#vs. feeling like i will have the point missed and have my tone nitpicked and not end up heard

[lightkrets312]

today's brain study term of the day is "cognitive dissonance"

[lizacstuff]

Sen Çal Kapımı episode 47 asks

Below the read more find asks and answers about episode 47, the fragman for 48 and other miscellaneous things.

(UNDER THE CUT)

Anonymous asked: Hi! I hope you are enjoying your vacation. I remember you mentioned you would be traveling. What were your thoughts on the epi? I think this was one episode where everything was happy! No big problems. The truth about Kemal being Serkan's dad could have been dramatic but Ayse and team wrote it like a romcom. I'm not really feeling the Deniz being the saviour of Artlife like they are portraying in the fragmans but I'll wait for the next epi to make a judgement.

Thank you. Once again, I though the whole episode was a really easy watch and I enjoyed every minute.  

I really appreciate the tone this season, even something as series as Serkan’s parentage is played lightly, as you say very much rom com, and not full of heavy melodrama (as it would have been if explored during the 30s). This is exactly the tone and feel of this show that I want.  

Serkan’s reaction was predictable, but it was also clear that he just needed time to adjust and settle down and he’ll come around. I like that. 

I don’t have time this week to do full episode thoughts, but I enjoyed Serkan and Eda’s morning after conversation. Hilarious that he’d removed all the sharp objects from the room. Loved that after all of Eda’s fear-fueled reticence, once she decided to take the plunge with him, she was all in. Eda admitting that she’d been unbalanced and had been at fault for hiding Kiraz,--and acknowledging that Serkan had been fighting for them and now she wanted to as well-- was very nice. After running a bit hot and cold, Serkan deserved to hear that.  

lolo-deli asked: Hard to believe we didn't get a reconciliation scene in 47... Nobody expected sex but we couldn't even get a hug or kiss when they made up? "I want to see that tattoo" was not the romantic reunion I was hoping for. Were you at all disappointed?

IMO, we did see the important part of the reconciliation, and that was the conversation. Sure, I think we should have seen Serkan and Eda kiss in the last episode. If I were in charge we would have, but I don’t think the story actually loses anything because it’s not a mystery what happened.   

Clearly, he says the tattoo line and they jump each other, make their way to the bedroom, have sex, but don’t really communicate until the morning when she wakes up, and that’s where the show picks up and we get to see those first important moments. 

If you’re looking for romance, then I would point to everything that led up to that tattoo line in 46. That entire episode (and the one before it) was their romantic reconciliation. Moments alone where he takes in her scent and whispers how much he’s missed her, waking up in bed together when they just automatically gravitate to one another, the moments of pretending to be married that were very comedic, but also very soft and romantic (What’s your greatest passion, what’s the first line you ever said to one another), the heartfelt conversation on the bench, the actual tattoo conversation at dinner. That’s the romantic reunion. Yes, if they had just reunited after years (like in episode 40) right before the tattoo line, I  would have needed more romance, but we’ve had 7 episodes of them working their way back to one another. Everything was primed, all they needed was to light the match.  IMO that line did the trick. 

So, am I disappointed? No. I’m happy to go with the flow and enjoy every minute of what they do give us in these last few episodes. I choose not to get tied up in what I wish would happen vs what actually happens. I find I don’t enjoy any show when I put the onus on the show to conform to my wishes. 

Some might be disappointed, that’s their choice, (and make no mistake, it is a choice) but that’s not how I’m approaching this second season which is serving up so much romance, comedy, and domestic family goodness. I suffered through the 30s so I could get to this, I’m not going to waste any of it being disappointed.

Anonymous asked: Idk why this proposal was the most emotional out of them all for me. Perhaps with the other ones I just KNEW the other shoe had to drop because they couldn't let them get happily married this early and this time I knew it was finally it. Or maybe it was the fact that knowing they're married means the show really is ending soon, but I was a blubbering mess lol. Sure there's drama ahead, but it's definitely not a plane crash and memory loss or a "fake" Selin pregnancy!

Yes! Thank goodness we don’t have any of that nonsense waiting for us.  They are really going to be married. 

I enjoyed this proposal very much, it was so sweet the way he planned everything out and had everyone helping, while Eda (and even sort of the audience) was in the dark about what was really going on there.  

For me, as far as the words spoken, nothing really tops his speech to her in 27, but the great thing is that we get them all and this was special in it’s own right because he really surprised her and swept her off her feet this time around.  I loved it!

Anonymous asked: So I am confused about Serkan’s ability to have kids- it’s not a problem now? If him being infertile was only temporary, why did he say it was impossible to have kids and it was a part of why he left Eda in the first place so she could have it somewhere else? They could’ve just waited a couple years to have kids then...? I know he also left her cause he was scared of dying but they really made his reaction seem like he’d NEVER be able to have kids

My assumption is that since they were able to have Kiraz, they know it’s possible, so even if it won’t be easy (and fertility is usually not a hard yes/ no line... mostly it’s a measure of how likely it is) they are choosing to believe they will be able to conceive again.  

If you’re looking to change what his assumptions were when they first broke up and he thought he was unable to have kids (and that there was a 70% chance the cancer would come back) and deciding he should have made different decisions based on the fact that he was able to father Kiraz... to be blunt you’re looking at it the wrong way. 

At that time, he thought he would never be able to have kids. Full stop.  The fact that wasn’t necessarily true doesn’t change what he believed at the time. 

Anonymous asked: serkan being the overly protective, worrying, affectionate baba is EXACTLY what i imagined, as i'm sure everyone else did. who else would worry about the pH balance of the soap at their daughter's preschool?! serkan thinking his angel can do no wrong.. of course it was all can's plan to hide them in the bathroom lmao. i hope, and with how this season is going i think we'll get it, we get to see this serkan in action when eda is pregnant too.. even if we just see a couple minutes of it!

YES! I loved overly protective Serkan. Thankfully, for Kiraz’s sake he has Eda (who might be a bit too far the other way) to balance him out.   I agree that it was hilarious how he was trying to blame sweet Can.�� Even without seeing what happened, I’m pretty sure anyone else who had spent two minutes with those kids would figure out who the instigator was.  When rabble rousing is going on, I think it’s fair to point to the offspring of Serkan Bolat and Eda Yildiz as the cause, lmao.

It would be great it we got to see glimpses of Serkan as an expectant father and also the father of a newborn.  I would love that.

Anonymous asked: I see that the "Nitpick of the Week" as I'm calling it, this week is where Serkan proposed. Because Serkan Bolat would neeeeever propose in a "parking lot" .. am I the only one seeing that it's not even a parking lot, it's a road. Like if it is a parking lot where are the other cars then lol?! Putting aside that he's proposing outside their literal wedding venue, their entire story started in a parking lot. He told her he loved her for the first time on the side of a road. I'm not understanding.

You make great points!  Their love story did start in a parking lot AND he was trying to pull off both a surprise proposal and a surprise wedding in one day’s notice. Since we’ve already seen a proposal on a plane, a proposal at a piano bar and a proposal at their place of work, I don’t really have the energy to join the discontented masses on twitter and nitpick the location of this proposal. He could have proposed in front of a landfill and I would have been delighted. 

Anonymous asked: I'm sorry if you don't find it as funny, but people's reaction to this new fragman is so exaggerated like they're about to witness Indecent Proposal dizi-edition that I literally couldn't help but find it hilarious. Like no where is it ever implied that Deniz is offering Serkan SEX, but when Eda says "just do what you have to" somehow that's the first thing everyone thought of?! Not to mention we know this is Deniz's last ep.. the dramatic reactions really have me dying lmao.

OMG! I know. So this is a show that doesn’t show sex, Serkan didn’t sleep with the woman he thought was his girlfriend during amnesia, Serkan and Eda were both celibate for 5 years, but suddenly they’re gonna have newly-married Serkan go to the edge width Deniz?!?!?!  Those people on twitter lost their damn minds.  

On Saturday, I was on vacation and had just popped in to see if the new fragman was released, I was happy to nope right out of there when I saw the insanely melodramatic overreaction to the fragman. 

It’s obvious that since the biggest issue between Eda and Serkan is Eda’s fear that Serkan will always prioritize work over her, as he did on their first wedding day, this story is to show that Serkan will 100% choose Eda over work and Art Life.  Also I’m sure the episode will have the same tone as the rest of the season, which is light and comedic.  

Anonymous asked: sometimes I go back to episode 28 and still can't believe they got that bathtub + shower scene in there with the rtuk guidelines. I've watched a couple more romcoms since starting SCK and have never seen anything close to that. I know they got fined afterwards but they were really like "screw it, we're going it for anyway" 😂

It’s interesting that the production company and network went for it there. But as you say they did get fined, so they didn’t get away with anything.  

[thegirlwholied]

SW anon - So I have tried to watch the whole thing before but I could never really get past the start. I watched ep IV a few years back (and in 2018 I watched it while it playing with a live orchestra which really enhanced the experience) and ofc I’ve known most of what happens bc my mom and brother have been fans of it (and ofc all the references to it in shows and it being everywhere) but the thing about the original trilogy that I found difficult to watch was very much the acting being off

Gov SW anon continued - but I think I’m gonna watch the clone wars show next as I feel like the general universe and people speak to me more than the skywalker and co. story speaks to me. But I’ll probably try and get back to the prequels afterwards (at least just to have seen them) but also bc I’ve been on tumblr for so long and I’ve encountered so much about the new movies with Finn, Poe and rey (I already know I don’t like kylo) that I’m interested to see what comes before that

Seeing Ep IV with a live orchestra sounds fantastic as the music is incredible. <3

I must admit I haven’t gotten properly into the Clone Wars show! I’ve tried, & did jump in to (and enjoy) the finale ~ and certain Mandalorian episodes strongly remind me of the show’s tone ~ but it has yet to hit me right in the place where I care. What I appreciate about it & what it’s brought into the Star Wars universe is still on a more distant level, not visceral. 

I most love that The Mandalorian is truly exploring & taking advantage of the wider Star Wars universe beyond Skywalker & co. (but boy do I also love Skywalker & co.) There is an exciting amount of potential in the newly-announced projects too I love characters outside of a universe’s main chosen-one story. In 6th grade, I was obsessed with the X-Wing book series, which were definitely really marketed toward adult guys but whoops, I had found the deep Star Wars section of the library! And the first line of that series, introducing the main character, is “You’re good, but you’re no Luke Skywalker.” And in a way, that’s the Mandalorian too, to the audience if not himself ~ good, but no Luke Skywalker. Not a Jedi, not meant to bring balance to the Force, a sidestory in the main universe’s struggle.  I (from what I’ve seen/know of) get the impression that’s how Ahsoka sees herself ~ ‘you’re good, but you’re no Anakin Skywalker’. 

Of course, for that contrast to work, first you need a Luke Skywalker.

it’s interesting you mention OT acting feeling off as I would use that exact word to describe how I feel about the acting in some episodes of The Mandalorian. In some I love it! Other times... I hesitate to say ‘like a video game’ as I mean no insult to the well-developed video game characters out there but yeah, it hits me like the actor’s aware they’re essentially in a live-action video game cut scene.

But. I truly love the acting in the original trilogy! ...but also as I type this I’m watching a movie from 1944 and acting style certainly varies by decade, & mileage varies as to personal taste... but also I will never be objective about Star Wars which I have loved since I was six... but also I studied film history in college and firmly believe Star Wars, the original trilogy is just objectively good if not quite everybody’s cup of tea (...okay maybe Return of the Jedi is not quite as objectively good, but I still love it so much and given the work it had to do wrapping up the original trilogy, hey, it did its job successfully and with Ewoks). 

I love the twinkling, wry humor & also gravitas of Alec Guinness. There’s that sense of amusement as he talks to Han, as he waves off the storm troopers, and even in the “let go, Luke”... but always the right weight in the right moments imho

Luke & Han particularly can both be petulant in different ways, & they’re all quippy & brash & even cavalier at times in what in context ~ especially when you rewatch A New Hope right after Rogue One ~ in Very Serious Situations! and I love them for it. 

Carrie Fisher’s accent does shift in the one scene (which I have never minded and definitely went around as a kid trying to say ‘Governor Tarkin’ exactly the way she does), and young Mark Hamill’s Luke can be Dramatic & the Most Petulant but understandably (& prettily) so, and... yeah I probably could muster a criticism for Harrison Ford but also I *can’t*! There are some ridiculous Han Solo moments in Return of the Jedi especially, but also I love him/them/just about every choice these movies made. They just hit on magic.

The magic’s there for me from the music swelling as Luke looks yearningly into the twin suns (the cinematography!), but where it really hits is the up-and-running chemistry between all three of the main actors starting the “Luke, we’re gonna have company” scene, and then, boom, it’s the garbage chute, it’s the you’re-braver-than-I-thought/he-certainly-has-courage, for-luck, here-they-come of it all and the movie is flying. 

...and I will never forgive the sequels for, avoiding spoilers as it sounds like you’re familiar but haven’t seen them, not giving us any true interaction scenes between Rey & Finn & Poe all together until the 3rd movie. While I still so appreciated finally getting that & what we got, for me it was just not just too little but too late. I love the casting & acting for all 3 of those characters, but while fandom’s taken and run with the combination, and they had plenty of chemistry... it should have been up-and-running so much sooner. 

And the prequels just... well, even seeing them in theaters at a susceptible age, the Lord of the Rings movies were coming out at the same time and that did them no favors in comparison. As someone who judges movies above all on dialogue, that... also did them no favors. (Beyond the OT I may have a Nontraditional ranking of Star Wars movies). 

The short version of my prequels & sequels take is that both missed that cinematic magic for me, outside of certain scenes, though I still enjoy them as part of The Whole Thing That Is Star Wars Which I Love. Rogue One had that magic; I know and see the criticism of the early editing & introduction-of-Jyn’s-background-and-Krennic-and-Galen scene, but, to me, that movie is perfect. Solo was solid - maybe not magic, but reliably enjoyable, and I’ve been meaning to rewatch. The prequels & sequels... the lows are very low and the highs are very high, in terms of how they hit me. 

I feel like I’d probably sum them up as Prequels: Good Star Wars, Bad Movies, and Sequels: Good Movies, Bad Star Wars, which may seem a little harsh or too kind on one side or another but gets at my take at the worldbuilding vs. just the cinema of it all. The bread scene in Force Awakens, the salt planet in Last Jedi, the dyad-duel-in-dual-locations in Rise of Skywalker? Gorgeous. Individual scenes’ acting & dialogue is sound for me. And yet. All three sequels’ choices in respect to the entire Star Wars universe and existing characters AND its new characters? ...Tonally inconsistent with each other *and* ultimately with the themes of the OT. Whereas the prequels did so much worldbuilding, and its politics, and I’ll see gifs and think ‘yes actually, is it better than I remember?’... and then I’ll catch one on TV & it’s the Padme & Anakin romance or even Anakin & Obi-Wan’s buddy scene dialogue at the beginning of Rise of Skywalker and the answer will come, clearly: “noooooooooooooooo.”

(...this got long. Which I tend to do when I care, about fiction in any form, and with the prequels/sequels: the ingredients were there to be magic. And just-misses are more frustrating than swing-and-misses. A la, you won’t find me complaining about the Star Wars Holiday Special!) 

(...OK so I haven’t seen all of the Star Wars Holiday Special, and I’m sort of aiming to watch it through this holiday season, since what other year than 2020 seems more appropriate? So I won’t promise not to complain about the Holiday Special but I mostly expect to laugh at it.)

(That said I found the Lego Star Wars Holiday Special an absolute, surprising, laugh-out-loud delight; 9/10 would recommend & yes, 1 point deduction as I will nitpick character consistency even when they are Legos.)

[gretchensinister]

So I watched Color Out of Space yesterday because I thought it would be bad and batshit and something that would serve as good knitting background.

Only it wasn’t bad.

(Still batshit and still good knitting background though.)

I don’t really know where to start talking about this but since I’m doing this for free, I’m going to talk about eggs benedict first. I love eggs benedict. If you don’t know what it is, the standard is an English muffin, with Canadian bacon on top of it, with a poached egg on top of that, and the whole thing topped with hollandaise sauce.

I can poach an egg sort of successfully most of the time. But my standard grocery shopping doesn’t include English muffins or Canadian bacon, and making hollandaise is a whole thing with raw egg yolks and either getting your blender dirty or whisking until your arm falls off and like…if I have enough time to make a breakfast of more than one step for myself (or if I feel like having breakfast for dinner) I’m also probably trying to chill that day. Also I’m already poaching a couple of eggs and that’s where the anxiety has to go.

So when I want eggs benedict at home, it’s going to be made with: whatever kind of bread thing I have, topped with whatever kind of meat I have in the fridge (I have used a sliced-up hot dog for this), topped with a poached egg, topped with not hollandaise, but something that will work for the purpose, made by stirring up mayo with lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper. I’ve never been disappointed with my results, maybe because I’m a gremlin? I wouldn’t serve any of this business to a chef, but I don’t make this to serve to a chef, I make this to eat it.

Maybe that will help you understand what I’m feeling about Color Out of Space. Some spoilers below.

In the first half-hour or so of the movie, I was flip-flopping about whether the movie was “self-aware” or not. Like, is the weirdness unintentional? Should I wince with secondhand embarrassment at the filmmakers?

I think the answer is firmly NO to these two questions. In fact, I think that the filmmakers were WILDLY SUCCESSFUL in what they intended to do.

There were several different things that convinced me that they were doing whatever they were doing on purpose, including all their deviations from the H.P. Lovecraft story the movie is based on.

1. Right at the beginning, there’s a bit of flirting between the hydrologist and the daughter of the family that lives on the farm where the meteorite will soon land. Yeah it’s heterosexual nonsense, BUT. The hydrologist is Black and the daughter is white. H.P. Lovecraft’s head is suitably exploded, now we can do whatever we want.

2. The dinner scene with the family where there’s a short conversation about how the daughter is always wanting fast food. Now, in context this is just to establish that she’s missing living in the city vs. in the middle of nowhere. But importantly, she’s the first character we see in the movie and so is kind of our gateway into this situation. And she doesn’t want the home-cooked meal, she wants the fast food, even after her mother points out the questionable ingredients. “I know,” she says. “But it tastes like heaven.” Sometimes you want fast food even though you know very well that it’s not gourmet. Not every horror movie has to be a perfectly balanced tour-de-force of suspense, mystery, and social commentary. You can relax. Come into the movie.

3. The first creepy phone call. The hydrologist is at his survey camp (? IDK why he was outdoors at night in this scene actually, mumble mumble fieldwork?) and he gets a garbled, static-filled phone call on what is obviously a modern smartphone. But when he disconnects, there is the clear sound of a DIAL TONE. To me, this is too bizarre to be an accident, especially because there are a number of other phone calls and disconnections in the movie, and none of them end with a dial tone. I think the filmmakers do know what it’s like to use a phone. (Though there is a scene where the daughter is trying to call 911 and tells her father in a panic that she can’t get a dial tone. IDK what that’s about. A genuine error? A moment that might as well have a label that says “nitpickers take pot shots here”?) Back to the hydrologist. At this moment, as a viewer, I’m still thrown off by the dial tone. It’s nonsense, and that makes it a “bad movie” marker, I guess, but someone had to decide to put the sound in. It couldn’t have happened carelessly. And then the hydrologist has to block a glare of light. He uses the book he’s been reading, which is “The Willows” by Algernon Blackwood—which was one of Lovecraft’s favorite supernatural stories. It’s very clear to the audience—not a lingering shot, but still something that’s not supposed to be an Easter egg.

And this is where I say, okay. The filmmakers know their source material. They know their audience. No one in the movie is winking at the camera, and the movie is yes, kind of funky, but it’s not made in a careless way or in a way that you feel that the filmmakers are inviting laughter. It’s horror—and believe me, they’ve got some practical effects in this one are truly ghastly—but it’s horror that exists very clearly in its genre and feels playful because of that.

Three things that show that playfulness to me: the name of the hippie squatter’s cat. The cat is named G-spot, which, in the movie itself is explained as an immature joke “a pussy named—” but even as I was groaning and thinking “that’s a terrible name for a cat” the part of my brain that knows more about Lovecraft than I care to is like, “but not the WORST name for a cat!” and I don’t know if the filmmakers expected anyone to be like “well at least the cat isn’t named ———” but that was part of my reaction.

The casting of Nicholas Cage. Nicholas Cage is/was kind of a meme on his own, and in this movie he plays the dad of the family that lives in the house the meteor lands by. And at a certain point in the movie, his accent goes a little weird and he starts acting more like the stereotypical asshole horror movie dad. I dismissed this as just a disappointment at first, like, this is bad acting and bad acting choices and bad writing happening to move the plot. But then he switches back to his previous established character, and after it happened again I realized that this was happening because of the alien color messing with his mind! Even after accepting that the movie was being purposeful, I was still caught up in the idea of Cage as a bad actor and the movie as a bad movie that I was fooled into missing the first signs of alien mind control! That’s meta.

The kid going full creepy child like, immediately after the meteor hit. Obsessive drawing, staring off into space, invisible friends, the works. But it’s not even a main thing. We never even get a full good look at what he’s drawing. There’s no scene where either parent stops and dramatically stares at it and we wonder “oooooh is it really real?” It’s definitely real and it’s causing worse problems by the minute. The kid has gone full creepy child, but there is OTHER SHIT that is ALSO URGENT. It amused me to have this trope be present but not central.

What else do I want to say? Overall this movie had very little downtime. It didn’t waste a bunch of time with people denying that anything weird was going on, or trying to make the viewer wonder if all this was real. It’s real and it’s fucking up your alpacas! The movie assumes that viewers know “The Colour Out of Space” and doesn’t tease us with any “what-is-happening-if-anything” tension. Of course it’s happening. Show us what we came to see.

I think what made it successful for me were the same kinds of things that make good fanfiction successful, which only makes sense as it is essentially a “The Color Out of Space” modern AU. The willingness to play with tropes, the assumption of viewer familiarity with the source, etc.

The effects were used judiciously, and if some of it just seemed like a light filter or two I have to say I don’t really care.

And I think that’s all for now. Oh, except that I want to mention, only the Black guy lived. The hydrologist was the one to narrate the opening and the closing, the only voice that spoke any words from the original short story. Whaddaya know.

[shoujocentral]

Symphogear S1- Now this is MY kind of anime!

Every once and awhile when I'd log onto Twitter, I'd see people saying "watch Symphogear" accompanied by images from the show. From looking at the pictures, I assumed it was just another magical girl show like Precure but with less magic and more... techno. Oh, and apparently they sing while they fight? Sounds kinda dumb...

Buuuut... I have heard that there's some yuri content? Maybe I'll give it a try. I mean, I'm always open to watching new stuff, even if it's just a silly little kid's show 😅

😳

Well........ color me hooked.

I have to say, this show is not at all what I was expecting in the best possible way. It feels a lot more like a Shounen action show along the lines of Fullmetal Alchemist or Neon Genesis Evangelion than a Magical Girl show (if that's even what it's supposed to be). Today, I'm going to be giving my first impressions of Senki Zesshou Symphogear season 1, which will be spoiler free for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.

Plot:

So what is Senki Zesshou Symphogear about?

In the not too distant future (next Sunday A.D.), Japan is under attack by monsters known as Noises, the likes of which cannot be killed by military weapons. The only thing that can kill them are girls clad in weaponized armor known as Gears, which is activated and powered by singing catchy techno-pop music.

One day, a girl named Hibiki Tachibana is caught in the middle of a battle, and one of the Gear users, Kanade Amou, sacrifices herself to save her. Two years later, Hibiki discovers that a piece of Kanade's Gear was embedded in her chest during the fight, giving her access to the Gear's powers. Hibiki is recruited by the Disaster Relief Squadron, the organization that created the Gears, to help defend Japan from the Noises.

However, Kanade's former girlfriend partner, Tsubasa Kazanari, sees Hibiki as nothing more than an obnoxious, naive girl trying to be Kanade's replacement. Will the two learn to work together, defeat the Noises, and possibly uncover a deeper plot to all the attacks?

Symphogear's plot might not be the most original thing ever; evil monsters attack, teenage girls transform into superpowered warriors to fight them, evil mastermind tries to take over the world, etc. But what makes this story stand out is it's unique approach to the fights. Having the Gears be powered by music, resulting in every fight being accompanied by a song, is either a genius way to amplify the fights, or a genius way for the producers to sell a techno soundtrack.

I was worried that the constant use of insert songs would become repetitive and annoying, but on the contrary, they heightened my enjoyment! The fights in Symphogear are easily my favorite part of the show: fast-paced, badass powers, lots of screaming, and downright brutal at times! Hibiki has officially joined the ranks of my all-time favorite battle cries, right up there with Goku from DBZ and Souma from Kannazuki no Miko.

If there was one thing I had to nitpick, it would be that most of the fights take away the credibility of the Noises. They're supposed to be this terrifying threat to Japan that can't be harmed by the military, but as soon as the Gear wielders show up, they're reduced to nothing more than cannon fodder as Hibiki and her comrades seem to waltz through them without breaking a sweat.

Thankfully, the versus matches between Gear wielders are much more balanced. My favorite has to be Hibiki vs Chris (see above), but then again, any fight with Chris is an absolute win!

Characters:

Hibiki Tachibana

Hibiki is your typical genki girl protagonist: optimistic, hyperactive, naive, and pure. What makes her a more compelling hero, however, is her slow growth into becoming a strong Gear wielder. Unlike most magical girl protagonists, who seem to master their powers after one line of "EH?! What just happened to me?!", Hibiki takes time to learn how to fight. She starts out with the mindset that she has to be Kanade's replacement and thus tries to fight just like her. However, she eventually comes to invent her own battle tactics that work much more in her favor. Mainly, punching the everloving shit out of everything in sight.

Hibiki is, in my opinion, a flat character done right. She doesn't go through any personal growth or development throughout the show (learning to fight doesn't count), but her belief that all humans can get along if they communicate and desire to protect people just because she wants to is the cause for most of the change in the people around her. The world is in a dark place, and Hibiki is the light. She doesn't need to change, because she's exactly what the world needs.

Tsubasa Kazanari

From what I've learned, Tsubasa is a favorite amongst Symphogear fans. Me personally, though, I have a few issues with her character. Now, I have nothing against brooding, damaged characters. In fact, Tsubasa's recovery from Kanade's death and learning to cherish her own life was incredibly engaging... for the most part. Sorry, but I can only take so much edge. Her constant repitition of "I am a sword, I exist only to fight" grew old after the first 10 or so times.

Also, while I love her overall development, I feel that her acceptance of Hibiki was a little rushed. For the first four episodes, she hates Hibiki for carrying Kanade's Gear to the point where she tries to fight her to the death. Then, after another fight sends her into a coma, she has a (extremely gay) hallucination of Kanade telling her to get over herself. Next episode, she's treating Hibiki as if they've been friends the whole time. Did I miss something? Did Hibiki even apologize for saying she wanted to replace Kanade? Did Tsubasa apologize for trying to shishkabob her?!

Development aside, her fighting style is awesome and unique, and leads to the best choreography in the show. Hopefully as I watch more seasons, my opinion of her will improve.

Chris Yukine

Best Girl. No questions. Anyone who disagrees is wrong. Deal with it.

Jokes aside, Chris is my favorite character of the show bar none. Maybe I just have a weakness for evil-turned-good characters, but I adored her "don't take no shit from nobody" attitude and her soft side emerging as the show progressed. And let me tell you, Tsubasa would have no right to brood if she knew what Chris went through as a child. I won't give anything away, but just a few brief images and harsh words were enough get the picture across and tug at my heartstrings.

She also had my favorite Gear and fighting style in the show. If there's one thing that always gets my blood pumping, it's gatling guns and an endless supply of missiles. Seriously, I could watch this girl fight for hours.

Kanade Amou

A moment of silence, ladies and gentlemen.

......

Kanade would be my favorite character if we had gotten more of her. But alas, she has to die in the very first episode. DAMN YOU, PLOT!!!

Even though we get very little of Kanade, she makes it her mission to leave a lasting impression. Her sacrifice at the beginning sets the tone for the rest of the show, and her flashback is the best of the bunch. I got hard chills when she transformed for the first time. Let's just say she's psychotic in all the right ways.

Kanade died for our sins. Remember that... 🙏

Finé

Our main villain of the show. That's it. There's really nothing much else to her. She's cruel, manipulative, and powerful beyond belief, as most big bosses of these kinds of shows are. She was honestly my least favorite part of the show.

Fine's motivation is incredibly confusing on first watch. I had to go back to pause and read the subtitles multiple times to understand her backstory, but maybe that's my fault for being a slow reader. On the other hand, the explanation as to who she is and why she's so powerful comes right out of nowhere and doesn't seem to connect to anything the story had been building up to that point. Also, by the time I understood her motivation and actually found it a little intriguing, she dropped the dreaded "I'm going to take over the world" line. Aaaaand.... all my interest just went out the window.

There is a twist involving her connection to a certain other character in the show that I genuinely didn't see coming, but in the end, it wasn't nearly enough to make up for her shortcomings.

Miku Kohinata

God bless this little angel. Miku is a precious cinnamon roll who must be protected at all costs. Thankfully, Hibiki's got it covered 👍

Words cannot express how much I love this girl. She may be only a supporting role for the time being, but good lord, does she support! It always broke my heart whenever she tried to spend time with Hibiki or talk to her, but the Disaster Relief Squad kept pulling them apart. I know DRS is classified, but Miku deserves better than to have secrets kept from her! Life sucks when your girlfriend best friend is a superhero...

Well, that was a mouthful. There's a lot more characters in this show, but I don't really have much to say about them. However, while we're on the subject of Miku, let's move on to the reason I checked this show out in the first place, and the reason I'm sure most of you read my stuff.

Yuri:

No sooner did I finish this show did I start looking up HibiMiku fanart 😍

I was expecting a fair dosage of yuribait going into Symphogear, but mother of all that is gay, did I get an overdose!

First and foremost, the main ship: HibiMiku. These two are dating. Nothing anyone says will change my mind. They compliment each other perfectly, with Hibiki's energy and Miku's sweetness... HHNNNGGH! IT'S TOO PRECIOUS! I sincerely hope these two get more time together in the next few seasons. Now if only they'd stop with the damn F word...... 😡

Next up, TsubaKana. This one seems more like it was one-sided feelings on Tsubasa's part, judging by how dedicated Kanade was to fighting the Noise. Regardless, you don't just lose all sense of your humanity and self-worth after your "partner" dies. And all that hardcore blushing in the flashbacks and naked cuddling dream sequences... nah, Tsubasa was hella hot for Kanade. Sadly, our lord and savior was taken from Ms. Brooding too soon.

Finally, there's Ryoko Sakurai, the DRS's head scientist. She was initially hinted to be gay, what with her being all too eager to have Hibiki undress and wanting to "pop her cherry" (yes, an adult said that to a 15 year-old). However, after a certain conversation occurred, it seemed more like she was straight or at least bisexual, if all that dirty talk wasn't just teasing.

I've heard future seasons introduce more potential couples, so I'm keeping my eyes open and my yuri goggles on tight 😋

Conclusion:

I enjoyed the first season of Senki Zesshou Symphogear through and through. As someone who enjoyed Akanesasu Shoujo and Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka, I have a soft spot for shows about badass girls kicking monster ass and unleashing their inner yuri. Overall though, I think Symphogear might be my favorite of the bunch so far. It has its fair share of flaws, sure, but I think its positives outweigh the negatives by a long shot. If I got this much enjoyment out of the first season, I cannot wait to see what the following seasons have to offer!

Symphogear delivers a fun, action-packed story with colorful characters, kickass fight scenes, head-banging music and plenty of yuri content. Anyone who loves Magical Girls or Shounen battle shows needs to check it out!

Rating: 8/10

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go binge Symphogear G. See you next time, my fellow yuri lovers!

[rpbetter]

Do you think the psa would be watered down or lose impact if it just said "most rpers" don't like being a meme resource? It's so easy to tweak the language so it works better, idk.

I don't think it would have changed anything at all, as it's the same statement and reads the same.

I'm not trying to be hateful here to you, Anon, by the way, the issue with this PSA is just a really good example of the severe issue tumblr has (everywhere on tumblr, like holy shit, please reference the "color theory" vs blood trails in the children's hospital post for a hilarious yet perfect demonstration) with reading comprehension and presumption - especially when something either irritates the other party or they feel it gives them an opportunity to be educational with a heavy side helping of superiority.

It's unnecessary to say "most rpers" instead of the added statement that "most DON'T" with the reminder to check rules. It's literally the same statement.

Most what? Giant squid? Tea-drinkers?

What is the PSA in reference to? Not giant squid who are tea afficianatos, it's a roleplay PSA about roleplay written by a roleplay help blog.

Ergo, the answer to "most what" is: most roleplayers.

I know there is a term for this in reading comprehension, but my brain is twenty kinds of fried right now, to the point that I just cannot spend time on Google trying out search phrases to find it, I'm sorry. In any case, it's assumptive logic and works a lot like how your brain fills in other obvious factors. Not just in this way! We automate entire words correctly after we've been reading for a while. You know those stupid posts that were popular several years ago where the sentence is missing many letters and some words abruptly, but you read it correctly? That. It's like that.

Before anyone wants to start with the ableism shit again, you know who tends to be exceptionally good at this? People on the ADHD and autism spectrums. So, we'll not be having any of that today, thanks.

This is also not an issue of not understanding tone that makes the sentence what it is. The tone of the post (which I would say is frustration turned informative) has nothing to do with the obvious flow of "most --> what --> rph blog with an rp psa --> roleplayers."

The issue with the tone is that it exists, like the PSAs that get negative commentary here and...everywhere.

Salty didn't say, "uh maybe 👉👈 🥺 if it's not too much trouble could we be careful about not using other muns as meme and aesthetic resources 🥺🥺 it makes them feel bad about themselves and I don't want to make anyone feel bad but it's a bit rude kthx angels."

That's the issue.

Tumblr has shitty reading comprehension and basic deductive reasoning, with an inability to refrain from correcting everyone anyway, but when it's something disagreeable to a tumblr user it's so much worse. Like, you wouldn't pass second grade in my grade school that was actually the worst in a state that is also one of the top five worst for education in the country kind of worse.

The only thing that I think people would have felt worked better was giving them permission to keep doing it in some way. They shouldn't need to put on there that if it's not a problem for the mutual you are reblogging these things from, then, this isn't about you in clearer terms than they did either. If this isn't a problem, it isn't a problem, this isn't your PSA, guys! It's for people who just keep running into this problem, who have it in their rules, have had to speak to multiple mutuals about in the past, or who have mutuals who deal with this problem very often, and they want to put out a reminder that it isn't acceptable.

Like, for the record? Personally, I have it in my RP blogs' rules that I don't want to be used as a resource if we don't interact in any way, but if we're friendly non-writing mutuals or writing partners, I'd rather you reblog it from me because I love to see mutuals interacting with things and do not have a ton of mutuals on any of my blogs to have notifications go missing in the pile. So, I don't even entirely fit into the PSA myself. I have plenty of mutuals who don't want anything reblogged from them except for a thread reply, however, and I don't have to feel the same way they do in order to empathize with their frustration at feeling used.

For me, this PSA is like many PSAs I reblog that I might not have any personal investment in - it comes down to the issue we all face of having our rules, boundaries, preferences, and direct requests ignored because the RPC is total shit at treating others respectfully.

Someone was going to have an issue with that PSA, as absolutely ridiculous as it is to have a problem with that one on a non-controversial and established issue, because it aggressively told them to stop following gratification over reasonably respecting other muns. It would not have mattered how many words one shuffled, omitted, or added. The message is the same, and in the case of adding "rpers" in between "most" and "don't," it's literally the same.

So, no, I don't think it would lose anything or gain anything. I don't think it would clarify or be an improvement. And I don't think it would have mattered to anyone who got upset enough to nitpick it using far too serious for the situation buzz phrases. I was genuinely surprised no one tried to say it was "gaslighting" to be perfectly honest lmao

Anyway, I think you might feel like it would have been a significant difference, though? Maybe you can tell me why you feel that way? If it had said that instead, is there something else about the PSA you still would have taken issue with? Absolutely genuine questions!

[brutcllysoft]

andy vs addie fight ft. @becamedcath

setting: restaurant in nashville, august 2015. 

ANDY

AUGUST, 2015.    Andy hadn’t anticipated their night taking this turn. Truthfully, when Rowan brought up her parents wanting to meet him, he was hesitant -- He’d never been with someone long enough to met the parents, and even if their relationship wasn’t exactly traditional, he was still nervous about it. He wasn’t sure what to expect -- Addie and Henry Fisher were just names and not people to him. Rowan hadn’t spoken to him about them before but never in much detail. Complicated families are nothing new to him -- He hasn’t even tried to tell Rowan anything about his, knowing that the Thane family will send her running for the hills. When he walked into Mary Ann’s diner, hand in hand with Rowan -- He had expected to meet some meek, mild couple from Montana. Things started out nice enough, small talk and the expected shock and judgmental look that comes when he tells them about his career path and the kind of music he makes. It’s clear they’re not that interested in what Rowan’s doing, either -- Something that bothers him more than he cares to admit. He plays nice through drinks and appetizers, mostly for Rowan’s sake, though he doesn’t miss the backhanded comments her mother makes. It makes his blood boil, finding it baffling that someone could look at Rowan, and not see what he sees; not see what Reina sees; not see what the world sees. He’s not sure when it happens, but at some point in the dinner her mother makes a comment -- And Andy snaps. While he had wanted to make a good impression in the beginning, all of his efforts were thrown out the window within seconds, voice raised as he laid into Rowan’s mother.

It makes him feel like he’s in the Twilight Zone, not understanding how the people who raised her couldn’t see her talent, heart, or kindness if it bit them in the ass. He had accepted his own fate with his family, knowing from the get-go that there was no shot in hell for the Thane’s to be anything close to a ‘traditional’ family. But for Rowan? This didn’t add up. He makes a scene without question, making it very clear how he feels about the woman in question, while simultaneously destroying any chance he had of having a quiet night with her and her family. There was an anticipation for guilt to come after, but it never finds him -- He’s happy to defend Rowan to anyone, even after knowing her for only a few short months that she’s something to behold. Tension comes after he’s done, apparently having shocked Addie Fisher into silence. It’s overwhelming, and once it’s over, the realization of what he’s done dawns on him. There’s no regret for it, but a bit of confusion -- Making it clear to Andy that his crush on Rowan wasn’t as small as he tried to pass it off to be.    He excuses himself, not bothering to notice all of the other diner goers who are staring at them, stunned at his outburst -- It’ll probably end up on twitter, TMZ, or some bullshit. All that he wants right now is to get some fresh air, and smoke a cigarette to calm his nerves. Once he has a lit cigarette between his lips, it’s not much of a help, but once he turns to find Rowan exiting the diner -- There’s a certain calm that finds him. “I’m not plannin’ on going in thee for an Act II, in case you're curious.” He greets her, taking another drag of his cigarette.

ROWAN

This dinner had been doomed from the very start. In fact, Rowan had tried to get them out of it more than once but Addie is like a dog with a bone when it comes to Andrew Thane. Even over the phone, it had been clear that Addie didn’t approve and really, Rowan isn’t surprised. Not because of anything that actually has anything to do with Andy but rather just because of who her mother is as a person and how their relationship has progressed over the years. Rowan loves her mother and has been desperately seeking even the smallest amount of approval for years but she seems to fall just short every time. Part of her thinks she could cure cancer and her mother would ask why she hadn’t found a cure for alzehemiers while she was at it. It’s just something she has learned to live with — or at least she tells herself that until she finds herself face to face with Addison and back at square one, grasping at straws for anything.

Now that the night is in progress, doomed doesn’t feel like it adequately covers it. Addie is snippy from the moment she arrives, nitpicking her way through a list of topics — the traffic, the wait time, the food and her favourite, her daughter (and unfortunately for him, Andy’s association with Rowan has also landed him right in Addison’s line of fire). Rowan is used to this. She has learned to roll with the punches and to sift her way through backhanded compliments and thinly veiled insults to find something that doesn’t make her feel like a complete failure. And yeah, maybe when she gets home she’ll shed a few tears but that isn’t anyone’s business but hers, is it? Except the night seems to take a hard left when Andy erupts beside her. Rowan watches the whole thing in a stunned silence, eyes wide and lips pressed together. She’s barely aware of him pushing his way outside until he’s gone and her mother is breaking the silence, a dramatic huff leaving her as she turns on the crocodile tears and begins talking about how rude he is.

Rowan excuses herself only a few seconds later, following Andy outside. It’s been a few weeks since their almost kiss, leaving Rowan feeling like they’re in limbo and part of her isn’t even sure if he’ll even want to see her after that or if he’d rather be alone — or if he’ll even still be there. For all she knows he’d hopped in their car and gotten the hell out of dodge. She wouldn’t blame him, it certainly looks appealing to her. But there he is— shoulders tense, cigarette between his teeth, frustration practically dripping from him. “I wasn’t going to ask you to,” she sighs quietly at his comment, hands raising in faux surrender. “I just wanted to see if you were okay. I told you she could be intense.” Which is a very delicate way of saying it but at the end of the day she’s still her mom, regardless of how fucked up their relationship has become.

ANDY

Andy genuinely wanted to make a good impression on Rowan’s parents. This was foreign territory to him, but for her -- He was willing to try. But now that the night has completely gone to shit, he’s given up on trying to salvage what’s left. It’s clear that Addie and Henry are set in their ways (Addie more so than her husband), happy to live on some planet where Rowan isn’t the center of their universe. It’s bizarre to him that those two people could create someone with such a big heart, but he tries not to dawn on it -- The last thing he needs is to get worked up again and come rushing in with And another thing!. Rowan comes out soon after he does, and truthfully -- He’s not sure what kind of reaction is going to come from her. They may be in this will they, won’t they stage together, and somehow he’s sure that his outburst may end up putting them in the latter. Even if he’d come to her defense, he’d still yelled at her mother in a public place during their first encounter. Not exactly a good first impression.

There’s a wave of calm that comes from the sight of her, even if he’s sure he’s about to get a lecture. “I’m fine,” he answers easily, though his tone makes his frustration far too clear. Pausing, Andy takes another drag of his cigarette before speaking again. “Intense is one way of putting it.” He continues, unable to hide the bitterness that comes with the words. Being put down by a parent was nothing new to him, but he still couldn’t wrap it around his head that Rowan Fisher’s parents were happy to push her buttons any chance they had. Taking another inhale, he spares a glance back in the diner to her mother and father in a hushed conversation, Addie clearly still upset. It makes him want to go back in there and remind her she has no reason to cry, but instead -- He breathes deeply, before tilting his head back to avoid blowing smoke in Rowan’s face. “I’m not goin’ to apologize to her.” He states point blank, knowing that even if Rowan ended up giving him a long lecture about respecting elders or some shit -- Andy stood by everything he said. “I meant all of it, ya know.”

ROWAN

Andy says he’s fine, but everything about him screams the opposite. It’s easy to see that he’s still frustrated and that her mother had gotten under his skin --- she’s not surprised, really. Addie has that effect on people. Her gaze follows his inside, watching as her mother turns on the dramatics and her father encourages the whole thing which is just business as usual. She loves her parents but Christ, being around them can be so exhausting sometimes. If it isn’t Addie’s nitpicking and constant scrutiny then it’s just Henry’s indifference and really she isn’t entirely sure which is worse. Despite herself, a laugh does manage to leave her when Andy says he’s not apologizing, knowing that it wouldn’t change anything. “She wouldn’t accept it anyway. Not really, anyway. You know how they say it’s better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission? There’s not really any point in doin’ either one of those with my mother.” Rowan has long since learned that the hard way. “She loves her grudges.”

She softens when Andy tells her he meant what he said, feeling admiration and affection bloom in her chest. That familiar desire to be close to him kicking in again and she wraps her arms around her middle to keep her hands from reaching out to him, giving him a soft smile and nod. “Thank you.” A stroke of embarrassment creeps up her spine at the fact that he’d had to come to her defense at all, knowing she surely looked like a sad little girl being berated by her mother but she tries not to dwell on it. “You didn’t have to do that, though. We don’t really…” she trails off for a minute, trying to find the right words to string together but ultimately coming up short. “We usually just let her say whatever she needs to get off her chest. S’usually just easier that way.” As fond of her father he has always been passive when it comes to her mother -- spineless even, and Rowan can’t judge them. After all, she’s the same way. “But, hey, at least my sister wasn’t here. Small miracles, right?” She laughs a little, though it’s not full of much humour but she is grateful for the sudden reminder that Aspen isn’t around, sure her sister would have followed them out for round two on the street. “I won’t hold it against you if you make a break for it.”

ANDY

This is still so strange to him, especially how nonchalant Rowan is being. Admittedly, Andy had created a narrative for her parents and what he thought would happen, and this — It still feels like it’s coming out of left field. He understands it, having a complicated relationship with his parents as well — Even if it’s in a vastly different way. It still brought an anger out in him, one that made him want to grab Addison Fisher by the shoulders and scream how do you not understand this? At least he wasn’t out here left to stew. A bitter laugh comes with Rowan’s “explanation” of her mother, eyes rolling at the thought of what her mother’s list of grudges looks like. He’s sure tonight has made the top five, at least. “Somehow, I’m not shocked.” He begins, glancing back inside of the diner before his eyes return to her. “I got a feeling this’ll be the hot topic for her book club for a while.” Andy jokes, wanting to lighten the mood a little now that he’s not moments away from exploding.

His eyes watch as she wraps her arms around her middle, wishing he could pull her close and tuck her head under his chin. Even if he has a crush on her, they’re not those kind of people — Their affection is strictly for cameras, not each other. You didn’t have to do that. He waved away the words with his cigarette hand, giving her a serious look. “I know I didn’t have to. I wanted to.” Andy points out, brow arching as she explains their usual routine. “My dads a lot like that, too.” The words slip out too easily, leaving him feeling like he’s revealed too much — Even with something as simple and vague as that. The last thing he wants is to expose Rowan to anything having to do with the Thane family, even if his father is always happy to make a comment about how stupid and ungrateful his son is to whatever reporter knocks on his door. At the mention of her sister, he lets out a small laugh, taking a quick puff of his cigarette. “I bet I could take ‘er.” He smirks, eyes leaving her as he drops his cigarette butt on the ground and stomps it out with the heel of his boot. Brows furrow as she mentions him making a break for it, and truthfully — If it were anyone else, he would. “And leave you here to deal with that? No way. If I call the car, you’re comin’ with me.”

ROWAN

The mention of this being the topic of his mother’s book club has her letting out another quiet laugh, shrugging her shoulders and rolling her eyes. “More than likely.” Rowan knows that this is something that Addie will hold onto for a long time, making sure to bring it up any time she and Andy are in the same vicinity. But with that thought comes the reminder that they’re in a contract and Andy probably won’t have to be around her parents very often at all over the next few years. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised if she woke up tomorrow morning to a message from Reina saying that Chris and Andy wanted to add that to the contract --- no more time with her parents. “It’ll give her and her friends somethin’ to talk about, at least. There’s not much excitement back home --- pretty sure they spend most of book club talkin’ about how the neighbors grass is more than six inches long so… at least this’ll be a change of pace,” she’s rambling now, trying to avoid a potentially awkward silence between them.

Rowan hates the effect Andy’s words have on her. She hates that him telling her he had wanted to defend her has her wanting to reach for him even more, has her heart feeling like it’s slamming against her ribcage. She’s no stranger to crushes --- Christ, sometimes Rowan thinks she falls in love with anyone who gives her the smallest bit of attention (she tries not to think about what that means in regards to her views on herself), but somehow with Andy it feels different. Which brings on a whole new level of complicated because not only does she feel like she’s falling harder than she usually does this quickly, but they’ve got this added layer to them thanks to their arrangement that makes it nearly impossible to figure out where they actually stand. There is no denying that the last few months have had a shift between them --- flirty comments made behind closed doors, hands lingering on the other a few moments after the cameras are gone, late night phone calls, not to mention the kiss they almost shared on the 4th. It’s confusing to say the very least and while she’d like to think that he’s as into her as she is him, the truth is she’s just never really sure. Especially since their almost kiss hasn’t been brought up that night. It’s something she’s thought about asking him about --- wanting to just lay all the cards on the table and be on the same page but ultimately that fear of rejection keeps her from doing so.

She wants to thank him again but for now refrains, biting her tongue as he carries on. A knowing nod comes when he mentions his dad. It isn’t something that Andy’s ever talked about, but Rowan has certainly seen the comments he’s made on gossip sites before. At least her mother keeps her criticism private. “Parents,” she huffs a little, leaning against the wall of the diner and looking up at Andy. “Who’d keep our egos in check if not for them?” It’s said somewhere between teasing a bitter, leaning more toward the latter but she isn’t looking to go down that particular road right now, knowing it’ll likely only cause him to clam up and push her away. She nods when he mentions being able to take her sister, corners of her lips turning up just a little. “I’m sure. You handled Addison fine, the mini would’ve been a breeze.” Though, admittedly, Aspen can sometimes be worse --- where Addie usually has the sense to keep things relatively quiet and private, Aspen would’ve had no qualm screaming right back in Andy’s face. His next words bring a slight pink tinge to her cheeks, the idea of leaving having never been more appealing than now. Green eyes turn to look inside the restaurant again, lingering there momentarily. “To be honest, she’s probably gonna spend the rest of the night given’ us the silent treatment, if she sticks around. Stormin’ out’s usually her gig, so she’s probably counting down the seconds until we go sit back down and she can do it. So, s’not like we’d be missing anything.”June 8, 2020

ANDY

“I can’t imagine there’s a whole lotta interesting shit happening in -- Wyoming? Montana. It’s Montana, isn’t it?” He replies, stumbling over what state she’s actually from. Eyes roll at the thought of Addison Fisher and her book club discussing the heathen her daughter is dating, but at least it’s something he’ll never have to deal with. It’s clear that Rowan’s parents don’t have any interest in the world he and their daughter live in, uninterested in making any sort of effort to be a piece of it. “At least they’ll lay off poor Bill’s grass for a while.” He jokes, laughing lightly at his own words, knowing this isn’t exactly an ideal conversation to be having. When it comes to his own parents -- He’s as detached as they come, feeling as though they’re just a story to be told rather than actual people only a couple of states away. If Andy were in Rowan’s shoes, he wouldn’t have bothered introducing her to his family, knowing it’d be a wash from the beginning. Admittedly, though -- There’s a voice in the back of his head reminding him that his Ma would love her. There’s a weird twinge in his chest that comes with the passing thought, gone just as quickly as it came. It’s confusing to him -- As much as he never wants to return to his hometown or see his parents, he finds himself thinking of what it would be like to have her see that part of him. The feeling only adds to the tension of the evening, combined with the obvious -- Their dinner with her parents, as well as their close encounter on the 4th of July, he’s become a mess.

Connection is something he doesn’t come by easily -- Andy assumes most people either want something from him or to have a story to tell the next day, but Rowan… It’s different. Part of him feels like he’s just letting himself get in too deep, letting himself make this up in his head and run with it, rather than remind himself that the only reason they even met face to face was because of a business deal. But then he starts wonder where she stands, reminds himself that she had been the one to point out he didn’t know when to make a move when they’d gone shopping weeks prior; that she’d stepped forward and gotten just as close before they were interrupted. Eyes remain on Rowan as she leans against the wall, huffing out the word as if she was about to add amirite? at the end. “You gotta get humbled every now and again,” he jokes along with her, moving to lean his shoulder against the wall, turning to face her. “Sometimes it’s charity work, sometimes it’s gettin’ berated at dinner.” Brow raises at the mention of her sister being a mini version of her mother, and it’s enough to make Andy never want to meet her. If tonight was any preview into what the Fisher family was like, he’d pass. He got the only good one, anyway.

Rowan’s prediction of how her mother will act once they walk back in isn’t all that surprising to him. He figured it’d be a lecture or silence, punishing him, and Rowan by association. The idea of dealing with the theatrics and Addie storming out are less than appealing, enough for him to make a face at the thought. There’s a pause, eyes lingering on Rowan, before Andy speaks again. “Why don’t we get out of here, then?” He suggests, “Might as well give our audience a finale.” He teases, glancing back at the couple inside of the diner. “I don’t think they’ll miss us, either.”

ROWAN

“Montana. We can’t all be from somewhere as exciting as New Orleans,” she confirms with a small nod of her head, a quiet laugh slipping between her lips. Honestly, the most exciting thing to happen in her town before she’d been signed was when they added a stoplight in town back in 2005. She wonders what growing up in New Orleans would’ve been like, what his parents are like. Rowan knows that the chances of her meeting them are slim to none and she can’t blame him for that --- between the disaster that tonight had turned into and the fact that their relationship, for lack of a better term, runs on borrowed time, why would she? The only reason she had introduced him to her parents was because her mother had pushed so hard for it, anyway. Still, she can’t help but want to know him better -- to get to know all of him, including the parts of his life that he keeps to himself. Maybe especially those parts. She can’t deny that there’s a selfish part of her that would like getting to know parts of him that no one else has before, getting to have a version of him that only she knows. Regardless, it isn’t something she’s going to go pushing for --- not right now, anyway. Not when they’re still stuck in this weird limbo where she can barely tell if he actually likes her or if she’s just looking at it all with unjustified hopefulness.

Her gaze tears away from the diner window when he mentions getting out of there, hesitating for a few seconds. It’s appealing in the best ways but she can’t deny that she’s a little afraid of the verbal ass kicking she’ll get from her parents later. Addie will surely leave her a shrill voicemail later, one that will be arguably deserved for skipping out on them, and then ignore her calls until she feels that her daughter has been sufficiently punished. Part of her wonders if it’s worth the stress that will come from it, or if she would be better off just sucking it up and going back and enduring another hour with the two of them. It’s what she would do any other time but something about Andy always has her acting out of the norm, stepping outside of her comfort zone. Her actions are always so carefully planned --- precise lines that she needs to stay within, a script she needs to follow and that isn’t something she has ever ventured out of before. At least, not until last month when she let Andy give her a last minute wardrobe adjustment and now this. It leaves her feeling just a little out of control, something that would normally send her into a tailspin but somehow it just comes with a rush of adrenaline --- the kind that makes her feel like she’s flying, not falling. Like she’s not about to tank her entire career over one misstep or she’s not about to get her heart smashed into a million pieces. Like maybe she could be safe around him. It’s something she tries not to let herself linger on, but when her stomach is twisting and untwisting itself into knots over and over again when they’re together, it’s impossible not to. “Okay.” The word rolls off her tongue with surprising ease, nodding.

It doesn’t take long for the car to roll up in front of them after Andy calls. If she’s being honest, a part of her had expected to back out --- like the second she saw it pull up she’d snap out of whatever spell she’s under and revert herself back to who she usually is and rush back inside to try and apologize and worm her way back into her mother’s good graces. But she doesn’t -- in fact, she doesn’t even really feel guilty about leaving. She barely manages to spare one last glance into the window to see the look on Addison’s face when it becomes clear that they’re leaving --- it’s obvious she’s pissed and part of Rowan can’t help but feel a little bit of vindictive justification over it. Her shoulders slump when the door closes behind them and she feels the vehicle pull away from the curb, relaxing as they leave that particular mess behind. A hand moves to tuck blonde hair behind her ear, turning to look at Andy with slightly flushed cheeks. “I know you said you wanted to but you didn’t have to do that tonight.” She repeats her words from earlier, knowing that it isn’t really needed but she just wants to make sure he knows that it had been appreciated. “No one’s ever really done that before and it ---” she stumbles over her words for a minute, trying to find the right ones to say. “It just means a lot, so thank you. Again.”June 11, 2020

ANDY

The word New Orleans makes his heart jump, even though it’s not a secret that he’s from the city -- Andy tries to keep his family and childhood away from the spotlight, something that remains mysterious and unconfirmed. Mostly, he wants to keep his father out of his life as best he can, never wanting to return to that part of his life. And in Rowan’s case, he never wants her to meet his parents, never wants her to come face to face with his father. Addie can certainly put on a show, but her antics are childsplay compared to what terror his father would be happy to send their way. There’s no way she hasn’t seen the statements his father has made in numerous tabloids, the cruel and venomous story he tries to spin with each and every comment -- It’s never been something he’s openly talked about, only having told Chris about it once or twice. He knows if she knew more than what the tabloids say, if she could see how much worse the real story is, it’d send her running for the hills. Reina, and her legal team would be knocking down his door to get her out of their contract. “It’s not as glamorous as you’d think,” he settles with, shrugging a shoulder. “Better than fuckin’ Montana, I guess.” Andy teases, chuckling lightly at his own words.

It hurts to think of what will come after this dinner. He may never have to see her parents again, but Rowan isn’t cut off from them. He can already imagine that her mother will hold this over her head for as long as she can, happy to remind her daughter of the heathen she brought to dinner and the fight that broke out. Andy knows far too well how that can go, sure his father would be happy to remind him of any shitty thing he’s done if given the chance. Admittedly, he’s a bit shocked that Rowan agreed with him without him pushing the idea. Okay. A brow arches, head nodding. “Okay.” He repeats the word, something of a smile at his lips. He calls his driver, and after a brief conversation about their plans changing -- He’s at the door, holding it open for her to climb in before he follows after. He doesn’t miss the way she slumps the moment the car door is closed, wishing he could pull her close and reassure her that everything was okay. Andy shifts to better face her when she begins to speak, reminding him that he didn’t have to come to her defense. No one’s ever really done that before. There’s a twinge in his chest at her words, anger bubbling all over again over the conversation with her mother. He waves a hand, hoping that his casual demeanor will show her that he has no remorse over what he said, felt no obligation to say it. “Trust me -- S’no problem, baby.” Baby. He hadn’t meant to call her that, but it’s too late to take it back now -- Part of him hopes she doesn’t catch the nickname, hoping he hadn’t crossed a line with her. They may have a certain… something between them, but Andy’s still not convinced that it’s not just all in his head

ROWAN

Something about Andy always seems to make even the most mundane things seem new and exciting. His hand against the small of her back will leave a trail electricity running up her spine, a grin from across the room will have her stomach erupting in butterflies and now the way he calls her baby has her heart slamming against her rib cage. Andy isn’t the first boy to call her baby— in fact, she feels like almost everyone she has dated in the past has done it at least once or twice — but the way it drips off of his lips, sweet and smooth, it’s never sounded so nice; Never made a warmth spread through her like this. Part of her knows that it’s something stupid to get hungup on — just as he isn’t the first boy to say it to her, she’s sure she isn’t the first girl he has said it to and it wouldn’t be illogical to think it’s just a slip of the tongue after hours of pretending to be together rather than something actually meant for her. But within a split second, she can’t help herself.

Rowan doesn’t even realize she’s moving until she feels the curve of his jaw under her palms. Her instincts have kicked in now, acting on something she feels like she’s wanted forever when it’s really only been a few months, moving to pull his head down so she can press her lips against his. Of course, they’ve kissed before — dozens of times when they know there’s a camera around and a voice in their ear tells them it’s a good opportunity. But this is different. All of that had just been for show, something to fulfill their contract and get their picture in a magazine or their names gossiped about around a table on daytime television. They hadn’t been real — but this is. At least, it’s real for Rowan and she tries to make that clear through actions, one hand slipping into his hair as she kisses him until her lungs feel like they’re screaming. It’s only when they break apart that it occurs to her she could have just crossed a very dangerous line and that this could spell disaster for her, but she tries not to dwell on it yet. “You still never learned how to make a move,” she breaths the words out quietly, watching with wide eyes to see if that had been an okay thing to do or if she’s ruined everything.

ANDY

Andy’s called plenty of girls pet names -- Baby, honey, sweetie, whatever would get them to lean in closer and eventually go home with him at the end of the night. It’s never meant anything to him, but with Rowan, he finds himself more aware of the things he says and does. First because of the contract, and eventually from the crush he formed -- She’s not some girl at the other end of the bar, who stayed after a show just to try and fuck a band member. But this is different, everything with Rowan is different. She’s someone he wants to come home to, wants to fall asleep talking on the phone with her -- He wouldn’t go as far as to say he’s in love with her, but the terrifying and exciting part of it, is that he could. It scares him to think that he could see something past contracts and staged paparazzi photos, that he could see them five years from now. The feeling creates knots in his stomach, a shiver down his spine -- Part of him wanting to pull her in and the other wanting to dive roll out of the car.

What happens next throws him for a loop, having expected for them to have another almost moment -- Something like the boutique dressing room, where they’re a little too close for a little too long, hands lingering and words meaning more than they did before. They’re in a strange limbo, one he didn’t see coming back in March. Rowan Fisher was the last person he ever imagined himself yearning for, yet here they were -- He’d spent the entire night listing all of the things he’d come to love about her to her mother, practically creating a neon sign that says I’m into you. And yet, he hadn’t expected her to kiss him. There’s an initial shock that follows, having him frozen in place for a second before he’s leaning into it. This isn’t new -- They’ve become masters of PDA, never sparing a moment to be disgustingly in love for the cameras. He knows this isn’t anything like that, this is… genuine. There’s no cameras following them, no quotes or obligations to meet -- Just Andy and Rowan. His hands slip around her waist with ease, inching them closer. He’s not sure what’s about to happen, or if she somehow feels obligated -- But he wants to enjoy this, to let himself be present in this, rather than drown in whatever scenarios and narratives he’s created in his head. Andy wants nothing more than for this to be real, to let himself believe that Rowan isn’t just caught up in the moment and actually wants someone like him.

As she pulls away he finds himself leaning forward, hating that this was already over. You still never learned how to make a move. He words pull a laugh from him, a callback to the last time they found themselves in this position -- Or, almost, before getting interrupted. It’s all the encouragement he needs, the words pushing away the doubts that constantly plague him. “I’m startin’ to take the hint.” His tone is hushed, eyes never leaving hers. It’s hard not to let his emotions take over, to breathe her in and never want to let go. Andy can’t recall the last time there was anything real behind a make out, a hook up, anything in between -- It’s always nameless strangers and bar bathrooms. He doesn’t want this feeling to ever leave him. A hand moves to cup her cheek, the other remaining around her waist to keep her close. “Now might be a good time.” There’s a light laugh with his words, his thumb moving along her bottom lip. It’s strange to deal with the fact that he’s finding himself wanting nothing less than actual romance with her -- Not the bottled version that they display in magazines, but this, tucked away from the rest of the world. Just the two of them. Taking advantage of what little space is left between them, he leans forward to kiss her again, trying to commit this moment to memory

ROWAN

Honestly, it doesn’t even occur to her that this could be anything but genuine. She doesn’t contemplate any ulterior motives or feelings of obligation, though those will surely come after all of this is said and done --- because all she can focus on is the fact that it feels like lightning is running through her body when he pulls her closer, and when he leans in to kiss her again she sees fireworks so bright that she can’t even fathom the idea that he doesn’t see them, too. “Now’s a great time,” the words come out with a laugh, muffled slightly against Andy’s lips. Though it isn’t a secret that Rowan so often falls fast and hard, she can’t help the thought that Andy is different from popping into her head. She knows that it’s a cliche and one likely to end in her heartbreak (she can hear a cynical voice in her head, one that sounds like Reina, asking aren’t they always different) but she can’t help herself. There’s something so magnetic about him, pulling her closer even if she wants to pull away; something so special so can’t even string together words to describe it.

The next few minutes are a blur of roaming hands and rushed kisses, each seemingly deeper than the last, the hesitance and uncertainty seeming to disappear as the seconds tick by. There are a lot of things about this scenario Rowan still isn’t sure about — she isn’t sure this publicity stunt is going to have the long term effect they want, isn’t sure she’ll be able to keep it up forever, isn’t sure if it’s even a stunt at all anymore — but what she is sure of is this moment, and that she wants to be with him — at least for tonight. This isn’t something Rowan wants to brush under the rug; she doesn’t want it to be a one off and to end up as just another name on his list of conquests but it’s hard to think about those things in the moment, instead swept up on how easy it is to just melt into him.

There’s a buzz in her chest that comes with this, a high she wants to keep chasing and reveling in for as long as he’s willing to let her. Reluctantly, she pulls away again — though stays close enough that her lips still brush against his when she talks, something that doesn’t take much considering she’s practically ended up in his lap somehow. They’re stalled at a red light, not far from her apartment and Rowan is reminded of the fact that this could be coming to a close, a sense of disappointment bubbling in her stomach. Her hands move to push his hair back, breathing deep to catch her breath. “You gonna walk me up to my door when we get there?” She asks, coy grin pulling up on her lips, the true question behind her words coming out loud and clear, “or do I have to drop hints for another few months to get to that point?”

ANDY

The best and worst thing about Rowan Fisher is the way she was able to pull Andy in with quite literally anything she did. She entered a room, and his eyes were on her; She kissed him, and he’d forgotten about the rest of the night entirely. Thoughts of her parents, their dinner, the screaming match that ensued — All gone, leaving him only able to focus on the feeling of his arm around her, the other threatening to tangle in her hair. With a light laugh against her lips, he speaks, but carefully remains close enough that his lips brush against hers as he does. “I think that’s a good idea.” He settles with, part of him beginning to wonder if he’s dreaming; That once the town car comes to a halt at the end of her driveway, he’s going to wake up alone in his bed and remind himself there’s no way Rowan would hold any interest in a guy like him. There’s no denying he wants her in every capacity — Whether it’s a make out in the back of the car, or sitting in a diner booth with an arm around her. Though, if tonight is any indicator, he’d prefer the former. There’s a voice in the back of his mind that reminds him that come morning, she’ll be over this now that she’s gotten it out of her system, or Rowan will be left with nothing short of regret and shame. If anyone could see this, hear his thoughts — They’d smack him upside the head and tell him he’s being an idiot. If she didn’t want to kiss him, especially like this, she wouldn’t. They knew the boundaries of their contract, and while it included PDA — It all paled in comparison to this.

There’s a wave of different emotions running through him, but Andy chooses to follow the one telling him not to pull away from her. Their kisses are rushed and needy, from two people who clearly have wanted this for longer than they care to admit. Her hand in his hair as him practically in a trance, eyes half open and lips parted as she speaks. “What kinda guy would I be if I didn’t?” He replies, unable to resist the urge to pull her in for another kiss as soon as the words pass his lips. About a month and a half ago, once he’d found himself developing feelings for her (even if he wouldn’t admit it), walking Rowan to her door had become part of their nightly routine — Just to end with his phone ringing by the time he’s back in the car, Rowan’s name popping up on the screen, eager to begin their nightly ritual. “Believe me, I hear ya loud and clear, baby.”

[allinmycorner]

It was Disney Night in the ballroom and...I felt it was pretty lackluster. That may be my fault - I probably didn’t adjust my expectations to COVID-levels. But after the opening with the Main Street Electrical Parade, it just kinda fizzled out. Yes, the stars danced to Disney songs and there was some Disney magic but I felt even they could’ve done more under strict social distancing guidelines. More animation? Superimposing characters in the ballroom? Just something...more. 

Anyway, let’s check out how Disney Night went for our stars! 

Carole and Pasha: Of course they had her dancing to a song from The Lion King. And remember last week when I noted that they gave her one of the harder dances (paso doble) for her first and specifically mentioned the samba being the next hardest dance? Well, Carole had to dance the samba this week and did not rise to the challenge. The judges were right - she really just walked through the steps and at one point defaulted to the old "move in place while my partner dances around me" trick. Some can hide it better than others but Carole was not one of them. It landed her back in the bottom two and unfortunately, the judges knew they couldn't save her over Anne. It was the right call and makes the competition more competitive now.

Johnny and Britt: Johnny really shone tonight as he danced to "Reflection" from Mulan! I have to agree with the judges - he absolutely looked like a ballroom dancer during this rumba. Even I noticed and noted how he extended his legs, how he held his arm and hand...just everything about it was amazing. He definitely deserves to be sitting on the top of the leaderboard this week! 

Nev and Jenna: It feel it's always dangerous to dance to Pirates of the Caribbean because it'll always be compared to Riker's and Allison's amazing routine from the first Disney night. But it's still a popular franchise and the producers love to bring it out. Nev, thankfully, was given a different music choice ("He's a Pirate" AKA the theme vs. "Angelica" from On Stranger Tides) and a different dance (paso doble vs Argentine tango). He was clean and precise with his moves and he danced the tango smoothly, managing to stay graceful while pretending to be drunk like Captain Jack Sparrow. Overall, it was a great routine. 

Kaitlyn and Artem: Kaitlyn had another great week with her rumba to Moana's "How Far I'll Go." Her ankle is still injured and she danced through it, though Derek was disappointed that she did not dance in Latin heels. But it was a tiny nitpick and the other judges didn't seem to mind. I have a strong feeling we may be seeing back-to-back Bachelorette wins unless the audience's tendency to skew female and therefore vote male plays a major role in the finals. 

Chrishell and Gleb: She ended Disney night with a beautiful waltz inspired by Cinderella. She handled it well and keeps getting better. I'm rooting for her more and more. I also loved that she talked about her own Cinderella story. I remember her on All My Children and it was nice to some pictures from her time there.

Jeannie and Brandon: Jeannie delivered a gorgeous Viennese waltz inspired by Up, which was dedicated to her boyfriend as it was his birthday. She said she loved to watch it with him because she wants to grow old with him like Carl and Ellie did. Aww. This was her best dance so far and she shows she can reign in her crazy energy, focusing on the dance. This may be her turning point and the moment she breaks free from the pack.

Vernon and Peta: Like Jeannie, Vernon is also starting to break out of the middle of the pack. His quickstep to "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast was fun and he handled the fast footwork very well. Like Jeannie, this could also be his turning pointing.

AJ and Cheryl: AJ is absolutely the sweetest - he's like the epitome of the bad boy with a heart of gold. He clearly adores his children and is a girl dad. And he's also getting to be a great dancer. He and Cheryl delivered a fun quickstep to "Prince Ali" from Aladdin that really showed off his skills but also his personality. A definite high point of the night to me.

Monica and Val: Monica definitely had a better week this time around but she was also finally dancing a slower dance. She had a Viennese waltz inspired by The Little Mermaid and it allowed her to really focus on each step. I think this was good break for her and give her time to improve before she's thrown into another fast-paced dance.

Jesse and Sharna: I thought Jesse's jive to "King of New York" from Newsies needed a bit more pep in his step. He mentioned it was a short week for them so I imagine he may have been a bit more sure of his footwork if he had a bit more practice but otherwise I thought it was pretty good routine. He just needs to work on his energy levels.

Justina and Sasha: I was a bit disappointed in Justina and Sasha's Mary Poppins Charleston and have to agree with the judges - it was missing aspects that would define it as a Charleston. But that - and most of their criticism - is on Sasha's choreography, not Justina's skills - though I do wonder if he toned it down for her. I hope not because she handled the rest of the routine very well and I think she could've really handled the Charleston as well.

Nelly and Daniella: Nelly and Daniella got a sneak peek at Pixar's new movie, Soul, and danced to one of its songs. This time he had a foxtrot and it was a slow one, so he couldn't really hide behind flashy steps. And he didn't need to this time. He delivered a good foxtrot - there is definite room for improvement but he proved he can handle the slow dances just as well as the fast ones.

Skai and Alan: Skai is still struggling a bit after her near fall last week (as noted, Alan's hair saved her). She had a jive to "Almost There" from The Princess and the Frog and it was a good routine. I think the judges are right that she needs to loosen up a bit more. This is a tough season - there is no audience and that is probably affecting all the dancers. Many pull energy from the crowd and though the sound people are pumping in the sounds of an audience, it's not the same. So I think Carrie Ann's advice to pretend to dance to someone in the audience will help her.

Anne and Keo: Anne is clearly having fun and loves Keo, that's clear. But this routine inspired by Hercules was a bit of a mess. She gave it the old college try but she struggled to keep up and was better when she was dancing in hold with Keo. I think Derek's advice to her will be very helpful - she needs to know the dance well enough to dance it on her own and not have to rely on Keo to get her through if she wants to progress through this competition. It's not a surprise she ended up in the bottom two but I think she can save herself and avoid it next week if she really commits to learning the dance.

So that was Disney Night! I’m not sure what next week will bring but we’ll find out together. 

See everyone then! 

[isagrimorie]

[initial reactions] Justice League

TLDR version: I liked it. I liked it a lot. It had its problems-- pointed look at the camera-- but considering all it had to contend with? I really liked the finished product.

I can actually see myself watching a three hour director's cut of this.

Going through point by point of the movie, Good points and some nitpicks and some ugly, but bringing it all together with the Happy.

This is going to be a surprise but for the few people who know me, I actually wasn't impressed with Avengers. I thought the visuals were so-so, and it brought home what I thought when I first watched Serenity. Joss Whedon is not a good movie director. He can do a passable job on TV but he is no Jonathan Nolan nor is he a JJ Abrams. He doesn't have the visual eye for it, and he tends to go back to his old stand-bys.

(I mentioned it in my initial reactions of Thor: Ragnarok, Joss Whedon wishes he was Taika Waititi but he's not even close.)

Zach Snyder on the other hand? Despite my issues with his other movies, no one can deny that Snyder paints a fantastic visual picture. It is his strongest suit. In this movie he delivered in spades.

This is a really, really great getting the band together movie and the thing that made this work a lot: the characters. They sparked off each other, and you can tell they were having a lot of fun making this movie.

We got to see the Amazons be awesome!

We got to see a lot more of Hippolyta doing action stuff and it was awesome and wonderful! For anyone who wished they saw Queen Hippolyta fight more, we see that! A lot and it's so awesome!

And then she sends out a flare and it was such a heartwarming moment because she knows only one person in the outside world will understand and her whispering as in prayer: 'Hear me, Diana.'

It broke my heart a little because Diana hasn't seen her mother and amazons in a while and then she had to hear from Steppenwolf that a lot of Amazons died. Also, this gives credence to my theory that in BvS, when she decided to help, she was actually on her way to find a way back to Themyscira.

Okay, so the elephant in the room is the treatment of Diana, Amazons, and Lois Lane terrible. Wellllll.... it's not as bad as reported but after watching Wonder Woman, I cringed in a lot of scenes.

The controversial new revealing costumes where there. I don't know why they needed to, and when I saw them standing next to Amazons who are in regular armor costumes, they stand out.

Then the unnecessary camera angles, especially when Diana is standing in front of the camera. It's like a study of male gaze directing vs someone who consciously works against it. I cringed everytime there was butt shot and an upskirt shot. It wasn't a lot but there were enough that coming from watching Wonder Woman, it was bad.

I didn't really need to see that gag about Barry falling on top of Diana and accidentally grabbing her boobs. I did not need to see that. It had Whedon's fingerprints all over it and just NO. NO NO NO NO.

Then there's Arthur Curry loudly telling Diana she was beautiful etc., and then revealing he's actually sitting on the Lasso. They didn't need that and the only important thing we got there that once upon a time the Amazons and Atlanteans were at war. You can practically see Whedon's work there.

Going back to the happy: Danny Elfman to score the movie was the best move ever, and that's one positive cookie points for Whedon. Because the iconic Batman score is there and strains of the iconic Superman march too! Honestly, there is a reason why those were iconic. Star Wars kept to its musical score with other composers just expanded on John Williams work.

Although, I wish there was a Justice League score too. I was waiting for it, actually.

WB really should've let Snyder direct a solo Batman movie because I can practically feel how much he loves Batman everytime he was on screen. This is not a knock by the way, because I would like to watch Snyder's translating Batman graphic novel on the big screen like he did with Watchmen.

I love Diana's relationship with Victor and I love that she keeps wanting to reach and support him. I love how she was mentoring him.

I love how this is about Victor accepting his gifts (as Diana called it) and being the right person to stop the Mother Boxes. He upgraded machinery when needed and found information they needed in time. I still wish for a Cyborg movie, though.

Arthur Curry was advertised but I don't have a lot to say yet I feel that Aquaman will answer a lot of questions but Mera was awesome and he was able to hold off Steppenwolf which is a feat in itself.

Barry Allen was funny and so very young with his own issues, he was like a kid in a candy store when he arrived in the bat cave and his crush on Diana was cute and I don't begrudge him that (the moment with Arthur though, that I wanted to cut out).

Bruce is working over time to get a team started out, and clearly doing this to work off his guilt, Diana calls him on it. And dammit, I'm weak but I ship Bruce and Diana. I can't help it! It's Justice League and JL animated has primed me for shipping Diana and Bruce together, okay?

They never got together in animated but I love that they're playing this as a frisson of tension between them, and that it's mostly Bruce who is kind of pining/crushing over her, in his Bruce way.

But I am also not about Bruce being an asshole to Diana, throwing Steve to her face to 'push her' or whatever. I'm glad that Barry was all: if she murders you, we'll hide the body for her.

I did love the conversation between Bruce and Diana after, and it cleared up the century of not doing anything thing BvS tacked on. I love that Diana revealed that she might not have been visible but she's been fighting for all that time just not leading. 'Because leaders get people killed.'

There's a story there which I hope we can get in her next solo movie, also: Diana casually strolling into Bruce's heavily secured building and in BvS one-upping him in a Spy vs Spy game--- Agent Diana Prince in her next movie Y/Y??????

The CGI. I really try very hard not to notice the CGI but I can't help notice the CGI. All Sci-fi/Superhero movies have this problem, particularly when it comes to the CGI villain. I see no reason why they couldn't used make-up and light CGI, because even the actor had a hard time bringing his villain to life. There's a reason why I liked Hela as a villain, because that was Cate Blanchett acting and not a CGI version of Hela. Even Zod and the other Kryptonians with him were easier because they were not CGI villain.

Someone should put a moratorium on CGI villains.

Unfortunately, there's even a more egregious use of CGI and that's the mustache gate. I do not get why they didn't go with bearded Clark instead of.. waves hand that.

I like Clark in this! I've always thought that Man of Steel 2 should've gone first than BvS, watching BvS then this just kind of solidified it. There were moments in MoS that I loved and thought would continue but Snyder just doubled down on the other part I disliked with BvS but JL felt like it was continuing on with the the tone of the parts I loved in MoS.

I was honestly surprised how they went about the resurrection. There's no fortress of solitude so there was no regeneration matrix but there is the Kryptonian ship and the Mother Box.

Clark's resurrection seem to give a second wind and a happiness that was missing in BvS but had more in common with in the final moments of MoS. I wish though, that Lois had more to do.

And how is it Lois and Diana have never shared a scene together??? This is the second time she mentioned her devotion to the truth, I mean, Diana is all about the truth. Truth is her province. It's where she lives! LOIS AND DIANA NEEDS TO BE FRIENDS DAMMIT.

I liked that Diana was the voice of reason, and even Arthur came around to her way of thinking, in a way that feels like he has experience about people coming back wrong.

Full disclosure: I was afraid they were going to make Diana that wet blanket friend who breaks every body's fun but she had a point which Arthur came around to. They've seen their fair share of things like these going pear shaped.

Fortunately, after the mandatory fighting against the newly awakened Clark things turned out for the better.

Seriously though, Diana taking Clark's headbutt and giving one of her own. AMAZING. He only won that round because he had the advantage of getting more force behind his headbutt via flying. Headbutts are an Amazonian Hello.

Not a fan of Diana being Worf'd just to show how super extra powerful he is, I'm just consoling myself that she either has most of her powers locked away (like in the comic, removing the vambraces would unlock her full potential as a demigod).

I do like that even though Clark had the brute strength, Diana had experience on her side, she fought Steppenwolf like a warrior. Seasoned and skillful.

Also: 'On my lead.' Diana led the team on the ground! I AM HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

I love the final fight there were so many iconic moments and its stitched together really well, one of the biggest issues I had with BvS was how Snyder painted a beautiful picture but it's a moment divorced from the flow of the story. Here it came together pretty well. The iconic moments were iconic without taking away from the story.

I like that they took note of what people had issues with and worked with that feedback, bringing in more color and lightness to the movie while still maintaining the gravity of the situation.

Do you know what else I love? That the final blow was Diana's with an assist from Clark. Because she lives up to her name -- Godkiller.

other moments I liked:

The Superman and Flash race, I love it. It is universal law, a Super and a Flash must always race.

Diana lasso-ing the bank robbers and then greeting a crowd of little girls.

Diana handling the artefact with revenance.

Victor openly working with his dad in the Star Labs

Barry pushing the sword to Diana.

Diana with the red robe over her armor. I love it.

Speaking off, Hippolyta's Helmet!

Luthor finally acting like Luthor and not like an evil Mark Zuckerberg. Also, he freaked out about Clark, what about Diana, who is an actual demigod?

Speaking of demigods, the guy throwing lighting bolts young Zeus or Ares? And when is Diana going to handle lightning? She's the last survivor of the Pantheon, she must inherit it too, right?

WAS THAT ATHENA OR ARTEMIS??? IN ANY CASE I AM HAPPY TO SEE A GODDESS.