#weekly reviews of a show that i truly loved

[jacquelinemerritt]

Dragonball Z: Abridged Episode 3 Review

Originally posted August 10th, 2015

When god is a dick, things can be pretty fun.

“Happily Ever Afterlife” is one of the unfortunate “intermediate” episodes of Dragonball Z: Abridged, which is to say, it’s an episode that is required to exist, so that there are no gaps in the story, but beyond filling in the details between plot point A and plot point B, it doesn’t actually advance the story by any significant degree. As a result, the pace of the story in this episode is very slow and meandering, which would be fine, if Team Four Star were good at telling slower stories. But, at this time, Team Four Star’s strengths lay in frenetic pacing and joke-a-second comedy; they are at their weakest when the story demands to be told at a slower pace, and unfortunately, “Afterlife” requires them to slow down.

That’s not to say this episode is without its strengths. King Yemma, in fact, is the strongest part of this episode; his devil-may-care attitude and lack of respect for Goku and Kami lead to this episode’s funniest moments, as Kami is forced to invoke his status as Guardian of Earth in order to get Yemma to allow Goku to travel to King Kai (while simultaneously serving as effective exposition for who this other Namekian is and why he’s important). Of course, Goku must travel along the apparently ominous Snake Way to get there, so even in his concession, Yemma refuses to be actively helpful.

Back on earth, Krillin is responsible for delivering the news of Goku’s death and Gohan’s kidnapping to Chi Chi, who responds with appropriate rage. This is where the episode is at its most inconsequential, as it doesn’t feel like it serves much more of a purpose than to delay Krillin from gathering the “Z Warriors” (a name that is thankfully never mentioned again), and to feed into the harmful characterization of Chi Chi as a “crazy bitch.” This is a common interpretation of Chi Chi that even Toriyama feeds into most of the time, but it’s incredibly harmful, because Chi Chi not wanting Gohan to be in danger (or kidnapped) is entirely reasonable. He’s only five years old, after all, and any mother would be completely within her right to not want her five-year-old son to be involved in deadly battles for the fate of the world.

Gohan and Piccolo also get some time together in this episode, and their relationship is developed for the first time. While we only get a brief scene with the two of them, it’s the part of the episode with the most substance; Piccolo wants to train Gohan for entirely selfish reasons, but he quickly discovers that Gohan is actively suppressing his natural talent for fighting in favor of focusing on more intellectual pursuits. It also leads to a pretty hilarious moment where Gohan calls out Piccolo for wanting to train a five-year-old to fight, since doing so would (according to science) cause his body irreparable harm. It doesn’t hurt that MasakoX (Gohan) and Lanipator (Piccolo) have both already sunk very comfortably into their characters, leaving this short scene as the best acted and written scene of the episode.

Rating: 3.5/5

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Stray Observations

1We know Snake Way is ominous because ominous music is played after it is mentioned, a type of joke that is thankfully retired soon.

Yemma: “I do have a desk though. It’s made of mahogany. Mahogany.”

Gohan: “Actually that looks more like a plateau!”

Yemma: “And not just any mahogany, but mahogany from the planet Malchior 7, where the trees are over three hundred feet tall and breathe fire!”

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Must you, Japan? has become Thank You, Japan

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

BL OLYMPICS! Week 3

This is my last week of passing out metals in various sporting events, as part of the weekly updates.

Aug 2024 Week 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

Century of Love (Weds Gaga) eps 9-10fin - There were a lot more unnecessary dramatic speeches than there was practical medical aid being administered. Very extra, boys. I wonder how long it took them to get that "birds meet hug" shot? Meanwhile, great grandpa‘s attitude that he knows best in every way is thoroughly annoying, and yet absolutely appropriate to his age. My great gramps (RIP), had he had the body of a 20-year-old, would behave in exactly the same self-righteous know-it-all way. The doctor is great. I would like him to get his own romance please? What happens when you are the villain in someone else's reincarnation story? There's a whole fanfic there. And yes I cried. I am a sap for this kinda thing.

Final thoughts:

This is a great little show about a young man who fell in love with a pretty girl 100 years ago, and when she died in his arms, he was cursed to live until he could meet her reborn self. Only this time around, she’s reborn into the body of a man. I love it when Thailand gets all up in its own historical business and reincarnation and shizz. I like this pair (it’s not DaouOffroad’s fault I didn’t enjoy most of their first series.) Daou’s wushu is pretty snazzy and we got a fun meet cute. (Erm... Remeet cute? Meet cute 2.0?) Plus this is a very PRETTY show. Despite some ham handed comedy moments, this ultimately has more in common with something like I Feel You Linger in the Air meets First Love Again, then (as one might expect) Until We Meet Again or The Director Who Buys Me Dinner. The leads turned in great performances, although Daou outclassed everybody else on that screen. It’s a good story and a great BL. I’m not sure this is going in my rewatch rotation, but I can’t find any major faults with it beyond a certain level of camp that is sadly endemic to lackorns. Also I’m going to give it credit as the kind of BL that one could safely recommend to lovers of melodrama and historical romance, without having to qualify it as “good for a BL.” It was, to put it succinctly, simply a VERY ENJOYABLE show. 

Under those auspices I really can’t give it anything less than a 9/10. 

Bronze in Fencing

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 10 of 12 - It’s cute. They were cute. I enjoyed it a lot. I talk quite a bit about why they're using nai as a you pronoun here:

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (Fri iQIYI) ep 6 of 8 - Honestly the side couple is truly stellar in this show. I wasn’t sure about them at first but now I absolutely love them. Not sure how they are going to resolve such intense dislike (from JJ) by the end of the series. But I’m interested to see them try.

Meanwhile, there isn’t anything else airing right now that makes me laugh as much as the behind-the-scenes from this show. Highly recommended.

Monster Next Door (Thai Thurs Gaga ) eps 1-2 of 12 - Oh it is so much fun. I’m particularly delighted that our musician is a drummer and I don’t have to listen to him sing... I hope. I’ve been waiting for Big to lead a BL forever. I’m disposed to enjoy this. We can all be confident in one thing, the kisses are going to be great. I like the side couple too, very indulgent daddy. While I am disturbed by the tortoise in the tiny tank, I love the extrovert friendship group. They remind me of my own college crew. It is a cute premise, but I will need them to actually be together in the same room, looking longingly at each other a smooching within the next couple of episodes.

YouTube served me both episodes 1 & 2, and I don’t think it was meant to. So this may be next week's review as well.

The Trainee (Sun YouTube) ep 6 of 12 - I wasn’t wild about this ep or where this show is going. But I enjoyed the language play. 

Gold in Linguistic Gymnastics

(my new favorite sport)

Sunset X Vibes (Sat iQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - Wow. Sam admitted it just out loud like that! Right after a betrayal? Balls on that boy. Worked on Yo tho. Too well, actually. I wish Yo had made him suffer and dragged him over the coals for a while. But I guess Yo really really likes him back. Meanwhile, the GL side plot also moved quite rapidly. A lot happened in this episode.

I Saw You in My Dream (Weds Gaga) ep 4 of 12 - Them ALL jumping into the water was totally ridiculous. It’s still a little slow, because it is a pulp, but I’m rather enjoying it.

Knock Knock Boys (Thurs Gaga) ep 12fin - Almond and Latte were cute. The breakfast with the four of them was funny. I did laugh a lot. Almond getting "first time" advice from his two resident gay dads (or at least trying to) was super sweet. Also I got a lot of smiley kisses. Nice final ep.

Ultimately how do I feel about this show?

A story about 4 boys of differing personalities who end up living together and pair up, falling in love. Slow moving and waffling, with some artificially generated family drama makes this a classic Thai pulp except that in general it's a smiley kiss of a show. It had plenty of good qualities like great communication and sexual rep (including toys, first time, safe sex, and sexual identities). The heat levels were on point and well executed, and the performances were good. It’s just that the script and the directing were lackluster, rendering it ultimately forgettable. Still, fine on a rainy afternoon with some camomile tea or whatever. 7/10 

Love Sea (Sun iQIYI) ep 9 of 10 - I’m getting some sort of PTSD from this show, It is making me feel like I’m the problem. Trash watch

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Cosmetic Playlover (Japan Tues Gaga) eps 1-2 of 8 - Anyone surprised by this jump in the standings? Yeah, probubly not. Anygay... this show is GREAT. Warped af but great. Lemme try to explain.

I actually said out loud during ep 1, "Well this is boundary pushing." By which I mean mine and everybody elses. But it’s Japan, *checks watch* it’s about time they turned out something edging into unpalatable and kinky. And because it’s Japan, I’m more forgiving than I would be were this show nested in the clumsy hands of say... Thailand. So actually this being me, and me being of questionable taste, I’m enjoying this show a lot.

You want me to list the ways? Sure.

Younger seme with grabby hands.

The younger one identified the elder gay as his personal property and it’s now: single motivation, on target, against all odds.

Uke cares about his work and not much else.

Seme cares about the uke and not much else.

Uke is gonna make this boy WORK for it.

That one particularly Japanese style of obsession that I actually adore.

Passes the sniff test!

I’m being reminded of that KBL Love Mate. Which I believe I enjoyed but no one else did. For exactly this set of tropes. Only Japan is better suited to handle them. For me this is a case of:

Must you,Japan? = Oh yes? Well, thank you very much, Japan.  

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 8 of 10 - enter the evil girl character. Yawn.

Takara's Treasure AKA Takara No Vidro (Japan Mon Gaga) ep 6 of 10 - It is what it is. 

It's airing but...

Battle of the Writers (Sun YT) ep 2 of 12 - I did not catch ep 2 before they took it down from USA YT. I don’t know why it’s down. Either they got a deal for distribution off YouTube or there’s some sort of scandal. Frankly, I wasn't particularly impressed with ep 1 so I’m not rabid to find wherever it’s gone or why. Still, perhaps someone will let us know the sitch in a comment? It's a me problem. I'm figuring it out.

Sugar Dog Life (Japan Sun ????) 10 eps - OMG a uni student who looks too young and a... COP. GAH. The subversion and kink of it all. Why can't I find it? Do I have to go grey?

4 Minutes (Thai Netflix/Grey) - A rich boy at uni suddenly gains the supernatural power to see four minutes into the future. I have a source, but I've decided to hold off and binge if it ends okay, since it's only 8 eps. I depend upon y'all to tell me if it's safe.

Meet You at the Blossom (China) - it's your funeral (or, more likely, one of the main characters'). You can argue but... statistics. You know my feelings on this matter. MY BLOG, remember?

In case you missed it

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer IS COMING IN SEPTEMBER!!!! (Yeah this is gonna sit here until then)

Next Week Looks Like This:

Ooo, nice spread.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

Still Coming This Month!

8/12 First Note Of Love (Taiwan Mon Gaga) 12 eps - About a singer with stage fright and his timid fan stars Charles (H4 the puppy one) and Michael Chang (the youngster in My Tooth Your Love), plus side couple featuring a Thai actor Jame (Koh in Gen Y) and Liu Min Ting (of Guardian fame). What a damn tean. I can't wait. With thier powers combined!

8/13 Addicted Heroin (Thai Tues YT) 10 eps - supposedly Jinlo with air this on their YT channel. Stars August (Love Sick) so I'm excited despite Jinlo's poor reputation. From the trailer it looks like it's following the original pretty closely... just Thai style. GIMMEEEEE!!!!

8/16 The Last Time (Thai Fri YT) ? eps - Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something.

8/22 The On1y One (Taiwan Thurs Gaga) 12 eps - announced in 2023 this one has a high school set stepbrothers trope and is reputed to be high heat. From Taiwan! It's made for me. Based on a novel Mou Mou from the Your Name Engraved Herein folks, so it could go dark. Still, I'm very excited.

8/22 The Paradise of Thorns (Thai movie) theater release - Jeff Satur is back but this does not look like a BL (the gay lover's death is the inciting event). More in Goodbye Mother vein. Looks dark and dramatic. He opposite and extremely well known actor Toey Pongsakorn who has never done gay before.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Linguistic flirting trope! One of my all time favorites. FANTASTIC. (I did keep hearing Gun yelling Papiiiiiii! in my head tho.)

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

[whimsicaldragonette]

Blog Tour and Arc Review: The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews

Order

Add to Goodreads

Publication Date: November 19, 2024

Welcome to The Muse of Maiden Lane book tour with Berkley Publishing Group. (This blog tour post is also posted on my Wordpress book blog Whimsical Dragonette.)

Synopsis:

A silver-haired equestrienne and a charismatic artist turn a scandalous bargain into a vibrant portrait of love.

Stella Hobhouse is a brilliant rider, stalwart friend, skilled sketch artist—and completely overlooked. Her outmodish gray hair makes her invisible to London society. Combined with her brother’s pious restrictions and her dwindling inheritance, Stella is on the verge of a lifetime marooned in Derbyshire as a spinster. Unless she does something drastic…like posing for a daring new style of portrait by the only man who’s ever really seen her. Aspiring painter Edward “Teddy” Hayes knows true beauty when he sees it. He would never ask Stella to risk her reputation as an artist’s model but in the five years since a virulent bout of scarlet fever left him partially paralyzed, Teddy has learned to heed good fortune when he finds it. He’ll do anything to persuade his muse to pose for him, even if he must offer her a marriage of convenience.   After all, though Teddy has yearned to trace Stella’s luminous beauty on canvas since their chance meeting, her heart is what he truly aches to capture….

About the Author:

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a retired Andalusian dressage horse, a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats. Learn more online at www.mimimatthews.com.

Author Photo Credit: Vicki Hahn

My Rating: ★★★★

*My Review below the cut.

My Review:

This was less about Stella and Teddy falling in love with each other and more about giving each of them the courage and opportunity to step out of their suffocating lives and live freely, not caring what other people thought. Falling in love came as a bit of an afterthought.

That said, I really enjoyed this, maybe more than the other Belles of London books. It has some pacing issues, especially when Matthews spends so much time showing us how happy each of the previous couples are, but not enough to sour my view of it.

I really like the way she treats Teddy's disability. I could feel his frustration at being hovered over constantly, and his desire to do things for himself. I also like that falling in love doesn't cure his disability and that he is also more capable than people tend to think he is.

I also really liked his passion for his painting and also for Stella as his muse.

I could also feel Stella's frustration at being constantly forced into the background when she has so much passion. Her family were infuriating - although perhaps a bit cartoon-y in their villainy.

The only real issue I had with this book was that I have never heard of Scarlet Fever causing either paralysis or a lung condition. I couldn't dig up any reference to it either. Maybe Matthews got her diseases mixed up?

Aside from that, though, this was an excellent read and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

*Thanks to Berkley for providing an early copy for review & blog tour.

[jakesuit0]

Video Makers Review

“Video Makers” is probably Adventure Time’s most effective use of its side characters thus far. Pretty much every main and secondary character besides Ice King and Gunter show up. All of Finn and Jake’s closest friends are at movie club: Marceline, BMO, Princess Bubblegum, Lady Rainicorn, Tree Trunks, Lumpy Space Princess, and Shelby. While several of these characters were also in the opening scene of “Power Animal”, this is much more intimate. It’s really cool how each guest gets a unique drink that fits their character. Princess Bubblegum has a sentient candy drink. She uses candy biomass to control her age. This must be how she maintains the body of an eighteen year old despite being about 835 in this episode. I also love her rocking a casual outfit this time. I mentioned in my “Go With Me” review that Finn’s friendships with Marceline and Bubblegum caused them to see each other more frequently. Even though they are sitting apart and not seen chatting, it’s interesting that they both attend a small, weekly get together. Marceline actually gets a couple of lines, making it her only speaking cameo in the first four and a half seasons. 

It’s funny how worried Finn is about adhering to the copyright warning. It totally fits Finn’s character, but obviously it isn’t referring to showing the movie to a few friends. And Jake is right that those laws aren’t in effect anymore. We get our first mention of The Great Mushroom War, another example of significant lore being dropped so casually. It was pretty obvious already that Ooo was post-apocalyptic, especially from “Business Time”, but this was further confirmation for people who hadn’t pieced it together yet. 

I love all the scenes of Finn, Jake, and BMO filming Ooo. It feels like they are making an art movie or a documentary. It does a terrific job capturing the beauty and weirdness of the mundanity in everyday Ooo. Despite Finn and Jake calling it “random junk”, I’d totally watch it. They basically filmed Adventure Time season six. Finn and Jake try to film more structured scenes. The scenes don’t play out the way Finn and Jake intend, causing them to argue over what genre they want their film to be. The way the actors go off script is much more funny and entertaining. Finn and Jake should take their movie less seriously, and just go with the flow. We get appearances from more recurring characters: Slime Princess, Cinnamon Bun, Mr Cupcake, and Peppermint Butler. This episode is a real milestone in Adventure Time’s worldbuilding, showing off a structured world with various established elements they can naturally pull from. Shelby also says his iconic catchphrase, “check please”, for the first time. 

The ending of the episode is fantastic. BMO’s reaction to Finn and Jake feels like a child reacting uncomfortably to their parents arguing. BMO’s song is very touching. In addition to BMO finally getting to tag along with Finn and Jake for an entire episode, it provides his first truly impactful scene, which still holds up as one of his best moments. I like how quickly it causes Finn and Jake to make up, who of course wouldn’t stay mad about this long. Lumpy Space Princess’s intense reactions to all of this are also really funny. She’s eating this drama up. 

Grade: A-

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (11/06/23)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (6/10)

This book has very little space for the kind of story it tries to tell, and it does its best. For an almost space opera-like plot, with intergalactic academies, alien conflict, and ancient tech, less than 80 pages is ridiculously small. As such, a lot of this book feels really rushed. A lot of worldbuilding stuff, such as the history between the Meduse and humans, what Binti’s edan is, and how otjize is so special, is just never explained. I definitely found this book interesting; there’s a major tone shift a third of the way through, and I loved the message of understanding differences and peaceful conflict resolution. However, everything is wrapped up too neatly, especially concerning Binti’s emotional state. Trying not to spoil too much, Binti goes through an incredibly traumatic event and has a very important aspect of her changed without her knowledge or consent, but she seems just fine at the end. I appreciate the attempt to wrap up such an ambitious story for a novella, but I would’ve much preferred a more open ending concerning that.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid (6/10)

This book started out very strong. The writing style really has that drifting, surreal style that fits a book trying to emulate gothic horror, and I really liked where the plot is going. I love books where the main character can't figure out if they can trust themselves or not, and the whole idea of discovering the secrets behind a truly impactful novel was so interesting. It was a little slow, but I was fine with that. Unfortunately, the ending is all kinds of rushed. The main antagonist is defeated very easily with virtually no explanation as to how, and although there's a character that the entire story practically revolves around, she only shows up at the end once everything is said and done to fill in the holes. Then there are multiple issues, plot and character wise, that are just never resolved. Unfortunately, the ending kind of ruined it for me, otherwise this could've been a 4 star read.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (9/10)

After over a year, I'm continuing the Wayward Children series, and I'm loving it so far. This book functions as a prequel, telling the story of Jack and Jill in The Moors. I loved the very obvious classic literature influences, namely Frankenstein and Dracula, and Jack and Jill are both amazingly complex characters with an incredibly interesting relationship. I will always have a soft spot for Jack, and her unexpected romance was one of my favorite parts of the book. I'd say the only thing I didn't like was that Jill is so unlikable to me. I really wanted her to face some consequences after what she did, and while I can see how she became this way, it doesn't mean she should get away with it, especially considering the context of the first book. However, the series is unfinished and has multiple books I haven't read yet, so perhaps we'll see them yet again!

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher (CR, 43%)

I'm really enjoying this one so far! After so much intense fantasy and sci-fi, it's like a little palate cleanser. I love how this book takes tropes usually used in contemporary romcoms and repurposes them for the historical setting. There's also a fair amount of worldbuilding, since this is a very different history from what we know. I'm glad it's established to be that way, because there is some pretty blatant messing with the timeline, but I appreciate it since it brings more diversity than historical romances typically have.

Lodestar by Shannon Messenger (CR, 43%)

There are things happening in this book, and I don't like it! I've grown fairly attached to these characters, and I'm constantly stressed about them. I feel like stakes are rising rather quickly in this installment, like more is happening than in the others. One thing I noticed during this segment of reading was that I quite like the addition of Tam. Linh is still sort of a half-formed character to me, but I really like how blunt Tam is and how he still has the perspective of an outsider on Sophie's group and their dynamics. He seems to say things none of them think of, and I like how he shakes things up.

A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon (CR, 42%)

I know, I know, I've been working on this one for a while, but it's a very dense book! I've put it aside for now in exchange for Gwen & Art, since I have to review that one, but I'm hoping to finish this before the November halfway mark.

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (CR, 16%)

I’m finishing up my reread of The Infernal Devices, and this one is not that great so far. While I love the smaller interactions between Jem, Tessa, and Will, virtually everything so far has been interpersonal conflict despite the fact that a madman with a clockwork army is just out there somewhere. Like, did they forget they have like actual jobs to do? It’s mentioned that a good amount of time has passed since the last book…and you’ve done nothing? I know you’re all in the most complicated romantic relationships teenagers can be in, but please, think of the world.

[cinnamoncountess]

Fellow Travelers Rewatch Party | episode 2

Content warning: NSFW, strong language (maybe)

Let’s continue the weekly review / reaction session while watching episode 2 tonight!

First time seeing the title sequence and the composition of different LGBTQ+ and historical photographies as well as original sequences from the show - Hawk hanging Tim’s cross chain over the bedpost - merged in is spectacular. The intro has been composed by Paul Leonard-Morgan and he explains the build-up and musical structure as follows: 

„The idea was to have this loop which kept on evolving and descending keys,as Hawk’s life descended into inner turmoil.Tim’s cello sound playing the pizz at the start and the end - I wanted to represent that Tim was the grounding force, keeping the steadiness in the relationship while Hawk’s life descended into chaos.Each character adding a layer to the arpeggios on the top - first the violin, then the piano, then the wind. Sticking to our rule of never resolving. It gets increasingly frenetic until the final reprise played on the cello. Also, it’s written in. Again, so we never settle, just like @MattBomer (Hawk) and Jonathan Bailey’s (Tim) complicated relationship in the show.“ (source: Paul Leonard-Morgan via X / twitter)

It’s incredibly beautiful, well-crafted and the meaning behind feels very palpable in the music, especially with the given explanation! You should check out the Fellow Traveler’s OST: 

We’re in the 80s timeline with Maggie and Hawk meeting in the café!

I still wonder how that came about… Did Tim just tell Maggie to call Hawk? Did they have a discussion about that with Tim pondering whether or not he should go and meet Hawk and Maggie, the protective sister she is, intervening and shushing her brother off in a ‚no way, I’m gonna call and meet this douche who breaks your heart every decade‘ manner?!

Maggie: Although he swears no one else even came close. - Ouch. Tim never found happiness with someone else. That’s truly devastating. However, I’m actually curious to hear a conversation between Maggie and him on that. What did Tim tell her about Hawk and their past relationship? How did he justify his feelings for the man? I crave for more scenes focussing on Tim and his family.

Hawk is part of the Smith family. Leonard is rightfully salty at Hawk, seeing right through his scheme of settling himself a place in his family whilst masterfully playing a false game, while his standing with his own father is standing on wobbly feet.  

Tim: Had I know there’d be pictures I would have worn my best tie. - Dawww. 

I love seeing Tim and Mary socialising with the key political society and shielding each other. The supportive friendship between them is absolutely precious.

Roy Cohn looking Tim up and down suspiciously and then presenting his mom as his date, what a goblin. At first I thought he’d eye Tim up as a potential ‚interest‘ of McCarthy, but maybe he’s just extra cautious recognizing him from the State Department Bureau and the fact that he always seems to linger around when important meetings are held. 

That change of scene from Mary/Tim sweetness to Tim full on blowing Hawk in a doorframe is just  so filthy, sinful and juicy - it nearly threw me off the couch the first time I’ve watched it, such an unexpected switch. Also, damn Tim, clutching the peachy cheeks! (I get it, I get it) Also, it’s Jonathan’s / Tim’s muffled moans while he’s at it, enjoying it just as much as Hawk and edging him on, that makes me feel like a sinner. 

Tim figuring out that Mary is a lesbian and Hawk plans to encourage them to see each other, caring about both of them, their safety, because they aren’t bulletproof like he is. It’s his way of protecting the (vulnerable) people he cares for. 

Hawk talking about his dreams of buying a villa for himself, living a life where no one is judging. He doesn’t explicitly mention Tim but it makes me think of the villa he buys on Fire Island, which comes as close to his dream as it gets, just under more tragic and depressing circumstances. Tim seems satisfied with every little glimpse he is allowed to have into Hawk’s perfectly guarded ‚inner world‘ and emotions. He doesn’t press further and ask what his own place in this dream of Hawk’s would be.   

Them falling asleep together and Hawk waking up to the sight of Tim sleeping peacefully next to him, the sun and lightning in this scene - so beautiful and warming and at peace! That's how every morning for them should be.

Oh no, the neighbour seeing them together. Hawk, you can’t fool him. He’s got his own newspapers in his hand and these were definitely not handed over by a dorky looking man in glasses and a suit.

Marcus introducing us to Langston Hughes and a world where he struggles between racism and homophobia. He’s an outsider in the black community for being gay, which is why he can only handle and focus on one cause… This is far worse than living a fake life in a ‚white people‘ world. 

Momma Fuller: Don’t tell me you’ve gotten some poor girl in trouble. Didn’t think so. - Oh, Momma Fuller knows everything. What a lady, ahead of her time. Like, she’s a Gilded Age woman and is more tolerant and accepting than most of society at the time, very fierce, knows what she wants and willing to marry for a wealthy entourage. She also reminds me of Lucy, because I think she indicated as well that she’d marry a man if he’s wealthy and even if he’s ugly (because then she wouldn’t have to try too hard to hold onto him).

Momma Fuller: And he’s had a change of heart.

Hawk: Doesn’t seem likely in the absence of one. - Hawk can cut super sharp, especially when standing up to homophobes and his father. Love it. 

Mary’s party is honestly my favorite scene of this episode! The pure joy, the music, the playfulness during the charade game, seeing Tim happy / smiling and dancing with Luis. Mary insisting that Tim shouldn’t mention her relationship with Caroline to Hawk… well, she knows very well that Hawk wouldn’t approve at all, that he’d consider it dangerous, not only for them but also a threat for him. AND Mary might be worried for her job as well, she's his employee after all.

Hawk preferring to stand up for his past actions, talking down to his father’s homophobic bullshit and thus refusing to gain the heritage. Wow. Delicious, superb cinema. Wonderful. Perfect. Love to see it!

Hawk (to Tim): I’m home now. - Remember the echo in episode 8 and hold back your tears till then.

Hawk is the big spoon! Awww. Again, such a beautifully staged scene. 

Hawk dictating the love letter, formally addressed to Mary with words actually aimed at Tim - my heart. 

Again, Hawk’s attempt to protect both of them, Mary and Tim, with ethically questionable but effective means. Mary does as Hawk predicts - they know each other very well. Also, can we please recognize that Mary and Marcus as well are just as willing to throw people under the bus as Hawk is?

Back in the 80s timeline!

80’s Hawk refusing to go and have fun with the young guy in the gay bar, instead warns him to be more cautious. 

When Hawk enters Tim’s apartment and Tim notices who it is… then just traces his lips with his fingers, reminiscent. Also, I just love that Hawk still calls him ‚Skippy‘ (affectionately) and Tim doesn’t protest, although he would have every right to claim that he doesn’t call him by this pet name, a name that arose from their first sexual encounter. But he doesn’t. Because he still loves his Hawk.

Sen. Smith: But someone asks me the other day why one of the most eligible bachelors in town hasn’t married yet and I couldn’t think of an answer. - Here’s the pressure for Hawk to start courting Lucy, to protect is mentor and not be his Achille’s heel. 

Hawk (to Lucy): You’ll make a wonderful mother. You’ll teach them to have principles.

Lucy: You always found my principles annoying, silly even.

Hawk: Come on, you know I’m too smart for my own good. 

Their whole conversation, looking ahead. Ouch.  

The whole Marcus and Frankie scene is so effin’ sweet. The way they talk about their poetry and Frankie opening up on his first drag experience and what that entailed… Such natural chemistry between them. The poem Marcus recites is flows so well with the scenes!

Seeing 80s Tim all overjoyed and happy and smiling when they sit down together for Chinese Takeaway food is such a treasure (His ‚thank you thank you thank you!‘ is so sweet)! I’m pretty sure a great part of his delight must derive from the fact that Hawk is there with him, spending this evening with them, eating together. They NEVER had that, not even in the 70s, Tim and Hawk eating with a family member of either of them.

That’s it for episode 2!

[obsidianpen]

Thank you so much for writing Blood and Gold. It’s my favorite fanfic out there. There’s just soo much detail. I love going back and reread certain chapters or rereading it all over again and finding more foreshadowing and new things. There’s even things that I’m barely connecting.

So in honor of the latest chapter here’s a review of the newest chapter, and my favorite bits of foreshadowing:

Diary!Tom. Hmm 🤔 I’m not sure how to feel about Diary!Tom. On the one hand I feel like he could be sincere and on the other a horcrux will always defend it self. I can see that bit of soul trying to emotionally manipulate Hermione in order to survive by any means necessary. But man there were a few things that brought some other things to light. From chapter 14 O, Romeo:

“She had gotten the feeling that Riddle was not exactly pleased with Abraxas last night. Maybe he had only shown up at all to remind them who was really in charge, despite who was being touted in Witch Weekly as Wizarding Britain’s most desirable bachelor. Maybe seeing Hermione on his arm had given Riddle the idea that he should swoop in and pluck her off it, just to prove a point. Just to show that he could.”

Yeah…I absolutely now think that’s why Tom initially pursued her. Not anymore, I do think he’s genuinely attracted and intrigued by her. But her initial assessment could be not far from the truth.

That final blow though: “Why should anyone love you ?”

Instantly reminded me of this in Chapter 20 Roses and Ruses:

“And you weren’t there, were you, Hermione? Because you went back to school, because you didn’t take happiness when it was offered to you because you valued yourself and your career over him… but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, because you weren’t good enough for him at all, were you? And you will never be good enough for anyone ever again because you’re nothing, unworthy of love or romance or even real friendship; you have lost it all—“

Ooooof. Ouch. This combined with what dairy!Tom said in that last chapter…Hermione has to be feeling some type of way about her role in trying to save Riddle and lying to him to the extent that she has. I wouldn’t be surprised if it really, really started to eat at her, even though Ron leaving wasn’t her fault and she is worthy of love. Even though we don’t know exactly what happened I suspect it’s nothing good. Even though the situation she currently finds herself in is dang near impossible. Poor Hermione! She really is between a rock and a hard place.

What a fantastic chapter. We learned so much and hopefully Hermione can use what she did learn to approach Riddle carefully after what Malfoy did. And it was such a good chapter I had to go back and reread the story so here’s some of my favorite bits of foreshadowing:

“In the more popular versions of the story, yes, Persephone was kidnapped and even raped," Hermione agreed. "But that's likely not the original tale. In some older versions, it's questionable whether she was truly taken there by force, or if she allowed Hades to take her. She was a Goddess herself, after all. Regardless, she wound up in the Underworld, but Hades wasn't the evil ruler many people assume he was… and Persephone was anything but a damsel in distress. She liked the Underworld. She wanted to stay and be with God of Death, even if at the same time she missed the earth…

“And when she became Queen, well… Hades might have worn the crown declaring himself the supreme ruler of the Underworld, but it was Persephone that everyone feared."

Mmmhmmm my girl Hermione freely walked right into Riddles arms. And she can fight it, or lie to herself as much as she wants, but she is enjoying herself and enjoying him quite a bit.

“These are wild roses. The kind which can grow and survive without human intervention, which have been around much longer than us. They grow spontaneously out of wreckage, they grow without the careful pruning and care of people. The thrive, and die, and thrive again, all on their own."

“The impact of the snow enveloping her body stole her breath away; Hermione could feel the frigid, January air like something solid stuck in her throat. She rolled on to her side and began coughing violently. To her great horror, she hacked up roses and blood: pink petals coated in scarlet, blossoms staining the snow and turning it into a wounded water painting. They wouldn’t stop coming.

Hermione, our wild rose 🌹 🥀 🌹 🥀 🩸

“And before Hermione could even think to react, the snake lunged. It forced itself past her blood-stained lips and into her flower-riddled mouth, pushing itself down her throat; Hermione gagged and tried to pull it away, but its body was too slick, too powerful—“

Her claiming to be a Seer doesn’t look too far fetched 👀. It’s probably isn’t. She’s been dreaming about her death for awhile now.

But my favorite so far, and it took me a while to connect it, is this:

“It is night, and there is a fire,” he said softly. “Its light crackling is all that I can hear, and I am waiting, but for what, I am unsure… It fills me entirely though, this sense of anticipation… I am waiting for something I have been waiting for all my life… And then, eventually, someone appears. On the other side of the flame.”

He looked like he might actually shudder. Hermione was shocked, but she continued to hold her tongue. “I attack this person in the dream. I throw a curse and they do nothing to block it, only stand there, almost victorious looking as the spell comes their way, and then… I wake up.”

“A crackling sound alerted her. Hermione tried to sit up, but found it was difficult to move. What was that? A fire, perhaps? It sounded like one. She turned her head to one side; yes, a fire. It was roaring and tall. How had she not heard it before? She narrowed her eyes, confused. For a moment she thought she had seen people, shadowy figures on the other side of the flames. But she blinked and they were gone. Hermione swallowed hard, glad that the lump in her throat was gone now. She felt suddenly very tired; Hermione closed her eyes and sighed.

“ No. ”

The sounds of the fire stopped.”

“The first task is to be able to resist the temptation of Death by whatever means possible. The veil lures in a very sophisticated manner. The most sophisticated, truly. One does not even realize they are on the precipice of it until it is too late; one does not feel the life-threatening cold until you are freezing. But it is far from the only entity that uses such tactics. You shall be practicing on one of these entities in order to learn resistance.”

“Hermione was laying in a bed of snow, but she was not cold. That was very odd, she thought, considering that not only was she outside in what was clearly the dead of winter, but she was naked.” […] “Maybe the issue was that she was actually very cold, she mused, and that was the problem. Perhaps she was so unhealthily chilled that she was numb, and her body knew that not even shivering would help her now. If this is what dying feels like, she thought, it isn’t so bad. “

Sorry this was so long! I just really appreciate all the detail you put into this. I love your writing, I love this story, and I could be reading way too much into certain things but it’s still a lot of fun to go back and see how this connects. Thanks again! And thanks for indulging me 😅😄.

no thank YOU for the long thoughtful submission! I love reading what people think and like about a fic, so I appreciate it a lot ❤️❤️❤️

[jgroffdaily]

Merrily We Roll Along reviews Part 4

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

Broadway never saw a better triple-act than Jonathan Groff, Lindsay Mendez and Daniel Radcliffe, the triumphant triumvirate at the heart of the gorgeous new revival of “Merrily We Roll Along” directed by the famed British musical theater star Maria Friedman. What a delight they are to watch as life kicks their ever-hopeful characters in the teeth.

But I’ll wager most everyone does. As Sondheim says in one lyric, “Who’s like us, damn few!”

The late, great one could have been talking about these performances. Friedman unlocked many previously problematic aspects of this show, but one of the main keys was to understanding that Mary (Mendez), the sidekick to the aspiring writer-composer team of Franklin Shepard (Groff) and Charley Kringas (Radcliffe) is not the third wheel but the lead.

Mendez has every shade of Mary down cold: the charm, the drinking, the talent, the self-destructive tendencies. But the biggest achievement here is how this fine actress telegraphs how differently humans cope, or fail to cope, with disappointment. Some roll merrily along. Some, like Mary, fall off the carousel. Or jump. It’s a stunner of a performance.

But then Groff, whose singing and energy drive the show, is also superb: his character refuses to see plenty of stuff, but the denials clearly show on Groff’s face, and in his voice. Radcliffe is similarly complicated: his Charley is quiet, sweet, sad, modest of expectation, always fighting off cynicism, still trying to believe in the face of whatever evidence to the contrary life is delivering. This is the best thing I have ever seen this actor do.

But it’s the clearly warm relationship between the three stars that make this show, their palpable, present-tense enjoyment of each other when performing Tim Jackson’s very human choreography, a manifestation of fun and fear. Friedman’s direction and approach to the show seems to have freed these three stars to reveal more of themselves than before.

“Merrily” is even better than it was at the New York Theater Workshop. Its essential intimacy has been retained and it has deepened considerably, as shows that so depend on the relationship of the actors often do.

Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly

Merrily is undoubtedly a star vehicle for Groff, who is no stranger to having two pretty best friends after his Tony-nominated turn in Spring Awakening, and it's a challenge that he more than rises to in his stellar performance as Frank. His older version of the character spins through each scene like a mirrorball, sizing up each target and successfully winning them over with a perfectly tailored version of his personality under Amith Chandrashaker's spotlights. (It's that perfectionism that makes Frank's stone cold, unblinking fury during Charley's televised meltdown all that much more affecting.) As he wades toward his younger years, Groff allows Frank's true nature — or, perhaps, the one that his ambition has stolen away — to seep through, painting him as a starry-eyed composer who wholeheartedly loves music, his friends, and his first wife.

As time travels, Radcliffe's resentment slowly melts away into a promising partnership between Charley and Frank, one that sees both of them gleefully working in perfect tandem.

The trio's bond cannot be denied as they toe tap, sashay, and leap their way through sparkling performances like "Old Friends" and "Opening Doors," trade lighthearted back-and-forth barbs without hesitation, and often come together for three-way pinky links like true time-tested pals.

But, when a previously referenced plot point suddenly clicks into place amongst the audience, or when its knockout trio are firing on all cylinders at its forefront, Merrily is truly a sight to behold. What a time to be alive, indeed.

Adam Feldman, Time Out NY

That’s one reason Friedman’s version works so well: She has trained her eye on just the right stars. Groff, Radcliffe and Mendez are so appealing as performers that they moot the pinched negativity of their characters’ first appearances. All three deliver exceptional work.

As the story moves backward, Groff’s pallid Frank begins to glow with excitement and sincerity; he makes you feel how much Frank loves writing music, and what a self-betrayal his abandonment of it represents.

[lydiaas]

Not gif requests but just a few initial thoughts:

LAUREL'S NEXT BOOK BEING A MEMOIR ABOUT SUSSANAH (which I had a feeling) AND NAMING IT "IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU" (which I never could've seen coming!!!) 😭😭😭

a small missed opportunity to not have a clock/the time on Belly's phone read "1:58" as Taylor Swift's "Last Kiss" plays in the background - though I can see why not cause she was calling Jeremiah and the song is definitely more Conrad leaning imo

more in Taylor songs - "Invisible String" being used instead of "Snow on the Beach", though I do see how it made more sense in terms of the scenes being flashback and present day and Conrad's pull on Belly

I did not love Conrad singing at the funeral - it felt super random and there was no context for it at all

Everyone is acting their faces off, holy shit!! The way some of the scenes exactly like the book has me SHOOK. As someone who binges way too fast I was really happy that episodes were being released weekly but having 3 drop first then it being weekly - I am not doing too well, lol.

YAY I LOVE THOUGHTS!

The Laurel x Susannah relationships is one of my favourite parts of the show, I love that the show gives some time to the adult relationships. The book title was such a great touch.

I really wanted Snow on the Beach so I'm a little disappointed that didn't happen but Invisible String is such a perfect bellyconrad song that I can't be too mad! They really are fated. That whole sequence from the beach to them in front of the fire had me deceased.

Okay so it wasn't just me on that funeral song lol. Was that something mentioned in S1? I don't remember but it felt like a real strange choice. Susannah's funeral in general felt really cold considering what a lively person she was but I guess that's reality sometimes.

I know Chris and Lola got a lot of praise in reviews and they really really deserve it. They just bring so much spark to the characters and then together their chemistry is incredible. I think the script can be a bit wonky at times but for the most part they sell it. I truly think Conrad would be a bit insufferable with a lesser actor but I hang on every up and down with him because he brings the necessary emotional weight to every scene (and respectfully I think this is where Jeremiah falls down a bit as a character).

I'm so glad they're doing slow release because I don't think I could handle it all at once. It will be nice to savour it a little bit.

[crowley-the-1-true-king-of-hell]

A review of Spn 5x20 "The Devil You Know" as part of the Crowley tour

See the link for more information about what episodes are for what days

What I liked about the street light scene

Crowley being absolutely dramatic. I also really liked how Crowley briefly had a pleading look on his face when he said "please." Emotional vulnerability isn't something you see often in demons and I would have loved to see more of that. Although the vulnerability might have been fake, as I will talk about below

I also loved the humour in that scene. Crowley gives a dramatic monologue? and then he says he's under a spotlight, like he's performing on a stage. It's this crazy juxtaposition because Sam and Dean are treating this seriously like it's real life and Crowley is acting like he is under a spotlight and Dean had the audacity to give him bad reviews. When Dean gave him one star and a "holy crap we don't care" Crowley upped his drama game

Also lbr Crowley had a point that he didn't make Sam & Dean bring Jody and Ellen

I love how Crowley's expression doesn't change in the slightest even when Brady said Crowley would be tortured forever. You can just tell that even though Brady won't talk, Crowley is absolutely sure of himself as we will later find out

Dean being beat up as part of Crowley's plan. Oof. Ouch. I loved how Crowley was so determined for Brady not to suspect anything, that he wants Dean to look confused and unsure. That way Brady wouldn't see confidence on Dean's face and think there is something more going on. Crowley did this by giving Dean false information. Truly delightful. It reminded us that Crowley is still a demon even if he is on their side. Might also have been punishment for Dean not caring about his pain

It is so unfair we didn't get to see the demon hive fight. However given that his suit got ruined he did also get into close quarter combat. So we know he doesn't just have to rely on his powers. I believe the short middle age of Crowley's vessel as well as him being a salesman means demons tend to underestimate his fighting capability. This would also suggest that Crowley went to combat classes as a demon, and I find it so funny imagining Crowley doing weekly krav maga, MMA and other martial arts with other humans

Ah remember that expression Crowley had on his face when Brady told Crowley Satan would torture him forever? Well, it turns out that was Crowley being inspired by Brady's words about eternal torture. It shows us that Crowley is able to use rants from his enemy to inform and inspire strategic moves. He got information from Brady that Lucifer wouldn't let him die and he knew exactly what to do with it. This isn't the only time Crowley is able to do this

Mark Sheppard and Jim Beaver bounce off each other so well. All of their scenes together are amusing

I would give the Crowley parts a 9 out of 10. The missing star is because they didn't show the demon fight

[myxinidaes]

been a while! been busy irl and also not in the best headstate but. A short writeup of what i've been reading/watching/doing.

Watching: Our Flag Means Death, assorted horror movies, Adventure time.

OFMD season 2 has been tons of fun so far! I've been watching with a friend at my place and we get to harass the orange cat while we watch. He loves attention so he doesn't mind (much). Can we talk abt the bell scene, though? hot damn. awakened things in me.

Horror movies watched have been: Barbarian (spooky but I think more disgusting/sad/pathetic than truly scary), Pet Sematary (halfway through, p spooky!), Jennifer's Body (not scary, very fun), IT (rewatch, still a solid time), Malignant (partway through, a fun time), Repo! (fun! very fun!), and probably more? there have been a Lot of horror movies between weekly streams with internet friends and dinner+drink+horror nights with housemates

Somehow I missed the Adventure Time craze as a teen, but i've been enjoying catching up! a fun show to watch when i dont want to think abt anything. The art style seems very uhhhhh inconsistent though? a bit disorienting

Reading: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan. Hoooly fuck. This book is driving me insane in the absolute best way. I tried reading it last year and fizzled out around the gorge scene even though I was really enjoying it. I've been on a bunch of long bus rides lately, so I picked it up again and truly losing my mind. All of the POVs are so distinct and well-done, the opening scene of the girl stealing her brother's name and the way Zhu Chongba goes on to claim her destiny as well! The gender fuckery! The woman disguised as a male monk meeting the eunuch general! The rage and horror and disgust present in Ouyang's narration, the razorwire cunning and determination of Zhu Chongba's, the complexities of Esen's court!!! And the main romance is absolutely fucking insane. A woman who wants the world at her feet and a wife just trying to survive. Screaming, crying, etc etc etc.

There have been multiple times in the book where I had to pause and lose my mind silently for a few seconds like. WOW. Dearly looking forward to finishing this book and reading He Who Drowned the World. Pictured below, one of my favorite passages.

Other things I've been reading (wip fics):

Tarnished Gold, Scum Villain fic. Absolutely engrossing fic where Shen Yuan transmigrates into Gongyi Xiao instead of Shen Qingqiu. The characterization is beyond top-notch, it's honestly aspirational. The POV is a Luo Binghe fresh from the Abyss and hellbent on causing Gongyi Xiao's complete and utter disgrace. The slow shift from plotting and scheming to a completely in-character Binghe obsession to (eventually) romance? Delightful. So crunchy to read.

Tasting the Outer Road: the Outlaw's Guide to Good Gunsmoke Eating, Trigun Maximum fic. I'm obsessed with everything this author puts out tbh, but a post-Trimax canon fic featuring Knives as a food reviewer and examining consumption, the twins' place in the world, and the harm wrought by Knives is everything I've ever wanted.

Welcome! Everything is Fine. IDW Transformers fic. A Good Place x Transformers mashup... kind of. It's fun! It'll make you laugh! It's got Starscream/Minimus aka the transformers ship of all time!

Listening to: So much. It's been a lot of Hozier lately (concert is less than two weeks away!!), but there was a man at the farmer's market this week singing the Decemberists and that reminded me how much I love them so. shrugs. let's just say i've been rolling around in indie albums.

Working on: Classwork. VW bangfic. I've been busy and I'm very much at the stage in the fic where I'm hating everything I write. But that's fine, the important thing is that it gets written (I say as I contemplate my wip which hasn't had meaningful progress being added for a While now i am so very stuck). My arm's been positively fucked these past few weeks, so I haven't had the opportunity to draw much. Hopefully eventually! I want to do gift art for VWBB friends still, but I'm running out of time.

I've applied to be an officer at a club, curious to see if I get the position. Fingers crossed, I guess? I haven't done IRL leadership stuff in a while, it would be nice to get back into it.

I've been journaling a lot lately, giving it another go after it just made me spiral hard during the early pandemic era. Not sure if it's been helping, but it's definitely better than losing my mind in public on social media? Baby steps.

Final note, very important: Please appreciate the orange cat being harassed.

[bronanlynch]

once again here is my weekly roundup post of what I'm watching/reading/etc. once again none of this is necessarily a recommendation, except the bits where I talk about my own fic. obviously everyone should read my fic

listening (podcast): nothing new here. continuing with the Wing episodes of Great Gundam Project, which continue to make me want to watch Gundam at all times. also keeping up with Palisade (Friends at the Table), my beloved, I love it when an actual play podcast episode is an extended discussion on spycraft and the changing political landscape, and also watching someone else flip a coin

also, I've listened to less A More Civilized Age recently because I'm less interested in KOTOR now that they're covering that, but I did listen to their episode on the imminently-closing Disney World Starcruiser attraction which. oof. great podcast episode, unsurprising that the ~experience was uhhhhh not worth how many thousands of dollars it costs

listening (music): changed the CD in my car to One-X by Three Days Grace. sorry for almost exclusively listening to music that was used for AMVs in the 2000s.

however! for once I listened to new music, the new Troye Sivan single, Got Me Started. nothing particularly smart to say here, it's fun and catchy and makes me wish it was 2018 and I was back in grad school having a single overpriced drink in a gay bar and failing to psych myself up enough to flirt with anyone

reading: still working my way through Rule of Wolves (truly would be more interesting if Leigh Bardugo did not always shy away from the political marriages that she teases at, at least then the political intrigue would have to actually happen on the page) and Water Outlaws (shout out to my new favorite side character, the nonbinary strategist who wants to overthrow the government).

also read the newest KJ Charles novel, A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel. I always have a lot of fun with her stuff, she understands that life-threatening stakes and also secrets & betrayal are what I personally want in a romance. this one had some very fun intrigue around inheritance & legal loopholes, and also plot-important discussions of religion in Roman Britain. my main complaint isn't even a critique of the book itself, it's just that I as a person have slightly different priorities and I wish one of the main characters had been allowed to stay angry and maybe be more destructive about it. like I'm glad he's happy now that he's had his character development, and I do think it was well done. however. I would've found it personally cathartic if he got to do a few more crimes first

also also, this incredibly scathing academic book review (Was There an Administrative Revolution?, George Zhijian Qiao). it's a delight. I've seen some harsh rebuttals but nothing nearly as much of a masterpiece as this

watching: continuing to watch Elementary, which has its pros (competently-written mystery stories with fun characters) and its cons (can't tell if the copaganda has gotten more blatant this season or if it's just been building up and I'm getting tired of it)

also continuing my long slow journey of watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes. what a show. love an incredibly homoerotic military sci-fi anime about the narrative construction of history. season 3 has been kind of up and down for me, though, I must say. I love the parts about Reinhard being desperate to die in battle against a "worthy opponent," I love Reuental getting accused of treason presumably to foreshadow him actually doing treason at some point, I love Kircheis haunting the narrative, I love the vastly different tone whenever we see Yang being self-aware about history and his friends getting up to shenanigans. however. whenever the Earth Cult is the central focus I'm reminded how much I don't like that plotline. like. Idk. I'm not an expert but I know more well-informed people than me have talked/written about the prevalence of antisemitic conspiracy theory tropes in anime from this era and uh. that sure is present here and I don't care for it

the other thing I watched this week is 1985 horror film Re-Animator. my first note is "oh he's such a little freak I love him" (about the titular guy who reanimates the dead) and that really sums it up I think. is it a good movie? I mean. probably not. but I could write an entire thesis on the themes of procreation vs necromancy and how that subtextually makes the central conflict of the film a love triangle, and sometimes that's what really matters

playing: ran a session of Blades in the Dark while partially out-of-it from the flu shot/covid booster combo. this was the third session of a single score, and by the end of it everyone only had one (1) remaining stress box but somehow no one trauma-ed out while escaping the ancient winged robot/ghost lady whose gambling hall they were robbing (they stole her reality-bending dice that she made out of her own bones)

I've been enjoying Ace Attorney 5 more this week, the second half of 5-3 and the beginning of 5-4 have been a lot of fun. it really is a shame that Robin's gender is handled Like That because otherwise 5-3 would be such a good case. I'm not far enough into 5-4 to say much about it other than that I like it so far but truly my main observation is, if two astronauts were on the launch pad, and one of them killed the other with a knife, would that be fucked up or what?

making: made butternut squash pasta sauce with the rest of the squash left over from last week's muffins. we used this recipe, largely because it involved roasting the squash in the oven instead of standing over a stove waiting for liquid to reduce (substituted oat milk for the half-and-half, it turned out fine and just didn't needed the added pasta water)

here it's on mushroom ravioli, but we also added it to baked mac & cheese to add some more vegetable to that

drinking: sorry that all of this is so aggressively seasonal, unfortunately I love a lot of ~fall flavors~. anyway. shout out to Citizen Cider's Baker's Dozen (cider donut flavored cider). it's not as sweet as other cider donut ciders I've had, since Citizen's stuff tends to be fairly dry, but it still has the cinnamon flavor and it's very tasty

writing: mostly I've been editing the same t4t yurivain fic I've been working on for months, but I'm running out of shareable snippets of that and really I need to just post the damn thing. and I've also written a little bit more of a self-indulgent vibes- & motif-heavy Great Ace Attorney fic so uh. here's this:

They’d been at sea without stopping for a while now, but land was drawing into view once again, if he looked west where the sky was still dark. Maybe his friends, the friends he must’ve had once, were still out there, beyond the sea. Maybe they were looking for him. Maybe they were waiting for him in London. Maybe that was why he needed to go there so badly. Or maybe they were all gone, and he, left behind alone, had business to finish on their behalf before he could rejoin them. The sea slapped against the hull of the ship, and there was the frayed edge of a memory there too, a familiarity with ships, with the sounds that the sea could make, that went back farther than his few months’ employment as a dock worker and a deckhand.

[msookyspooky]

I CANT BELIEVE WHAT I JUST READ… I STOPPED MY WEEKLY BINGE OF ANOTHER SHOW WHEN THE NOTIFICATION POPPED UP.. OF COURSE I HAD TO READ RIGHT THEN AND THERE EVEN THOUGH I HAVENT SLEPT YET.. SO MY APOLOGIES FOR WHAT IM ABOUT TO RANT ABOUT… HOLY FUCKING SHIT YOU DIDNT!! YOU DID FUCKING NOT!!! UGH THE ALLURING WRITING IN THIS UPDATE HAS ME SPEECHLESS!!! I AM SO DUMBFOUNDED I CANT STRING ENOUGH WORDS TOGETHER TO PRAISE YOU AND YOUR WRITING!! HONESTLY I AM BLESSED TO HAVE READ THIS AS SOON AS I DID!! THE DAY HAS JUST BEGUN AND I DONT THINK ANYTHING ELSE WILL TOP IT!! I’LL BE REREADING THIS ALL DAY!!! THIS UPDATE IS AMAZING!! THAT ENDING IM— YOURE SUCH AN INCREDIBLE WRITER!!! I WAS HANGING OFF EACH WORD!!! YOU TRULY ARE ASTONISHING!!!

Thank you soooo much for this update!!! I am truly in love with your writing!!! Much love💞🥰

STOP YOU PAUSED A SHOW FOR ME???🥺😳💘 HFAAGJKK IDK WHAT TO SAY BUT THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR THESE REVIEWS!! SRSLY, THESE ARE THE REVIEWS THAT KEEP ME WRITING EVEN WHEN I DON'T WANT TO!!!

[wondereads]

Weekly Reading Update (01/29/24)

Reviews and thoughts under the cut

The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce (9/10)

This concludes my reread of the Immortals Quartet! I'd probably place this series as my second favorite of the Tortall books; I feel like it gets overlooked, which is quite unfair because Daine's magic is just so interesting. This particular book completes the story very well, and it also involves the main romantic pairing getting together, which I enjoyed far more than I thought. Things fell into place a little too easily for my tastes, but it's overall a very good conclusion.

Year of the Reaper by Makiia Lucier (8/10)

This book started off very slow, so I wasn’t sure if I would like it. However, once we got into the meat of the story, I enjoyed it! I think there’s a particularly good plot twist in this one, and I actually really liked the main character. He feels like if the typical, tortured YA love interest were the protagonist instead, and seeing him be a little foolish or impulsive was refreshing. Like I said, it takes a while to get into it, I wasn’t even sure what the main plot was going to be for a while, but it’s pretty well-paced after that.

The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente (9/10)

This was an incredibly intriguing novella about waste and global warming. It's a bit shocking and unique with the plethora of cursing and a very unreliable narrator. After I finished this book I felt hollow inside, and it makes you think about the issues of pollution and what it could mean for the future, especially the people who will live then and don't deserve that kind of world. The main character and narrator, Tetley, has a very distinctive voice, and she will often admit to lying to the reader about various things. The only thing I disliked was that at some points it felt like Tetley was going through terrible things just to make her go through terrible things.

Crystal Dark by Julie E. Kramer (2/10)

This is the lowest I have ever rated a book I finished. This is a YA fantasy romance novella, and it is self-published. It shows. I truly believe absolutely no editing went into this book. Most of the writing is either overly simplistic or worded in the most convoluted, backwards way that I simply could not tell what the author meant. There are basic grammar mistakes, typos, and a major side character's name is misspelled at one point. The plot is rushed to the extreme and makes absolutely no sense; why Ceia wouldn't use her magic to flee from an incredibly dangerous situation is never explained. The romance, if you could call it that, is forced and has no build-up, and the "villain" is so cartoonishly evil and defeated with a flick of the main character's hand. There is no explanation for the worldbuilding, and things are just spontaneously introduced to make sure the protagonists always have what they need. It is lazy, poorly constructed, and I can't believe someone put this into the world in this state.

The Absinthe Underground by Jamie Paction (6/10)

Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed by this book. It has a great premise, the aesthetics really come through, and it's got a cute sapphic romance. The execution falls short with just the lack of space for the story. Things happen far too quickly when there are many scenes that really need space to breathe. It affects the tension and doesn't give much room for the side characters to show their personalities. The writing tends to tell instead of show, which may contribute to the rushed nature of this book. This book could have been quite good, but it ends up being somewhat mediocre.

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor (36%)

The last Nnedi Okorafor book I read was Binti, which I wasn't a huge fan of, but I'm liking this one a lot more. Sankofa is a very intriguing protagonist, and I'm very interested to see where the story is going. It seems to skirt the line between fantasy and sci-fi, especially when it comes to Sankofa's backstory. This book is a whole 100 pages longer than Binti, and I think it's much better for it.

Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (30%)

I'm really enjoying this so far. The way of storytelling, told through mission reports, chat records, and not-Wikipedia pages is very interesting and utilizes all kinds of unconventional, visual methods. There's some great humor in it too; the characters definitely feel like teenagers.

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas (19%)

I've been pretty lukewarm on Throne of Glass for the most part. I hear this book is where most people really start to like the series, so I hope it's the same for me. I will say it's moving at a good pace so far, and I really like where the plot is going. The rescue mission angle brings a lot of suspense, especially since it's a character I actually care about. On the other side, Chaol is being so annoying and it makes his perspective drag for me.

[rookie-critic]

City of Angels (1998, dir. Brad Silberling) - review by Rookie-Critic

The third stop on my Nicolas Cage weekly movie nights was an odd choice. After two absolutely unhinged films like Con Air and Face/Off, why would my friends' next choice be a rom-com between Cage and Meg Ryan that happens to be a remake of a beloved 80s film by auteur Wim Wenders? The answer was simple: The song "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls was written for this movie, and that was intriguing enough to give it a slot, and honestly I'm the kind of person who wants to devour an actor's entire filmography, especially for an actor like Nicolas Cage, so I didn't mind at all. I didn't have super high expectations going into this one, I'd never even heard of it before and, looking at the reviews, they didn't seem too favorable. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well written, well acted, and just generally well made this was.

Cage and Ryan both give absolutely stellar performances, with Cage actually managing to draw a tear out of me with a line delivered towards the end of the film. Special shout out should also go to Dennis Franz, who is unforgettable as Nathaniel Messinger in the film. While the story may seem a tad ridiculous on the surface; an angel wants to become mortal after falling in love with a human woman, the film does a very good job of bringing that frankly wacky premise down to Earth and making it believable within the rules the movie sets up for itself. I know I've already mentioned that Cage gives a stellar performance in this, but I don't think I've really sold it enough, so I'm going to keep talking about it. This isn't Cage unhinged, this is Cage subdued. It's such a straight-laced, non-bombastic performance that I'm not sure I've ever seen out of him before. Even taking Pig into account, which by all metrics is a more subdued performance from his average outing, still has aspects to it that are wacky, and only one scene in this entire film sees Cage approaching his normal levels of insanity, but even then it fits within the confines of the character. I know that a lot of the charm surrounding Nicolas Cage is his crazed, frantic acting, but when I see him in films like this, like Pig, it makes me a little sad, because I know that he's more than capable of giving a truly incredible performance. One that's memorable for how good his acting is as opposed to how bizarre and bonkers it is, which, again, has its own charm and appeal. I don't necessarily want Cage's reputation as a wildman actor to go away, I don't want his legacy to consider how genuinely talented he is, as well.

While I don't understand the Tomatometer's 57% for this film (inversely to how I don't quite understand Face/Off's 92%), there are aspects of it that don't work for me. For one, while the dialogue is amazing, Ryan and Cage have absolutely no chemistry. Cage is definitely not the rom-com scene partner that Tom Hanks is to Ryan, and it shows. It really is their chemistry because, as I stated earlier, their performances are both stellar, but I just got nothing in the romance department out of them. Another lackluster piece of this puzzle is that it does lean over into overly sappy territory more than once, for sure. A lot of the music cues, while the songs themselves are good, were almost too much. One in particular, when Sarah McLachlan's "Angel" plays during a pivotal romance scene, was actually too much. This very possibly could be because of that song's connection to the ASPCA commercials from the mid-2000s, and if that is that case I can't really hold that against the film, but the on-the-nose nature of the song's titular line and the style of music it is was more of a hindrance than a help, as was the case for the scene where "Iris" plays.

One last thing I'll say in the con category is with a specific scene in the film in which we are shown flashes of black-and-white clips that don't really seem pertinent as well as black-and-white versions of things that had happened earlier in the movie. From what I understand, the black-and-white aspect of this is in reference to original Wim Wenders film, Wings of Desire, in which it is a major plot point that angels can't see color, which is all well and good except for the fact that this had never been established in City of Angels up to that point, which makes it very jarring and confusing as to why that was been presented that way. It also still doesn't answer what those other, unrelated clips were. The closest thing I think for them to be are shots from Wings of Desire that were placed there as a way to homage the original film, but I have no idea if that's true or not, and it still wouldn't make sense as to how they relate to Seth in this film. Regardless, City of Angels was great. It's one of the better genuinely fantastic performances I've seen out of Cage, the writing was awesome despite its leads' lack of chemistry, and most importantly, I had a fun time watching this with friends. What more can you ask for?

Score: 8/10

Currently available for rent/purchase on digital (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, etc.) and on DVD & Blu-ray through Warner Bros./Regency.

[clarktooncrossing]

Happy #throwbackthursday people of today and robots of tomorrow! It is I, Clark, with your weekly dose of nostalgia. Seeing as I'm new to tumblr and most of my work is still over on deviantART, I've decided to upload one of my older pieces each Thursday until I inevitably run out of stuff to repost. With that said, we now travel back to the ancient times of 2020 for this week's pic.

Okay, so we're not traveling that far back in time for my first nostalgic post, but I figured it'd be better if I posted this on tumblr first before somebody else does it. That's happened with a lot of my fanart for My Little Pony, people posting it over on a site called Derpibooru without my consent. Granted they still credit me as the artist, but a little heads up still would've been nice. Hence why I'm posting this here now. It also doesn't hurt that the My Little Pony franchise as a whole celebrates it's 40th anniversary this year.

What you're seeing here is a cover to a previously planned review for Season 8 of Friendship is Magic, made back when I was trying to review every individual season. At the time my typing this I haven't finished Season 8 yet, but I do dig the Student Six. Seeing as they were the main focus on the show I felt it important I included them as well as this season's twist villain Cozy Glow. After toiling over what to draw for this cover, the comic-loving side of my brain took over, taking inspiration from the renowned X-Men story Days of Future Past. Most of the X'd out characters you know, save for the one in the middle. That would be yours truly in all his geeky giraffe glory! Speaking of geeky, you might be wondering what's up with the Pinkie Pie puppet in Cozy's arms. She's dressed as the underrated character Gwenpool, a running gag that started when I actually reviewed Season 1 of the show. And yes, I will be getting around to posting that. Until then I hope you all enjoy this cover as much as Cozy Glow here does. School's out FOREVER!