#what an emotional and visual spectacle

[feline-ranger]

In light of the sad news about Bernard Hill, I feel like we should take a moment to really appreciate the acting performances in the LOTR trilogy. The fact that none of the cast got Academy Awards is well-known and I think even now the sheer visual spectacle of the trilogy can overshadow everything else, but the performances were SO crucial to what made the films great.

It’s easy to take the success of the movies for granted now, but that was never a guarantee. Aside from the practical aspects of portraying such an epic fantasy onscreen, the series is peppered with dialogue that is fine on the page but unbelievably difficult to deliver. As Harrison Ford famously remarked to George Lucas re Star Wars “You can write this stuff, but you can’t say it.”

From Gandalf’s “To the Bridge of Khazad-Dum!” to Elrond’s “It must be cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came!” it would be so easy for the whole thing to collapse into farce. The only reason it doesn’t, is because of the talent and conviction of the actors.

Bernard Hill was tasked with one of the most objectively ridiculous lines in the entire trilogy. “The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the deep one last time!” And he delivered. BOY, did he deliver. He gave it all the gravitas and emotional weight of Shakespeare, he made it truly rousing instead of ridiculous, he took the audience with him to that moment, that place, right into Middle Earth with its people and its history, and made it REAL.

And for that, I thank and salute him. RIP, sir. Go now to the halls of your fathers. You earned it.

[kingofthewilderwest]

We need to start questioning the conflation of "maturity" with "increased stakes."

It's not to say higher stakes is always a bad choice. The first half of the How to Train Your Dragon book series has an endearingly whimsical, child-like feel. Hiccup's issues in the first half of book one are an obnoxious, cat-sized Toothless pooping in his helmet. The movie adaptation might have made the book and its counterpart distant cousins, but it was a thoughtful move to alter concepts to the appropriately theatrical: books and movies aren't the same medium. Hiccup riding alone on Toothless, exchanging fire blasts with a mountain-sized dragon, and losing his leg came off as well-done storytelling.

Hiccup staring at a prosthetic never happened in the book. He didn't lose his leg in his encounter with the Green Death. It was, as the creative powers behind the movie said, a result of the increased stakes. They didn't do this just to be more dramatic; they did it because it seemed that, based on how their narrative was going, this made sense. And this was a soft, quiet, shocking, breath-taking scene that instilled how good the movie handled its stakes. It gave us a reflective reaction to consequences that audiences might not have expected. This movie understood timing, pauses, quietness, narrative arc, poignance, reflection, emotion, love, and heart.

We know about the conflation of live action as "more mature" than animation. But a medium doesn't change maturity levels. We all know that's bogus, and many analyses have been given on that. Disney live actions add extraneous gunk, down to Gaston having a past relationship with war (so I've heard, from the people who actually watched the movie), and Disney giving us the sad scoop on why Belle's mom isn't around. Furthermore, lots of times, when I see the conversion of animation to live action, I notice creators feel a need to "raise the stakes" -- in line with the erroneous view of "giving maturity."

But "higher stakes" often means inserting action in place of mindful interaction. I feel today's Hollywood movies, in their treatment of "action," don't let movies pause and breathe anymore - ergo, they don't let us think. Isn't it more juvenile to actively avoid thought in favor of "hey look I made the building go boom"? There may be less "stakes" in introspection and mindful dialogue, but that's what gives it its maturity. That's how we went from Iron Man 1, with its grounded treatment of war and abuse, to the mindless high spectacle MCU is today.

Snappy one-liners or moments that clap at contemporary issues don't substitute for maturity. What can make a story mature is characters grappling with issues in a natural narrative through-line. A snappy one-liner is its own form of speedy spectacle.

We know about the conflation of "gore and sex" with "mature audiences." I believe they're right that graphic sex and gore is designed for adults. But that doesn't make it mature, and that doesn't make it the only way to target a medium for adults.

"Realisticness" isn't maturity. Per above regarding animation: realistic visuals are nothing. And if you think that putting more Debbie Downer material into your adaptation makes it more adult, you have to ask yourself why the themes that spoke to people's souls got muddled in its midst. We weren't mature enough to interact with the most subtle, nuanced, and impacting voice of the story. But hey! Look! There's more corpses, I guess!

It's not the visuals, it's not the events. It's not the "things." It's not the basic insertion of the external. Get past the superficial, get past the top layer of presentation. It's the mind. It's the ability to think. It's the ability to be still. It's the ability to be interested and attentive when something is slow or quotidian, because we can understand why that is important for narrative growth or arcs or themes or commentary on the human condition. It's the ability to know when and when not to include something. It's the ability to make resonant impact. It's the ability to be deep with your emotions or your themes. It's the ability to take what you have and grow it in a way by which we can derive something deeper.

Maturity is critical thought and well-conducted, appropriate responses to content of any kind.

As DeBlois tells Empire, the move to live-action brings a different emphasis to How To Train Your Dragon; a new heft, both physically and emotionally. “It’s so dialed-up in terms of stakes — having a fully credible, photo-real dragon stomping around trying to kill him,” the director says.

And maybe that DeBlois quote is taken out of context. Maybe there's more going on than that one sentence conveys. Maybe Empire is making their own erroneous assumptions. But "so dialed-up in terms of stakes," isn't, on its own, a good appeal. The animated movie already dialed things up - and knew when to include or not include something. A live-action that imitates the visuals of the animated movie exactly, as if no independent thought has been done to its unique adaptation, to the pros and cons of the medium, to what a independently-presented story needs and doesn't need... It has to make you wonder: how many conflations of "maturity" are going on?

How long are we going to keep making our own conflations?

[violet-moonstone]

once more defending my love, book!elphaba thropp

reading reviews of wicked and im seeing people say they hate book elphaba because she's "unlikable"

so many people love the feel good vibes of the musical while not seeing that they sound exactly like people who would have shunned elphaba at shiz for not being pleasant enough and making them feel unsettled instead of putting them at ease

I'm saying this because I find that people are often much more charitable towards fictional characters than real people -- and people IRL who have Elphaba's severe, unwavering personality and unwillingness to conform often face the same social stigma she did, no green skin required. Like yes, Elphaba was an outcast because she had green skin, but I don't think the green skin is the point of the novel. I think her being green is a visual manifestation of being so at odds with what you're "supposed" to be that people demonize you for it. Book Elphaba is queer and hinted to be intersex. I read her as neurodivergent, so this all tracks to me, and considering that other forms of oppression and stigmatization are very important themes in the narrative, I think the green-ness simply emphasizes to the other ways in which she's marginalized.

Trying not to go into the Wicked rant that I tend to do every few months but I feel it coming on

I'm all here for critiques of the novel, because it certainly has flaws, and I understand why people don't enjoy it -- but there is something funny to me about people wanting a narrative about looking beneath the surface to find true value but hating the version of that story that requires the most compassion to appreciate. Like the musical is fun and well-made but it does not require any effort to like musical Elphaba because she's conventionally attractive woman who's feisty and kinda quirky...oh and she's also green. And her being green matters more to the other characters than to us. We don't care that she's green (because we already know it would be wrong to judge her based on that) and the musical gives us no other reasons to judge her, so we don't really have to process any complex emotions.

(Sidenote, I think if book Elphaba were still green but more conventionally attractive, bubbly, and less political, she would not have been as much of an outcast -- at least not in her later adolescence. Her green-ness could have been a novelty or spectacle that she used to her advantage if she made up for it by being more palatable in other ways. Of course, she would never do this, because that's simply not Elphaba. She could never twist herself to be anything other than who she is, even out of social self-preservation.)

Book Elphaba is so much more prickly and unpleasant --and hell, so was I at the height of my social ineptitude and feeling like there was something so so wrong with me (because why for the love of God couldn't I just fit in and act the way the cool kids my age did).

Her unpleasantness and seriousness and insistence on talking about important things that make people uncomfortable are her green-ness imo. Those are the things that affect how we as the reader experience her, and we must experience her strangeness as well.

And while I understand that if the moral of the story is essentially "don't judge a book by its cover" then yes, you can tell a thematically sound story about a girl who is actually pretty cool but just happens to be green and talk about how she's ostracized simply because she looks different. That's a perfectly fine story -- but I think it can go much further -- because it's not only wrong to marginalize people who look different, it's also wrong to marginalize those who are internally different. Difference is persecuted whether its visual or behavioural.

Even if Elphaba weren't green, there are inherent aspects of who she is that prevent her from conforming to the ideal, both in her world and ours. And I think valuing her with all of those things in mind is a lot more rewarding than simply liking her despite the fact that she's green.

Anyway I love Elphaba Thropp and I don't think her being more palatable would have made the story better — it simply would have made it more popular, and I think on that at least, fans of both the book and musical should be able to agree is not an inherently better thing.

...

OK one last point, I saw someone saw they prefer the musical because it has more "girl power" meanwhile the book feels "obviously written by a man" and I just...dear god what a surface level take

Yes Gregory Maguire is a man (oh, the horror!), but he wrote the women in Wicked as people, without hand wringing about if they're likeable or pleasant enough. They are flawed and raw and not just there to make the audience feel warm and fuzzy. He writes about sexuality without making women feel like sexual objects -- I suspect because he also writes about the sexuality of his male characters (the women aren't just in the story to turn us on) and he himself is gay, so there may be less male-gaze going on than with a lot of men who write fantasy. Yes, characters are described in sexual ways, but this happens regardless of gender.

[starlattethesqueakwal]

Just noticed something wrong...

I finally watched Wicked (the movie) and I just realized something.

Vivziepop focuses on how a musical feels, but not how it makes us think. She thinks about the spectacle, the glamour, when in reality what matters most is that the music tell a story.

So far we got:

All of Stolas's songs, which are just emotional fluff that doesnt even have a story connection EXCEPT for mastermind. They just come out of nowhere to be "OH WOE IS STOLAS!" and nothing else. :/

Loser Baby, which just throws insults at Angel Dust and "empowering" visuals to look like theyre "bonding" when in reality Husk is just calling Angel a "whiny bitch!" for being a sa victim. (Gross!)

Loo Loo Land, once again, for spectacle and nothing else storywise despite easily having explained Blitz's backstory with RoboFizz a bit more or AT LEAST him threatning Blitz somehow.

-and besides that, I cant even name a song that has actual plot relevance besides Charlie's intro song and MAYBE Respectless.

Its honestly an insult to musicals. Really, it really is.

Musicals are so much more than "WOW! This looks and sounds cool!"

They tell a story.

Viv just wants the "WOW!" factor, not the story relevance or interesting storytelling as much as the actually decent musicals such as Cats or Wicked. Saying this all as a theater kid.

[phm-countdown]

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH THERES BEEN A TEST SCREENING OF THE FULL PHM MOVIE!!!

NEARLY THREE WHOLE HOURS OF OUR BOYS BABEYYYYY (plssss don’t let it be cut down 🙏)

Main parts of the article:

“[…]what’s really turning heads now is the reaction from a recent West Coast test screening, which appears to have left audiences more than just impressed.”

“According to a source who attended the ‘Hail Mary’ test screening, the film is drawing early comparisons to high-minded, emotionally resonant science fiction like “Arrival,” and “Interstellar” — the kind of sci-fi that plays just as well with awards voters as it does with general audiences.

That same source pointed out that Gosling delivers one of his most emotionally engaging performances in recent memory, with the film finding the kind of grounded human emotion beneath its spectacle that elevates it beyond a standard space thriller.

This kind of reaction is particularly intriguing given the film’s current placement on the release calendar — March 2026 — which isn’t typically associated with serious awards hopefuls. But what’s raising eyebrows even more is the reportedly advanced state of the near 3-hour cut shown at the test screening.

Unlike most films this far from release, which tend to still be deep in post-production and shown in rough form during tests, “Project Hail Mary” was said to look nearly finished. Visual effects appeared close to final, the cinematography was described as “crisp and cinematic,” and the pacing already felt “locked in.” All of this strongly suggests that the studio is much further along than it’s publicly letting on.

That polish has led to speculation that a strategic shift to the awards corridor later in 2025 — perhaps the holiday season — might be in the cards. Amazon MGM could be keeping its options open, waiting to see if the word-of-mouth continues to build before officially repositioning it for a potential Oscar run.

While it’s still early, if the response from additional screenings continues on this path, “Project Hail Mary” could quietly transform from a mid-season sci-fi release into one of the year’s major cinematic events.”

[purlty23]

Ghost… oh Ghost…

I’ve been a fan of Ghost for a long time. I’ve seen them shift, adapt, and evolve. But with these new singles — Peacefield, Lachryma, and Satanised — it’s become painfully clear: Ghost is no longer a band pushing creative limits. It’s a brand rehearsing a role.

Peacefield

This track is lifeless. That generic choir + child vocal intro? It’s not grand. It’s not spooky. It’s generic trailer music. You could slap it on a fantasy video game ad and no one would blink.

Then there’s this gem of a lyric:

“We all need something to believe in until it’s over, anything, anyone, anytime, but it’s not over yet.”

Seriously? That’s not introspective. That’s the kind of line you’d find in the Notes app of a high school kid writing edgy poetry during math class.

And then — plot twist — Tobias Forge didn’t even compose it. Two outside pop producers did. That explains everything. It’s a Ghost-branded pop rock single that could’ve been released under any band with eyeliner.

This isn’t art. It’s product.

Lachryma

This one hurts more because you can hear potential. The synth intro is beautiful. The chorus is solid. But everything else? Paint-by-numbers filler.

It’s Ghost doing a cosplay of their older sound — imitating their own identity instead of building on it. There’s no tension. No drama. No left turns. No surprise. It plays like something written to safely hit the Spotify rock playlist algorithm. You can practically see the songwriting formula in the waveform.

Satanised

This one is just baffling.

It desperately wants to be edgy. Dark. Controversial. But instead it comes off like a parody of a parody. And the real kicker? As an Orthodox Christian, I actually found the lyrics… oddly familiar. It reads more like actual Christian theology than any critique of it. And the delivery isn’t even ironic — it sounds sincere. Like something you’d hear in a church youth group rock night, but with a pentagram slapped on top. Ghost used to twist religious imagery into eerie, poetic metaphors. Now they’re just reciting doctrine louder, pretending it’s subversive.

It’s not Satanic. It’s not rebellious. It’s not clever.

It’s empty theater.

⸻

And Now, the Bigger Problem…

What’s really shocking is seeing fans actually celebrating things like:

“Wow, Papa can finally move his mouth while singing with the new costume!”

Wait — that’s the bar now?

He can move his mouth?

We’re applauding a musician for doing the bare minimum of human functionality on stage? If that’s what excites you — not the music, not the composition, not the emotional weight — then this is no longer a band. It’s a Hot Topic mannequin showcase.

Ghost is becoming Lordi 2.0 — all spectacle, no soul.

If you stripped away the masks, the gimmicks, and the stage fog, would these new songs still move you? Or would you skip them entirely?

And maybe that’s where Ghost should go next: not deeper into music, but into fashion.

If the focus is on how good Papa looks under a spotlight or how cool the tour merch is, then just admit it — Ghost is a visual brand now. A goth fashion label with guitars.

The Truth Is This:

Ghost could’ve ditched the Satanic shtick years ago and reinvented themselves into something honest, raw, and creatively free.

They didn’t. And now, the once-dark, genre-bending, risk-taking band is slowly fading out in a cloud of recycled theatrics and outsourced melodies.

These singles — Peacefield, Lachryma, Satanised — aren’t songs from a band on fire. They’re the final wheezes of something that doesn’t realize it’s dying.

Ghost isn’t a cult anymore. It’s a costume.

And I say this not out of hate — but as someone who once believed. /Copypasta

[marina41trench]

Izumi Iori - 16 STAR SIGNS RabbiChat

Nikaidou Yamato: Well then, Ichi-san. I’m looking forward to working with you for the “16 STAR SIGNS” interview.

Izumi Iori: Yes, I look forward to working with you as well.

Izumi Iori: I’ll ask just in case, are you not going back to your room?

Nikaidou Yamato: This is fine. Let’s have a RabbiChat together

You did it with Mitsu and Riku in the living room before, right?

Izumi Iori: Well, we did.

Izumi Iori: Nii-san and Nanase-san fill the gap with their energetic gestures, speaking what they type, and frequent changes in their expressions.

You don’t show much emotion, and your movements are very limited.

Nikaidou Yamato: So you mean that talking in a RabbiChat with me in the same room is not interesting,,?

Izumi Iori: I didn’t say that.

Or rather, please don’t suddenly make a pleading face

Nikaidou Yamato: That’s because you said that you prefer I change expressions

Izumi Iori: I didn’t say that either.

Let’s begin the RabbiChat interview.

Nikaidou Yamato: Thanks, Ichi 🥹

Nikaidou Yamato: Since we’re already doing a RabbiChat face to face, I’ll sit beside you~

Izumi Iori: Eh

Nikaidou Yamato: Feeling embarrassed?

Izumi Iori: I am not

Nikaidou Yamato: What a cute guy (laugh)

Izumi Iori: How vexing (angry)

Nikaidou Yamato: I wonder how we’ll start, though.

I’ll try imitating Manager from the previous project

Izumi Iori: I agree. Since we’re the first batch, let’s do it formally.

Nikaidou Yamato: Yes! This time in “16 STAR SIGNS,” a member of the same group will interview the birthday person as part of the project.

The interview will be in RabbiChat, so you’ll feel closer to the idols!

Nikaidou Yamato: Getting to the point, the interview contains 4 important points!

1. Thoughts on the opening

2. Your favorite visual displayed in the exhibit

3. Original question from the interviewer

4. Message to the fans

Nikaidou Yamato: Yamato-san will be in charge of asking these 4 questions to Iori-san.

Please treat them well! ✨

Izumi Iori: You

Izumi Iori: You even imitated Manager’s tone

Nikaidou Yamato: Oh, you’re smiling

I like the idea of doing a RabbiChat in the same room!

Izumi Iori: I was taken by surprise

Nikaidou Yamato: Okay, let’s continue while we’re at it.

Starting with the first question! What was your impression that you’ll have your own “16 STAR SIGNS” birthday store?

Izumi Iori: Of course, I was happy.

It’s not usual for IDOLiSH7 to be chosen for such a large scale project

Izumi Iori: I’m thankful that we could enjoy more things with the fans in different forms, not just on TV and concerts.

Nikaidou Yamato: Aah.

Moreover, it’s amazing that people come to the store just to celebrate your birthday

Izumi Iori: Yes. I will never forget this spectacle, and will continue to be more devoted from now on

Nikaidou Yamato: I see. I remember you went there secretly

Izumi Iori: I went there with Yotsuba-san and Isumi-san on our way home from school. I was relieved to see it was crowded.

I feel a bit embarrassed to see my merchandise lined up.

Nikaidou Yamato: Aaah, it’ll be same the for me when it’s my turn,,

Izumi Iori: Yes. It’s more stunning than you think.

Nikaidou Yamato: I-I’ll prepare myself…

Nikaidou Yamato: Moving to the second question, now that we talked about the store

In those displayed visuals, which one did you feel attached to, or your favorite?

Nikaidou Yamato: You’re going to put an autograph on it, right

Izumi Iori: Yes. There was a proposal that I will write an autograph on a visual I feel attached to, as part of the store’s enjoyment tied to the interview, so I put one before the opening day.

Nikaidou Yamato: So which one did you put an autograph on?

Izumi Iori: “16 PRODUCERS”

Nikaidou Yamato: Oh! That’s kind of unexpected

You’re the kind of person I’d expect to pick one where you look smart

Izumi Iori: Compared to the others, it’s certainly the one I look the most relaxed

Izumi Iori: Someone making a production for another. I didn’t have someone to call a friend so experiencing this was made possible because I met IDOLiSH7. It’s because I met all of you.

Izumi Iori: While looking at the visuals up until now, it strengthened my feelings

I chose this because it’s the one where I felt I was myself

Nikaidou Yamato: Can I pat your head?

Izumi Iori: Absolutely not.

Nikaidou Yamato:

Nikaidou Yamato: You certainly didn’t make that expression in front of others when I first met you.

That was the time when Mitsu and Riku produced you, huh

Izumi Iori: Please don’t say that as if you’re not involved.

Izumi Iori: You’re one of the people who changed me.

You, our leader, are indispensable in IDOLiSH7.

Nikaidou Yamato: Ichi..

Nikaidou Yamato: Thanks. You’re one of the people who changed me, too.

Really, a lot of things happened between us

Izumi Iori: I have a feeling I know the reason, but could you tell me?

Nikaidou Yamato: You’re making a really good face, Ichi..

Izumi Iori: You keep an easygoing attitude, so I can’t let this chance pass.

Just repeating Nii-san’s words

Nikaidou Yamato: These brothers are really something..

Nikaidou Yamato: You’re the guy who told me that when I get attached to IDOLiSH7, I’d fight for it no matter what.

Personally, that made me really shocked.

Being told that by someone younger than me, I thought I should change

Izumi Iori: Supposedly, even if I or the other members fail, as long as you’re firm, IDOLiSH7 will be fine. That’s how much you’ve changed

Nikaidou Yamato: Stop that~~ I don’t have that kind of confidence

Izumi Iori: Well, I have no plans of failing so I’m fine.

Nikaidou Yamato: I’ll rely on you!

Izumi Iori:

Nikaidou Yamato: Uhm, let’s move to the 3rd question, which is an original question from the interviewer!

Nikaidou Yamato: “Please tell me your wish to the shooting star,” as connection to “16 STAR SIGNS”

Izumi Iori: I see. This is a Nikaidou-san-like romantic question.

Nikaidou Yamato: You think I'm a romanticist?!

Izumi Iori: At your core, you’re pure and dreamy.

Nikaidou Yamato: Wait a minute this is making me embarrassed. When this interview ends tell me what you think of me…

Izumi Iori: I’ll answer the question.

Izumi Iori: I only have one wish. Which is to make people know, even if it’s just a single person, that IDOLiSH7 is the best idol group.

Izumi Iori: I know the appeal of IDOLiSH7 more than anyone. Their singing voices cross over the rainbow, charming everyone with their radiance, and these 7 members.

I would even wish for the shooting star to spread it around the world.

Nikaidou Yamato: So cool……

Izumi Iori: Thank you.

I have expectations when it’s your turn.

Nikaidou Yamato: I wonder if I can say it as stylishly as you

Izumi Iori: I’ll request Nii-san to dig you thoroughly.

Nikaidou Yamato: I’m scared. He’ll definitely dig me with a shovel or even a bulldozer

Nikaidou Yamato:

Izumi Iori:

Nikaidou Yamato: This is the last one!

This time give your message to your fans, not IDOLiSH7.

Izumi Iori: I see, I understand.

Izumi Iori: To those who looked at my merchandise happily while walking in the store. To those who went wearing items of my member color. I’ve seen all your smiles.

Izumi Iori: We have lots of opportunities to see the fans on stage. Now, seeing the situation at the store, it feels like we’re present beyond everyone’s daily life.

Izumi Iori: Studies. Work. Chores. Thank you very much for supporting and coming to see me in your respective lives.

I, Izumi Iori, will continue to devote myself as a member of IDOLiSH7 and as an idol, so that your everyday life will be painted with color.

Izumi Iori: From this point on, please keep liking me.

Nikaidou Yamato: My heart skipped a beat at the last part

Izumi Iori: Since this is a special project where I have my own store.

Nikaidou Yamato: I’ll take this as a lesson.

Alright Ichi-san. Since it’s lunch time, are you hungry?

Izumi Iori: Yes, a bit...

Nikaidou Yamato: Since today’s a special day, what’s your request?

Izumi Iori: Well, since I don’t have school today, I want to eat a bento.

Kinako charaben.[1]

Nikaidou Yamato: OK! Give me a moment then!

-

Translation Notes:

[1] Charaben is a short-form of “character bento.” It’s a customized bento (Japanese boxed lunch) where people decorate food that resembles characters.

UPDATE 2025/01/28 - Fixed grammatical errors on a few lines pointed by a fellow manager.

[theclownghoul]

Gratuitous

Opinion piece & analysis

I really hate how Jinx’s suicidality is portrayed in S2, largely in Act lll but we’ll talk about all of it.

In S1 we have about three moments (by my count) that show Jinx harming herself or trying to end her life. Hitting herself in episode 3, being careless with the staples in episode 7 and pulling the pin on the bridge also in episode 7. There is also a line she says to Vi “You’re the reason I’m still alive” in episode 9 which given other things she says in that moment could be interpreted as other ideations.

What makes these moments different from S2 episode 9? Well none of the three main writers were credited to those episodes other than the dialogue in S1 episode 9. Most of them are communicated through animation only. They also just feel different, they’re vulnerable, other things are the focus and her doing these things is just a reaction to those feelings. There was something to get from the scene besides a showcase of her pain.

Episode 9 of S2 is not that. It’s gratuitous, it’s a spectacle, it’s gory and somehow losing all its impact. There’s the music which is not what I’d call tasteful or subtle. It’s making an impression, wants to force a feeling or reaction. Make you sad or horrified and oh, I was horrified but not the way they wanted.

Even the way she digs her nails into her cuticles in S2 episode 8 isn’t really meant to show us anything about her. It’s meant to affect the audience.

In comparison I almost appreciate how people have read her pulling the pin in S1 episode 7 as trying to manipulate or take Ekko out too instead of being a completely clear cut attempt. Because it at least shows that there is enough going on with the character’s mindset that we can speculate on her motivations and how she’s reacting to all the emotions that came from fighting her old friend. If you look at her face it’s sadness and regret (S1 is also better at story through facial expressions since there was forethought). You’re free to have your own reaction, not the one that’s set out for you.

I have mixed feelings about her fight with Vi now and telling Vi that she’s okay to go out by her hand. It feels closer to the moments in S1 than later in episode 9. There’s more going on, we’re meant to consider multiple layers of both her and Vi’s feelings in the moment. It’s a non explicit parallel to the Bridge and does show a pattern of behaviour. It’s also not credited to any of the main writers.

The scene from the opening of episode 9 as a whole, is it romanticization? Heard differing opinions on this and I honestly don’t know where I stand. One one hand it shows how empty she feels and how everything has come crashing down despite trying and it communicates her emotions through the images and music. On the other the scene is meant to be visually appealing while also showing her detonating the bomb very explicitly, like you see her blood. I’m sorry but this is some 13 reasons shit. None of this is helped by the fact that Isha was killed purposely to get her in this state.

I had way more emotions about the actual story in the scene with Ekko in S1 and the scene with Vi in episode 3. Originally I liked this scene but I just can’t really remember why exactly, especially when compared to the earlier ones. The other scenes aren’t lacking in any way when it comes to showing her despair so I’m lead to believe it’s a stylistic choice in line with S2’s music video focus.

Then there’s Ekko… what did he do to deserve this? I’ve said before that if he had to he would save her but the reason he had to was because this scene sounded like a good idea. Saw someone say why is it his responsibility to save her and yeah why? He’s her romantic interest? Not from her perspective at this point and that’s a terrible reason anyway. Not only are we shown her blowing herself up in detail, being inflicted with it but he also has to see that, multiple times. Please don’t make me think too long about it… then we don’t see what actually changes her mind and actually see their bond. That also doesn’t give me a lot of faith is what they think is important to show.

Then she sacrifices herself at the end to “break the cycle” which no one is actually clear on what is meant by that and the same damn song is playing. It’s weird.

I’d like to compare it to the Poison sequence from Hazbin Hotel since that scene faced backlash for romanticizing abuse specifically in that scene. If I can describe what makes Poison not exploitative and what makes Wasteland so then I can safely say they are different and there is something deeply sinister about Jinx’s scene.

Poison benefits internally, inside the context of the story from being visually appealing and pretty. That tells part of the story in and of itself and eventually it cracks, mirroring how Angel feels in the scene and in his situation.

Wasteland benefits externally, it’s done for the audience as I’ve been saying. There is nothing about Jinx’s mindset or actions that we get a better insight into from the stylistic choices. We know “she loves a spectacle” but that’s the only internal explanation that I could make. Even if they wanted the cutting of her hair and the burning on the last drop but the framing could have easily been different.

Think about the staple scene for contrast, it has no interest in being something other than what it is, brutal and disorienting, just as she is feeling in that moment. Jinx would behave that way whether there were “eyes” on her or not. Poison is the same, Angel “performs” to keep his thoughts at bay regardless of an audience. Wasteland only exists in its current form to entertain.

The final “sacrifice” also falls into this, solely focusing on eliciting a reaction from the audience and making a spectacle of sadness. There is no resolution to Jinx’s earlier conversation with Ekko, we don’t see her reflect, we don’t see a change. We have no reason to believe she’s in any way in a better place. Her decision to give her life for Vi’s isn’t particularly fleshed out and this as a conclusion to her arc is bizarre at best and offensive at worst, suggesting she had to remove herself from her loved ones lives, something she simultaneously feared and was tempted by.

I probably shouldn’t feel the need to make such a caveat but I am aware that the could be a matter of preference when it comes to how scenes like this are portrayed but the way this scene was done continues to strike me as odd. I can’t help but think it maybe intentionally or unintentionally is playing into the “sacrifice” message where, it may be a sad thing but Jinx had to die. And that’s a horrible thing to say.

[classycoffeecat]

If You Can’t Go to the Protest, Here's What You Do Instead

rethinking visibility, labor, and contribution in movement work

Not everyone can, or should, be in the streets. The assumption that physical presence at a protest is the only valid form of political participation flattens both access and impact. It erases the people sustaining movements from behind the scenes: caregivers, immunocompromised comrades, undocumented organizers, disabled activists, low-wage workers, trauma survivors, and those navigating complex material realities. Movements require more than just bodies in public space; they require infrastructure, strategy, and support.

Here are ten ways to contribute meaningfully when you can’t physically attend a demonstration:

1. Redistribute Wealth: Movements need money to function. Bail funds, mutual aid projects, and grassroots organizers often operate without institutional backing. Even small contributions help build capacity. Prioritize local and BIPOC-led initiatives.

2. Amplify Strategically: Digital platforms are both battlegrounds and broadcast systems. Share protest updates, livestreams, donation links, and safety information. Algorithms tend to suppress radical content; your engagement helps visibility. Center and amplify marginalized voices, especially those organizing on the ground.

3. Offer Practical Support: Protests are logistically complex. Offer rides, prep protest kits, provide meals, babysit, or create respite spaces for frontline activists. Material forms of care are often undervalued but essential to sustaining resistance.

4. Participate in Jail and Court Support: Those arrested need people waiting when they are released. Bring water, warm clothing, food, and emotional care. Court support is equally critical; showing up at arraignments demonstrates communal solidarity and discourages punitive overreach.

5. Coordinate Communications and Safety: Monitor police scanners, livestreams, and protester reports. Help disseminate accurate, real-time updates. Signal-boost urgent calls for help. Digital vigilance can reduce harm and increase coordination.

6. Engage in Direct Political Pressure: Organize phone zaps, email campaigns, and petitions targeting elected officials, agencies, or institutions involved in the harm being protested. Targeted pressure campaigns have measurable impact when executed collectively.

7. Host Educational Spaces: Facilitate teach-ins, reading groups, or workshops to build shared understanding of the issue at hand. Education creates informed solidarity. Frame your efforts as political education; not charity, not “awareness,” but power-building.

8. Create Cultural Interventions: Art is not a luxury; it’s strategy. Design flyers, zines, posters, or projection campaigns. Use visual media to mobilize, memorialize, and provoke. Culture work shifts narratives and creates shared language for resistance.

9. Write and Document: Narrative control is part of the struggle. Write public reflections, op-eds, social media threads, or personal essays that contextualize and support the protest’s demands. Archive movement histories as they unfold; documentation is defense.

10. Sustain the Long-Term Struggle: Protest is a flashpoint, not an endpoint. Long-term commitment involves joining organizations, redistributing resources, building community safety networks, and practicing political care in your daily life. Movements need consistency more than spectacle.

Protest is a collective ecosystem.

There is no single “right” way to contribute. If you are not able to show up in one way, show up in another. What matters is that we remain connected to each other, materially and politically; and that we resist the idea that visibility is the only form of value.

(Note: This is not mine- I do not have the source. Please let me know if you know the source, so I can give them credit) ✊️💗✨️

[steveyockey]

Some would rebut that “Oppenheimer,” being a Hollywood blockbuster with serious global reach (whether it will play Japanese theaters remains uncertain), will be many audiences’ only exposure to the events in question and thus might “create a limit on public consciousness and concern,” as the poet, writer and professor Brandon Shimoda told The Times. A corollary of this argument: The crimes committed against the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were so unspeakable, so outsized in their impact, that Oppenheimer’s perspective does and should dwindle into insignificance by comparison. For Nolan to focus so exclusively on an American physicist’s story, some insist, ultimately diminishes history and humanity, even as it reinforces the Hollywood hegemony of the great-man biopic and of white men’s narratives in general.

I get those complaints. I also think they betray an inherent disrespect for the audience’s intelligence and curiosity, as well as a fundamental misunderstanding of how movies operate. It’s telling that few of these criticisms of perspective were leveled at “American Prometheus” when it was published in 2005, that no one begrudged Bird and Sherwin for offering a meticulously researched, morally ambivalent portrait of their subject’s life and consigning the destruction of two Japanese cities to a few pages. That’s because books are books, the argument goes, and movies are movies — and this perceived difference, it must be said, reveals a pernicious double standard.

Because they seldom achieve the narrative penetration and richness of detail of, say, a 700-page biography, movies, especially those about history, often are hailed as achievements of breadth over depth, emotion over intellect. They are assumed to be fundamentally shallow experiences, distillations of real life rather than sharply angled explorations of it, propelled by broad brushstrokes and easy expository shortcuts, and beholden to the audience’s presumably voracious appetite for thrilling, traumatizing spectacle. And because movies offer a visual immediacy and narrative immersion that books don’t, they are expected to be sweeping if not omniscient in their narrative scope, to reach for a comprehensive, even definitive vantage.

Movies that attempt something different, that recognize that less can indeed be more, are thus easily taken to task. “It’s so subjective!” and “It omits a crucial P.O.V.!” are assumed to be substantive criticisms rather than essentially value-neutral statements. We are sometimes told, in matters of art and storytelling, that depiction is not endorsement; we are not reminded nearly as often that omission is not erasure. But because viewers of course cannot be trusted to know any history or muster any empathy on their own — and if anything unites those who criticize “Oppenheimer” on representational grounds, it’s their reflexive assumption of the audience’s stupidity — anything that isn’t explicitly shown onscreen is denigrated as a dodge or an oversight, rather than a carefully considered decision.

A film like “Oppenheimer” offers a welcome challenge to these assumptions. Like nearly all Nolan’s movies, from “Memento” to “Dunkirk,” it’s a crafty exercise in radical subjectivity and narrative misdirection, in which the most significant subjects — lost memories, lost time, lost loves — often are invisible and all the more powerful for it. We can certainly imagine a version of “Oppenheimer” that tossed in a few startling but desultory minutes of Japanese destruction footage. Such a version might have flirted with kitsch, but it might well have satisfied the representational completists in the audience. It also would have reduced Hiroshima and Nagasaki to a piddling afterthought; Nolan treats them instead as a profound absence, an indictment by silence.

That’s true even in one of the movie’s most powerful and contested sequences. Not long after news of Hiroshima’s destruction arrives, Oppenheimer gives a would-be-triumphant speech to a euphoric Los Alamos crowd, only for his words to turn to dust in his mouth. For a moment, Nolan abandons realism altogether — but not, crucially, Oppenheimer’s perspective — to embrace a hallucinatory horror-movie expressionism. A piercing scream erupts in the crowd; a woman’s face crumples and flutters, like a paper mask about to disintegrate. The crowd is there and then suddenly, with much sonic rumbling, image blurring and an obliterating flash of white light, it is not.

For “Oppenheimer’s” detractors, this sequence constitutes its most grievous act of erasure: Even in the movie’s one evocation of nuclear disaster, the true victims have been obscured and whitewashed. The absence of Japanese faces and bodies in these visions is indeed striking. It’s also consistent with Nolan’s strict representational parameters, and it produces a tension, even a contradiction, that the movie wants us to recognize and wrestle with. Is Oppenheimer trying (and failing) to imagine the hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians murdered by the weapon he devised? Or is he envisioning some hypothetical doomsday scenario still to come?

I think the answer is a blur of both, and also something more: In this moment, one of the movie’s most abstract, Nolan advances a longer view of his protagonist’s history and his future. Oppenheimer’s blindness to Japanese victims and survivors foreshadows his own stubborn inability to confront the consequences of his actions in years to come. He will speak out against nuclear weaponry, but he will never apologize for the atomic bombings of Japan — not even when he visits Tokyo and Osaka in 1960 and is questioned by a reporter about his perspective now. “I do not think coming to Japan changed my sense of anguish about my part in this whole piece of history,” he will respond. “Nor has it fully made me regret my responsibility for the technical success of the enterprise.”

Talk about compartmentalization. That episode, by the way, doesn’t find its way into “Oppenheimer,” which knows better than to offer itself up as the last word on anything. To the end, Nolan trusts us to seek out and think about history for ourselves. If we elect not to, that’s on us.

[selcouthself]

Reclaiming Leroux's Original Vision | part 1/?

Despite passionate pleas from dedicated Phans who have kept Leroux's original text alive through decades of discussion, fan works, etc., production companies continually choose marketable romance over authentic adaptation, perpetually ignoring the faithful rendition fans have been clamoring for. ***For the purpose of this discussion, I am excluding the 1925 silent film adaptation, which stands apart as perhaps the most faithful adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel, and focusing on the grievances that Phans commonly express regarding other adaptations across various media.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​***

From the 1984 BANGER musical that prioritized spectacle over substance, to the 1990 miniseries that gave us a subdued, sympathetic Erik, to the 2004 film that turned Erik into a brooding, misunderstood hottie with convenient scarring, to various others, each attempt seems to misunderstand that fans don't want a dumbed down love triangle (Though it should be said that we do adore these adaptations for what they are-- Webber's music is undeniably beautiful, Dance's performance is genuinely moving, Chaney's makeup & dedication remains iconic, and not to mention the 2004 film is visually stunning)—we want the brilliant, morally complex, historically textured, genuinely disturbing masterpiece that Leroux wrote.

The recurring sins remain consistent:

The bastardization of Erik's character. Erik's horrific appearance isn't just physical description—it fundamentally shapes his entire psychology and justifies his isolation from humanity, making him simultaneously monstrous and tragic; when adaptations give us a handsome phantom with decorative/minimal scarring, they erase the lifetime of rejection and dehumanization that forged his broken psyche and twisted worldview. Erik is SYMPATHETIC.

The complete erasure of the Persian. Removing him not only gets rid of MAJOR PLOT DETAILS, but it also removes Erik's only genuine human connection and moral counterbalance, eliminating the character who humanizes Erik through their shared history while also serving as the crucial voice of reason who condemns his actions.

Christine's character being reduced to a silly little ingénue forced to choose between two love interests instead of a determined young woman making impossible choices while processing immense trauma and grief, despite the fact that she's a victim of severe emotional manipulation and abuse—which isn't romantic, it's horrific.

Raoul being flattened into a one-dimensional pretty boy when his character is much more complicated than that. He's driven by emotional insecurity, naivety, and a sense of duty. He's young, new into society, and wanting to prove himself. He wants to protect Christine. He's wants to understand the connection Christine shares with this Erik.

Completely abandoning Leroux's "this is a journalist investigating real events" framework that makes the original novel so unique and unsettling.

Philippe de Chagny mysteriously vanishing from adaptations despite his "mysterious" drowning being a major plot point.

The opera house itself losing its character as a place of history, secrets, and genuine architectural strangeness.

Should an accurate adaptation of Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom of the Opera" be considered, I believe it would seek to rectify these recurring issues. It should breathe new life into both dimensions of the original novel: the meticulous journalistic investigation and the heartbreaking tale buried beneath the Paris Opera House. Leroux himself should take center stage at times—chasing leads through dusty archives, interviewing reluctant witnesses, and piecing together fragments of evidence about a masked man who once terrorized the opera. These investigative sequences would illuminate how Leroux blended documented facts (the underground lake, the mysterious accidents, the architectural oddities of the Opera Garnier) with his novelist's imagination, creating a compelling framework that constantly questions where reality ends and fiction begins.

Parallel to this investigation runs Erik's devastating story—a tale of profound isolation, artistic genius, and doomed love that explores deeply human questions about appearance, acceptance, and redemption. By returning to Leroux's original character descriptions and historical inspirations—such as the real-life soprano Christine Nilsson who influenced the creation of Christine Daaé—this adaptation would strip away decades of reinterpretation to present these characters as they were originally conceived.

Through this dual narrative structure, viewers would gain unprecedented insight into what Leroux was trying to teach us about societal cruelty, the transcendent power of music, and the complex nature of love in its various forms—familial, protective, passionate, and obsessive. This dream project imagines bringing the authentic literary Phantom to life as Leroux intended, where the line between factual investigation and gothic romance becomes as murky as the waters of the underground lake itself.

I intend to explore what a truly faithful adaptation might look like by suggesting ideal casting choices, highlighting scenes from Leroux’s novel that deserve proper screen treatment, various references that I would love to see, and debating whether a tv series or film would serve the complex narrative and gothic atmosphere of the original work. My goal is to envision an adaptation that honors the psychological horror and the rich historical context that made Leroux’s novel a timeless classic.

[cacti-are-like-flamingos]

Wasted Oxygen...

Gojo Satoru x Reader x Geto Suguru

The Cursed Trio | Mr. Sandman

...

Despite being the ever energetic guy he was, Haibara loved to sit down and people-watch. Silently observing others go about their daily business, unaware of their audience as they freely express themselves through large and small mannerisms.

He'd always make sure to find a nice cozy spot, somewhere a bit hidden so no one could see his lingering eyes. If Kento was here, he'd been stating how inappropriately creepy he was being. He could already hear him hehe

Regardless of what his partner would think, the raven-haired boy could easily spend hours observing the world interact with itself. If he was lucky enough, he'd see an entire movie unfold right before his eyes.

Most of the time, though, he tried to call upon his inner Sherlock. Using the art of deduction to figure out the possible stories from every passer-goer.

Usually, it'd be more fun with you considering your extraordinary ability to deduce people to downright filth.

The two of you hanging out, making up stories for every person that caught either of your eyes had become a little routine of yours, one that started from his days of teaching you Japanese. He'd tell you certain words while discreetly pointing to people who embodied said words --- he hadn't expected for you to suddenly start rambling about the possible nuisances of each and every person you saw

And the fact that you had no filter made it worse! The amount of times he had to cover for you after you'd accidentally said something rather insulting about a person who stood close enough to hear --- double digits!

Regardless, it's the same reason as to why you're the most attuned person in terms of others emotions --- once you notice the patterns, you'll see them everywhere is what you'd often say to him

Although, it did leave him wondering. Just how were you so good at people-reading? Is that how you got along with those two so well? Because you knew instantly what they were about the moment you met them?

No, that can't be. On numerous occasions, you've complained about how Gojo and Suguru confused you. You claimed that they were like a whole new different breed of soul that you've never come across before.

Haibara blinked

Souls. The first time he heard about your Cursed Technique, he had to admit --- he'd never heard of a technique like yours.

Cursed Sight: Chains, a cursed technique that bestows its user with the ability to perceive the spiritual and see the souls of living beings as well as curses. The way it works is rather simple, or so, that's how you mentioned it to be.

As one knows, everything is made up of energy. So by simply channeling your own cursed energy, you can manipulate the strands into forming objects. By focusing well enough, you could bring said objects into the physical world: however, there was a catch.

You could never break eye contact.

The technique had great potential. Just visualize the item you need and Wala! It's there. (You had a preference for chains ghost rider type beat. You'd chain curses down to limit its movements prior to going for the kill. In times where the Curse proved too strong, you'd hold it down while continuously attacking it with an already cursed energy-imbued weapon)

To be honest, your fights were quite the spectacle. The way you expertly used your chains to capture curses, the way you used the ends of the chains to destroy them with such force --- ooh la la (aizawa x ghost rider's love child)

We're getting side tracked --- point is, your ability allowed you to see people's essence. You knew when they lied, you knew what they felt, their soul usually said everything you needed to know (you confessed that the soul only shows the most general of feelings so that's why you depended on deducting to truly understand people's intentions)

One major down side, you could never turn it off. I don't think you've ever really seen someone's face much less your own. Bodies are shaped around the soul, and the soul is always so blinding with its different hues. At least, the silhouettes had somewhat of expressions. (Further clarification, it's like cutting out human shape out of colored paper. Just three-dimensional. AH, THINK GOD FROM FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST but include the shape of hair and outfits) You could see the shapes of their eyes, the slope of their nose, and the curve of their lips.

(and now, you're probably asking -- but OP, what about clothes? How do we have a sense of style if we can't see the look when we look in the mirror? That is true. Wearing outfits will just accentuate your soul's shape. But the moment it's off and on a hangar, you can see it plain as day since it's soulless on its own. Also Ieiri helps you, sometimes even Yaga if you're that desperate)

"You're going to hurt yourself from thinking so hard, Haibara." There you are! You even brought, "Hiya!" "Senpai!" Gojo glared at you, "Meh, why aren't you ever this respectful? Hm? You have to respect our customs, foreigner!"

You scoff, "I do respect your customs, just not you."

"Bitch."

"Masochist."

"Masochist?! The hell is that for?"

"You like me insulting you, your soul lives for it. Got a degradation kink, old man?" "Who the fuck you calling old man for?! I'm just a year old-" "Haibara~! Let's go get something to eat!" "O-Oi! Don't run away, pussy!" You stick your tongue out at him as you pull Haibara by the arm, dragging him to some nearby tall selling takoyaki

You spent the entire day ignoring Gojo, who sulked behind you and Haibara as you dragged said male all around Roppongi where you were supposed to meet up with one other. Yep, you guessed it!

Mei Mei!

(don't you just love mixing friend groups and praying to whatever god is out there that it all works out? 😁)

Mei Mei couldn't care less about Haibara, though she did seem to acknowledge him as somewhat worth having around in regards to his 'service potential', but honestly, her indifference was palpable

Instead, Mei Mei focused on you, whose face held a dreamy look as the pretty woman spoke to you with that lovely sing-song voice of hers (she still HELLA sus iykyk but for the sake of this, she ain't. She's just greedy here)

Gojo was irked by how close Mei Mei got to you, his face unbelievably stoic as he watched you and Mei Mei interact (cue that anime angry mark and eyebrow twitch)— Mei Mei acting like a sugar mama to you as the white-haired woman walked you around pointing at shit she knew you'd like.

Ah, I can already hear some of you confused --- specifically the ones who are really into canon.

You see, Mei Mei does nothing out of the goodness of her heart. No, no. Greed is the very foundation of her character. And so, it would make sense that she wouldn't just spend her money on anyone just for the hell of it.

And so, the truth. You and Mei Mei had this secret arrangement --- in return for a few favors and pieces of key-information that she can't quite get from her watchful crows, Mei Mei would pay for your services. Usually, she'd just send the cash over but whenever the two of you are together, she'd provide you a little shopping spree. (No-one knows about this btw)

Despite the previous, it was evident that Mei Mei liked you. She saw you as her favorite little Kouhai, mainly because of how resourceful you could be, and the way your personalities seemed to mesh well together was exquisite in her opinion.

(Side Note: Your relationship with her is incredibly on-the-surface. The reason why you get along so well is because you adapt yourself to her personality. I wouldn't say you're a people-pleaser, although you are, but more of a subtle manipulating type of thing. Idk how to put it)

You weren't at all annoying like the others. Additionally, you had a higher chance of reaching your service potential than any other (i don't even know if that's a compliment or an insult and I wrote it 🤪)

Gojo wasn't a big fan of Mei Mei spoiling you, and it led to a whole day of the two of them kind of fighting to show off who could spoil you the most (though it may or may not have been your plan from the get-go).

The situation became more obvious to Haibara when you wrapped your arm around his, a wicked smile upon your lips as you quietly inquired from Haibara what he wanted. Not fully grasping the scheme, he answered, and then you'd claimed as your current desire, which Mei Mei and Gojo would then buy immediately.

Eventually, Kento joins after receiving a SOS text message from Haibara. At the sight of the two wordlessly seething cotton swabs with you smirking in front of them, Kento dragged him away (he only greeted you, he could care less about the other two)

While Mei Mei was preoccupied with a phone call, and Gojo was off buying something sweet for you and spicy for Suguru, to eat together later — you found yourself sitting at the same spot Haibara had been sitting earlier.

There was someone next to it, but that didn't stop you as you plopped yourself down, attention focused on the people walking by. Blissfully unaware of the minor curses that plagued them.

Sometimes, if you felt merciful, you would destroy the curse. Weaker curses didn't require you to physically manifest your chains; a small, invisible chain was all it took to loop around the curse and squeeze them to death.

"Never seen a technique like yours, foreigner."

At the stranger's words, you paused. You hadn't sensed any cursed energy from the person sitting next to you, so how could they have known? Glancing to your side, you tilted your head in slight confusion as you examined the man sitting next to you

"what happened to 'hello'? 'how are you'? To introductions, in general?" There was a slight tease to your words yet your fingers subtly twitched by your side

The raven-haired man snorted in amusement, a slight smirk on his lips as he leaned back against the wall of the bench. His hands were in his pockets as he didn't once look your way.

"How long have you been here with them?" Something in his voice had put you on edge, but at the same time, you didn't feel imminently in danger.

"Long enough, give or take."

He made a face, "Like it, so far?"

You shrugged your shoulders, your eyes still on his silhouette as you answered, "Neutral, so far."

"So you haven't been here long enough," he sassed back earning a short snort from you.

"Oh? Why's that?" "You'll see, soon enough." And with that, he stood up, walking away from you without another word. You stared at his soul, watching it get tinier with every step he took.

You had met many dark blues, but the edges of his were... fuzzy. Not clearly definable. That was new.

Surprisingly, you didn't feel shook or concerned. You actually felt a rush of excitement, the sort you got from trying to solve the mystery of some crime show before the narrator could even reveal the truth.

Suddenly, Gojo appeared in the corner of your eye, his sunglasses pulled down his nose as his iridescent eyes gazed down at you.

His eyes were the only ones you had ever truly seen. You thought it was because of his Six-Eyes.

"Yo! Got the drugs," he said, to which you replied with a casual "Hm."

He narrowed his eyes, "What happened?"

So observant

You perked up, "What?"

He repeated, a small frown on his lips, "What happened?"

You shrugged, "Just an... interesting encounter, that's all."

Gojo knew better. But he also knew you.

"Alright, let's go. Mei Mei already left, and she wanted me to give you this," he said with displeasure in his voice as he threw a bag into your lap—a luxury brand bag. But not before handing you yet another bag, another luxury brand.

With a sense of curiosity, you gently untied the bag's ribbon and opened it, revealing a small box inside. Your fingers carefully lifted the lid, revealing the gift within as you opened the box

A single earring, a crescent moon hanging from it. It's metal glimmering under the setting sun (wow, time passed fast today)

"Now we can match!" Gojo said. Showing off his wrist, a silver bracelet with a sun hanging from it.

You snorted, "What about Suguru, hm?" (While you asked, you put the earring on without another moment's notice)

He rolled his eyes, revealing another bag matching your own, "His is here...ya like it, tho?"

Having stood up from where you sat, you smiled softly as you affectionately bumped your head onto his shoulder before motioning for him to walk with you. (You didn't get to see his grin, but you could feel it.)

"Let's go home, Gojo," you said, with Mei Mei's gift loosely wrapped around your wrist, knowing it could wait.

...

(A/N): Ugh, I keep having to come back to fix certain things so it can better fit my narrative. I keep writing these shits while being tired af, and when I wake up --- I forget my own canon 🙄

Anyways

Who do you think the rando guy is?

Also did you notice how you immediately checked Gojo's gift rather than Mei Mei's? In fact, you completely ignored her gift to you.

Moreover, have any of you noticed that whenever you get to know someone --- their name alters? I wonder what that implies for certain people.

And what does a fuzzy outline mean?

This was also supposed to take another turn but then the characters charactered and here we are now.

Drop a comment

Feel free to buy me a 🦩

Hope you enjoyed!

[emblemxeno]

Finished Aria of Sorrow!

-Got 100% map completion, and did a quick boss kill run through Julius mode!

-The story was better than I remembered, though to be fair, what I remembered was very little lol. I think what helps is that I was going back to Mina fairly often for the purpose of getting hints and having easy heals, but she also continually adds more haste to your goal given that she comments on feeling physically ill the longer she stays in the castle. It makes things more personal, especially when getting Soma's internal dialogue.

Soma himself, maaaaan, he's just a lil guy! He never asked to be Dracula reincarnated! He just wanted to wear his anime coat and bell bottom jeans in peace!

Being serious though, I really love Soma as a protagonist. I know some were probably annoyed by how confused and questioning he was when he had conversations, but I remember being 18 and man if only I had the confidence to actually ask what the fuck is going on.

Moreover, his design is just really good, he feels good to play (more than Juste, who I already thought was comfy to use), and he's so cool while also being a huge dork, and I find it really endearing and cute.

Side characters were pretty fun, if underutilized. Mina went up in the rankings, I really liked her as an emotional crutch and the primary force behind Soma finding an escape from the castle. Looking through the script, I found that I actually missed dialogue with her, specifically the one about Arikado being a family friend, the mystery of his identity (I know who he is lol), and his occupation, I wish I had gotten that earlier!

Soma's other allies were nice, I like how active Yoko and Julius are, since they also pretty clearly explore the castle as well, like Maria in Symphony and Maxim in Dissonance. Hammer was pretty cool, but ultimately kind of just became the Merchant Guy, and I was shocked every time he had new dialogue cuz it seemed so infrequent.

I was kind of disappointed with Arikado, because he only shows up again to help Yoko when she gets stabbed, and at times it feels like his presence was a victim of time constraints. Though maybe it's just because he was the main exposition guy at the start and for endings, so I guess I can't be too upset. I just wanted to see his beautiful face more though!

But nothing was more unimpressive than Graham, like this guy was so nothing. Maybe that was the point, because it's ultimately the castle itself and the chaotic power that's the main antagonistic force, however, I still can't help but feel let down by him as a villain. I don't really know his motivation for wanting Dracula's powers at all, besides maybe fanaticism? Idk, at least his boss fight was cool.

-Y'KNOW WHAT WAS A COOLER BOSS FIGHT THOUGH??? MY HUSBAND JULIUS BELMONT, HE IS THE BEST FUCKING BOSS IN THE GAME, BAR NONE! HE PUTS YOU TO THE LIMIT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE, AND IT FEELS JUST LIKE A DRACULA V. BELMONT BATTLE AND IT'S SO FUCKING PEAK!!!

-Again, the game is the perfect balance of spectacle and simplicity. I'm astonished by the areas in the game, through the visuals, sounds, secrets, sprites... Everything in the game was a massive culmination of what came before it, and playing through it is just masterfully crafted.

-Normally, I'd be a bit miffed that the "Normal Best" ending is predicated on two drops that are random, but again, compared the CotM, the drops happen more often, and I learned that both the Succubus and Flame Demon drops are among the higher rate ones, so they're easier to get than like, 95% of the other ones, which I still had a good amount of by the end of the game.

Similarly, the game has hint books that almost explicitly tell you what souls you need to access the better ending, something that Harmony of Dissonance didn't do. Again, Aria improves on the shortcomings of its predecessors, while keeping and improving what works.

-The souls are just extremely fun to use. While I pretty much stuck with the Dracula-esque set by the end, I got use out of most of the ones I found. Mantle was funny, the vacuum was even funnier, the black cat soul was surprisingly pretty useful for grounded enemies, the Balore punch was fun, and the big minotaur Fuck You Axe Swing was satisfying, if really expensive MP wise.

For non offense souls, some are clearly mandatory (undine and skula, as an example), but even then, they feel good to use. I got lucky and got a Tsuchinoko soul to get discounts at the shop, Flying Armor was very useful before I got the mobility upgrades, iron golem was helpful when I was backtracking for 100%, and Headhunter added a nice bump to my stats before I faced against bosses.

Still though, it's more than just the best ending that's beneficial to having the three necessary souls equipped. Succubus helped me stay alive longer when dealing with normal enemies, Flame Demon was strong and cost effective, and the Bat Form ughhhhh I love the freedom that Bat Form gives you in traveling, plus Soma's Bat Form is so cute!!!

Shoutout to the Panther soul too though! Combined with Iron Golem, it made 100% completion near the end a breeze, plus it's just a neat speed boost that's good in the Julius fight.

-Julius Mode was neat, if a little underwhelming. I beat the last boss in like, an hour. The things that Julius can do really break the game in half, which is almost certainly why he doesn't have level ups or access to healing items, he's just that good. It's a fun little romp that's a good bonuse for beating the game, I feel.

-Last, but certainly not least, god if this OST was a person, I'd propose on the spot.

Along with the tracks I pointed out in the last post, I also love "Clock Tower", "The Arena", "Top Floor", "Dracula's Fate", "You Are (Not) Alone", and the Epilogue theme.

And of course, the theme song of my husband Julius Belmont, "Heart of Fire" is such a fucking banger, it's insane that Yamane cooked something like that up for GBA omg.

-I had such a fun time playing this game again. I played it once before because I had it on the Wii U virtual console, but coming back to it was like a fresh new experience and just as fun.

I'm gonna be taking a break from Castlevania for the time being, because Xenoblade X is coming out this next week, so I'll be all in on that lol. But I will be back, and the Dominus Collection will be next. I'm so fucking excited for those games.

[niceonet]

TRAİLERDB - DEVASA+ (2)

As the film industry continues to evolve, sneak peeks into upcoming releases offer us a tantalizing glimpse of the stories, characters, and visual spectacles on the horizon. Whether you're a fan of thrilling blockbusters, heartwarming dramas, or spine-chilling horror flicks, there’s something for everyone to look forward to. 

New Movie Trailers

As we dive into the world of cinema, new movie trailers are a crucial part of what excites fans and sparks discussions before a film's release. Each year brings a wave of trailers that not only provide a glimpse into what to expect but also set the tone for upcoming films. From thrilling blockbusters to indie gems, the latest movie trailers give us a sneak peek into groundbreaking stories, captivating performances, and stunning visual effects.

The anticipation builds as studios release new movie trailers, often showcasing the top talents in the industry. The art of creating a compelling trailer has become a skill in itself, as filmmakers and marketing teams work diligently to distill the essence of a movie into a short, enticing clip. Whether it’s the heart-pounding action of a superhero flick or the emotional depth of a biographical drama, these clips are designed to hook audiences and keep them talking.

Every film genre has its unique traits that shine through in new movie trailers. For instance, horror films employ eerie soundscapes and unexpected jump scares, while romantic comedies highlight heartfelt moments and witty dialogue. The best trailers leave viewers wanting more, teasing just enough to spark curiosity without giving away key plot points.

Moreover, latest movie trailers are a great way to gauge audience reactions. Fans often flock to social media platforms to share their thoughts and predictions, creating a buzz that can significantly impact a film's opening weekend. Additionally, trailers can also offer retroactive enjoyment, as audiences revisit them after watching the film to appreciate the marketing and artistry involved in their creation.

With numerous film festivals and award shows showcasing new movie trailers, the excitement only amplifies. Events like San Diego Comic-Con and the Sundance Film Festival are just a few examples where audiences are treated to exclusive previews of highly anticipated films. These moments not only build hype but also reflect the creativity and diversity of storytelling in contemporary cinema.

In conclusion, new movie trailers serve as a vital connection between filmmakers and audiences. They encapsulate the essence of what’s to come, setting the stage for cinematic experiences that captivate viewers around the globe.

New Movie Trailers 2024

As we step into 2024, the excitement for upcoming films is at an all-time high. New movie trailers are being released at a brisk pace, teasing audiences with glimpses of thrilling plots, stunning visuals, and star-studded casts. Below are some of the most anticipated new movie trailers 2024 that have already caught the attention of film enthusiasts.

1. Action-Packed Blockbusters: This year promises a wave of adrenaline-pumping action films. One of the standout new movie trailers showcases the return of a beloved franchise, with high-octane sequences that leave viewers at the edge of their seats. Expect epic battles, mind-bending stunts, and heart-stopping suspense.

2. Exciting Adaptations: Fans of literature and comics will not be disappointed, as several new movie trailers reveal adaptations of popular books and graphic novels. The trailers give us a sneak peek into how filmmakers are bringing these stories to life, with stunning visuals and captivating performances that honor the source material.

3. Thought-Provoking Dramas: 2024 also promises to deliver a slate of new movie trailers that focus on compelling narratives and character-driven stories. These films address contemporary issues and human experiences, showcasing talented actors in powerful roles that are sure to leave a lasting impression.

4. Family-Friendly Flicks: There’s something for everyone in the upcoming year, with new movie trailers featuring animated films and family comedies. These trailers highlight the creativity and humor that make them perfect for audiences of all ages, filled with endearing characters and heartwarming stories.

5. Highly Anticipated Sequels: Fans of franchise films will be delighted to see the new movie trailers for sequels that expand on beloved stories. With returning characters and fresh plotlines, these films promise to deliver the nostalgia and excitement that fans crave.

In conclusion, 2024 is shaping up to be a remarkable year for cinema, with a variety of new movie trailers set to ignite the passion of moviegoers around the globe. Stay tuned as more trailers drop and the release dates approach, because this year is sure to be unforgettable!

Latest Movie Trailers

As movie lovers know, the excitement for a new release often begins with the unveiling of its trailer. The latest movie trailers give us a glimpse into upcoming films that promise to captivate audiences and spark conversations. With a wide array of genres, these trailers highlight the creativity and talent of filmmakers, showcasing their unique storytelling approaches.

This year, we have seen some incredible trailers that have set high expectations for moviegoers. From thrilling action sequences to heartfelt dramas, the latest film previews provide tantalizing sneak peeks into the narratives we can expect to enjoy on the big screen. Movies like Dune: Part Two and Killers of the Flower Moon have already generated a buzz through their stunning visuals and compelling storylines presented in their latest trailers.

One of the most exciting aspects of latest movie trailers is seeing our favorite actors and directors return to the forefront of cinematic storytelling. Not only do the trailers highlight their impressive performances, but they also give insight into the dedicated craftsmanship behind the scenes. Whether it's a gripping suspense thriller or a light-hearted comedy, the trailers are carefully crafted to deliver maximum impact and entice audiences.

In addition to the theatrical trailers, some films also offer teaser trailers, creating an air of mystery and anticipation. These short clips foster an engaging conversation among fans, fueling speculation about plot details and character arcs. Social media platforms have become a hub for sharing these insights, leading to a vibrant fan community eager to discuss the nuances observed in the latest clips.

As we venture further into 2024, the influx of new movie trailers continues to build excitement for the upcoming releases. Movies such as Ghostbusters: Afterlife 2 and The Marvels are generating significant hype, with trailers that showcase not just the actors but also the innovative special effects that cinema has to offer. This wave of new trailers keeps audiences engaged and eager for more.

Stay tuned as we anticipate the release of these films. The latest movie trailers are just the beginning of what promises to be an exhilarating journey through the world of cinema.

[landofanimes]

My 2024 Anime Watchlist

Anime (and related media) I watched last year

Sailor Moon Cosmos (2023)

After 10 years Crystal finally comes to an end! The 2-part movie is cool, it gives us an epic streak of final battles in the second part, things feel very grand and it brings emotion. The ending is oh so lovely. Also I was happy to see some things animated for the first time! That said…Most of it goes by too fast, specially in the first movie. Too many beloved characters have limited screentime, which really brings the arc down. I know these are problems from the manga too, but damn…This solidified to me that in the manga/crystal version of events, Dream Arc is more enjoyable. That’s not the case in the 90s anime, which butchered a good chunk of the Dream Arc but has the characters around much longer in Stars (yes I know screentime in a movie is obviously shorter, but still). I think in the end the musicals brings us a good balance of Stars. If only they had included the Sailor Quartet in those myus, they would feel complete. But anyway… this was it. Could Crystal have been better? Yes. Should it have been longer? Yep. But overall? I really enjoyed the whole thing through and I’m happy it was made! Just really wish the last two arcs were seasons instead of movies, but oh well...What a decade!

I watched subbed and dubbed. Brazilian dubs are usually great but a couple choices sadly kinda killed this one, just like in Eternal (somehow I thought this time it was worse but I think it's just that in Eternal I was happy to see it dubbed, since Crystal wasn't). Unless they redub it, I'll stick to the subs.

Kaleido Star (2003-04)

Sora is a Japanese girl who finally gets to live her dream of working as a trapeze artist on Kaleido Stage, a famous american circus. Every spectacle means new challenges and lots of hard work. But some people want to see her (and even the whole circus) failing...

I used to watch this as a kid! Finally sat down to watch the whole thing, and it’s a great show. It has cool characters and it’s very entertaining to see them training and performing new shows at the circus. True, season 2 has some annoying characters, so season 1 is better...Except for the final arc, cause personally I found the end of season 2 much stronger than season 1 - it was a great way to end the show (I could see people prefering the s1 ending, it just didn't hit me as hard). There are also a couple of OVAs that take place after the ending. The first one is so-so, but the second is pretty cool and it works nice as a second ending/epilogue.

Watched it dubbed (except for the 2nd OVA since there is no dub)

Yu Yu Hakusho Stage Plays (2019, 2020)

Picking up from last year's Yu Yu marathon, I've watched the stage plays! First one is really just the beginning: Yusuke dies, comes back as a spiritual detective, and we get the Three Youkai mini arc. We also see Kurama and Hiei's first meeting, like in Two Shots. The second play covers both the 4 Beasts castle and Yukina's rescue (they basically skip the training). Since Kurama and Hiei are not much in the second half, their actors get to play a side character each.

Sadly I don’t think these were very good. Sure, visuals are cool, the characters are well done, and they have their moments, but overall these plays were not it, imo. The bit where they play the opening song with a fighting montage is great though, very entertaining.

Rurouni Kenshin (1996-98)

Another from my childhood I hadn't seen in full! First two arcs are good, specially the second one (plus you can notice there’s some filler in the first, but it’s ok). Third part diverges from the manga and is mostly anime original stuff - and noticeably much weaker. If I ever rewatch it I'll stick to the first 2.

Watched it dubbed.

The Apothecary Diaries (2023-)

I had been hearing about it and decided to catch up in January. What a Good series! I was impressed. Maomao is a great character, the court intrigue is a thrill and I’m looking forward for a better understanding between her and Jinshi, and yes, rooting for actual romance. The series got drama, mystery and comedy, it’s great. Happy for the upcoming second season!

Subs cause the dub only came later.

7th Time Loop Season 1 (2024)

Rishe is stuck in a 5 year time loop that starts at the annulment of her engagement with the prince. No matter what profession and life she lives, it always ends during a war. 5 years into her 6th life she swordfights Emperor Arnold, from the neighbouring country, who is responsible for the war - and is killed by him. In her 7th loop, she soon meets Prince Arnold (not yet emperor) and he unexpectedely is smitten with her and proposes. After working hard in her previous lives, she is determined to finally relax and hopefully find out more about how the war starts, so she accepts. As his fiancée she soon notices Arnold is not completly cold as she expected, wondering what makes him go down that path.

I believe I saw some posts here and then I saw a clip of Rishe dealing with poison and so I decided to watch. I loved it! It was not quite what I was expecting, but rather better. Rishe is a delight and the whole mystery surrounding Arnold’s past and future, which lead them to the war seen in the previous loops, is very intriguing. I’m also captured by Rishe’s past jobs (merchant, harbalist, knight, etc), they’ve made her very resourceful. I really like the court day to day stuff and the drama, and the way she navigates all that. The dynamic of her knowing certain people from past loops but them not knowing her is always intriguing – and we get to know a little more about her this way too. And of course, I love her growing romance with Arnold!

I watched a bunch of dubbed episodes but then I caught up and the subs come faster, so.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (2023-)

This one seemed to be a fan favorite of the season and well, I can see why…While 7TL and tAD are more my vibe, I can’t overlook Frieren. The way it presents grief, time, connection, and the mortality of people through the eyes of this seemly apathic elf is very touching. It made me cry a few times! It also has cool action. And of course, I can’t resist a good medieval fantasy setting. I’m not versed in rpg but even I can recognize some basic elements, it’s pretty cool.

Watched it dubbed!

From Studio Ghibli

Only Yesterday (1991) - This one is pretty slow, contemplative. It’s also a little boring imo... I can see its value, but it’s not really for me. Subs cause there is no dub.

The Cat Returns (2002) - I didn’t intend to watch this one but changed my mind at some point. It’s pretty fun! Not sure what I expected but it wasn’t this haha I quite liked it!! Subs cause there is no dub.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) - This is a pretty long one, and the different artstyle threw me off at first, I thought I might not like it... I finally got  to watch it though, and not only it is NOT boring, but it is visually very pretty. It could have ranked high but I didn’t vibe with the ending, so. I could see it being other people’s favorite though. Watched it dubbed.

Earwig and the Witch (2020) - This one’s got a bad reputation but I thought it was fine! Like sure, this 3D animation did not capture that Ghibli charm, but the character design does seem on point and I thought it  had an interesting setting. Overall I liked it, even though the ending is rather anticlimactic. Things shift abruptly and are over soon after, leaving some stuff unresolved too (I imagine there would be a sequel). It was still entertaining though. Watched it dubbed.

The Boy and the Heron (2023)

I think this was the first time I watched a Ghibli movie in cinemas! It’s a good film. Not among my Ghibli favorites, but it would rank in the upper half. I'm sure it's other people’s favorite. I think the relationship with the stepmom could have been better developed, but it's still cool. The crazy, whimsical world kinda reminded me of Spirited Away at times. It's got that Miyazaki balance of weird and wonder, with a rather unique mythology and intriguing characters.

I wanted to watch it dub but there were limited screenings and the day I went had only subs.

Buddy Daddies (2023)

A duo of assassins with very different backgrounds and personalities are sent to kill a criminal. The mission is accomplished, they just didn't expect him to have a little daughter. Now they have to figure out how to take care of a child.

I heard good things about this one - and I loved it! I wish it had been longer, I believe it could easily fill 20 something episodes, but oh well… The trio is very endearing, their dynamics are great.

Subs cause no dub.

Yona of the Dawn Season 1 (2014-15)

Princess Yona has to flee her castle with her chidlhood friend/bodyguard Hak after her beloved cousin Soo-Won murders her father, the king. While searching for the four legendary dragon warriors to help them reclaim the kingdom, Yona finds out her people have been suffering for years, and feels it is her duty to help them.

I was honestly surprised to see this series is already TEN years old. I remember people talking about it but I didn't remember it had been this long? Maybe I heard of it afterwards? Maybe not…Anyway. This series is great. I didn’t expect it to be so good. It’s an epic (east asian) medieval fantasy! It’s got drama, adventure, action, and I’m looking forward to the romantic plot development with Hak. It’s cool to see Yona growing from sheltered princess to a warrior. I’m honestly shocked they never made a second season, like, wtf. Fortunately they’ve started selling the manga in here, and I’ve been following it! Good stuff. I wish I could watch the plays, but specially the musical. Oh, I'm saving the OVAs for when I reach the respective manga chapters.

Subs cause no dub

Snow White with the Red Hair Seasons 1-2 (2015-16)

This one is also medieval fantasy, has plenty of drama, and while it does have action and adventure, it’s not so much in the epic side - it’s more…mundane? I mean sure, it’s got court intrigues, swordfights, and there’s a kidnapping at one point and whatnot… But the vibes are more on the quieter, lovelier side? I mean, there isn't an epic quest. But it’s cool to see Shirayuki’s journey in becoming a great herbalist while Zen trains in his princely duties and how they both fight to be together despite the obstacle of their different status (something which worries Zen's older brother and other influential people). Their friends also form a cool cast. Wish there were more seasons, but the ones we got are good. I’m not even mad at the misleading title cause the only reason I remembered its existence and watched it was because years ago I saw there was a Snow White anime. Alas, this has basically nothing to do with Snow White, but it’s so good I don’t even care. 

Subs cause no dub

Spy x Family - Code: White (2023)

Yes it’s filler but it’s fun! Plus it's not like Spy x Family plot moves fast anyway... So here we got a little winter family trip in search of a recipe (for the Mission!!!) turned into a crazy kidnapping and rescue as Loid and Yor separately go after Anya…it’s action-packed, whacky and fun! It’s Spy x Family!!! There are also a couple of cute Twiyor/family moments, which I love, of course. It’s a good pastime. Bring me season 3!

Watched it dubbed at the cinema!

A Sign of Affection Season 1 (2024)

A lovely show! It’s about the daily life of a deaf college-age girl, and her new romance with a guy who loves to travel, and how her world expands when meeting him and other people in college. I think most school settings stories I see are in high school or middle school so this is a nice change.

Watched it dubbed

Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (2022-23)

People talked so much about this one I had to give it a go. The only Gundam series I had contact with before was Gundam Wing (watched some assorted episodes as a kid), so I thought that would be the first one I watched in full, but I still haven't done it, oops. And now I’ve seen Gundam Witch! Intriguing developments and characters! Deals with some serious issues, which apparently is an usual Gundam thing. It has some cool dynamics and the queer romance is cute, it has a good arc. The show is not quite my jam, so not a favorite, but it’s a good show, felt solid.

Watched it dubbed

My Happy Marriage (2023-)

Miyo lives in a Cinderella situation until she is engaged to Kyoka, a rich guy with a bad reputation… In a society where powerful families have superpowers, she’s got none, so her family wants to get rid of her…The poor thing lives with no affection and the guy is desensitized to previous fiancées chasing his status, but then he sees that’s not the case and is decided to treat her well AND to stand up to her family. Oh, and it’s got an historical setting. Also Kyoka is part of the special forces which fight evil spirits or something. He controls elements. I gotta say I was not expecting that kind of action in a Cinderella-esque story, ha! It was a good addition.

It's kinda tough to see Miyo so meek, but it's key to see she is not magically cured after the engagement, she still struggles from the abuse of her family, but with help, little by little she gains more confidence, which is lovely to see. She also finds her own way of helping Kyoka herself, the end of the season really makes it stronger. I don't think it's gonna be a favorite of mine, but it IS good. Season 2 incoming!

Watched it dubbed

My Happy Marriage Movie aka As Long as We Both Shall Live (2023)

The movie is basically a compressed version of what we see in season 1. As such, it is definitely inferior to the animated version, but it’s okay... Like, it has its moments but overall it really doesn't hit the same, specially the ending. I would say it has all the important bits of the first half of the season, but a lot of the second half is lost (Hazuki, you were missed, girl!).

Shaman King: Flowers Season 1 (2024)

I was entertained, I wanted to see more of the kids and their dynamics (and more of their parents), and I wish they would continue it…But I don't know, it's got some odd choices. Granted, it's a short season, if it had been longer it might have been more charming/intriguing. For example, Ren's son is the last to join so we don't see a lot of him, which is a shame. I also thought it was going to be a complete story but turns out the Flowers manga was continued in Super Star, and the season we got was really just Flowers…Also I still think it would have been a better investment to use the money to improve on the Shaman King remake, but anyway. I wonder if they will ever continue it.

Watched it dubbed

Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac Season 3 (2024)

This was about the same level as season 2 I guess. Though back then they let the fights begin in one episode and end on the next, while here they kinda kept it in the same episode, which made them feel shorter :/ Like, it was cool but still not even close to the original series. It has its moments, but parts of it are too quick, there’s a lack of stronger soundtracks to enhance the scenes, etc. The original content was interesting enough, but we had so little time it would have been better to use it on canon events... or at least parts of it.

I would watch more if they made it but it seems they’re going to stop this version in this arc – and I get it, like I said, its really not as good as it should/could be. I’m glad they finished it though, it would have been a bummer to see the arc only halfway done. I hope we don’t have to wait too many years until a new saint seiya anime…also I wonder what it will be.

Watched it dubbed

Delicious in Dungeon (2024-)

Everybody couldn’t shut up about it so I had to watch it XD yes, yes, it’s good! Well made rpg-esque medieval fantasy setting. It’s got plenty of comedy, and the story is pretty different from the usual stuff… It wasn’t until things started to get serious that it really got me though, like halfway through the season. From what I’ve heard, it should be done by season 2. I'll be there to watch it!

Watched it dubbed

Sailor Moon: Musical Festival Chronicle (2022)

Finally could watch this one, yay!!! Story-wise it's not really impressive, but then again this one is more of a celebration of myu history than anything else. Cool to see the old numbers back, lovely to see Satomi’s guest appearance and, of course, the BANDAI MYU team, hooray!!!! Oh and we could see more of Riona’s Mamoru too! Since The Super Live full recording was never released, we don’t have much of that, so this is nice.

I honestly thought this would be the end of the myu/moon renaissance, but after the announcement of the long run of the new Super Live in London, I'm not so sure! But alright, let's not get ahead of ourselves...

Ranma ½ (2024-)

Ranma’s return!!!! Its been rather fun to follow Ranma and Akane’s shenanigans again. I’m glad I watched the full og anime a few years ago!!! I hope they get to adapt the manga until the end this time (I’ve never read it myself). Waiting for season 2!!!

Watched it dub (I’m so happy Netflix got the cast back!!!)

[paigegonerogue]

I just finished TLOU pt. II!

Decided to shout my thoughts to the void as a certified Show Lover™��� and talk about what I liked in the game, what I didn’t, and how it compares to the show.

Watch out! I will be criticizing the both the show and the game in this, so if you’re looking for a “the game is a masterpiece and the show is shit” take from me, you’re outta luck, sorry😅

Let’s start with…

What I liked:

The Visuals - OMG this was, hands down, the most gorgeous video game I have ever played. TLOU pt. I was a pretty game, but this was another level entirely. The light, the shadows, the colors, the settings, absolutely stunning. I loved the filmmaking techniques they used, like the anamorphic lense-flares, film grain, and depth of field. It added a wonderful quality to not only the cutscenes but also the gameplay that felt very cinematic. In an alternate reality TLOU HBO was shot on film, but it’s a universe that we don’t deserve. This was one of the only games I’ve played where I turned up the graphics settings even though it would hurt performance because of just how wonderful it was to look at. Sometimes I would just stay in place and look at the views because of just how beautiful they were. Special shoutouts to the farmhouse sunset, the Rattler base, the ocean fight scene (more on that later), and the Seraphite village (more on that, too).

The Gameplay - What hasn’t been said about this already? The gameplay is fantastic. Super satisfying. I would end up bucking the intended, easier solution because the fights were just so fun. Every aspect was so dynamic. The ability to dodge made the hand-to-hand such an improvement over pt. I, and sound design of the fights and guns made it so satisfying. It was an absolute blast to play, I was grinning ear-to-ear the whole time.

The Acting - Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, Shannon Woodward, and Ian Alexander were all really great. They turned a lot of scenes that weren’t incredible into very weighty ones, and they managed to convey a lot of emotion despite being digital avatars.

The Gameplay (Pt. II) - Another thing I really loved was how the gameplay was used in the story. I don’t mean the big switch, though that was cool, but the smaller aspects that came back around. Abby using the arrow pulling in the fight with the Seraphite, the WLF deserters attacking you while you used the crafting table, fighting Tommy, and most of all seeing Ellie use the same tricks you used when you played as her against you in the theater fight was so cool and interesting.

The Seraphite Island - Making your way through Haven during the assault is hands down the best level of a game I have ever played. Going from the horse to caught between the two sides of the war to the hand-to-hand, all while it burns around you was absolutely phenomenal. I was in awe of just how incredibly that was executed. I couldn’t get enough of it, it was so amazing. It felt big and epic in a way I didn’t know was even possible for a video game. That was absolutely the peak of the experience for me.

Spectacle - This game excelled at spectacle. Making moments feel huge and awesome. It was an absolute blast every time it let loose. I loved how big it felt. Some special shoutouts to moments that just felt so incredibly epic: The Rat King, the theater, the car-chases, the lead-up to the aquarium on Ellie’s day with the lightning and the rain as you boated to it, the hospital, and most of all, obviously, Haven.

The Boss Battles - This game had sick boss battles. The Museum Fight was such a creative and unique boss fight. Fighting the character you played, using strategies you used, was so incredibly cool. The Rat King was a fun fight, but the lead-up to it especially was what made it so fun. The garage, the suspense, the lore. Really, really fun experiance. Lastly, the Final Fight hands down the best final boss battle I’ve ever played. Like, technically or gameplay wise it was so simple, but the emotional weight it packed was awesome. Plus, the visuals with the fog, the waves, and the bright red blood. Unreal. The shot of Ellie crying when drowning Ellie was probably my favorite of the whole game.

If you couldn’t tell I absolutely had a blast playing this. Every element of the gameplay was so fun and well executed, and I was fully engrossed every second. I felt giddy at times with just how exciting playing the game was. That being said, I do have my criticisms, mostly about specific aspects of the writing…

What I Disliked:

The Pacing - I feel like this is understandable. Ellie’s time in Seattle was very drawn-out plot wise, which worked because of the gameplay, but then Abby’s felt much more compressed. It should’ve been a bit longer, we should’ve gotten more bonding time with Lev, and the Seraphite/WLF conflict felt kinda jarring when it happened. Then, once Abby beats Ellie it goes hyper speed. Ellie’s at the farmhouse, Tommy’s at the farmhouse, Ellie leaves, Abby gets caught, Ellie’s in SB and finds Abby, Ellie’s in WY and goes home. It needed more room to breathe. It felt like someone took all the “important” scenes and cut out the in-between, which is what matters most. We needed more time to make it hit harder. I loved the ending, I just wish it was slower. HBO is having another season after Abby’s story, so I’m really hoping they expand the ending, give it more room to breathe, and add in some original content (which the show excels at).

Flat Tone - Pretty self-explanatory. It all felt pretty “samey” emotionally. Ellie’s time in Seattle is just very flat, which makes sense for the story, but it didn’t feel as fleshed-out as it could’ve. There wasn’t enough variety in her suffering. This goes even more so for Abby, who needed a lot more peaceful, quieter moments with Lev to really sell their bond.

Male Gaze - I felt like so often the game sorta told you to ogle the female character’s bodies. There was a lot of voyeur that I didn’t love in how the girls were presented through lots of different choices in the cinematography and costuming.

Lev’s Backstory Reveal - I really liked Lev, and I liked his backstory, I just don’t like how they went about telling us about it. The constant deadnaming and outing to Abby was rough enough, but then to not even have Lev tell Abby his backstory but Yara, who shared information he didn’t want Abby to know yet. It felt kinda icky, I can’t lie. I wish the narrative treated Lev with a bit more care, and I hope the show does in s3.

The Boat Scene - Here’s the thing, I actually really like scenes where characters suddenly hook up because of tension/adrenaline/etc. I also totally understand what they were trying to go for here, I’m just not sure they succeeded. I started laughing during it, which I don’t think was the intention of the scene, because it just felt kinda like what?

The Dialogue - Sure, the show can be a bit talky, but I think I’m spoiled because of just how good the quality of dialogue is in it. It’s very naturalistic, but also really deep and subtly witty. During a lot of conversations in the game, I felt like the dialogue was very clunky and, unlike the show, could really feel forced. Some of the profound things they were saying’s impact was deadened by sorta rough setup.

The Plotting - The plot is good for gameplay, but I just don’t know if it’s good for a story. It does what it needs to and gets you to the next set-piece, but the constant just kinda Stuff Happens™️ got a bit old. The obstacles felt kinda contrived, and while I get that the constant delays and setbacks show how motivated Ellie is to find Abby, I don’t think it’s very effective from a narrative perspective. In a lot of ways it made me appreciate the show more, because it is not a story that’s easily adaptable like pt. I was, because of how pointless a lot of it felt. With Ellie it was just “fight through all this stuff to find something”, and for Abby it was even worse because so much of it felt pointless. Like, the whole Rat King fight happens to get medicine for Yara (already a bit contrived, but I can forgive it because how fun the fight and setup were), but then Yara dies the next day. All the work to find Owen, but he dies the next day. It didn’t feel like it mattered much what was happening, and two days after I finished Ellie’s part I tried to remember what happened and I couldn’t. I remembered specific scenes and moments, but had no idea how we got there or where they led.

Isaac - Isaac was one of my favorite parts of s2, and Jeffrey Wright is one of my favorite actors, but man in the game he was just such a frustrating character. He was so purposeless, he served no use for the themes, and his death was so anti-climactic. You could take Isaac out and it would be exactly the same.

Shock Value - The constant deaths didn’t really work for me. Like, in pt. I there was some buildup to big deaths, but in pt. II characters were just constantly getting quickly shot in the head. It works once or twice because it’s surprising, but when every character just runs out of hiding and is instantly dead it loses a lot of its effectiveness and feels pretty cheap at some points. Like, put in some effort lol

A Lot of It Just Didn’t Hit for Me - I think I my brain just isn’t wired for video-games, because I can get excited, but I have trouble actually feeling stuff when I play. A lot of the time cutscenes would play out and I’d just be like 😐 the whole time, even during moments like Joel’s death. People give it a lot of credit for making them cry/get angry. I’ve heard tons of people say it’s absolutely devastating to play, but… I wasn’t devastated or angry or crying. I was just chillin’, having a blast with the violence.

The Gameplay (pt. III) - Speaking of the violence, the gameplay sorta renders the game’s anti-violence messaging a bit moot. It’s so fun that it kinda misses the point, y’know?

What I Thought the Show Did Better:

The Side Characters - Jesse and Dina were had way more depth and personality in the show. In the game I liked Dina, but she was pretty one note. However, in the show I loved her. You can talk about how it came at the expense of Ellie’s arc, but once you see a version of the character that feels much more interesting and fun to watch, it’s hard to go back. I also really liked the conflict with Jesse in the show, and while I wish that he and Ellie got a few more moments of friendship, he had actual importance and weight that was never assigned to him in the game. By the end of s2 I even really cared about Mel, who didn’t a lot of screen time, much more than in the game. She was another of the season’s highlights alongside Isaac and Dina.

Joel - I loved Joel’s arc in s2. The themes of generational trauma were absolutely stunning and really made me emotional. Episode 6 is one of the best episodes of modern television. In the game he didn’t have an arc, so I was glad that we got some emotion and growth from him. I also much preferred his death in the show. Say what you will about them revealing Abby’s backstory early, but the tension and buildup throughout episode two (another of the best episodes of modern television, btw) was so well executed, and his death being more drawn out and built up to made it feel a lot less cheap than in the game. I know some people like the suddenness of it, but yeah, for me it was a bit too sudden and the lead-up in the show made it hit harder and feel much more earned.

The Performances (pt. II) - I’ve posted before about how the performances in the game vs the show aren’t comparable. It’s not only a different medium, but also a different version of the character, and pitting them against each other is just reductive of the amazing performances on both sides. HOWEVER, I did find myself missing the added intensity and weight of live-action, where it showed real people rather than digital ones.

Show Their Age - Self-explanatory. They acted nineteen in the show. If someone told me Ellie and Dina were nineteen in the game and showed no evidence except how they acted, I wouldn’t have believed them.

Mel and Owen’s Death - What can I say? In the show it was absolutely devastating and one of the best scenes in the whole series. The quieter but sadder approach worked so well and was absolutely visceral and brutal to witness. Here’s a clip of my favorite reaction YouTubers watching the scene that just about sums it up:

What I Thought the Game Did Better:

The weird thing is, I don’t actually have a ton here. Because despite all the problems with s2, there isn’t a lot specifically that I thought was better. I think the game told the story a bit better, but the story was also very much made for a video game and didn’t really suit a tv show. However, when comparing specifics, I couldn’t find a ton on the micro scale that was an improvement, it was mostly on the macro.

More Focus on Ellie - Obviously. The biggest problem with s2 was how Ellie was too often sidelined to support in a story that was supposed to be about her. Often, she was relegated to responding and setting up other characters for good lines of dialogue and character moments without enough of her own. In s1, in scenes like the cage scene with David, Ellie talked way less than him, but it was still just as much about her as it was him. I wish this had that same quality, but for a lot of conversations she felt pretty unimportant.

Narrative Consistency - While I complained about the flat tone, it’s hard to argue that pt. II isn’t more consistent than s2. Not really much else to add, it just felt a bit more cohesive.

Makeup and Hairstyling - I liked how dirty the characters got. My favorite was all the times they got absolutely covered in blood. That always looked incredible lmao

Hi Nora - Super small thing, but I loved how in the game Ellie found Nora and just went “Hi, Nora”.

Final Thoughts:

I had an absolute blast with pt. II, one of the most fun game experiences I’ve ever had in terms of gameplay. A lot of story beats were kinda a miss for me, but I thought it had some great writing and some awesome moments that felt like a true spectacle. Needed more time, needed more variation, but generally pretty good👍 Also, absolutely gorgeous.