#this show will haunt me forever /pos

[rune-tisms]

this bitch is still bouncing around in my brain after a year!!!!!

[starheirxero]

After revisiting your "came back wrong" comic, absolutely wonderful btw, I came to a rather haunting realization.

Because it became true. But instead of Bloodmoon, it's Eclipse. And that's both much worse(for the characters), and much better(for the narrative).

Because both him and Lunar went through the same, and in a way seem to parallel each other, though that's probably me overthinking.

Both of them died. Both of them were blown to smithereens. Both of them came back after several months. Both found themselves in a body not their own. We've seen what they look like in every other universe.

Both of them came back wrong.

Lunar came back numb, quieter than before, with all their energy being a play. He came back running from unknown danger. They died a normal animatronic, and came back being more.

Eclipse is the opposite. He came back louder, erratic, full of madness. Where Lunar is running from unknown danger, he is sprinting towards it, not realizing the consequences until it's to late. Not to forget the star. Eclipse died being somewhat of a god, and came back as nothing more than a plaything, a puppet on a string.

In a twist of fate, they can relate best to each other now, and that might be the worst part for both of them.

Because what is there to do? Even though they understand, even though, one day, they might glance at each other and wonder "Do you feel the same?", they will never be able to confide in each other. Their relationship is beyond repair, and for good reason. Eclipse hurt Lunar, used and ab*sed him, and then blew him up.

This also opens up so much emotional baggage. What will Lunar think? Will he wonder "Do you regret what you did now, knowing how it felt?" Will a part of him feel the smallest bit of satisfaction? Will they ever be able to look at him at all, or will they forever hide away?

What about Eclipse? Will he feel guilty? He seems aware of the damage he has caused the celestial twins, even telling Ruin that he deserves what's coming for him, but he still showed no remorse when he talked to them.

I'm sorry this got so long, I am incredibly emotional about this right now, and I can't even begin to describe, how this makes me feel-

ANON OH MY GHOD /POS

DID YOU KNOW YOU HAVE THE BIGGEST FUCJING BRAIN EVER. DID YOU KNOW YOU'VE CONNECTED THE MOST PERFECT DOTS KNOWN TO MAN. HOLY SHIT.

LUNAR CAME BACK AS MORE AND ECLIPSE CAME BACK AS LESS BUT BOTH CAME BACK WRONG AAIAUAUAYAGAGGGHHHHHH

[thestarlightforge]

Re-watched HOTD 1x06 with lunch today. Daemon & Laena were almost sweet, as was Daemon’s dynamic with Baela (stan the dragon girls). “Ah, my brave girl” was genuinely sad, and Vhagar crying for Laena slaughtered me. Alicent’s horror at Larys’s WILD antics was heartbreaking. Rhaenyra bringing Qarl along to Dragonstone despite everything—and their beautiful, sprawling queer family—was lovely, and it’s amazing how much they established between Rhaenyra and Harwin with just a few glances.

But this show really is a comedy sometimes. RIGHT out the gate, Emma D’Arcy could not have embodied Rhaenyra more perfectly—every shade of her, within the first 10 mins they were onscreen. Rhaenyra & Laenor’s opening had me in stitches. Their whole dynamic is hilarious actually. Aegon could not be more of a happy-go-lucky asshat if he tried, though Jace gave him a run for his money for a while (P.S. he’s gonna be haunted by Harwin’s unintentionally broken promise FOREVER, huh). It’s so clear that Jace having loving parents is what separated these two. Aemond apparently had clinical depression since his pre-teens, so that’s fun. Heleana might be the most autistic person I’ve ever seen (/pos) & watching Alicent have ✨no idea what to do with her✨ is hilarious.

Wild how in the span of an hour, they can reenact a sitcom & twist the knife in your heart.

[ravenscamander]

To celebrate the one-month anniversary of EPIC: The Circe Saga I present to you:

Moments in EPIC: The Musical that make me go

Mhhhhhhhh

dundundundun dun dun dundundun alright my brothers listen closely

but now we'll be the ones who ~Slayyyyyy~

Penelopeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Penelopeeeeee

And TELEMACHUUUUUUUS

i couLD RAISE HIM AS MY OOOOOOOOOOOWN

The Blood On Your Hands Is Something You Won't Lose, All You Can Choose Is Whose

(literally all of Just A Man, that song will haunt me forever)

(but especially:)

how could I hurt youuuuuu

I'm just a man who's trying to go home even after all the years away from what I've known

I'm just a man who's fighting for his life, deep down I would trade the world to see my son and wife

the choir chorus. Just. All of it.

forGIIIIIIVE MEEEEEEEEEE

forgiiive meee

I'm juuuust aaaaa maaaaaaan

The Full Speed Ahead Instrumental Intro.

Six. Hundred. Men.

600 miles of open seaaaaaaa

But the problem's not the distance (it's what lies in between)

And Ithaca's waitiiiiiiing, my kingdom is waitiiiiiiiiiiiiiing, PENELOPE'S WAITIIIIIIIIIIIING for meeeeeee

That High Note™ on full speed aheeeeeaaaaad

Captain? EURYLOCHUS

Captain?Politeeees

GIVE ME TIL SUNRIIIIIIIIISE AND IF WE DON'T RETUUUUUUUURN

Then 600 men can make this whole place BURN

So full speed aHEEEEEEAAAAAAAAD

WE'RE UP WE'RE OFF AND AWAY WE GO

You can relax my friend (...what)

That High Note™ on Give it a try it's not that hard

STAY BACK (stay back...)

See? This life is amazing when you greet it with open arms (~ahhhhhh~)

A CAVE

East! (That way)

Thank you! (Welcome)

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THE LESSONS I TAUGHT YOU

LET. ME. REMIND YOU.

~Goddess of Wisdoooooom~

~Master of Waaaaaar~

i HAD a challenge, a TEST of skill, a magic BOAR only the best could kiiiiill

Little Odysseus's LET'S GO

I can see youuu HOW CAN YOU SEE THROUGH MY SPELL

I was lying! And you fell for my bluff! Hahahaha

Nahhh, don't be modest, I know you're a goddess, so let's be honest you are

ATHENAAA (athena!)

Badass in the arena! Unmatched, witty, and queen of the best strategies we've seen!

The duet harmonies in the second chorus! Fucking superb

Look at all this food! Look at all these sheep!

WHO ARE YOU

YOU KILLED MY SHEEP

banger cello solo

MY FAVOURITE SHEEP

Take from you as you took from meee

theRE'S BEEN A MISUNDERSTANDING

Wine?

A gift from you and a gift from meee

My name is noooobody, Noooooobody, Nooooobody (aka That High Note™ part 3)

I'm so glad we see eye to eye

...what?

WATCH OUT

POOOOOOOLYYYYYYYYYPHEEEEEEEEMUUUUUUUUS

PO!LY!PHE!MUS!

Six Hundred liiiiiives at stake, it's just one liiiiiiiife to take

Stay in his blinds while you striiiiiiike his heels (STRIKE THE HEELS)

Show him that we're deadly! (HAH! HAH!)

SIX HUNDRED LIIIIIIVES AT STAKE IT'S JUST ONE LIIIIIIIIFE TO TAKE (pt. 2 choir version)

*body tumbles across the ground* cap...tain...

banger cello solo pt.2 electric boogaloo

*electric guitar fades in* dundundundundundun dundundundundundun

But captain, what will we do with our fallen friends?

remember them

REMEMBER THEM

(let's kill him!)

Remember them (part 3 choir version)

SCATTER

It was noooooobody, Nooooobody, Noooooobody

If nobody hurt you be silent! (Don't go!)

HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THE LESSONS I TAUGHT YOU (no.2)

no

No??!!!

What good would killing do? When mercy is a skill more of this world could learn to use?

don't

HEY CYCLOPS

The next time that you dare choose not to spare, remember them! Remember uuuuus! Remember me!

I'm the reigning king of Ithacaaaaaaaa

I am neither man nor mythicaaaaal

IIIIIIII am your darkest momeeeeeent

IIIIII am the infamooouuuuus

Odysseus

(aka the first time our main character gets actually named aka the worst decision ever made by the poor guy)

You were reckless, sentimental at best. That's not a teaching of mine. You've grown soft! Your dead friends can attest! (hey) Put your emotions aside.

That Growl™ on I don't know where I went wrong

That's just like you! Why should I be surprised? Selfish and prideful and vain

You're Not Looking For A Mentor, I'm Not Looking For A Friend

At least I know what I'm fighting for while you're fighting to be known! Since you claim you're so much wiser, why's your life spent all alone? You're alone!

One day, you'll hear what I'm saying, one day, you might understand, one day. But not today for after all you're

JUUUUUUST AAAAAA MAAAAAAAN

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

*soft piano outro*

*epic horn intro*

*epic trumpet solo*

These waaaaaves and tiiiiiides have grown in strength and siiiiize

Brace for a STOOOOOOOORM (stoooooorm)

The likes of which we've never seen before!

Have them follow my ship, I'll ensure that we'll PREVAIIIIL

At this rate we won't make it out aliiiiiive

~an island in the skyyyyy~

We're gonna shoot for the sky! (what.)

STOOOOOOOOOOOORM, STOOOOOOOOOOOORM (this time with amazing harmonies)

WE'RE SHOOTING FOR THE ISLAND IN THE SKY! IN THE SKYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Please don't tell me you're about to do what I think you'll do

We're in the home of the Wind God! (We don't know for sure.) How many floating islands have you seen before? This is the home of the Wind God! (And what's your plan.) I'm gonna climb to the top and ask 'em for a hand

Have faith friend, we've come this far

Yes, but how much longer til your luck runs out

You rely on wit and people die on it, whooaa

I still believe in goodness

I still believe that we could be kind

Lead from the heart, and see what starts

Thank you for the concern but brother I can assure you, our journey is almost done. I understand that we're tired, I understand that we're fazed. But don't forget how much we already faced!

I took 600 men to war and not one of them died there. In case you needed a reminder.

If you want to talk more, let me pull you aside then. I need to talk to you in private.

Hahaha

I am the wind, twisting and turning

HAHAHA

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer! (Never really know who you can trust)

If they wanna get the bag open you gotta say No Sir (Sometimes killing is a must what)

It's treasure! what.

NO DO NOT.

Everybody listen closely. See how this bag is closed? That's how it's supposed to be.

Cause the end always justifies the means (everything's changed since Polites)

For nine days I've stayed wide awake, tried to make it home with no storm or tidal wave. I remain unopposed, the bag is still closed and I'm getting closeeeer to youuuuuuu (Penelopeeeee) I can't wait to make some new memories (Teleeeemaaaachuuuus) Time for me to be the father I never was

(just keep your eyes open) why are my eyes and my heart and my soul so heavy (just keep your eyes open) I keep on trying to embrace you both why won't you LET MEEEEEEE (Just Keep Your Eyes Open) So much has changed, but I'm the same, yes I'm the SAAAAAAME

Just keep your eyes open, keep your eyes open

Wake up. Wake up, Odysseus, they're opening the bag, WAKE UP

EPIC ORCHESTRA™

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

STOOOOOOOOORM

OOOODYSSEUS OF ITHACA

do you know who I am

*wave sounds*

POSEIDON POSEIDON POSEIDON POSEIDON POSEIDON POSEIDON POSEIDON Poseidon

In all my yeeeaaaars of living it isn't very often that I get pissed off

Iiiiii've been so graaaaacious

That's right, the Cyclops you made blind is mine (no)

I'm left without a choice, and without a doubt, Guess The Pack Of Wolves Is Swimming With The Shark Now

You are the worst kind of good cause you're Not. Even. Great.

A Greek who reeks of false right.eous.ness that's what I HATE

I mean you totally could've avoided all this had you just killed my son. But ~nooo~

YOU ARE FAR TOO NICE, MERCY HAS A PRICE

Unlike you, I have no mercy left to give cause

Ruth.less.ness is mercy upon ourselves

Ruthlessness is MERCY UPON OURSELVES

OURSELVES

*wave sounds pt.2*

We took no pleaaaasure in his pain

That High Note™ on We only wanted to escaaaaaape

The Line Between Naivety And Hopefulness Is Almost Invisible

die

When does a ripple become a tidal wave

43 left under your command

When does a man become a monsteeeer

Iiiiiii am your daaaaaarkest momeeeent

Any last words?

ALL I GOTTA DO IS OPEN THIS BAG (WHAT)

EPIC BRASS SOLO™

Remember meee...

*eerie strings*

We came across a palace, inside we heard a voice

Sir! Sincewelefthomewefacedavarietyoffoesfromawiderangeofplaces gods, monsters, you know the roster, hostile creatures that we could resist, but this was a hell of a twist cause we are weak to a power like this!

What was it??? A woman.

What.?

She had us in just two words

~Come inside~

Damn

That Run™ on Go ahead and rest wherever you liiiiike

Take a seat (Yeah)! Let me bring you all something to eat (Yeah)!

This is the priiice we pay to liiiiive, the world does not tend to forgive

We have to go save them. No we don't

There's no length I wouldn't go if it was you I had to save! I can only hope you'd do the saaaame?

hehehe

hehehehehehe

hahahaha

I must say, what a brilliant speech you gave

Divine intervention, someone who's not afraid to... Send a message

Hermes? AHOHOHOHAHAHAHA

the chorus

That Run™ on When you take her on aloooooooone

the chorus again, this time with harmonies

~Here in the root of this flower there lies such a power to take her on~

That High Note™ on then you'll manifest a Being of your creation (all you need's imagination)

And I call this root ~Holy~ ~Moly~

Ahh...

AHAHAHAHAHAHA

More Chorus with More Harmonies!

OHHHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHHHH OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Don't thank me friend, you very well may die. Ahmhmhmhm! Good luck

*Carmen intro*

Lady of the palace

Did you do something to them? Who me? All I did was reveal their true forms.

You turned them into pigs.

Ha

I don't know who you are nor why you're here, but let me make this one thing clear: I've got people to protect, nymphs I can't neglect, so I'm not taking chances, dear

If you make one wrong move then you're done for, anything I don't approve and you're done for, I could put a spell on you and you're done for, boy you better run or soon you will be done for

I DON'T MEAN TO TIP YOUR SCALE

~dire consequence~

Hermes gave it to you, didn't he?

Okay fine, yes, but regardless-

Duet version of I've got people to protect

*sword sound* You've lost.

My nymphs are like my daughters I protect them at all costs

... I'm not sure I follow

There are other ways of persuasion, there are other modes of control, there are other means of deceit, there are other roads to the soouuul, there are other actions of passion, you have so much left to learn, want to save your men from the fire? Show me that you're willing to buuuuuurn ohhhhhhh

~so much power, so much power~

I can't

*Penelopeeeeee* but make it viola

She's my everything, my Penelope

*sigh* Poseidon, eh?

I know of a brilliant prophet! Problem is this prophet is dead

I remember actions of passion, I have been in love once before. Maybe one day the world will need a puppeteer no moooooooore. Or maybe one day the world will need a puppeteer

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE

I apologise for any spelling mistakes and also for the length of this. It took me way too long but oh well

[corioheinous]

Can I just say how much I love love love it when a character or a group of characters are haunted by the absence of a person who was once integral to their lives. Especially when the entire narrative is structured around that particular loss like hands down my favorite television shows right now are Fleabag and The Bear which are both Masterful fucking examples of this (Fleabag’s dead best friend, though you could probably make a case for her mother too, and Carmy’s dead brother respectively).

And it’s like. The loss of these loved ones is so inextricable from the characters that survived them to the point where everything they do and say every choice they make whether good or bad is ultimately influenced by their grief. I’m catching up with the current Blue Period arc right now and really enjoying it, mostly bc of the complicated friendship dynamic between Momoyo, Murai, and Hachiro—and the lone piece missing from their friend group—Sanada. Murai’s experience with grief in particular is so fascinating to me because unlike Momoyo and Hachiro, he hasn’t been able to “move on” or cope with his grief in a healthy way. It’s sort of become this unsurmountable weight on his shoulder, this ghost-like presence that looms over his character constantly. When Yatora reflects on his loss in ch. 62, there’s an interesting emphasis placed on Murai’s expression—

—which made me realize just how emotional of a character Murai is through his facial expressions alone. Not necessarily in this chapter, because he’s very much putting on a brave face, but in chapter 64, you practically witness him going through every stage of grief at once. It’s honestly a massive transformation given that he’d been stuck in the “denial” stage for so long.

I think it’s interesting to think of Murai as both a character who is avoidant, repressive, in denial about his own feelings and the reality of the world around him (it’s mentioned also in ch. 64 that Murai didn’t even attend Sanada’s funeral, which is exactly the kind of immature behavior/inability to cope that you would expect from a character like him) WHILE simultaneously being someone who wears his heart on his sleeve. I reckon he forces himself to feel nothing at all out of fear that he’ll feel too much at once, and thus end up causing a scene like he did at Sanada’s posthumous exhibition.

Besides the cool back tat and funky earring, I wasn’t all that compelled by Murai’s character until I read through this chapter and experienced this entire emotional upheaval alongside him. I kind of just had to sit down for a bit after reading the last scene, after Yotasuke’s Murai-san, it’s okay to live your life holding onto that grief forever, isn’t it? comment which is such a bonkers thing to say (/pos) and God. Not to quote The Bear FX here but it really is satisfying to watch a character that you know needs to let it rip just let it rip. That laidback attitude and nonchalant expression of his were never truly the whole of it. I’m really satisfied with the way grief & loss has been framed through Murai, and I’m excited to see what his character becomes as he continues to both carry these feelings inside him and live to grow around them.

[cyberdragoninfinity]

wild dana spotted howling and barking about yugioh arc-v out in the parking lot

oh BOY oh boy it's bout that time again. i can't believe it's been OVER A YEAR (?!?!?) since i last did one of these 'i just finished a yugioh here's my little rambly retrospective about it' posts but we are BACK!!! Finished my first ever watch-through of Arc-V last Tuesday after some 8 months of it putting me through the spin cycle and now as it's wedging itself permanently into my psyche i need to talk about its Everything or i will explode. so LET'S SWING INTO ACTION!!! I'M TAKING CONTROL OF THIS DUEL STARTING NOW!!!

[SPOILERS ahead for this decade old anime, of course]

WOW. YUGIOH ARC-V, HUH. before i started it watching it, I knew two things: A.) every single bit of knowledge I'd learned about it from Duel Links events or otherwise had me so, so, unbeliebable fucking hyped. I was absolutely certain this Yugioh was going to be so full of Danabait and completely fry my brain like an egg on the griddle. I had to physically restrain myself for TWO YEARS to keep from jumping the gun and watching Arc-V before I'd finished all the series before it (a decision I'm ultimately thankful for--Arc-V hits kind of fuckign crazy as a chaser to four other yugiohs.). And also, B.) when people Talk About Arc-V they always talk about it in a Very Particular Way. like. it's hard to describe. I feel like you know it when you see it. There is the full range of human emotion in the way people talk about Arc-V. People talk about Arc-V like its a confusing, malicious specter haunting their living room. And this admittedly got me even more hyped to watch it.

And then I watched it and here I am and I KNOW NOW. I KNOW NOW WHY PEOPLE. TALK ABOUT IT LIKE THAT. FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART: WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT. SLASH POS. SLASH NEG. SLASH SECRET THIRD THING.

Arc-V is a fucking MESS. It starts out SO strong and then it starts setting plot threads on fire and writing conceptual checks it absolutely cannot cash. It falls down the narrative stairs like it has a goddamn death wish. It introduces 342052805 characters and then forgets to do anything with 99% of them. It does things to its girl characters that makes the back half of 5Ds's girl writing failure look like the height of feminist theory. If the stories I've heard about its deeply troubled production are any indication it is some kind of MIRACLE this show got made and aired at ALL. IT'S LIKE WATCHING A CAR WEAVING THROUGH TRAFFIC AT 90 MPH ONLY TO PLOW DIRECTLY INTO THE SIDE OF A PARTY CITY.

and goddamn if I didn't have a FUCKING BLAST watching it. GODDAMN IF I DIDNT HAVE SO, SO MUCH FUN. goddamn if Arc-V might very well end up being my FAVORITE yugioh out of ALL of them when all is said and done. WHOOOOOPSSS!!! 🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴

like. imo Zexal is absolutely from a quality/art direction/narrative/everything standpoint leaps and bounds better than Arc-V. Definitely one of my favorite cartoons I've ever seen period, and most people should give it a shot. Such a beautiful work of art. But Arc-V....... girl they put something In this one. My pre-show hype was absolutely warranted. This show is just one blast of Shit That Makes Dana Crazy after another. Every character absolutely delights me and is my best friend. I'm going to be losing my mind over Yugioh Arc-V for the rest of the year and maybe forever.

As usual I primarily watched the dub, with some sub episodes sprinkled in if I got tipped off about a big change, or just if I wanted to see what was going on back there. (glad I did, of course, for a number of reason--least of all that Arc-V's OPs and EDs are SO fun and so charming!!) (THOUGH SIDE NOTE: THE DUB OPENING SHREDS SO HARD IM SORRY. IT'S UP THERE WITH THE GX DUB OPENING FOR ME. CAN YOU FEEL THE FUCKING POWER!!!!!) Anyway, gotta say, really was blown away by this dub!! It's tied with Zexal for what's imo the 'best' yugioh dub--the majority of the voice performances were just fantastic (truly all the love in my heart for Michael Liscio Jr.'s performances as the yuboys, they all have such unique and charming voices and im OBSESSED WITH THEM.) and having watched some sub eps side by side with the dub it's really cool seeing a dub that genuinely tried to faithfully translate Most of the Original. idk it's just a really solid localization to me!! I loved it a lot!! ALSO IT'S EXTREMELY FUNNY. I SAY THIS ABOUT EVERY DUB BUT IT'S TRUE. there are line reads in the arc-v dub that have me SOBLAUGHING.

anyway. I like to do these little subsection breakdowns in these little retrospective roundups, so let's get into the weeds with it:

Stuff I Didn't Like: loooooooooong inhale through my nose. looks at you with mildly pained eyes. alright. let's get this one over with.

though I did really try to go in as blind as I could/avoid most spoilers with this one, I did inevitably get spoiled by some things from Duel Links, but in the case of. uh. Riley Getting Turned Back Into a Baby At the End. 👶🏼 I AM glad I had that spoiled for me, so I knew it was coming. Because if I didn't know that was going to happen and that clocked me over the head I would have been on the NEWS. I WOULD HAVE BEEN, SO MAD. HEY, YUGIOH: WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 👶🏼👶🏼👶🏼👶🏼👶🏼 WHY DID YOU DO THAT TO RILEY!!!!

"character gets permanently turned back into a baby for Critical Plot Reasons" has gotta be one of my LEAST favorite tropes in anything, it's NEVER GOOD. AND IT'S ESPECIALLY BAD HERE!!! Riley is such a good character, he's got such an interesting arc going on, and THEY JUST RIP THAT TO PIECES. SO RILEY'S JUST FUCKING GONE NOW I GUESS. COOL. ALRIGHT. SURELY THERE COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER WAYS TO DEFEAT ZARC. SURELY. just. good GOD. it was a small miracle to me when this happened like 8 episodes before the end, it was like ripping the bandaid off early, it was like "oh thank christ i got past that. ok well whatever happens it cannot possibly be as bad as the shit they did to riley"

^ (and imo it wasnt. thank GOD. actually let's talk about that)

LIKE. MAKE NO MISTAKE ARC-V'S ENDING IS CONFUSING AND CLUMSY AND SO STUPID AND NOT GOOD. WHY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH DOES THIS SERIES NEED EIGHT EPISODES AFTER ITS BIG BAD DUEL.WE COULD HAVE WRAPPED THIS UP IN 2-3!!!! it feels like watching Chopped and the contestant has 20 seconds on the clock left and theyre like "i gotta make my whipped cream" like WEEEE DONT NOT HAVE TIMEEE FOR THAT!!!!! WHAT ARE WE DOINGGGG. why are we dueling jack AGAIN. FOR TWO EPISODES. EVERYONE IS YELLING AT YUYA LIKE ALL OF THIS IS HIS RESPONSIBILITY AND FUCKING IS IT??!?!??! HE'S 14. AND THEN THOSE EPISODES HAVE THE GALL TO THROW SO MANY COOL IDEAS ON THE TABLE (Gong fully exploring dueltaining, the Dimensional Highway, etc) AND IT'S LIKE. COOL!! WISH WE COULDVE HAD THIS ANY OTHER TIME THAN THE LAST POSSIBLE SECOND!!! WHAT ARE WE DOINGGGG

BUT all that being said, the way people talk about that fucking last episode I was expecting some genuinely godawful 'zuzu is yuyas mom again like in the manga' tier absolute nightmare scenario. i literally made a secret prediction chart of what insane plot twist i assumed the last episode was going to drop on me.

AND THEN THE LAST EPISODE WAS JUST. FUNNYBAD. just a run of the mill whimper at the end of eight episodes we KIND OF REALLY DID NOT NEED. THE SHEER AMOUNT OF RELIEF I FELT. like absolutely i think going into it completely blind/encountering that ending watching live I would have been pissed, folks are rightfully frustrated with it, but I WAS TRULY. EXPECTING MUCH WORSE. IT ENDS LIKE A FAKE TUMBLR POST. "AND THEN EVERYONE CLAPPED" ASS ENDING. I DO HAVE TO LAUGH

^ YIPPEEEE SIX CHARACTERS HAVE EFFECTIVELY STOPPED EXISTING YAAAAAYY (😬😬😬😬)

ALSO, IN GENERAL. SPEAKING OF. GOD. THE BRACELET GIRLS. YALL ARE SO COOL AND THEN POOR LULU AND RIN DIDNT GET TO DO A GODDAMN THING EXCEPT HAVE WORMS IN THEIR BRAINS!!!! HELL ON EARTH!!!!!! WHY DID THEY DO THATTTT GAHHHHH again!! show that introduces SO many characters, so many FUCKING COOL CHARACTERS, and then does NOTHING with them. Or hits them with PARALYZING NERVE GAS FOR 20 EPISODES. CHRIST!!! WHY DO ARC-V GIRLS SUFFER MORE THAN JESUS. LEAVE MY GIRL ZUZU ALONEEEEE

TO THAT END, ARC-V JUST MAKES; SO MANY CONFUSING CHARACTER DECISIONS. AND CHOICES. why is Yuto just out of the picture for like 60 episodes!!! Let him be Yuya's brain buddy!!! WHY WASNT HE. DID YOU NOT WANNA ANIMATE HIM FLOATING NEXT TO THE DUEL RUNNER??! BE REAL. It's like. GRAHHH In general Arc-V has a pacing problem that is like. Atrocious even for yugioh's bad pacing problems. This series needed to be 400 episodes long. I like the IDEA of a yugioh with a big cast, spending episodes cutting between different groups of characters like some kind of bulky YA fantasy novel, but in practice it got. Real Muddy. RIP Xyz dimension arc you shoulda had so much more to you. And then there's that combined with this way it's trying Really Really hard to ape the themes of the past yugiohs ('dont forget to have fun,' grief/moving on after loss, classism) but it's hitting every damn branch on the way down and just completely fumbling ALL of them, it's not actually doing much to Earn being able to have those kind of themes resonate properly. IT'S SUCH A BAFFLING SHOW. IN THE THEMES DEPARTMENT. AMONG OTHER THINGS. "DONT EVER BE VISIBLY PUBLICLY SAD" IS A FUCKING INSANE MORAL. AND IT TAKES THAT SHIT WITH IT TO THE BITTER END. WHY IS THE FATE OF THE WORLD HINGED ON YUYA MAKING A BABY LAUGH. WHERE AM I!!!!

god. god. ok. ok im calm now. im sure in the coming weeks i'll have more barking about arc-v's various fumbles. but i'll leave it at that for now, i wanna talk about stuff i DID like now lol

Favorite Season/Arc: ok well. this actually is a hard question. um. hrm. LIKE. I'LL GET SHOT BY SNIPERS IF I SAY IT WAS SYNCHRO ARC BUT ALSO

IM SORRYYYYYYYYYYYYY I GOT THAT DOG IN ME (A BACK HALF OF 5D'S LIKER'S SOUL.) and unfortunately I WILL go in there and think about it that hard (the absolutely fucked to hell sociopolitical situation happening in Arc-V New Domino City and how it contrasts with the NDC in 5D's) (one thing about me I love weird fucked up yugioh old people I love those bitchass old centrists apparently governing the entire dimension and doing a piss poor job of it it's just like contemporary American politics!!!!!!) ROGET WAS JUST REANIMATING DEAD PEOPLE AND PUTTING MIND CONTROL CYBERNETICS IN THEM AND WELL YEAH SURE I'LL BE NORMAL GRIP ABOUT THAT. NORMAL. i need to make an arc-v AU Aporia so fucking bad THEN YOULL ALL SEE *talking to empty room*

YES synchro was way too fucking long. but regretfully i love turbo duels and will never not be charmed when yugioh puts guys on motorcycles that have no business being on motorcycles. DAMN I JUST FUCKING WISH YUYA AND YUGO GOT TO ACTUALLY TALK AND MEET IN THE SAME ROOM THOUGH!!!! BUT ANYWAY!!!!

im. kidding at least a little, I actually thoroughly enjoyed like...all of Arc-V's seasons/arcs at least a little (barring a lot of the Weird Post Zarc Duel 8 Episode Dead Zone.) The first 50 episodes really are just peak banger Yugioh, I do love action duels to absolute bits (though Action Spells. Uh. Need Some Workshopping 8| If I See Evasion One More Time Im Gonna Lose It) and the shit especially that first season does with the crazy Action Fields is AWESOME. GENUINELY. GO DUEL IN THE VOLCANO. DO A FLIP. RIDE YOUR MONSTER. it's practically running on Pokemon universe logic i cant NOT love it. And well Fusion Dimension arc does just have a whole lot of episodes that make me go cuckoo bananas crazy. Truly something for Dana in every crevice of Yugioh Arc-V.

Favorite Characters: god I do think like a solid half of why I think Arc-V may be becoming my top fav Yugioh is that the cast is just, really Really fucking good. Like yes so many of them are underutilized but the time we Do get with them really just shows off what delightful characters they all are. Half the reason it took me so damn long to finish was I was having so much fun and was going to miss seeing them!! IT'S GENUINELY HARD TO PICK A TOP LINEUP OF FAVS. THERE'S SO MANY DANABAIT GUYS IN YUGIOH ARC-V. YES EVEN THE SYNCHRO ARC GUYS. LUCAS SWANK I MISS YOU SO FUCKING MUCH.

The Lancers alone are SO good, theyre up there with Team 5D's in terms of Favorite "Main Yugioh 'Friend Group'/Organization". Group of guys who kind of have horrible synergy and only like 3 of them are actually competent. Declan came up with it when he was 13. Funniest group of teenagers imaginable, I love them all. LIKE .YUYA MAY BE MY FAVORITE YUTAGONIST??? IM NOT SURE YET BUT. I DO LOVE HIM A LOT. HE'S A PATHETIC WET PAPER TOWEL AND I WANT TO GIVE HIM A NOOGIE. SLASH POS.

And I mean I'm always gonna be Z-one biased but I do like Zarc as a Big Bad a lot too... damn if I don't love Just Some Guy Has Become God and Is a Huge Tool About It <3 WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM WHY ARE YOU ACTING LIKE THIS!!!!

ah. but. of course. i'd be remiss if i didn't bring up. Rainbow Carrot Rock Your World.

hey guys. why'd it happen again. why'd the Yugioh Carrot and Company get in my head and completely fry my brain AGAIN!!!!!!!! ORANGE CARROT. PURPLE CARROT. YELLOW CARROT!!!!🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕🥕 YUGO ISNT EVEN MY TOP FAV BUT HE'S IN MY HEART AND IN OUR HOUSE FOREVER NOW. meanwhile i dont want. to talk about what yuri is doing to me. if i think too hard about this little purple freak i'll start going bonkers ballistic chewing my leg off. I like all the yuboys but he is especially. Gripping Me. La Cucaracha Loca. My shithead gay son.

dennis needs his own post he's just. a Lot. may very well be one of the funniest yugioh characters ever. Among Other Things. his dub VA's performance needs to be marked as culturally significant. AND THEY JUST KEPT BRINGING HIM BACK.

IN GENERAL, AS I WAS COMPLETELY EXPECTING, FUCKED UP AND EVIL DUEL ACADEMY REALLY DID ME IN I love you Fusion Dimension kids I love getting sick in the head thinking about card game child soldiers.My Actual favorite Arc-V character may just straight up be Sora..... I just like him a lot. He's got a really solid character arc, his deck rules, he's a little fucker AND an absolute real one. Just 10/10 little guy.

GOD WHAT EVEN IS MY TOP FIVE FAVORITES. UHHHH Okay Sora and Yuri for sure, and Declan, I love Declan. Yugo..... god. GOD IS THE FIFTH ONE DENNIS FOR REAL. I FEEL HIM IN MY BRAIN SO BAD. AAAAUUGHHHH (Runners Up: Yuya, Yuto, GONG MOTHERFUCKING STRONG!!!!!!, Rin my girl my badass mechanic girl IM ON MY WAY. I'LL THINK ABOUT YOU THAT HARD., Riley, Arc-V Aster unfortunately a Dana Guy ever. Why Is He Here. He Didnt Even Go to DA in GX. But all of this is subject to change in coming months as the entire cast continues to hit me with weapons. An honor and a privilege to induct these characters into my Blorbo Hall of Fame)

Favorite Duel: HEY QUICK QUESTION: WHY ARE ARC-V'S DUELS SO FUCKING WEIRD. LIKE. NARRATIVELY. There's like 4352984589 ties and duels that get cut short and DUELS WE JUST NEVER GET TO SEE THE FULL OUTCOME OF ON SCREEN?!?!? WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE. It feels like another symptom of arc-v just desperately trying to bite off more than it can chew 😭 Frustrating!! And god I LOVE the zaniness of Action Duels, but we neeeeeed to do something about Action Spells... GRABBING AN ACTION SPELL SHOULD NOT BE THE CRUTCH OF YOUR WHOLE DECK.........

coughs. anyway. My actual honest to god favorite Arc-V duel is Yugo vs. Celina in the Friendship Cup <3 IVE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE BUT IT'S JUST SUCH A FUN ONE. It's got some great character moments on both sides, a yugioh girl Getting to Be Cool, the colors are gorgeous, it's SO funny, I just get such a kick out of it....I think part of what I Do like about the Friendship Cup is it really shows this sense of kinetic energy that the WRGP in 5D's really needed. I also really like the Shay vs. Dennis Friendship Cup duel for just going completely off the rails. Blow Up This War Criminal and The Whole Stadium With the Giant Bird Satellite Cannon. DOES NOT GET MORE YUGIOH THAN THAT!!

for all its weirdness Arc-V has a LOT of really fun duels that i enjoy--Shay vs. Sora is beloved for a reason, it also goes hard as hell. So many Season 1 duels are just a goofy blast, I really need to rewatch the quiz show one. For as much of an unnecessary mess as those last 8 episodes are, I DO really like Yuya and Dennis's duel too (THAT GETS REALLY REALLY GAY AT THE END???!?!? ARE WE ALL SEEING THIS.)

Hell even the Zarc duel started making me kind of sick in the head--watching Yuya's friends passing around his pendulum necklace while trying to save him makes me turbo emo WHAT CAN I SAY!!!

Arc-V also has the thing I had with Zexal where there's just some individual episodes that are absolute bangers for me. i love the Prison Break episode, it's fucking INSANE. HIP HIPPO SAID FUCK COPS FUCK THE PRISON SYSTEM!!! I love the episode where Gong and Dennis duel. FOR HOW LONG IT DID DRAG SYNCHRO HAS SOME REALLY FUN ONE-OFF EPISODES which I just really enjoy. Also love when Zuzu and Sora beat the shit out of a pack of cops. Based for that for real.

i do also love Yuri and Yuya's duel. Of course.

Other Miscellaneous Gushing/Shrieking/Losing My Mind About Yugioh Arc-V For Good and Bad and Everything in Between: arc-v arc-veeeeee yugioh arc-fiveeee theres just so MUCH. TO TALK ABOUT. THIS ONE'S GONNA BE IN MY HEAD FOR EONS I FEAR. THINKING ABOUT THE EVERYTHING. The sheer amount of narrative traits that make me specifically lose my mind (in a good way. as opposed to. the babyfication making me lose my mind. in a Real Bad Way :////) that they crammed into this. It's like digging in the treasure chest of elaborate fanfics I was writing in my brain in freshman year of high school. The Sick and Twisted Evil AU Version of Duel Academy. The Trained to Be Weapons Child Soldiers. Mind Control Reanimated Corpse Brain Chip. Alternate Dimension Selves. All of the Split Different Dimension Bullshit. Soul Splitting and Soul Fusion Framed as Fucking Terrifying. It's good I didn't have Arc-V growing up it would have been doing IRREVERSIBLE THINGS TO MY DEVELOPING CREATIVE BRAIN. INSTEAD IT'S DOING THEM TO ME NOW.

(side note, re: terrifying soul fusion: Arc-V is SO FUCKING SCARY SOMETIMES?!?? Like "ohh i wish yugioh was still a horror story" DAWG ARC-V ROUTINELY HAS SOME OF THE MOST DREAD-INDUCING CONCEPTS GETTING FLUNG AT YOU AT 90 MPH. SKIP BOYLE FORGETS HIS DAUGHTER EXISTED AND IT'S ONE OF THE MOST HEARTBREAKINGLY HORRIFYING THINGS IVE EVER SEEEEENNNNN )

The shit Arc-V does with Yugioh's themes of identity, these "when does a piece of yourself stop being you and start being their own person?" "what happens when multiple free standing people are one person" type ideas, you KNOW that makes my Aporia Turbofan ass go CRAAAZYYYY. AND THEN IT HAD RELIGIOUS MOTIFS TOO <3333 YOU'RE ME AND IM YOU AND IT DOESNT MATTER WHO DOES WHAT THE DEVIL WILL COME BACK REGARDLESS 😊💞💞💞

Arc-V takes such bold swings at things and 95% of the time it misses the ball entirely and spins up and out and directly into the fireplace but that 5% of sheer genius and thematic weight hits like a truck. Is Arc-V good? FUCK IF I KNOW. PROBABLY NOT. BUT ALSO YES IT IS. BUT ALSO IT'S NOT. BUT ALSO IT'S SOMETHING SO SPECIAL, AND I LOVE IT. That first like 50 episodes makes for such a good yugioh starter course tbh, the way it goes over different summoning methods and is very engaging and energetic, and then the rest of the show is an 18 car pileup of Card Game War that makes me automatically like DONT. START WITH THIS ONE. WATCH ANOTHER YUGIOH OR TWO FIRST AND THEN COME MELT YOUR BRAIN IN HERE. AND THATS SUCH A WEIRD DICHOTOMY TO HAVE WITH ONE YUGIOH. weird like everything else with arc-v i suppose. :,)

For all the mess and all the madness there truly is so much I love, though. I love the character dynamics, even when the show isnt doing much more with its cast--Yuya and Gong's friendship may be one of my favorite 'yutag and best friend' bonds, it's SO sweet and I'm going to be mad forever that Gong isn't more popular in western ygo fandom. I love the DUEL MONSTERS!! Performapals are SOOOO sillygoofy I have to adore them, the dimensional dragons all kick so much ass I love you Clear Wing my big legless weirdo. I love Shay's increasingly bigger Bird Guns. I LOVE FRIGHTFURS!!!! I LOVE D/D/DS!!!!! SO HAPPY TO SEE THEM ON ESPECIALLY SCREEN AFTER PLAYING THEM FOR MONTHS IN DUEL LINKS. MY FREAKY DECLAN DEMONS. I love the miscellaneous callbacks to past iconic monsters and funky weird AU retrains of the Legacu character's decks. Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend my friend Scarlight Red Dragon Archfiend

I also do love that Arc-V in theory is trying very hard to be a celebration of past Yugiohs, but it's also instead being completely fucking insane with its 'tributes.' Oh you like Heartland City from Zexal? It's a carpetbombed warzone now! LIKE... HUH!!! When Lazar showed up at the end of season 2 i SCREAMED. I WANT TO KNOW THE LOGIC OF THESE CHOICES. THEY DONT MAKE ME MAD OR ANYTHING REALLY IM JUST FASCINATED BY THEM. i cant really be too angry at arc-v I'm just. transfixed. at every baffling choice it's ever made. I've really truly never seen a show that's so thoroughly felt like some kids doing a roleplay on a forum somewhere, players dropping in and out and mods not really knowing what to do with the lore anymore as things become more and more convoluted. I watch arc-v scenes and i can picture the text RP in my head, the players' forum signatures and all. It's truly some kind of feat to achieve that inherent vibe, that's for sure.

ok im running out of steam i think... what else. god. Yugioh Arc-V is just.... such a teetering Jenga tower of a show, a complete nuclear meltdown of clumsy writing and fantastic vocal performances (dub and sub) and confused handling of its own lore and occasionally some of the fucking coolest most intense expressions and gorgeous shots of any yugioh

I held out on watching it for so long cuz i just fuckin KNEW it was going to grab me by the brain and swing me into the wall and WELL!!! I WAS RIGHT!!!! SHES A MESS BUT SHES MY MESS BABEYYY!!! IS ARC-V GOOD? MAYBE NOT BUT, BROTHER, I FUCKIN LOVE WHEN YUGIOH IS BAD ❤ ive been a disciple of Bad Yugioh for 20 goddamn years and im not stopping now!!!!! I love you Pendulum summoning you insane busted ass mechanic. I love you all four completely fucked up dimensions. I love that they localized Maiami to Paradise City. I love the little nods to past yugioh things (like fusing with a motorcycle <3 Primo Moment...2!) I hate you Leo Akaba explode and die forever (though 'parent going mad trying to bring their child back' do also go me a little bananas.) I love the kickass shots of Yuya's monsters being set in the pendulum scale.I love Sora's relationship with Yuya and Zuzu. I love every fucked up crazyass expression Yuri makes. I love the sense of character design in this show. I love the Action Duel start chants. I love seeing the Synchro Math again and the Overlay Units and the deeply unsettling fusion hand gesture kids use with Polymerization. I love that third ED thats just the Lancers dicking around in different locations and having fun. I love Declan and Riley's complicated but deeply loving bond. I love when characters RIDE THEIR DUEL MONSTERS!!! AND I LOVE THAT DESPITE EVERYTHING I ALREADY WANNA SEE THESE CHARACTERS AGAIN. THEYRE MY FRIENDS!!!!! THEYRE IN MY BRAIN!!!!! MY KIDSSSSS

I KNOW NOW. WHY PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ARC-V LIKE THAT. AND IM ABOUT TO START TALKIN LIKE THAT TOO. YUGIOHHHHHH!!!!!

[queennai714]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH/pos

I FINALLY got around to watching the new Dragon's Rising clip and just- OMG

First, the entire lavashipping community has been FED

Like, every interaction those two had was just 🤌

PLUS, them being uncles to Arin and Sora!? WONDERFUL

Also- CHRONOSTEEL!?!? HELL YEAH

I mean, vengestone is cool and all, but the concept of chronosteel was so cool and had so much freaking potential that the og show(s) did absolutely nothing with, so THIS IS AWESOME TO SEE.

PLUS EVERYBODY SWITCHING PARTS AND USING EACHOTHER'S POWERS!?!? SO. COOL.

Lobbo is love, Lobbo is life, LOBBO ANGRY

The little rocky-fire dudes are back. Love to see them

"Here, take my legs," lol. Sounds like something out of the Lego Movie universe, but it is also so normal for Ninjago, considering we've had mechs since season 1

Fight choreography looking EXCELLENT per usual 👌 (Also Arin just kicking and climbing around like normal while everyone else is in mechs. KING 👑)

MECHANIC IS BACK 🎉🎉

Fire vs. Ice Dragon beam clashes>>>>>

SORA USING THE FIRE POWER IN THE LEGS OF KAI'S MECH TO FLY. LOVE THIS.

The fact that we only got little snippets of Kai using his fire power to fly like Iron Man before they learned Airjitzu will haunt me forever. Like, ITS SUCH A COOL IDEA. And was obviously useful every time we did get to see it. Plus, it was like the FIRST THING he did with his powers after getting them. Just- UGH (Sorry, siderant over)

Love the new suits, too.

Overall, it was just 🤩🤩🤩

I'm so FREAKING excited dude, like IM VIBRATING-

[leynaeithnea]

Me ? Taking notes again to write this ask? You guessed it.

The ocean saga is 100% my favourite saga so I'm going to be insane about this actually.

12.Aeolus is literally perfect I'm obsessed with her and her little banter with Ody " let's play a game/ a game? / That's what I'm serving " YES MA'AM YOU ARE CERTAINLY SERVING. Again at this point we agree on everything because the part where Odysseus tries to stay awake has kept me awake for days , he is so pathetic he's hallucinating his family and he loves them so much and everything has changed BUT HE'S THE SAME YES HE'S THE SAAAME ( instant tears)

" They were within sight, his mom could have seen the ship" fatal blow , currently chocking on my blood and my tears.

Also yes , Poseidon's voice is majestic, after ruthlessness came out I was singing it so much my brother and sister had memorized it ( they don't even know English lol )

13.The chorus of po-sei-don is glorious and I sing it every single time very drammatically 'cause HOW COULD I NOT??? Again, agree with everything you said, this whole entire song makes me feral, Poseidon is so bitchy and mean and pissed and sarcastic I ADORE IT and whenever I sing it I make Ody's little "No" so defeated and terrified and "we're so fucked " because they so areeeee

You are the worst kind of good- moment lives in my mind rent free I also did some lettering for it because I HAD to get it out of my head somehow ( I failed , it's stuck on repeat in my brain )

" But noOoOo" is so iconic I can't put it into words I love Poseidon jansnsnns

First time I listened to ruthlessness the callback to just a man brought me to my knees Jorge is a criminal how does he get away with causing such pain to me specifically ??? We'll never know

Aaaand the callback to the convo with Polyphemus " I am your darkest moment " FLOORS ME EVERY TIME SIR WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOUR ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES THAT HAUNT YOU IN THE FORM OF THE GOD OF THE SEA , WHAT DO YOU MEAN MERCY HAS A PRICE ( this whole thing about "you could have avoided all this had you just killed my son" brings me back to hours spent studying the Iliad for school and learning that in those books the idea was that you had to die a glorious death if you wanted to be remembered and live forever with honor in the stories that will be told about you. Being spared in combat and living after that is not living at all, becase you're now a disgrace and everyone will know you failed to be a hero ) ( but I don't know if this whole "moral code" applies to monsters like Polyphemus) ( living with the shame that some random puny Greeks overtook you must generally suck either way though)

also the part where Ody's desperately bargaining "Poseidon we meant to harm we only hurt him to disarm him PLEASE PLEASE UNDERSTAND please we took no pleasure in his pain we are at your mercy right now we can't do anything this is all up to you I can't do anything else for my crew other than try to make you understand we only wanted to escape PLEASE we are in your domain now we can't escape the literal sea PLEASE SHOW US THE MERCY WE SHOWED YOUR SON" and this whole part is quieter and gentler than the rest of the song,it's a plea, a small little desperate string of hope that maybe he'll understand, then a beat of silence and then DIE YOU'RE NAIVE AND HOPELESS DIE AKKSKDJSNNS

I may have gone a little insane with this one lol

As always no pressure but I eagerly await your take on the other sagas :))

( love for you and your friend that you acted out the whole musical , it seems neat and I think it would fix me hahah )

HEYO man theres one artwork of "im the same yes im the same" that im obssessed with, its sooo good

the idea was that you had to die a glorious death if you wanted to be remembered

All the men who died drowning + elpenor ------- :) :) :) yw

Despite it being an unpopular opinion Circe might actually be my least favorite saga so far,....probably because they werent as angsty as any of the other so far......i think theres a pattern here....anyway, its still GREAT so lets start 14. Puppeteer ODY REFUSING TO LISTEN TO EURY, I WONDER??? maybe he guesses???? MAYBE HE KNOWS? that it was Eury who opened the bag but he isn't ready to hear it yet???? the instrumentals in that is soo good tho, ALSO "a woman" "....what"

circes voice do be beautiful

and the storytelling of eury recalling the story while circes part is kind of a flashback like, is reallyyy nice

Also Ody being straight up ready to save his men help, that's only 8 songs or so before Syclla :")

15. Wouldn't you like

I knowwww why people are so hype about it, but admittedly it doesn't hit that hard for me. it's a good song! just not my favorites

but "someone who's not afraid to...send a message" is a sneaky way to make it obv who it is, very "high on shrooms" feels, and Odysseus singing the "OooooOoooOOOooOooH"s towards the end are reallyyy goodddd and the "dont thank me you very well may die"....perfect characterization of hermes, loved 16. Done For

Ody trying to sneak his way in like "did you do smth to them?" (knows 100% that she did) "you turned them into pigs" ODY YOURE SUCH A SLEEK---- SO OKAY WE ACTED THIS OUT RIGHT? WITH MY FRIEND? HAVING MY FRIEND BE CIRCE PLS??? OMG ....attractive mayhaps ody trying to lie about being a god "hermes gave it do you, didnt he?" ".....fine, yes, but- " ODY SIEGSE ~love lying characters, like, Neil, Ody, yeah...yeah Also circe going right into lust and Ody being like "??? wdym" (think sabout penelope) 17. There are other ways "BUuT itS been 12 LonG yeEArs" JORGE JORGE__--SLEGOSEJG lmaoosegseigjseg jk beautiful falcetto (high voice) of Jorge very seductive song, beautiful the reprise of just a man again.....but he refuses! good on you ody, bc otherwise you wouldve been dead, also THE DROP when Circe talks about the Underworld, esp with the distorted choir so cool, theres some animatics that portrayed those really neat too, might ramble about the animatics some other time also Circes last note(s) in the song are SO GOOODDDDD such vocal control

[the-after-eight]

Happy New Year !

I didn't show the watercolored verison yet, it took me a few more hours. I'm hapy about how it turned out ! All these characters that I played this year did a few things that are worth detailing, although I did mention it quickly on the uncolored version.

I added their names for those who aren't familiar with them yet ! They all have a dedicated blog with info about them, other artworks and their story !

P'tit Louis' shirt is a reference to the last scenario of his campaign, and the writting in the green pin is a phrase that Paul (one of his companions) said at a very important moment and it was hilarious. The pink pin is a joke from the last scenario we played in Nephilim this year (a French pun). I will also explain why he has a gold ring. I added his fangs, a new metamorphosis he gained at the end of the campaign. @ptit-louis

Tony is very happy, he's holding a lemur's tail, a reference to Keric le Zemmur, an ennemy he killed (and probably traumatized, Keric is certainly in hell, haunted forever by the Sram's grim smile, the last vision he had in his life, and the phrase "I told you that your soul would never have peace"). He is proud ! Also, the villain's name is a pun regarding a French politician. @tony-redrum

Noria is just chilling with her pet frog, Sergent Uc!, she started Hogwards school this year and is delighted to discover that magicx is real, she has so many things to discover ! @noria-helveticus

Lorelei looks chill here, I actually created her design for this drawing, so I'm happy. She started her campaign, the Ennemi Within, and due to her cult, she must keep herself serious. But open your eyes, the short priestress of Morr holds her flail, a weapon that has already proven her skill as a warrior. @lorelei-versengold

Morrigan is just happy, she's just naturally optimistic ! He played 3 scenarios this year already, although he suffered a lot already. She has a good heart, and fighting demon isn't always easy. @morrigan-sahar

Sal'aäd is on vacation. He finally got out of a dungeon, and honestly, it didn't go well for him. Just look in his eyes... He's dead inside. He did get a souvenir from the dungeon though. @salaad-dronnoc

Adélaïde finally began her campaign with my main group... As an NPC, since I'm the DM. SHe put her deer skull down, it's a bit heavy after all ! Although she still wears other smaller skulls in her hair, weird fetish. She's summonning small bbutterfly illusions, they are quite pretty after all. @adelaide-lanshasaa

As for Captain Glucose and his sidekick... They played two one-shots, one where they acquired their new costumes for Scarlet Scarf (Oh, spoiler... Sorry), and the second one where they finally took care of a very sus dude from scenario 3, MLP (Mother Lifting Po*n... Yes, that was his nickname. You see the sus part now ?). They did well on both, although they were quite easy... Our GM is preparing a capaign for them called "No More Heores" and I'm terrifyed. @captain-glucose @captain-glucose-sidekick

[slapplebees]

This Is Me Throwing Up: A Shitfucked Dissertation on Matt Demon, UPS, and the Detrimental Effects of What I Now Call Canon

I am on Mr. Bones' Wild Ride, the Isekai of a Lifetime, and I am pulling over on the side and spilling my guts, which is to say I am writing this for you to understand what I am going through.

As per your dissertation, your gunshot through my chest if you will, I gathered the following big boy major points:

1) Matt's previous lives haunt the narrative. It's the death symbol, it's the propaganda machine, it's the Came Back Wrong, it's causing the kitsunes (Louis included) a lot of distress.

2) Matt is a people pleaser and has to act totally normal to lessen their worry. He lives a lie, acting for his LIFE and feeling trapped in it.

3) Dan is his salvation. It is through Dan that Matt is able to find joy in acting and be himself. He also finds a familiarity in Dan, for he sees that Dan is running away from something and finding solace in his art. Matt falls in love.

Sick wonderful awesome, tasty spicy finger-lickin, I wanted to put screenshots but the bitches got blurry. We trudge forward.

Ok, so Matt is a big major liar because of the people around him. Totally their fault, and his personality is a product of him fitting his personhood to their wants. The only exception to this rule is Dan, but what happens when he stops being that exception?

Here's where "post-Chapter 3 isn't real" comes in. Or rather, you can split the narrative or the timeline in two and have the dividing line be the ending of Chapter 3. You can divide the narrative between what I now call Canon and whatever comes after, the forever epilogue, the fix-it, the Rest of It.

Pre-Ch3 and the most relevant things that lead up to it (TGD / Mafia / the 1980s???) are the Canon that gets wrapped up kind of neatly in Chapter 3. Mafia Matt's death, Olive Garden (minus Olive)'s final confrontation/s (Ch2, Basement) with that monster that killed Olive, Dan's first comeuppance, the multiple Earth Gang therapy arcs, the aftermath and resolution of the Bunny Boys' drama all happen on or before Ch3.

Post-Ch3 has many arcs that are important (and fun and really good don't get me wrong) but are noticeably a different flavor to pre-Ch3. Matt's final life, the Beach Arc, Dan's Death Loop, Atty. Louis and the Reformed Tamers arc, The ENTIRE Revolution, UPS, Downs Canon and Candy Crush Canon, and of course ARMAGEDDON.

(Also, not in the list above is the assumed eternal Slice of Life story of the Earth Gang because they are allowed to exist and have basically no drama post-Ch3.

I have nowhere else to put it but here, BUT I think their storyline stops being written and has a whole different vibe, because the "story" is just the Rest of their Lives. Someday it will end, the humans will age, and I will NEVER be able to confront that. So their story does not exist and I am not looking at it, nosiree-)

So, these arcs post-Ch3 are the extension of Ch3. I think we MAYBE told a perfectly good story throughout Canon, like if we made a show, we could end it at Ch3 and have a solid fuckin show.

Post-Ch3 is like the really well-written fix-it fan fiction that follows (/pos!!!). Except it's by us, and it's everything we could ever want, and it's why we can end the world and lose our minds and feel happy and have all the pairings and KILL people and REALLY let lose.

A lot of post-Ch3 is like a whole new thing on its own I feel, and a lot of it isn't set in stone and it has no timestamps on the timeline and has a brainrot headcanonny feel because that's exactly what it is. I say this out of love: post-Ch3 is us looking at Canon, the thing we've made and we start thinking long and hard about the implications.

Back to Matt.

The Matt you talked about in your fucked up little dissertation is a product of the Canon. The Matt who is haunted by himself, the Matt who plays a character as an escape, the Matt who was born for the stage and lives for the stage and loved Dan because of the freedom Dan allowed Matt, which seemed to stem from Dan's understanding of what Matt was going through.

Dan was a breath of fresh air to Matt because he never brought up Matt's past lives.

In the Renaissance, Dan is first confronted with Matt's amnesia and the idea that he isn't who he was in his past life, and Dan inadvertedly does the kindest thing he possibly could. Dan is distraught for the duration of their initial bar conversation, before he decides to move on and write a new play. He buries the OSHA script (for a whole host of reasons), then shifts his focus to protecting the Matt he has in front of him, rather than digging up the previous Matt from his fucking grave and making him do a little dance.

As a result, it's their longest life together. For a minute there, it's the happiest either of them ever are. And then it ends, Matt dies, and what does Dan IMMEDIATELY follow it up with?

The Mafia Era. Without knowing it, Dan not only brings up Matt's past life, but the piece of shit does a whole revenge plot about it.

It's really funny whenever we talk about how Mafia Dan alludes to the Renaissance as if they both remember it, but with the knowledge that Matt believed Dan was special and loved him and felt safe with him because He Never Did That, it's suddenly a change in the script that chills Matt to his fucking bones.

Imagine their initial meeting. It starts off small with Dan chatting up Matt in the bar, courting him with this fucked up drug plan, telling him to quit his job and join his emo band (drug empire). Dan acts like they knew each other, something Matt is familiar with considering everyone in his theatre group did the same, recognizing him for his past self's Oscar wins, acting like they know him, and making him retreat to his stupid acting defense mechanism he learned in kitsune college. However, Dan of all people doing this to him feels wrong, but Matt has this inkling that it will pass. That he can trust Dan to drop it eventually and treat him like a normal person.

Imagine the safety of the kitchen. When Dan (as expected) forgot about his anger for a moment because Matt was in his home again, cooking with him again, as if the world outside Dan's home did not exist. It was the escapism of the stage, but there was no audience. Dan and Matt were free, yet they were not performing for anyone. Matt was content and happy, safe enough to tell Dan he wants this (the kitchen, the co-existence, the intimacy) for them forever.

Imagine the switch-up, when Dan remembers his fucking revenge plot. Imagine Matt wondering what the hell he did wrong, throwing anything at all at Dan to be allowed into his home again, and Dan outright refusing to because he's fucking petty. It's acting all over again, it's Matt trying to do what he does best, attune his personality to whatever the other person wants to make them feel comfortable with him. Acting to make them less disgusted with him. Acting in a way that makes them stop Looking At Him Like That. But Dan doesn't budge. He responds to nothing that Matt does and Matt has no idea what to do or how to act. He's acting because it's all he knows how to do, but this time he doesn't have the script.

Dan used to give him that script. Write Matt his plays and give him a role he can breathe in. Do that thing that Matt loves him for. But Dan's left that life behind. He is still running away from something (running from his brother, the Renaissance; awfully running from, Matt ), and Matt can SEE that, but he's doing it with THIS. This isn't art. It's malice, it's violence, it's becoming that bloodstreaked little thing Dan disappears into when he plays Mafia Dan, in which his words aren't his own and his steps are clumsier than they should be, unrehearsed and unfamiliar. Because he's fucking lying.

This isn't the honest, true Dan who Matt fell in love with in a life (in lives) he does not remember. And yet he is. He is the same Dan, in the way he walks in front of Matt during their raids of rival groups in the black market. He's the same Dan in the way he protects Matt by instinct alone. Matt can see the way Dan does not hesitate, his body and mind agreeing on something for once, suddenly gaining a practiced precision they did not previously have. But so what? It's wrong. Dan's tapping into old habits, the habit of keeping Matt alive, something he learned in the Renaissance, their happiest days, only to crush him. Only for the satisfaction of pushing Matt to the brink, of killing Matt himself.

Can you imagine the betrayal? Imagine the immense confusion Matt felt holding Dan's body as it went cold, as he muttered so much fucking NOTHING into Matt's ear, talking about things Matt doesn't remember. At this point, I don't know what he says. Neither does Matt. Dan could've said, "I've won," "I'm sorry," "where did you go?" and Matt wouldn't understand a single word. Because what the fuck is he talking about? Who the fuck is he talking to? Because it isn't Matt. It isn't anyone Matt identifies with, it isn't a person Matt knows how to be. And it fucking sucks, it fucking hurts how Matt can feel Dan trying to stay awake to get it all out, talk honestly for once in this life, and Matt can't respond. Dan kept him in the dark, in the same way everyone else made him feel, and Matt has no idea who he's holding anymore because he's become just like everyone else. And yet, he doesn't know why it hurts to lose Dan, and he doesn't know why he's grieving this fucking asshole.

But his soul knows.

His cursed kitsune soul still Loves Dan, still Loves the fading thing in his arms, and his soul knows that the person Matt Loved (the person he is anchored to) is dead.

You know when Louis went through something similar? When Louis realized the Matt he Loved is dead? And he broke up with him and broke his bond to him and fell ill for like a week?

Is that what Matt went through? When he lost the safety he found in Mafia Dan, maybe he felt something break in him and he felt himself get sick. Except Matt was a drug lord, so he had access to his awful fucking Demon drugs. So, he tried to self-medicate, and it made everything worse, and a long time passed,

enough time that Dan made his way back to him, carefree as ever, mostly healed, sure of himself again,

and Dan looked at Matt across the basement, with this blank expression as if he's burying something, weighing his options,

and then, Dan smiled at him like they didn't know each other.

And Matt feels a tug in his heart because it felt right. Dan felt familiar again. Matt could feel the anchor between their souls mending.

But Matt didn't fucking trust him anymore.

Matt kills Dan in the basement to silence his own stupid heart. He refuses to hope that they can be together again. He refuses to give Dan the chance to one day hurt him in a way Matt can't describe, to hurt him in a manner only possible if he knew Matt in a previous life and used that knowledge maliciously.

Because holy fuck it's terrifying when other people know something you don't. Matt feels terrified that the kitsunes, Louis, and Dan know him better than he does. It's something Matt has grappled with his entire existence. When he stops broadcasting to the world that he's lost his memories haha, he's pretending that he isn't vulnerable.

Matt has a blind spot, and it's his past life. It's a blind spot anyone can take advantage of. Matt knows anyone could lie to him; they could say they knew Matt in his old life and do whatever they want to hurt him and Matt fears this is the case for everyone he encounters.

Louis knew Matt for all his past lives, down to his very first one. If Louis was a little less kind, he could tell Matt they were friends in his old life, and that he saved Matt's life. He could have trapped Matt to Love him by making Matt feel indebted to him. It's not like Matt could refute his claims. And yet, Louis was kind, and did not pressure Matt into anything he didn't want.

If Jack and Benjy were a little less kind, they could arrest Matt on the spot the second he arrives at the beach. They could lie and pin any crime they wanted on him because they know he's the Tamer Boss, they could have the one of the greatest criminals in Hell's history in custody and he (Matt) would have no idea how to defend himself in court. But they were kind, and called a lawyer to consult with them on his case. Hell, they didn't even arrest Dan.

Even so, Matt can't simply believe in the kindness of the people around him. Not everyone is going to be like Louis or Jack or Benjy, and it really stings that Dan was the one who proved that.

From Matt's perspective, Dan was his greatest fear. Dan clearly knew him from a previous life, with the way Dan treated Matt and spoke to him in the bar. While everyone else who knew Renaissance Matt (his theatre company, the kitsunes) were all just a bit annoying (asking him for an autograph, asking him what happened between him and his previous director, looking at him sadly from across the room or like you said chatting him up as if he didn't have amnesia), Dan was Out To Get Him. Matt just barely got out of that unscathed, but when he sees Dan in the basement, acting like everything he did in the Mafia Era didn't happen? It raises alarm bells in Matt's head.

This is exactly what Matt wanted from Dan. Maybe Dan knows this. Maybe he's trying to earn Matt's trust. Maybe he's manipulating Matt. Maybe this is what he wants. Maybe he's going to do it all over again.

I have to fucking kill him.

And Matt dies.

And he forgets.

(And here is where I initially began my dissertation,)

And when he returns, the story is a little different.

It's post-Ch3 or post-Canon, and the world that molded Matt into the recluse theatre kid he used to be, has been slowly changing since the early 70s. The kitsunes in the college ask Matt about Louis, Dan has long since retired from producing plays, Louis is a lawyer and boss of the Demon Tamers, and revolution is brewing.

And Matt remakes himself.

Because when Matt respawns in the college, the kitsunes ask him about Louis instead of giving him an unhealthy dose of Came Back Wrong Syndrome.

Because when Matt meets Dan, who has long since retired from producing plays, he's avoiding Matt's gaze and walking into the sea. (And, Matt feels a tug in his heart when he sees that orange piece of shit go.)

Because when Matt meets Louis, who has loved Matt for basically all of his life, he's a lawyer and the guy Matt was looking for, and they date and He breaks things off with Matt.

Because when Matt meets Jack and Benjy, who have been trying to catch Matt since Ch3, they don't fucking arrest Matt on the urging of Atty. Louis, thereby releasing Matt from the legal repercussions of his previous life.

Because Mafia Matt still haunts the narrative. Dan is scared to death by him, Louis loved him, Jack Daniels wanted to catch him, but one by one each of those people let that go.

Matt is free, and as the single lucky person who does not remember the dreadful Canon, he is able to simply exist.

Yes, everything comes back to him eventually. At the end of the end of the world, he remembers everything Dan did to him, all the time he spent lying, all the millennia Louis was at his side.

But in that moment, by virtue of remembering everything, he knows himself fully, and his fear is abated. His blind spot dissolves, and he is able to confront his whole self.

Also, it super helps he has a psych degree at this point, like major plus points, big ups, that thing saves his life and helps him be ready to understand who he is ok bye happy 2024 @schmoft <333333

[vannahfanfics]

Good tidings to you! I'd like to request a fluff alphabet for Zoro, if you please!

Of course, hun! Thank you so much for your Ko-Fi donation; it was mighty kind of you! I hope you enjoy this fluff alphabet~!

Fluff Alphabet: Zoro

A-   Activities: How do they spend their time with their s/o?

We all know how much Zoro loves to snooze, so you can bet that he loves taking naps with his s/o! There’s nothing better to him than finding a nice spot on the deck or within the ship to snuggle up with his beloved and catch some good Z’s. A lot of times he will actually try to stay awake instead of falling asleep right away, though, because he wants to enjoy his cuddle time! Plus, he thinks his partner is so cute when they’re dozing. When they are awake, Zoro also loves to train with his partner! It doesn’t matter how intense his partner is athletically; even if they are just in the same space honing their respective crafts, it really makes him happy. And getting to see his s/o all sweaty and breathless after a workout? That’s hot to him, LOL. 

B- Body: What does this character appreciate about their s/o? What part of their body are they most proud of, and in reverse, what body part are they ashamed of and how do they respond to their s/o gushing over it?

Zoro is an ass man; sorry, I don’t make the rules. He is gonna grab his s/o’s booty at every available opportunity. He just can’t help himself; I mean, it’s right there, just ripe for the taking, and the man has got to cop a feel! He’s also fond of his partner’s tummy, though; he loves to lay his head there when he’s dozing-- bonus points if his s/o gives him head scritches. That is a one-way ticket to a happy Zoro. 

As for himself, Zoro is very proud of his scars, ironically. They’re proof that he’s survived and overcome obstacles as a swordsman. He loves when his s/o traces his scars, or, when things are getting a little steamy, kisses along the patterns criss-crossing his body. He’s proud of his muscles, too, and loves when his s/o compliments them. He definitely flexes for his partner; he loves to get them all hot and bothered, LOL. 

C- Cuddles: Is this character a cuddler? What is their favorite way to cuddle?

Zoro loves to cuddle, mostly because he loves to nap. There is no better sleep to him than when his s/o is snuggled up against him. He likes to spoon his partner (this man is not the little spoon, no way, no how), but he also likes to sleep on his partner’s lap or tummy while they play with his hair and massage/scratch his head. 

D- Dreams: How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Zoro pretty much doesn’t think about much besides becoming the world’s greatest swordsman and helping Luffy achieve the title of Pirate King before his s/o comes along. After that, however, he begins to consider what happens next. After sailing for a while, he’ll entertain the idea of settling down and starting a dojo like his master, or maybe even returning to the old man and asking to take over one day. It’s not something he thinks about a whole lot, but he does, on occasion. Really, he just wants his partner to be happy, and will go along with their plans for their future. 

E- Equivalence: Is this character the dominant force in the relationship, are they passive, or is the relationship more or less even?

Zoro’s a pretty stubborn guy, but in a relationship, he’s actually kind of chill. He doesn’t mind not making decisions and will go along with his s/o’s flow. He just doesn’t see the point in trying to control of dominate aspects of his s/o’s life; they’re a person with their own free will, after all. As long as he can get his cuddles, he’s honestly good! 

F- Fights: How does this character respond to arguments with their s/o? What would they fight about, and who would cave and apologize first?

We all know most of the Straw Hat Crew share a single brain cell and most of the time, bless his heart, Zoro does not have it. He will get so confused when his partner is mad at him. He will have no idea what set them off, and that will frustrate him, so he’ll lash out in retaliation. Before the fight can escalate too much, he’ll stomp off to go nurse his feelings with some sake. It bothers him, though, knowing that his s/o’s feelings are hurt and probably because he did something stupid... so he’ll go to Nami or Robin for advice. Once they finally get his brain to click, he’ll go back to his s/o to apologize and talk things out. So, even though fights may occur often, normally they work out well when he finally puts two and two together. 

G- Gratitude: How does this character show their s/o that they are grateful?

Zoro is pretty low-key with his affection. To show his gratitude, he normally snuggles up to his partner and lavishes them in physical affection. It’s his main way to express his feelings, and he isn’t smart when it comes to gift-giving, nor is he eloquent with his words. His partner will have to recognize that this is how he is trying to express how he feels!

H- Honeymoon: If this character had a honeymoon with their s/o, where would they go?

Again, Zoro has no real preference with these things. In fact, he probably doesn’t even know what a honeymoon is. After his s/o explains it, however, and he realizes how important it is to them, Zoro is on board. He will probably let his partner choose the destination and activities; he righteously doesn’t care where they go. He just wants to spend time with them and make sure that they are having a good time. 

I- Insecurity: What is this character insecure about? How do they deal with their insecurities with their s/o?

Zoro is very much still haunted by Kuina’s death. It frustrates him that he was never able to best her, and he still carries a sense of guilt for her death, though it was a tragic accident. It’s not something he’ll bring up to his s/o very easily, because it’s not something he wants to talk about, but eventually after his s/o catches him brooding on it enough times, he’ll divulge the full story. He’ll probably tear up a bit, so his s/o will need to comfort him. 

J- Jealousy: Is this character the jealous type? How do they deal with being jealous?

Zoro is 100% confident in himself as a man and so he does not get jealous, lmao. Again, he doesn’t really have much desire to have his s/o on a leash. In fact, watching his s/o flirt and play coy with others is amusing to him, because it makes him oh so satisfied knowing that they are still going home with him that night. If he realizes his s/o is actively trying to get him jealous to have some fun, he’ll play along, but never for a moment does he actually doubt his s/o or their intentions. It’s honestly sweet, how much trust he has in them. 

K- Kiss: What does the character want their first kiss to be like with their s/o? How does it end up happening?

Again, this man? No brain cells. He’s just cruising, having a good time, and doesn’t even think about a kiss. His s/o will actually have to be the one to plant one on him the first time, because this poor guy is just like, “This is going well. Nice. Look at me go. I bet the Ero-Cook is so jealous.” Bless his heart, the poor, stupid thing. After the first time, though, he picks up on it and will take care to initiate PDA so his s/o doesn’t feel unwanted or undesirable. 

L- Love Confession: How does this character first profess their love to their s/o?

Once again, this man is as dense as a brick wall. He will not even realize that he caught feelings for someone; he just vibes, thinking that it’s just an aspect of their friendship. His s/o is going to have to be the one to confess, and then it will finally click in his head that the things he feels go beyond friendship, and then he will be like, “Oh. Yeah, I like you too, let’s go out.” It’s almost infuriating, because it can lead to a drawn-out mutual pining situation except Zoro doesn’t realize that he’s pining. Nami, please, give him the brain cell. 

M- Marriage: How does this character view marriage? What is their ideal wedding like?

Zoro doesn’t think much about marriage, just like his thoughts on his future with his s/o-- but when they bring it up, he isn’t opposed. Rather than a fancy proposal, it will probably be a mutual decision between himself and his partner. They will go with him to pick out the ring and there won’t be a big affair, just “Hey! We’re gonna get married!” If his s/o really wants the whole shabang, though, he’ll have Nami and Usopp help him put something together. Again, he doesn’t care, but if his s/o does, he want’s them to be happy. 

As for the wedding, again, he leaves all of that up to his s/o. The furthest his mind goes is imagining them in their wedding attire, and that makes him a little excited, the idea that they’ll be joined forever in love. 

N- Nicknames: What does this character like to call their s/o?

Zoro’s not really that into pet names. One might hear an occasional “babe” or a demeaning “sweetheart” or “sweetcheeks,” but he thinks it’s more intimate to call his s/o by their name. 

O- On Cloud Nine: What is this character like when they’re in love? Is it obvious to others, or are they good at hiding it?

Like I said, this fool is oblivious himself that he’s in love. Others might notice if they are astute because he spends a lot of time with the object of his affections, does things for them without complaining, and is protective over them. Other than that, it really isn’t that obvious.

P- PDA: Does this character like PDA? If so, what kinds of things do they do in public to show off their s/o?

Zoro does like PDA, especially if his partner is easily flusterable, because he thinks it’s cute. Throwing his arm around their shoulders or waist or sitting them on his lap are his personal favorites (and the aforementioned ass grabs). But if his s/o is also a fan of PDA, he’ll return any kisses, hugs, or hand-holds they initiate too, because he ain’t gonna say no to an excuse to touch his s./o! 

Q- Quirks: What random traits or quirks does this character have that positively affect the relationship?

Zoro has a habit of picking up random things he thinks his s/o will like. “Hey, I saw this flower and thought you might like it, here you go.” He totally doesn’t think anything of it, he just acted on a whim, but he does enjoy how happy his s/o gets about it-- so sometimes he goes out looking for stuff on purpose. He usually gets lost, of course, and someone has to go find him. 

R- Romance: Is this character a hopeless romantic, or a bit on the low-key side? Are they cliché when it comes to romantic gestures, or can they get a little bit creative?

As I’ve alluded, Zoro’s pretty lowkey in relationships. He’s not really prone to grand gestures, and just acts on whims rather than putting a lot of thought into his gestures. Occasionally, he will seek Nami and Robin out for advice to make sure he isn’t getting too boring or repetitive for his s/o, but mostly, he just does whatever comes to his mind. 

S- Secrets: Are there any secrets they hide from their s/o? If so, how do they deal with it when those secrets finally come out?

Besides his past with Kuina, Zoro doesn’t really have anything to hide from his s/o. He believes in honesty in relationships and just in general, so he won’t have any secrets. 

T- Thrill: Does this character prefer routine in their relationship, or do they like to shake things up every once in a while?

Zoro doesn’t even really think about it! Again, he just does whatever comes to mind. Sometimes there are spells of doing basically the same things every day, and then all of a sudden he’ll up and surprise his s/o with a random compliment or gift to keep it a little exciting. 

U- Understanding: Is this character level-headed and empathetic toward their partner, or do they sometimes have trouble figuring them out, which leads to some butting heads?

Zoro, bless his heart, will take a long time to learn how his partner really ticks. It’s just a little hard for him to learn how they think, so they will butt heads sometimes and have disagreements. He does try to be empathetic, it just doesn’t work out like he wants it to sometimes. 

V- Value: How does this character value their relationship with their s/o? How does it hold in comparison to their goals, ambitions, etc.?

Zoro does hold his relationship in pretty high regard, but his ultimate goals are making Luffy Pirate King and becoming a master swordsman. If his s/o does not support those goals, or if he has to choose between them, he’ll probably choose his goals. That isn’t to say he won’t make an effort to have both, though. 

W- Wild Card: Any random fluff headcanon that does not fall within the other categories!

Zoro talks in his sleep and it’s adorable. Sometimes his true feelings come out in his sleep, so he’ll babble on and on about how much he adores his s/o. It’s so cute, but he will deny it until he’s blue in the face despite the fact that everybody has heard him do it. 

X- XOXO: How does this character show affection?

As I’ve mentioned, Zoro’s primary love language is “physical affection.” He’s not great with words or gifts, so he primarily speaks through his actions. “Acts of service” is also in his repertoire, though; he doesn’t mind doing things for his s/o, and will often initiate without them even asking. 

Y- Yearning: How does this character deal with time apart with their s/o?

Oh, boy. He gets so pouty and grumpy. He doesn’t sleep as well when his s/o isn’t there, so he gets tired and oh-so-irritated. He is absolutely miserable to be around, and he and Sanji get into so many fights because he’s being a dick. He drinks a lot more, too, and is mad about the fact his alcohol tolerance is too high to drink himself into a stupor. As soon as his s/o returns, he is dragging them off for a much-needed nap. 

Z- Zeal: Is this character willing to great lengths for their relationship? If so, how far, and how long does it take to get to this point?

Although I said Zoro is more likely to choose his goals over his s/o, he still will go to great lengths for his s/o. He has faith in their capabilities, but if he gets even an inkling that they may need help, he goes charging off. It doesn’t really take Zoro that long to reach this point, either, as he becomes somewhat dependent on their presence quite soon. 

[thesalvationofdoriangray]

Beautiful Lady with Colorful Eyes

Writing to Vandu-Myth of Ryujin

Innocence by prodigy Akiane Kramarik

I was driving through Milmont today. Windows down, arm out, and basking in God's golden beams of sunshine for my daily dose of vitamin D. Music boom bappin so loud it'd rattle your spine and googley your eyes. The type of music with bass that sets you in red alert mode but lulls me into sweet slumber every night. I was feeling like a million with a new high fade and some spiffy shades I just recently purchased. On the sidewalk, I saw this 60 yr old vietnamese lady with barely enough strength to push her cart. I mean the sidewalk was flat ground but she made it look like she was pushing a stone boulder up the nooks and crannies of a muddy hill. Sadly she reminded me of the Hunch back of Notre Dame. I am convinced she had severe scoliosis not from old age but a life of harrowing labor, inescapable suffering, and no home to call her own. She had a scrap of cloth with slashes and stains wrapped loosely around her head. Weathered in appearance, she reminded me of Chinese farmers in extremely impoverished regions of mainland China. So many people treat the homeless like they're invisible. They're treated like vagabond ghosts absent of a soul and undeserving of human affection. Everything inside her cart was organized by aluminum cans, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles and all her belongings were in tattered handbags barely held together at the seams. The wheels of her cart needed some WD-40 spray because they were not only unaligned but didn't have much spin left in them. It was so full and about to overflow that it reminded me of Mt Vesuvius on the verge of eruption. I can't! I hit the brakes and come to a screeching halt. Parked nearly in the middle of the road, I turn on my emergency light and check my person for money. I know a drug addict when I see one, this was not the case. All I had was 1 POS dollar!? I then remembered I have a fat stash of only quarters I been stocking up in a hidden compartment on the left side beneath my steering wheel. I run across the road to put what I had in her hands. I put on my most delighted smile and greet her warmly. "Hi, how are you? Here is some money for you." She looked up at me and we lock eyes. There was so much pain in her stare it terrifed me. There was still light in her colorful irises but it was dwindling to the point of being extinguished. I became excruciatingly weak at the knees and felt monarch butterflies in my stomach. I am someone who thinks at light speed with a galaxy of thoughts but in that moment I was speechless. A momentary useless airhead. I put my hand on the bumps of her breaking back. "I...I... I hope everything goes well for you..." I drove off like I had supposedly done something great. I am not by any means a materialistic person but here I am rocking a 16 dollar haircut and new stunna shades while I give this lady with the face of our suffering Messiah the scraps of my leftovers from my dining room floor. Do you want to know what really hurts me? In my heart, I have an eternal treasure that does not rust, which moths cannot destroy, and thieves cannot steal and yet I DIDN'T EVEN MENTION GOD OR JESUS. I felt deep contrition for my mistake and haunting compassion for this beautiful human being. On the way to Walmart, I cried not a tear or two but like rivers overflowing. I pulled over and sobbed and lamented as if someone had died. If I ever see her, I'm taking her to the bank or atleast for a meal. Here I am making thousands in stock and I gave this lady with the face of our Messiah some rusty ass pennies. Have I not read about the parable of the widow's tithe at the temple?

And Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Beautiful lady with colorful eyes, I wish I asked you of your name. Beautiful lady with colorful eyes, I wish I took the time to listen to your story. Tonight, I pray for you...

Heavenly Father,

Forgive me for my lack of wisdom. Forgive me for the lack of duty and sense of debt for the works that you fulfilled on that cross. Mold me into a real Biblical man. Make me a powerful weapon for your glory. Please bless me with the courage of Moses to be forever an ambassador of God. I ask you for wisdom and insight to bring the lost and suffering to the light. To share my precious Jesus whole heartedly and never holding back. Please give me a fervent faith that sets the world on fire. Lord, please send heaven's angels to minister to this poor lady. To watch over her, protect her and instill the living hope in her. Please open up her eyes to the light and love which I was too inadequate to show. Please take away her heart of stone from the anguish she has experienced and replace it with a heart of flesh that seeks and feels your presence. Lord you are right by her side and all she has to do is touch your garment and she will receive SOZO.

In the precious name of Jesus Christ, amen

[septiembrre]

Well, no pos wow.

That was intense y’all! I’m sad for Lucy. I respect how she was unswayed and I’m sad that they killed off the only Asian-American character they’ve had on the show.

But, narratively, I still think this level of canon violence makes sense. I think Rio should have been at this level a season ago - it is still intense though. Tonight was definitely not as enjoyable as last week. I wish the show was better written or they had more time to watch what’s on screen and shift course more immediately. I do overall enjoy the show and there’s no danger of me stopping watching, but I still wish we got a better quality product. One that was more consistent.

I feel concerned that the girls are all in such bad places in their personal lives and I know they’ve been worried about the threat of death... but it is episode five now and the quality to their struggling with themselves and their loved ones feels stagnant and too much. I did love the Hills scenes - though, let Ruby live!!

I think my concern in part lies knowing we won’t get more than 4 or 5 more episodes now. We won’t fully get a rebound or a complete arc. I will be grumpy if the season 3 we get is basically them in this narrative funk. Lol, I will definitely be writing self-care fanfic but I wish I wasn’t in this position!

Also is it bad how much I enjoy Rio in full crime boss mode? I love him always. I can’t believe he tried to psych himself kill Beth tonight again. Sir, that decision would have haunted you - forever. You don’t even like her right now but it would have. I also love emotional, plucky Beth Boland yelling at him about his son but Lucy.

Brb, crying into my pillow. Also, that was not the episode I needed in the advent of the coronavirus anxiety of the past few days. 😭

[crvmsdecorum]

"ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴘᴀɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪsᴇʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏɴᴇʟɪɴᴇss ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴋɪɴᴅ."

( candice accola-king, 30, female, she/her) Have you seen MAEVE O’CONNELL around ?  I hear they’re an VETERINARIAN who can sometimes be INSECURE & GULLIBLE. But I also heard they can be SELFLESS & AFFECTIONATE, if you catch them on a good day. They’re usually hanging around PAW’S LIFE VET CLINIC in their spare time. I sure hope they’re alright ! ( Emma, 22, she/her, central, none. ) x filling the wanted baby mama connection of Lorenzo. ❤

Meet Maeve Belle O’Connell ; better known as Evie or Dr. O’Connell. 

She was born in Boston, Massachusetts to American French Author Madeline Daae and Irish immigrant Dr. Finnick O’Connell.

She isn’t the only child of her parents and has two older brothers from both parents making both brothers her half siblings. 

At the age of three Maeve lost her mother to ovarian cancer and from an early age she has had a fear she wouldn’t have kids of her own nor be a good mother for she was raised by boys. 

After the death of her mother, Finnick would take his kids back and forth between America and Ireland allowing them all to embrace their Irish culture including his step son. Maeve remembers Ireland fondly and believes it is her second home.

Not long after turning five is when her father remarried to an Irish American woman named Aileen; a woman Maeve never came to seeing eye to eye with. From her father’s marriage to her a few years later the two had a child of their own -- a little girl. 

Due to her step mother’s demanding career as Chief of Surgery and hardly seeing her, Maeve came to being a mother figure to her little sister and helped practically raise her alongside her father. From this is what made Maeve realize she wanted to be pursue a career that wouldn’t demand her quality time away from family. 

At the age of thirteen Maeve collapsed at her soccer tournament due to unbearable pain in her abdomen and was rushed to the hospital. Both coach, her family and herself thought the exhaustion was due to the heat of that hot day and or to the work she piled herself with school. Planning classes and pushing herself hard to earn a scholarship when graduating high school. Oh if only it were exhaustion...IT WASN’T. 

Maeve O’Connell, a soccer star athlete, a cheerleader and a optimistic selfless person pulled the short end of the straw thanks to her genetics. She became diagnosed with stage two ovarian cancer. 

The news of that will forever haunt Maeve along with the battle. Within twenty four hours of collapsing the oncology doctor informed Maeve and her family that her left ovary along with the left fallopian tube. Not only that, but she also became diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome better known as POS on her right ovary. All of this became evident to Maeve it would be hard for her to have children and decided to bury the dream of becoming a mother. 

After the surgery Maeve put all her drive into the school work she missed out and did her best to press forward. She was cancer free and didn’t want to dwell on the fact she was the cancer kid of her school year. 

Fast forward to graduating high school and Maeve is shipped off to boot camp for the United States Air Force, shocker right? Yeah, she didn’t tell everyone until after it had been done. Of course her father couldn’t be even more prouder of his oldest daughter. 

After basic training in San Antonio, Maeve went to AIT school to become a medical nurse and not long was shipped overseas to Iran to be a trauma nurse where she faced some choices and seen some horrible things that made her heart ache. It showed her the true darkness of humans and honestly? It SCARED her. 

Fast forward now to Maeve being twenty five and a veteran now. She recently graded college to become a veterinarian and entering programs to a veterinary school to finish it up. She had always loved animals and knew from a young age she wanted to be the medical field, so why not become a vet right? 

She came to Ireland to reconnect with her roots and spend a summer with her paternal grandmother  what she didn’t expect was to fall in love with a mysterious man. Maeve didn’t know what drew her to him but obviously she didn’t care. She knew he had a dark past and is an expert is something that isn’t truly good -- did she care? NO. The rising vet knew she brought out a different side of him and she loved it. The man’s name? Lorenzo Cavalli. 

Despite not knowing everything of what Enzo did for a living and her getting ready to go back to school, Maeve and him determined their flingy relationship or whatever you want to call it that will end when summer ended. And when it did, it made Maeve’s heart feel heavy though she knew it was the right decision. 

Of course when Maeve got back state side she ended up learning she had a souvenir of from Ireland after all -- she was pregnant. When learning of this she thought at first it was just some cruel joke or someone at the Doctor’s office got her blood work mixed up with someone. Yeah she was swimming with joy that she was pregnant but the realization hit Maeve that she will have to do this all alone. Lorenzo and her made a deal it was just a summer thing and that’s it. 

With this dream she once buried being brought back to the surface Maeve continued to go to veterinary school and with the support of her family they helped her. It was a struggle yes and Maeve found her being with child a blessing. She pushed through and put herself through school all while growing a tiny human in her. 

Fate decided to be cruel again to Maeve when on the afternoon of St. Patrick’s Day she gotten into a nasty car wreck thanks to a drunk driver. From this caused Maeve to deliver early on the holiday and by the end of the night she was holding a 6 pound 5 ounces healthy baby girl she named Kiera Madeline Cavalli O’Connell.

Oh Maeve adored her baby girl and everything was right in the world for her and three years later she graduated from veterinary school. She was officially a veterinarian. 

Once again though tradegy struck the O’Connell household and her father died, but before he did he told Maeve that she needed to find Lorenzo and tell him of his child. Of course Maeve tried to throw him off saying that she didn’t even know where he was. Her father’s response? Finnick told her Enzo was in Chicago and gave her all the information she needed thanks to her brother being a police officer. 

Not wanting to break her father’s heart from beyond the grave and knowing the old man was right, Maeve packed her and Kiera’s bags and moved from Boston to Chicago. Luckily for her Maeve was able to land a job at Paw’s Life Vet Clinic. Now the only to do is find him and tell him that her soon to be precious four year old daughter is his. Personality;; Maeve is an all around optimistic girl and is completely selfless. She puts everyone and her animal patients above herself though there is only one person she puts above everything else and that is her daughter. The Irish woman might not look as if she would resort to violence but if it meant protecting Kiera she will do it. She is an easy person to get to know though it is hard to gain her trust due to the things she had seen overseas and doesn’t really talk about it,  OOC Note - that is about that summons up with Maeve, though I will add a biography page for her soon. Also hi! I am Emma and I am proud to be part of this roleplay, also btw I am a MAJOR plotting hoe. On further note with Maeve if you want connections feel free to hit me up. 

[ink-flavored]

11/11/11 Game (Triple Threat)

Tagged by @multimousenette​ and @bogbodybitch​ and @nectareouswrites​! Thanks!

I’ll put my questions at the top here so you don’t have to scroll through 33 questions lmao

Questions

Do you like to cook or do you prefer going out?

How meticulous do you like to get in your world building?

How do you relax when you’re stressed?

Do you have a creative hobby outside of writing? What is it?

Luck or chance?

Is there something that you’ve decided to keep in your WIP(s) even after someone told you to get rid of it? 

What’s your battle music?

What are you most proud of yourself for?

What’s your favorite dinosaur?

What would you grow on a farm?

Blood family or found family? 

Tagging: @royalbounties @rainy-rose @aesopsrachaels @purpleshadows1989 @frankensteinn @shadeshadow234 @startroubled @farrradays and anyone else who wants to!

Alright. Now comes the doozy.

1.      What’s your preferred writing and reading genre?

Fantasy for both, though I like to read a lot of different genres

2.      What’s your favorite thing about your least favorite character?

Least favorite is tough. The character I’ve been having the hardest time writing recently is General Zhai from The God-Dragon’s Wife, mainly because I haven’t solidified her motivations yet, but if there’s one thing I know about her, it’s that she takes no shit. Which is very difficult for me, because she isn’t taking my shit either.

3.      What’s your least favorite thing about your favorite character?

Again with the favorites! Teconia is fun to write, but I feel bad about making bad things happen to her and making her sad. She gets sad a lot and then I feel guilty. Stop doing that.

4.      Which of your characters do you feel most indifferent towards? Why?

Right now, it’s Park. I don’t think we’d be friends if he was a real person (robot?) because our values are so misaligned, but he’s not a bad guy.

5.      Which of your projects means the most to you and why?

Firesoul, no doubt. It’s been an idea I’ve had since I first started writing, and the fact that I’ve been continuing to write it after all these years is a huge deal for me (i.e. a person who comes up with ideas and then abandons them forever)

6.      Is there a theme that can be found in all of your projects? Was it intentional or dd you realize after the event?

Usually there’s a theme of overcoming – whether that’s overcoming self, overcoming oppression, or overcoming adversity. I don’t do it intentionally, but I think it’s definitely informed by experiences in my life, so it would feel odd to not have it.

7.      What’s your favorite book to read? Does it have any similarities to your any of your writing projects?

The Inheritance Cycle is my favorite book series of all time and it absolutely informs my writing style. I’ve read the first book, Eragon, eight times, and seven of those times was before I turned 16. I’d be shocked if it didn’t.

8.      What have you learnt while writing that you hope everyone knows?

That I can write whatever I want, and someone will like it, even if it’s not the someone I thought would like it.

9.      What’s your biggest strength in writing?

Description, for sure.

10.  What about your weakness?

Too much description.

Seriously, though, it’s plot structure. I suck at that, and I’m awful at outlines.

11.  How many questions do you answer on character profile sheets when creating new characters?

I try to shoot for all of the ones that apply! But I don’t do a lot of character sheets so…

12.  What do you love most about your writing?

I love my worlds and settings. I pour blood, sweat, and tears into them, and I think it really pays off.

13.  What’s your favorite type of character to write?

Smart dumbasses, people who Can’t Handle Feelings, and people who Have Too Much Feelings. I have no middle ground.

14.  What inspires you to write?

Life. That’s probably the most cliché answer on the planet, but I’m very informed by the things I believe and the experiences I have. Even my horror pieces (short as they are) come from places of feeling helpless in my own life, struggling with an undiagnosed anxiety and panic disorder for most of my life.

15.  If you could talk to your protagonist, what advice would you give them?

I would gently hold Park’s metal robot face in my hands and tell him to Stop Taking All Responsibility For Everything. Good God. It’s not all about you, all the time.

I would tell Xinya that it’s okay to feel emotions sometimes. Yes, even that one.

I would tell Teconia that trusting people isn’t always a good thing.

I would tell Hayden that he is capable, no matter what he tells himself.

16.  If you had to do an escape room with one of your characters, who would you choose and why?

Park is a robot and therefore would be very logical about all possible solutions. This could either be a great thing or a terrible thing, but I’ll take my chances with the guy with a computer for a brain.

17.  How did you come up with the plot for your current wip(s)?

The God-Dragon’s Wife is inspired by a (perhaps not astoundingly written) fanfiction I read and said “Psh. I can do that.” That, and my deep held desire to marry a dragon.

Firesoul came to me at an audition for a role in my dance company’s annual Christmas show. I heard this epic, haunting music, and had a vision, essentially, of a scene from the book. Teconia herself is literally a D&D character that I liked so much I gave her a book.

Out of the Park is inspired from way back when I used to regularly play Overwatch, and my main, Zenyatta, had a skin release that was a baseball team. The rest is history/

Dragon Raising actually started as a novel that I never did anything with, because something always felt off about the delivery. When I took a comic writing class in college, everything clicked at once.

18.  What’s one line/paragraph you’ve written recently that you’re proud of?

This is from a submission for a prompt month in a fandom I’m in:

Yugi didn’t believe in ghosts. It was fun to think about, sure, but he’d never seen any “real” evidence to support the idea. His friend Ryou claimed otherwise, but they’d long since learned to agree to disagree on the subject. Of course, they were both partial to a good scare – his second favorite genre for anything was horror – and they could talk about the coolest ghost stories they’d heard for hours. Still, he had never latched on to the idea of the “soul persisting after death.” It was ridiculous, for a lot of reasons. The idea of a ghost in his house – in anyone’s house – was almost laughable.

But he didn’t have a lot of other ideas to explain this.

19.  Do you ever draw concept art for your writing?

I can’t draw, but if someone made me art of my WIPs, I would die LITERALLY for them.

20.  What do you like most about one of your protagonists and what do you like least about them?

Xinya is a powerful woman. She’s capable and smart and will kick your ass in chess. But she’s so emotionally constipated it’s actually painful for me.

Teconia is kind, strong even if she doesn’t know it yet, and loyal to her friends and family. But she refuses to use her strength until it’s too late, which is frustrating for a lot of reasons.

Park is a dumbass. This is both the reason I love and hate him.

Hayden can do remarkable things, but he never gives himself credit for them.

21.  What’s the setting of your current wip(s) and why did you choose it?

TGDW takes place in a fantasy Imperial China, which I chose because I am so sick of Fantasy Medieval Europe #4564

Firesoul takes place in Fantasy Medieval Europe #a billion, but I’m not romanticizing it. Teconia is the poorest of the poor, a racial minority, and has to keep her mage identity a secret to avoid persecution. You see exactly what that’s like in Ethallia for the average citizen, and it’s not pretty, unlike most fantasy settings where Everyone Is Good Except Our Evil King, Who Is Evil For Vague Magic Reasons.

OOTP is my personal idealized Future America, which means there is So Much Socialism. Everywhere.

Dragon Raising takes place in modern day Chicago, which I chose because wouldn’t it be hilarious if someone had to raise dragons in the middle of Chicago?

22.  What are some of your strengths that make you a good writer?

I pride myself on my description and world building, as I’m sure people have picked up by now, but I’ve also been told I’m good at writing character interactions. I’ll take it!

23.  Do you listen to music/have playlists to get you writing?

I’m one of those people who can’t write without music to block out the sounds of the real world. I don’t have any specific playlists for writing – I usually just shuffle my whole library.

24.  Who is the character that is least like you and why?

Personality wise, it’s between Park and Yu-Qi who are the least like me.

Park thinks he has to be the one to change the world – him and him alone – which is just. Come on man. Dismount from your high horse.

Yu-Qi is closer to being the opposite of me because of our similarities, ironically enough. She’s obsessive, possessive, and in a true dragon fashion, she hoards and hoards and hoards. These are qualities I share, but desperately afraid of.

25.  What is the maximum word count you are hoping for your project(s)?

Oh, this is a good question. I’ve never sat down and thought it out specifically, but I think a good novel length is 80k-200k words, so I’ll shoot for that!

26.  Do you write better in the day time or at night?

Night owl. I blame it on being born at 1:30am

27.  What are your OC(s) zodiac signs?

Well, considering only two of them exist in our star system, I’ll just guess!

Xinya: Virgo

Teconia: Pisces

Park: Scorpio

Hayden: Libra

28.  Where do you fall on the beige to purple prose spectrum?

My prose is indigo, man. I am so close to purple it’s unreal.

29.  Are you well read in the genre you hope to go into?

Absolutely! I’ve been reading fantasy since I was in first grade.

30.  What are your goals for your writing career?

I want to open people’s minds and make them think about stuff that they might not have otherwise thought about. And entertain them, of course.

31.  How comfortable are you with critical feedback?

PLEASE give me critical feedback, I’m begging you. My life has been plagued by minimal to no feedback on my writing and it’s so frustrating.

32.  Do you enjoy reading or writing romance?

Reading it: depends. Writing it: yes, but I’ve only just gotten into it!  

33.  Do you annotate your books?

Depends on the book. If I’ve read it enough times to quote direct lines, then yes. I’ll never annotate a new book.

[kpoptimeout]

My Top 10 K-Dramas of 2017 - What’s Yours?

2017 is ending soon and K-Dramaland has once again brought us so many goodies this year. As per our blog’s tradition [For 2016 faves click here] , below are my Top 10 favs of the year (my faves in alphabetical order so it might not be yours so please don’t judge)

My only specific criteria this year is that the show must have had started in 2017 to be considered a 2017 series (Hence, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bookjoo and Goblin were in last year’s list)

Chicago Typewriter (tvN)

Ever thought of a haunted typewriter that will slowly help you recover stories of your past life? Maybe not but this innovative drama does just that. Featuring talented movie focused actors Yoo Ah In and Im Soojung (HER FIRST DRAMA IN 13 YEARS SINCE THE LEGENDARY “I’m Sorry, I Love You”) as lovers separated from the past life but current bickering duo and rising talent Go Kyung-Po of Reply 1988 fame as their half puppy-half manipulative ghost friend from the past, the drama is one rollercoaster of emotions jumping between two equally interesting timelines of modern South Korea and Japanese occupied South Korea. I really enjoy the combination of working out the characters’ mysterious past life and also the commentary on the modern literary world. If you want an intriguing and fun story-line with revolutionary history shenanigans and early 20th century speakeasies, Chicago Typewriter is the drama to watch!

Duel (OCN)

Finally, CLONES ARE PART OF K-DRAMALAND. After many dramas on multiple personality disorder and twins switched at birth etc., we see the concept of genetic copies and the ethics of such science finally pursued in this well-written and exciting thriller. Yang Sejong plays the clones in question and as a newcomer who only debuted in 2016, he is one to watch out. He expertly played the two dramatically different clones and honestly got me super freaked out watching the show. OCN continues their amazing run with thrillers and I cannot wait for more new content from them.

Fight My Way (KBS2)

Every year there is one bomb slice of life drama and this year it’s “Fight My Way”! Inspired by the real-life romance of mixed martial artist Choo Sunghoon and his wife Shiho Yano, this rom-com about a UFC fighter and his childhood love is sweet, funny, and poignant, touching on realistic experiences of everyday couples. Park Seojoon excels as the fighter Ko Dongman and I think he honestly does the best when acting in these common man roles like in “She Was Pretty” and “Witch’s Romance” versus the over the top hero ones like in “Hwarang.” Kim Jiwon proves she is no one-hit wonder and here to stay after her “Descendants of the Sun” fame in this relatable role of a girl who has to abandon her dreams due to practicalities of the real world and Ahn Jaehong continues to be a pure delight after “Reply 1988”.

Hwayugi (tvN)

Only 2 episodes in, the Hong Sisters already prove that once again they are the producing queens of K-Dramaland and Hwayugi is going to be scoring home runs like their earlier supernatural dramas “My Girlfriend Is a Nine-Tailed Fox” and “Master’s Sun”, whilst riding the wave of another widely popular mythical tvN drama “Goblin.” Reinterpreting the Chinese fantasy story “Journey to the West”, this drama plays with characters already well-known in Asian folklore and throws in interesting ghost/demon/monster fighting side stories along the way. Having worked with the Hong Sisters many times, Lee Seung Gi shines in his first role back from the military, playing the mischevious Monkey King Son Oh Gong. The other castings are also great - with Cha Seungwon fittingly being the eccentric and mercurial Bull Demon King, FT Island’s Hongki as the super flirt Zhu Bajie, and Oh Yeon Seo as the pure but strong-willed reincarnation of Xuanzang. If you need a fix after “Goblin”, just watch this already.

My Secret Romance (OCN)

OCN’s first ever rom-com is a fan favorite locally and internationally and for good reason. It is one of those expected rom-com plots with chaebol male lead, awkward grassroots female lead, BFF with a crush on her, etc. but just done very well. It does do something innovative - going around all the awkward will they kiss or not KDrama stuff to a male and female lead who meet three years later after an awkward one-night stand. Additionally, the chemistry between Sung Hoon and Secret’s main vocalist Jieun is great and made the drama all the more fun, cute and entertaining. Also, THE OSTs ARE AMAZING BECAUSE BOTH LEADS ARE GOOD SINGERS.

Ruler: Master of the Mask (MBC)

One of the K-Dramas I looked forward to the most this year was “Ruler: Master of the Mask” because of the amazing cast of Yoo Seungho, INFINITE’s L, Kim Sohyun, and Yoon Sohee and boy I was not disappointed. Going with a Prince and the Pauper-esque plot in Joseon Korea, Yoo Seungho and L did a great job in the delivering the two roles respectively. While some people complained the show was kind of slow, I rather the PDs slowly build up the story than rush a lot in the first few episodes then drag on forever at the end.

Strong Woman Do Bong-soon (jTBC)

Following the popularity of another tough female lead drama “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo”, “Strong Woman Do Bong-soon” also made a strong impression on viewers. The story surrounding a cute and petite girl with supernatural human strength, played by popular actress Park Boyoung, made for a lot of laughs and also led to some fun romantic moments with male leads ZE:A’s Hyungsik and Ji Soo. The pairing of Park Boyoung as Hyungsik’s bodyguard was a well-done flip of normal K-Drama gender roles and I am excited about more female empowerment in K-Dramaland! 

Tunnel (OCN)

After tvN’s “Signal”, I was not sure if I can find another amazing time-travelling thriller of that quality to watch. But OMG OCN is back at it again with their thriller generating machine and they delivered me with “Tunnel.” The male lead, played by the honestly still underrated talent Choi Jinhyuk, is a detective from 1986 who finds himself in 2016 after traveling through a tunnel. Discovering the case he was working on is still unsolved, he joins forces with a modern police officer played by Yoon Hyunmin and a criminal psychologist played by Lee Yooyoung. This show inspired by the Hwaseong serial murders is very good and deserved to be the major hit it was in South Korea, being the most viewed OCN drama of all time. 

While You Were Sleeping (SBS)

Suzy and Lee Jong Suk is one drama already sounds like aesthetic goals but this drama also had good writing and plot to carry itself well. With Suzy playing a journalist who can dream of future deaths and Lee Jong Suk being a prosecutor who acquires her ability after moving into her neighborhood, the two form a likable team and really took us on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. While I am not the biggest fan of Suzy’s acting in the past, she has definitely improved a lot and I think people who are avoiding the drama just because of her should really give it a try.

Whisper (SBS)

Legal dramas with strong female leads are always fun to watch, be it tvN’s “Good Wife” or SBS’s “Punch.” Another such drama is “Whisper”, which is supposedly set in the same universe as “Punch” according to some eagle-eyed fans, and it follows the alliance between Lee Bo-young’s charismatic but debt-ridden female section chief police officer and Lee Sang-yoon’s virtuous elite judge in their journey to uncover defense industry corruption at Taebaek, the nation's biggest law firm. These two top actors of course delivered great performances and Kwon Yul continues to rise on my list of second male leads to watch out for.

Honorable Mentions:

Circle (tvN): An ambitious exploration of dystopian futures by tvN featuring a talented cast including Yeo Jingoo, Kim Kangwoo, Gong Seungyeon and HIGHLIGHT’s Kikwang.

I’m Not a Robot (MBC): Yoo Seungho aka #BAE? Count me in and ready to watch all the episodes. Also, the robot thing is a newer drama trope that has lots of potential.

The Liar and His Lover (tvN): While the storyline is the expected K-Drama rom-com fare, this was a solid debut performance from Red Velvet’s Joy and damn the OSTs were great. Crude Play needs to debut as a real band real quick.

Mad Dog (KBS2): Another amazing action-packed K-Drama thriller starring the amazing actor Yoo Jitae of legendary movie “Oldboy” fame. Also, K-Drama fans need to watch out for Woo Dohwan as this young actor is very talented and has huge potential.

Suspicious Partner (SBS): The final drama of Ji Chang Wook before his enlistment, this is a feel-good rom-com with a great cast of Nam Jihyun, Choi Taejoon, and Nara.

What’s your Top 10 K-Dramas of the Year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and may the drama sharing begin (and the road to more excuse for holiday procrastination!)

Also, if you want to check out underrated K-Pop songs of 2017, here are the lists for idol songs, artist songs, and OSTs!