#which is humour + inconsistency in quality

[pookiez]

tagged by my super talented moots @meltingpointmp3 @sungtaro @dojaejung @yutaslaugh <3 i loved seeing your creations!!

go here to see your top 10 of 2024, share them, and tag others.

1. wonbinicat is very excited

2. types of kids in swimming class: riize

3. types of briize fanchants: riize

4. jungwoo as snoopy birthday set

5. svt falls in love with nopogy jungwoo

6. gunwook gets a compliment

7. anton pen pineapple apple pen

8. jungwoo + hanbin crumbs

9. maknaes couple beanies

10. junguwu peripera

tagging @antonleez @seokryus @lee-sanghyeok and anyone else who wants to do this ^^

[cuddlytogas]

GOOD OMENS 2 SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!! spewed out right after binging last night and then added to today. I'm mostly gonna ramble about structure rather than content, but the last few bits get quite spoilery

before that, though, one other thought: I DO hope the power of fandom now will mean that we'll get an influx of people listening to Cabin Pressure and JFSP and Double Acts and all that good stuff!!! John Finnemore is such an incredible writer and comedian, and I know the "following fandom brain into a rabbithole of someone's previous work" is a lot more common for actors than writers, but. one can dream!!!!!!! knowing Finnemore was a co-writer was what reassured me that the new season wasn't going to be an unnecessary sequel, he's so fucking good, and in conclusion ---

okay onto the s2 thoughts

obviously I'm, like. insane now. like I'm gonna shatter into a million pieces and also be sick. I have LOST my MIND. and it WAS good!!!

but also

I thought the pacing wasn't nearly as good as s1? obvs s1 had the ticking clock element, which is hard to recreate without just having another ticking clock, but especially some of the flashbacks tended to linger a smidge too long, and you could tell some of them were written by other writers - the "minisodes" thing I think didn't HELP. obviously I don't think this was a MAJOR problem, and I'll want a rewatch when i feel less Fully Insane to judge properly, but even ending aside, I feel like it didn't have quite the same structural/pacing qualities that made s1 so watchable

I thought the extension of the preexisting 1941 flashback felt... a bit hack-y? (it also went on too long tbh.) the reason those worked so well in s1 was because they were these little snippets, extending it (again, especially to the length that they did) was a little... hm. not, like, a cardinal sin, and it might just be a taste thing, but. again, the "minisodes written by other writers" thing didn't help.

and I'm REALLY sad it was released all at once!! with all the mystery elements, I would've loved a week to week format - even two episodes a week - to really digest all the clues, to sit and speculate and process each reveal/development! I just read that Neil Gaiman wanted that too, so it's extra hurtful. it would've been such a satisfying way to consume the show, but alas, Binge Culture must prevail, I guess :\

finally... I might be genuinely disappointed by the ending? I mean, the religious trauma is Strong With This One, and it'll depend on what they do with s3 (I'm not even going to humour the idea of no s3), but just... okay, real spoilers from here

it felt like Aziraphale really backslided?? like, wasn't the whole point of s1 the learning of "heaven and hell are both a bit shit and we're on our own side"? I understand why the final choice was compelling, both to him and the audience, but even across the season - and especially taking both seasons' flashbacks into account - he really sort of pinged back and forth between learning the lesson and going right back into denial about it, in a way that started to feel less like a character flaw and more like a cheat to keep the drama going. obvs his final choice was DEVASTATING, but also I couldn't stop thinking that Aziraphale... knows better??? not just "he should know better, how heartbreaking", but haven't we SEEN that he KNOWS BETTER?? it felt... inconsistent? again, as a writing choice rather than a character thing

like, I've slept on this thought now and calmed down a little about it, obviously I'm a bit biased by how also extremely painful that whole last scene was to watch, but - thing it, it's not even the decision itself that sits so formally wrong with me! the "I could fix things if I were in power" self-delusion is a very believable and narratively compelling (READ: HEARTBREAKING) move, as is him believing "if Crowley were an angel and I fixed everything then we could be safe and together and everything would be fine"!

but specifically the "but heaven are the good guys" - that gets me! like, after everything?? you really still believe that?? I thought it was obvious you learnt your lesson?? something something, "how can someone so smart be SO stupid?" - except we already did that bit in s1!! ahhh I dunno, it just rings a bit too much of the kind of undoing character development and recycling drama that I reeaaaally don't like :\

like, just. the pure disbelief in crowley's face - "tell me you said no" - like, yeah. and not just in a character sympathy way, but - come on, Aziraphale!! we've been through this so many times now!!!

again, this will also all rest on how it's handled in s3. and I have some faith! s2 actually bringing up crowley's "I was there when you tried to destroy Aziraphale, I saw your face when you told him to shut up and die" was revelatory, I loved that they actually made reference to it. and the writers are good! this isn't going to be a wwdits situation, I think we're safe in that. but s2 definitely had a few more plotty/pacing flaws, and that's just SUCH a huge betrayal - that whole ending was so massive - I have a lot of gay fear about how it'll all be resolved.

or, I dunno. maybe I'm just still too sad to think straight.

[vive-la-revolution]

my favorite bits from the laurens/hamilton letters

• “Adieu, my dear boy” — Laurens to Hamilton, December 5, 1778

• “By actions rather than words, to convince you that I love you.” — Hamilton to Laurens, April 1779

• “I shall not scruple to pardon the fraud you have committed” — Hamilton to Laurens, April 1779

• “But for both your country’s sake and for my own I wish the enemy may be gone from Georgia before you arrive and that you may be obliged to return and share the fortunes of your old friends” — Hamilton to Laurens, April 1779

• “She speaks of a daughter of yours” — Hamilton to Laurens, April 1779

• “It will be necessary for you to give an account of the lover—his size, make, quality of mind and body, achievements, expectations, fortune, &c” — Hamilton to Laurens, April 1779

• “Do I want a wife? No—I have plagues enough” — Hamilton to Laurens, April 1779

• “I have gratified my feelings, by lengthening out the only kind of intercourse now in my power with my friend” — Hamilton to Laurens, April 1779

• “Affectionately Yrs.” — Hamilton to Laurens, May 22, 1779

• “I mention this matter to you, my D[ea]r, because your good father whom I venerate in this instance on the wrong side. I know he acts from system and follows his own judgement, but I know also he sets a proper value to yours, aided by the affection of a father. This is a delicate subject. I say no more.” — Hamilton to Laurens, May 22, 1779

• “Ternant will relate to you how many violent struggles I have had between duty and inclination—how much my heart was with you, while I appeared to be most actively employed here” — Laurens to Hamilton, July 14, 1779

• “Clinton’s movement and your march in consequence, made me wish to be with you” — Laurens to Hamilton, July 14, 1779

• “I shall execrate my Stars—& be out of humour with the world.” — Laurens to Hamilton, July 14, 1779

• “I have acknowledged but one letter from you, since you left us... I have written you five or six letters since you left from Philadelphia, and I should’ve written more had you made proper return.” — Hamilton to Laurens, September 11, 1779

• “But like a jealous lover, when I thought you had slighted my caresses, my affection was alarmed and my vanity piqued. I had almost resolved to lavish no more of them upon you and to reject you as an inconsistent and an ungrateful ____. But now you have disarmed my resentment and by a single mark of attention made up the quarrel.” — Hamilton to Laurens, September 11, 1779

• “Present my Respects and Love to our excellent General and the family; may you enjoy all the pleasure moral and physical which you promise yourself in these winter quarters; and be as happy as you deserve.” — Laurens to Hamilton, December 12, 1779

• “My Love as usual.” — Laurens to Hamilton, December 18, 1779

• “Believe me my D[ea]r Laurens I am not insensible of the first mark of your affection in recommending me to your friends for a certain commission. However your partiality may have led you to overrate my qualifications that very partiality must you endear to me” — Hamilton to Laurens, January 8, 1780

• “If I have talents and integrity, (as you say I have) these are justly deemed very spurious titles in these enlightened days” — Hamilton to Laurens, January 8, 1780

• “I have strongly sollicited leave to go to the Southward.” — Hamilton to Laurens, January 8, 1780

• “In short Laurens I am disgusted with every thing in this world but yourself and very few more honest fellows and I have no other wish than as soon as possible to make a brilliant exit. ‘Tis a weakness; but I can feel I am not fit for this terrestreal Country.” — Hamilton to Laurens, January 8, 1780

• “Adieu my Dear; I am sure you will exert yourself to save your country; but do not unnecessarily risk one of its most valuable sons. Take as much care of yourself as you ought to for the public sake and for the sake of/Yr. affectionate/A. Hamilton” — Hamilton to Laurens, March 30, 1780

• “We all love you sincerely; but I have more of the infirmities of human nature, than the others, and suspect my self of wing byassed in my partiality for you.” — Hamilton to Laurens, June 30, 1780

• “Have you not heard I am on the point of becoming a benedict? I confess my sins. I am guilty. Next fall completed my doom.” — Hamilton to Laurens, June 30, 1780

• “Is it true you are confined to Pensylvania? Cannot you pay us a visit? If you can, hasten to give us a pleasure which we shall relish with the sensibility of the sincerest friendship.” — Hamilton to Laurens, June 30, 1780

• “Indeed my Laurens, I often realize your situation.” — Hamilton to Laurens, September 12, 1780

• “I say this to you because you know it and will not charge me with vanity. I hate Congress—I hate the army—I hate the world—I hate myself. The whole is a mass of fools and knaves; I could almost except you and Meade.” — Hamilton to Laurens, September 12, 1780

• “My ravings are for your own bosom.” — Hamilton to Laurens, September 12, 1780

• “For your own sake, for my sake, for the public sake, I shall pray for the success of the attempt you mention; that you may have it in your power to act with us. But if you should be disappointed, bear it like a man; and have recourse, neither to the dagger, nor to the poisoned bowl, nor to the rope.” — Hamilton to Laurens, September 16, 1780

• “In spite of Schuyler’s black eyes, I have still a part for the public and another for you; so your impatience to have me married is misplaced; a strange cure by the way, as if after matrimony I was to be less devoted than I am now.” — Hamilton to Laurens, September 16, 1780

• “I wish you were at liberty to transgress the bounds of Pensylvania. I would invite you after the fall to Albany to be witness to the final consummation. My Mistress is a good girl, and already loves you because I have told her you are a clever fellow and my friend; but mind, she loves you a l’americaine not a la françoise.” — Hamilton to Laurens, September 16, 1780

• “Adieu, be happy, and let friendship between us be more than a name” — Hamilton to Laurens, September 16, 1780

• “The stars fight against us my friend.” — Hamilton to Laurens, September 16, 1780

• “ There was something singularly interesting in the character and fortunes of André. To an excellent understanding well improved by education and travel, he united a peculiar elegance of mind and manners, and the advantage of a pleasing person. ’Tis said he possessed a pretty taste for the fine arts, and had himself attained some proficiency in poetry, music and painting. His knowlege appeared without ostentation, and embellished by a diffidence, that rarely accompanies so many talents and accomplishments, which left you to suppose more than appeared. His sentiments were elevated and inspired esteem. they had a softness that conciliated affection. His elocution was handsome; his address easy, polite and insinuating.” — Hamilton to Laurens, October 11, 1780 (but he’s too pretty to hang!)

• “Assure yourself that it is impossible more ardently wish for your health safety pleasure and success than I do. God send you speedily back to us.” — Hamilton to Laurens, February 4, 1781

• “I had, in fact, resumed the black project, as you were informed, and urged the matter very strenuously, both to our privy council and legislative body; but I was out-voted, having only reason on my side” — Laurens to Hamilton, July 1782

• “Adieu, my dear friend; while circumstances place so great a distance between us, I entreat your not to withdraw the consolation of your letters. You know the unalterable sentiments of your affectionate Laurens.” — Laurens to Hamilton, July 1782

• “It requires all the virtue and all the abilities of the Country. Quit your sword my friend, put on the toga, come to Congress. We know each others sentiments, our views are the same: we have fought side by side to make America free, let us hand in hand struggle to make her happy.” — Hamilton to Laurens, August 15, 1782

• “Yrs for ever” — Hamilton to Laurens, August 15, 1782

[sidespart]

For the made up fic title: Reverse

Cannon AU, Platonic DLAMR + P, ThomasNico

Okay so, AU where Remus is the dominant side of Creativity instead of Roman. Thomas still ended up being an ~online personality~ but his shows are much ‘edgier’, not family friendly and rely a lot on horror, sex jokes and shock humour. He gets criticised for running the same joke into the ground, taking things too far and for having made a load of vines featuring ‘mean’ pranks back in the day. Nevertheless, he still has a cult following with his fans insisting that a lot of his horror stories are really innovative, that he’s actually a very sweet and that he deserves props for having built up an inclusive little community of weirdos. its kind’ve a ‘we’re all freaks here so everyone’s welcome’ vibe.

Remus is still prone to disturbingly violent thoughts, but its less common and easier for Thomas and co to manage since he’s always expressing/working through them safely through his videos. Unlike cannon!Roman he’s not at all bothered about being original or what his audience thinks of him - he just hits Thomas with whatever idea occurs to him, no refining needed. Sometimes genius, sometimes really, really not - fan opinion is divided on whether the inconsistency makes Thomas’ work spicy and exciting or just a mess

Since Roman doesn't have a seat at the table and Remus is more ‘immediate gratification’ guy, this version of Thomas doesn't really have ~Dreams~. He very much living in the moment

To counterpoint that, Logan is even more obsessed with routine and structure than he is in cannon. He (and Janus) are basically driving whatever's left of Thomas’ ambition so he’s the one pushing editing schedules, video quality assurance, trying not to let them get demonetised etc etc Him and Remus argue a lot (similar to how him and Roman do in cannon) and sometimes that can get a bit violent and unpleasant (he can’t fully just ignore Remus in this universe since Ree is a more core part of Thomas) and since Remus doesn't take anything seriously he always moves on quickly whereas Logan is left to sulk

Janus would probably have been introduced to Thomas a lot earlier and has a similar level of influence to Patton (if not more). Janus is the one who rationalises away and doubts about the ~problematic~ nature of some videos as people not understanding their ~vision~. He’s also in charge of preventing Thomas from just blurting out any Remus inspired thought to random people which is e x h a u s t i n g

Patton is more inclined towards his inner child ‘eat an entire plate of candy for dinner’ thoughts than his team dad ‘you need to learn to cook and take care of yourself for the future’ thoughts. Since he has less influence on Thomas than he does in cannon ,Thomas is a much less trusting person and doesn’t have many friends, but the ones he does have Patton is fiercely loyal to.

Virgil is most similar to his cannon version, just a bit spikier. (We know Thomas dealt with cannon Virgil when he was a teenager by having Roman come up with fantasy stories to distract him, in this version it was horror and gore filled stories and Vigil developed a darker presence as a result)

ANYWAY that’s all set up - the plot kicks off when Thomas meets Nico. Thomas doesn’t really do romance or relationships, just casual hook ups and such. So he sees the cute boy, easily heads over to flirt (no anxiety cus there’s no real stakes), Remus gives his a list of extremely explicit pick up lines, Janus wrestles that down saying hey and then.

They get chatting

and THEN.

butterflies in his stomach. And Nico’s not just cute he’s smart and interesting and funny and maybe this could be more then a casual hookup and what the heck he never thinks like this and WHY IS THERE A NEW SIDE DRESSED UP LIKE A DISNEY PRINCE SQUEEING AT HIM ABOUT WHAT FLOWERS HE SHOULD BUY??

So Thomas meets Roman, and suddenly he’s got a head full of fanciful, dreamy romantic thoughts totally distracting him from the sexy zombie sketch he was meant to be writing (which Roman thinks is totally gross anyway)

The others, to put it lightly, are concerned.

Logan and Janus are stressing out about Thomas' career - Roman’s got some ideas which are very much NOT on brand and could end up loosing them followers and therefore income and god he’s almost as loud as Remus but with MORE singing

Remus is NOT happy about suddenly having a big rival for Thomas' attention

Virgil hasn’t had to deal with anxiety relating to romance, what other people think of them, how much people like his ideas ANY OF THIS SHIT THAT THAT PRINCY GUY IS BRINGING  for YEARS he is FREAKING OUT

Patton....Patton is pretty happy to see him actually

CHAOS. Shenanigans. Rivalries. Eventual coming together to help Thomas Get His Man. reconciliation. Roman finally getting attention for this first time in a long long time. Family feels. etc.

[ratingtheframe]

Everything That Happened at the 2021 Golden Globes

The first two months of the year are finally over and as the days grow longer, we can start to see the early signs of spring. With spring comes summer and with summer comes an influx of movie releases, with the majority of films that were put on hold last year scheduled to be released in the following months in cinemas across the world. You know, cinemas, as in those big rooms where you pay to sit and watch movies from start to finish without pausing it? Gosh have I missed the pre movie adverts, comfy chairs and super wide screens. It's not the same at home and despite Netflix, HBO and Amazon Prime thriving, we shouldn’t set anything in stone when it comes to the quality and accessibility of film. 

Cinema is tradition whereas On Demand is convenience and usually choosing convenience over tradition does impact the quality of work being distributed. There are a bunch of films on streaming platforms that would be too inappropriate for cinemas, seeing as they lack a cinematic or dramatic feel to them to be good enough for a big screen. This allows mediocre to downright awful films to find an audience via streaming platforms. All well and good, seeing as these platforms are great exposure for upcoming filmmakers but at the same time it's a capitalistic system that puts views above the quality of content. It doesn’t matter if what you’re watching on Netflix is bad, they just want you to keep coming back for more. This can be said for mainstream cinema too, but to a lesser degree seeing as cinemas typically release around 68 movies per month, whereas Netflix has the ability to add up to 200 releases on their platform per month. It makes perfect sense that Netflix has the viewers that it does, as we can see that it releases almost twice the content of cinemas per month. For the avid cinephiles, this leaves us wanting a lot more as we’re only able to enjoy maybe one or two films a month from online streaming services, because the quality is so inconsistent. I hope that cinemas open soon so that I can relax knowing that the film I’ve paid money for will be of a good quality. 

Speaking of good quality films, Chloé Zhao, director of Nomadland (2021) became the second woman in the 78 year history of the Golden Globes to win an award for directing. This is an exceptional triumph and from the moment I saw Nomadland, I knew that it would have an incredible impact on awards circuits this year. Nomadland also won Best Picture, which proves something that up and coming filmmakers may need to start getting their heads around. People may not necessarily be gravitating towards cinema for a chance of escapism any more. I thoroughly believe those days are behind us, buried in the 70s and 80s with films that defied the laws of filmmaking and went to extreme lengths to serve us an entire universe that we couldn’t even comprehend. However, as the world grows more fragile and people start to realise the fragility of life, we want to connect with one another authentically and realistically. 

The way that film can do this is by showing our real selves on screen, showing our pain, redemption, emotions, fear, honesty, laughter, race, gender, humanity, darkest secrets and biggest dreams using the backdrop of cinema to sell us a story. People want films that are honest and are a reflection of humanity as well as the current society we’re living in. Not necessarily “a slice of life”, but a slice of humanity that we never see because it’s never impacted us directly, yet we still want to be made to feel like it has through film. That’s the key to success in any film, making the viewer feel like they’ve experienced something on screen even when they haven’t. If the film is too far away from our own psyche or humanity, we switch off, as we can no longer relate or even want to relate to something so obtuse and boring. Nomadland was the complete opposite to this theory, bringing us humanity in all its glory; its sadness and pure emotion that affects millions everyday, especially in such a time when loneliness is rife.

This is why Mank (2020) lost out. In a time where the world is in a sensitive disposition, Mank came as ineffective to the world of film. Though triumphant in it’s making, the film proves the fundamental foundation of film that Mank failed to do; have a good story. Mank just wasn’t the story people wanted or needed to see and one can appreciate a filmmaker’s efforts to make films but at the end of the day, the story is truly the only thing that’ll carry a film and if it's uninteresting and impersonal, people switch off. And they clearly did, seeing as Mank lost out to all SIX of its nominations. Less is more, I suppose, seeing as Nomadland won two out of four awards, including the top prize of Best Picture. David Fincher even took a shot every time he lost a category. Better luck next time.Other snubs included Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman (2021) starring Carey Mulligan ,which was released on VOD last month. The film was nominated for four prizes and I suppose the lack of release in cinemas worldwide or at a Film Festival meant the lack of hype for the film. Regina King’s One Night In Miami...failed to pick up a prize, having been nominated for three awards. King shouldn’t be too disheartened, seeing as her debut definitely got her the recognition she deserved.

Aaron Sorkin most notably won Best Screenplay for his amazing picture, The Trial of the Chicago 7. I had the fortune of catching this in cinemas and the musicality of this screenplay was unreal. An incredibly authentic, riveting and honest piece of work, I believe we can safely say that Aaron Sorkin is the greatest writer for cinema and TV in our day and age. Sorkin is used to being showered with accolades, from Primetime Emmys with The West Wing, to an Oscar with David Fincher’s The Social Network.

The late Chadwick Boseman was honoured in full glory, having won the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for his role as Levee in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. An exceptional performance that reeks with Oscar success, Boseman is the first actor to be awarded the prize posthumously.

What’s also to be noted is the amount of British nominees and winners at this year’s ceremony. It seems like the American Film & TV market is wide open for Brits, seeing as Emma Corrin, Josh O'Connor, Daniel Kaluuya, Sacha Baron Cohen, Rosamund Pike, John Boyega and Anya Taylor Joy all won awards for acting. Helen Bonham Carter, Olivia Coleman, Vanessa Kirby, Riz Ahmed, Gary Oldman, Antony Hopkins, Dev Patel, James Corden, Hugh Grant, Jodie Comer, Lilly Collins and Nicolas Hoult all received nominations and were all born in the UK. The Crown in particular just seems to be getting more successful with each year and despite its controversy, the show has won Netflix 7 Golden Globes and 10 Emmys. What does this tell us about our actors and their ability in comparison to our friends overseas? Is it just a stroke of luck that the majority of actors who won this year are British or are we doing something different? Only time will tell as more British actors begin to be recognised for their flare over in the US.

If anything, we’ve learnt that The Golden Globes is for everyone. Anyone can win an award despite their background as long as those who control the awards ceremony are willing to give a variety of films a chance, not just ones directed by David Fincher. Nomadland is certainly an underdog for cinema, one that may not have done as well had other films been released last year. COVID-19 created space for this film to be seen and has truly been taken in as a work of art, proving that films of the same kind deserve to be seen in the up and coming future. British actors can and have made it big in Hollywood and it seems like American audiences welcome them with open arms. Sacha Baron’s Cohen’s humour in Borat Subsequent MovieFilm wasn’t unrequited, seeing as it won Best Musical / Comedy at this year’s award season, meaning every moment of that film (incriminating or not) WAS WORTH IT. Even though Regina King and Emerald Fennell lost out on their respective films, their work has been courageous and profound in helping to give space to women in the film industry. The fact that they were even nominated along with Chloé Zhao, was an achievement in itself and has women like me looking up to the success of these three women and realising that I could have the same shot. Mank came at the wrong time, and though good visually, it lacked a beating heart that the Golden Globes could identify with enough to give it at least one award. Soul was named Best Animation Feature Film of the year, also winning an award for music with a beautiful score by Atticus Ross, Trent Reznor and Jon Batiste. The Queen’s Gambit also reigned supreme, as Anya Taylor Joy won Best Actress for a performance in a mini series / tv film and the overall series won Best Television Mini Series / Television Film.

This has to be the best Golden Globes I’ve ever witnessed. Not only did it champion diversity in the film categories, British Actors and female directors, it actually gave consumers as well as judges, something that actually wanted, which was to see underdogs thrive in an environment that’s usually laid bare for the same characters. Let’s keep this up for the next ceremony !

ig @ratingtheframe

[lorei-writes]

Match-Up #6

Hello @tickotaku​​​! Thanks a lot ^^ And well, thanks for waiting too, hehe. It took me a moment to get to you. ^^” Lemme re-write it to fit the formatting of other posts! :3 (Don’t worry about it, though, it’s not big deal + I did leave the ask option open ^^).

Positive Qualities:

Funny.

Empathetic.

Loyal.

Helpful (I try to be).

Semi-intelligent.

Quirky.

Hmm... Well, I would assume that most of the listed qualities would go well with almost all of the warlords. (After all, who wouldn’t appreciate empathetic, intelligent and loyal partner who tries to be of help? I reckon those would resonate universally with them). As such, I’m opting to throw them all into a single category, as keeping all the names separate would only increase the length of the list while making it less legible. 

All warlords (+++)

However, there are some points of concern that I can see as being worth of addressing. I can see being quirky and funny (or much rather, things that involves) as a starting point for conflict with... Less laid-back characters? I presume it could lead to awkwardness or harsh words being said out loud. (For example, a character interpreting it as not being serious enough or hiding behind humour, a character being annoyed by those qualities).

Ieyasu (-) Kenshin (-)

Negative Qualities:

Insecure.

Extremely talkative.

Trust issues.

Awkward.

Emotional wreck~.

All over the place.

Hmm... I think it may be hard to explain my reasoning regarding some of the warlords without doing it separately for them.

First of all, let’s start with Ieyasu. Even when disregarding previous points about being quirky and funny, one should acknowledge that being extremely talkative would annoy him regardless. Being rather harsh with words, he could say some things which would result in boosting the insecurities mentioned above. That, in turn, could make the “emotional wreck” and “all over the place” qualities worse, with the situation being escalated by awkwardness.

Ieyasu ( - - - - - )

Similarly, let’s take a look at Masamune. True, he’s openly supportive, which could possibly go well with an insecure person. However, given his previous lifestyle and even approach to his duties and some of his rather risky ideas, he would require plenty of trust - as for the danger part, I presume it would be also less than ideal for an emotional wreck. Similarly to MC in his dramatic route, when working with limited data, I presume that insecurities combined with lack of trust could lead to conflict. Given how he’s like a hurricane, he could also easily worsen the “all over the place” quality.

Masamune ( - - - )

Now, to more general things.

I do presume that people who are trustworthy would work best. As such, anybody who works in the shadows and/or isn’t exactly open about his plans/thoughts/feelings, may be a bad match. Similarly, I could see “the bad guy” suitors as rather off putting in that scenario.

Nobunaga (-) Mitsuhide (-) Shingen (-) Kennyo (- -) Motonari (-) Ranmaru (-) Mitsunari (+) Hideyoshi (+)

Given the “emotional wreck” quality, I presume that drama queens characters who lean towards self-sacrifice, (self-)destruction or are detached from their feelings may be a bad fit as well.

Nobunaga (-) Mitsuhide (-) Kenshin (-) Sasuke (-) Yoshimoto (-) Motonari (-) Kennyo (-)

As for insecurities... I do still presume that openly supportive suitors could be helpful in regards to that.

Shingen (+)

1st Summary:

Hideyoshi ( + + + + ) Mitsunari ( + + + + ) Yukimura ( + + + ) Shingen ( + + + ) Sasuke ( + + ) Ranmaru ( + + ) Yoshimoto ( + + ) Nobunaga ( + ) Mitsuhide ( + ) Kenshin ( + ) Ieyasu ( - - - )

Read below the cut for the rest of the match-up.

Lorei’s words of wisdom: I have absolutely no clue what is happening, haha, this is wild.

Likes:

Reading.

Writing.

Animals.

Games.

Theater (acting and watching).

Points distributed for likes:

Nobunaga (++) <- games, theater Mitsunari (++) <- reading, games Mitsuhide (+) <- theater Ieyasu (+)<- animals Masamune (+) <- writing (he did write poetry) Hideyoshi (+) <- writing (as above^)

Dislkes:

Raw carrots.

Crowds.

Bars.

Presumptions.

Injustice.

Hideyoshi (++) <- mutual dislike for injustice and presumption Mitsunari (+) <- mutual dislike for carrots Kenshin (-) <- bars

2nd Summary:

Hideyoshi ( + + + + + + + ) Mitsunari ( + + + + + + + ) Yukimura ( + + + ) Shingen ( + + + ) Nobunaga ( + + + ) Mitsuhide ( + + ) Sasuke ( + + ) Ranmaru ( + + ) Yoshimoto ( + + ) Masamune ( + ) Ieyasu ( - - - )

Only characters with ( + ) by their name will be considered in the final stages.

Deal breakers: Infidelity, hubris, belittling me or people in general, negatively manipulative, trying to fundamentally change me.

Mitsuhide ( + + ) <- will manipulate to achieve “greater good”, even if he will hurt people in the process Sasuke ( + + ) <- I presume he may come off as belittling or condescending at times (perhaps when talking Kenshin down too?)

Biggest pet peeves: 

People calling out flaws that I can't help, (especially when they already know me).

Inconsistencies in patterns (I dislike accent walls for some reason).

My hair getting caught.

Yukimura (-) <- calling out flaws you can’t change (he could be guilty of that. He suffers from say-first-think-later disease periodically, after all)

Wild cards: 

I love horse back riding (english mostly but I've ridden western before) and I do, in fact, know how to shoot a rifle (and I'm pretty good) 

Words of affirmation and physical touch are my love languages 

Given the fact that Mitsuhide was already crossed out, no points were distributed for the first wild card. No points were distributed for the second wild card, given that all the remaining warlords would fall into at least one of those categories.

Disliked Characters: Motonari, Kenyyo, and Yoshimoto

Yoshimoto ( + + )

Final Ranking:

Hideyoshi & Mitsunari  ( + + + + + + + ) Nobunaga & Shingen  ( + + + ) Yukimura & Ranmaru ( + + )

Hello, darling. It seems you’ve glitched the match-up, haha. This is delightful （＞ｙ＜） Well, given that all places are taken by at least two warlords... Let’s make this an easter-egg, one that I wasn’t even expecting as well. Please, choose two of the warlords that got into Final Ranking and contact me. I’ll write short summaries for warlords of your choosing. I’ll either edit this post when they’re finished or (which is the more probable option) I’ll reblog it with them added.

For future notice:

this will only ever happen if more than one place is occupied by at least two warlords. 

For example:

x & y

z & m

n

[ascendanceseriesveteran]

The Captive Kingdom Full/Spoiler-Free Review 🌹

Ok guys... Rest assured I won’t spoil anything in this post.

Just to hype everyone up because ya’ll are in for a treat!

So, I finished The Captive Kingdom in 2 nights (whoops). And before anyone asks how I already have it; getting a first hardcopy of The Captive Kingdom was one of the prize options for the finalists in the Book 5 Dedication Contest. And no, I will not tell you which entry was mine :)

Anyway, now that that has been cleared up, here’s a bit of an overarching review (no spoilers):

Jaron/Imogen was QUALITY. Take this from me because Jarogen is my religion and TCK served my praises. I won’t elaborate as that might deliver spoilers hehe. Other ships sail as well, but again I can’t go into much detail without spoiling anything.

Character development was a real focal point and in the best way possible. You’ll get to read through a vast variety of viewpoints and problems that each individual faces.

The writing style has changed, but that is entirely understandable; I mean, there has been a 6 year gap between TST and TCK. However, when I say it has changed, I mean it has evolved - the quality hasn’t decreased in the slightest. Jaron’s voice is clearly his voice but written a bit differently. It’s still amazing, don’t stress.

There is one really crazy plot twist like omg.

It’s a bloody emotional rollercoaster ride for all the characters and for us as readers. I felt so many things; fear, shock, pain and satisfaction when reading. My heartbeat has never been so inconsistent. Basically, there will be moments when you really hate and then really love characters and those feelings fluctuate intensely (in a gratifying way). 

Very action-packed and exciting!

The plot is insane and much, much more complex than its prequels. Pay close attention to all details because everything is done for a reason, just like the other books, except this is on a whole other level. 

That said, because there is just so much happening, parts of the book felt a bit rushed and almost methodical (e.g this happened, then this happened, then this happened), and consequently, there were moments that felt both vague/difficult to understand and as though they lacked the usual witty-Jaron interior monologue. But once again, don’t worry because this factor isn’t a constant throughout the text and overall the book is really incredible!

The sass is real ladies and gents. There is enough humour and quick-witted-Jaron to appease our hunger for a good century.

371 pages, so there’s plenty to read.

All in all, I’m already re-reading it, deeply obsessed and waiting for the next/last book which I hope will be out in 2021? If not, I will die of suspense, because the story is set up to continue and I simply can’t wait! 😆

If you guys want any half-spoiler, thought-stirring statements to get excited about, let me know.

[thegeekyzoologist]

My opinion on Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous (SPOILERS)

Like many people interested in the Jurassic franchise, I binge-watched that show back in september and here are my thoughts.  First of all, I precise that I had no expectations for the series as the combo Jurassic World + kid show didn’t attracted me at all, and the trailers have done nothing but confirm my fears.

Let’s start by the positive: - Amidst the cringefest that the first episodes were, the scenes with Darius back home stand out from the rest by their quality as they are centred more on drama and character development and not on clumsy comedy like the scenes on Nublar. The idea of getting an access to Jurassic World and Camp Cretaceous as a reward for beating that virtual reality game reminded me the recruitment of Eli Wallace by the SGC at the very beginning of Stargate Universe. - Starting from the beginning of the season’s second half, the series gets better and a little more mature in its unfolding and writing, up to the point where it doesn’t seem targeted for young children but rather young teens. Some dumb scenes remain however (like the one of the geneticist Eddie, abandoned in the lab with the sole company of his birthday cake). - There is a few action and suspenseful scenes that aren’t bad in the second half with, among other things, a hide-and-seek game with the Indominus amidst the containers, a part in the tunnels that can remind some people of Telltale’s game, a monorail attack by the pteranodons which should have deserved a live-action treatment, and a climax in a storage area where the protagonists have to use their wits in order to defeat the carnotaur and escape from the underground network. On the matter of the carnotaur, one can note a nice paleontological reference with its difficulty to turn when it is chasing prey. - Of all of the characters, Roxie is the most realistic, responsible and reasonable one (and the only tolerable one in the first episodes). And let’s bring now the negative aspects: - On the matter of the original soundtrack, I don’t remember any of the original themes sadly. As I had the same problem when I viewed The Witcher though (I didn’t liked its first season but I rather well appreciated its soundtrack following a separated listening), I will wait for the release of the soundtrack before criticizing it further. - The first episodes are a total farce with a succession of all kinds of nonsenses with the bunch of stereotypical buffoons that the kids are that are involved in stupid acts by the night of their first day, acts that fall under Reversed Darwinism (the survival of the most idiotic like Grant would say in Jurassic Park 3) and that gave me the desire to give some slaps and send those Kennys to a firing squad (for the crimes of property destruction and, above all, endangering dinosaurs and employees); the infringements during the activities of hygiene and security rules that are applied in many theme parks and laboratories around the world (with the kids wandering around in the lab and touching to everything in a total dissidence; running down a zipline and brushing past brachiosaurs...); the counsellor Dave which talks to Wu like if he was an old pal of his while Wu is one of the highest corporate executive around and someone famous and respected in-universe; Wu being depicted with the subtlety of a fat beer-drunk sea lion (with his mannerisms and attitude worthy of a James Bond villain, we know right away that he is bad); cartoony action scenes (I mean bloody hell. Look at that Parasaurolophus that jumps off the jeep’s roof like he was a fookin’ kangaroo while the jeep itself wasn’t miraculously crushed under the hadrosaur’s weight); the employees and the park’s security being shitty (one enter so easily in the underground network that Biosyn could organise rave parties there right under InGen’s nose; Darius and Kenji being left with no supervision in the middle of the jungle while they are supposed to shovel shit as a punishment); the dinosaurs that passes too as incompetent for failing to kill the kids while such situations in real-life or in the first films would have unforgiving or barely forgiving but only at a certain cost. - Despite the ordeals they are going through, the kids seems to be never traumatised or at least shaken like the Murphys, Kelly Malcolm or Maisie were respectively in JP, TLW and FK since here, they seems to be in shock for a moment or two before starting again to squabble or quipping once they are away from danger. - At the end of the monorail attack scene, I thought that the writers had the balls to kill off Ben  and I would have tipped my hat to this narrative decision and give more credit to this kid show if we didn’t had the reveal at the end that he was still alive. At the end, we just got another Billy Brennan situation. - Bumby is useless in this season, aside from encouraging toy sales and being the show’s cute caution and still, it’s relative as her closeups along with Brooklynn’s rapy face in episode 2 have scared me more than the predators’ attacks in the season’s second half. And her growth rate is so fucked up as she hatch in episode 2 before reappearing in episode 5 I think which is supposed to be set two days later, where she is already the size of a bulldog. And the scene where she cries while the kids are being kicked off the lab (for understandable reasons) is so ridiculous... - Aside from in the action and suspenseful scenes mentioned above in the positive aspects, the use and depicting of dinosaurs is either anecdotal, either WTF with the Sinoceratops being almost as gentle as a lamb (try to do with a hippo or a rhino what the Kennys did with the sino, I wouldn’t mind some funny antics...). I’m not a fan of the bioluminescent Parasaurolophus and their scene either. It seems like they wanted to copy the Na’vi River Journey’s attraction from Animal Kingdom in Orlando, with semi-aquatic parasaurs worthy of some outdated depictions from the last century.   - Visually speaking, the universe and the artistic direction are poor. The jungle has the same look everywhere on the island (with trees of average height being relatively spaced from one another while the ground is covered with grass) and its scenery never seem foreboding or ominous while Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna were, in some way, entire characters in the films that sometimes aroused an eerie sense of mystery and danger, at east in the original trilogy and Fallen Kingdom. The park itself is quite empty too, even before the evacuation. There is only scene with a large amount of people and the latter seems to all share the same model and the same animation in addition of being blurred (probably as a camouflage for the lack of budget) and we don’t believe in this world as nothing grand comes out of the visited locations (aside from maybe the eponymous Camp Cretaceous) and that everything seems so bland, with even the employees being of the same corpulence, age group and behaviour except for a few exceptions. - Finally, let’s discuss about the coherence with the Jurassic World film, of which this show is supposed be a canon interquel. Even though if there is several nods to some of the latter’s events (Masrani’s helicopter is seen a couple of times; the Kennys take the ACU’s van; they walk past Zach and Gray’s destroyed gyrosphere and the killed ankylosaur’s body...)  as well as other materials of the franchise, including JP3 and Masrani Global website, like if the show wanted to tell us “Hey look! I did my homework!” in order to please the fans. It’s one thing to make references to the rest of the saga and it’s easy actually, but it’s another to use them for something else than just fan-service. Despite all this, Camp Cretaceous has its share of inconsistencies with Jurassic World. I won’t list them all since it wouldn’t be that interesting but among other things, we have the mention of fences falling apart across the entire island while nothing like this happened in JW (it seems they mixed up the JP and JW incidents) or at least not on this scale; the kids visit a lab somewhere north of the park whose existence seems a bit off as the Innovation Center’s lab can do everything that lab does, in addition of housing Wu’s secret lab; the surroundings of the mosasaur lagoon which seems empty by the end of the afternoon while chronologically speaking, the scene is supposed to happen just after the pterosaurs attack (and thus the area should be crawling with employees that are looking for eventual late visitors, or the still running security cameras could have spotted the kids) and why did those foolish Kennys didn’t thought of going to the nearby hotels right after the ordeal with the mosasaur instead of hanging around in the bleachers up until sunset, hotels where a large number of visitors are supposed to be found up until quite late in the night according to the Jurassic World film? Anyway, Camp Cretaceous might have got a kick up the backside halfway through and the quality of the episodes did increased little by little but the whole season stays nevertheless mediocre and the viewing of the series is honestly quite dispensable, especially if you were disappointed by the Jurassic World films. Some will probably tell me that I’m being too hard with a kids show but actually, the fact that it is targeted for kids is no excuse for some flaws like a lack of ambition in the artistic direction, the shitty humour or the wtf scenes. Whether a work is for adults, for all audiences, or for kids, the creative investment and the work quality should stay the same.

[dracula-1931]

Sonic The Hedgehog Review

Not only is Sonic The Hedgehog a surprisingly fun time, it is possibly the best video game movie of all time and that is saying a lot because I am so high on the Mortal Kombat movie.

Whilst it isn't remarkably shot, this is at time's a very pretty movie; I was especially impressed by the CG used on Dr. Robotnik's robots. Though I must admit there are two scenes of substanital quality that are two slow motion scenes from Sonic's speedy perspective (ala Quicksilver in Days of Future Past) - not only where they impressive to watch but they had the audience massively entetained.

Being a clear kids movie the humour is understandibly hot or miss and oddly inconsistent, sometimes it's for the adults, sometimes it's for the kids, there's a hipster joke, there's jokes for the gamers; it doesn't who it wants to make laugh. Whichever joke was presented it isolated someone within the audience who just did not laugh at all.

James Marsden is great because he's always great, Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik was so weird because he felt like he was type cast as him; he was born to play Dr. Robotnik. Ben Schwartz as Sonic absolutely his voice, if you've experienced any of the voiced game or cartoon iterations of Sonic, he will sound instantly recognisable. The supporting cast is also massively enjoyable as well; all in all a brilliant cast.

I have to admit, as a man who was born in 1992, having grown up playing Mario on NES and SNES then Sonic on Mega Drive, I popped my ass off at the ending to this movie, setting up the sequel, of which there most definitely will be now, so perfectly. And the beginning of the credit sequence is a piece that just shows the true love that went into this project and I honestly can't fault the movie for that. For a characeter that in the video game sphere has been abused on such an unforgivable level to be given this level of care and passion was such a beautiful thing to see.

But all in all, it was a fun movie, just not anything particularly remarkable or special.

[lady-moonbroch]

Author Interview!

Thank you so much for tagging me @humi-and-co!

Name: So my actual (greek) name is Fotini. It doesn’t roll of the tongue easily for English speakers, so I picked Claire instead for ease. [It’s the French equivalent of my name, meaning “clear, bright, luminous. It is also my Ikevam OC’s name...I don’t want to change it but I might?]

Fandoms: Ikemen Sengoku, Ikemen Vampire, Ikemen Revolution, Obey me, Mister Love: Queen’s Choice, Samurai Love Ballad Party

Where You Post: on dear ol’ Tumblr

Most Popular One-Shot:  Mitsuhide’s story “Perilous Games”. It actually started as a Motonari one, but then I thought that Mitsuhide is the master of those looong tanegashima rifles. I wish I just had more time to work on it. And I own Motonari one too

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: “Kuchinashi” which still needs part 3. Who knows maybe I will add more to that too.

Favorite Story You Wrote:  Hmmm, that’s a tough one. I think it would be “Kuchinashi” because it was my very first fic to post here, but I really enjoyed “The light of dawn”. I am a sucker for symbolisms and use of religious imagery that I can play around with when writing about Jean. It gives it a really nice touch, methinks.

Story You Were Nervous to Post: Eeem, can I just leave my masterlist here..? No? Well I guess it would be my latest one “Ablaze”. I find it to be a biiiit dubcon and I am a bit worried still of how it is received from the reader.

How You Choose Your Titles: I was lucky with Dazai’s fics because I picked Japanese words with the right meaning to fit my story. With Helios being the God of Sun I used “ablaze”...It just comes to me in the process and some mild headache from banging my head on the desk. 

Other times I have the humour of a 5yr old and use deplorable “puns” (see “Thermal Interactions” & “Physical Attraction” because physics¡!¡!)

Complete: my masterlist consists of mostly one-shot fics, thankfully

Incomplete: Well Dazai’s “trilogy” is incomplete still. There will be a part 2 for Issac’s fic too. 

Do You Outline? Hahahahahahahah..no..because I am a joke. An idea pops into my head and I write it down, and then work on it. I am so inconsistent 🤦🏻‍♀️

Coming Soon/Not Yet Started:  To my shame they’re quite many, so I better write them down so my lazy bum gets to work on them at some point in this lifetime:

[WIP] Ikigai (Dazai 3rd Part fic)

Ikevam OC(s) Bios [Claire and Elise] (my username is my ikevam character basically...I feel so stupid for that)

Obey me, Ikerev, Ikesen, SLBP and MLQC OCs/personas (I’m hopeless at this point)

MANY HCs...jeez

Many, many drabbles and ideas for one shots of Ikevam OC and the boys interacting in the mansion, as well as Claire x Arthur and Claire x Theo romantic shenanigans

Gavin x MC x Eli smut

Obey me!: Satan Library smut & Beelzebub “Teenage Dream”  smut

Gavin x Helios smut

The second part to Isaac’s Kinktober fic as promised to @cinnatwisted and @zavannahmj

Do You Accept Prompts?: Of course. I have a couple of requests still in my inbox which have are a WIP right now. First I shall finish those before moving to the ideas I listed above

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: All of them!! I just cannot wait to elaborate on everything I have in mind. I want them to be better in quality too, so I will take my time editing and reading them thoroughly before posting them up. There’s plenty of smut coming 🙈

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

Tagging: @unstoppablelinda, @rikumorimachisgirl, @emeraldtawny, @lordsister, @ikesengoficss, @toloveawarlord, @rizosrojizos, @valkryie-nyte, @humi-and-co and pretty much anyone who would like to participate in this little challenge. It was pretty fun!

[dvstoonreviews]

Hazbin Hotel Review - A show that doesn’t know what it wants to be

Disclaimer: All of these opinions are my own and if you disagree with me that is totally okay! I also understand this is a pilot episode, and that it may be very different to the main show. I will also not be including the Vivziepop controversies as I am just going to be judging the cartoon. Okay, let’s get into it.

Art

Hazbin Hotel is a well-known cartoon. It has been long anticipated by many people (including myself) and it does not disappoint in terms of art quality. It’s very unique, different and compelling. The variety of characters is pretty new to me - it looks like a whole bunch of over the top characters strung together in a show - which isn’t exactly a bad thing. The variety of characters shown in the pilot give the viewer a look at what to expect as the series progresses, it’s also an interesting way to show the spectrum of demons that reside in this universe. 

(There are some really creative aspects in the environments of the show,  04:10, Vivziepop) The show also has a very defined style - you can pick it out amongst almost any other cartoon. It looks like it’s come from some very strong visual talent, and it’s what I liked most about the show. My issue with the visuals, however, is that there is so much to look at that it seems oversaturated. The animation style changes constantly and is inconsistent. This leads to me feeling a bit nauseous and it feels almost headache-inducing. In the opening musical number, there is a moment where there are characters that look stretched to fit a shot and it broke the immersion for me.

(An example of the stretched-to-fit format,  00:53, Vivziepop)

Plot

Hazbin Hotel is a cartoon about Lucifer’s daughter, a girl named Charlie who tries to rehabilitate Demons so they have a chance at redemption to ultimately stop/lessen the extermination of demons each year. The plot is pretty straightforward, linear, and easy to understand. The issue with this is that characters become predictable. This is a show targeted at a mature audience, so why is the plot so simple? If you took away the swearing and replaced the drugs with cookies or something, I feel like the audience can understand what the show wants to do - receiving a simple plot can drive away mature audiences because they feel belittled by simplicity - this did not stop shows like My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic from having a huge following, but those episodes teach life lessons and have a G rating. I also found myself zoning out within the first five minutes of the show. I was disinterested, and some potentially interesting parts e,g. The Radio Demon’s introduction tells instead of shows, we are told that he a character who “began to topple overlords who have been dominant for centuries”. But all we get are animated stills across constant transitions. This dream like-sequence would usually be quite effective in a cartoon episode, but for Hazbin Hotel, this instead feels like a time filler (for lack of a better term). There is lots of potential for character growth in Hazbin Hotel, but it is squashed by cliches and predictability.

Another issue I have with the pilot is that I can’t understand the relationships between characters. I could only tell the character Vaggie (a supporting protagonist) had Spanish heritage from a joke, and only on the wiki did I know she was actually in a relationship with the main character, Charlie. I could see no chemistry between these characters other than the fact that they hang out and that Charlie doesn’t really listen to her.

(An example of possible oversaturation of characters on screen, we don’t get much time to look at them before they are quickly panned away from, 11:16, Vivziepop) Humour

Humour is subjectable, but I feel I should touch on this anyway, as it is a big part of the show. Although adults are the target audience, the humour feels juvenile and throwaway - contributing to the overall questioned identity of the show. There are a few gems in there that made me laugh, such as one character saying “that was shit” after a musical number. I found myself cringing at a majority of it because it reminded me of something my 14-year-old self would have loved because it’s edgy, not because it’s funny.

Conclusion Overall, I feel this cartoon is better catered towards a teenage audience instead of an adult. Much of the profanity is completely unnecessary. Yes, you can use the argument that it’s set in Hell, but that doesn’t make up for bad writing.

This is an introductory episode so I don’t expect things to be perfect, but I feel it’s very overhyped for what it is. I understand that many people love it, but I am interested to see why they love it. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel - I’d love to hear what you have to say. Also, if you’re comfortable, I would be interested in knowing your age along with the comment purely for demographic research.

Total Rankings

Art Style: 8/10

Plot: 5/10

Humour: 6/10

Total: 6/10

Hazbin Hotel is currently streaming on YouTube, if you haven’t had the chance to check it out yet, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlmswo0S0e0

[hellzyeahthewebwieldingavenger]

Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider #4 Thoughts

 The very, very, very end of Spider-Geddon and...a surprisingly great issue!

Covering this comic is very strange for me because I’m coming at it from two places mentally speaking.

Firstly I’m jumping into the fourth and final tie in issue to an event comic having not read the prior three issues.

Secondly I’m jumping into Spider-Gwen, a series I abandoned long ago, back in volume 2 issue #10 to be precise, which was published over 2 years before this issue was. It also had an entirely different writer/artist team back then.

Frankly I picked this up purely because I knew Mayday and some RYV characters were going to be in it. In that regard the issue was rather pointless, they cameo and do little else.

However I’m actually glad I bothered with the comic all the same. I was expecting this to be fluff and filler at best. An insufferable worshipping of Gwen Stacy, as so many comics (including Spider-Gwen itself) was when Spider-Gwen got big back in 2014-2016.

To my delight that wasn’t the case.

I admit to being rather lost with some plot points such as Gwen having a symbiote (this was brought up in Spider-Geddon #2 but it was unexplained there too) and how exactly Gwen can transverse dimensions.

However the rest of the issue was mostly good. Now I read Secret Wars: Spider-Verse, Web Warriors and Spider-Geddon #0-5 but I didn’t read any other Spider-Gwen or Ghost Spider issues so to me Gwen’s sense of loss over Noir and Spidey-UK felt rather unearned and cheap. It wasn’t that I didn’t think she’s be upset over losing a comrade but the deep sense of loss and words towards little habits within their respective relationships didn’t ring true to me. However that may have come up in issues I didn’t read so I’m willing to be corrected on that.

But based upon my reading Gwen feeling as sad as she did was a bit of a stretch. I also felt the milking of Spidey-UK’s death from a reader point of view was questionable because...did anyone honestly love that character? Spider-Man Noir I can understand, he has a fanbase (and this issue hammered home how asinine a decision it was to kill him back at the start of this event) but Billy Braddock? Who cares really? He was used for some cheap pathos in Web Warriors and that was about it. Now that being said I did love the idea behind him being buried in Lady Spider’s dimension as she was English (although if memory serves that was never confirmed outright, she may have simply lived in 1800s New York). I did wonder where the Hell Lady Spider was throughout this event though.

The addressing of Noir’s death though was much more necessary and as stupid as it was to kill him I do give Marvel credit for having an issue which addresses that. His fans deserved at least that much, particularly I think the Noir/Felicia shippers who are undoubtedly out there. I also very much appreciated how May, MJ and Felicia had different reactions to his death respectively.

Another great thing was that the general addressing of grief, sadness and death in the issue felt respectful. It felt real even though as I said the specifics of Gwen’s relationship with Noir and Spidey-UK didn’t quite ring true. It’s like it would’ve been perfect dialogue and execution if used for another character’s death.  A small detail I especially  liked in this regard was Gwen’s drumming as a coping mechanism. One of my major complaints in Latour’s issues was how Gwen’s hobbies and passions were underused and underdeveloped. She was a drummer but that didn’t factor that much into the stories I read. So to see McGuire embrace that is as welcome as Miles’ artistic talents in ITSV.

Now I admit, those of you who recall my thoughts on Latour’s Spider-Gwen book might be calling me a hypocrite here. Because another of my frequent complaints was how doom and gloom and glum Gwen typically was in that series from the outset, yet here I’m praising that.

I think the distinction is this. Latour came out the gate defining Gwen as grieving and guilt ridden, reeling from a tragedy that happened an undisclosed amount of time ago (but still making with the yuks and gags). Not only was this tonal whiplash but it also was a shitty way to set up a new ongoing series. It began world building for Gwen in media-res of extenuating circumstances and circumstances which were incredibly derivative of Peter Parker.

Where McGuire succeeds in this issue is by having not only a distinctly different tragedy but also the benefit of this occurring both after Gwen’s world has been built up and in the aftermath of a huge event. It’s totally realistic and earned that there would be a mourning for fallen warriors after a war. It’d be disrespectful for that not to be the case; in fact it’s kind of disrespectful that that mourning happens in a tie-in issue not the main book!

By having this issue actually deal with the aftermath it re-contextualizes the prior issues of the event. Spider-Geddon as a whole was definitely a bloated poorly written inconsistent mess. But this issue as a coda treats it with the weight the main book never had. There is an emotional realism to the story even though we are dealing with something as wacky as inter-dimensional travel and totem vampires.

This emotional realism is pulled off so well you even feel a little something for Karn’s death, you even feel bad he died alone and so violently even though again, no one is a fan of that character. No one gives a shit about him.

Part of this realism comes from McGuire from this one issue apparently being an inherently better writer than Latour ever was, at least for Spider-Gwen. Latour in all this works I’ve read emphasises style, and wants you to ‘watch’ the story unfold rather than feel like you are right there with the characters. You can ‘see’ Spider-gwen is upset but McGuire takes you inside her head and writes her grief from the inside out. Latour might’ve used internal narration but he rarely pulled this off, probably because he was too busy making a clown show on the side with stupid ass Spider-Ham cameos, wacky humour about the Bodega Bandit or building up Evil Daredevil instead of you know, the ACTUAL main character.

His Spider-Gwen work felt a lot like watching things sort of just happened rather than experiencing things unfolding like in this issue.

What further enhances this story is the deliberate or accidental metatext behind the story. No I am not talking about how Stan Lee had recently died when the issue came out, though that did make me tear up thinking about it.

Gwen has been rebranded Ghost Spider (though her recap page doesn’t quite admit that weirdly) and this is an issue about Gwen dealing with ghosts, dealing with death, spreading the grim news as a reluctant messenger of death. That angle just works in this issue and if embraced would work brilliantly as a new element to the character to latch onto. In no small part because, as the issue itself acknowledges, Gwen Stacy’s legacy is inherently linked to death.

That might be admittedly a radical departure from the punk rock youth vibe the series began with, but not only was that rather squandered by Latour (with bullshit like Hipster Electro and Hipster Kraven the Hunter, go fuck yourself seriously!) but at the end of the day that vibe is perhaps rather...shallow...for an ongoing character...??????

Other elements of the issue I liked was the artwork. It’s not much like what Rodriguez was going, which was I admit very distinct and gave Spider-Gwen’s series a unique identity. But this art is still lovely and works very well for the subject matter. What is particularly nice was the different period outfits Gwen adopted as she made her travels through the multiverse. Also, though this isn’t strictly ‘art’ per se, the word balloons at Karn’s funeral have a cool moment where everyone speaks a salute to Karn and the combined word balloons look like a spider. That was just a cool touch.

My final note is that McGuire has one of the best Peter Parker moments I’ve seen in a long time, and considering the quality of Spencer’s run that is not damning with faint praise (as it would’ve been just over a year ago). In the scene Spider-Gwen and 616 Peter discuss Gwen needing some time off and Gwen asks if that is selfish. On the one hand this is a little bit derivative of Peter Parker, King of Guilt and Responsibility. On the other hand I guess most heroes would ask this of themselves. Peter Parker surprisingly gives a very mature answer.

Now this answer is very much in character and logical for Peter, but it’s also something too often writers neglect in favour of writing Peter in a repetitive manner that renders him a caricature. Peter acknowledges it is selfish but that that is not wrong, He says the world will always need saving but the heroes get to pick their battles and have to sometimes rest, that indeed they deserve it.

Though a mere moment in a story not about him McGuire writes a Peter Parker who truly feels like a mature adult, that feels like the Peter who is truly the sum of his experiences.

Were this teenage or college aged Peter he wouldn’t have been likely to say that. If it was friggin Slott’s Peter Parker definitely not (even though he’d have still gone to play with Miles in the park rather than do his actual job). But a Peter Parker who’s insanely experienced and knows his limits? Yes absolutely he’d know he’s entitled to down time and more importantly needs it. It’s demonstrative of how guilt is present in his character and yet is not the defining trait. Responsibility is, and there is a responsibility to himself. Spidey-UK even echoes such a sentiment earlier in the story.

So with all that said I must admit this issue was a tremendous triumph from where I’m standing, I’d recommend you read it and would go so far as to call it the best issue of Spider-Gwen I’ve ever read sans her debut.

Does it change my feelings for Spider-Geddon as a whole?

No, it still sucked and was still pointless beyond resurrecting MC2 Peter (which in my book makes it worth it, sorry Spidey Noir fans, I’m sure he’ll be back eventually) but this last issue took it out on an unquestionable high note.

[awkwardbsd]

Dino’s Questionnaire: Day Five

Day Five: Deep Questions & Squad Shenanigans

Here are some more thought-provoking questions and some stuff near the end to make it fun with all of the squad!

Deep Questions

Who or what inspires you?

To be honest, no single person or thing truly inspires me. Even if I say they do, I know I barely know them and that there are parts that I will never get to know, so I can’t say that their complete being inspires me. There’s a difference between admiration and inspiration as well that I think sometimes gets a bit blurred in my mind. I admire and get inspired by many of the voice actors and celebrities that I see. My parents have inspired me. My dog inspires me. And there are certain people that I’ve met that inspire me. But if I’ve learned anything, it’s that you need to become your own inspiration and driving force because even when other people encourage you, you have to become the person that you want to be. You shouldn’t be chasing after anyone else’s shadows or anything like that. I think to become your own inspiration is something else.

If you could be remembered for one thing and one thing only, what would it be? Basically, what would you want your legacy to be?

I want to be remembered for the impacts I made on people. I was going to say my personality but that probably isn’t a good idea since most will admit I have a sour and bitter personality, I feel like that’s the best way to go. And while there’s no use in being remembered for things of beauty if the person you were was far from that, I think a person’s personality can only live on beyond death when people remember them and are impacted by them.

Sure, I want to be remembered for any accomplishments I have or things that I’ve done that embody what society views as “success”, but what do my friends think of me? How have I changed people (for better or for worse)? Would they be completely the same without me? I think that’s the most important thing to be remembered for because the world is beyond just you, your personality, and your accomplishments. It’s how those are used and how those impact that really makes a difference.

Give us an idea of your hopes and dreams.

These are forever changing. I guess my dream is to be proud of the person that I’ve become. My legacy and impact on other people also rely on... well, other people which I can’t control. How they interpret me and my being is beyond me. However, being proud of the person that I am is in my control, but right now, I can’t say that I’m completely proud of who I am and what I have done or what I’m doing.

Sure, I have pipe dreams of getting into some sort of strong relationship someday, writing music, and having my version of success. And while success to me does mean happiness, it also means being able to help other people without compromising yourself. It’s not that I can become a philanthropist or anything, but to give my happiness and success and share it without compromising my way of life is definitely a version of success that I strive for.

If you could talk to your younger-self  (maybe five minutes maximum) what would the conversation be about?

Of course, this depends on what version of younger-me I’m talking to. Let’s say that they are ten years old, I would tell them that this animation and anime phase that’s coming and slowly manifesting won’t be going away anytime soon, I would tell them that mental health is a real thing and to start a talk about it, and I would tell them to take care of themselves and that being comfortable with themselves is one of the most important things in the world. I would tell them that maybe they were born differently, maybe they don’t work or interact like other kids do, but that’s okay because one day, you’ll learn to accept yourself even if no one else does.

What is your ideal partner/spouse like? What qualities/traits do they have? What do they look like? What do you look for in a person?

I guess I look for the same thing that I look for in a friend. I want a person with a sense of humour, kindness, caringness, they can’t be too serious, a certain amount of coolness under pressure, they need to balance me out sometimes, support me when I can’t support myself, understand me (especially when others won’t), want what’s best for me, like me for who I am and who I may become, be loyal, respectful, not violent or abusive, etc. And if anyone had all those traits, I don’t care what they look like.

Squad Activities

Two Truths One Lie: List two true things about yourself and one thing that’s false. Don’t tell us which is which, and we will guess!

*This is meant to be very easy*

I used to play the violin before being transferred to viola

I used to do taekwondo but quit a couple of years ago

My avatar is usually a purple dinosaur, but the truth is, it was originally intended to a be a dragon but was changed due to many reasons (one being that I can’t draw a dragon).

Make some superlatives (those things put in yearbooks for “most likely too” for every member of the squad (or the ones you know). Feel free to describe and compliment them!

*This is based on the actual people I met and not the BSD Characters but weirdly, a lot of people seem similar*

This is inconsistent as heck because I was too lazy to search nicknames (I usually refer to them by their characters especially since they’re deep in RP). I also left people out that stumped me.

Miki [@awkward-akutagawa] - Most Likely to Start a Cult / Best Leader

Em [@awkward-chuuya] - Most Likely to Get Drunk Too Fast 

Alex [@awkward-dazai] - Most Likely to Neglect and Shun All Responsibilities as a Mod (excluding Dino)

Bel [@awkward-kunikida] - Most Likely to Get Unwillingly Dragged Into Chaos

Char [@awkward-ranpo] - Most Likely to Call Me Out on my Bulls**t

Fizz [@awkward-atsushi] - Most Likely to Get Caught Up in a Pyramid Scheme

Kenji [@awkward-kenji] - Most Likely to Platonically Marry Dino

Kenna [@awkward-kyouka] - Most Likely to Be that “Small Town Girl” in DON’T STOP BELIEVING

[@awkward-lovecraft] - Most Likely to Lurk a Karaoke Party

Ed [@awkward-poe ] - Most Likely to Get Depressed Over a Joke

@awkward-gogol - Most Likely to Warn Everyone (AND I MEAN EVERYONE) About Nonexistent Clowns

[@awkward-gin] - Most Likely to Never Set Up Their Blog

@awkward-tanizaki - Most Likely to Make Self-deprecating jokes

Bex [@awkward-kouyou] - Most Likely to Become a Good Mom

@awkward-lucy - Most Likely to be Thicc

Kit [@awkward-odasaku] - Most Likely to Wake the Dead

@awkward-katai  - Most Likely to Get Stuck in a Fandom War and just wants out (send help)

@awkward-fukuzawa  - Most likely to cry over fallen toast

@awkward-karl - Most likely to come with the right raccoon stuff

[@awkward-steinbeck] - Most Likely to Convert you to Shipping Steincraft

@awkward-twain  - Most Likely to Actually Understand Japanese

[@awkward-alcott] - Most Likely to lurk forever

Higuchi [@awkward-higuchi] - Most likely to become a deity, saint, and pure being

[@awkward-hawthorne] - Most Likely to Slap People for Their Kinks

[@awkward-fitzgerald] - Most likely to get married to an old guy because he’s a “sugar daddy”

@awkward-rashomon - Most Likely to be Openly on the “Kinky” side of P**nhub. 

@awkward-oguri  - Most Likely to be down to trade pokemon

@awkward–sigma - Most Likely to Get Bullied About Their Ugly Pubic like Hair for the Rest of Their Lives

[@awkwardtachihara ] - Most Likely to be on par with Rasho but on the more “regular” side of things

[@awkwardtetchoo ] - Most Likely to Fight You

Martha [@awkward-mori] - Most Likely to Make the Best Edits

[nikitasbt]

The Flavour of Green Tea over Rice (お茶漬けの味 Ochazuke no aj, 1952) – Yasujiro Ozu

The Flavour of Green Tea over Rice was released in 1952 during the most prominent and prolific years of Yasujiro Ozu’s filmmaking. Later, he would be saying he doesn’t consider this film up-to-a-mark, but I truly think The Flavour of Green Tea over Rice is another fantastic and touching addition to the collection of family dramas made by Ozu.

 This time Ozu shows on the screen unstable and bumpy relations of a recently married couple which is quite uncommon to him. In the majority of Ozu’s films, the love and respect of husband and wife are shown as an unconditional thing, but not in The Flavour of Green Tea over Rice. The troublesome union consists of snobbish and spoiled daughter of wealthy businessman Taeko (Michiyo Kogure) and her provincial husband Mokichi (Shin Saburi) from a remote part of Japan who became a successful business executive. The marriage has been arranged, and Taeko doesn’t seem to be very happy about her family life. In fact, she doesn’t have many things to be anxious about as housework is handled by the servant, and her husband doesn't mind her living the way she is comfortable with. Taeko hates the habits of her husband considering him provincial, not a well-mannered and chuffy villager. She laughs at him talking to her friends, yet he doesn’t really give her any reason to humiliate or disrespect him. We see Taeko being not mature enough to understand Mokichi.

 Once again Ozu talks about the arranged marries. Introducing the character of Setsuko (portrayed by gorgeous Keiko Tsushima), he has shown how inconsistent the arranged marriages could be, from the point of view of the youth. A 21-years old Setusko prefers to spend time with her girlfriends drinking, having fun, watching baseball or playing in pachinko parlour and she doesn’t want to go for dates for arranged marriage, as her family insists. She considers such union a primitive feudalistic custom, and we see her attitude has merit. Taeko shares the same opinion. At the same time, some other protagonists talking about the arranged marriages explain that it might look inconsistent from the first sight, yet the things are not so simple. As plot advances and time goes by, Mokichi continues loving Taeko and trying to adjust with respect to her wishes and egoistic, surly behavior. We see there is a room here to think if such arranged marriage is actually as bad, as Setusko imagined it to be.

 Eventually, Taeko would come to the eye-opening point when she understands how loving and considerate her husband is, and their union is a blessing for both of them, despite being arranged by the parents. She learns that the most important things in life are simple and basic just as working-class food such as rice and green tea. She learns there is no wisdom in her snobbish behavior and she understands that modesty, love and respect are the pivotal qualities she can develop in family life, along with Mokichi.

 The Flavour of Green Tea over Rice is one of the most moving films of Ozu. There are a lot of amusing scenes from the life of Teako, Setsuko and Aya (Chikage Awashima) when they sneak out deceiving Taeko’s husband. This sense of humour of Ozu will get developed with Akibiyori and An Autumn Afternoon radiating with funny domestic scenes. Despite an abundance of amusing episodes, Ozu talks about very serious things being able to avoid the traditional melodrama genre which applies to many similar films. Also, Ozu shows the characters of Mokichi and Setsuko in a very elaborate way. We see that Mokichi is a really decent man who deserves respect. And Setsuko meanwhile is an incendiary, restive girl who is actually not meant for any marriage, as of yet. There is no universal truth about arranged marriages applying to all cases, and it could be different for Mokichi and Setsuko. As Mokichi is finally on the way to embrace happiness in his family life with Taeko at the end of the film, we see Setsuko on a date walking with a “nonchalant” guy, implying this could be the beginning of their romantic relationships.

[kpopchangedme]

Wanna One as their astrological signs

B1A4 / GOT7 / Monsta X / KNK / B.A.P / ONF / K-Actors / Day6 /

M A S T E R L I S T

This is a very long post. Somehow, Wanna One managed to have 10 different astro signs :P I also added their greatest overall compatibility. 

...

Jisung: Pisces  ♓ 💧

Pisces-born are the giver of unconditional love. They are one of the most sensitive and delicate sign of the zodiac. Pisces are men exceptionally gifted of compassion and care about people's well-being more than their own. They are altruistic to a fault and always try to make the world a better place. They are very intuitive, gentle, wise and romantic. Often spiritual, artistic and musical, they enjoy visual media and spending time alone.

Weaknesses: Fearful, overly trusting, sad, desire to escape reality, can often be a victim or a martyr.

HATES: Know-it-all, being criticized, rejection, the past coming back to haunt, cruelty of any kind.

In relationships: Pisces men are extremely romantic. They enjoy the feeling of being in love like no other and will believe they find the love of their live every time they fall for someone new. They are very spontaneous partners. They also are very honest but consider half-truths to be absolute truth, so their partners need to catch on. They need to find a strong foundation for their relationship to last, or they’ll want to find romance and excitement elsewhere. After all, they do enjoy a bit of chaos.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Taurus, Virgo.

Sungwoon: Aries  ♈  🔥

Aries-born men are courageous, determined and confident. They are also known to be enthusiastic and optimistic, often being the leaders and organizers of their group of friends. They value friendship and are always ready to stand up for their friends. Aries men also have a great sense of humour and have a very generous nature.

Weaknesses: Impatient, childish, moody, short-tempered, impulsive and aggressive.

HATES: Inactivity, delays, work that does not use one’s talents.

In relationships: Aries men are so independent; they struggle a lot to find balance in relationships. However, if they find it, they will not let go of their partner. Some of the most passionate lovers are Aries, since they are secure and proud of their abilities. They can make any partner feel extremely attractive in their arms, but they have little patience for insecurities, self-depreciation or lack of confidence. They love independent partners who shine bright, but can also follow their lead blindly.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Leo, Libra.

Minhyun: Leo  ♌ 🔥

Leo-born are natural leaders, they are very creative, generous, warm-hearted, cheerful and humorous. They also are almost impossible to resist, they are the king of the zodiac after all. Flirtatious, they value loyalty above everything else, making them the most faithful sign of the zodiac, both in friendship and in love. It’s not that Leo-born don’t like to share personal stuff, but they hate talking about negative emotions. That causes them to be often wrongly perceived as secretive.

Weaknesses: Arrogant, stubborn, overly dramatic, self-centered, uncompromising and inflexible.

HATES: Being ignored, facing difficult reality, rejection or not being treated like royalty.

In relationships: When in love, Leo men will do everything to show how gallant, confident and powerful they are. It can be overwhelming, but it comes from their need to seduce rather than a manifestation of their insecurities. They love pursuing a challenging lover and will hold their partner to very high standards. Leo men are the definition of Prince Charming; they are passionate, devoted and very romantic and also enjoy being treated like royalty. An important thing about Leo-born is that while they may seem superficial, they aren’t at all. They prefer a partner who shares their deep personal values rather than a flashy one.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Aquarius, Gemini.

Seongwoo:  Virgo  ♍ 🌱

Virgo-born men are amazing at giving advice and solving problems, because of their analytical and logical thinking. They are good friends, helpful, observant, extremely loyal and reliable. They are also known to be hardworking, very precise and of kind character.

Weaknesses: Shyness, worry 24/7, overly critical of self and others, all work and no play… Secretly very vulnerable.

HATES: Rudeness, asking people for help and taking center stage.

In relationships: Virgo men fall in love so slowly and carefully that their partner needs to be patient. They aren’t frivolous people and often seek long-term relationships. Once deeply in love, they are extremely loving, patient and supportive of their partner. They value quality of conversation and tend to choose intelligent partners with whom they can discuss and analyze complicated subjects. They are critical and do not trust easily, but once they do, they are dedicated, faithful and very caring lovers.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Pisces, Cancer.

Daniel: Sagittarius  ♐ 🔥

Sagittarius-born are endless optimists who never sit still. They yearn for adventure, are generous and idealistic. They are intensely curious and enjoy to be challenged every day. Their bright nature and enthusiasm has made their great sense of humor famous. They are also known to be bad liars and, by consequence, will usually try to avoid lying at all.

Weaknesses: Will say anything no matter how undiplomatic, childish, very impatient, promise more than can deliver and pushy.

HATES: Clingy people, being constrained, off-the-wall theories, details.

In relationships: Sagittarius men are a bit unreliable in love. They tend to fall easily and need to have something to fight for to deepen their feelings. Their need for adventure tends to make them unstable, but they are never boring. They are amazingly fun, confident and caring lovers. Their honesty usually makes them trustworthy and faithful. If they decide to commit for good, they make incredibly strong life-partners.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Gemini, Aries.

Jihoon & Jaehwan: Gemini  ♊  🌀

Gemini-born men are some of the most attentive, intelligent, affectionate and gentle person that can be met in one’s lifetime. They are extremely open-minded, are curious and adaptable. They love to stimulate their intellect and enjoy conversations. They are extremely social and communicative, so they usually are loved by everyone.

Weaknesses: Over-thinking, anxiety, indecisive, nervous and inconsistent

HATES: Loneliness, being confined, repetition and routine.

In relationships: Gemini men have the reputation of falling carelessly in love. They enjoy the thrill of the fall and search the world for a partner that constantly surprises them and keeps them on their toes. They are of changeable nature and are really hard to tie down. Even deeply in love, they often appear/are detached or unfocused. Their partner needs to enjoy spontaneity and not plan too far ahead their future together, because it will scare them away.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Sagittarius, Aquarius.

Woojin: Scorpio  ♏  💧

Scorpio-born men are sensual givers and seekers of the purest love. They are resourceful, always come up with solutions and are very brave. They are one of the most dedicated and faithful sign of the zodiac, which make them amazing friends. Scorpio men crave confidences and truth, they love to be there for people and never spill another’s secret! However, this doesn’t mean they trust back, for the Scorpio men are themselves known to be quite secretive.

Weaknesses: Distrusting, jealous, impulsive, secretive and violent.

HATES: Dishonesty, treason, revealing secrets, passive people.

In relationships: Scorpio are extremely passionate and their love can quickly turn into a devoted hate if they feel a partner betrayed them. Passion is known to burn and Scorpions are also known to sting impulsively. Scorpio-born men like to understand everything about their partner, but they also use their knowledge to hurt deeply with their words in the midst of a fight.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Taurus, Cancer.

Jinyoung: Taurus  ♉ 🌱

Taurus-born are usually practical and well-grounded. They are very stable, reliable and devoted to their friends and family. Taurus men are responsible and are ready to endure almost any hardships to stick by their decisions. However, they are infamous as one of the most materialistic sign of the zodiac; They are known for their hedonism and fascination for love and beauty.

Weaknesses: Stubborn, possessive, uncompromising, superficial and attention seekers.

HATES: Sudden changes, complications and insecurity of any kind.

In relationships: Even with their flirtatious nature, when they make a move on a potential partner, it’s only after a full analysis of the person’s actions and potential feelings. When they are comfortable and secure in a relationship, they are gentle lovers and take care of their partner for a very long time. They are not known to be innovative lovers, but are usually passionate, very sensual and devoted to foreplay.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Cancer, Scorpio.

Daehwi: Aquarius ♒ 🌀

Aquarius-born are uncontrollable and independent. They usually are dreamers, with very progressive minds. They are born humanitarian, dedicated to make the world a better place and are known to be witty and clever. Aquarius men are often shy and quiet, but they can be very eccentric and energetic if they want to. A bit 4D.

Weaknesses: Sarcastic, rebellious, temperamental, uncompromising, aloof.

HATES: Limitations, broken promises, being lonely, dull or boring situations, when people disagree with them.

In relationships: Aquarius are notoriously challenging lovers. They are known to completely shut down emotions they can’t understand or don’t want to deal with. A relationship with them takes time, trust, independence and a lot of understanding. However, they can almost be unconditionally trusted, they have extremely strong convictions and won’t ever betray them. They are loyal and are also famous for their sex drive. They prefer a partner that stimulates their keen intellect and enjoy unusual or creative dates.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Sagittarius, Leo.

Guanlin: Libra  ♎ 🌀

Libra-born men are extremely intelligent, sensitive and can see both sides of a situation.  They are also extremely charming and artistic. Libra are renowned peacemakers, are gracious, fair-minded, social and very diplomatic. Usually fascinated by balance, they strive for justice, peace and equality. They love to mirror people’s attitude to avoid conflict, but their biggest fear is to lose or deceived themselves by doing so. Libra men have a strong intellect and keen mind; they like good books, insurmountable discussions and very talkative people.

Weaknesses: Indecisive, avoid confrontations at all cost, will carry a grudge & self-pity.

HATES: Violence, being alone, injustice, loudmouths & conformity.

In relationships: Libra men love to share everything with a partner so much that they can be perceived as a dependent and needy. If they take the relationship seriously they move very fast and talk about the future a lot, they can scare people away with unreal expectations. They only see relationship as long term ones and will probably bring up marriage first. Libra-born can also be very susceptible and will sulk a lot since they don’t confront people directly. Be aware that they take everything as a personal insult. They usually choose a partner that’s their total opposite and completes them.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Sagittarius, Aries.

...

M A S T E R L I S T

[jasonsutekh]

The Christmas Chronicles 1 (2018) and 2 (2020)

Two young children discover that Santa exists and have just one night to save Christmas.

 There were a few amusing moments in these films but the quality of the humour varies quite a bit. The first film is better even though they lead on and kept the same actors which was a relief as it’s often awkward introducing new characters for the same kind of story. There were also some decent musical numbers which were independently entertaining. Kurt Russell also made a great, if somewhat unusual, Santa.

 The elves were basically cheap festive rip-offs of minions which explains why they were so irritating and infantile. The sequel over-used magic; the more subtle examples like knowing people’s names and desires was more interesting and the bigger magic felt like too easy an answer for many problems. Santa is pretty manipulative all round since he’s basically a god character and is just tricking people into doing good. The acting quality comes and goes, usually with the performance improving the older the actors are. There are some seriously cheesy sentimental parts which you’d expect from an x-mas film but some parts are so cliché that you can tell even the actors are cringing internally.

 One of the upsides to the second film was that Mrs Clause got more screen time as she was a good character. There was a small look into the Santa lore mixing sparse historical evidence with religion and old folk tales. It was also an improvement that it wasn’t all about white people in North America apart from brief glimpses at multicultural extras.

 The sequel certainly had elements that lowered the quality from its predecessor. For one thing the antagonist had inconsistent technical abilities; he couldn’t get through a force field but invented time travel. There were far too many similarities to other popular films, several shots and narrative devices were taken from the Santa Clause film franchise and the idea of the elves being turned bad was an obvious rip-off of Despicable Me 2 (2013). It was also odd that not only was the brother left out of the second film, a shame since he’s the better young actor, but also that his sister was given his Christmas wish from the first film that he was told there was no power for.

 The Christmas Chronicles: 4/10 -It’s below average, but only just!-

 The Christmas Chronicles 2: 3/10 -This one’s bad but it’s got some good in it, just there-

 -The restaurant in the first film is called Nick’s place, a reference to St. Nick, but there’s also a bar in It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) called Nick’s.

-The actors playing Santa and Mrs Clause are partners in real life.

-One of the names on Santa’s list in the first film is Bing Bellamy, the name of Russell’s grandson in real life.