Wow Zuko is good at sewing. And fast too.

Sokka is having far too much fun with this whole 'prompt Jet's memory' thing. Maybe he does have a bit of a grudge after all.

Katara can reverse brainwashing now too? Everyone's levelling up this episode.

This scene with the planks is a very cool and disorienting visual.

Didn't have 'the gaang breaks into a brainwashing facility' on my ATLA bingo card.

Pretty.

OMIGOD IT'S AP- did Zuko just break the fourth wall?

Everyone always forgets to look up.

So this fight is going to be Toph v. all of the Dai Li while everyone else tries not to get in Toph's way.

That's a boat.

Toph could probably take all these guys out faster if she wasn't having to constantly break off to save everyone else from them.

The Dai Li prancing up walls is a really cool visual. It's very Ty Lee of them.

I love watching her work.

Why don't you let Long Feng escape? He's no longer threatening you, and you're down there to rescue Appa. Just let him go.

The security on Lake Laogai is a joke.

Big words from someone who also had no plan whatsoever at the North Pole.

Zuko knows that Iroh's right. He knows, and that's important. I don't think Iroh is saying anything that Zuko hasn't thought and then hurriedly pretended to have never thought about before. It's why he says 'stop it' rather than being completely confused as to what Iroh is referring to.

Poor Appa's like 'can you have a crisis of self after you free me please?'

'You've chosen your own demise." No. You chose it for him. That's some top tier deflection/victim blaming right there.

Longshot can talk!

That's one hell of a set up and pay off re: Toph's lie detecting abilities.

Poor Jet. A double tragedy: to be likeable only when you're brainwashed, and to dedicate your life to wiping out the Fire Nation yet being killed by the Earth Kingdom.

Hi Appa. It's about time buddy.

Shockingly in character for Appa's first actions to be to single handedly save the Gaang from a threat.

You skip that bastard like a stone.

Everyone go and listen to the sound Appa makes when he spits out Long Feng's shoe. It's delightful.

I am framing this.

And this too.

I can tell there's some shmymbolism here, but it's gone right over my head.

Final Thoughts

Appa is back. The Gaang has Appa back. I have Appa back. Ok. I can relax now. With any luck, this means we can leave Ba Sing Se.

This episode felt like City of Walls and Secrets, Part 2. I think it was a good decision to have a couple of episodes between the two, but I think there would be some tonal whiplash if you binged this section of season 2. Which wouldn't have been a problem for a show designed to air once a week, so it's a moot point.

So Zuko freed Appa from his chains, and presumably pointed him in the direction of a door or something. Or maybe not; Appa has a ridiculously hard head, he could have busted his way out. Either way, Zuko broke the chains. Thanks Zuko!

In season 1, Zuko finds the Avatar the world had lost. In season 2, Zuko finds the Sky Bison the Avatar had lost. So in season 3, Zuko will find something Appa has lost. I wonder what that will be?

Jet being killed by the Earth Kingdom is so deliciously ironic, and tragic, yet very in character for the Earth Kingdom's approach to this war. It's also literally this:

Smellerbee and Longshot have really gotten the short end of the stick over and over this season. They were the only ones to decide to stick with Jet. Presumably they were the only ones who believed that he had had a legitimate change of heart. And they were kind of wrong. They get to Ba Sing Se only for Jet to immediately backslide way past even where he was at his worst in Season 1. He completely discounts and dismisses their legitimate concerns for his methods and his overall health. Then Jet gets arrested and disappears for two (?) weeks. So what do they do now? Get jobs? Steal so they don't starve? Then suddenly Jet's back but he doesn't even remember them. Then suddenly Jet's dead. The whole point of coming to Ba Sing Se just died, in a way that shows very clearly that their desire to help with the war is not welcome at all in the city. So what now? Do they leave and try to fight in the war from outside the walls? Do they settle down and try to forget about the war? Things did spiral completely out of Jet's control once the Dai Li got involved, but you have to admit that he's left his only remaining friends up a creek.

Sokka had some good jokes but was oddly ok with this episode's events. Toph had some great lines and got to shine with a new skill that any writer with half a brain will bring back in future episodes. She felt like the audience substitute this episode, which is usually Sokka's role. Toph was episode MVP for sure. Poor Aang took a bit of a back seat this episode. Zuko finally hit the crisis point, and may well have made his first indisputably correct decision of the series. But, as previous episodes have gone out of their way to show me that Zuko being good always goes badly for Zuko, I'm sure freeing Appa will somehow come back to bite him.

Iroh's question of "who are you? And what do you want?" was Zuko's entire character arc this season. He took a shot at answering the "who are you?" portion in Zuko Alone, and sort of halfway got there before messing up at the end of the episode. As for the "what do you want?" Zuko will tell you (often and repeatedly) that he wants his honour back. But I think he just wants to go home. The thing is, I strongly suspect that the home Zuko wants to return to hasn't existed since his mother left, if it ever existed at all. Which means that while "who are you?" has an answer Zuko can work towards, "what do you want?" has an answer that is kind of impossible. So Zuko is going to have to learn to want something new.

RIP Jet. Your life was fucked to Hell long before you were old enough to try and salvage it. You'll probably be missed by more people than you strictly deserve. War sucks, amirite?

[little-one-eyed-monsters]

This is my honest and professional review of a BL series I cannot name, identify or tag because I live in fear of their rabid fandom:

I had a few hours to kill at the airport, so I chose an ongoing show on my BL watchlist to randomly binge as I wait for this hopelessly delayed flight to get a move on. I was REALLY looking forward to watching this show, and have expressed my excitement at multiple points on this blog. I was able to watch about 9 episodes in between my waiting hours and during the actual flight, and well...

You ever see a show that looks SO GOOD on paper-- a unique premise, solid exposition and well-defined characters, beautiful set design and costuming, an established pair, and a sky-high budget-- but falls so flat in execution that you physically need to stop watching before you get a sugar crash?

Because that's what the show was-- an endless sugar high. All aesthetic and eye-candy, but there was NOTHING in there to make the plot, its lead characters, or even its original conflict actually interesting or consistent. Even the half-baked political stance they shoe-horned into the plot made no goddamn sense because truly, the stakes in this show are not as important as these characters make them out to be. And these villains are clichè and cartoonish that their actions are actually predictable, rendering the plot also predictable. Halfway through the tenth episode I had to physically turn my phone off and switch to an inflight movie just to get this lingering bad taste out of my mouth.

But what really turned me off of the whole thing was the acting, especially the leads and their lack of chemistry. Maybe the pair was just so used to each other by then, that they forgot that being attracted to one another IRL doesn't always translate to attraction on screen. They are ACTORS first before anything else, and actors must use physical actions, facial expressions and vocal nuance to translate emotions to their AUDIENCE, not to their partner. They must actively interact with their set and their environments too, not just stand there and flail their arms while they deliver their lines. They must use dialogue dynamically, and not just in this constant monotone that's being used under the guise of disinterest, but it's really coming off as disassociated. And lastly, just because they gaze at each other and kiss doesn't mean the characters are automatically showing romantic interest TO THE AUDIENCE. Gazes must be accompanied by micromovements, intimacy must be coordinated with natural motions, initial apprehension, and even awkwardness, not just constant caressing and throwing heads back in a show of fake ecstacy. For six episodes, this couple has managed to convince me that they're-- bored of each other. They're so familiar and even nonchalant with each other at times, when at that point in the plot, the characters were supposed to be building a budding and enjoyable romance.

And such a shame too. I watched a few other projects with this branded pair prior to this one (one series and one movie), and though both projects had lower budgets and weirder storylines, their acting and their chemistry there wasn't that bad. Why are they regressing? I just feel like for this whole project, their hearts really weren't in it. Maybe they too, got lost in the ruffles and the routine of acting with each other.

This is why the best actors choose to act with different sets of talents, productions and genres outside of their branded pair partners-- to pick up techniques of the trade from other stars and directors, and to keep their dynamic with their actual partners fresh and constantly evolving. Acting with the same co-star over and over again establishes a false comfort that leads to lazy acting methods. Routine kills art.

(On that note, the side couple was not bad. At some point I wanted the side couple to take over this storyline because the main plot was giving me physical stomach pains).

And with a review like that, WOAH BOY you already know I won't be tagging this show directly, because if I got doxxed just by documenting the downfall of SmartBoom, you can bet your beautiful face that criticizing THIS COUPLE and this show will get my actual house burned down by its legion of delulu X fans.

And that's such a shame, because we should be allowed to air our criticisms and preferences without fear of public lynching (and so long as we express our opinions respectfully). Because how do we expect to improve on anything if all criticism is viewed as an ill and unprovoked attack on the person who made it and the people who like it? Can't we just be heard fairly? And by the way, I'm not a snob by any means. I LOVE TRASH SHOWS. I love any show so long as it achieves what it set out to, no matter what that is. And I also know that the things I love may not appeal to others the same way it appeals to me, and that's okay. Healthy, even. We are welcome to our own tastes, so long as it brings us joy.

That said, this half-review of an unidentified BL series isn't meant to attack any of its creators, or dissuade any of its fans from enjoying it. I'm happy you're liking it very much. I just think that maybe next time, this prod house might create a show that can appeal to fans like me. And by airing honest criticism, these actors may review their acting methods and be persuaded to improve upon their craft in future projects.

But what do I know, right? It's sugar and people will guzzle it anyway regardless of how it's made. I just wish that the series itself committed to its goals in the first place-- if it was a political commentary, then establish that first. If it was a criticism of the rich and their means of production, then focus on the takedown rather than skirt around the issue or reference it offhandedly under the guise of plot substance. If it's a love story, then eschew the weird plot points and just build on these characters' relationships and their compatibility. And it it's just an endless bodice ripper then commit to that, too-- remove the FIFTY OTHER THINGS you want this series to be and just focus on artfully conveying love scenes. Either way, just COMMIT TO IT AND BE CONSISTENT.

Please don't doxx me again. I am as polite as I can be, I don't deserve your unfounded hatred.

[whoistrash]

Why change matters and how Amphibia did it better than The Owl House.

"Watching and Dreaming" made me cry a lot during its premiere. I was amazed and, I'd say, dazed by it. Then I forgot about it for a while. Now I finished re-watching Amphibia for the first time since TOH ended. My hype died down, and I have some thoughts. A lot, actually.

Amphibia's ending was incredibly painful and made me sob like a baby for two whole weeks the first time I watched it. That's because it was not only beautiful and heartbreaking, but truly GOOD. Brilliant, actually. I absolutely agree with a statement that any other ending would literally be a contradiction to the whole main plot, especially Anne's arc. The girls had to learn to let go in order to grow as individuals - the thing they had the biggest problem with. Saying goodbye was the only logical option, plot-wise. It still hurt like hell, though. Separating the multidimensional, against-all-odds relationships (especially my beloved spranne. Ouch, ouch, ouch). The Owl House does no such thing - everybody stays together. They live happily ever after.

Paradoxically, I think that it's the main reason why I'd choose "The Hardest Thing" over "Watching and Dreaming" every single time. I know we shouldn't really compare them in EVERY aspect, since TOH had way more things to deal with in the final episode, but the fact that Luz got to not only stay, but to freely travel between worlds as she pleases really took the whole "growing up and finding your true self no matter what the other people do/say about you" thing out the door. Luz from season one, episode one, and Luz from the finale are not really that different. Well, she certainly became more traumatised and depressed than before, but in terms of personal growth? Nope. Luz - from the very beginning - was cheerful, open, caring and very selfless, willing to literally help every stranger she met no matter how it would affect her. She had little to no boundaries, but, well, you can't argue that she was A GOOD, SELFLESS PERSON. Now, we could say that her arc here would be learning that sometimes you should put yourself before others, that you can't save everyone, that you can't trust every person you meet. And she learns it! She fucking does! She helps Philip not knowing who he will become, and then suffers from the consequences, because she helped the wrong person. And then it's all erased, when she saves Collector's life and meets Papa Titan (or whatever we call them).

I have so much to say about this. All of TOH's "villains" (Amity, Lilith, Hunter, The Collector) that were given a redemption arc literally get turned into lifeless, edgy trauma dumpsters, that suddenly loose all of their previous character, quirks and sass (well, maybe except for Lilith, she just started to express them differently, I think, but still, it was WAY too big of a change). I won't dwell on it (since many, many fans called it out already - as they should), and will focus on something different. The only one marked as irredeemable is Belos. Good. Okay. He's irredeemable, because he's a white, christian puritan who won't listen to anyone but himself. Also a genocidal maniac. That's the lesson for Luz here. "You can't save everyone. Some people are just straight up evil". And it's very, very true. But.

From all of the "villains" I mentioned before, Belos is the one that had the most reasons to, let's say, take a dark turn. Those reasons are what makes him irredeemable - he's just too convinced he's right, because, in his mind, he has evidence to prove it. But how do we learn about this? Maybe by seeing his part of the story? Maybe by learning about his brother and Evelyn, about their relationship? It couldn't be straight up awful, since Philip literally brought his brother back to life over and over again, he wanted his brother, or at least the picture of Caleb that satisfied him the most. There was more to it than only "you betrayed me and now I will hate you forever". Do we get to see any of that? No. Instead we get an all-knowing, all-doing being that literally choose Luz as "the one" for being kind and trusting, that convinces her that Belos is, indeed, a lost cause. Do you see where I'm going with this?

Luz, the person that on the literal episode two was told that there is no such thing as a "chosen one" and that she can't always hop into action to save everybody, because, it's, well, not always possible, DOES EXACTLY THAT in the finale by taking a bullet for The Collector, the, you know, very freshly redeemed and suddenly cute and funky villain, whom Luz trusts immediately. AND SHE IS REWARDED FOR IT BY BEING MADE THE CHOSEN ONE. BY A GOD-LIKE BEING THAT CLAIMS TO BE ALL-KNOWING AND CAN DECIDE WHO IS RIGHT AND WHO IS WRONG, BECAUSE OF PERSONAL (King) REASONS. Just like, you know... Belos? The irredeemable villain? And then Luz lets go of the moral dilemmas that's been keeping her up at night for the past months, makes up her mind, defeats the bad guy, learns nothing, and gets to stay in the Boiling Isles and on Earth. With her beautifully redeemed girlfriend and friends whom she kept secrets from and lied to out of fear of being ostracised (you see the pattern here, right?) for, again, months.

I love Amphibia. I love The Owl House. But Amphibia handles it's "villains", generally wronged characters and the whole change/no change thing way better. Well, maybe besides the Core - they got a bit wasted in my opinion. But still. Sasha. Grime. Marcy. Andrias. Anne herself. They learn and change. And more importantly, they face consequences and come to understand and accept them. There's no "chosen one" here. Anne gets the proposition because she's the first one to use the music box for good in literal millenia. A fact, plain and simple (not an opinion based on personal motivations), that makes sense plot-wise, and adds so, so much to Anne's arc. Because Anne from season one, episode one wouldn't care. The one from the finale cares very damn much. And that's the biggest difference.

Saying goodbye makes the message way stronger. The more I think about it, however, the more I'm starting to be afraid that there's no The Message in The Owl House to begin with. Luz learns very little, yet ends up with everything she ever wanted. There's no power behind it. The "find the right people and choose to trust them, not everyone will be your friend" and "some things are out of your control, some people are just bad" aspect is even weaker, as proven by basically the whole season 3. I will end it by my favorite quote from Amphibia, that I think about on daily basis. Have a good day, y'all.

"Change can be difficult, but it's how we grow. It can be the hardest thing to realize you can't hold on to something forever. Sometimes, you have to let it go; but, of the things you let go, you'd be surprised what makes its way back to you."

[everythingmp3]

spoilers for the new yj episode! tw for me being a hater

well... I was prepared for the fact that they were probably not gonna write Vans death well but that scene..... all I can do is laugh like that was so fucking bad from start to finish 😭 just so deeply unserious, like Van pathetically wailing about wishing she could kill Melissa? really??? thats what they came up with for her? as if her whole arc wasnt unsatisfying enough already, making a random ass side character that had no lines til this season kill her is so beyond stupid like that shit did not reach me emotionally whatsoever - last season the reveal that she had cancer really shook me but now, today, I wasnt even sad or shocked when she died, it was just too awfully written to get to me and a Radiohead song wont help with that kind of bullshit either, sorry (her and Nat twinning with dying to their music and Jackie being eaten to it, good for them, little trio moment there I guess)

also Walter........ dont even get me started on him. why is he still there!! why is he outliving Lottie and Van can we be so fucking for real!!!!! they did those two so dirty by adding them in season 2, giving them nearly no backstory except their places of work, only to give them a meaningless death in the next season like that is so far from what those characters and Lauren and Simone deserved honestly! its just mind blowing how off their priorities are like what the fuck did they smoke in that writers room that made them think "yeah fuck it, lets have a man come in with a helicopter, thats cool" while completely ruining their main characters storylines like huh......

and its not a good sign at all that the adult actresses are openly throwing shade at the writers because it definitely takes a lot for them to abandon diplomatic answers, like they are FED UP and for good reason - like with other shows like Succession it was the exact opposite because whenever the actors received compliments they always always without fail praised the writers for how easy they made their job, how much they loved getting to embody their words etc. like thats a possible reality too (also side note here, Succession was a show that did an unexpected main character death so fucking well that I still feel viscerally upset when I come across gifs from that episode, thats the polar opposite to yellowjackets and how they handle death)

yeah idk now that the season is almost done I can say that the writers fumbled it so hard in so many ways, the actors are all trying their best with what theyre given, as they always do and bless them, but yeah, the writing is falling off more and more it just keeps getting worse and I truly dont see how you could do two more seasons of this shit.. even one whole season is pushing it because what on earth are they gonna have Tai Shauna and Misty do except useless plot lines that include Jeff and Walter? make Melissa important? sorry I wont be watching then

they just do NOT understand how to handle the adult timelines tone at all bc it goes from absurdism to comedy to tragedy to romcom to poor attempts at horror in such absurd jumps like they cant ever decide on a clear distinct tone so it all falls flat for me, for example teen Vans tears towards the end of this new episode did not move me even though Liv is great bc the tone of that entire scene was so random and all over the place, just like the opening scene where they did that comedy punchline shit by having Van say "goonies never say die"........ be so for real. be so fucking for real. how am I supposed to do anything but laugh when thats how you set up a characters death.

and I am gonna be a cunt here for a second but the yj show runners/writers very clearly rely on their audiences generosity because they know that a bunch of die-hard fans are willing to overlook some truly atrocious work, like they knooow that they can get away with lazy writing because they have before in season 2 and its honestly embarrassing to me that they dont hold themselves to higher standards to give their loyal audience something truly worth their time and love and attention - and I do think it very much has to do with the fact that the show has a large lesbian audience, who will gladly take whatever they can get bc there are very few other horror adjacent shows that center gay women/girls but like damn! do better! (a successful example of gay campy horror thats actually funny and hits it comedic beats well while still delivering emotional truths is Jennifers Body, which is ironic considering that Karyn Kusama was involved in that one and also directed some yj episodes, like maybe they shouldve called her and asked for more help..)

its just so frustrating that this show could be really fucking great, the premise is fun, the actors are lovely, but they just refuse to get a grip with the writing like in season 2 I was still able to ignore some of the odd choices they were making but this season has just made me lose my patience for good, I cant pretend I like what theyre doing bc the actors are carrying it all on their backs and its just not enough, its not, Sophie Thatcher had that absolutely heartbreaking beautiful moment where we finally see Nat cry for real, it was so well acted, but then we follow scenes like that up with the most unserious nonsense and it makes me mad on the actors behalves tbh its just a mess

anyway RIP Van fly high angel </3 that was so lame, I am sorry girl

(also I am currently attempting a new fic for her, so maybe I will take this as a sign to actually pull through and finish it so I can put something out there as a little counter-weight to what they did to her 😭 I am in the middle of it rn and dont know if I will end up liking the finished thing but ill try my best!)

[nerd4music]

The thing about the CRM in The Ones Who Live, is that it was never meant to be the main focus, outside of its relation to Rick and Michonne. We're shown more about how it works through Rick's eyes, as a consignee trying to escape what amounts to prison labor, and the setup of the military, that it operates as a separate entity from the Civil Republic. With Rick we see their tech advantages, military strength, and the sheer scope of their reach. In Michonne, we see their destructiveness, with the chlorine gas drop and the murders of her travel companions. We're given so much information about who they are, what they do, and what they're capable of, and how the writing parcels it out is related to how it moves Rick and Michonne's plots.

That's why Jadis is the main antagonist, and not Beale. She is the CRM obstacle Michonne and Rick have to eliminate (and why Pollyanna was the only cast member in the damn credits besides Danai and Andy). She is the one who poses the biggest direct threat to them, their kids, and their friends/home, until Rick finds out what the hell is in the Echelon Briefing, and Michonne learns about the kidnappings and plans to gas Portland, and that's what makes them decide to blow shit up.

I'm not sure what else people wanted to see. Like they were expecting to sit in with Rick on briefings? Because the writing laid out just how bad the CRM was over the course of six damn episodes. One could argue about Beale not being as prominent, but he was impactful enough to the narrative in the time we did see him, that the buildup to the last episode and his Echelon plans revealed feel truly villainous and sinister, and that's why Rick reacts so suddenly. He became a direct and immediate threat, not just to Rick, but to the whole damn world and that's why he's swiftly taken out, because Rick is impulsive and saw the chance. Like props to Terry O'Quinn who looked like he had a blast, but how quickly he was killed was good writing, because it was unexpected, and fixed TWD writers' problem of dragging out their villains. There is a reason we're not immediately shown just how awful the man is, until the last possible moment, when he's revealing his intentions and offering Rick something terrible, leaving Rick no choice but to kill him, as his last act of finally being free from the CRM's control.

And between that, is the persistent theme of fire and burning things to bring something new. It was only ever going to end in a big blaze. The Frontliners were destroyed which is only a small portion of their military. There's still a ton of story left to tell with the CRM and the aftermath, because they're still a threat, considering the sleeper agents all over the world. But the direct tie to Rick and Michonne was wrapped, and the CRM in relation to them served the plot exactly how it was always meant to.

[the1gayteen]

Pink Pony Club Episode-911

Thanks to @speaknowbuckley I gained the motivation to finish this plot idea for what I picture for a queer central episode (Gay club, because its LA and I am desperate for ABC to allow us to see that side of the city!)  for 9-1-1!  (Also im back from vacation yay!)

Title: The Pink Pony Club (Please know that its been a Chappell Summer for me truly) 

Main Plot/Episode Dynamic:  

I see this following a bit after Bucks initial coming out as Bi (I initially had this before he actually was confirmed bi so I saw him coming out alone, but I can still see this with the buck/tommy coming out as well!). Takes place during pride month and Hen is watching as Buck is excited for his first pride month as not and ally™. I see her wanting to take Buck out with her and Karen to the bars to celebrate, and of course Chim and Eddie may have overheard and become jealous to join (letting them all come along for support and just fun). Overall its an episode that explore a lot. Buck feeling scared to feel accepted into the queer community finally, that maybe he isn't queer enough (possibly exploring Bi hatred within the community) (for me bi hatred and eraser is something that I would love to see touched upon especially now with how people have been reacting to bi characters becoming a norm) and scared to head out to the bars. But having a Buck and Hen brother sister scene where she convinces him that he should celebrate and love himself. Eventually planning outfits together. I see buck finally letting go as he walks into the first bar. People dancing around without a care, queens, men, women. Standing on the floor and letting the music mute his racing mind, finally letting himself sway to the music with a content happiness. Hen and Karen smiling proudly as they join in.  

Oh but don't think this whole story is just on Buck and Hen. I love a queer Eddie arch and if I was a writer for ABC this would be the first fucking stone cast for this arch. Eddie walking into that bar initially without any worry. He was an ally and doing this for his best friends, no worries there. Why would he be? He’s straight... right? But why as he's watching buck dance with men does he have this pain in his chest. Or seeing other men dance together with such joy and ease. Why as he sips and chats with a drag queen at the bar does he feel the most like he’s at ease and belongs somewhere than ever before? Why does the episode end with Eddie sneaking off back to the very same bar the next night without the rest of the 118 as a soft melody of pink pony club plays, a smile etching across his face as the lights over cast his face (I NNEEEDDD). 

Oh and Chim, having a fucking blast as per usual with Maddie.  

Songs Used/When they would be used: 

9-1-1's sound track to me at least has always been phenomenal for storytelling and setting the mood. So for an actual pride episode like this I would want some good bangers (I made a playlist that I may post later lol) 

1. If I Had You- Adam Lambert 

2. Pink Pony Club – Chappell Roan  

3. Rush- Troye Sivan (See this as more of a background song) 

4. I Know a Place- MUNA 

5. Its Raining Men- The Weather Girls 

There is more but these are *my* essentials 

Possible Emergencies: 

I would love for the conversation of Buck wanting/starting to look into queer culture and history after coming out to be shown on a call at a drag show/club. The same club that the 1(gay)teen shows up to later in the episode. Something about the dimensions of how certain heels are made for drag performers or how thick costumes (tights, tucks, etc.) can be and how that queen or queens ended up in that situation.  

A pride parade incident? (I wrote a possible scenario where there is one with Take me to Church over it and gods let me be a writer, PS I don't think I'm a good writer at all lol) 

Again thank you for coming to my Ted Talk I will take my exit..

[wellofdean]

This is old news, but I just read it for the first time and really loved it:

Rewatching Supernatural has been an interesting experience. I first watched most of it (from the start of season 2 on) in real time as it aired, and I have to admit that I did not take it very seriously. I gave it no thought whatsoever between episodes, and thought of it as an hour of indulgence in something dumb and pretty: two handsome brothers and their angel who fought monsters and melodrama every week. I never missed an episode and did love it, but I didn't truly engage with it.

It seems, however, that Supernatural worked on me in some kind of subterranean, unconscious way, because when it ended, I found I couldn't let it go. Part of that was the terrible narrative malpractice of its ending, but when I really thought about it, I realised that I also just missed Dean. He had been a weekly visitor for more than a decade, and I just didn't want my time with him to be over. I started watching Supernatural again, and the experience has been really interesting. A lot of things about my perception of it have shifted, and one of the main shifts has been in my apprehension of the serious artistic intelligence, nigh-on unbelievable range, and sheer excellence of Jensen Ackles' performance of Dean.

I keep thinking about what an incredible undertaking Dean is -- a 15-year-long development of one character! About how different the actor who played Dean in episode one is from the actor who played Dean in episode 325. How age, experience, and depth are reflected in both the character and the performance. It is just impossible to watch it and not see that there is an incredible evolution there, and at the same time, a kind of devastating psychological and emotional continuity.

Supernatural is a show that requires you to suspend disbelief and agree to go along with it. It can be silly and schlocky, and it's emotional strokes are often broad ones. It started airing in a time when our society was very different from the way it is now on issues surrounding social justice and inclusion. It isn't 'prestige TV' and it puts on no airs of being anything beyond what it is, but when the whole story is in your mind and you revisit it, and you aren't engaged with taking in plot and anticipating (or desiring) outcomes, you start noticing its subtlety, its themes, motifs and story parallels, the liminal spaces of its setting, the subtler play of emotion in moments without dialogue, and it starts to feel much deeper, more epic and just straight up BETTER than you ever thought it was.

All of that is mirrored in Jensen's performance. He grew into Dean and grew into an artist who could play Dean. He's not afraid of a little schtick, he's very capable of being obvious, but he's even better at the subtleties that allow Dean's inner life to rise up in his face without words. I love how this article positions Jensen's performance as being like that of so many classic film stars, the idea that he used his own essence -- the full range of his psychology, emotions and physicality with skill and intention to achieve what he did with Dean. His long commitment to and investment in the character, and the way he fully embodies Dean because Dean is a character that he built from pieces of himself.

Anyway. I have a lot of respect for his work. I love Dean and think he is magnificent. I hope Jensen Ackles knows how good he is, and is suitably proud of himself, and I am very grateful to hear that by all accounts, Dean is not over for him, because Dean is not over for me.

Sheila O'Malley wrote a few really nice pieces about Jensen's performance as Dean and one about Soldier Boy, and I recommend them. Very much enjoyed.

[cospinol]

winter 2025 isekai roundup!☆ this was overall one of the weakest seasons in recent memory and i'm glad it's over, but the wretched genre somehow manages to score a couple of passing grades (and actually includes my third favourite of the season). taste, bad, etc

i did promise at the beginning of this season that if ishura spent its whole second cour on prep work without approaching the tournament i'd blow this whole isekai up, but it seems like miss shiki's already stepped in to take on that responsibility and now i can comfortably give it a very solid passing grade! i think the key to this season's success is the relatively minor structural change of being split into two smaller arcs, which are much more digestible as little introductory pieces for their respective casts than last season's season-long lithia arc - the thing that ultimately brought down s1 by a full point was my disappointment at realizing that we'd spent twelve full episodes on introductions for a whole lot of dead characters. s2's arcs are significantly more economical, and now that we're further along in the story even the one-off character episodes are more satisfying by virtue of all connecting to other established characters or events. i really do hope we get another season; i'm willing to let it keep stringing me along with anticipation for the tournament at this point ´_`

also, i just preferred this season's character stories more on a basic level. the particle storm arc in particular has an extremely charming little group of absolute weirdos that it brings together for an even more charming climactic event; it also doesn't hurt that the 'protagonist' of that story is a white-haired former child assassin trying to clean up his life, voiced by mariya ise lol

immediately moving down into the 'shows with no intellectual value whatsoever' category, i'm also giving fugukan a passing grade purely on the fact that it has my favourite boy of the season in it!

a character arc tailor-made just for me ♡ he's cute, he's a damsel in distress, he's committing atrocities in a desperate bid to uphold his father's legacy, i don't need anything else in a character. it's so impossibly charming that the key conflict is his unwillingness to accept the protagonist's op skillz as a temporary solution to his domain's permanent problem, and the best solution the story can come up with is just for the protagonist to become the lord in his place; it's deeply unfair and plays out in such cute way on a character level, i'm a little bit obsessed.

i honestly don't care about anything else in this show but it's basic in an inoffensive way; the 'kicked out of the party' bit is only minimally present but (shockingly) leads to some character work for the protagonist that i actually enjoyed, and although the harem isn't anything to write home about the two main girls are charming. yuuri in particular is written as exactly the same kind of idiot as ein, in a way that made them feel really, truly compatible and i was earnestly rooting for them by the end. also, there's a (second) male character in the actual main harem... ok, i do like this show, i guess

i also kind of like re:zero, i guess...... i hate reviewing series that are known quantities to this extent but i promised i'd see it through in last fall's review post, so: this season was good because it had regulus in it, and going forward the series overall will cease to be good because it will no longer have regulus in it. fwiw the actual quality of this season (regulus aside, though there shouldn't rightfully be anything to say about anything other than him) was easily the strongest the series has ever been by virtue of having such a wide variety of non-subaru plot threads to pull on, but in the end that's also a weakness because in order to make room for other characters to do things it has to do away with subaru's timeloops (far and away the show's biggest overall asset) almost entirely - we're in the final/main loop by the third episode. surely there's a way to balance this better... i'll still return next season for julius moe, anyways

there shouldn't be anything to say about Bogus Skill <<Fruitmaster>> (stylized exactly like that) except that it has the funniest title in the history of anime, but overall it actually goes down pretty smooth. there clearly aren't many thoughts going on in its fluffy, saturated-palette head but it's nice-looking, airy and fast-paced, and once it splits the party mid-season it yields one perfectly serviceable action arc about how swords kill people but it's still okay to be a blacksmith(!), and one genuinely charming arc following the female lead's quest to hunt down and befriend the evil ballerina villain, which is where this show suddenly starts to really shine. lena's I Can Fix Her mindset is the true heart of this show and it pays off in a resolution that made me cry; i knew going in that dratena was the reason to watch this show but wasn't prepared for her to be the best girl of the season..

also per standard rules of engagement, 0.5 bonus points for sho hayami voicing the most maricore elf dad character possible in the finale!

service just for me and me alone thank you ^_^

i almost completely forgot to put magic maker in this review post lol but i think that, while it doesn't distinguish itself in any real way, it still deserves a basic pass. for more than half of its run time, the structure is at least a little unusual - protagonist is a young child working hard at his academics in order to invent magical techniques in a world that has magic energy but no control system. unfortunately what that means in practice is 6+ episodes of slow and painstaking explanation of the most basic element-based rpg magic system conceivable by the human mind; i respect the concept but it's actually excruciating spending so much time and detail on a basic-ass fireball spell, whose energy source is just basic elemental aura that is in the environment and whose activation technique is thinking about it really hard and having strong feelings in your heart. maybe this does something for power level enjoyers but it felt like pulling teeth to me

i do still think the show is overall fine, though; the character work with the sister is iffy at best, but when she exits the show halfway through the ensuing arc about resolving the magic epidemic she's fallen victim to has a structure that's actually pretty engaging, and a significantly better supporting cast. shion himself is nothing to write home about but i cannot say no to a boy hero voiced by megumi han, so it all works out in the end

i respect salaryman shitennou a lot more than i like it, but that respect is sincere with regard to the fact that the protagonist spends the whole series as a regular guy who solves business problems with his businessman skillset and never acquires any supplementary hax; this seems like a low bar because 'clearing fantasy scenarios solely with salesman charisma and personnel management skills' is the entire hook of the show but i was genuinely surprised that it managed to stick to it. unfortunately, dennosuke being really, sincerely, thoroughly just a regular average guy ends up being to the overall show's detriment because the odd-couple pairing with main heroine ulmandra does not work; he's written as significantly more level-headed and mature than your standard isekai protagonist while she's a goofy, exaggerated, childish tsundere taken to the furthest possible extent, and while i don't think either character is actually badly written, they feel as if they're completely on different planets at all time. although a lot of the series is devoted to their working together and supporting each other, it never successfully built a sense of compatibility/chemistry between them... i still don't understand what they ultimately supposedly liked (or even respected) about each other except that the plot required it, which especially stings because the second-place heroine sylphid is written as an adult intellectual equal with immediate chemistry with dennosuke. oh well...

also, for what it's worth, the plot does eventually run out of business problems that can be solved with business solutions, and the final arc is a boring monster stampede that our salaryman hero solves by becoming a genius military tactician. sigh

anyways if there's any overall takeaway from this season it should probably actually be that seiyuubait will out because i diddddd watch the entirety of arafou tsuuhan. no, of course it's never good or even passable in any way. i think a finger on the monkey's paw curled when at the beginning of the season i said i was disappointed that they were wasting junichi suwabe on such a boring standard isekai protagonist and i'd prefer it if he was one of the villainous asshole ones; it's still true that this guy is boring and standard in every way, but he is also the noncommittally selfish moral black hole type who allegedly just wants a quiet life with his harem but who can't actually get over the iyashikei line because the author doesn't know what a character behaving 'nice'ly even looks like, and also he fucks everything that moves. it's a nightmare and it looks terrible the whole time. i enjoyed exactly one episode and it was the one about clearing a bandit camp because it allowed me to briefly pretend that i was watching a completely different show. the things we do for love etc etc

it's still not the actual bottom of the barrel though b/c i also watched all of izure saikyou no renkinjutsushi and that one doesn't even have a seiyuu hook. it actually has no assets at all - the alchemy premise is a non-factor, protagonist cannot muster even a single character trait, most of the harem girls are insufferable (i won't even get started on the nadir that is the maid girl's running low self esteem gag) except for the dignified elf warrior who ultimately made me hate the show even more because the dedication the protagonist receives from her is so bafflingly and completely unearned. in theory i kind of like that the boilerplate of the moment is 'a bunch of other people also got isekai'd alongside me and they're all assholes/in the thrall of the asshole who summoned them' (it also cropped up in arafou tsuuhan, and another show i don't want to mention in this post) because 'asshole hero who dunks on the protagonist' is my favourite character type in the genre, but this show a) just copies tsukimichi's homework wholesale with the only modification being that b) the boy hero isn't even a little bit cute........? just an abject waste of time

anddddd for the 'things i actually dropped' lightning round, the only entertaining thing about aparida is that i guess guys are too fragile even for their reader-insert protagonists to get kicked out of the hero's party any more lol, they have to leave it by choice. i actually watched most of this cour because it did some fun stuff with the evil heroes' party (i especially like that the main guy is the protagonist's osananajimi) but then they all just got killed off and it announced it was continuing into a second cour, so that's where i cut my losses. next season is chock-full of that premise anyways, we are now on to greener pastures (ymmv)

[alloveydovey]

Dramas! I feel like I'm back in the game (having no life and watching dramas lol)

The Trunk, 2024 (kdrama) 9

A remarried woman sets her ex-husband up with a new wife. Hoping to win her back, he reluctantly agrees. However, unlike his insane ex, his contract wife turns out to be a decent person, helping him escape his misery.

I’m not sure if this deserves a 9—it probably doesn’t—but it’s the first time in a long while that a drama has kept me glued to the TV like this one. The plot has its weak points, and for me, one of them is how the story begins: an ex-wife arranging a contract marriage for her ex-husband. Why? To punish him? Because she’s unhinged? A plot driven by a character simply being “crazy” feels like a stretch to me. Maybe that wasn’t the intent, but it’s how I initially interpreted it. That said, I understand that “crazy” characters can be compelling, and despite this and other flaws, the story completely drew me in. Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin were absolutely mesmerizing. I really liked the idea of an adult romance, where the characters find comfort in each other despite their tough lives. (And it was so nice to see Gong Yoo back in a drama. Might become insane and rewatch all the dramas I've seen of him, who knows.)

Go Go Squid, 2019 (cdrama) 8

A girl falls in love at first sight with a customer at her cousin's internet cafe. Life keeps giving her opportunities to follow him around, causing confusion. For some reason, the ML doesn’t clear up these misunderstandings, leaving everyone—including her and himself—confused. Eventually, he truly starts falling for her.

In true cdrama fashion, the plot is full of "huh?" moments. I’m still a bit unsure about the age difference, but I have to say, Li Xian never disappoints. Every drama I’ve seen him in has been a hit. While this one isn’t as good as Meet Yourself or Will Love in Spring, it’s still really entertaining. Honestly, though, I didn’t care at all for the cybersecurity team plot... am I extremely shallow if I say I thought everyone was being dramatic af? Specially ML?

Will it Snow in Christmas? 2009 (kdrama) 5

Hmm, how to explain? A girl and boy meet when they’re young. After a few incidents, she starts liking him, and after even more, he starts liking her too. But when her brother loses his life in something connected to the boy, she pushes him away and runs off. Years later, they meet again because she’s now engaged to the ML’s coworker. And then the plot goes completely off the rails.

Viki, why? 😭 I only started this because it was on the main page and Go Soo was in it. Then I kept watching because I was surprised to see Nam Ji Hyun and Kim Soo Hyun as well. Up until episode 7, it was in the 7.5 range—not great, but not terrible either. And then... it just fell apart. Time jumps, separations, parents cheating, a fire, a brother-and-sister subplot, more time jumps—it was a complete mess.

Oh My Venus, 2015 (kdrama) 8.5

The FL lets herself go a bit and gains weight. Suddenly, everyone starts treating her like she’s horrible, and her boyfriend cheats on her and breaks up with her. By chance, she meets a famous trainer who agrees to help her get back in shape—and they fall in love along the way.

I remember trying to watch this when I first got into kdramas and turning it off because I just couldn’t stand how they handled the topic of gaining weight. I get it—I’m not expecting a drama, especially one from before 2020, to avoid fat-shaming—but it made me uncomfortable. A little while ago, my grandma got into it, and I ended up watching bits with her. And… damn it, it seemed cute. And it is! Watching it now, I think I’ve made peace with both realities lol. Shin Min Ah is as charming as ever, and So Ji Sub has excellent chemistry with her, very electric. I get why it’s so popular, it’s one of those epic love stories that keeps you hooked. I really miss dramas like this. The whole losing-weight thing did piss me off a bit. One thing is wanting to be healthy; another thing is policing people about what they eat. This, along with a bunch of comments and moments that made me roll my eyes, aside, it was quite enjoyable.

My Princess, 2011 (kdrama) 8.5

SK wants to bring back the monarchy and they find FL who is the last princess of the royal bloodline. If she becomes a royal, ML will lose all his inheritance… despite this, he can’t help but fall in love.

This drama was truly a surprise. Based on the reviews on MDL, I expected it to be typical early 2010s chaos, but it was actually quite good! Yes, it’s still a 2011 drama, so it has its wtf dramatic moments, but the plot where the ML acts as an antagonist to the FL, trying to keep her from becoming a princess because it would mean he loses everything, and despite this, he ends up falling for her was truly chef’s kiss. The chemistry between the leads was fantastic, leaving me wanting more of them. Overall, it was a great watch. All of this, obviously putting aside the fact that if I lived in a country that once had a monarchy and they tried to bring it back, I’d probably riot.

Make a Wish, 2021 (cdrama) 7.5

A cat from... well, a cat planet, ends up on Earth in human form and under the care of a lonely writer. She can only return home once she grants him a wish. However, he has no wishes.

The things one ends up watching when nothing feels entertaining anymore… However, this little cdrama about a girl who is actually a cat from Meow Planet was surprisingly sentimental and cute. The leads had great chemistry and felt really natural and good at the comedy part of the drama. At first, I didn’t really care for the secondary characters, but they kind of grew on me.

[otakween]

Digimon Tamers - Episode 40

Woohoo! 40 episodes :D I feel accomplished

This episode was mostly upbeat with some ooky-spooky stuff thrown in there for good measure. This show has a lot of tonal whiplash. I truly have no idea where they're going with this plot, so that's exciting. Compared to Adventure and 02, this is definitely the most unpredictable season. (Well, I know it'll have a happily ever after because its a kid's show lol).

Notes:

Beelzebumon gets zapped by a buncha digimon until he de-digivolves. I interpreted that as him getting attacked on purpose? Maybe? All the bug-like digimon swarming him creeped me out.

Culumon's ultimate (hehe) purpose was to perform "shining evolution" which insta-digivolves all the digimon to ultimate (at least those that have an ultimate form lol). I guess it also just calls out to digimon that are already ultimate too since Jijimon and Babamon show up. (Wait, why didn't it affect the main digimon? Ah well)

I kind of thought the Gods would have wanted to keep Culumon around permanently, but I guess they only needed them to help fight the D-reaper? I thought Culumon had more of an everyday purpose with digivolution...

Kenta's future partner shows up and just loves him instantly for no apparent reason lol. I guess it's just like when a stray cat chooses you. MarineAngemon is a lot tinier than I expected based on the videogames...

It's hard for me to comment on what's going on with Juri because I have no idea. At first it seems like her puppet is possessed and then she goes behind a rock and becomes possessed herself? Is she being controlled by some nefarious digimon? The true big bad? Guess I'll find out! (The puppet suddenly talking on its own was effectively creepy).

Hirokazu assuming Juri was hiding to use the bathroom made me wonder...do the kids feel the urge to go to the bathroom ever? Does it go by the same, weird ~belief~ logic as hunger? If he made that assumption, they must have been going to the bathroom this whole time I guess (somehow lol).

It was kinda cool seeing a bunch of ultimate digimon gather for good (as opposed to an evil army). Hirokazu geeking out over them was a nice touch.

They played the dial up sound! The nostalgiaaaa

Their plan to request help from randos around the world via email would never work nowadays haha. Straight to spam.

The Gods being like "we got this, you can go home now" felt kinda like a unique plot beat for Digimon. Usually the kids and their digimon are the only ones who can save the day, but I guess they don't go by "chosen children" in Tamers. Of course, they'll probably still need to stay and fight...something.

[swordatsunset]

left my phone on the desk and i dont feel like getting up to text u so it comes in the ask box instead but basically i have a larger problem with current d20 in this way of like. ok i think fhsy was an anomaly in terms of the way d20 was done; it was only one play session per week, and there was time to see the (small fandom) response in between episodes and marinate on plot beats and such. the way d20 is done now (and has been for a good while) is that they pump out a ton of it in a short span (the rpdr problem. girl i dont need another season the last one JUST ended) & it has become largely formulaic.

d20 was never truly pushing the boundaries of actual play and has had problems since its conception -- problems that largely were ignored bc they were noobs, the fandom was new, and the collegehumor->dropout transition was new.

when we now get an intrepid heroes season its essentially fan service. as much as i love TUC (tho i have a lot to criticize abt TUC) and the original FH hit a lot of notes for me, there's just simply better actual play out there that isnt swallowing the wotc boot and are filled with new voices who are choosing to be in the space to very little return...

i enjoy dropout. i miss the scripted content a lot, and i enjoy game changer and the occasional um actually. i think falling victim to nostalgia is not always a good thing, and i try to be critical of the ways in which i think of certain media as "the good ol' days".....i think d20 can take a lot of lessons from other actual play media tho. and while i dont hate everything thats come out in the past year from them, i dont love it either, and thats fine. theres a lot of (looks up at the wall of text) WHOA. ok i think you get the point. (this is the point at which i added paragraph breaks)

Hi Sroel!!!! Hmmmm well I dunno while I agree with you on some points I don't feel like this is a d20-wide problem inasmuch as it is a d20 main cast problem; I say that because the non-main cast episodes are much less formulaic since they generally have varying episode lengths/different play systems/different styles of episodes that aren't story-battle. That plus the fact that they're filled with different cast members makes it so that any criticism of those seasons are going to be pretty divorced from my criticism of main cast seasons which are the quote unquote flagship seasons tbh.

And I would say that like, I don't think d20 was ever trying to market itself as revolutionary as much as fans began to approach them that way. The way I remember it is d20 was pitched as comedians telling 'shorter form' actual play stories. Different in the actual play landscape, yes, but not revolutionary imo! My problems w d20/the main cast aren't really affected by their place in the wider, like, actual play landscape since I think there's a pretty big diversity of stories being told in d20 and dropout as a whole. If it was marketing itself as a singular campaign I think things would be different, but the fact that I can pick up and put down different shows makes me feels like criticisms of it should be more specific to specific shows if that makes sense.

I guess most of my problems with d20 are aimed at a different place than yours, which is totally fine! I think my problems come down to a case by case(cast by cast?) basis more than any overarching problems with d20 the 'franchise' since I haven't seen much that's formulaic in the way that main cast d20 sort of 'has' to be. And I do think a lot of that is because of the fans more than anything, as well as the way playing with the same people makes you stagnate!

[variousqueerthings]

This is the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me in my life. The only exciting thing!

Bill! I've been writing with a friend while watching s10 and this friend really doesn't like m*ffat, and I think by s10 all goodwill had run out and they do tend towards the most negative read of every episode, and bill as character generally

and look, bill is introduced with a truly stupid, fatphobic, rambly-in-a-bad-way bit of dialogue. we breathe deeply. we remember that we're here to do a rating and so this will be included in that. but also that there are many many facets of bill's character that are very interesting, fun, and different to anything we've seen since m*ffat took the helm on this show, and that this line -- while fucking... argh... is not repeated. but also just never should have existed to begin with

(also oh gosh, fatphobia as sexism and/or as political... it's really both isn't it, it's going on both, y'all making your first lesbian main character say fatphobic shit, c'mon!)

sexism rank objectification (female character is ogled/harassed/turned into a sex joke by the doctor and/or a lead we’re supposed to root for and/or the camera): 7/10

sexism rank plot-point (lead female character is only there to serve plot, not to have her emotional interiority explored, or given agency to her emotional interiority): 10/10

interesting complex or pointlessly complex (does the complexity serve the narrative or does it just serve to be confusing as a stand-in for smart, this includes visually): 8/10

furthers character and/or lore and/or plot development (broader question that ties into the previous ones, at least two of these, ideally three should be fulfilled): 7/10

companion matters (the companion doesn’t always have to be there, but if the companion is there, can they function without the doctor– and overall per season how often is the companion the focus or POV of the story): 8/10

the doctor is more than just “godlike” (examines the doctor’s flaws and limitations, doesn’t solve a plot by having it revolve entirely around the doctor’s existence): 7/10

doesn’t look down on previous doctor who (by erasing or mocking its importance, by redoing and “bettering” previous beloved plotpoints or characters, etc.): 7/10

isn’t trying to insert hamfisted sexiness (m*ffat famously talked a lot about how dw should be sexier multiple times, he sucks at writing it): 10/10

internal world has consistency (characters have backgrounds, feel rooted in a place with other people, generally feel like they have Lives): 7/10

Politics (how conservative is the story): 7/10

FULL RATING: 78/100 (if I can count….)

m*ffat where was this energy five seasons ago???

OBJECTIFICATION: I knocked a whole three points off just for that "joke" to be honest. this episode is otherwise pretty good at writing its female characters, bill and heather

it's especially as a counterpoint to the paternoster gang, where lesbianism = sexy master/servant powerplay in leather, and look- look I am not averse to that as concept

but written my m*ffat on doctor who? yeurgh

point is, that's not bill and heather

PLOT-POINT: bill is the POV character in a way none of the other companions were in their first episodes (barring amy as a kid, but as an adult, not so much anymore). the doctor is some weirdo but compelling professor at her college, which she works at and secretly goes to classes at, her potential relationship with heather is what sets off the plot and carries it throughout, and is what drives the ending

it's pretty neat on the whole. my friend's main angry point about this episode (well one of them) was that bill was totally unconcerned with what happened with heather/that it should have had a bigger effect on her longrunning and... yehhh I'm not not in agreement but I do think that with doctor who being a bit of a bullshit-science type show in which characters don't die in a number of ways + that I know heather comes back at the end + there's that setup that they'll probably see heather again + the focus on bill's character as being in the closet to her foster mum (foster or adoptive, I've forgotten now) and working in a canteen and just not really knowing where her life is going and all of that wrapped up in meeting heather and that adventure with the doctor... it does work on the whole

it could have been more I do think that, especially heather's character, whom we know basically nothing about other than that she was probably depressed and wanted to travel places, but I think bill's emotions are far more grounded and long-reaching and important to the story than amy's or clara's ever were and this already in episode one

maybe I'm just happy to see something but I do think it's also something done -- for the most part -- quite well

COMPLEXITY: this plot as a mystery is quite fun. bill is just as much figuring out the doctor as she is the mystery of the puzzle. as such, it's kind of a slow-burnish that's not massive in scope, but I think it's rather delightful

CHARACTERS/LORE/PLOT: new companion called bill whom we already know a fair bit about, woman in a puddle, mystery in the cellar, nardole is still there, the doctor is having a bit of an emotional Time (when are they not -- but it's an evolving emotional Time)

COMPANIONS MATTER: bill does a lot in this episode, which is extra great because she's so new. it's a lot of questions, but also a lot of proactive behaviour, and it's also questions that are about bill learning and not about acting as a sounding board for the doctor all the time

“GODLIKE” DOCTOR: the doctor is mainly trying to stay out of things, and then bill drags them into things, and it's a bit about emotions and a bit about becoming a (grand)parental figure to bill, who needs some support, I like that this is the impetus that gets the doctor involved in the story... well, that and can't resist a mystery of course. and boredom. multitudes

also a defining thing the doctor does is go back in time and take some pictures of bill's mum for her. this is simply done out of kindness (and it doesn't hurt that it affects a later plot)

PREVIOUS DOCTOR WHO: I really like the callbacks in this one, it really says some stuff about the doctor-as-character where they currently are -- that is, looking with melancholy at the past. funnily enough, with river and susan on the same desk, it kind of ties river to that past more effectively than the show managed to do during her actual episodes, I feel

also by putting susan there, it says a lot about how the doctor is going to be interacting with bill. a very different kind of dynamic to any we've had before on nu!who

“SEXINESS”: I've put this highly, as I don't remember anything. generally this season I haven't remembered if there's anything (actually no lies, one thing just popped up, but not this episode), so I'll just have to operate on that assumption and... maybe take notes for the latter half. but I think we're relatively free of this anyway, considering a lot of the heteronormativity has been removed from the show at this point

INTERNAL WORLD: there is a university and bill lives with her foster mum because her mother is dead, and she works in the canteen and sneaks into lectures. honestly an old university is the perfect place for the doctor to hide, tenured professors are like cryptids

there's a biiit less on the queer side of things, and there will be throughout the season. this not to say that bill is not definitely a lesbian, in a way where I'd say (controversially perhaps) that clara never felt queer to me

but simply that it doesn't seem like bill's involved much in queer culture, and that culture doesn't affect the plot as such. I'm okay with this, I think there's still a lot to be said for how bill's lesbianism already affects the text for the better, but it is the point and I am doing this particular rating, so it should be said

POLITICS: I mean to strip bill to box-ticking (not in a bad way) for a second, but she's a black, working-class lesbian who's living with a straight, white foster mother, whom she's not out to

and she is the hero of the story. she's funny, she's kind, she sees things, she asks good questions, and she remembers very very well and applies what she learns to the situations she's in. while one might ask whether some of these aspects of her could have been explored more throughout her run, it's fair I think to say that they are explored and are recurring parts of her story and affect how she sees and moves through the world

I also think there's just something about this weird professor type seeing her in turn, singling her out as special, which is such a different way to how m*ffat has written the doctor opposite women since s2, in which only women who are suitably Special in particular ways (through being "well-bred" and "highly educated" and essentially very classist ideas of being from the right background, or by first being introduced as a mystery and then later as a character)

dare I say... he might have learnt something?

which is why, to bring the mood down for a second, her fatphobic ramble feels out of character for who we later learn she is, and just feels more like a throwaway joke on the side of m*ffat to show that... idk actually what it's meant to show. that bill rambles? that she's slightly awkward? and of course m*ffat doesn't know that fatphobia is a thing (I imagine) and so wouldn't have wanted to write it to show that bill has unexamined bigotries (which could be interesting, but not done in this way or with this character or with the themes of this season), especially is we're kiiind of seeing bill flirt with that woman in a later scene?

(I also think this ramble is weird in terms of how it describes the doctor, it's so nonsensical. is it implying the doctor was essentially sexually harassing this unknown woman? this unknown woman that she also objectifies before we even get to the fatphobia???)

I should actually just include it as a reminder to people, because it really does suck: "Okay, so my first day here, in the canteen, I was on chips. There was this girl. Student. Beautiful. Like a model, only with talking and thinking. She looked at you and you perved. Every time, automatic, like physics. Eye contact, perversion. So I gave her extra chips. Every time, extra chips. Like a reward for all the perversion. Every day, got myself on chips, rewarded her. Then finally, finally, she looked at me, like she'd noticed, actually noticed, all the extra chips. Do you know what I realised? She was fat. I'd fatted her. But that's life, innit? Beauty or chips. I like chips. So did she. So that's okay."

I am not negating that this was terribly written and offensive, but I do think it's also at odds with later bill and I don't take it in as part of her character, so much as a massive bit of bad writing on the m*ffat's part, same as, say, when the doctor grabbed jenny and kissed her without her consent, which would be a character-ruiner for me if I decided that that was part of my canon. this isn't quite as bad as that, but it's not a great way to introduce a character that you're meant to root for, and also just... I mean not that there aren't fatphobic lesbians but c'mon, you're showing an ostensibly queer perspective and you're turning her into a bloke????? nah nah nah, fuck right off with that

FULL RATING: 78/100 (if I can count….)

it's frankly wild how far and fast this jumped for the first episode of the season. its main detractor, really is that joke, and perhaps the general limitations in including a queer culture to bill's queer identity, but bill is -- on the whole -- fantastic and immediately shifts the show into a completely different gear

I feel like it's a shame she came here at the end, after a lot of people had dropped off, not just for one season in and of herself, but the final season of this entire era. it's a lot of weight to carry and I think pearl mackie does a fantastic job

[myfairstarlight]

You have truly spoiled me today, gentle author, thank you so much for taking precious time to respond to my ask <3 You have put into words so many thoughts I've been having, jumbling around in my head, and much better than i ever could! I am grateful for you!

I agree with you on all counts, especially Colin's jealousy!! It's rather sad that it had to be relegated to the backburner in order to fit everything else, when them being writers was one of the ways they truly bonded in the book. And that Penelope was old hat and had something to teach him--as an accomplished writer herself-- which paralleled the fact that he could teach her about sexual intimacy, that was nice too.

If I may ramble some in your inbox a little longer, although I admittedly lean more towards enjoying the show than the books (not to say the books aren't also enjoyable, of course, its just a matter of preference), another thing that the books have over the show as a whole, in my humble opinion, is because they are so exclusively focused on their primary couple, we get so much more time and attention on them as both individual characters and a couple--apart, together, in a room full of people, just the two of them, etc.

The shows side plots can be a bit of a double-edged sword in that way. On one hand, it's nice to meet characters and see interactions we didnt have in the books--we got to know Penelope so much earlier as a result, for example, which I liked a lot. But, I feel some show subplots dont always make the most sense or are resolved in such a way that it's kind of like "what was the point?" As a result, we also lose time with our primary love match of the season, literally LOL

Both mediums certainly have their pros and cons, but I guess what I'm getting at overall is I'm so glad we get to have both ha!

Good night and sweet dreams, gentle author, thank you again for your kindness <3

Dearest anon, the pleasure has been mine!

What a lovely message to wake up to, thank you (let's ignore that I'm answering in the afternoon as I type this).

That is the main reason I always try to not compare books and show too much, or you just sign up for disappointment if you only care about the main couple.

I personally like that the show decided to make it an ensemble show, like you said it allowed us to be introduced to Penelope much earlier, and even other characters have already been introduced like Sir Philip who casual viewers won't think much of, but those who read the books get excited as they point to the screen. It allows us to see all the Bridgertons be a family as well, and see them grow and expand, as well as see new relationships the book would never explore (Penelope and Madame Delacroix come to mind, they were a delight this season! Gen is the only woman who understands what it means to have a business and not wanting to let it go, she is the only one who understands Penelope in that regard). Now the downside is that, with only 8 episodes per season, and such a large rooster of characters, there's only so much they can fit without things feeling overwhelming or rushed, and that's an issue all 3 seasons have in my opinion. I do feel like it could be easily fixed by having more episodes per season because it is clear they have a lot to tell, but oh well.

Bridgerton as a show is definitely more of a drama than a truly romance show in my eyes, especially with the way they used Lady Whistledown compared to the books where she did not have as much of a power, and with the addition of Queen Charlotte as a character. S3 challenged that a bit by introducing rom-com elements especially in part 1, but part 2 did show that it thrives with drama and tension as well. But the books are definitely a good addition for those who wish for more content focusing solely on the couples and their struggles. The show is adjacent-enough, but it took a lot of liberties. I suppose it depends on the individual to decide if that is a good or bad thing, personally, I like that it's so different (especially in how it portrays the men, actually, though I would still like to duel Show!Simon), you still get to be surprised, whether you start with the show or the book. I know people have been complaining about the lack of more polin scenes this season, but I fear that is just the standard Bridgerton formula, saphne and kanthony were not spared this issue either, and I fear the other couples will find the same fate. We can still complain though, we definitely did not need so many cuts back to Benedict having a threesome in e8.

Finally dear anon, if you ever wish to continue discussing even more on our mutual love for Colin and Penelope, know that my messages are open <3