#where we get episodes focused on new characters that we haven't seen before

[pandora15]

friendly reminder that yes I still want an animated series set between tpm and aotc focused on the jedi, I just think it would be really fun and there's a lot to explore

[antivivziepopparade]

All of the proof that we have that Vivziepop is abusive. (So far....)

While you support this post please go ahead and support my channel to see more about Vivziepop's abusive behavior. Thanks!

1. She rushes her employees.

Season 1 was made in 2020. While Season 2 was made in 2021 while being released with MULTIPLE EPISODES only ONE year later.

That's-

INSANE!

-and im about to tell you why:

The average cartoon needs almost ONE WHOLE YEAR to produce one episode. And this is what we see in MAINSTREAM shows.

Meanwhile, Helluva Boss took only one year (and a half) to make MULTIPLE ENTIRE EPISODES that last over 20 minutes. The longest waiting time for an episode being 8 months. Not even a year, and we get multiple episodes off the drawing board.

You can even see here that it's taken only three years to make 16 episodes. When this is an indie studio, so this should have taken so much longer to make. Yet for some reason, it took only a few years for us to get full seasons. In 2021, we got over 4 episodes alone. Have you ever wondered why these episodes come out so fast while other shows take a lot longer to get new seasons? That's an easy question to ask... Spindlehorse...

Is being ABUSED.

And I have the proof to show.

2. The pay controversy.

Spindlehorse's payment has been under controversy for providing the lowest pay possible to those that work at the studio.

One piece of evidence was given by Adam himself (albeit unintentionally) by saying this:

This kind of pay is highly unstable! And before you say "But he didn't force them to be there-"

LOOK.

The employees themselves admitted that they had no choice. People had no choice and Vivienne Medrano took advantage of that for her own selfish desires. This is disgusting treatment of a studio as small as Spindlehorse. Or any studio for that matter.

Hell! chaifootsteps said once that once Zeurel released that he was paying his animators too low, he deleted one of the tweets showing the low pay and decided to do something to give his employees better wages. Meanwhile, Chimera Bunny pays even less than Viv does and just because paying your workers low is normal in the animation industry- plot twist: Doesn't make it ok!

People have suffered so much in this industry, it's why "New Deal for Animation" exists. The only reason you haven't seen many Vivziepop workers having protests and speaking out is because Vivziepop says things like this behind people's backs if they "dare" do anything she doesn't like:

So that explains as to why so many people remain as "anon" or say nothing at all because they got cold feet. Vivienne's terrible!

Especially since even her top employees have admitted to not being paid enough despite Adam's "I pay them to stay if they make us the most mon-ey!" claims from the article:

Also this:

This is how she speaks about her own employees:

"YOU DONT LIKE HOW I TREAT YOU?! FUCK OFF!"

Straight up abuse.

Also, wasn't Walt Disney known for abusing his employees?

To the point where people had an entire protest in 1914 about it?

Wow... such a healthy workplace treatment comparison. Doesn't make Vivziepop look more like a jerk.... at all! /s

3. She bullies kids/laughed at a sa victim that was sa'ed by her friends. As one kid was bullied into a panic attack (I know them personally) back in about 2020 and Viv decided to vague post about them behind their back even after they apologized.

For someone who's so focused on "forgiving despite cancel culture" she sure likes to blame and harass people for disliking even ONE thing about her show or herself. One thing- and you're harassed over making a meme about a cartoon with fictional characters (What Froot Did that set Vivziepop and Gumball off.)

Secondly, one of her friends sexually harassed a minor.

And instead of acknowledging the sa, Vivziepop wrote this:

She ended up calling it a "joke" and made fun of the victim involved.

This is outright abusive behavior that should not be tolerated.

Children don't deserve to be traumatized this way. Especially over something as simple as making memes about a cartoon (negative or not) or simply telling someone to stop fetishizing abuse.

More on this in this video made by Gummypop:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND-

That's all that I have for now!

Will likely be updating this post in the future. Goodbye!

EDIT:

More evidence of Vivziepop using abusive language and slander against her employees behind their back. Claims of them being a "stalker" (like she did to Kedi and also its clear that she told her employees to say that Kaz was a "stalker" otherwise how else would they be saying these things after she fired them.) along with using abusive language such as "CUNT!" to prefer to Kaz this way in a professional setting I cannot. 💀

More evidence of Vivziepop harassing a kid:

ANOTHER edit:

More evidence, she's burning them the HELL out!

Yet ANOTHER edit:

More evidence of Spindlehorse being abusive:

EDIT:

Even MORE evidence:

The fact that the story AND the storyboards AND the animating for season one's episodes were all done in one year is just so crazy to me like... WHAT?! Either way, this post will continue to extend the more that I find evidence. So remember to look forward to that one!

EDIT:

Sadly no, as animation abuse is so common that the police dont even see it as an issue. The last time I tried to call the police on her they needed a location. The problem? There is no location of Spindlehorse since it's a "private" studio. So because of that viv gets away with abuse despite the obvious implications of her behavior and how many people came out with allegations towards her.

[cheonminhyuk]

tapping the sign that says "you don't need to use slurs or outwardly express bigotry to retain homophobic or racist ideas"

why is the author of hsr incapable of conceptualizing a wlw romance that does not have a sexuality crisis/societal homophobia as a central element? why is greg's route creating a new problem every update? it is not even that we as the readers don't see them as fully realized characters - the author doesn't see them as interesting enough on their own to carry out a romance with.

i'm all caught up on the dmitry romance, and i've seen quite a lot of cain's. why is it that both of them get the tension, the pining, the gradual closeness and what keeps them and lane apart is disregarded eventually because love wins i guess?

meanwhile anna's romance is 'slow burn' and 'angsty' and 'lane thinks they're just friends'...i really just think the author cannot imagine a gay ship being interesting without a backdrop of homophobia lol

and that's sort of what the problem is - interest, or lack thereof. the author doesn't think anna and greg's characters, on their own, can maintain reader interest. i've been romancing greg since the start and damn near every update there's some bullshit disagreement/conflict they have that the diamond scenes are then focused on resolving. rinse and repeat. lane can have two unfriendly interactions with greg about the squad drugging her. she is uniquely upset at greg's involvement in it because "i thought you were different". compare this to the dmitry scene, in which lane only brings the drugging up as a joke and dmitry finally says 'sorry', a season later when it no longer matters to anyone.

this brings us to greg's treatment as a whole. as someone else has pointed out, the black man is the only romance option you can actually kill. he is regarded by lane as the one having betrayed her most severely regarding the drugging, purely because what? they had one civil conversation beforehand?

onto s2 - greg is now the temporary leader of the squad. this changes nothing for him and lane. sure. in dmitry's train cabin scene, they have an exchange about this in which she tells dmitry her and greg "haven't interacted much", even if you've been romancing both. hey, at least the author's self aware? dmitry's position as general colors every single interaction he has with lane and the world, as well as the other characters, react to it. greg's position as his second-in-command is so irrelevant we find out about it only when dmitry is out of commission and someone else needs to lead the squad in his absence.

towards the season one finale, we find out the fate of emma, greg's sister. half of the ensuing interactions with him have lane thinking about how she's keeping this information from him. but she continues to do so with no good reason. 5 episodes later - the gym scene. i don't know about the mercy path, as my greg slot is not on it, but on the no compassion path, lane basically argues she can't tell him because she likes him and knowing the truth would somehow cause him to leave the squad. i simply don't buy this reason. first of all - why would greg, now knowing his sister died in the siberia base, not stay with the only people who could possibly know more about this base? second...where the fuck would he go lmao. one could argue this is simply lane being irrational, but no mercy lane has never before been portrayed as irrational, only lacking in empathy for other people. it's hard not to see this for what it is - another hook for conflict between them because the author, again, does not see greg as interesting enough on his own and feels she has to rely on cheap drama to keep readers invested.

[swallowtailed]

palisade 55 / finalisade pt. 10

this is so fucking funny

incredible. they've done it. double feature finale. i don't even want to try and guess how many episodes are left. sometime around 44 or 45 i said they should do thirty more AS A JOKE

i'm not sure i agree that motion is the loose end that needs tying up with an armor astir sortie, but i still think it'll be fun and i'm really excited to get perennial onscreen. hoping both cori and elle can make it >:)

more to the point i gotta say questlandia did not hit as a finale for me, which i think was largely due to the changes in the pc cast and the lack of rp. it felt like the conclusion to a different season. (wrt all the delegate plotlines in particular.) i'm not entirely sure that this next sortie will resolve that for me, but knowing fatt it might well.

because i'm always curious about stuff like this, i am really wondering when they decided to do another armor astir sortie

okay let's talk epilogues a bit though. with the understanding that any/all of these may cease to be endings per se. brnine:

brnine ends up fulfilling the future they envisioned for themself at the beginning of questlandia--continuing the fight outside the mirage. a millennium break admiral, leading the revolution... it really does change lives huh

character of All Time, btw. not entirely sure if this is their ending as a pc but still. All Fucking Time

sorry to hear they broke up with both jesset and gucci. dating sim fail ending. married to the job [ghost of valence]

delicious however that brnine's kingdom-level "unfortunately" ending is a rise in cults of personality and popular hero-worship. that does feel like an accurate downside outcome of a revolution story focused on a crew of heroes where the broader cause keeps getting beat down and the main character crew keeps winning. (that's one detail that really delivered on palisade, imo.)

august and levi:

i liked the twilight mirage's role in these epilogues because it was so uneven. we have the mirage getting twisted around trying to figure out whether august's justice was done well because they didn't directly experience the invasion, while also starting to join the fight in the broader galaxy per levi's epilogue. the high-minded naivety forced into practice is really compelling to me. (cf volition's conversation with thisbe.) not that we haven't seen idealists before in the divine cycle, but i'm eager to see what an attitude of radical forgiveness looks like outside the mirage.

similarly i found levi's localized approach disconnected from the goals of mbreak/other pcs in a way that is... realistic to the character, but might just get overwritten in the next in-universe push toward connection and coalition building, because i don't really see fatt moving away from that framework. (it's not a bad one necessarily, i just don't think they're leaving it.)

anyway. august. man. deciding to join wakeful and then getting stranded for a week that turns into a year, and never quite getting up to it again... brutal. (also completes a very well structured arc.) there are a lot of voids left by unfulfilled desires in these epilogues.

but not in levi's! very hopeful final beat there. both for the character and for the revolution. partizan ended with mbreak reviled as terrorists, now palisade ends (uh. "ends") with a new movement and new hope known throughout the galaxy.

ctc+eggs breakfast is so accurate

thisbe and cori:

thisbe and cori started out with a mirrored pair of goals and now they have a (differently) mirrored pair of epilogues. seizing your freedom and launching off into the galaxy and then realizing that means you're stuck wandering alone. (which does hit a little close to home. lmao.)

very reminiscent of the sangfielle epilogues, by the way, but doesn't work as well after a full season of crew bonding imo

thisbe being able to know and acknowledge and grasp her own freedom, being able to follow her own curiosity, is such a huge win for her. she's come so far.

tbh i'm disappointed that the scattered shards of divinity goal didn't come to pass, because thisbe did get some wins there! two wins and a... something! so that didn't really feel fair. but the chimeric cadent and the afflictions being out in the galaxy does actually feel kind of hopeful to me.

(man, i really wish we'd gotten more about partial palisade and the planet of palisade.)

i have to say, i really liked how cori's epilogue went despite the massive wave of misfortune. the shift into wandering felt more fitting for cori, since she's had a whole arc about losing her place with the devotees. assuming she's coming back in p3, an arc about finding/rebuilding community would be lovely.

also elle getting yanked back by arbitrage was of course inevitable and thus delicious. i'm considering fic ideas. watch this space.

clem:

clem's fortunately/unfortunately was so funny. vindictive. austin being like "there's no one around to tell clem she's done a good job" followed by jack going "and gucci doesn't even like her". and then the only future she can see is one in which she's still powerless and not ruling anything because not even being an oracle can help clementine kesh. satisfying.

so anyway

it was nice to see eclectic again. pleased he didn't fully vanish from the narrative (a ghost!), and the new look is slick. i'm curious whether he's gonna try to mount an escape while separated from wakeful. maybe that's not even an option anymore, though.

who do we think is gonna be on the next sortie? levi for sure, and eclectic (unless leap), and like, it's gotta be cori. are brnine and thisbe coming back? are jack and art playing???

sort of a philosophical question here but is questlandia arguably the holiday special

god it's so funny that they've done this. when i first heard this was happening, i was initially like, this is kind of a failure case of fatt's black box pacing for the week to week perspective. but it is also extremely funny. friends at the table.

[whineandcheese24]

so I saw a post where someone was saying how Benedict Bridgerton's queer awakening was better than Buck's because Benedict actually wants to explore his sexuality and not just jump right into a relationship, and that the 911 writers need to give more explanation in s8 for why Buck is so focused on a serious relationship with Tommy. As someone who loves both Benedict and Buck this was an insane take for me to read for 3 reasons: 1. different people will have different experiences with queer awakenings, 2. as people, Benedict and Buck want different things from their love life at the moment, and 3. as characters, Benedict and Buck are at different points in their stories. So let's get into it

some background if you haven't seen Bridgerton, in the beginning of season 3, Benedict started a friends-with-benefits situation with a woman named Tilley. At the time Benedict believed he was straight, until later in the season when Tilley introduced him to a man named Paul with whom she had a similar fwb situation, and the two of them asked Benedict if he wanted to have a threesome (albeit, in more formal words). Benedict eventually agreed and the 3 of them have a casual sex relationship, but then Tilley tells Benedict that she wants more from their relationship than just casual sex. Benedict kindly tells her that as he's just discovered this new facet of himself he's not ready to settle down just yet, and the two part ways.

so back to my reasons

Sexuality is not monolithic. Buck and Benedict may both be queer men, but they aren't going to have the same relationship with their sexualities. They aren't even necessarily the same sexuality. Though Oliver, Tim, and the rest of the 911 cast and crew have referred to Buck as bi, Buck himself has yet to use that label. And though the fandom has labeled Benedict as bi, he will, by virtue of living in the 1810s, likely never use a label, and the actor Luke Thompson has described Benedict as both pansexual, but also having a sense of "label-lessness"

Buck and Benedict, as people, want different things. When we met Buck, he was nearing the end of his hoe-era. By episode 2, he's already considering having a serious relationship with Abby, and after Abby, we only ever see him wanting a serious relationship. Based on his reaction to his temporary self-imposed abstinence in season 6, he's most likely still having sex and hookups even when he's not in a serious relationship, but it's not something he wants long-term. He's ready to settle down and find his person. Benedict, on the other hand, is not there yet. Even before Tilley, Benedict has always been a casual guy when it comes to relationships. The most serious relationship we see him have is with Madame Delacroix in season 1, and even that only really lasted a couple episodes. Benedict wasn't looking for something serious when he met Tilley or Paul, so him wanting to explore this new side of himself with multiple people is in keeping with his already-established desires for his sex and love life.

Buck and Benedict, as characters, are at different points in their stories. Buck is 7 seasons into his show. He has already been through 4 serious relationships, one of which got to the point of 'i love yous' and moving in together. He is at a point where the audience wants to see him succeed in his love life, and the constant going in and out of relationships gets tedious for the viewers. As much as Buck is ready to find The One, the audience also wants him to finally be happy and in love. Plus, having him in a happy, steady relationship opens up doors for him to have other arcs relating to his job, or other people in his life, while having someone who's not exactly a part of his job or inner circle of friends that he can talk things through with. It also gives him the opportunity to face the different obstacles that come with a long-term relationship. But Benedict is not at that point yet. Bridgerton is a show where each season focuses on a different sibling's romance, so of course he's not going to want to settle down until it's his season. And while this is entirely speculation, I'm guessing his arc this season was setting up his romance for season 4 where he decides that he's finally done sleeping around. He's done what he needs to and gotten it out of his system and now he's ready to fall in love.

Buck and Benedict are 2 completely different characters so of course their personal relationships with their sexualities and their queer experiences are going to be different. And saying that one is better than the other, because he doesn't want to immediately settle down is borderline biphopia/homophobia

[elapsed-spiral]

I'm sick rn so apparently that means I'm thinking about Izzy and how he doesn't quite make sense. More rambling under the read more.

Okay, so, before I start, I know Izzy is A Divisive Subject so let me just lay my cards down. I think he's a good bad guy and Con plays him very, very well. That might actually be part of the problem - I'll come back to that. There's discussion to be had about class and race and the shitty stuff Izzy does but I'm going to be focusing on something I haven't seen discussed elsewhere (not that I've gone looking tbh): Izzy doesn't seem to have a consistent driving force and it makes him feel like two different characters.

Character one is the one Con seems to have helped develop. That's the guy who's obsessively devoted to Blackbeard. He's repressed, he's got these very fixed ideas of what masculinity is and entails. He's an interesting character and his main goal seems to be to keep the status quo: keep Ed as Blackbeard and see off Stede, who is a threat to the concept of Blackbeard and to Izzy's idea of masculinity.

But then there's character two, who I think of as Panto Villain Izzy. He's power hungry, he smirks at the idea of getting his own command. He becomes a megalomaniac when he seizes control of the Revenge. And perhaps it's just me but I don't get how these two aspects of Izzy's character fit together?

To me, Izzy has palpable Middle Manager energy. Despite his (debatable, biased) protestations about Ed's mental state, his complaints all seem to be geared towards snapping Ed back to his senses so they can go back to how things were. When he's a shithead in episode 10, his complaint is about Ed, his new ways of living and his new take on masculinity. It's not an immediate demand that Ed step aside so Izzy can be captain. Based on what we see, Izzy lacks imagination and clearly wouldn't last five minutes as captain. The show shows us that, both literally when he's nearly thrown overboard, but also in how Izzy otherwise clings to his role as the boss's right hand man.

It feels a bit like they added this extra complexity and interest to Izzy's character, probably partly due to the insight Con provided, but they still needed Izzy to serve as a more bog standard Bad Guy to avoid having another, more sympathetic, character take over the Revenge.

I dunno where I'm going with this but I thought I'd write it down while hopped up on cold medicine. Let me know what you reckon!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

I really live the idea of the twst anime just showing random things that happen with the characters that we don't see in the main story, the obey me anime did that too and I think it was for the best! I would also like to see some events played put in the anime bc I think it would be fun to see some of them in a form other than the game! that would give us a chance to maybe see some different places other than nrc too! I think the masquerade event might be too big for one episode of the anime but it would be really cool to see it animated. I also want to see najma, cheka and some other family/friends that we either have seen little of or haven't met before (deuces mom and malleus grandma! the leech parents! azuls family??? SEBEKS MOM AND DAD??) they don't have to play a big part in it, just little bits with them if the anime is focusing on certain characters each episode

[Referencing this post!]

In talks of the TWST anime (which we still don't have a lot of details about), I do often hear comparisons made to Obey Me, which got an anime adaptation that focused not on the main story but on the daily lives and stupid shenanigans of the characters. As I mentioned before, I would prefer if TWST went this route for its anime rather than repeating the main story for (what is it now?) a 4th time (game, manga, light novel, now anime).

The main story is fine and all, but to me each retelling barely adds anything new to the actual plot (even if the Yuu is changed up), and I'm personally not all that invested in them when they don't play an active role for half of the story. I feel like the art form of animation could be much better utilized to explore things not tackled in the manga or the light novel: new locations, new characters, new lore. It could even be adaptations of the less serious conflicts in events or vignettes! This would get newcomers introduced to TWST without spoiling the main story while also providing fanservice to preexisting fans. There's just so much of TWST not touched upon outside of the game, and I think that's a real shame because Twisted Wonderland has very interesting places, cultures, and people! I personally want to see more of the characters interacting and more of the world in the anime rather than the episodes trying to shoehorn Yuu into scenes they don't necessarily have anything to do in. (That's honestly a lot of the gripes I have with Yuu; their presence oftentimes feels contrived and lacking 💦 and I feel like this issue will become extremely apparent in animation unless Yuu is changed significantly and actually given things to do where game!Yuu did not (ie during battles, in book 5, etc.)) I definitely feel like my interests are more aligned with learning more about the 22 boys in the main cast and their relationships and families. Maybe we could have an episode or two dedicated to just how their friends/families reacted to them being accepted into THE Night Raven College! The anime certainly sounds like a faster way to see the family members of the boys over waiting for them to be introduced to us one by one in randomly placed hometown events 😅 I just want something more slow-paced and character focused, time to take in the scenery and how the characters act around each other... not, "Oh gee. Fancy that, starting with Heartslabyul all over again."

In regards to Glorious Masquerade, I do think it would be possible to cram everything into one episode's run time (especially if you condense the boys exploring the City of Flowers into a quick montage), but I don't think it would be paced too well. To be safe, it could take place over the span of a few episodes, maybe 2 (with part 1 being the pre-crimson flower phase and part 2 being the post-crimson flower phase).

[billpottsismygf]

Boom by Steven Moffat

Welcome back, Moffat! This is his first Doctor Who episode since 2017, and his first under RTD since 2008, and it did not disappoint. This is by far the best episode of the series so far, and in my opinion in the last few years. It was tense and character focused and covered all manner of themes and topics.

It has some very Moffat hallmarks that I haven't exactly missed, but that I am more than happy to see back. This is particularly with regard to his episode mould of there being one specific thing that characters can't do (blink, breathe, think, etc.), here it being that the Doctor can't move. It's an excellent premise for an episode and it's sort of astonishing that it hasn't been done before. It's done very well, too.

It's funny to have the Anglican Marines back. I associate them so heavily with the Eleventh Doctor era that it was a little jarring at first, but why not bring them back! They were really well utilised here. I wonder if some Christians might be angry about the themes of religious culpability in warfare, but I thought the episode did a good job of a) not solely blaming religion and b) showing the good side of faith. The latter specifically being in the girl's faith in her parents not being gone.

Just as it showed the good and bad of faith, it also showed the good and bad of technology. The good being in the comfort it might provide to people, the bad mainly in the way it is used by corporations.

Unsurprisingly, I loved the anti-capitalist streak in this one. It was really nice as well to get a more detailed look at the consequences of the weapon factories of Villengard, something which has only ever been a throw-away line before, and again strongly associated with the RTD and Moffat eras. The culpability of capitalism in warfare; the use of modern technology with flashy lights and brutal consequences; selling to all sides of a conflict; a brutal algorithm in healthcare that only cares about the bottom line rather than human suffering. It's all fantastic and made me think about if Kerblam were good.

This was a very brutal episode, with three character deaths and an almost death from both the Doctor and Ruby. Despite this, it didn't feel too heavy and I think that's in part due to the optimistic ending. The little girl was perhaps a little too blasé for belief about the death of her father, but I appreciated what the episode was going for with that. A dad character doing the impossible for his child is something of another Moffatism, but I don't mind it, especially when it's done this well.

I think I got a better idea of Ruby this episode as well. I absolutely loved the part where she refuses to throw the remains to the Doctor, as well as her dashing up the quarry with a gun to create conflict. The latter reminded me a lot of her banging on the walls and yelling for the Bogeyman in Space Babies.

Finally, I think my assumption last week about The Devil's Chord - that it was meant to air later in the series - is pretty much confirmed by this being Ruby's first alien planet. If we're to believe we've seen things in the right order, that would mean she'd been travelling with the Doctor for six months before seeing an alien planet, and this episode also just feels like an earlier one. My suspicion is that Disney wanted The Devil's Chord to air second, and as part of the first drop of episodes, because it's a flashy exciting one, but I think that was a real error. On future rewatches I think I'll probably watch The Devil's Chord a few episodes in.

This was an absolutely incredible episode and I'm very excited to rewatch it. I never thought we'd get Moffat back writing for the show, especially under RTD, and now that we have I'm over the moon. Although in many ways it feels like a return to an old era rather than a bold new direction, it was so good it doesn't really matter. The performances, the characters and the writing were compelling and tight and I'm just so glad the show is doing great things right now.

[i-didnt-hate-it]

Okay, starting with something just so I can get back into the swing of this.

I didn't hate the first two episodes of Star Wars: The Acolyte.

Not really spoilers below, but if you want to go into it without knowing anything, maybe read this another time.

It takes a little bit to get invested, mostly because I don't know the characters yet, but it's actually refreshing to not know anything about any of them. To start off with characters you don't know or care about and set up a premise intriguing enough to make me care, that's promising.

After the first two episodes, I can say I'm into it, and I can't wait for the rest of the season. It's not perfect, and I can see some of the things that toxic "fans" are going to complain about. Some the acting and dialogue is a bit stilted, some of the sets clearly look like they were made on the volume, and sometimes the editing/pacing is a little weird. But the story is interesting enough for me to ignore most of that stuff.

It's not Andor, but it's not trying to be. It's not The Mandalorian, but it's not trying to be. It's not Ahsoka... you get the idea. The Acolyte is taking a big risk, setting itself in an era we haven't seen yet except for books, comics, and one animated show that is marketed for very young children (Young Jedi Adventures is pretty cute btw, I've watched a couple episodes). We don't know most of these characters, and if you're like me and you haven't gotten into the High Republic stuff yet, you don't know any of them.

I would dare to say that The Acolyte is even more original than Andor. Andor has amazing original plotlines and superb writing, but it still focuses on an era we know extremely well and stars a character whose fate we already know. Of course, this isn't anything against Andor, and it also isn't to say that originality is not the sole factor in making a good show. But it is easier to compare these shows that "no one asked for" rather than shows based on established popular characters like Ahsoka or Boba Fett.

I don't want to get into every detail, because this post is long enough already. I'll just say that The Acolyte feels like Star Wars. If you like watching Jedi be Jedi, if you enjoyed the episodes of The Clone Wars where the Jedi just did Jedi things and foiled plots and uncovered mysteries, The Acolyte is Star Wars for you. If you liked Tales of The Jedi, watching Dooku, Mace Windu, and Qui Gon Jinn in their prime before the Clone Wars, The Acolyte is for you. If you liked Star Wars Visions, seeing new, creative takes on Star Wars with unique fight scenes and interesting spins on classic Star Wars themes like balance and duality, The Acolyte is for you.

If none of that sounds interesting, maybe it's not for you, and that's okay. Nobody is making you watch it, but please don't be toxic about it.

[invisiblegarters]

The Heart Killers Ep 1

Man. I knew FOMO would get me eventually but I didn't think it would be this soon. Full disclosure, I read and hated the novel and that is a big part of why I didn't want to watch - I can already feel it coloring my opinion of the characters and trust me when I say that's not a good thing - but you know what? Fuck it. I find that I want to participate in the discussions and maybe even in the excitement for this show and I can't do that if I don't actually, you know. Watch.

Add that to the fact that almost all my shows are ending or just ended and it's a no brainer, really.

I mean, if I hate it that's what the off switch is for. No one is making me do this A Clockwork Orange style so I think it'll be okay.

Plus I can't sleep so here goes. THK ep 1. Liveblogged. Because why not, right? *cracks knuckles*

I am going to pretend I've never read the novel while I do this, so no spoilers.

You know it just occurred to me that I haven't even watched the first MV for this.

Pfft I know Khao bulked up for this but he still looks like a twink. A twink with really nice arms.

Are they gonna have him honeypot people every episode? I could get behind that.

Okay I do really like the disgust on Bison's face when the target isn't paying attention. I also don't know Thai so I can't say for sure but the subtitles make it sound like he's being very polite before shooting this dude. I appreciate that.

Okay so. Fun fact no one cares about. I read once that if you're doing something you shouldn't, running away from someone, maybe even committing a crime, it's actually really smart to wear a really bright, eye catching thing somewhere on your person. Probably not a shirt, but like, a bright scarf or pair of shoes. Because that's where people's eyes will go. Not your face, but the bright fabric.

Oh my gosh I'm gonna love Style and Kant together I can already tell. Pffft @ Kant scoping out the room though. My dude.

I genuinely find it hilarious that Kant is sitting here going on about how he doesn't want to commit but he's basically gonna be forced into it this very ep.

This music is a lot.

Can Style and Kant have hooked up before please? It's a wish.

You know what? I absolutely do not blame Bison for shutting Kant down at first. Patronizing ass. You're pretty but that only gets you so far babes.

I'd seen (and reblogged) gifs of the whole foot slide get right on top of you thing but it's very very nice to watch. It woulda worked on me haha. Frankly I'm impressed that Bison has braincells left because I am not that strong.

Hahaha Fadel wanting to be mad but having to keep Style from actually looking at the damage to his car lest he spot the dead body (Fadel, honey, maybe a JEEP isn't the best transport vehicle for those you've assassinated) is very funny.

I really think I'm gonna like Style.

Bed's more comfy anyway Bison. I'm sure you can take over there. Lol.

OH I LOVE THIS SONG it was in OF too. Am i focusing on that so I don't start acting silly? Yep shut up don't look at me.

I will say I don't actually think that Kant cares about names. Seems more like he's used to getting one than not but he doesn't seem particularly bothered by the lack. Probably he's used to more clingy one night - oh, wow okay see again seen gifs but motion is different lol.

Playboy Kant probably can't stop thinking about Bison because he actually got up and left lol. Something tells me that that's not normal for him, the way everyone teases.

Aw I like him with Babe. I hope that there are a lot of scenes with them.

Taming of the Shrew is a bit on the nose, no?

One thing i will say about Jojo's shows. I always do find new music to listen to.

How old is Bison? Twelve? Or are we supposed to get that he's kind of a loose canon because it's one or the other and considering what he got up to the night before I'm betting it's the latter.

WHY does no one in these shows actually know how to stalk people properly my god.

Kant you yourself said you wanted someone to hit it and quit it, now you're acting like that's a problem (this is not stopping my player who doesn't enjoy being played theory lol but I bet he likes being played with if you know what I mean and I think you do). But woooow he is pretty in that suit and tie. My inability to take screenshots from gaga is very depressing right now. But then agian maybe not because it'd just be me thirsting for First and other people make better moving pictures for that.

Okay Captain Chris sir using bb bro against him is low. I approve.

"Here are some photos that I'm sure Bison didn't see being taken my dude hid so well out in plain sight."

Yes I am going to love Style who hasn't put on some music just to dance around when no one is watching? Also I need to stop talking about literally every scene or I'm gonna run into the word limit before I'm done.

DUN DUN DUUUUN. Aww Bison thought it was amazing that's sweet.

Sorry Bison your brother is busy being flustered by an obnoxious but inexplicably (to him anyway I get it) attractive mechanic.

Kant babe if I didn't know better I would definitely say this was love. No one sane would eat that burger.

Oh god the chewing noises no.

The way I cringed at them nearly kissing right there with the ghost of the disgusting burger still hanging around in Kant's mouth.

Bison, babe. Get you head out of your ass Fadel means kill you. I mean I do think you're closer to the mark than he is but not by as much as you think.

Fadel has a problem with life. I love him.

Okay part of me thinks that Kant is lying about the beach thing. Why? Becuase their interactions are very flirty and fun but...I'm not really getting too much of a smitten vibe from either of them like I thought (hoped? thought) there would be. I mean they're having fun for sure, and Kant at least is absolutely looking to score again, but...

Oh Fadel. Don't you know that the more you protest the more tempting Kant becomes for your brat of a brother?

Pretty sure you'd be making Bison more tempting for Kant too, he strikes me as the type to deliberately go after things he's warned off of.

Honestly maybe he and Bison really are perfect for each other.

Also if Fadel and Kant wanted to settle their differences by making out I would not say nay (they won't this isn't Only Friends but hey. You never know Jojo did give me a brief moment of SandTop).

SEE WHAT I MEAN FADEL. Would Bison have shown up with delicious burger if Fadel hadn't made such a fuss? Maybe, but I bet Fadel's fussing made it a certainty.

Ouch ouch I just rolled my eyes so hard at Kant's line I'm genuinely proud of Bison for not doing it. Blergh.

Oooh First looks so pretty in that yellow with his hair all fluffy in the breeze. Excuse me while I absolutely don't hear any of this no doubt important conversation.

I kind of love the music when Style comes in the restaurant lol. Fadel's worst nightmare has arrived.

LOL did Kant tell him to be this obnoxious or is this just how Style flirts?

Oh my god I think this is just how Style flirts.

Hahaha I wonder what kind of taking out Fadel thinks Style means.

Ah so we're definitely dong the Taming of the Shrew thing where Bianca has beer flavored nipples (yes I know that line was from 10 Things) . I'd wondered. I find the idea less annoying than I would have thought - the added element of Kant not being as head over heels as he claims helps. Might as well toss a little jealousy into the mix. I'm sure Bison will play it up as much as possible too - he definitely likes playing, and currently this is definitely more game than anything else for him. Curious what it'll look like if and when that stops.

So far Fadel and Style are my favorite though. I like their dynamic a lot. They're ridiculous in the best ways.

I thought I'd like Kant and Bison more but they're kind of leaving me cold right now. I know it's only one episode n but they're just kinda meh to me and I can't put my finger on why. Maybe it's that despite all the flirting neither of them means it. Whereas Style and Fadel's interactions, though more hostile (seriously what the fuck kind of flirting is belligerently drinking beer after beer in someone's restaurant while they glower at you) feel more real. I'm not averse to game playing, but honestly this is why I like this kind of thing in movies. Because I'm impatient and after an hour I'm ready to see some feeling, lol.

But also (and probably more truthfully): let this be a lesson to you about reading a novel adaptation of a show before the show is released. Part of my ambivalence towards these characters is absolutely coming from doing the stupid thing, sigh.

It's just sometimes there is a fire. And it's pretty and flickery and I want to stick my hand in without thinking about the heat.

[carriagelamp]

I don't know what to say here this month. February, eh? Hate February, the Thursday of months, I'm just clinging to sanity while I wait for spring. Here are the books that helped me through what is basically a month of overcast skies and fucking winter rain.

Candy Color Paradox v6

Candy Color Paradox is a series I’ve been reading for years now and I’ve really enjoyed how the relationship in this one has progressed over that time. It started somewhat similar to how you’d expect a yaoi manga to start — lots of tension, drama, smut, and some light antagonism between the two main characters who both work at the same weekly magazine. But it’s eased into something that’s really quite genuine. This most recent volume focused entirely on moving in together and all the little complications and insecurities that arise because of that.

Circus of Fear

A 1980s D&D choose your own adventure novel so the quality is exactly what you would expect, but at the very least it was a fun little diversion. Doing a CYOA book with a friend can honestly be a blast, they just feel so silly, and the setting of a magical, vaguely sinister circus is always an enjoyable backdrop. We managed to get a good ending on the second try! So yay! I'd honestly like to read it again and try some of the other routes that also sounding intriguing.

Dungeon Meshi // Delicious in Dungeon v1

Me and my girlfriend started watching Dungeon Meshi because we’d seen so much about it on tumblr lately and wow. Just wow. It really is doing something special and we’re completely enamoured. Since we’re waiting for new episodes, I picked up the first book so we could compare it and the show — it’s really impressive how closely they align! And the art is really lovely, it stands out and not just for it's food glamour shots.

For those who haven't been seduced into watching the anime yet: Dungeon Meshi / Delicious in Dungeon is a DND-style parody in which the adventuring party needs to enter the monster-filled dungeon to save one of their companions who got eaten by a red dragon. They need to get to her and revive her before she entirely digested. However, to hasten their quest (and indulge one of their member’s strange obsessions) they begin to hunt and eat the monsters that fill the dungeon instead of trying to bring food in from the outside. This is 80% a cooking anime and 20% a comedic adventure anime. Book or show, doesn’t matter which, you should give it a try if you haven’t.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones

I really enjoyed the first book of the series, Every Heart A Doorway, and was excited when I found out there was a prequel about Jack and Jill and the world they visited. This can either be read as a prequel or it works fairly well as a stand-alone novella; the story is about twin sisters who have always been forced to fill very precise societal roles by their parents. One afternoon, they stumble across a magical door in the bottom of a chest and venture down into the sinister world of the moors where one sister is taken in by a vampire lord and the other by a mad scientist. The story looks at how the sisters grow and change when apart from each other and their controlling parents. Excellent story, the language is just so enticing.

Midnight Sun

My brother has been watching all the Twilight movies with a couple of his friends. Listening to him bitch about Jacob like it was 2007 reawakened something in me, so after laughing myself sick I had to go and relisten to Midnight Sun. Still genuinely and unironically love this book, it’s pure trash but by god it's my trash. I’m a simple soul.

Odder

I’ve been hearing great things about this book, and it’s hard to go wrong with Katherine Applegate so I was excited to finally read it. This is a book written entirely in free verse poetry about an orphaned otter and her experiences being rescued by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It’s inspired by a true story (several true stories, actually!) and it's very worth picking up even if you don't usually go for poetry. It's charming and reads very easily.

Old-Fashioned Cupcake

A middle-aged salaryman is feeling worn down by the humdrum nature of his life, which is filled mostly with work these days. This manga kicks off with his coworker suggests that if he wants to deal with the feelings of boredom and aging, then he needs to do something to shake up his life: so he suggests that they “act like a pair of teenage girls” and go to a fancy new pancake shop just because it seems fun, never mind that it’s not something grown men are supposed to do. This manga ended up being pretty darn cute -- it was slow and compassionate and loving -- and it managed to convince me to buy its sequel.

Professor Calculus: Science’s Forgotten Genius

A ridiculous little book I bought on impulse that was nevertheless a lot of fun to read. It’s a tribute to Cuthbert Calculus, celebrating the 80th anniversary of his first appearance in Tintin. It dives into some of the inspirations that went into the character, and also lovingly and cheekily explores some "facts" we know about Calculus as a person… and wildly extrapolates more from there. It was a cute little read for anyone who’s a fan of the series and wants something a little extra.

Return to Oz

I recently rewatched this movie and maintain that I like it more than the original film, sorry. It made me decide to grab the novelization because I’m always a sucker for a novelization <3 This one was pretty solid too, it actually included details that were left out of the film and improve the stories overall cohesion which is always the marker of a good novelization.

Return to Oz takes place several months after the original film, when Aunty Em and Uncle Henry are trying to build a new house and get the farm back in order before winter. Concerned by Dorothy’s continued belief in Oz and her increased insomnia, Aunty Em decides to take her to a doctor who offers healing through electroshock therapy. Yeah, it’s exactly as fucking creepy as it sounds… You get a scary aslyum, a sinister head nurse, being strapped to a hospital gurney, and new baddies that scared the bejeezus out of me as a kid. Anyway, before she can be electrocuted, Dorothy manages to escape back to Oz where she discovers her friends are in dire need of help. It’s like Alice: Madness Returns but from Disney. Go watch this movie.

She Drives Me Crazy

I had very mixed feelings about this book. It’s about high school basketball player, Scottie, who has suffered a bad breakup with her girlfriend who moved schools to play on the opposing basketball team. Things go from bad to worse when she gets into a car accident with her arch-nemesis, the cheerleader Irene. One things lead to another and bada bing bada boom we have a fake dating scheme so that Scottie can get back at her ex.

This book had some genuinely fun moments (I’m always a sucker for a fake dating scheme, and the characters were reasonably fun) but it’s biggest failing is one that I’ve seen more than I like in current queer lit. It just tries so. fucking. hard. to be unproblematic. Like yeah, it’s great to see healthy relationships but it was SO explicit about it. So much therapy speak, way more than feels natural for a conversation or internal monolgue, especially when they’re in high emotions. The “banter” was very scripted. It was a book that felt like it had a laugh track. And while the ending was satisfying enough, it was also… I don’t know. Anticlimactic. We just spent so long tying everything up in a perfectly neat little bow that it really just strolled to an ending that was obvious from a mile away. 

Like look, I get it, we want this to be squeaky clean and beyond reproach, but I have NEVER entered a fake dating story hoping that everyone was going to be really sensible and respectful and level-headed. Fake dating is the slapstick of the romance world, I want some Shakespearean level bullshit, please don’t try to gussy it up for me. Gonna go and rewatch 10 Things I Hate About You or something just to feel things again. Or maybe pop over to AO3, your average fic writer at least understands that when I say fake dating I mean I want something absolutely fucking unhinged and filled to the gill with mutual pining.

So yeah, if you want a sports-based high school sapphic romance: it’s not a bad book. It went down easy, I liked listening to it in the mornings when I needed something light before work. Some bits I even quite enjoyed. But it’s not going to rock your world.

Shuna’s Journey

Well, if nothing else you can really, definitely tell this was done by Hayoa Miyazaki. I’m honestly not really sure how I felt about it. The art was beautiful, and the story was pure undiluted Miyazaki through and through. The narrative was very nice. The story and message was poignant. It was a nice book. I can’t say it’s stuck very heavily in my mind, but I enjoyed reading it. It felt like a precursor to Princess Monoke / Nausicaa, perhaps?

The Witches

The story of one child and his grandmother needing to contend with witches. Not fairytale witches. Real witches. And all their horrible, child-hating ways. One thing I will always love about Dahl is that when he wants to write about something Horrible, nothing will stop him. His villains are truly villainous and the witches are a prime example of that! I loved the description of the witches and their horrible, sinister deeds, especially in the first half of the book. This sure is Child Murder: The Novel! The ending was absolutely not what I was expecting, and I appreciate that. Such a bizarre book.

[kamryn1963]

2x19 PD rewatch

This is my thoughts on this episode 2x19 (The Three Gs), as it was the most recent one I watched in my re-watch. And one of my favorite episodes of all times, so naturally it's the only episode I've shared my thoughts on yet... But Michelle Sovana is being introduced soon so I might share my thoughts/notes on those episodes too. Anyhow.

• Al centered episodes are my absolute favorite and we had so little of them

• I watch this episode a lot, but I haven't seen it in chronological order in a long time and it definitely gave me a new perspective on the episode and small details in it. I'll do a separate post on how Al wasn't doing very well mentally most of this season (actually most of the show tbh) and how that just made this case so much worse

• I do love when cases from the characters pasts are revisited. It tells more not just about the character, but also adds a different stake to the cases

• The scene at the beginning!! I love Al and Erin's friendship and that scene with Lexi was so good

• I wish we could have seen more of Lexi and Erin interacting as (from my rough calculations of the timeline) Lexi would've been young when Erin started living with Hank so I assume Lexi knew Erin most of her life and they should've got more scenes. Same with Al and Justin (who didn't even get one scene which is insane)

• Kim instantly asking Al if he was okay when her and Roman arrived on the scene 😭 not focusing on the victim or shooter, just checking in with him (the writers did them dirty in season 4. Season 2 Al never would've treated Kim like that)

• You know, I usually hate Roman but he's pretty tolerable in this episode. Surprisingly he wasn't the one being the dick

• This episode was definitely about 90% about Al and definitely focused on three main friendships imo. Al's friendships with Erin, Hank and Antonio.

• Al and Erin had the scene at the beginning, their banter and than the scene in the warehouse where they found the dead girls :/

• Al and Antonio friendship was subtle in this episode and they didn't talk to each other much but it was definitely there. The scene at the beginning in the elevator stuck out to me, the way Antonio was looking at Al clearly knowing something was up. In the warehouse too when they were interrogating the suspect and Al wouldn't let go of him. It showed in the end scene as well.

• Al and Hank was the final friendship that they showed a lot of. I love their friendship so much (one of my favorites. Would've been my all time favorite but I also ship them romantically so...) but the scene in the warehouse and the one when Meredith called Hank to talk to Al were amazing. They also had the end scene in the hotel.

• Meredith pisses me off everytime she's on the screen but especially here. She called Hank at 2 in the morning because she was worried about Al and then did what she did in season 5/6. Like come on, she obviously knew how close they were, god.

• The scene with Al and the girls parents 😭

• The conversation between Adam and Antonio about Al having full pension 5 years ago was very welcomed. They should've done that more. We knew so little of Al before he joined Intelligence/his childhood

• The end scene at the hotel when they arrested Dennis Lee was fabulous. Al almost snapping, Adam getting Hank and Antonio over there since he doesn't know what to do, Antonio trying to rush towards Al before Hank stops him

• "Detective Olinsky, organized crime, I never forget a face".

• "You shouldn't of come back here, you should've never came back here. This ends for you right now".

• Hey I wouldn't of blamed Al if he did shoot the guy, but I guess it's better he didn't in broad daylight

• The scene with Antonio and Hank coming around the corner and see Al with his gun to Lee's head, and Antonio rushing forward is so good and honestly says a lot. But it was definitely better Hank was the one who talked to Al

• I love gentle Hank

• The way he put his hand around Al's shoulders and rubbed his arm until Al looked at him :(

• The scene with Al and Erin at the end also

• The "don't go crawling under a rock after this" Erin's just looking out for her (honorary) uncle 🥲

• This episode definitely should've led to more. We could've had more episodes focused on Al's trauma and it sucks that nothing more really came out of it

• Like I get why since the next episode was 2x20 where we got to (unfortunately) meet Gregory Yates and with that storyline, Nadia dying, Erin's grief and the team grieving there wasn't much opportunity

•But I'm still bitter about it

• I should focus on the other storylines in this ep tho, cause while I didn't really care about the Roman scenes, I do really like patrol Kim. I'm not that mad she didn't go into Intelligence until later, since I personally liked her much better in patrol

• Nadia!!! I'm going to pretend she got a happy ending and what happened next episode didn't actually happen, because she could've been a great cop. Holy shit the writers fumbled that so bad.

• Her and Trudy's friendship is so precious to me. Like I love Nadia and Erin of course, but they didn't really interact much Nadia's last couple episodes, that was mostly Nadia and Trudy

• So it's very very stupid and annoying that we only really saw Erin grieve and not Trudy when she was very obviously close to Nadia and hurt

• Overall Nadia deserved better and Al needed therapy or a hug... probably both

This ended up long so kudos to you if you made it to the end lol. I just really love this episode and took the opportunity to rant and share my thoughts.

I'm going to make a seperate post tho on how this case was the boiling point for Al's already declining mental state at some point.

Because it's also very important to me :)

[syncopatedid]

Link Click S2E7: At this point it's probably a sure thing (?) to assume that that's Cheng Xiaoshi who is in possession of Lu Guang's body (his mannerisms sure as heck seem to want us to believe that), but the immediate question I have is, does that mean Lu Guang is in possession of Cheng Xiaoshi's body???? Granted, we've never been shown that LG is capable of such a power or that CXS could do that to a soul of a body he has taken over, but then again, this show is notorious for randomly dropping random facts out of nowhere to make things canon, so make it make sense.

But then it got me thinking: It's been established that when CXS time leaps into the past, his physical body disappears along with him until he returns back to the present. Assuming our first hunch to be correct, why is CXS' physical body still around? Two possibilities I've thought of: 1) This is the first time CXS has possessed someone in the present timeline, rather than the past, so his physical body does not disappear as it's still the same present, but since two bodies cannot occupy the same physical space at the same time, CXS' soul would need to separate from his body to possess another. However, vacating his body to possess LG would leave it vulnerable if left 'empty', so it makes sense for the souls to exchange places so LG could protect CXS' body and follow the girl without raising further distrust and suspicion, and CXS in LG's body could make a break for it and ditch the police to meet up with (and rescue) LG in CXS' body as they would not have seen it coming. 2) That BOTH of them are CXS, and the one possessing LG is CXS of another timeline, future OR otherwise, here to save his own ass. Because... aw yeah, my Conspiracy theory that an AU timeline exists in this story is back on the table! We mad lads be madding over here and I will hold on to that thought until canon evidence states otherwise. Edit addition: I don't know how this holds up to that episode in S1 where CXS went back to Qiaoling's past to save a friend and LG reminds CXS to never meet up with his past self as that would mess with things, but given that CXS is never a stickler for the rules anyway I think this scenario is entirely possible and opens up a whole new mystery mcguffin for the series as to what can happen when you meet yourself. I will admit that this season is a slower drag for me compared to S1, which is why I haven't been motivated to muse about this show weekly the way I did for S1. Don't get me started on s2e1, which I thought went and complied all the questions we had at s1 and just... kind of info dumped on us as exposition? All that buildup for 12 episodes and for what. This season seems more focused on flexing their animation prowess than genuine plot and character development, and if I weren't invested in its potential and knowing the end game for these boys and how close my predictions/speculations are I might have lost interest already. The pace has gotten draggy, plot more convoluted than ever before (which is just S1 powered up tbh but I digress) and all their filler scenes of no consequence are probably 15 minutes too long. It is already episode 7, and it feels almost certain that at this pace, the 'end' will be yet another new cliffhanger so they can explain making a S3 and I don't know how I feel about that. We should really stop thinking about it, yeah. Orz.

[pencilxpaper]

Vampire Media: TV Series

A review of various vampire focused series. More under the cut

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

I loved this series. It was on TV during a formative time in my life, and maybe it's why I like vampires. I don't know. If you hate Joss Weadon, that's completely understandable. There were hundreds of people involved in the making of this show, and they were good people, and they put their heart and soul into it, so I think it's worth watching despite Joss. There are some stellar episodes that might be worth watching the whole series for. Buffy is a great character. Spike (vampire villain turned good guy) is probably my favorite character of all time. I like the show's vampires. The episode where Dracula shows up is gold. This series did a mix of funny, terrifying, and serious, so prepare for your emotions to be played with. It's also a really satisfying watch.

I never watched the companion series Angel because I couldn't stand Angel as a character, so I can't comment on it for myself. I have friends who absolutely loved it.

True Blood

Based on the Sookie Stackhouse Series of books. The first season is pure atmospheric vampire gold. The vampires are sexy and scary, and the main character is naive, and Bon Temps still lives in my brain as a place. I love the idea that vampire blood is somehow a drug that gets people high. Later seasons get progressively less good. Part of it is, I think they didn't know what to do with the book storyline. Still worth it for the first few seasons.

Vampire Knight (Anime)

Ah... So I loved this. Typical anime where it's a high school, and you have vampires attending as well as normal kids. You get a love triangle. In the end, there is a twist, and there's an incest subplot that just... got weird. Overall, a great watch except for the incest thing at the end.

First Kill (one season)

Netflix canceled the second season, but in my opinion, it's still a different take on vampires. It is eye candy, and as long as you know that going in and you don't expect too much else from it, it's fun.

Castlevania

Show based on the video game. It's a video game I never played, so I feel like a few things I wasn't prepared for. This show is dark. Prepare for gore, and innocent people dying, and some truly terrible people. Body horror like you wouldn't believe. That said, I kind of love Alucard. Some amazing animation.

Hellsing and Hellsing Ultimate (anime)

I love both of these series for different reasons. Both are based on the manga. I love Alucard in this. He's a very interesting vampire. I am nuts for the police girl that he turns, especially in the original Hellsing, which focuses a little more on her. Basically, Van Hellsing created an organization to fight vampires, but it turns out they actually have a vampire working for them who might be someone important. There's a will-they-won't-they thing going on with Alucard and the head of the organization that is really engaging. Alucard keeps going up against bigger and bigger foes, and each time he unlocks a new level of power, and I'm a nut for it every time.

What we do in the Shadows

Last but not least. This show is peak vampire humor. It makes fun of EVERYTHING. There are digs at Anne Rice. There are digs at literally all other vampire media. There's a scene where they get actors from various movies to come in and play their vampire selves, and it is really funny. The characters are perfect, and the storyline is funny. I laughed out loud at least once an episode and often more. There's a movie that happened before this that is also really funny.

@rinniiart I forgot, in the movies, to include Only Lovers Left Alive. If you haven't seen that one, I think you might really like it. I thought of it because What We Do in the Shadows had a joke with Tilda Swinton and it was from that movie, so you kind of have to watch Only Lovers Left Alive to get why she's there. Basically, Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton are vampires facing obsolescence. Beautiful movie. Interesting concept. I also realized I forgot to talk about Blade and Blade 2, both excellent vampire movies. Maybe in a later post I'll talk about them.

Let me know if you've seen any of these and if you did what you thought of them. Thanks for the opportunity to info dump about a special interest of mine.

[wevelocityteampresents-blog]

Pokémon Pocket Monsters XY Volume 1 - Chapter 1

Red, Clefairy, and Pikachu spend time with a new Trainer named Shauna while taking their first steps into the Kalos region.

Now that Christmas is past us, I can focus on other things. Mainly Pokémon Pocket Monsters. Or, in this case, Pokémon Pocket Monsters XY. And, where else to start but with the first chapter?

Despite being the first chapter in a new saga, nothing really happens here. Red and the others meet Shauna and some new Pokémon species from Kalos. But that's about it. The writing doesn't do a good job of introducing new readers to the characters and main setting and it also isn't good at keeping the reader's attention with its hyperactive visuals and slow pacing. If I wasn't so headstrong on getting this manga into the eyes of others, this would be where I make my stop.

When it comes to new characters, we have Shauna, Chespin, Fennekin, and Froakie. Shauna is a rookie Trainer who seemingly started her journey around the same time Red and the others first came to Kalos. If I'm going to be honest, she's one of the only good characters in this chapter as she's more grounded than Red and Clefairy and tries her best to keep Clefairy from causing trouble with his usual antics. It's not known what Pokémon she has on her. But that's a mystery that'll be solved as the manga continues.

The beginning Pokémon also make their debut in this chapter. Their usage is a bit underrated, though, as they only show up in a handful of scenes. And even then, they don't even talk or do anything but lounge around the heating table.

This is a massive downgrade to what we saw of the starting Pokémon from Unova in the first chapter of Pokémon Pocket Monsters BW. Not only do Tepig, Snivy, and Oshawott talk in a few scenes, but they also get some early battle experience by wailing on Clefairy. It almost makes it seem like the Kalos starter Pokémon are only in this to give readers a half-hearted preview of the Pokémon that inhabit the Kalos region.

I'm not sure if any of them belong to Shauna. They might be wild or even presents she'll give to the protagonists from the games. But seeing how they show up again later in the volume, I'm willing to believe they might be under Red's possession.

Compared to what came before it, the usage of Fennekin, Chespin, and Froakie in this chapter is nothing but underwhelming.

The writing and art are the biggest gripes I have with this chapter. Looking at the first set of pages, it's very clear that the writing and art have taken a completely drastic change in direction compared to what we've seen before. If you haven't noticed it already, Red and the other characters like to make all sorts of contorted faces. A LOT of faces... This makes the humor of the manga steer toward a more visual type of humor instead of the usual verbal/physical comedy we're used to.

I'm not exaggerating when I say the faces kind of ruin the story for me with how ugly and frequent most of them are. It's similar to the newer episodes of SpongeBob where the animators like to shove in as many goofy facial expressions and movements as they can into each scene in a single episode. Granted, with SpongeBob, the writers probably couldn't write any good jokes that could make the audience laugh, so they use visual humor to make them more understandable. This doesn't improve things, though, as it makes it even harder to get any of the jokes.

This is one of the reasons I dislike the XY saga. The new visual gags try WAY too hard to make you laugh and end up falling flat on their faces. And just like how the new SpongeBob animators are desperately trying to make the next big SpongeBob meme, it feels like Anakubo is focusing less on making an entertaining story and more on creating a big internet meme.

If you've been around certain places on the internet before that have something to do with Pokémon, chances are you've probably seen this image somewhere. For years, it was one of, if not THE, only look we ever had at Pokémon Pocket Monsters XY. Hopefully, the rest of this saga didn't scare potential new readers from reading it.

If you're wondering about Conkeldurr, he wasn't written out of the manga, he's just vacationing for a while.

It's not known why he's vacationing, but at this point, I'm willing to assume that he's off to see the sights of Kalos at his own pace. This is kind of a letdown as I wanted to see what Conkeldurr is like as a character. I guess including him in this mess would have ruined the humor Anakubo was aiming for. Anyway, we'll get a proper introduction to him in the next chapter.

All in all, "New Pokémon Friends Appear!" is a messy start to a rather controversial part of the Pokémon Pocket Monsters manga. The first page was a decent start to the chapter. But after that, everything begins to go downhill with characters lacking a clear goal, writing and art that tries WAY too hard to get a laugh out of you, and offering nothing of substance to the reader. This chapter is one of the only beginning chapters in any piece of literature I'd recommend skipping over just for what little it offers in terms of story and comedy.

Hopefully, chapter 2 will provide a better reading experience.

[fairytypingg]

alright no more stalling i need to yell into the void about my worldbuilding so far for the newbies rewrite or im gonna explode

side note. do NOT take this as word of god for the rewrite, it WILL change. im so serious this is a first draft AT BEST. im just throwing ideas at a wall rn, no idea what will stick yet

MOVING ON(under the cut that is)

currently what i'm working with is that the universe as they know it is easily traversable, and each "world" in this universe is a server, each with its own nether, end, etc.

the servers exist in almost a higherarchy of sorts, where some servers are more favorable than others to reside in.

that being said, we come first to our protagonist, joe. joe was the star member of a prominent guild in a highly ranked server, when a jealous rival guild framed him for a crime he didn't commit and he got banished(banned) to a lower ranked server(the one where the series takes place).

joe is, understandably, unhappy about all of this. and to pile on top of that, his new home has assigned him a parole of sorts, looking after a newer server member named adam(gold pants/naked friend) while he gets used to the way things work, as well as being assigned a moderator(who i haven't named yet, im playing with a reason to not give him a name, but more on that later) to keep tabs on him.

joe has made it clear from the start that he hates this server, and he only intends to stay until he can find a way to clear his name and return home to his server and his guild.

moderator, who has seen more than one downtrodden loser like joe in his time, shrugs him off and introduces him to adam. joe finds adam frustrating at first, of course, but adam clings to joe immediately. he's not very smart, but he takes one look at joe and decides that's his best friend for life.

joe takes a while longer to warm up to him, of course, but by the end of the night episode(or well, the rewrite equivalent), he's come to consider adam a friend and has become rather protective of him, especially following the end of the night.

i think the next big worldbuilding we'll get is the nether duology. at the end of night, they find an abandoned portal, and, moving the creative episode to before the nether duology, take that episode to fix it and explore what this new area is.

joe, of course, remembers the nether as a dangerous place of plentiful and rare resources, as was the case in his old server. however, things are different here(once again drilling home that this is not where joe came from, and he's not the savior of the dumps he thinks he is). they run into moderator after the portal disappears, and he explains that yeah, this is their prison since they're kind of at the lowest rank of the servers, so there's nowhere else to banish the unruly to.

i haven't quite figured out what happens to help joe and adam escape yet(since it's already established moderator can come and go as he pleases), but i know it'll have something to do with moderator helping them via doing something he's not supposed to.

this is going to lead us into the next arc! im skipping both silverfish and spleef aside from maybe reimagining them as character focused "minisodes" as filler before the next big lore drop, where i'll be making heavy changes to what was originally the christmas duology.

the idea is that the christmas duology starts as it did in the original newbies, more or less, adam decides he wants to chase a legend that may or may not exist, claiming he heard about it in "the nursery"(which has been referenced multiple times at this point by adam and nobody else, everyone else has no idea what he's on about. remember this for adam's backstory later)

adam wants to experience the "holiday spirit" by finding the elusive owner. moderator is wholly against this idea, and so was joe until moderator agreed with him. joe can't help his skepticism of moderator's excuse, and decides "fuck it, lets see what this is about"

after the whole montage thing(which i intend to keep more or less the same), adam accepts that they're lost, thousands of blocks away from spawn. he and joe get in an argument, and adam storms off. moderator stays behind to comfort joe, but they're quickly interrupted by what appears to be Also moderator, albeit with slightly different accent colors and a more serious demeanor. this other moderator(who joe takes to calling "purple moderator", and later just "purple") refers to our moderator as "number 48" and insists he go with him, amending that he can bring his "assignment"(joe) with him if he has to.

purple takes them to a facility deep underground, where joe witnesses moderator put on trial by a hundred of other slightly different colored moderators, standing before the owner as the judge. the crime? helping joe and adam escape from the nether.

joe learns that the moderator that's been with us is one of over a hundred moderators, clones created to run the server. they're in every server, and have a different "base form" in every one(joe vaugely recalls the moderators in his original server all wore similar suits of armor that hid their face, but had assumed at the time that it was a uniform). our moderator is Moderator #48, and was personally assigned to watch over joe, as well as "the anomaly", which is how they seem to refer to adam.

despite arguing the best he could(and joe trying desperately to help), Moderator #48 is sentenced to final banishment, essentially execution for a moderator.

before that happens, though, adam swoops in with an elytra and rescues joe and moderator, and they fucking book it man.

they end up making a new base together out in the wild, given that the three of them are essentially fugitives with nowhere else to go.

i haven't rewatched the herobrine trilogy yet, so i haven't planned on including it yet(key word, YET).

the last arc i have planned is when they find an end portal under their new house and adam(who insists that he has no idea where the elytra came from) inexplicably has the ender eyes to activate it(he also doesn't know where these came from).

they decide that with nowhere else to go, wherever this mysterious portal goes has to be better than here, being hunted by the entire moderator fleet.

within the end is the ever-foreshadowed nursery. this is where all the new server members come from, and apparently what makes adam an anomaly is that he retained some knowledge, memories, and abilities from his time in the nursery.

of course, the dragon is the final boss(because why wouldn't it be). she's the mother of all server members, and calls the owners usurpers of the dragon thrones. she tells joe he doesn't belong here, he's not one of her children. as the owner arrives to take care of the trio once and for all, and is about to take control of the dragon, she makes joe an offer. he can leave this behind. he doesn't have to stay here. she can fix things back in his original server and send him home, he can leave adam and moderator to their fates and wash his hands of this server he hates so much, forever.

and joe thinks back to his adventures. he hates this server. hates it. he hates this stupid out of date world, he hates being on the lowest rung, he hates the corrupted leadership, he hates it all.

but he doesn't hate its people. he doesn't hate adam, someone he's come to consider his best friend. he doesn't hate moderator, who has saved them time and time again. he doesn't hate the myriad of other characters they've met on their journey, at least, not as much as he feels he should.

and he declines the dragon's offer. he chooses to stay and fight with his friends. even if it's futile to try and save them, he wants to at least be witness to the fates of his friends.

and the owner then takes control of the dragon for the final battle.

after an intense and climactic fight, our heroes emerge victorious, defeating both the owner and the dragon.

i'm not fleshed out on the details of what happens next, but my general idea is that adam inherets the role of owner(something something chosen one) and gives moderator jurisdiction over the other mods, renaming him "Moderator Prime". adam lifts the impassable barrier between the end and the overworld, allowing the residents of the nursery to learn as they go, with the unity of their senior members to guide them.

and finally, adam asks joe to be his right hand man. when joe asks why, joking that adam seems to have it all under control, adam tells him that he'd rather joe help keep him in check.

he's still a newbie, after all.

FADE TO BLACK, ROLL CREDITS, I'M A GENIUS.

and yah that's what i'm rocking with. anyone whos genuinely interested in this concept can rb or comment or shoot me an ask with ur thoughts, thatd b dope