#this is an excellent series

[miloucomehome]

VIVANT EPISODE 5

WHAT THE HACYUASL HELL (AGAIN)

(so good!!!)

First, first!!

The moment where Doram and Nozaki try to get Nogi's Face ID at the restaurant was adorably funny.

Also: The Nozaki-Doram-Genghis teamup later? Love it.

Onto the next stuff in this episode (there's so much. I'm only just touching upon some things)

Nozaki being written and treated as a very competent state agent makes me happy. He's not hyper-competent, he has "fun", he's not hyper-serious all the time (that shit-eating-"You won't believe the plan I've cooked up heheheheh"-grin he has is golden--he's smart. He'll mess with people if he needs to and shares only the necessary info he has with those he trusts (at the moment). He also revels in messing with people haha. Plus he uses his jovial nature to get on others' good side, but he's sincere when he means it. I'm positive that prior to all this he truly has taken an interest in Nogi and is going to treat him the same way, but with more subtly poking to figure out what's going on

I love Nozaki (and I truly believe that in light of the reveal this week, he found Nogi endearing, was maybe falling for him or just wanting him to be ok idk, and now has to suspect him and truly learn who he is) but now I'm genuinely worried we will lose someone in the main cast by the finale.

(I have become a Nozaki oshi.)

A theory that had been floated about on twitter by multiple viewers in the VIVANT theories tag actually came to be. Multiple people pointed out that when Nogi was waiting outside the Balka International Bank, he was holding what looked like Ali's phone and something else. At first some wondered if it was a portable charger, but were curious when the switch happened. That was all revealed this week and I can't believe how much theorists were on the point trying to figure out what happened.

Nozaki's true past being discovered was more than I expected though. Amnesia, being sucked into the grim world of human trafficking...is this how Nogi F (or B through E) was born?

Finally: I can't tell if Sam was bad or if the CIA was trying to get Ali as an intelligence asset, BUT NOOOO SAM!!!!! NOGI F HOW THE HELL COULD YOU?! I LIKED OUR LUPIN IIIrd FANBOY CIA AGENT.

(that said, this means he met Sam at the Rongaly Military School then?!)

Jamine being some sort of "miracle child"?! Is Sakurai, Nogi's handler? Who's the head of BEPPAN?!

Now we find out that the character with Nino is Nogi's dad?! That he survived?! Nino is some kind of adopted son?! Or did his wife survive and they had another child?! Ali said he didn't meet her, but had seen the photos...but...still

The amount of silent screaming I was doing during the "execution" scene was obscene. I don't think I could've handled another episode 4 type ending. (That said, I think both Nogi F and Kurosue were willing to go all the way and cut the wires if Ali hadn't cooperated)

And I can't be the only one who is having a hard time telling Nogi A from Nogi F. I feel during the "executions", the apology was delivered by Nogi A. I think that in intense moments like the "executions" they both flip between each other, or even that the true Nogi is the one present. Not one or the other.

Nozaki slowly closing in on the TENT-BEPPAN stuff is wonderful to watch. The fact that Nogi Suguru was an officer with the National Police (and not the Prefectural Police) was surprising. Why did he quit? Why go to Balka? Nozaki being with a federal agency will easily be able to access this information now. What he does with the info he does learn will be interesting because at the moment, with the information viewers have from episode 5, it's that Nogi's father left the NPA(?), went to Balka with his wife and son, something happened, his son was kidnapped and trafficked, he changed his name and somehow he created a terrorist group based in Central Asia using his family's crest as its own symbol? I'm curious how the NPA officer-to-mystery-organization-leader thing happened.

(help this wink after he says "We're Public Security.". helppp!!)

Masato Sakai is a wonderfully talented actor. Episode 5 was an absolute treat of his talents. (Can he get more menacing roles in the future???)

I'm also noticing NogI F's actions and interrogation methods are reminding of an older Masato Sakai drama from 2010 where he led a "double life" (it's nothing like this level) called JOKER: Yurusarezaru Sousakan. In it, by day he's a law-abiding officer of the law and at night he's a bit of a vigilante ala "You have failed this city". There's more to it, but that's all I remember. I couldn't help but feel that as a much more mature actor, Sakai dipped into that a bit.

Speaking of Nogi F, while I understand that what we know of BEPPAN's mission is apparently for the sake of saving the country from a potential attack, it's currently at the "Cool motive, still murder" stage and deeply morally grey. I'd like to know how he came to be paired with Kurosue and if he knows about Nogi F.

Which, from what the lady at the orphanage mentioned, it sounds like Nogi F (or B, C, D or E) have been around since he was a small child....

Anyway. I'm watching Episode 6 after dinner or shortly. Idk. T_T)

[clairedaring]

MY STAND-IN (2024) | 1.02

[hotasfahrenheit]

this kiss was stupendous

and not just because it looked great, which it did obviously but-

-it's the pause in the first gif, the look in the second gif, it's the way that God glances up at Diew's eyes to gauge if this is okay, if Diew is comfortable, if Diew is enjoying the kiss and the physical contact, it's the way he leaves space in between the kisses and leans back just a tiny bit in the third gif to make sure that Diew is actively choosing to continue kissing him

it makes this scene just so good

[rayandgay]

Don't move.

[marinaiguess]

This is Sonic. 

Daniel Barnes, im on my knees for this, thank you. 

[kulai]

DAY 2 - 4: blood, werewolf, rave'n all-in-one :PP

this time not inspired by any fanfic, just a silly comic by me

[vomittedsoap]

I’d love to see the sound-editing process of The Terror. Some guy standing over the shoulder of another guy on Adobe Audition like “hmm… yes.. add another loud ‘boat creaking’ sound here just so you can remember that they are, indeed, on a boat… also add a comically loud zipper sound effect when Crozier buttons up his pants after pissing while Jopson is in the room…. Yes and don’t forget to add the Wilhelm Scream in the final battle with Tuunbaq.”

[pigglepiephi]

The HANDS!

I can’t stop thinking about the hands!

The way Ryan gripped his shirt to give himself the courage and resolve to say this…

And then the way Jane gripped the table to steady himself or stop himself from reacting/reaching out/doing something he shouldn’t do!

The focus on the hands conveyed so much!

Just perfect !!!

[percabethconvos]

Percy: Every night I dreamed at the Wolf House I dreamed about you.

Percy: Every night.

Percy: When I dreamed about camp, you were there, reading a book, working on one of your projects, but always there with me.

Percy: And I knew that everything was just the way it should be, do you understand?

[tenowls]

if i could draw dragons i would put temeraire in the background

[chinzhilla]

Marc Natarit as Chain and Poon Mitpakdee as Pun in We Are episode 07

+bonus:

[lightsresonance]

I just watched both parkour civilization movies and I have so many thoughts about block game

Parkour civilization was restructured so that everyone begins at the bottom layer and makes their way to the top. The other main changes are that the route to the top is neither impossible nor barricaded by design. Failing a jump isn’t an instant ticket to perma death. There’s a universal safety net for so players can keep trying. 

But providing actual ways for the lower levels to advance, does not change the fact THAT THERE WAS A LOWER LEVEL WITH UNACCEPTABLE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE FIRST PLACE WHAT OTHER CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE BOTTOM??? Are the noobs still kept on the verge of starvation?? Is food now free or do you still jump to eat?? Who farms food now that the pros don’t have to work?? Blocks are free for masters what about noobs & pros? And even if anyone at the base layer can make open attempts at the climb, are they provided the practice arenas of the higher levels??

Evbo’s ‘equal opportunity advancement’ solution also doesn’t address the other glaring problem of why parkour civilization was inherently flawed. Some people just suck at parkour! It’s simply not for them and their talents lie in other directions. But being a promising singer, builder, fighter, redstone engineer, or writer doesn’t matter because parkour is the ONLY valuable skill. You don’t like to jump but there’s only one route up. You could be at the bottom forever because your passion is worthless in Parkour Civilization. 

Evbo fails to dismantle anything besides the most obvious, corrupt flaws of the system because at the end of the day, he still successfully climbed said system! (With some cheating & help to bypass the locks ofc). So his idea of fairness is having everyone else climb too. But providing people access to his way up doesn’t change the fact they have only 1 way to climb. And that they have to climb in the first place.

See, the other thing that haunts me is the implanted memories. Evbo KNOWS there’s a lifestyle outside of parkour 24/7. Evbo remembers endless land, buildings, crafting, and mining. Resources gatekept by parkour once used to be open to obtain by anyone. Sure, the memories are fake but the dream didn’t have to be. He was champion then god. Evbo knows about the endless ground but didn’t consider making that idea a reality even with endless power at his fingertips. Because he’s so entrenched in this society. 

His dream was seeing endless skies and once he got there, he failed to share it with anyone else.

The sky used to be free.

TLDR Shonen protag works within in system they’re given and when system shows its flaws of corruption the narrative solution is to power up, beat up the big villains, and become the most op kid on the block instead of actually addressing societal flaws that accommodates and creates said villains

In this fanfic I will-

[clairedaring]

MY STAND-IN (2024) | 1.01

[rayandgay]

Mahasamut chose to come all this way with you. Now it's your turn to choose.

[poomphuripan]

So Joe hitting the windshield was not scripted but rather Poom unintentionally opening the windshield wipers and that ended up being in the final cut 😭 (source)

[undefeatednils]

This episode just continues to be so sweet. It does such a great job at making Odo feel more relatable & to ground Lwaxana...