#this is also one of my fave intro graphics ever and i just need you all to knwo that

[tragcdysewn]

was that bai lu? oh no no, that was just li susu, a canon character from till the end of the moon. they are twenty six years old, use she/her, and are aware that they are not actually from washington dc. too bad they can’t stray from this city for long.

how long has your character been here:

about two months now

what is your character’s job:

she’s working as a private security agent

where has your character been pulled from in their fandom:

right now, the first episode, right after time traveling, but that will probably change in like a week when the finale airs so

has any magic affected your character:

just taking a chunk of her memories away

bonus info:

okay so li susu has got some TRAUMA babey. she comes from an immortal sect in the mountains, and watched basically the entire sect, including her father and uncle, be slaughtered by the devil god, tantai jin. during the final fight, she found an artifact said to be able to lead to his destruction, left behind by the god of time. using that artifact and some other ancient magic, she goes back in time 500 years to destroy the source of his power and kill him, transmigrating into the body of ye xiwu (this is only possible because ye xiwu is actually her too, but we’ll get to that later) who, as it turns out, is both the worst person alive, and tantai jin’s beloathed wife. she proceeds to immediately make some incredibly questionable decisions, such as seeing that ye xiwu forced her husband to kneel in the snow for days and just leaving him there because she’s pissed he's going to kill her family in the future. she does, however, eventually realize that ‘hey maybe he went apeshit not bc of destiny, but because everyone just treats him like absolute shit’ and shows him the first bit of genuine kindness man has gotten since like... infancy. she lies to him that she’s fallen for him and that’s why she’s different now, and then actually does fall for him and is kind of pissed off about it. 

they proceed to not communicate at all about anything ever because they’re both idiots, culminating in her shooting six spikes into his heart on their wedding night because she thinks he committed some murders he did not commit and is truly irredeemable. she does not manage to actually kill him this way, he’s understandably pissed the fuck off, and she ends up in confinement, where the actual murderer confesses and causes her to have the biggest ‘i am a moron’ realization ever. she eventually dies to take tantai jin’s evil bone (i swear to god that’s what it’s called they keep talking about his bone being in her and i’m too immature for this shit) from him so he doesn’t have to become the devil god.

upon dying, she transmigrates back into her real body, in a much different future than the one she left, and realizes that while she did fix that problem, she still has the evil bone in her (lol), and needs to find a way to get rid of it. surprise surprise before she can do this tantai jin shows up like hello i have actually been looking for ur soul for 500 years, and she has a whole breakdown. it’s then revealed she’s adopted and is actually the daughter of the lord of evil and a phoenix goddess. she handles this better than literally all of her other drama, even though objectively it’s the one i think i would be the most upset about. and with how phoenixes work, their soul needs to go through trials before they can be fully born, hence ye xiwu being the worst person alive, as she was all the worst parts of li susu. 

she’s an absolute icon who fights with a HARP (that’s actually her dead mom’s spirit but we’re not touching on that it’s complicated) and while she can be a complete and utter moron sometimes, she’s always determined to do what she thinks is the right thing, even if it will hurt her in the long run. she’s very much a ‘for the greater good’ kind of bitch, but mostly only when ‘for the greater good’ involves self sacrifice she definitely struggles with the ‘kill one person to save many’ part of that ideal. i will finish this when the show is done but she’s a badass and an idiot and i adore her while also constantly questioning every choice she makes

[sssssssim]

So far I’ve ranked the Marvel Disney+ shows in the order they came out, which is to say that WandaVision is my fave and Loki is my least fave. But Hawkeye might just take 2nd place for me, holy wow. I think part of it has to do with Clint being the OG6 and so there’s a lot of nostalgia, and also all the Natasha mentions - I am not okay! Definitely wasn’t expecting it to make me emotional/cry every episode so far. I know Clint sadly gets a lot of hate in this fandom, but I’ve always adored him and he and Kate have such a wonderful dynamic. I’m so so sad there are only 2 episodes left :(

It's absolutely impossible for me to rank the shows. Because they're all amazing, but so very different.

Like, I cannot compare Loki and Falcon and Winter Soldier because they are two very different genres of tv shows. I can't compare WandaVision and Loki either, for the same reason.

That being said... I am very biased about Hawkeye. This was going to be my favorite since the moment they announced it, no matter how good or bad it was, because the Kate and Clint comics are one of the four comics I've ever read in my life. ... And I've read them six times.

It's good tv, though. Even if you haven't read any of the comics, even though you know nothing of Kate, nothing outside of the MCU, it's still a good tv show.

And, mah dude, it's okay. I've cried after the first 5 minutes and 20 seconds. Really. On episode 4, I went from laugh-crying to full on sobbing in the span of 30 seconds. I cry at every intro/outro graphic. It's all good, it's the good type of crying.

And yeah, I'm terrified that there's only two episodes left, cuz I feel like there's still a whole lot that needs to happen. Fingers crossed we get a couple of more seasons.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind getting 6 seasons of Kate, Clint making a cameo once a season. I would love that.

[misssilencewritewell]

Overall review of wizards. Spoiler warning. This is just my opinion. If you enjoyed it, I’m happy for you. I think it was far too rushed.

Five episodes in we finally started to get introduced to interesting characters. But the pace never slowed down long enough to understand their role, their personalities, purpose, etc. It was a quick flash of ‘Oh that’s cool-and they’re gone...but I wanted to see more and understand...’ The quick glimpse of Angor Rot (my boy 😭) Why did he fish Morgana from the river? He hates humans...I’m confused??? He has magic. Did he learn from the evil magic squad?

The graphics are incredible. It looks amazing but I feel like for me to have a connection to this part of the story it had to have been longer. Another ten episodes of us getting to know Douxie in Arcadia would’ve been nice. When you dump as much information and new things on viewers it’s just too much for us to handle. I was so distracted by going “the heck is happening” to ever bond with Douxie. This makes me sad because I was enamored with him in Trollhunters. Also, he went from super suave bad boy to derpy bard boy. Not necessarily bad...but personally, I enjoyed his confidence in Trollhunters. Straight up hit a gum gum with a guitar. Not a magic one...just a regular guitar. Chad move. But this...felt weird. I personally think it would’ve been a much better plot twist had he been Mordred. Would’ve given him a darker edge, a vendetta, an interesting character arc. His goal to be to avenge his mother Morgana and kill Merlin/Trollhunters. Instead we find out that he’s basically a edgy, awkward bard. Which isn’t bad but not enough character development for me to be excited about any apparent growth or newly discovered powers.

Steve Palchuk (while I love his character) was unnecessary to this plot. I would’ve preferred Eli. His brains would have been helpful and I think his comedic relief would’ve fit better than Steves. Steve’s jokes just didn’t seem to land. The comedy relief was not timed right. Again, I absolutely loved Trollhunters and 3 Below...but there was never a moment to stop and catch your breath to know the world and characters which made it difficult to enjoy.

I still don’t fully understand how magic works. Douxie taught Claire for a minute and that was it and now he’s her teacher? Morgana and Merlin walk to the other side and say that sorcery dies with them but Claire and Douxie are left. Magic is...emotion? Kinda? Idk they never explained. 🤷‍♀️

Arthur’s character was...confusing to say the least. He misses his love and hates “dark” creatures because they killed her. But he comes back from the dead...to atone for his sins...by being evil? That didn’t make sense to me. Same with Morgana coming back and him being like sup sis! Know I tried to kill you but we are blood family! His super quick switch to asking for trolls help and loving his sister again was unexplained and made 0 sense. Just make him a dislikeable character and leave it at that. Sometimes it’s better to keep things simple. Over complicated plots can be messy and unenjoyable.

Morgana going from villain to hero was expected but executed poorly. She would flip like a switch and I just couldn’t sympathize with her as much as I did when she was a villain. I enjoyed her passion while being dark. Her redemption arc could’ve been handled so much better. Her having a romantic thing with Merlin and Merlin betraying her becoming the true villain while she is thirsty for revenge would’ve been top tier world building. We got butt jokes from Steve instead.

Strickler and Nomura. I want to see them. Especially back then? Oh they would be so evil and dark and I LIVE FOR IT. Especially since we love them now. It’d be cool to be reminded of their past. Back to the Jim smelling of human without being a changeling. Could’ve seen more on that and an interaction with him. They’d be fascinated I’m sure. Morgana created changelings but that could’ve easily been explained that she was working behind Arthur’s back the whole time. Working with Gunmar and creating changelings to infiltrate the castle while pretending to be submissive in court to Arthur and Merlin. It would explain why Changelings value cunning even more so and it would’ve been more believable than her talking to Claire one time and saying “yes! I’ll just tell my bro he crazy and needs to stop! Thank you kindly foreign hand maiden with dark magic!” Like there’s no reason for Morgana to trust her. Use her...sure. She would want Claire power, but Morgana’s character was far too rushed to make sense. I miss it when she was just a villain.

Also...Jim gets stabbed by a blade and they don’t call his mom? They don’t let her know her son could be dying? She’s a doctor. She doesn’t know much about the dark Magicks but she’s so smart and Strickler is her boyfriend. She should’ve been told. She should’ve shown up. I love her character and she adds a lot to the dynamic. Steve was the focal point far too often.

Bular. (Inhaled deeply). I missed him so much. It was cool to see Gunmar and Bular again. Bular I feel could’ve been interesting to build more too and I’m grateful for what we received. He obviously was more impressionable than his father. Morgana saved him and he immediately vouched for her while touching his fathers shoulder saying softly “she spared my life.” Like...Bular is an excellent character because even when fighting Jim in his final moments, Jim talks to him about dad issues and you can see Bular think about it and ultimately decide his fate. Just...ugh yes I missed the angry tall charcoal man.

Confusing part though...Gunmar and Bular declare that forest their own. Jim and Deya are there and watch as they scare off Arthur. You’re telling me they just let them go??? When they’re trying to recruit trolls for the war? They just go welp...see ya. Nah. There should’ve been dialogue there. The strange troll that smells of human but isn’t an impure. Cue the changelings. Could’ve been an awesome Segway into the life of the gum gums because honestly...Arthur was a douche and I sided with the Gum gums. Like yeah they eat people but Arthur was so...weird and uncomfortable to watch that I’d rather see the Gum gums who make no qualms over what they want or who they are.

The...giant dragon that’s the familiars dad. No reason for him at all. An attempt at a quirky dad character that landed flat. He went from oh lemme get you a cup of tea to DONT ChALlenge Me BoY I KnOw KaRAte!!! And I was like...ummmmm excuse me??? And then he went on to give a lesson on grief and show pictures of his son and I was like Soooooo we aren’t burning Douxie to a crisp? We are just going to throw in a quick ill timed lesson on grief?

The fight between Krel, Claire and the gang vs evil Jack Frost, eye ball raven, and evil Arthur electric boogaloo. Instead of showing the fight they did a recap. That fight would’ve been so awesome to watch and instead we got a recap of them getting their booties kicked. It’s an effective time saver but lazy story telling.

The fawn earth bender woman is important because she was part of the secret magic club and decided she didn’t want to kill people anymore...or something. As if her club ever lied to her about what they were about to do. Like Oh we are killing people? I thought you were joking for millions of years.

They all need her back to do...something evil that I can’t remember which I assume the movie will be about. I want more lore on evil Jack Frost and eyeball raven. They just were like “Congrats Morgana! We are the cool super old magic squad. We are the dopest thing in this show and we won’t say anything about ourselves besides a vague description in under 3 secs that leave our viewers confused and disappointed because they want more.”

Like seriously. They were the best part. Their intro was on a flying castle and I kinda hate that their intro was Merlin yelling “Oh no! Them!” Like we are supposed to know what and who they are. Build up is so important for an aundieces understanding. Like who they are? What they want? What they are? I spent the first half of the show mostly confused and the last half moderately confused and bewildered.

In conclusion, not my fave. It lacked the charm and quirkiness of 3 below and the depth and character development of Trollhunters to deliver a mediocre segway to a film. I really want this film to do well...but they will be on a time crunch and I was not impressed with how they handled this one in ten episodes. Fingers crossed the movie does better.

[ninja-muse]

i’m trying to branch out and read outside my genre (fantasy) do you have any book recs for someone whose heart is in fantasy but needs to see what else is out there?

Hi anon! Thanks for the ask! Fantasy’s such a wide genre, and this is such an open ask, that I’m mostly going to be recommending books with similar feels or themes from other genres, to push you a little outside the fantasy bubble and introducing you to different genres and types of storytelling. If you have a favourite subgenre or trope or author, I can maybe get a little more specific or offer read-alikes.

Also, I don’t know if you knew this before asking, but fantasy is my favourite genre too, so some of these recs are books that pushed me out of the genre as well, or that I found familiar-but-different.

And this is getting long, so I’m going to throw it under a cut to save everyone scrolling.

Science fiction

the Vorkosigan saga by Lois McMaster Bujold - This is space opera, which means it’ll have fairly familiar plots except with science-y things instead of magic. There’s an heir with something to prove, heists, cons, and mysteries, attempted coups and assassinations, long-suffering sidekicks, and a homeworld that’s basically turn-of-the-century Russia but with fewer serfs. It was one of the first adult sci-fi books I read and genuinely liked.

The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey - I finished this recently, and the second book of the trilogy just came out. This is post-apocalyptic sci-fi, but not grim or particularly complex. (Some SF gets really into the nuts and bolts of the science elements; this isn’t that.) Basically, Koli’s a teenager who wants more than his quasi-medieval life’s given him, and finds himself in conflict with his village (and then exile) because of it. I could see where the story was going pretty much from the start, but I loved the journey anyway.

The Martian by Andy Weir - This doesn’t have much in common with fantasy, but it’s my go-to rec for anyone who’s never read science fiction before, because it’s funny, explains the science well, and has a hero and a plot you get behind right away. In case you haven’t heard of it (or the film), it’s about an astronaut stranded on Mars, trying to survive long enough to be rescued.

Foreigner by C.J. Cherryh - This is an alien first contact story, about a colony of humans in permanent quarantine on an alien planet. The MC is the sole social liaison and translator, explaining his culture to the aliens and the aliens to the human, and working to keep the peace—until politics and assassins get involved. It’s been over a decade since I read this, so my memory’s blurred, but I remember the same sort of political intrigue vibes as the Daevabad trilogy, just with fewer POVs.

Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor - One from my TBR. It looks like dark fiction about women, outcasts, and revenge, which sounds very fantastic and the MC can apparently do magic—but it’s post-apocalyptic Africa.

Speaking of political intrigue and sweeping epic plots, the Expanse series by James S.A. Corey has both in spades. Rebellions, alien technology, corrupt businesses, heroes doing good things and getting bad consequences, all that good stuff. It takes the science fairly seriously, without getting very dense with it, and will probably register as “more sci-fi” than my recs in the genre so far.

Oh, and Dune by Frank Herbert is such a classic chosen-one epic that it barely registers as science fiction at all.

Graphic novels

It’s technically fantasy, but assuming you’ve never picked up a graphic novel before, you should read Monstress by Marjorie Liu. Asian-inspired, with steampunk aesthetics, and rebellions and quests and so many female characters. It’s an absolutely fantastic graphic novel, if you want a taste of what those can do.

I’d highly recommend Saga by Brian K. Vaughan. It’s an epic science fiction story about a family caught between sides of a centuries-long war. (Dad’s from one side, Mom’s from the other, everyone wants to capture them, their kid is narrating.) It’s a blast to read, exciting and tense, with hard questions and gorgeous tender moments, and the world-building somehow manages to include weaponized magic, spaceship trees, ghosts, half-spider assassins, and all-important pulp romance novels without anything feeling out of place.

Historical fiction

Hild by Nicola Griffith - Very rich and detailed novel following a girl growing up in an early medieval English court. It’s very fantasy-esque, with battles and politics and changes of religion, and Hild gets positioned early on to be the king’s seer, so there’s “magic” of a sort as well.

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry - A widow goes to the Victorian seaside to heal and reawaken her interest in biology. Slow, gentle, lovely writing and atmosphere, interesting characters and turns of plot. Doesn’t actually deliver on the sea monster, but still has a lot to recommend it to fantasy readers, I think.

Yiddish for Pirates by Gary Barwin - The late-medieval Jewish pirate adventure you didn’t know you wanted. It’s funny and literary, full of tropes and set pieces like “small-town kid in the big city” and “jail break”, and features the Spanish Inquisition, Columbus, the Fountain of Youth, and talking parrots, among other things.

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - A thousand pages about the building of a cathedral in England, mostly focusing on the master builder, the monk who spearheads the project, and a noblewoman who’s been kicked off her family’s land, but has several other plots going on, including a deacon with political ambitions, a war, and a boy who’s trying so hard to fit in and do right.

Sharon Kay Penman - This is an author on my TBR, who comes highly recommended for her novels about the War of the Roses and the Plantagenets. Should appeal to you if you liked Game of Thrones. I’m planning to start with The Sunne in Splendour.

Lady of the Forest by Jennifer Roberson - Either a Robin Hood retelling that’s also a romance, or a romance that’s also a Robin Hood retelling.

Hamnet & Judith by Maggie O’Farrell - A novel of the Shakespeare family, mostly focused on his wife and son. Lovely writing and a very gentle feel though it heads into dark and complex subjects fairly often. A good portrait of Early Modern family life.

Mystery

There’s not a lot of mystery that reads like high, epic, or even contemporary fantasy, but if you’re a fan of urban fantasy, which is basically mystery with magic in, then I’d rec:

Cozy mysteries as a general subgenre, especially if you like the Sookie Stackhouse end of urban fantasy, which has romance and quirky plots; there are plenty of series where the detective’s a witch or the sidekick’s a ghost but they’re solving non-magical mysteries, and the genre in general full of heroines who are good at solving crimes without formal training, and the plots feel very similar but with slightly lower stakes. Cozies have become one of my comfort-reading genres (along with UF) the last few years. My intros were the Royal Spyness novels by Rhys Bowen and the Fairy Tale Fatale books by Maia Chance.

If you like your urban fantasy darker and more serious, and your heroines more complicated, try Kathy Reichs and her Temperance Brennan novels. Brennan’s a forensic anthropologist, strong and complicated in the same ways of my fave UF heroines, and the mysteries are already interesting, with a good dash of thriller and a smidge of romance.

Two other recs:

Haunted Ground by Erin Hart - The first of four books about a forensic anthropologist in Ireland, who’s called in when the Garda find bodies in the peat bogs and need to know how long they’ve been there. They’re very atmospheric—I can almost smell the bog—and give great portraits of rural Ireland and small-town secrets, and since not all the bodies found in each book are recent, they also bring interesting slices of the past to life as well.

A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger - This is essentially a medieval thriller about a seditious book that’s turned up in London. I liked the mystery in it and that it’s much more focused on the lives of average people than the rich and famous (for all that recognizable people also show up).

Classics

Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift - I swear this is actually one of the first fantasy novels but few people ever really class it as such. Basically, Gulliver’s a ship’s doctor who keeps getting shipwrecked—in a country of tiny people, a country of giants, a country of mad scientists, a country of talking horses, etc. It’s social satire and a spoof of travelogues from Swift’s time, but it’s easily enough read without that context.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll - Another, slightly later, fantasy and satire! Even more amusing situations than in Gulliver’s Travels and, while it’s been a while* since I read it, I think it’ll be a decent read-alike for authors like Jasper Fforde, Genevieve Cogman, and that brand of light British comic fantasy.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare - Also technically a fantasy! I mean, there are fairies and enchantments, for all it’s a romantic comedy written entirely in old-fashioned poetry. It’s a pretty good play to start you off on Shakespeare, if you’re interested in going that direction.

On the subject of Shakespeare, I would also recommend Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, and King Lear, the first because it’s my favourite comedy, the others because they’re fantasy read-alikes imo as well (witches! coups! drama!).

the Arthurian mythos. Le Morte D’arthur, Crétien de Troyes, The Once and Future King by T.H. White, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain, etc. - I’ve read bits and pieces of the first two, am about 80% sure I read the third as a kid (or at least The Sword in the Stone), and have the last on my TBR. Basically, these stories are going to give you an exaggeratedly medieval setting, knights, quests, wizards, fairies, high drama, romantic entanglements, and monsters, and the medieval ones especially have different kinds of plots than you’ll be used to (and maybe open the door to more medieval lit?) **

Beowulf and/or The Odyssey - Two epics that inspired a lot of fiction that came later. (There’s an especial connection between Beowulf and Tolkien.) They’re not the easiest of reads because they’re in poetry and non-linear narratives, but both have a hero facing off against a series of monsters and/or magical creatures as their core story.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - The first real science fiction novel. It’s about the ethics of science and the consequences of one’s actions, and I loved seeing the Creature find himself and Frankenstein descend into … that. It’s also full of sweeping, gothic scenes and tension and doom and drama.

* 25 years, give or take

** There are plenty of more recent people using King Arthur and associated characters too, if this "subgenre” interests you.

Other fiction

Vicious by V.E. Schwab - I don’t know if you classify superheroes as science fiction or fantasy or its own genre (for me it depends on the day) but this is an excellent take on the subject, full of moral greyness and revenge.

David Mitchell - A literary fiction writer who has both a sense of humour and an interest in the fantastic and science fictional. He writes ordinary people and average lives marvelously well, keeps me turning pages, plays with form and timelines, and reliably throws in either recurring, possibly-immortal characters, good-vs-evil psychic battles, or other SF/F-y elements. I’d start with either Slade House, a ghost story, or Utopia Avenue, about a ‘60s rock band. Or possible The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, which I fully admit to not having read yet.

Devolution by Max Brooks - A horror movie in book form, full of tension and desperation and jump scares and the problems with relying on modern technology. The monsters are Bigfeet. Reccing this one in the same way I’m reccing The Martian—it’s an accessible intro to its genre.

Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson - Contemporary fiction with a slight literary bent, that doesn’t pull its punches about Indigenous life but also has a sense of humour about the same. Follows a teen dealing with poverty and a bad home life and drugs and hormones—and the fact that his bio-dad might actually be the trickster Raven. Also features witches, magic, and other spirit-beings, so I generally pitch this as magic realism.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones - Another Indigenous rec, this time a horror novel about ghosts and racism and trying to do the right thing. This’ll give you a taste of the more psychological end of the horror spectrum.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia - A good example of contemporary YA and how it handles the complexities of life, love, and growing up. Follows the writer of a fantasy webcomic who makes a friend who turns out to write fic of her story and who suddenly has to really balance online and offline life, among other pressures. Realistic portrait of mental health problems.

Non-fiction

The Book of Margery Kempe - The first English-language autobiography. Margery was very devout but also very badass, in a medieval sort of way. She went on pilgrimages to Jerusalem, was possibly epileptic, frequently “saw” Christ and Mary and demons, basically became a nun in middle age while staying married to her husband, and wound up on trial for heresy, before talking a monk into writing down her life story. It’s a fascinating window into the time period.

The Hammer and the Cross by Robert Ferguson - A history of medieval Norse people and how their explorations and trade shaped both their culture and the world.

A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor - Travel writing that was recommended to me by someone who raved about the prose and was totally right. Fermor’s looking back, with the aid of journals, on a walking trip he took across Europe in the 1930s. It’s a fascinating look at the era and an old way of life, and pretty much every “entry” has something of interest in it. He met all sorts of people.

Tim Severin and/or Thor Heyerdahl - More travel writing, this time by people recreating historical voyages (or what they believe to be historical voyages, ymmv) in period ships. Severin focuses on mythology (I’ve read The Ulysses Voyage and The Jason Voyage) and Heyerdahl’s known for Kon-Tiki, which is him “proving” that Polynesians made contact with South America. They both go into the history of the sailing and areas they’re travelling through, while also describing their surroundings and daily life, and, yes, running into storms and things.

Hope this helps you!

[prettylittlebrownskingyal]

Anime recs (some of my personal faves, not the public opinion, obviously):

About sports:

-Haikyuu (I am caught all the way up to season 4 and I have never been more passionate about volleyball in my life, not even when I played it)

-Run the Wind (it's about running but also...friendship? and motivation to follow your dreams?? I mostly just recall relating to some of the lazier characters and sensing the brotherhood vibes. It feels slow at first, but if you get invested you realize that you've binged the whole thing.)

-Free! & Free! Eternal Summer (you wanna get emotional attached to a bunch of teenage swimmers? I don't know why all these sports animes are about guy groups, but here's one about some divas -I mean swimmers. Quite the lil quaint group of nuggets, I gotta tell ya.)

About magic/supernatural

-Sailor Moon (need I say more? She's our queen and we are never too old to watch her steadily turn from crybaby to warrior of the people. If you know, you know. FIGHTING EVEIL BY MOONLIGHT-!!)

-Avatar: the Last Airbender (technically counts as an anime. Holds my entire childhood, every personality trait I have...for sure came from characters in this show. Iconic. Never loses its charms. Lots of magical realism that is centered on the natural elements of the planet, some spiritualism too. Appa is reason enough to watch this show.)

-Legend of Korra (technically a sequel storyline to Avatar: the Last Airbender, but...it's SO DIFFE R E NT. I was at first put off by my lack of OG characters, but there are so many references embedded in there, and you get to meet everybody's kids and grandkids. Also Korra? The embodiment of female pride and power, nothing will forsake her for long. Kinda STRESSFUL how many obstacles the writers create in a single season...let alone 4.)

-Inuyasha (on oldie but a goodie. Technically the first anime I ever saw...*sigh* ah youth...Anyway, it'sset in feudal Japan, but there's time travel so you won't feel too out of place. There are of course demons and magical priestesses and demon hunters and cranky, frankly exhausted, old women. Has a quality plot line and great characters. There is a new sequel show airing about the future of the characters and their bloodlines, I've only seen an episode or two but the nostalgia alone made me want to weep.)

-Fairy Tail (a CLASSIC. It has magic and dragons and FAERIES and found family and is so loveably chaotic, also: hype af fight scenes)

-Soul Eater (another chaotic group of teens that fight impossible battles, the intro music always hits hard for nO rEASON, a little more blood and angst but not like not enough to cancel out the immense joy/annoyance that is Excalibur)

-Noragami (a new take on the concept of how gods are created, sad boi hours have started, wholesome main characters, the graphics are beautiful, some of the monsters can be a tad creepy - but I'm a wimp so it could just be me)

-Bungou Stray Dogs (I HAVE ADOPTED ATSUSHI. HE IS MY SON NOW, THANK YOU FOR COMING. The art style is one I enjoy, very crisp lines and a good variation in character designs. The protagonist is named Atsushi and he is a golden child who must be protected yet allowed to flourish at all times. There is detective work, some great fights, lots of random character flaws, OH and honey the story line is TWISTY!!)

-My Hero Academia/Boko no Hero Academia (this is the show where my broccoli son goes THROUGH IT literally the WHOLE TIME. A great story of the underdog, and the variety of characters and powers are...*chef's kiss*, makes me want to lowkey live in this universe but the amount of villians... gurl it'stoo much for my weak heart smh)

- Cannon Busters (okay, so I know people have mixed opinions on this one. Lemme say this: the intro and outro SLAP, point blank periodtt. The characters are diverse in color and abilities, it's like wild west meets technofuture meets medieval magic war times. The plotline is very all over the place, but hey it's the journey right. If you don't love SAM and Casey by the end of episode 1 you're doing it wrong.)

-BNA: Brand New Animal (the art style is so freaking cool yet cute we luv to see it. The world building is pretty good, basically it'slike Zootopia, but there are way more issues with this island o animals that have a human form half the time. Our main character is determined and just a tad naive, there is a wolf man with a pet crow and we're all okay with that)

-Sirius the Jaegar (straight up, I have no idea how my sister and I binged the whole show in like 2 days, but we did. Great fight scenes, the is blood but... that's because there are vampire-esque creatures also. The main character's childhood got done dirty, but go off on your origin story I guess.)

About slice of life:

- My Little Monster/Tonari no Kaibustu-kun (a wholesome high school romance with oddballs left and right, but you just wanna root for 'em y'know? A good wind down show. There's a chicken in it.)

- (Kaichou wa) Maid-Sama (an unconventional and lowkey erratic main heroine, the love interest seems weird but you'll adore him by the end, just simple high school shenanigans with ridiculously dramatic conflicts)

Phew, that was kinda long 😓 but those are just some animes that I have watched thoroughly off the top off my head to give you a good variety of options. Let me know if you already have seem any of these. Hope this helps you fight off boredom and repetition. Please tell me your faves, I love hearing about new shows!! 🤩 (And btw, my sleep patterns wrecked, I've been going to sleep at like 3AM 😅 Hahaha, send help.)

love love LOVE THIS!! Thank you for sharing babe ❤️❤️❤️ i actually haven’t watched that much anime so i’m glad to get a rundown on some good recs!

also!! i feel u!! team no sleep ftw

[jlf23tumble]

I was tagged by @alienfuckeronmain for my ten fave ships, and boy howdy, it’s a tough one, given what I’ve read over the years!! I’ll leave RPF-related fic pairings out of this because I don’t need the indirecting, you cowards, but if we’re talking fictional pairing, let’s go!

1. Napoleon Solo/Illya Kuraykin, Man from UNCLE. My forever OTP, always in my heart, etc., don’t care if it’s a movie, a TV show, a book, a fic, a graphic novel, they’re the archetype of my fave personality combo (grumpy stoic meets charismatic charmer cum quasi-himb, enemies to friends to pining to lovers), and I cherish them always.

2. Finn/Poe Dameron, Star Wars. This is a tough one because I feel like the pairing morphed in the last few years into something I don’t love (please no Reylo on the side, please no racial fetishizing), but I always have a soft spot for my original viewing in late 2015, all the fic that came in 2016, and all the interviews that followed.

3. Wei Wuxian/Lan Wangji, The Untamed. ARCHETYPE FAVES, wow, talk about nailing the grump/charmer combo, and yes, yes, I’m only on the first third of this show, but I’m savoring it, and I’ve already read one fic I love, and I know I’m gonna DIE when I fully immerse myself, but goddd, this show, this pairing!!!

4. Fox Mulder/Dana Scully, The X Files. Shockingly enough, this pairing matches the style of my other faves, wow! These two have been an obsession from way back, but I’ve also read pretty much every other pairing they could match with on the show, I’m that into their respective strengths as characters.

5. Lightning McQueen/Doc Hudson, Cars. Yet again, ~evidence of my preferred type of dynamic, but honest to god, every fic Phoenix has written here really nails them in this beautifully specific way that I wish everyone would read and marvel at instead of [bitchy comment redacted].

6. Columbo/his unnamed husband, Columbo. This one’s a stretch only because I haven’t dived deep into ao3 yet, only tumblr (or rather, columblr), and my mind is blown by the head canon that all those times Columbo mentioned his wife (and we never saw her), he actually was talking about his husband, but yeah, as a character? He’s one of my faves, and i want to see him get some, don’t care how or who.

7. (tie) Han Solo/Luke Skywalker, Kirk/Spock, Star Wars and Star Trek, respectively. I’m just putting these together because I’m more of a casual fan on the fringes of these two ginormous fandoms, but I absolutely do read and love this pairings (usually current authors, but I’ve also peeped into--and loved--older works, they’re a comfy pair of slippers, the both of ‘em).

8. Every single pairing in Harry Potter. Look, I’m not proud of it, but in the pre-ao3 era, you had to subscribe to/enter all these specific fansites to read HP fic, and I absorbed it all, I literally couldn’t wait between books, so give me your drarry, your linny, your what-EVER, I probably read it, and jkr burned that entire world and fandom to the ground for me, but yeah, will read anything that pisses this author off forever more!

9. 10th Doctor/Rose and 10th Doctor/Jack, Doctor Who. Another one you had to creep into specific servers to find “back in the day,” but I was really into the whole David Tennant/Billie Piper situation (and let’s face it, David Tennant/John Barrrowman, too), which also played into the show fic, so this dips into my RPF ban from the intro, but still, there’s truly great fic in this fandom, all pairings. 

10. I’m gonna cheat and leave this last one as a catch all because there are so many fics and fandoms that I’ll read and love only one fic in, and that’s valid, I only have two eyes. But maybe this is a future Joe/Nicky Old Guard zone, once I finally finish it beyond gifs (or a Witcher zone after I read the books). Or maybe once Phoenix sends me the Jake of State Farm Insurance fic--it can happen!!!  (Oddly related, Star Trek: The Next Generation, god, I can’t even type up all the one-off pairings I’ve read/loved there.)

tl/dr, I’m so grateful to ao3 for making it a billion times easier to follow an author or pairing, to search tags, to find anything in ANY fandom, RPF or not, just because you saw a movie and thought, heyyyyy, what if?? God bless you! Gonna tag @lesbiancolumbo, @cowfemme, @houliwife, @lesbiancolumbo because I get the vibe you guys have some amazing combos, but if anyone else is keen, go for it!

[britishchick09]

clarissa explains it all season 3 finale livewatch

before we watch sherlock’s season finale, let’s dive into clarissa’s! :D

this ep is called ‘blind date’... i hope it’s not with sam! :o

clarissa: “the more they tell you how great something is, the more likely it is you’ll be a total washout!” preach it sister!

clarissa: “like that ride at the carnival you’re finally big enough to ride”

i think younger bigger than that clarissa...

OMG TODDLER CLARISSA!!!! :o

EW FERG you’re not rhett and link!

oh no.... BLIND DATE!!!!!

clarissa: “why would anyone agree to that?” um i hate to break it to you claire...

YAS INTRO!!!! :D

na na na na naaaaaaa :D HEY KEWL!!!

and we start off with a classic sam!

cool outfit sam! :D

clarissa: “same hair, same clothes, same earring..” wait SAM HAD AN EARRING??? :o

sam has a ‘seamonkey incident’...?

sam’s surprised she’s never been on a date? with who, a car?

sam is setting clarissa up with his gf’s cousin and my first thought was ‘issa girl BI CLARISSA!’

sam: “hey i’m going on a blind date! i must be a teenager!” clarissa: “i’m going on a blind date... i must be going out of my mind!!!” lol :D

why is ferg saying ‘hearsay’

oh no what happened to marshall’s best suit?

THE WASHER LOST HIS PINSTRIPES NOOOO :o

ferg: “mom, dad-” *ad plays* thank you! :D

ferg's middle name is ‘w’ oooh....

also why is he a lawyer now

OMG THE NEIGHBOR PUT UP A WALL????

ferg: “i could be a supreme court justice!” clarissa: “you’re already a supreme pain in the butt!” OHHHHH!!!!!!!! :D

marshall: “i told my girlfriend, ‘i thought you were blonde!’ and she said ‘and i thought you were handsome!’ then she slammed the door in my face.” lol poor marshall

NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! :o

ooh no bangs clarissa! :D

yeah i’d be screaming too! :o

also is that SMOKE COMING OUT OF HIS MOUTH???

oh no her date is MILTON!!!!!

sam: “would you go out with a keanu or a river?” ooh keanu reeves? :o

clarissa made a blind date video game how clarissa of her! :D

i love how her graphics look! she truly has a future in vidya games!

clarissa: “no one normal goes on blind dates!” ...you mean ferg? ;)

speaking of ferg HE SPOKE WITH A JUDGE TO SOLVE THE NEIGHBOR THING :o

omg is that the judge :o

simply a mailman... WITH NEWS FROM THE JUDGE!

THE NEIGHBORS ARE SUING HER??? FERG!!!!!!!!

oh no not again!

mailman: “you guys make my job easy!” lol :D

his laugh is so cute :D

marshall is being countersued too!!!!

AND FERG SUED THEM NOOOOOO

OH CRAP HE DED

OMG BI CLARISSA IS THAT YOU????

oh it’s just a deliverer aw man :/

aww milton sent flowers! :)

clarissa: “it’s my blind date from hell!!” cue the title card!

clarissa: *is coming up with excuses not to go* sam- oh hey sam!” perfect timing! :D

sam saw amanda early and she’s a ‘totally happening girl’ ;)

...wait what’s a ‘happening girl’

milton has a ponytail, rides a motorcycle and has a band... my dad in the 70s? :o

sam needs new shoelaces for his high tops...

TRANS JACKET TRANS JACKET!!!!!

also her face tho!

clarissa: “if mom and dad catch you with all those law books, you’re dead!” ferg: “you tell them and i’ll kill you.” clarissa: “try and i’ll sue” OHHHH!!!! :o

FERG WILL SUE IF THE BLIND DATE DOESN’T GO WELL NOOO!!!!! :o

now they’re on blind date court! :o

nice hair court clarissa! :D

WHAT DOES THE ‘W’ IN FERG’S NAME STAND FOR

clarissa: “and those people get to check themselves out on videotape!”

ooh she’s giving it a shot! :D

sam: “it’s the dorkiest shirt i’ve ever worn!” well... that’s the 90s for ya...

oh no sam has doubts!

clarissa: “are you nervous?” sam: “no... yeah... maybe” that went from 0 to 10 to 5 really quick!

AMANDA DOESN’T WANT TO GO EITHER YAS! :D

but what about milton...? ;)

sam: “i can’t believe she blew me off!” and i can’t believe you just had an epic voice crack! :o

clarissa wants them to meet randomly at the roller rink nice! :D

why is ferg saying ‘hear ye’

he wob the case! :D

ferg: “i love the law!” lol :D

FERG HAS A RESTRAINING ORDER AND HE’S GROUNDED LOL :D

clarissa: “there is justice in this world!” indeed there is! :D

and it cuts to breakfast! :o

ooh nice beadhead clarissa! :D

marshall has a new suit yay! :D

and the fence is being taken down!!! :D

janet and marshall are quoting a robert frost poem together awww :D

a harbor freight ad just played with epic guitar music i wonder if miltpn made it ;)

clarissa: “when it comes tp blind dates, the jury is still out!” indeed! :D

bye clarissa! :D

this was a great way to end such a great season! while it’s not one of my fave eps of the season, it was certainly entertaining! i can’t wait to see what s4 brings! :D

...but the jury thinks we should wait for a bit. case dismissed! ;)

[prxncessophelia]

Magdalena Bay /r/Popheads Discord AMA [16/08/2019] Transcript

Q : Did you get your name from this iconic bop? [Sandra : Maria Magdalena]

MB : hahah no, Matt stole it from a literal person named Magdalena Bay // (they called her maggy bay)

Q : whats your biggest influence that sounds nothing like your own music

MB : we love PC Music even though we don't really sound like it

Q : out of everything you’ve made, what song is your all-time fave/which one are you the most proud of?

MB : We think Set Me Off is super underrated, but usually our fave is whatever the newest thing we write is

Q : Did Matt take up that offer at the DMV?

MB : hahaha NO

Q : whats the song you guys most had trouble with?

MB : hmmm probably move slow, we re-did the melody and production a few times before we settled on the disco vibes

Q : What made you guys decide to go for shorter song lengths, or was it somethjng that just happened naturally?

MB : We got tired of waiting so long to release official singles, wanted to do low-pressure quick songs that we could get out to our fans sooner!

Q : So like, where’s Voc pop on Spotify?

MB : hahah does anyone actually like that song?! It was the first pop thing we ever made and it was more of a learning experience for us than an actual song to us

Q : are you planning to tour europe anytime soon?

MB : we'd love to tour just need the right opportunity

Q : what's both of your favourite songs right now? also have you heard any of Caroline Polachek's music

MB : Actually one of our favorite songs right now is Door! Another is Ever Again (Robyn)

Q : one more: do you have any plans for an album in the future? Or are you just going with the flow

MB : yes we have album plans! Maybe next year

Q : Did you have a specific inspiration for Neon's music video, or was it just the whole vaporwave aesthetic in general?

MB : that video we actually didn't do ourselves, we found that archival footage of the couple and had that intro sequence sone but we sent it to our talented friend Matt Lewis who added the whole vaporwave element, we really weren't too aware of that whole world at the time! But it really worked well with Neon

Q : do you like the band Superorganism?

MB : haven't really listened to Superorganism, we'll check them out!

Q : Only thing I don’t like is the redbone cover to be honest with you and I’ve gone through your YouTube and soundcloud

MB : lol we respect that

Q : I really like your Redbone cover! What other songs would you like to cover?

MB : we always struggle to think of covers, was thinking of sourcing suggestions on Instagram so maybe we'll do that soon

Q : What is thr most difficult song of the creative process for you guys, is it, say, the lyrics, the melody, the mixing?

MB : probably lyrics, it's not that it's HARD but I get very particular about it and sometimes a little slow haha - Mica

Q : i just have to say, i think i've streamed your one song Only If You Want It a million times. it's such a bop and i think it's a great song to introduce people to your work. what was your inspiration for that song and the retro style music video?

MB : yes we think OIYWI really encapsulates what we're aiming to do musically, really glad you like it! Spice Girls, specifically Say You'll Be There, was a huge inspo. We really love that video but didn't have a plan for it AT ALL when we filmed all that footage of me with our vhs cam hahah so it was a mess but then we figured out the word art aesthetic and the bugs and it all came together

Q : How does it feel to be the highlight of my terrible day? Because once I saw the tweet I felt quite a bit better, plus my magbae playlist keeps me calm

MB : Thank you!! We made that cover ourselves so means a lot, and there's a little nod to each mini song in it which is fun

Q : have you ever covered songs that you decided against releasing?

MB : yes lol how did you know?? we did really weird attempts at promiscuous girl and rod stewart's if you think i'm sexy that will never see the light of day

Q : https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/264810236500639745/609503125677670418/magdalenabay.gif

MB : love the gif!!

Q : if a blackpink stan is called a blink is a magdalena bay stan called a mabay

MB : we think magbae is a good stan name

Q : what is the best/worst thing you've guys have encountered so far in the music industry??

MB : best/worst thing we've encountered in the music industry: one of the best things is finding our stuff being posted on r/popheads, we used to have to do it ourselves hahah, worst thing is dealing with shady industry people

Q : Any plans for shows in the Los Angeles area by the end of the year?

MB : re LA shows: we're working on it! probably yes

Q : Oh shoot i just thought of a very very improtany question i must know - Simply : Cats or Dogs

MB : DOGS

much later // we like cats too just dogs more :/

Q : Did you start making music for the fun of it, or did you actually have asperations to be famous?

MB : we started making music back in high school in a rock band and it just evolved from there. I (mica) never thought I would really do this until i had to graduate college and was like wait!!! I don't want a real job!! // Matt always knew he wanted to work in music

Q : magdalena bay, how would you guys describe your songwriting process?

MB : it's pretty different for each song, only thing that stays the same is that we write lyrics after melody, not all writers do that! but a song can start with a beat or chords or sometimes melody, from either of us!

Q : ooh I actually have one more question! what song of yours has the most meaning to you? whether it’s bc of the inspiration behind it or something else

MB : probably some of the unreleased stuff, but you'll hear it soon! a song called airplane is prob the most personal to me (mica)

Q : what artist(s) would you collab with, if you could pick any?

MB : soo many but Rina Sawayama is near the top of our list

Q : If you could travel back in time and impart one piece of advise to your early teenage selves, what would it be?

MB : START MAKING POP SOONER

Q : So do you sit down for hours and work on thinking of melodies or do they come to you randomly and you're like "whelp, time to record"

MB : both definitely happen, iphone voice memos are key

Q : Actually I do have a question, if y'all had a bigger budget, what would you be doing differently?

MB : blackpink-level music videos

Q : Favorite video games?

MB : We've just started playing video games and love zelda twilight princess but we're dumb and bad at it and are always stuck lol

Q : there are several users here in popheads who are trying to get into the music industry, if you have one tip you can give them, what would it be?

MB : try to do everything you can yourself- from music production to videos to graphics you will learn a lot and be less reliant on other people!! and you'll save money haha

Q : If yall dont thats chill but if yoy do whats your fav song from blackpink

MB : we like the one that goes dudududu

Q : Were you ever worried about a song with hashtag as a title/lyric? Or were you just that damn confident?

MB : yes we were worried lol

Q : would you play Minecraft

MB : don't know anything about it but matt's little sister plays it so sure

Q : we spoke about artists you'd like to work with so...what producers do you get inspiration from / would like to work with?

MB : definitely ag cook, Sophie, grimes, toro, also get a lot of influence from the classics like max martin, quincy jones, pharell

Q : What's one thing people might be surprised to learn about the both of you, respectively?

MB : Maybe that we started music playing in a progressive rock band (the opposite of pop) also matt is an amazing chef and mica is argentinian??

Q : if there is one, favourite Britney Spears album/song?

MB : BLACKOUT we listen to it every day

Q : is there any of your progressive rock stuff on the internet 🧐

Also: (you may have answered this already, skip if you have lol) why did you guys make such a genre switch?

MB : Yes but we're not gonna link hahah, and we started making pop because we were at school in different cities and pop is easier to make long distance.... didn't know we'd fall in love with making it! Also mica discovered art angels around that time and that was that

Q : will you continue to be in the server and chat with us? we enjoy having you and hope you'll stick around

MB : thank you!! @hals#0013 yes we'll be around

Q : what do yall liste to outside of pop

MB : NOTHING and with that, goodbye! :heart: :heart: :heart: thanks again!!