#which is what being a bollywood fan is more or less like

[rapha-reads]

hey thanks for the tag! im interested abt hearing more on "a prayer for a dance" if u wanna talk about it??? sounds like a cool title :))

You're welcome, my pleasure!

A Prayer For My Dance came to me after I watched the Bollywood movie Street Dancer 3, with Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. I wasn't expecting a dance movie about an Indian team and their rival Pakistani team to hit me that hard, but when I finished it, I couldn't stop thinking about the main characters' stories and how much they're a perfect enemies-to-lovers trajectory. Got curious about their personal connection to dance, and how they met, and were they friends before being rivals, and how they went from hating each other's guts at the beginning of the movie to dating at the end, etc... You know me, I can never resist a good Romeo and Juliet scenario. I only have two paragraphs written, one at the beginning, one at the end, but here's a little peek.

The first time Sahej saw Inayat dancing, he was 16, and after years of training hard and begging pitifully, Inder had finally allowed him, D and Poddy to come to a street competition. After several rounds of warm up, Street Dancer had squared up against a new-comer group, called Free Spirit. The DJ had heated up the crowd, introducing the two teams as "an Indian versus Pakistani match for the history books!", and when the teams' supporters had started roaring and cheering, that's when he had seen her. She had been in the stands too, 16 and a good two heads smaller than him, her brown hair covered by a scarf that had half fallen on her shoulders. The same way he was staring up pridefully at his brother, she was gazing up at the leader of Free Spirit, a woman a few years older than his brother, her dark hair twisted in a thick braided rope hanging on her shoulder, her green eyes heavily lined in khol.

[danielfeketewrites]

The Marvels (2023)

Not usually reviewing films but here we are. A friend of mine invited me to the cinema to see The Marvels. And so we did, two days ago.

Neither of us expected much. I haven't seen Ms. Marvel. I thought Captain Marvel was 'meh' and a bit bland. Not offensive in any way (if you discount the blatant milatary propaganda) but ultimately Just A Marvel ProductTM. And not even a fun one. At least not fun for me.

And no offence to Teyonah Parris, but her character was definitely the least interesting thing about WandaVision. That's not saying much, seeing as that miniseries was great and one of the best things Marvel did since Infinity War... But it just goes to say that this didn't seem that promising.

The trailer for it looked quite cool though.

My friend Marek, who was bitching to me about how bad Captain Marvel is for years now, invited me to see The Marvels with him in the cinema. Mostly as a joke. Although he did enjoy Ms. Marvel. But still, neither of us expected much.

To our surprise - The Marvels is really good and we both enjoyed ourselves a lot.

It's really, really good.

While I don't think it can stand shoulder to shoulder with stuff like The Suicide Squad, Across the Spider-verse or GotG Vol. 3, I still feel comfortable calling it one of the best superhero movies of this decade so far. It's easily the 2nd best MCU movie since Spider-man: Far From Home, imo. (admittedly, I haven't seen all of them, so take this hot take with a grain of salt... I just really enjoyed The Marvels)

So now I'm gonna do a wee bit of gushing about some of the reasons why it's so good. (spoilers bellow)

Carol, Kamala, and Monica are just really fun to watch? Their interaction is amazing.

Kamala can be a bit cringey but in an authentically teenage way and I really enjoyed that! Her being a huge fan of Captain Marvel never stopped feeling real. Yeah, of course she's into RPF.

Consequences! I love when things in stories have consequences. And this is all built around consequences to the stuff Captain Marvel did. She did them with good intentions... But that didn't necessarily matter. And I love that. It adds a bit of complexity and nuance that's less and less common in superhero movies these days.

Which ties into... Carol not being perfect. She's amazing and powerful but she can't save everyone.

Carol is also... really fun? With a slight nudge she just became a really well-written, interesting protagonist? I love this version of Captain Marvel and I want more!!! Brie Larson finally gets to show off a bit as an actress!

She just really gave me Xena vibes, in the best possible way.

While the villain isn't an all-time great, the actress went for dignity and it payed off. She feels iconic and you understand where she's coming from.

Monica's sacrifice was quite powerful and kinda hit me.

The "training sequence" where Carol, Monica, and Kamala are practicing the switching is perfect. I love it. No notes.

I love that while it's only an indirect continuation of Captain Marvel, it takes the best bits from that film and builds on them. For me, Goose is the best bit of that film - a cat, but make it eldritch and alien, as well as bigger on the inside? Nice, love it. So what do we do with that idea the second time around? MORE CATS!!! I got a bit excited when I saw the kittens in the trailer and they did not disappoint. (Can the next movie be set on their planet? Please?)

But it's not just "there are kittens now" though. THE KITTENS ARE INTEGRAL TO THE PLOT. It's not just there to be there, but it's an important plot point. And it's so fun!

Nick Fury is also fun.

But it's not just taking what worked and expanding on it. This movie got really creative!

For example - the worlds! Especially the Bollywood planet. Great stuff.

That's just some of the reasons to like this film. I'm probably gonna watch it again when it's on Disney+

If you haven't seen it yet, go do that it if it's still playing in a cinema near you. It's definitely worth a watch if you are in the mood for a fun, well-made superhero film.

I'm really looking forward to what Nia DaCosta does next. This film really didn't deserve to underperform and I hope she gets another stab at a big blockbuster like this in the future.

[triviareads]

Tastes Like shakkar sounds so good! What are your top 5 books with brown or desi characters?

I enjoyed Tastes Like Shakkar a lot more than I was expecting, and have relentlessly been shilling it ever since. It's such a solid romance, the sex was good, a lot of the desi family stuff (the concept of being a "family manager") really hit, but it never took away from the main romance. Also, it's always nice to feel "seen" in the books you read even though it's pretty rare for me, but since this was specifically about Indian-Americans in the NY-NJ area, I really felt that.

Here are books with desi rep apart from Tastes Like Shakkar that are in my top 5:

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai: I debated putting my other fave by Alisha, Serving Pleasure, on here but Wrong to Need You portrayed a less-troubled desi family dynamic than Serving Pleasure so I'm picking this. Sadia is a widowed single mom grappling with her attraction to her brother-in-law, Jackson who's just returned after a self-imposed exile related to a mysterious fire. The restrained tension between these two is so hot (ok maybe not entirely restrained; she doesn't recognize him when he first returns and nearly has sex with him lol). Also, Sadia, like Jiya below, subverts the passive Asian woman trope on multiple levels, and based on the dynamic between her and Jackson.

I also liked how Sadia's large, close-knit Pakistani-American family was portrayed; they may not see eye-to-eye all the time, but they love one another and are willing to learn and compromise.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert: Zafir Ansari is truly a prince among men; him and Dani go viral for his rescue of her, and they start fake dating so his football charity can get some positive attention and donations. I like how Zafir was the romantic one among the two of them (and is a Bollywood romance fan, predictably), and is also great in the sack so... a winner, basically.

Also, Talia wrote this lovely exploration of grief (Zafir lost his dad and brother) and this really sweet relationship between Zafir and his SIL, and his family as a whole which I appreciated.

Sink or Swim by Tessa Bailey: I know Tessa has gotten a lot of flak for her portrayal of Latinx characters (which, deserved imo), and she's otherwise by and large stuck to writing white characters, but I can't deny she did pretty damn good job of writing Jiya and her family, who are desi, in this book. Here are my full thoughts on this.

The Roommate Risk by Talia Hibbert: Friends to lovers AND probably one of the only unrequited love books I'll ever recommend only because I love Jasmine so much (even while she's STRUGGLING to figure out that yes, Rahul has had feelings for her ever since she deflowered him on the... I wanna say library floor), and Rahul Khan is adorable and a stern, stern man who can absolutely get it. Similar to Zafir above, Rahul's dad also dies during the book (there's a lot of flashbacks) and Talia portrayed Muslim funeral customs and just the general family dynamics thoughtfully and in such an emotional way.

Hard Way by Katie Porter: lol my problematic fave because there are a few things that are just so weird in terms of rep: For one, the author keeps putting Sunita, the heroine, in "indian inspired" clothes, for example, some kind vaguely described professional suit inspired by a saree? Like, this woman is an attorney who works for a United States congressman. She's probably wearing a regular-ass suit like the rest of the people in that office. Also, her nickname in law school was the "Ice Queen of Bangalore" which was meant to be microaggressive, but the nickname literally makes 0 sense to me since she was raised in AMERICA, and considering half the Indians I know can't make the connection between being Kannadiga and possibly being from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka, what are the chances these white mfs can, right? And the weird thing is, she narratively sort of "reclaims" her nickname, but it was such a cringe one to begin with and I don't even know why the authors bothered to put it in in the first place.

BUT Sunita is the only Kannadiga heroine I've ever read (I am. kannadiga, to clarify), she's a martial artist, she's struggling to work out her marriage with her husband (I'm a sucker for that shit), she's good with being kidnapped and zip-tied straight from the grocery store by her husband because it's a mutual fantasy, and she attends yakshagana performances (also very personal to me and my family)! Do you know how rare it is to see any of these things as far as brown heroines go? Maybe I have a lower bar for South Asian rep because there are so few romances that have South Asians who don't hate themselves/the culture AND have good sex scenes, but hopefully that will change as time goes on.

[djkimseo]

FIRST BOLLYWOOD DJ FROM HYDERABAD AT HYLIFE BREWING PUB (JUBILEE HILLS)

Roots in Kerala, Brought up in Chennai and ruling the hearts of Hyderabad with his Bollywood Music, DJ Kim aka Kim Thomas is one of the most refined Artists In Hyderabad who has truly mastered the art of DJing just within a span of three Decades. If Kim met in the daytime, would come across as just like any other 9-5 Corporate IT person, being in I.T is also one of his passions as an Information Security Professional, however, you will be gobsmacked to know where he truly belongs – On the console spinning the best of Bollywood music and entrancing crowd to sway and swing. His passion for music not only has earned him the title of” Best Bollywood DJ in Hyderabad “but also made him the favourite DJ of party holes in the city.

Kim started his career as a DJ in 2012, on the Journey from just like any other struggling artist to becoming one of the most sought DJs in Hyderabad he quotes” It has never been a smooth ride, there was so much disapproval, but what kept me going is my passion for music”. He played at almost all the popular nightclubs and party places in Hyderabad, like Heart Cup, 10 Downing Street, Vapour and Kismet, and many more. Most Recently DJ Kim was hired by one of the popular party places of Hyderabad “Hylife Brewing Company” Located at Jubilee Hills.  Kim is the first Bollywood Artist to be blazing the floor of Hylife with his stunning mixes of Bollywood classics and retro that his fans have come to love and know him for.

Hylife is known for its unique choice of international Artists Spinning EDM, Deep Tech, House, and Trance, it’s always buzzing with party freaks even on weekdays. This place truly lives up to its mark and looks no less than an art piece and not to forget hanging the vehicle in the center is just the cherry on the top.  Hylife being the best has chosen the Best Bollywood DJ in the city. The combo of the lovely place and the lively DJ results in one hell of a party at Hylife every Wednesday.

Partygoers at Hylife not only love this pleasant change but thoroughly enjoy the wow factor which Kim adds to the night.  Kim’s secret sauce is that he understands his audience and his ability to blend Sounds, Emotions, and Music; he is truly a definition of being able to think on his feet. Both a true DJ and People’s favourite, Kim’s Popularity echoes all over the city, and respected as one of the Best Bollywood DJs in the city, which explains why he is the first Bollywood DJ  to be chosen to play at Hylife.

Let’s hear what Hylife Management has to say about Kim’s work at Hylife:

Bobby: Operational Director (Hylife) :

Kim just owns the dance floor and he knows how to alter the playlist according to the audience, he had some innovative ideas on the table at our first meet that we loved and had never seen before from other artists who could cater more than what they can deliver. He truly is charming both on the floor and off the floor. He takes cues from the crowd and engages them subtly. I would highly recommend Kim any day for a Desi Club Night.

Karthik: General Manager (Hylife) :

Kim is the first Bollywood Artist from Hyderabad we had at Hylife, there is a reason why he is the first one, he is good at what he does and never disappoints us. He also brings in a lot of ideas for improvement, takes feedback, and works on them spontaneously for the success factor of the business. Kim is one of those artists who is very Professional, hardworking, and humble at the same time. Our Wednesdays have been so exciting ever since he has associated with us. He is so easy to work with and understands our requirements and always delivers more than expected.

[riverdale-retread]

Riverdale S5 E4 (The True Season 5 Start) (maybe spoilers, probably not) (will also only make sense if you’ve watched the episode, as this is not a recap).

5 Things I loved  

1.  I loved that Archie is in some sort of war but we don’t see what war.  This makes for a much more interesting way to deliver the information they need to rather than get bogged down on which war in which place.  It made me think of Dogville, a film by Lars von Trier, where the ‘set’ is a sound studio with markings on the floor.  You are watching a show, says Riverdale, so this a deliberately crafted alternate universe.  It doesn’t matter which war. 

2.  When Archie comes back to Riverdale, the Serpents are performing a song on stage at the Whyte Wyrm.  Utterly pure Bollywood.  There is no reason to do this song number, they just wanted to do it.   I love that there is so much show in Riverdale.  I’ve also never seen a heavily pregnant woman do a sexy song and dance routine AT A BAR in any form of media before!  There’s references to Britney back in the day with the girls in short shorts carrying actual boas on their shoulders. I also hollered with laughter at both Archie and Kevin outright wanting to laugh at this show Toni is putting on.    

3.   I love the post time jump misery of everyone. Post college life as a 20 something can suck so bad, seems to be the point. 

 Job  - Being committed to a career can lead to discovering people in your life don’t want you to outshine them (Veronica). You might think you’ve set yourself up for something long term and then turn out to be wrong (Archie).  You can do all the things - graduate from a good college with good grades after you earned a sensible degree - and still have to hustle like a maniac or settle really hard to make ends meet (Toni, Kevin, Fangs).  Tasting early success can end up showing you only how  very far you have to go and how little it matters (Jughead). 

Personal life - You can definitely have an I have absolutely no friends, wtf happened to me evening or two (Betty). Whatever you didn’t heal from in your teens can take over your whole life with drastic adult consequences (Cheryl, and possibly, Reggie). You can be irresistibly drawn to the absolute wrong person to be with and nobody can stop you because you’re grown (Veronica, Betty, Jughead, and again, possibly Reggie).  You have even less support from parents/ guardians than ever before (Veronica, Cheryl).  And sometimes, when you meet up again with people you were really close to in your teens, it’s actually awkward and terrible (the Diner scene).

4.  I love thicc slutty miserable adult Jughead.  I had a person who really disliked me for this blog (their ask was an ad hominem attack)  ask an interesting question:  A Jughead stan? (derogatory).   I wasn’t sure, but I think now I can be. I’m a Jughead stan!  I am surprised that I find adult Jughead so much fun, like, even more intriguing than the beautiful delicate sadboi, the passionate Serpent Fail King, the feral manic G&G player, or the smug preppy (though I am partial to this last) iterations.  This irritable person who talks over a fan to correct her and obviously engages in a game of self-defeating chicken about not doing any housework with his equally irritable girlfriend - I love this, that he went from being the most perfectionist idealist teen to this dude who memorizes his best performance review for his job. (See also my 3rd point). 

5.  I love that they did something with the Serpents and the Serpent Queen.  FP’s failures (it was more FP’s fault than Jughead’s) as Serpent King decimated the Serpents, and Betty should never ever have been anything other than a Serpent groupie, so Toni and Sweet Pea (SWEET PEA GETS TO TALK!) reconstitute the group, with Toni at the head, and they seem to have learned something from Jughead’s time as King, when the Serpents were homeless and under a lot of strain. They’ve diversified - they own a bar, they run a trucking business, and those who want to and can also get white collar jobs

3 things to consider

1. The dream shows how Archie views all these old friends.  Jughead is a burden and an obligation, at the same time - someone he has to save, maybe, but definitely someone whose entire weight he has to carry around.  Reggie is an equal (when he falls, Archie moves on). Veronica, Betty, Fangs and Sweet Pea are merely his ‘audience.’   The person who actually takes time to pay attention to what is happening to him and sends him love & encouragement without any demands is Cheryl.   Someone - if it was you please say in the comments! - gave me an important hint, that Cheryl is known or likely to be the spokesperson for the creators of Riverdale, so maybe this just means, The Show Loves Archie.

2. Betty thinks she caught serial killers, in the multiple, in high school. But she didn’t, so she’s still very wrong all the time about her own life.  Her Dad and Charles desperately wanted her to know who they were and she just refused to take the fucking hint, and Jughead actually figured out most of the rest (Penelope as the true Gargoyle King, that Hiram was using the Gargoyle King as a prop, the stuff with the Stonies).  The one bit that Betty put together on her own was that Warden Norton killed the Principal In the Cupboard, and he wasn’t even that important.

3.  What makes a town or city function? According to Riverdale they are in order of priority: (1) emergency services esp having a fire station and more law enforcement than the lone sheriff and social services, (2)  solvent residents (signified by the abandonment and decay of the leisure space, the park, as well as the metastasized skid row), (3)  connection to the national transportation network (if Greyhound won’t have a stop in your town you’re done for?), and (4) a high school.

[mintaka-iii]

Getting To Know You Meme!

Rules: tag a few people you want to know better; make a new post, don't reblog!

Thank you to @brighteyedlena for the tag!

Favorite Color

This one:

That's #00A0A0 for the RGB fans.

Currently Reading

Dune by Frank Herbert, and simultaneously King Lear (by, uh, Shakespeare). I read Dune on the way to work and back and King Lear in my downtime at work. It's a nonprofit working with kids so there's a shelf full of an odd mixture of Classics For English Classes and YA.

Last Song

"Road to Nowhere" by the Talking Heads. Their song "Once in a Lifetime" is more or less my favorite, but I am now a huge fan of "Road to Nowhere".

Last Movie

Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, a 2021 Bollywood rom-com with a queer message!

Last Series

I've been working my way through The West Wing (watched S2E19 "Bad Moon Rising" last night), but I also watched a Doctor Who episode (S10E1 "The Pilot") with brighteyedlena just now. To be clear, I also live-texted brighteyedlena about "Bad Moon Rising"... and the three episodes before that.

Sweet, Savory, or Spicy

Sweet!

Coffee or Tea

Coffee! I have been a coffee person since the age of, um, 12.

Three Ships/First Ever Ship

K/S and Garashir I think? I do appreciate good ships but sometimes it feels weird in my head. Not sure if that makes sense. My sister mentioned something to me years ago about straight women shipping gay men in fic, and despite being dubiously straight and dubiously female it still worries me a bit.

Currently Working On

Not very much! Waiting on grad school decisions. Possibly trying to find a second job. Psyching myself up to make a sweater.

Favorite Piece of Clothing

A black pea coat I've had for around five years. The shoulders make me feel confident and the pockets are big enough to fit my copy of The Martian.

Comfort Food

Mug brownies. I got my recipe from a friend several years ago, and now I have it memorized. My process is streamlined. Both the making and the eating comfort me.

Favorite Time of Year

Winter, I think—snow is beautiful and I enjoy both hunkering down and venturing out. It's also thrilling to realize that we're still at the mercy of the weather. When going out for groceries feels like Survival Behavior, I value all my comforts so much more. A hot meal, a friend to come home to, a book to read—what matters stands out.

Fave Fanfic

K'diwa is one of my favorites!! brighteyedlena introduced me to it... and then read me the whole thing. It's an AOS fic. Also one of my favorites is the Angel Network series, which brighteyedlena ALSO introduced me to. That one's a Lucifer/Good Omens/Supernatural crossover. There's also when the morning comes, which is AOS and involves a terrifyingly well-done time loop. That might also be from brighteyedlena, but I don't remember.

Tagging

@lenky-lenikova, @stpamique, @ancientgreekvampire, @nucleartourist, and @datafucker420, though no pressure!

[xofanfics]

String - Part VII

Prologue | Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII

Genre: angst, fluff

Pairing: Baekhyun x Female Reader x Sehun

Word Count: 4.3k

Summary: You find yourself in a friends-with-benefits situation with your best friend. You have no business falling for him, but your heart begs to differ.

You took extra care with your outfit tonight. Not that you wouldn’t take extra care anyway, being that you were going on a date. Conveniently, you’d see Baekhyun too. 

You ended up pushing your date with Sehun back to nine instead of seven. He didn’t seem to have an issue with it, thankfully. He said, “Go support your friends. The jazz bar isn’t going anywhere.”

“Thanks for understanding,” you said. “He asked me to come at the last minute.”

“It’ll be fun. Just save a little bit of energy for me,” he said, chuckling. 

“What’s that supposed to mean, hm? Why do I need energy?”

“So you don’t fall asleep mid drink, you little perv.”

The two of you burst into laughter. For someone who wasn’t actively trying to have sex with you, he did enjoy making dirty jokes. You didn’t mind. It reminded you of the stupid, slick comments Baekhyun used to make when you’d wear short skirts. He’d whisper, “Are you going to let me eat you out later? I think my head fits perfectly between your legs,” while your friends weren’t paying attention. You smiled at the distant memory but then you shook it off, bringing yourself back to a Baekhyun-less reality. 

You felt bad pursuing Sehun when you still sort of had these unresolved feelings for Baekhyun but you needed to move on. It wasn’t that you were using Sehun. You actually liked him a lot and you could see this going somewhere. He was a good guy and, to be honest, it seemed like you had more in common with him than with Baekhyun. But still, for reasons you had yet to discover, it felt like your heart would burst out of your chest and jump on Baekhyun if it could. 

You looked in the mirror. You were wearing a long sleeved maroon colored dress, a few inches above your knees. It was long enough to cover your butt and short enough to show off your legs. The dress hung off both of your shoulders, showing off some skin. You wore a pair of stud earrings and a simple necklace that wasn’t too dressy. Your date was at a jazz bar and you figured you’d dress up a bit. You admitted to yourself that you had a double agenda, hoping that Baekhyun noticed you and even more so, delusionally hoping that he’d want you back. 

You slid on your black booties and put your bag over your shoulder. You checked for your phone, keys, and wallet before heading out of the door. Excitement ran through you and so did anxiety. Tonight could go very good, very badly, or very neutrally. Could you handle it?

*

People were piling into the auditorium as you arrived a bit later than expected. Sadie and Evie told you they’d saved you a seat and were waiting for you somewhere on the right side. You’d find them eventually. Since the lights were still on, you found your friends easily. You squeezed past other people, making your way to the middle of the row. 

“Hey guys,” you said, plopping down next to Daren.

“Well, well, well,” said Daren. “Look who finally decided to show up.”

You smiled, giving him a quick hug before sitting down. You waved to Sadie and Evie on the other side of him. “I’m sorry I’ve been MIA…”

“Yeah and, uh, I…”

You shook your head. “You don’t have to feel bad for me or anything. I’m fine.”

Relief washed over your friend and the lights dimmed. The host went onto the stage, taking the microphone in his hands. “Hey, hey, hey! I know we’re all super excited to be here this evening. I’m your host Kalled…”

You started tuning him out, thinking again of how the night would go. Would you be able to speak if Baekhyun stood in front of you? What kinds of things would you say? Part of you wanted to be mean, to hurt his feelings like he did to you. But the other part wasn’t sure.

“The first group to compete in the Battle of the Orgs: Dance Edition is…”

To be honest, you weren’t quite paying attention. You knew that KSA was going last and you had no interest in the Bollywood dancing or the Chinese fan dance or the hip-hop or the ballet. You even found yourself dozing off. Daren nudged you as the host announced the group you actually cared about. 

You rubbed sleep from your eyes as the first song came on: Under Cover by A.C.E. You watched the group’s sharp movements and, if you didn’t know them, you’d think that they might be professionals. Baekhyun liked to dance but you had no idea that he could pull this off. You watched the way his body moved in his black shirt and joggers. You watched as his body twisted and turned. He looked concentrated and, knowing the person Baekhyun was, you knew that he could be a bit of a perfectionist when it came to things like this. 

You sighed to yourself as they started performing Sha La La by Pentagon. You wondered what this girlfriend of his was like and if she was here. Did she get him flowers or something to congratulate him on his performance? Was she here right now, in this crowd? You didn’t know anything about this girl so far and that was part of what killed you. And you supposed it was better off not knowing because then you’d find yourself comparing and contrasting.

Before you knew it, they performed Regular by NCT 127 and their performance was over. As the crowd roared and people put in their votes, you tuned it all out. All you could think about was Baekhyun. Why did this have to be so hard? Why was it so hard to move on when Baekhyun already let you know that you weren’t the person he wanted? Shouldn’t it be easy? Shouldn’t you think, “Fuck him!” Why was it that your heart still clinging onto those feelings?

As predicted, KSA’s dance team won the competition and the crowd roared again. Your friends jumped up and down next to you, yelling and shouting for your friends. You clapped but you didn’t jump. Right about now, you couldn’t bring yourself to feel excited. You didn’t want to feel like this but you couldn’t help yourself. You wanted to leave. You didn’t want to face Baekhyun but you also knew that you couldn’t hide from him forever. Eventually, you’d cross paths again and you’d have to act like a reasonable adult. 

The auditorium started to empty out and you led the way out into the hallway. You excused yourself to the bathroom so that you could gain your bearings. You went to the bathroom and washed your hands. You turned the water off and dried your hands. You took a deep breath, looking in the mirror to make sure you didn’t look as distressed as you felt. For now, you could pull it off. Chill out, Y/N, you told yourself as you walked out of the bathroom and back into the hallway where you left your friends. 

Before you could even search for them yourself, you found them standing with a man whose face you knew all too well. You knew it wasn’t their fault that Baekhyun was there because it was no one’s job to protect your feelings. After all, they were still friends with Baekhyun even if your relationship with him was up in the air.

You took a deep breath, as you’d been spotted not only by Baekhyun but by Drew. It was too late to run in the opposite direction so you did your best and made your way over to your friends. 

“Y/N, hey,” said Evie, attempting to break the ice that had formed between you and Baekhyun. You stood a safe distance away from Baekhyun, choosing to stand next to Sadie instead of next to Daren which would bring you dangerously close to Baekhyun. 

“Hey guys,” you said, as a general greeting just so that Baekhyun didn’t assume you were speaking to him directly. You could feel his eyes on you like glue. “The performance was really good. Good job…”

“Thanks,” said Drew and Baekhyun at the same time. 

Baekhyun let out a nervous laugh before Evie cleared her throat. “So, is anyone up for a party tonight?”

“I’m down,” said Baekhyun.

Drew looked at Daren. “We’re not doing anything tonight.”

“Whose party?”

“One of the girls was saying that there’s an Airbnb party tonight. Whoever’s throwing the party must be rich. I heard his dad is a diplomat from Ethiopia. It’s some place that’s not too far. A little further uptown. I followed her on Instagram. She posted the address on her story,” Evie explained. 

“Y/N, are you coming?”

You shook your head. “I actually have plans tonight.”

Sadie said, “Just bring him with you!”

Before you could say anything else, someone crashed into Baekhyun and wrapped their arms around him. She said, “You did amazing, babe.”

Baekhyun smiled back at her. “Thank you.” He planted a kiss on her forehead, just like he used to do to you.

There she was, in all her fucking glory. Miss Kira had blessed you with her presence after all this time. Not only did you have to have a run-in with Baekhyun but with his new girlfriend, too. This was the cherry on top of all of your problems. Kira looked up and greeted the rest of your friends. She said, “I’m Kira. I don’t think we’ve met.”

Baekhyun said, “Kira, Y/N. Y/N, this is my girlfriend Kira.”

If everyone was being honest, you’d admit that you wanted to punch her in her pretty face. You’d admit that you wanted to pull her stupid long, bone straight hair. You’d admit that you wanted to rip her jacket in two. But you didn’t admit any of those things. And you definitely weren’t being honest. 

She smiled at you as she reached out her hand. Mustering the fakest smile you could, you smiled back and shook the bitch’s hand. You felt bad referring to her as a bitch, even in your thoughts. But it’s what your brain did automatically. When you thought of the name Kira, you couldn’t help but think of the word bitch to go along with it.

Kira the bitch. 

Bitchy ass Kira. 

The bitch-who-stole-Baekhyun Kira. 

What sucked for you is that she didn’t seem like the type of girl to be a bitch. Hating her would be a lot easier if she had her nose up in the air as if she was better than you or if she was acting standoffish. But meeting her face to face tonight, she seemed excited to meet you, another one of Baekhyun’s friends. 

“Nice to meet you,” you said even though you didn’t mean it.

You cleared your throat and turned to Sadie. “I’ll ask him. He just said he’s outside.”

*

You weaved in and out of clusters of students, the post-performance buzz had spilled out onto the sidewalks. You heard the chatter of your classmates, with most of them trying to figure out plans for the night. Just like you, you had no idea what the plan was for tonight. You didn’t even know if Sehun would agree. Your mind was pretty much a jumble after dealing with seeing Baekhyun and meeting Kira for the first time ever. 

You found Sehun standing across the street, on the corner. You jogged across the street once the road was clear to cross. He smiled upon your arrival and pulled you into a quick hug. “Wow. You look good.”

You smiled as you pulled away from his hug. “Thanks.”

“Are you ready to head out?”

“I was actually wondering if you wanted to go to this party instead,” you said. 

“What kind of party?”

“There’s just this rich kid who rented out an airbnb a little further uptown. A lot of people are trying to go.” You cleared your throat. “My friends asked if I wanted to go and said that I should bring you. But don’t feel pressured to go. We already made plans but I just wanted—”

“Let’s go,” he said, much to your surprise.

“Really?”

He shrugged. “Yeah. I haven’t been to a college party in a couple years. I’m down to relive college for a night.”

“Are you sure?”

“As long as I get to hang out with you, I’m happy.”

You smiled. “Thanks. Plus, I think my friends kinda wanna meet you.”

He returned your smile. “I’m great with friends.”

You liked this about Sehun too. Even though he seemed more reserved, he was still very open and friendly. You had no doubts that your friends would like him. Hell, you figured Drew and Daren would probably like him, too. Sehun was the ideal man and you knew that. You just wished that your heart would keep that in mind, too. You were trying to forget about Baekhyun but your heart was holding you back. You had to push him out to make room for Sehun, because you deserved better.

Your friends spotted you before you spotted them. Sehun looked past you and nodded behind you. “Are these your friends?”

You turned around and found Sadie and Evie walking toward you. “Heeeeeeyyy,” sang Evie. “There you are.” Sadie wrapped her arm around your shoulder as your face turned a little red with embarrassment.

With a sigh, you said, “Well looks like they found us. These are my friends Evie and Sadie.”

They shook hands with him and Sehun said, “My name’s Sehun.”

“So you’re the guy that’s been stealing our friend away the past couple weekends,” said Sadie.

“Nice to meet you,” said Evie.

Sehun said, “So I heard there’s a party?”

“Yeah,” Evie answered. “You’re coming right? I figured we should pregame or something.”

“My place isn’t too far. We could go there. I have a couple bottles of something or another,” Sehun said.

And that was that. The four of you headed to Sehun’s house in Chelsea. To be honest, you’d never been there. You had no idea what his house looked like. And to be honest another time, you realized that you assumed that he lived in Brooklyn like you. But tonight was full of surprises, clearly.

*

The four of you walked into a luxury building that was a thousand times better than the third floor walk up you lived in. As you walked into the lobby, the concierge said, “Good evening.” Sehun nodded and led you and your friends toward the elevators. The gray floors were so shiny that you could almost see yourself in them. You gawked at the grand chandelier hanging above you as you waited for the elevator.

As the elevator arrived, Sehun held his arm out and let you and your friends on first. Evie whispered in your ear, “What a gentleman...” 

You smiled to yourself as the four of you got out on the nineteenth floor. Sehun led you down a long hallway, ending up at the end of the hallway. He took out his key and let everyone inside. He flipped the light switch and put his keys down on the kitchen counter. 

“Make yourselves at home,” he said. “I’m gonna see what we have. My roommate had some leftover bottles from a get together we had a couple weeks ago.”

You nodded and sat on the couch, sandwiched between your friends. You watched as Sehun rummaged through the mahogany kitchen cabinets. He looked so concentrated and you couldn’t help but notice how he raised his eyebrow at the bottle holding the brown liquid in question. He held up two half full, half empty bottles. One was clear and one was dark. 

Sauntering into the living room, Sehun held up the two bottles. “Light or dark?”

“Light,” the three of you said.

“You’re scared of dark liquor huh?”

“It always gives me a hangover,” said Evie.

Sadie nodded in agreement. “Do you have some juice or something to chase it with?”

Sehun started walking back toward the kitchen. He opened the fridge. “Yeah. Looks like there’s some orange juice and if you guys want something different, I have some of that shitty lemonade mix. And there’s Sprite.”

“Vodka lemonade sounds good,” you said. “We can top it with sprite.”

Evie nudged you. “Go help him!”

You laughed and got up, heading into the kitchen to join him. “Need some help?”

He looked up, smiling. “I could always use some help. Apparently I’m a little heavy handed with adding sugar...” You started helping Sehun, grabbing measuring cups and the sugar jar as he washed the pitcher. 

He got four glasses and started pouring a little vodka in each. “How about a shot to get started?”

*

You were tipsy. Not too drunk but not too sober either. The drinks you and Sehun made were pretty good. There wasn’t much sprite left in the bottle so the four of you had to make it stretch a bit. And Sehun was right about being heavy handed because the first batch of lemonade ended up being sugar water rather than lemonade. Luckily, you had salvaged it, dumping some of the water in the sink and adding more water.

Sehun got more and more outgoing as the night went on. He told your friends about the night you met and how you stood out to him and how he felt like he had to talk to you. When you disappeared for a moment into the bathroom, you heard him say that he was starting to like you. This made you smile. It felt good to be wanted. It felt good to not have to question a man’s feelings for you. 

To be honest, you liked him too. You enjoyed his company and he made you feel like the only girl in the world. When he spoke to you, he only saw you. You could tell that he’d invested a lot in you so far. You didn’t have to wonder if he was entertaining other women. He told you that he wasn’t like that and you could tell that he was being genuine. Sehun was the most genuine guy that you’d met in a long time. He wasn’t about bullshit and pulling you around on a string for weeks, months, and so on only to drop you at the last minute. For the first time in a long time, you saw a clear path in front of you. There were no bumps or obstacles standing in your way. It was a straight shot.

When you came back in the living room, Sehun had turned some music on and he started singing “Diamonds” by Rihanna. You and your friends joined in on the song and started singing and dancing around the couch and coffee table, clutching your vodka soda lemonade drinks in your hands. It was going to be a good night, you thought.

Before you knew it, it was about to hit ten o’clock. Evie let everyone know that people were starting to head to the party. As you left Sehun’s apartment, Sadie added that Baekhyun was most likely coming too. But, at this moment, you didn’t care. You felt much better going to this party if Sehun was at your side. You felt better, more confident, with Sehun on your arm. This was a great way to show Baekhyun that you’d moved on after all. You didn’t need him anymore and, to be honest, you were through. Why were you even thinking of Baekhyun and all the bullshit you’d been through when you were walking next to a man that made you question nothing? When you were walking next to a man who openly admitted to liking you? He hadn’t told you directly and you knew that he probably had no idea if you heard what he said in the first place. Hell, he might even admit it to you if you just asked. Either way, you were in a much better place now. You were no longer hanging onto some string, with Baekhyun pulling you in all sorts of directions. You were free, free to let go of that fucking string and go after what you wanted. 

*

Baekhyun knew he had no right to feel hurt but he did. For some reason, he felt hurt that you’d possibly moved on. He knew that it was stupid and that none of it really made much sense but it was how he felt. Baekhyun had moved on. Hell, it seemed like you had moved on, too. 

Even with this beautiful girl standing in front of him, he felt jealous. Even though you weren’t his and he wasn’t yours, he still felt some type of way. He was so torn and confused by these feelings, so he started toward the kitchen for a drink. He needed something that would push his feelings to the back of his mind. Kira had walked off with a friend to fix her makeup in the bathroom, so he felt less guilty about leaving her on her own. 

As he walked into the kitchen, he spotted Drew taking a shot with a bunch of other guys he’d never met before. Drew slammed down his plastic shot glass and looked up at his friend. “Baek, take a shot with us!” 

He shrugged and figured why not? He grabbed the shot his friend had poured and downed it quickly. “Can I vent?”

Drew nodded, “Let’s go to the balcony.”

Baekhyun weaved in and out of the clusters of people scattered across the living room, his friend following behind him. He slid open the door, relieved that the balcony wasn’t crowded. There was a couple smoking a cigarette together on the other side. He sat down on one of the patio chairs and Drew sat across from him. 

“What’s up?” Drew said. 

Baekhyun sighed. “It’s Y/N...”

“What about her?” he asked. “Was it weird seeing her tonight?”

“Well, it was...but did you see the way she purposely didn’t stand near me? It’s like she doesn’t even wanna breathe my air. She barely acknowledged my presence. And that fucking sarcastic smile when Kira said hi to her? I bet she didn’t even listen to my voicemail either. And she’s already seeing someone new?”

Drew was perplexed by this situation between you and Baekhyun. This wasn’t the first time he went on a rant about you and how you weren’t answering any of his messages or when he pressed him for updates about you. He was always wondering what you were doing and why you weren’t answering and why things couldn’t be the way they used to be. 

Drew said, “I mean, you fucked her over. Did you expect her to just...forgive you?”

Baekhyun pouted. “Well, no but—”

“Think about it: She liked you a lot. And, I mean, I thought you did too…”

“I did, but—”

“Did or do? I know we’ve both been drinking and you’re probably in your feelings but you have to admit, you’re acting kinda crazy right now.”

“How am I acting crazy?”

“You started dating Kira! Can you blame Y/N for moving on? You’re saying you liked her, in past tense, but it sounds like maybe you still do.” Drew cleared his throat. “Look, what’s your problem exactly? Are you upset because she won’t forgive you or are you upset because you’re jealous that she’s moving on?”

Baekhyun was annoyed. He had come to Drew to vent and here he was psychoanalyzing him. Was Drew his friend or his goddamn therapist? 

Baekhyun let out a sigh, pushing those negative thoughts about his friend away. He knew Drew was right and that he was just trying to help him out. In a way, it was as if his friend knew him better that he knew himself. Drew was only giving him some things to think about. 

What was he even doing? Why was he obsessing over what you were doing when you’d clearly made up your mind that the two of you were no longer even friends? He, apparently, needed to move on, too. If he wanted a relationship with Kira, he needed to think less about you and more about her. Otherwise, it might go up in flames and blow up in Baekhyun’s face. 

“You’re right,” Baekhyun said, rolling his eyes. “I know you’re right.”

Drew said, “I’m not saying to break up with Kira and go to Y/N or the other way around but I think you need to take a step back to figure out what it is you want.” He threw his arm around Baekhyun. “Look, let’s just enjoy the party tonight and think about this complicated stuff later, okay?”

Baekhyun nodded. “Yeah. Deal.”

As soon Baekhyun closed the balcony door behind him and turned back toward the party, he saw you walk in, in all your glory. The worst part of it all was that you had your arms wrapped around some douchebag in a bomber jacket. Actually, he lied. The worst part of it all was the fact that not only did you have your arms wrapped around that douchebag’s arm, but that you were smiling harder than he’d seen you smile, like you were having the time of your life. 

The way his heart dropped and the way his blood began to simmer in his veins, he knew what Drew said was right. 

This was going to be a rough night.

***

Thank you for reading, as always and please let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list for STRING!

Tag List: @shesdreaminginoverdose​ @multistania​ @jeonchan26​ @myonlyaurora​ @keloiu​ @xxluckydreamsxx​ @multifandomeras​ @blanknearvana​ @jddcfc-blog​ @jummyjammy​ @mintaemark​ @kokobyunee​ @fortheloveofinfinite​ @littleflowercrown13​ @wayvexo​ @to-all-the-stories-i-love​ @ggaayyyong​ @hyuniebaby​ @giriboyshogu​ @xyukheix​ @jekylluv​ @forbyun​ @endzii23​ @puppyeoliepop​ @aa-ronpa​ @jessverdin @princemicorazon​ @sjkings​ @marimsun​ @baekhypnotized​ @cynthbee​ @xuyiyangstan​ @justmitchie​ @minseoksnz​

[alienahellsparkle]

❦ List fandoms of my heart: №3 (the last).

✯ Kuroshitsuji (Dark Butler)

This anime is my guide to the world of anime, my first of all, and the first that I liked. In addition, I have been watching it since I was 13 (omg, how old I am..).

I can say, from it I learned what anime is. It is one of my favorites and one of those that I can revisit (P.S .: And I'm still waiting for the new season or new full-length films, although no one said anything or promised anything about it).

The advantages of this anime are - interesting plots, 19th century setting mixed with the supernatural, soundtracks and a huge number of different characters for every taste. As I can tell, everyone will find their ideal 2D kun or chan here.

I could single out a lot of cool characters, but I'm afraid they could be spoilers too, so I'll just mention a few of my personal favorites.

Sebastian is a demon butler and another protagonist besides Ciel. A jack of all trades, a cool killer and one of the most real handsome men who stole many hearts from the female audience, who is in many similar tops and sometimes even has leading positions. I can say that he was my very first anime - love.

Prince Soma is an Indian prince. I don't know how many fans he has, but I think not as many as Sebastian and Ciel. Actually, Soma is the one who attracted me much more and my love for Sebastian did not last forever. This is because Soma, in addition to being beautiful and Indian (which was important to me as a lover of Bollywood films and music, and also interested in Indian culture), has a sweet and good personality. Three combos!

Madame Red is a bright woman with a difficult fate. I guess there isn't much more to say here (spoilers, spoilers, damn it).

Pluto is a devilish dog. Cutie, charming, with one cool ability and mine another anime-love (those who know this character and his unusual ability - yes - yes, I know it's weird to fall in love with characters like him).

As I said, the soundtracks are wonderful - some of the tunes have some classic notes in them, and also, the opening can be recognized from a thousand and it is easy to remember which anime it belongs to.

Also, there are elements of detective and crime, which also adds its own special shades and makes this anime even more interesting and aesthetically pleasing.

I look forward to continuing with it and begin to show interest in anime of a similar genre and setting in one (I found something similar, for example, as "House of Shadows").

✯ Dame x Prince 

Another anime that became my find and I can watch it many times. I liked it so much that after I found it (in 2018 it was a spring novelty), I watched almost all the episodes in one gulp and only later realized that it ends too quickly, because I could not stop in time.

This anime contains everything that I love about the reverse - harems - beautiful drawing, bright colors, romance, elements of comedy and fantasy, attractive male characters and not a stupid main character who can be respected.

We can say that Ani is one of the few normal owners of a harem, but she can be considered a diamond among them. She is encouraged by her courage and the fact that she is not embarrassed when guys compliment her or try to flirt (I could say more about her, but these will be spoilers).

Despite the fact that here the male characters are clichéd, for example - a kind cutie, handsome womanizer, narcissistic rude and so on, they look cool and interesting to watch, it's a pity that we will never know which of them Ani chose in the end.

In addition, there is one more plus in the form of a good plot, after which it helps some characters to reveal themselves.

Even if many people do not always take girly harem animes well and consider them worthless and empty, just to please teenage girls with cute romance in a colorful wrapper, this anime genre also deserves a place to be. Who knows, maybe soon the reverse - harems will evolve even more, at least there are already some anime-worthy options. Everything has its fans..

In general, this is a good and positive anime that can bring more colors to life. And I still hope for season 2.. 

✯ Nanbaka

When you watch a video on the topic: "Guess the gender of anime characters", you will not think that in this way you will be able to discover a new anime. That's how I found out about Nanbaka, after which I watched the first season in a couple of days.

I associate this anime with the beginning of July 2018 and the dairy drinks Twix, Milky Way and Snickers, which at that time I was finally able to taste.

Nanbaka has several advantages - a cool variety of characters, an element of comedy, and an equally vibrant color scheme. Also, I noticed that all characters have their own special difference - they all have nails painted in a different color and have small fangs.

Despite the fact that there is no romance here and the plot is built around a prison theme, Nanbaka is quite interesting to watch, and in some episodes there are elements of drama and seriousness. However, if the first season is more comical situations, then the second season is a little more serious, at least there are more problems that the heroes solve.

Of the characters, there are not only bisonens and heroes with simple qualities including kindness, cuteness, foolishness, signs of a womanizer, hot temper and severity, but there are also unexpected specimens, such as several LGBTQ characters and even antagonists.

Unfortunately, Nanbaka is not a very popular fandom and most likely there will never be a third season... But this is another solid anime that can be endlessly watched and is one of those that drags on from the first episodes.

✯ Romance Club

This visual novel often came across to me in YouTube recommendations, in the form of walkthroughs and analysis of Easter eggs from it.

At first, I was not very interested in this, and from the video, my first impression was that this is just an incomprehensible game with characters similar to cardboard figures, but for some reason it became very popular and discussed on social networks.

After some time, I still began to watch the walkthroughs and more or less began to understand what the whole highlight of the game is, and after that, I began to play myself, though at the beginning, then, I had only a plan to while away the rest of summer time until autumn, but I didn’t notice how I began to be drawn into the RC and it became not just a game for one time, it became a habit that is difficult to get rid of.

Now, it's not just a bunch of pretty cardboard character figurines and a joke that RC is a mix of films like "50 Shades of Gray" and "Twilight", made for teenage girls.

Romance Club is - characters for every taste, from whites and Europeans, to Hispanics and Asians, both boys and girls. LGBTQ relationships have not been forgotten here either.

Various stories with any setting - vampires + werewolves, pirates, aliens, 19th-18th century, royal setting, movie stars and fame, Scandinavian mythology, ancient Greek mythology, sea and beach setting, detectives and crime, ancient Japan (geisha and samurai) , angels and demons, everyday life and much more, but the creators continue to delight us with new stories to this day, and I think we still have a lot to see.

Beautiful graphics and drawing of characters, cool design of clothes, and also, here you can learn how to beautifully compose texts and sentences (let's say this can be useful for the writing sphere), since some stories contain wonderful descriptions of some scenes and comparisons of concepts (example. "Stars as luminous points," and the like).

But besides romance, other important topics can be revealed here, such as the concept of friendship, a hard life due to many problems, courage and self-confidence, and sometimes even 18+ topics can be touched upon. In addition, some stories have instructive facts, for example, something about the history of Turkey during the Ottoman Empire. 

Romance Club is scientifically enlightening!

Despite the fact that I refused to play games, since they take a lot of time, during which you can do a bunch of other useful things, RC is the only game (besides the Sims) on which I do not regret wasting my time and it is always interesting to watch new stories and how the old ones will end.

(P.S.: 

here is part 1 https://lenahellsparkle.tumblr.com/post/650656683336548352/list-fandoms-of-my-heart-1

part 2 https://lenahellsparkle.tumblr.com/post/655103141583470593/list-fandoms-of-my-heart-2)

[crazyrichxplainr]

Director Chloe Zhao Arrives With Early Oscar Contender 'Nomadland' and Next Year's 'Eternals': "It's a Bit Surreal"

Rebecca Keegan for The Hollywood Reporter

Nomadland is a movie about discarded older Americans. That McDormand, 63, chose Zhao, 38, to tell it reflects the kind of trust Zhao tends to inspire in people. She has won the faith of the cowboys she talked into acting in The Rider, real-world nomads who co-star opposite McDormand in Nomadland and executives at Marvel who are overseeing Zhao’s next, much more expensive film, Eternals. 

In recruiting Zhao as her writer-director on Nomadland, McDormand was fulfilling her own expressed desire for more inclusion in Hollywood, but she also was signing on to the filmmaker’s highly unconventional process. "I didn’t step into Fran’s world," says Zhao. "She allowed herself to step into mine." On Zhao’s two previous films, Songs My Brothers Taught Me and The Rider, she directed non-actors, a technique she originally adopted out of economic necessity after film school but one she has come to prize for its realism. "Non-actors are just always going to be a version of themselves, and that’s what you want them to be," says Zhao. "Especially coming from a Chinese woman’s imagination of a cowboy. You know I can’t do that. It’s never going to be as authentic." 

In shooting the mythic American West in her first three films, Zhao joins a long tradition of immigrant filmmakers who have told quintessentially American stories, from Charlie Chaplin to Ang Lee. "Being an outsider sometimes gives you the sane and necessary distance to observe things clearly and objectively," says Alejandro G. Iñárritu, the Mexican director who met Zhao at the Telluride Film Festival in 2017 and subsequently gave her notes on a cut of Nomadland. "No matter how clearly you look at yourself in the mirror, it will always be a reflection. The Rider and Nomadland are strong and truthful American films because she can observe without filters or veil." Zhao says working in the West is liberating. "I always feel like I’m protected in a way to make films here," she says. "There’s a bit more freedom, at least psychologically, for me. If I were to go back home, make a film in China, there might be heavier things. I’m not ready to go there."

She grew up watching American films on TV — Ghost, Sister Act and The Terminator are among her earliest recollections — and writing fan fiction, which she still does, though she declines to reveal for which properties. "When I was in China, all I read and dreamt about was in the West," says Zhao. "You want to go west, always go west." At 14, speaking little English, she left home to enroll in boarding school in London, an experience she describes as akin to attending Hogwarts. But still, the real West pulled at her, and when she was able to get a visa, at 18, she moved to Los Angeles, to a studio apartment in Koreatown, intending to attend college. After her parents dropped her off in L.A., Zhao realized she actually needed to finish high school first and enrolled in nearby L.A. High.

An LGBTQ relationship in the film "was always sort of inherent in the story and the makeup of the different types of Eternals," says Feige. "I think it is extremely well done, and I look forward to that level of inclusion in our future movies being less of a topic."

Among the movie’s unexpected set pieces is a Bollywood dance sequence, with some 50 dancers. "When I walked onto the set and saw a huge group of brown people who were going to be in a Marvel movie, I felt such gratitude towards Chloé for creating the situation," says Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani, who plays an Eternal who also happens to be a Bollywood star. "The scene was full of joy."

[dangermousie]

I loved your rant! Could you please expound a bit on how Netflix is ruining kdramas?

In a very small way, by their atrocious subs that hide any culture-specific nuance.

In a much larger way because their making their own dramas and buying others for international distribution results in dramas being made as bland and international-flavored as possible to appeal to the big netflix money and the wide Western audience. You can always tell what’s a drama that is commissioned by netflix from that. It’s not to say all their dramas are bad but they become a lot less their own thing and a lot more “American show with Korean people” in flavor. As someone who does NOT like American shows but is a big fan of old school kdramas, that is not fun.

I have been watching kdramas since 2006 or so when your only access was fan-subbing communities or very expensive DVDs (back then Korea was orienting the bulk of its foreign-sale attention to Japan) and honestly, you can totally see the differences. Your average kdrama now is a lot slicker produced and a lot more generic. There is a reason I am switching more and more to cdramas - they care a hell of a lot less about that sort of thing and don’t tailor them to much of anything outside the domestic audience and the censorship office (then there are jdramas which have never done anything to appeal to anyone outside of Japan back then or now or possibly ever.) This is probably less evident in sageuks than elsewhere but there are less and less non-youth sageuks being made so... 

Yes, it makes me an old ‘get off my lawn’ person but whatever. You do not even want to ask my opinion on modern versus old school Bollywood :P

[mulanxiaojie]

Mulan finds a way to offend just about everyone. Are you a feminist? Prepare to be disappointed by the film’s simplistic idea of empowerment. Do you consider yourself to be a champion of human rights? Then you will no doubt be incensed at Disney’s wilful ignorance of mass atrocities. Or maybe you’re simply a fan of the movies? Good luck with director Niki Caro’s impersonal take on the material.

While the artistic merit of Disney’s live-action remakes has always been questionable — their existence can be attributed more to Hollywood’s condescension towards Chinese audiences than any creative reasons — these movies also appear to be getting consistently blander. In what should be seen as a slap on Disney’s face, Mulan was roundly rejected by China when it released theatrically over there, hopefully putting an end to the West’s incursions into that market.

Both Hollywood and Bollywood have, for far too long, thought of China as an easy paycheque. They’re shoved subpar ‘products’ down the country’s throat, convinced of its less-demanding tastes. But Chinese audiences have caught on. And this time, it’s personal. Unlike Thugs of Hindostan, which was simply a bad movie that no one in China wanted to pay to watch, Mulan attempts to ‘honour’ Chinese culture by putting millions of American dollars on what has to be the most glaringly misguided Hollywood film of its kind since the Keanu Reeves-starrer 47 Ronin. It’s cultural appropriation on a massive scale.

In a classic attempt at misdirection, Disney put together a largely Asian cast, but neglected to retain this sensitivity while hiring the crew, which is predominantly white. At the helm, the studio stationed in-house talent, Niki Caro. Her presence might appease those who prefer stories about women to be told by women, but you see what I’m getting at? By having a woman at the helm, they’ve solved one problem, but what cultural insights could a New Zealand filmmaker possibly bring to a Chinese story? It’s like handing Zoya Akhtar the reins to a Rosa Parks biopic.

And in this crossfire of cynical decision-making, the audience suffers. Not only is the new Mulan a dreary slog, it’s wilfully ignorant of the spirit of the animated original. Caro has, as you might have heard, discarded the songs and affected a more serious tone, similar to the epic films of Jhang Yimou and Ang Lee, the latter of whom passed on directing Mulan. She has also, perhaps at Disney’s encouragement, changed the ethnicity of the main villain.

Mulan cannot be divorced from the cultural context that surrounds it, simply because these are decisions made by the filmmakers, and by making these decisions, they’ve invited discussions about them.

It would have helped had it been a better film, with an engaging story and empowering message, but it feels overwhelmingly uninspired — just an excuse to make more money. This is unforgivable, considering the sheer number of resources at Caro’s disposal.

Why, for instance, do the elaborate sets look like they were constructed three days before filming, when they should have looked more lived-in? Why does the CGI look so artificial, when multiple reports have pegged the film’s budget to be in the vicinity of $200 million? If you thought Henry Cavill’s computer-generated mouth in Justice League looked odd, wait till you see what they’ve done with Jet Li’s face in Mulan. Convince me that it is not poorly done Deepfake. The legendary Li is just one of the many casting coups that the filmmakers have pulled off. The ensemble also includes Gong Li, who plays a shape-shifting witch; Tzi Ma, who plays Mulan’s father; and the great Donnie Yen, whose skills as a martial artist are completely wasted in a film that would rather cut combat scenes haphazardly than let Yen get down to business.

Of all the live-action Disney remakes, Mulan is the one that deviates the most from its animated original. While most of these movies — Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King — have been rather respectful of the source material, Mulan constantly trips over itself by trying to reinvent the wheel. It is also too preoccupied with being politically correct, which, as far as preoccupations go, is noble, but also something that demands sincerity. There’s very little of that here.

[duskandstarlight]

First off, I wanted to take the time to thank you. Thank you for taking time out of your life to write down this amazing story and version of Nesta that’s so near to your heart and sharing it with us all. Whether we’ve been reading from day one 🙋🏻‍♀️ or just hopped on the train, we owe you our souls! While we can’t pay you with money or our first born child, we can pay you with love, respect, understanding, and most of all, patience. The latter being something we have in common with a 3 year old sometimes. Writing such massive chapters is no easy feat... Writing such massive chapters as beautifully-heart wrenching and well planned out as yours, is worth an insane amount of appreciation. So thank you. Seriously. Thank you so much for sharing this part of yourself with us. ——Now. What the fuck people? Can we all agree to be adults here and show a bit of compassion and patience? Our girl here has to juggle life and everything that’s thrown at her on a daily basis like all of us, but she still finds time and desire to write. If she wants to take a holiday and not post for a month, doesn’t she deserve that? I mean, honestly, she doesn’t even have to give us a reason, but here she is, busting her ass to get a chapter out to us. If it’s a few days, a week, a month late, we should take this opportunity to show our support, and possibly offer to be beta readers! JK pahaha yeah, ok. In our dreams! More support, less guilt trips, less whining, more love, more patience. Come on now, folks. Fans can make or break something that’s totally beautiful. ....If someone complains again I swear I will eat your heart with chocolate syrup. I’m joking... but seriously. Anyways. We love you and whatever you give us is a gift! Even if it’s a whole chapter about dazed Cassian describing tree bark while Nesta brushes his hair will make me happy! Oh right, question! That’s the point of this feature, right? Ummmmm... Do you like Bollywood movies? Lol Happy Friday, babe.

Thank you, this is a very lovely message! I try my hardest to give you regular updates but sometimes things are a bit tricky juggling my health and work with writing. I slot in lots of early mornings of writing before work but I wouldn’t have it any other way--I love writing fanfic! 

I think people are just keen for an update which is amazing but sometimes it can come across a little strong, haha <3 I’m such a people pleaser so it can send me into a whirlwind of panic because I don’t like to disappoint people and I succumb to peer pressure *slaps palm to forehead*  

And... I have never watched a Bollywood movie... Should I? If so, please recommend! 

[australian-desi]

Rest In Peace ~ Sushant Singh Rajput

Hey guys, I was going into a spiral thinking about SSR and everything he went through and I needed somewhere to write my feelings down. There’s so much noise about this on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, I didn’t want to add to the noise, bashing and overall negativity, so found this to be the best place. I’m sorry in advance if I offend anyone. This is going to be very long. 

Sushant Singh Rajput the Actor and Human:

I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t his biggest fan, not by a long shot. I watched him in Pavitra Rishta every now and then because my mum was obsessed with that show and I used to be confused as to why everyone was obsessed with Manav and Archana - I was 12 years old when the show started and just felt it was another saas-bahu serial. However, to this day it amazes me how Manav and Archana were able to capture their audience for three consecutive years when their story was another saas-bahu serial. It was obviously the actors portraying them, and it takes a lot to grab someone’s attention and keep it on yourself. SSR had that energy. I remember then he came onto Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa, I watched that show quite religiously because of my love for dance, and was bowled over by how good of a dancer he was. He had perfect lines, and his posture was amazing, I was in awe every time he danced. I remember that in that show he proposed to his then-gf in the cutest way possible, a proposal that is etched into my mind till this day. 

He then left his daily soap, for a career in Bollywood, it was a very risky, bold move because it is a well known fact - Tellywood actors, are rarely able to make good careers in Bollywood. Most of them become irrelevant after their first or second movie. But man was everyone wrong about Sushant. I didn’t watch Kai Po Che, but I remember the buzz around it at the time, everyone was talking about it, and it was one of the biggest movies of that year. He then did Shuddh Desi Romance - a movie I was inclined to watch because he was in it, I was slowly turning into a fan, but I didn’t get the chance to watch it. Then came PK. When PK’s trailer was launched, SSR’s cameo was kept a secret, I remember I was in the theatre and he came onto the screen and absolutely owned it. His performance as Sarfaraz won me over, and a smile still comes to my face when I remember him in the song “chaar kadam”. SSR had an amazing screen presence, he knew how to keep the audience’s attention on himself and a lot of the time you would forget this Sushant Singh Rajput, in fact you would only think of him as his character. The brilliance in his craft was the ability to become his characters completely, to the point you think of them as a real person. The next movie I watched of his was MS Dhoni - a movie that became a sensation. Everyone who went to the movie as Dhoni fans, came back as Sushant’s fan. He deserved that and more. You could see his hardwork, his passion and his dedication in everything he did. I remember when the trailer for Raabta dropped, I was super excited two of my favourite actors - Sushant and Kriti had come together. At that point I started watching more interviews of him and got to know him a little from what he portrayed as a person. Raabta flopped at the box office, however, personally I enjoyed it and I was amazed at the chemistry he had with Kriti Sanon. In Kedarnath, I was so excited that Sara Ali Khan was doing her debut with him, and man both did not disappoint. Kedarnath was an amazing movie and Sushant portrayed his character with utmost conviction. Chichore was the last movie I watched of his and I absolutely loved the movie and him in it. The themes and overall message of that movie hit deep, and it was intelligently made, with comedy mixed with the darker themes, but not taking away from the main message they were trying to convey. Overall, even though I wasn’t a fan of him at the start of his career, he had won me over. 

I also started adoring him as a person. His love for physics and astronomy; his eyes full of curiosity and enthusiasm towards the great unknowns. He didn’t finish his engineering degree, but the childlike wonder he had towards science made me excited as a scientist myself. He showed everyone that he had a brilliant mind and I’ve said this before and I’ll said it again, actors who are educated and well-spoken make me respect them more, they have a different way of thinking, they are eloquent and they show how much education can do for a person. SSR had all of these qualities. I could hear him speak for hours at a time. His instagram posts were always so deep and meaningful, it would make me thing differently, and his 50 things bucket list inspired me to no end. Especially how much he wanted to do for other people and how much he wanted to grow as a person. He also had an infectious smile, his smile used to make his fans smile and it takes a big person to do that. 

SSR’s Death: 

I was doing an assignment when one of my friend’s had sent me the news. I thought it was a hoax at first, but then I googled him, and it was true - Sushant Singh Rajput had committed suicide. Honestly, I’ve been distraught since then, I cried multiple times, and I can’t stop thinking about him, the pain he must’ve felt in order to take this decision, and whenever I saw his sisters or dad I cried even more, the sadness and despair I felt would be nothing compared to theirs, especially because his death was preventable. I’ve never been depressed, I’ve had my fair share of panic attacks and anxiety but I don’t know what depression is. I only know what I’ve studied, that people who are depressed have physiologically different brains to people who are not, they have decreased levels of oxytocin and serotonin, and that they have less grey matter. I’ve also been told that this causes them to not be able to function, they sleep too much, become unable to socialise, and their brain starts to turn them against themselves. However, I believe that there is always an underlying cause of depression. There are triggers for depression, a person doesn’t become depressed over nothing. I know everyone wants to know the trigger; why did he take such a drastic step, but he didn’t leave a note. He left with silence. I know it is difficult, but I feel that we should respect that, however, we should not let him die in vain. 

But I’m going to be real here IT IS NOT OUR PLACE AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC/AUDIENCE OR FANS TO GO ONTO OTHER CELEBRITIES TWITTERS/FB/IG AND CALL THEM MURDERERS. How dare we think that we can blame other people for someone’s death. I don’t care how these people treated him while he was alive, let them mourn him in peace. His death has taught me one thing, not one person is toxic, not one industry is toxic, all of us are. The person who is now checking up on every single person that they usually would not care for because of guilt, the girl shouting all over my timeline that Karan Johar, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt murdered SSR, the boy screaming that x person didn’t post about his death they wouldn’t be affected by this or they don’t care. Every single person. Everyone needs to stop with raging on social media. They need to take a step back and breathe, and mourn and let others mourn. 

My take on Nepotism and Bollywood: 

Here’s the crux of the issue. Bollywood. I’m your average desi girl, I’ve grown up watching bollywood, being obsessed with it. To the point that at a certain time I only watched Bollywood. Then the whole nepotism scandal hit. I remember thinking to myself then, what’s the big deal? Also did people really not think about this until an actress had to come speak about it on national television? Did no one realise that Bollywood has been preferring starkids over other talents for decades? I used to think that yeah, Bollywood has nepotism, but where does nepotism not exist. The truth is nepotism exists everywhere. A doctor’s child becomes a doctor. A business man’s child becomes a businessman etc. But here’s the thing, the doctor’s child has to work towards becoming a doctor, he/she has to go through the same steps that other non-doctor children have to do. The only advantage they get is, that their parents might be able to help prepare them for what’s coming, and it’s not like every doctor has doctor parents, both people get equal opportunity. The child of a doctor just has more insight. However, in Bollywood, there is no equal ground, it isn’t as if a starkid only has it easy to get their first movie. Nope, they sign their second or third movie before their first one releases. Take Sara Ali Khan for example, she had already signed Simmba, before Kedarnath had released. Now take Anushka Sharma, she didn’t get her second movie two years after the release of her first one. Nepotism does exist, it will exist, but in other industries, the people who aren’t a product of it are still able to get promoted, to do good work and receive equal opportunity. However, in Bollywood this is not the case. It has never been the case. This needs to change. This needs to desperately change. Especially because nepotism didn’t use to be as bad, as the products of nepotism were still talented, but now, they are not, and SSR’s death can bring this change, because Bollywood is losing it’s credibility, and as I consider Bollywood my own, my home, I want it to do better. Actors who come from non-film backgrounds and television deserve to share space in mainstream cinema with those who do come from film backgrounds. 

Where From Here

In the past couple of years, we’ve become a horrible society. We pretend to like people when we meet them, and then bitch about them behind their back. We also think that whatever comes to our heads we can say to whatever celebrity the way we want because them being public figures is an open invitation for us to say hurtful things to them which normally we would not say if we meet them in person. We are the people who cry about nepotism, and then when a movie doesn’t have a big star in it we go “we’ll watch it at home, if we have time, why waste money going to the cinema”. We are the same people who cry about mental health issues and to raise awareness, when we think its absolutely fine to give a celebrity death threats because of a comment they made. We are also those people who cry about how SSR was treated unfairly, when we had a chance to go see his movies but didn’t. Who gave us this authority to be able to judge? Who gave us the right? If we won’t talk to other people with such disrespect in real life, why can we over the internet? WE. NEED. TO. DO. BETTER. AS. A. SOCIETY. 

We need to stop shaming people, we need to support artists that aren’t star kids, but also support star kids. They don’t deserve the hate they get either. It isn’t completely their fault that they are given more opportunity. It’s our fault too. We are the ones who make them successful. Directors know that they could sell more tickets with Ranbir Kapoor on the poster than Sushant Singh Rajput, even if Sushant Singh Rajput is a better artist. We need to support both talents. We need to show filmmakers as an audience, that both artists should be given equal opportunity. That the only thing nepotism should do for a starkid is just give them insight on what a life of an actor is like. That is all. They should also go to auditions, they should also be accepted or rejected based on talent. And for the love of god, we need to stop getting celebrities to judge other celebrities based on acting skills and sex appeal. it’s 2020, we can do better. 

Also to anyone who’s having any sort of dark thoughts. Please, I beg of you talk to someone. There is someone who loves you; your parents, siblings, teachers, friends, family, that brown guy in your dms. And if you truly don’t know anyone that you can talk to, talk to a therapist on a free hotline. My inbox is also always open if you want to chat. 

To Sushant Singh Rajput - I will miss seeing you at the movies, your smile and your interviews, and how much of an inspiration you were to me. I hope you are at peace now, and finally found happiness. 

For anyone who read this - thank you for reading my absolute ramble and I hope I made sense 

Here’s a dumb joke to make you hopefully smile a little, or at least roll your eyes: What do you call bacteria found in Agra? Agraculture - does this even make sense. IDK. All I want to say is, that I’ve been an absolute dukhi aatma for the past couple of days, and now its time to smile, and look at some positives. 

[djkimseo]

FIRST BOLLYWOOD DJ FROM HYDERABAD AT HYLIFE BREWING PUB (JUBILEE HILLS)

Roots in Kerala, Brought up in Chennai and ruling the hearts of Hyderabad with his Bollywood Music, DJ Kim aka Kim Thomas is one of the most refined Artists In Hyderabad who has truly mastered the art of DJing just within a span of three Decades. If Kim met in the daytime, would come across as just like any other 9-5 Corporate IT person, being in I.T is also one of his passions as an Information Security Professional, however, you will be gobsmacked to know where he truly belongs – On the console spinning the best of Bollywood music and entrancing crowd to sway and swing. His passion for music not only has earned him the title of” Best Bollywood DJ in Hyderabad “but also made him the favourite DJ of party holes in the city.

Kim started his career as a DJ in 2012, on the Journey from just like any other struggling artist to becoming one of the most sought DJs in Hyderabad he quotes” It has never been a smooth ride, there was so much disapproval, but what kept me going is my passion for music”. He played at almost all the popular nightclubs and party places in Hyderabad, like Heart Cup, 10 Downing Street, Vapour and Kismet, and many more. Most Recently DJ Kim was hired by one of the popular party places of Hyderabad “Hylife Brewing Company” Located at Jubilee Hills.  Kim is the first Bollywood Artist to be blazing the floor of Hylife with his stunning mixes of Bollywood classics and retro that his fans have come to love and know him for.

Hylife is known for its unique choice of international Artists Spinning EDM, Deep Tech, House, and Trance, it’s always buzzing with party freaks even on weekdays. This place truly lives up to its mark and looks no less than an art piece and not to forget hanging the vehicle in the center is just the cherry on the top.  Hylife being the best has chosen the Best Bollywood DJ in the city. The combo of the lovely place and the lively DJ results in one hell of a party at Hylife every Wednesday.

Partygoers at Hylife not only love this pleasant change but thoroughly enjoy the wow factor which Kim adds to the night.  Kim’s secret sauce is that he understands his audience and his ability to blend Sounds, Emotions, and Music; he is truly a definition of being able to think on his feet. Both a true DJ and People’s favourite, Kim’s Popularity echoes all over the city, and respected as one of the Best Bollywood DJs in the city, which explains why he is the first Bollywood DJ  to be chosen to play at Hylife.

Let’s hear what Hylife Management has to say about Kim’s work at Hylife:

Bobby: Operational Director (Hylife) :

Kim just owns the dance floor and he knows how to alter the playlist according to the audience, he had some innovative ideas on the table at our first meet that we loved and had never seen before from other artists who could cater more than what they can deliver. He truly is charming both on the floor and off the floor. He takes cues from the crowd and engages them subtly. I would highly recommend Kim any day for a Desi Club Night.

Karthik: General Manager (Hylife) :

Kim is the first Bollywood Artist from Hyderabad we had at Hylife, there is a reason why he is the first one, he is good at what he does and never disappoints us. He also brings in a lot of ideas for improvement, takes feedback, and works on them spontaneously for the success factor of the business. Kim is one of those artists who is very Professional, hardworking, and humble at the same time. Our Wednesdays have been so exciting ever since he has associated with us. He is so easy to work with and understands our requirements and always delivers more than expected.

As Cliche as it sounds “If Music is your Drug, well Kim is your Drug Dealer”. And there is never too much to indulge yourself.

Even if you are a person with two left feet worry not, Kim knows how to connect with his audience and shake their feet. Being blessed with the art of music he has a special gift for reading and keeping his crowd entertained, to witness the Best Bollywood DJ in Hyderabad city at his work being the awesome as he is, Hop in at Hylife every Wednesday and party till you drop. Follow his page for all the updates (www.facebook.com/djkimthomas)

[eternalssource]

When Zhao met with Disney-owned Marvel about the Eternals job, says Feige, she brought reams of visuals to deliver a compelling pitch about 10 little-known immortal Marvel characters in a story set after the events of the last Avengers movie. "Her initial pitch to us was fascinating," says Feige. "And frankly one of the reasons we moved forward on the movie was because of the vision that she brought to it." One of the ideas Zhao embedded in Eternals was stylistic and rooted in her childhood. "I have such deep, strong, manga roots," says Zhao. “I brought some of that into Eternals. And I look forward to pushing more of that marriage of East and West." Zhao also was pushing big thematic ideas — Eternals is literally about the history of humanity. "How much further and bigger can we go after [Avengers:] Endgame?" asks Zhao. "Because I’m not just making the film as a director. I’m making the film as a fan."

Despite working with a much bigger budget than she ever had before, Zhao says she was allowed the same creative freedom on Eternals that she had grown used to on her smaller films. "I shot exactly the way I wanted to shoot," she says. "On location. A lot of magic hour. Three-hundred-sixty degrees on the same camera as I did on Nomadland. Same rigs. It’s a bit surreal. I’m still waiting for the shoe to drop. It hasn’t. I think I got lucky in that Marvel wants to take risks and do something different."

An LGBTQ relationship in the film "was always sort of inherent in the story and the makeup of the different types of Eternals," says Feige. "I think it is extremely well done, and I look forward to that level of inclusion in our future movies being less of a topic."

Among the movie’s unexpected set pieces is a Bollywood dance sequence, with some 50 dancers. "When I walked onto the set and saw a huge group of brown people who were going to be in a Marvel movie, I felt such gratitude towards Chloé for creating the situation," says Pakistani-American actor Kumail Nanjiani, who plays an Eternal who also happens to be a Bollywood star. "The scene was full of joy."

With her multicultural cast, which also includes Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek and a deaf actress named Lauren Ridloff, Zhao describes a vision of an outsider’s superhero movie. "I wanted it to reflect the world we live in," she says. "But also I wanted to put a cast together that feels like a group of misfits. I didn’t want the jocks. I want you to walk away at the end of the movie not thinking, 'This person is this ethnicity, that person is that nationality.' No. I want you to walk away thinking, 'That’s a family.’ You don’t think about what they represent. You see them as individuals."

[tbhstudying]

it annoys me how so many ppl expect you to be a kpop stan like im indian american and i have a few favorite bollywood movies but i don’t listen to indian songs all that often but i still feel secure in my culture identity as you may too. smh i feel sometimes that as minorities we’re expected to assimilate when younger and now that our cultures are more mainstream (yoga for me, kpop for you) we’re “supposed” to like them too otherwise we’re not “connected” enough to our heritages :( (1/2)

(2/2) people can like what they like. just because i don’t do yoga and have watched every bollywood movie and seo isn’t a kpop fan doesn’t mean we’re less of who we are as asian americans. damn im getting worked up

honestly, this is going to sound bad, but i’ve resigned myself to it? no matter how many times i say it, people will always assume that i like kpop and kdrama, which could be due to a number of factors such as me being korean, such as the fact that a lot of ppl in the studyblr community are into kpop, such as kpop gaining a lot of international attention rn, etc. i’m just.....tired? i think the only time when i get worked up about it when people start insinuating that i’m “less korean” for not liking those things or when people try to define “how korean” i am 🤷‍♀️ and i def think this kind of thing happens to me more on instagram and youtube + if it gets too out of hand, i usually just delete and/or block. it’s upsetting to be reduced like this, but it’s just....happened to me so often that i’m more desensitized to it than i was in the past.