#this was so much fun !!! thank you jas <3333

[spacelesbiann]

Jasmine @eight-hearts sparked inspiration in me when she wrote about her 10 favourite debut albums, and tagged me to do the same. My music taste tends to be deeply obsessive, flighty, and rarely contained in an album, so some of these are pretty new. In no particular order, here they are.....

Something to Feel - TEEKS (2021) Listening to this feels like summertime evenings, where there’s a fire burning in an old drum, everyone has a drink, and there’s a body of calm water nearby. The sound is so quintessentially the New Zealand music of my childhood. I tend to find that difficult to sit and intentionally listen to, but there’s something somehow different about this. Maybe it’s the themes of yearning. Anyway, I’m momentarily in love with it . Special song mentions: Remember Me; First Time

About U - MUNA (2017) This is my ‘staring out the passenger window in the rain, watching the sky turn bruise-coloured at the end of a long day’ album. I love this album with all my heart. Idk what about to say that sums it up any better. Special song mentions: Around U; Winterbreak

Surf Music - Paul Williams (2018) This is delightfully bizarre. I listened to this because James Acaster raved about it. I didn’t have high expectations. Paul Williams is a comedian who runs a basketball podcast with his more well-known brother. But it’s so good. Everything you could want in an album and more. There’s a recurring metaphor about basketball. There’s the lyric ‘I might not be the sharpest crayon, but that’s cos I’m your favourite.’ There’s a whole song about eating chips.

I love this album so much i made a uquiz about it. Oh! And - he sings with my exact accent. To the point that some parts are almost unintelligible the first time through. Special song mentions: Braces; Number One

Greetings From Ashbury Park, N.J. - Bruce Springsteen (1973) This is Bruce as I imagine him. The kinda whining timbre of his voice that makes me see him as he is today, not the skinny little thing he was in 1973. It’s fun! Opening with Blinded by the Light??? It’s a perfect encapsulation of his lyrics: some are deeply meaningful, some mean nothing!

It’s not my favourite Bruce album (honestly I get a little bored in the middle) it doesn’t even include my favourite songs. But it’s the sign of such good things to come, and that’s enough. Special song mentions: Blinded by the Light; Growin’ Up

Westlife - Westlife (1999) Westlife are the boyband of my pre-teenagehood. This album is the first time I ever heard them. I used to spend hours at my dad’s laptop copying the songs onto CDs so I could play them in my own bedroom. Except I missed several of the songs, so this album is a lot shorter in my head. Special song mentions: Flying Without Wings; Swear It Again

2 Cool 4 Skool - BTS (2013) You know me. I had to include this one. It’s such a baby album - only 7 songs. But without this I wouldn’t have my favourite albums of later years. I think about how they made this, their determination, the fact that is was critically a bit of a flop... But it’s BTS at their core.

It explains basically everything that will come. Songs fighting to uplift teenagers, encouraging people to follow their hearts and their dreams, to be themselves... I’ll stop myself, but seriously. I could write whole posts about their lyrics. If all you think BTS songs are is Butter and Dynamite, come to me and I will enlighten you. Special song mentions: Like; No More Dream

Hope World - j-hope (2018) This is just a fun album. It opens “say hello to my hope world!” and okay, yeah j-hope! Hi!! It did take me a couple of listens to fully appreciate it, but I looked up the lyrics and gave it some time, and I really do like it. It’s not for everyone but it really shows who he is as a person. It’s hopeful (heh) and it knows itself and loves itself. Special song mentions: Daydream; Airplane

PINK PLANET - Pink Sweat$ (2021) This album is what being in love sounds like. It’s playing in the background of the scene where the two love interests realise their one sided pining isn’t one sided. It sounds pink. It’s very nice. Special song mentions: 17; Honesty

Songs of Leonard Cohen - Leonard Cohen (1967) Okay so this. This might as well be Leonard Cohen’s Greatest Hits. This is a debut album?? What??? The songs sound like poetry and arguments and speeches and ballads and everything that is good. They’re gentle and they’re cutting and they’re about love and loss and hope and hate and pain and joy. I think there’s a lyric and a song in this for everyone . Special song mentions: Suzanne; The Stranger Song

My Head Is An Animal - Of Monsters and Men (2014) This one was hard to be honest. I nearly didn’t pick a number 10. So to be honest, I’ll keep it quick. This is just so calming. I come back to this when I need a little rest from my head, which is fitting given the title. Special Song Mentions: From Finner; Sloom

I want to tag @pauldeyoung @coelura @relationboats @neonastronaut @loveyourselff and @clytemenestras just because I’m nosey :))

[arashian155]

Gintama Ask Game!

Last time you watched / read Gintama? Well... I’d say the beginning of October? I had to reread the manga from scratch to write my Gintoki Bday Bash fic! :) 

Favorite male character? TOUUUUSHIIIIIIII~! Love of my LIFE!!!!!

Favorite female character? Kagura! MY DAUGHTER. 

Favorite male character design? I’m stuck between ponytail Toushi and joui war Zura....it’s too hard to choose???? (also lol you can probably tell I have a type)...also like, Farewell, Shinsengumi arc Zura when they dressed up as Naraku, THE PONYTAIL YES IT’S THE PONYTAIL OK. Also honorary mention to Kamui. 

Favorite female character design? THIS IS REALLY HARD?? I adore Tsukuyo’s design, but Kouka’s like...the most beautiful female character I’ve ever seen in the history of anime? Also Asaemon’s really really cool? I DON’T KNOW????? 

Most underrated character? Are these questions gonna keep getting harder???? So the thing is, I’m not really sure I understand the question right so I’m just gonna. Well, ramble lol. If we’re talking about THE most underrated character in canon, then the answer is BY FAR Zura! He should’ve had much more spotlight than what he got. But if the question is who’s most underrated in the fandom, then well...I’d probably say Shimaru? 

Best squad? SHINSENGUMI!!!!! <333333 

Favorite episode or arc? Episode: idk if it’s my “favorite” but I don’t think I watched anything else in Gintama as much as episode 231, the funeral episode. I watched it no less than 20 times (seriously) and it never gets any less hilarious and I really wanna know what Sorachi was on when he wrote it???

Arc: Farewell, Shinsengumi arc. Hands down best arc in the history of anime, no exaggeration. 

OTP(s)? HijiGin and OkiKagu! <3333 

BROTP(s)? I’m glad there’s an “(s)” because I was never gonna choose one lol. Okay so: Kondou/Zura, Kagura/Shinpachi, Kondou/Toushi, Gintoki/Zura. I’m sure if I reread my answer tomorrow I’ll be able to name at least 5 more BROTPs that I should’ve mentioned. :) 

An unpopular opinion?  I don’t really know how popular of an opinion it is, but I have some...issues with how much of a spotlight Takasugi was given in the final arc compared to just about every other character in the show sans Gintoki. The arc felt too heavily focused on Takasugi and Gintoki with everyone else playing minor roles. 

Favorite running joke? HOW DO YOU CHOOSE ONE JOKE??? Here’s a few: all variations of “zura ja nai katsura da!”, Shinpachi being a human-wearing glasses, “SHOGUN KAYO!!!!!” and, well, it’s probably not a “running” joke, but that episode of “no, it’s poop” had me screaming. 

Favorite OST? Know, Know, Know I think? It really fits the dark and badass mood of Farewell, Shinsengumi arc so well! 

Feelings about the upcoming movie? DON’T TOUCH ME. I’m emotional, I’m happy because the trailer shows VERY PROMISING AND BREATHTAKINGLY GORGEOUS ANIMATION, and it’s been so long and I miss Gintama and can’t wait to see it, but also I don’t wanna see it because that’s really the end and Gintama SHOULD LIVE FOREVER??? It’s breaking my heart thinking about it really ending??? MIXED FEELINGS ALL OVER!!!! :’)  SO! Thank you so much @whoyoucallingtoshi for tagging me! SO SORRY it took me 34263 years to do this! I had so much fun answering these questions!!! <3333 AND WE HAVE SO MANY SIMILAR ANSWERS HAHAHA!  I’mma tag @saltedpin , @writing-in-sin , @sailormeowmeow , @wahh-chan if you guys feel like doing this! :D