#troys music is awesome

[heyblue]

It’s the best collection of individuals and they made this whole musical come to life I’m so grateful for all of them, and the way I have come to discover new music through them!! 🥹

my personal favorite moments from the listening party/live stream

Jay cradling Mico in the horse and the infant and then dropping him off a roof:

Luke as the cyclops terrorizing the soldiers with his club pillow:

Mason pretending to be Poseidon with a FORK 🔱

Jay and Talya being dramatic in their duet in Done For

then switching their roles in "there are other ways" (Talya was singing ody's lines and Jay trying to seduce her as circe lmao)

Mason (??) dressing up like a ghost for Polites' part in "the underworld" and surprising jay 😭

Jay and his mom during her part in "the underworld" 🥹❤️

Jay and Mason waltzing ???? while singing their duet in "no longer you" 😭😭😭

HE DID THE EAR THING WHILE SINGING "PENELOPE WHY YOU KNOW I'M TOO SHY👉👈"

them softies cried for the entirety of "I Can't Help but Wonder" 🥹🥹🥹🥹

I LOVE THIS CAST SO MUCH

[jarondont]

odysseus appreciation post

thank you for your time

[rhysdoesstuff]

if you haven’t listened to Epic the musical late at night and acted out every single song with passion have you even really lived?

[tiny-knife-friend]

Y’all I feel like I’m losing my marbles. Any help is appreciated because I CANNOT REMEMBER THE NAME OF ONE SPECIFIC BOOK FOR THE LIFE OF ME! It’s a retelling of the Odyssey but it focuses on Telemachus.

(Some of the following details might be wrong in my half crazed summary, but I swear the major plot beats are there)

Does anyone remember that novel where Penelope was given a prophecy that Odysseus wouldn’t return until Telemachus started to grow a beard or something? And she would look every day and would have a blank face but Telemachus thought she was sad so he went on his journey to find information and stuff.

But - PLOT TWIST - Penelope was actually relived because in this version Odysseus is the FREAKING WORST. So Odysseus comes back and he and Telemachus totally destroy all of the suitors but after that Telemachus stands up to him and basically says “Hey dude, you suck and you have to leave now” and Odysseus is all “Nah bro, I own you” and I think they fight and idk how but Telemachus wins and Odysseus is banished or something?

I remember reading it when I was younger and liking it up to the point where I found out Odysseus was the bad guy. But now that I’m an adult and not in my mid-teens I have a greater appreciation of the hot mess of Odysseus’s morality and how he can be interpreted.

(Especially after listening to EPIC and re-assessing the Odyssey with the crew in mind. If you haven’t listened to it yet what the heck are you doing with your life)

I swear this book exists, I have it in my collection but my books are all in boxes in the middle of my parent’s basement and there is no way in the world that I am getting into them in the next two years. I spent all day googling anything I could think of and it is not coming up in any of my searches. If anyone could give me the name of it I would literally cry from the sheer relief of someone else knowing it exists AND knowing what the heck to look for online so that I can get an ebook of it.

[naarlar]

Okie so I actually want to hear everyone’s thoughts on the Vengeance Saga, cause I have some mixed thoughts.

On one hand, IT WAS SO GOOD FROM A VOCALS PERSPECTIVE AND THE SONGS BEING BOPS. I was impressed by everyone’s performances (seriously I know in every saga everyone sounds awesome but this saga is just so visceral and surreal?!) Odysseus (Jorge the king himself) especially was so good in this musical?! His desperation and anger?? THE SCENE WHERE HE NEARLY DROWNS??? AAAAAAAAAAA

On the OTHER hand, I can’t be the only one that found the saga a little… corny? Not even the saga honestly just 600 strike. Idk I just couldn’t take 600 Strike seriously and I don’t think a song with that kind of narrative weight should have that effect. I recognize the musical is inspired by video games and anime, and that’s fine. But I feel there is a difference between being inspired by different works of anime versus using overused cliches and stereotypes from anime as a genre. (and maybe I’m taking it a little too literally but how the hell did Ody actually manage to torture Poseidon, like did the souls of his crew give him the power to stand to a god?)

Idk these are just initial thoughts I’d love to hear everyone’s takes bc I honestly don’t have a concrete judgement on 600 strike.

[the-immortal-restless]

Holy fuck Odysseus tortured a god

[fangirlofallthefanthings]

The Circe Saga has fundamentally changed my brain chemistry, and I will not apologize for singing these songs at the top of my lungs for the rest of my life.

[reigning-king-of-ithaca]

So are we not gonna talk about how there were NO happy songs in the Vengeance saga..?

I mean Dangerous kinda was but that beginning?? Tears.

[askthelordsinblack]

pokey

pokey

pokotho

Otho

the singular voice

what is your opinion on epic the musical

Quite the masterpiece. I enjoy the similarities and differences to the original Odyssey and the songs are enjoyable. The way characters are represented with instruments is also very… epic.

[kanerallels]

No one ask me how many times I've listened to Warrior of the Mind today

[badolmen]

Ngl kinda obsessed with Jorge Rivera-Herran’s concept albums. Musical Homer’s Odyssey is not something I knew I needed in my life until now.

[chevy2497]

Fun Fact About Me:

When I was in Primary School, I had a crush on on the one and only Zac Efron. In 2009, I was only 9 years old while Zac was 19. He is 10 years older then me.

I have seen 22 films that he was in. The first movie or tv show that I saw him was “The Derby Stallion (2005)”. He is still my crush even though he’s 35 and I’m 25.

🥰🥵😎⭐️ 🥰🥵😎⭐️ 🥰🥵😎⭐️

[thereaperismadeofneonbillboards]

A detail I love about Epic is that Odysseus is never actually named in the musical itself until he reveals it himself.

If someone went in blind into a stage play version of it without any prior knowledge about the Odyssey then all they’d learn about him first: he’s a high ranking soldier to be commanding others in a war in Horse and the Infant and learns that he’s fighting for two people named Penelope and Telemachus, possibly his wife and child (and also that he might be a king if they catch the “he will burn your house and throne” line); then that he’s a father with the confirmation that they are his wife and son in Just a Man. For the rest of the Troy saga they’ll learn the names of the rest of the cast but not the name of the main character himself, but will get titles he has or gets called by like “Captain” and “Friend” (Polites) and “Warrior of the Mind” (technically “Boy” is also one as that’s what Athena used to describe him when he killed the boar). Then in the Cyclops saga he names himself “Nobody.” It’s obviously a lie, but there’s an impact from listening to it in order with the rest of the songs because it’s the first time Odysseus claims a name for himself, and for that unknowing audience member it’s the only confirmed name they’ll have for him in the moment, until Remember Them, where finally, from the character himself, you learn that he is the infamous Odysseus, king of Ithaca.

His name only start appearing in lyrics after this point.

Even for someone who knows his name, there’s a impact that stems not just from the awesome way the line was delivered, but also from the fact that it’s the first time you hear it spoken out loud in the musical if you are listening to it in order.

[anonymouscheeses]

Im sorry i have to say it..: Get Your Hands Dirty sounds like a love song.

HEAR. ME. OUTT!! (No i dont mean a love song between Chloe n Ella omg 😭)

What I'm implying here is that it sounds like one of those niche high school love stories when one of the lovers(most likely a goodie two-shoes) goes to their mentor/parent/even the person their loving/etc to ask for advice on relationships. Or more specifically, if this person is worth it or even a good person. From the top of my head: I Won't Say (I'm In Love) and the goodie and the wildchild dynamic is pretty similar to Gabriella and Troy from hs musical, which iws(iil) kinda inspired this post tbh but also ive been thinking about this ever since i first watched the movie. (You plop in ur own songs, i js KNOW this trope exists)

Now that we've established the well used niche trope existing in this niche song made by the niche king that is Disney.... why do i think that Get Your Hands Dirty is a love song, i hear?

Lets analyze THE LYRIICS 😈😈

"Right and wrong, cruel and kind, who's to say?" "There's a code that I believe in."

"Robin Hood" "yeah?" "Awesome guy" "yeah!"

"Every choice, you're gonna find there's shades of grey." "There are rules for a reason!"

"So you could then cross that line, theoretically."

"You'd agree?" "But he stole for the poor."

"The decision's always up to you. When there's only one thing left to do"

"I don't know you anymore.."

Okay, so i shortened and made it tiny for obvious reasons, that bein its too long 😭 so! AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO GETS A FEEELIN?? a feelin that this is SCREAMING denial?! Its giving...

Chloe: Ellaaaa.... this girl im talkn to is SOOO HHHOOOOTT and PRETTY and cool and stuff but ugh.... SHE EEEVILLL!!

Ella: oh my gosh.. STFU. Shes prolly not even that evil ill prove it smh..

*get ur hands dirty starts playing. No exaggeration. No cap.*

"Okay, but there's some universal truths you must recognize." "Like?"

"Valiant knights, pure and good, guaranteed" "That depends on what they're fighting for"

"Creepy witches selling potions for evil deeds" "She could have kids she's providing for"

"If your good-good things will come to you"

MORE denial, Chloe wants to be friends with Red SO bad she looks stupid, but she brings herself back by trying to prove to herself that she's evil and they SHOULDN'T be that close. Which also is a big sign of comphet and heteronormativity, i would know 🧍 (which is a post for another day i might make. Prolly 2 prove that Chloe is a lesbian in deep comphet)

"But just how far do you go? How much do you compromise? Oh, tell me, how do you know. Where do you draw the line?"

"There's nothing I wouldn't do. If my heart tells me it's right. If it's for someone I love. If it's to save a life."

"To save your life."

Further deepening the trope i mentioned. The first line could be interpreted as a double meaning since the song is kind of mostly about Chloe coming to terms with the fact Red isn't really evil or as bad as she thought, plus the argument of where the line between evil and good is. It could refer to Red or Ella, maybe both, but Ella changes the meaning with her own experiences so it drifts off the focus from Red because we cant have ANYTHING 🤧 but i still believe Chloe intended it to be for Red since the entire song is really just for the progress of their relationship n stuff.

Now this could definitely all be in my head, yes, Disney would most likely NEVER canonize or even imply heavily a queer relationship or anything lgbtq on a pre established franchise (cowards.). But there is always a chance.... deep inside the dark heart of the mouse..

Plus, with the subtle hints here and there of Red and Chloe's relationship growing, romantically or not, they are still super close and love eachother alot. Chloe is js (kinda) canonically a girl kisser who cant help but find a girl kissable (same)

And don't get me started on this movie and its obsession with love and proving how it is not "ain't it". Hello...? They set the tone of love, but i see NO person close enough to Red established for this message (other than Chloe) and if they introduce some random guy in the next movies, NO ONE would care nor would they want it unless somehow its 100x better than redcharming, but thats impossible cz wlw 4 life.

So, this entire thingy is me basically finding scraps and wanting to provr that charminghearts IS canon and WILL be established soon! (Im delulu)

[superkooku]

Have you listened/watched epic? And if you have what’s your thoughts?

Personally I think it’s a good thing to show to a friend new to Greek mythology. I just finished watching the last saga and I have to say I loved it, beautiful. Sad it ended tho :(

It might not be very accurate but I love the hardwork the cast put into it and so I love it very much

My thoughts on Epic the musical

So yes, I know about Epic. I even participated in the secret santa thing and am what we may call 'a winion'.

I just finished watching the livestream too ! I especially loved seeing the cast members were reacting to the sagas (Luke Holt was so funny in this 🤣. Also, Jorge carrying Mico like a baby in 'Just a man' and Mason being extra the whole time... so many gems in that livestream)

Since Epic is finished AND I have animatics of the Ithaca saga, I'll use this opportunity to make a more in-depth review of the musical. Instead of separating it in "good" or "bad", I'm reviewing it criteria per criteria.

The cast

Like I previously said, I LOVE the cast chemistry. They're all so fun and lively. I follow some of them separately, like Janani or Troy Doherty, and they're just delightful. Especially Troy as Hermes, he always manages to make me laugh. Every single time 😂.

Also, he gives me a bit of Mettaton vibes since he's extravagant, always over the top and a bit self-absorbed (the Hermes persona, I mean, not Troy Doherty himself). Maybe that's why I like him so much :3

And of course, there's Jorge, mr. Jalapeño, the man with the plan. I love how both passionate and humble he is, how he takes the time to thank everyone and just how much of a bundle of positive energy he is. I know it's an internet persona, but what I can see from him is some hopefully really nice guy in real life too.

Anyways, awesome cast chemistry, everyone made me laugh and they're all having a good time.

The music

This music is so beautiful 🥰. All the motifs, the emotions, the instruments, the voices ! If I had to rate Epic from the music alone, it would be 5 stars. I'm not saying this in a professional angle or anything, it's my personal feeling.

Seriously, I don't really have that much to say about the music because, to me, it's just that good. I love the variety, how different instruments synch themselves and, yeah.

The characters

Annnnd that's where the blind positive praise stops, unfortunately 😂.

Don't get me wrong, it's not awful either and there are good points. My favorite Epic characters are Hermes and Athena.

The rest ? It's mixed. In order not to make this too long, I'll focus on only some of them.

The story is very character-driven so I won't really delve into it in detail.

Odysseus : he's a good protagonist, especially in the first act. His dilemma is interesting, he has a strong personality and I like that he is just a broken man and not some mighty overlord... except in the Thunder and Vengeance sagas. I feel Jorge exaggerated the monster message a bit too much, imo. Odysseus is supposed to be a witty liar, a warrior of the mind. Not someone like Achilles who solves problems by fighting or fights gods like Heracles, much less freaking Poseidon.

Poseidon : okay ! I liked him in the first act, because FINALLY Poseidon isn't a surfer dude. He's a terrifying force of nature that was angered by mortal hubris (though the hubris thing isn't explained by Epic). In Get in the water, he kept his intimidating side. Because he's, yk, the king of the oceans, one of the most powerful Olympian gods. But his defeat partially ruined him for me 😂. It just doesn't make sense. Why is Odysseus afraid of Scylla and even tip-toes around Hermes, who is friendly, when he can stabby-stab Poseidon ? Why didn't Poseidon counterattack? So many questions.

Zeus : my problem with Zeus is easier to explain. Again, he was awesome in the first act, less so in the second. What I loved initially is how regal he was. Powerful, intimidating, kingly, but not evil either. He warns Odysseus of the gods' will and of fate, which always realizes itself in mythology. In Thunder Bringer, he's fine. His lustful and flighty side is shown, but we could interpret his intervention as avenging Helios and punishing the ones who ate the cows, instead of "Zeus is evil". But in God Games ? He's so pettyyyyy and childish. Where is the kingly attitude ? This "Beast Zeus" should come against Kronos or Typhon, or maybe when Athena and the others threatened his position. Not after a freaking game ! He just strikes Athena with thunder because she won fair and square. At LEAST Luke Holt absolutely killed it, so it's cool to listen to.

Penelope : she's underdeveloped :( . Okay, her bond with Odysseus was respected, they're adorable together. On her own ? Eh, she's fine. Which is a shame because she simply didn't have enough room to exist outside of Odysseus. Also, the fact that she doesn't interact once with her son is criminal imo.

I do have some other issues with characters like Circe and Calypso (basically they're declawed compared to the Odyssey), whereas I'm completely fine with others like Eurylochus, Telemachus or every god except Zeus and Poseidon. Though they're not perfectly accurate either but I don't have problems with them.

The crew in general is also underdeveloped, so I didn't feel much for them (until discovering the scrapped Elpenor and Perimedes songs/lh). They played their roles correctly.

I hated the suitors (that's a positive in Epic) and laughed when Antinous died. Though I wished they were more pathetic and less threatening. Musically it'd be worse but story-wise more fitting.

The story

Overall, it's fine. Most of the best points come from the Odyssey itself, the one change I liked the most was having Odysseus and Poseidon meet (not the way it ended though).

Also, story-wise, I prefer act 1 over act 2, because it's less over the place and more grounded.

But emotion-wise and music-wise, forgetting about the Odyssey, act 2 wins the cake.

Those were my thoughts on Epic :3

I tried not to judge it too much according to the Odyssey and some of my friends are more demanding on that plan (for perfectly legitimate reasons btw). But it's hard to separate Epic from the wonderful work of Homer and it's lacking in some areas.

Still, this journey was very fun, I love all the passion Jorge, the singers and the animatic artists put in, there are a lot of good things about it (I can't mention everything). I don't want to rate it because it's too rigid of a system. I listen to the songs on loop and, ultimately, I'm thankful Epic exists :)

I may come back to this post and reblog stuff if I have new relevant thoughts to add. I'll probably rank the sagas in another post.

[gothamite-rambler]

Nightwing and Control Freak being frenemies

Context: Control Freak has mellowed out in the villain game, he does a lot of team ups and messing around, but when you reach a certain age of villainy you get bored. Nightwing is oddly one of the few heroes he likes in a frenemy way.

Nightwing and Control Freak stand on the sidelines as the other Titans engage in battle, their attention half on the fray and half on each other.

Control Freak (furrowing his brow): We should be fighting, right?

Nightwing (crossing his arms, looking unaffected): You're not a threat at the moment.

Control Freak (nervously chuckling): Same to you. So, uh… you want to talk about favorite movies? We might fight over that.

Nightwing (shrugging): Sure, why not? What's the scariest horror movie you've ever watched?

Control Freak (perking up): Good question! "Cabin Fever," the original. A lot of people don’t like that guy's movies, but I'm an Eli Roth fan. They're just insane, hardcore horror flicks.

Nightwing (smirking): So, you’re a fan of Rob Zombie's movies?

Control Freak (shaking his head emphatically): Nope! I could never get into them. It felt like he was forcing the bleak and edgy tone. It’s like, dude, you’re remaking Halloween—chill out.

Nightwing (nodding): I see your point, but I’d argue the first Halloween remake he did wasn’t terrible.

Control Freak (raising a finger): Okay, I’ll give that one a pass. It’s the sequel that felt… like—

Nightwing (interjecting, chuckling): A pizza cutter? All edge and no point.

Control Freak (grinning): Exactly! That's a great observation—I'm definitely using that. "The Devil's Rejects" had that edgy vibe, celebrating the bad guys with zero redeeming qualities. As a villain, I appreciate the praise, but honestly, none of the characters in that film were likable at all.

Nightwing (chuckling, nodding): Right? Not good when I’m rooting for nobody by the time the credits roll.

Control Freak (leaning in, eager): Exactly! I've rambled about my horror movie tastes; your turn. Let me guess: Friday the 13th!

Control Freak chuckled dryly, clearly joking around.

Nightwing (shaking his head): Nah, that stopped being scary after Jason went to Manhattan.

Control Freak (scoffing playfully): Don’t forget space!

Nightwing: True! Then it became enjoyably dumb horror. Honestly, the movie that scares me is "High School Musical." When those movies were out, I was terrified everyone would randomly start singing and dancing, and I’d be the only one who doesn’t know the words.

Nightwing let out a laugh-cackle, and Control Freak nodded in agreement with his perspective.

Control Freak: I respect that—I had to deal with those movies in high school. Gabrielle this, Troy that, dang it Sharpay was the true character to root for.

Nightwing (smirking): You would root for her, I respect that as well. The songs are catchy though.

Control Freak (chuckles): Facts.

Nightwing (leaning against a wall casually): You into musicals? There’s this one about a zombie outbreak where the zombies burst into song.

Control Freak (raising an eyebrow): Give me that title later. But be serious now—what’s the craziest intentional horror movie you’ve seen?

Nightwing (scratching his chin thoughtfully): Honestly, I can't think of anything I watched a long time ago, but "Smile" really got to me.

Control Freak (crossing his arms, nodding seriously): Hmph. We’re not fighting over that—because I freaking love that movie!

Suddenly, Raven slid over to the group after a punch from Jinx. She stood up, glaring at the men.

Raven (exasperated): For the love of—could you two stop chatting and fight?!

Control Freak (putting his hands up defensively): Excuse me, we’re talking, ma’am! Have you seen "Malignant"?

Nightwing (smirking again): Yes! It got awesome in the middle, didn't it?

Control Freak (enthusiastically agreeing): Dude, yes!

Raven (rolling her eyes, frustrated): Don’t mind us—enjoy your conversation about lame horror movies!

Raven stood and stomped off, grumbling to herself.

Control Freak (looking after her, bewildered): No offense, but I thought she'd be into horror movies.

Nightwing (chuckling softly): Nah, she gets nightmares. Just ignore her. So, what did you think was the best scene in "Malignant"?

Control Freak (grinning broadly): This is going to be a long talk because if we’re diving into favorite horror scenes, we really need to discuss the wild stuff in "Smile."

Beast Boy smiled, watching the two men engaged in conversation.

Beast Boy (with a big grin): That’s nice to see.

Raven (calling from a distance): Beast Boy!

Beast Boy (startled): I'M COMING, BABE!