#wow I wonder why I a parallels enjoyer wants to know more about the other sader brothers
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alright prequels enjoyers help me out here
1- im not dead!!! I just have exams lmao
2- does anyone have any information about the two Sader brothers that appear in the prequels?? I know that they're helping Pan during Fall but I genuinely remember almost nothing about them other than the sun necklaces (I could not tell you their names). if anyone remembers anything please tell me I have an idea that is overwhelmingly stupid and I genuinely hope I find time to write it because the idea is so so silly
also I think I remember quite a bit about him but any information about Botic would also be nice
#wow I wonder why I a parallels enjoyer wants to know more about the other sader brothers#I was not paying attention in rise was I. I dont even know their names#i have plans that i cannot share with you right now because the haters will sabotage me#seriously its ridiculous#sge#tsfgae#school for good and evil#the school for good and evil#fotsge#rotsge#also for some reason I convinced myself the prequel sader brothers were twins??
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Part 8 of the wonderful! Au: the boys answer some questions! Up to you to decide if they actually clarify anything!
(also on AO3)
~*~
Martin: Hey everyone! I know what some of you are thinking right now: it's not Tuesday, why is this episode in my feed? I know significantly more of you are thinking: I don't consistently keep up with podcast releases, how much free time do you think I have, buddy? To answer your queries: this is a bonus episode! We're answering listener questions to clear the air and/or have fun. Also, I don't know, around 20 to 40 minutes a week, as that is the average amount of time per episode? Maybe during your commute? My husband's omnipotence has been gone for five years, we just have to guess at that sort of thing now.
Jon: For legal reasons, that last statement was a joke. In fact, to cover all of our bases, we do not guarantee that any of our responses are genuine.
Martin: Just because we say we'll answer things doesn't mean we'll answer truthfully. Though, honestly, I think we might make it more enjoyable if we do tell the truth. Like, I don't necessarily have a fun lie prepared for our first question from konspiracyking97: "What's their fuckin deal anyway?"
Jon: Is this referring to the oblique references we've made about being from a parallel reality and only ending up here as a consequence of ending one apocalypse and potentially starting another or the general premise of the show?
Martin: Oh, it's gotta be general premise, yeah?
Jon: In that case, I'm Jon, the other voice you're hearing is Martin, we're married, and we talk about things that are..nice? Good? Usually generally but occasionally rather specifically pleasant.
Martin: That pretty much covers it. It's not a complicated show. Uhh, next question comes from Shane: are either or both of you aliens? Nope!
Jon: Well..
Martin: No. We are 100% human people from Earth, we are under no definition extraterrestrial.
Jon: Eh..
Martin: Okay, first off, I know the tone of that 'eh' and "not fully human" is not synonymous with alien, so even if 100% is being a bit generous, we're still from the same planet as our listeners.
Jon:..
Jon: But. We sort of aren't though. Technically speaking.
Martin: No no no no no. I don't care if it's parallel, Earth is Earth is Earth, regardless of whatever nonsense metaphysics might be occurring.
Jon: So what you're saying is that if you got sucked through a portal and landed on an Earth where dinosaurs were still the predominant species, you wouldn't consider yourself to be an alien?
Martin: Nope!
Jon: I'm certain that they would consider you an alien. All of their mammals are probably shrew sized.
Martin: Sounds like a them problem.
Jon: Sounds like a-?! You know what, no, this will be an off the record debate, for now, I suppose I concede that the two Earths and our physiologies are similar enough that we might, maybe, not count as aliens.
Martin: Thank you. Anyway, our next question is from anonymous, and asks, "Is all of this an ARG?"
Jon: A whomst?
Martin: Alternate reality game. It's a method of storytelling that's interactive with audience, and usually has, I dunno, a certain suspension of disbelief to it where it pretends to be something actually happening in the real world until a dramatic reveal. A lot times it was used as a marketing gimmick, but others have done it just for fun. I can show you some examples after the show?
Jon: So it's in essence a more involved creepypasta?
Martin, delighted: Aw, babe, I'm never going to have a handle on what pop culture you are and aren't aware of, huh?
Jon: We were born within a year of each other, and I've told you that I was a deeply morbid teenager, you should probably be able to intuit some of things, love.
Martin: This coming from a man who has yet to see "It's a Wonderful Life", but has seen every film in the "Banjo Cannibals" franchise, including the Easter special. Jesus doesn't exist in the Banjo Cannibals universe, why does it have an Easter special?
Jon: The movies are rather shoddily translated from Russian, so I'm fairly certain the Easter component of that special was invented wholesale in the English version.
Martin: You say that like it answers more questions than it raises.
Jon: Yes, because it does. Oh, and to answer anonymous's question, no, this isn't an ARG. From my understanding of it, if it were, it'd be a poorly constructed one, as there's no real game element to any of this.
Martin: Hmm. Well, sometimes the game component is just trying to figure out what's going on with the story, or if there's any deeper content, and people are definitely doing that with this show.
Jon: That's not by design though. It's more a side effect of us having poor brain to mouth filters, I'd say.
Martin: Harsh, but fair. Oh, this next one is from Zac, no K, who asks, "Are you two actually even married?"
Jon, flat: We are, but it's under false names because this whole thing is an elaborate insurance scam.
Jon, incredulous: Yes, obviously, we're married. What did you hear in this podcast that would make you wonder otherwise, and how do we rectify it?
Martin: Clearly we need to up our quota for how "disgustingly in love" and "horrifically sappy" we are per episode. Which segues nicely into the next question from Gwen, "What's your favourite wonderful thing you've brought so far?" My answer: my husband. He's kind of my favourite in most things, you know?
Jon: Boooooo
Martin: Why, what's your favourite thing?
[Jon reluctantly sighs]
Jon, indulgent: being married.
Martin: A: serves you right for trying to pretend you're the less horrifically sappy and romantic one even though earlier today someone put a love note in the lunch they packed for me-
Jon:- Lies and slander! I have never, in my life, done that, even once.
Martin: Oh, sure, not even once. And you definitely don't reserve the lilac sticky notes specifically for my lunches because you know I like the colour.
Jon: I..I don't.. you're rather ruining my image here.
[Martin snorts]
Martin: Can't have the audience think that you are, on occasion, an incredibly doting husband-
Jon: -A title I would argue we both share-
Martin: - which is obviously why, even with it being your favourite thing you've brought, being married to me is just a small wonder-
Jon, audibly rolling his eyes: As I already explained-
[A Pause}
Jon: Actually, you're right-
Martin: Wait-
Jon:- I really should have brought it as a larger wonder-
Martin: Wait-
Jon: though I should warn you, I think I'd have far too much material for just one little segment-
Martin: No no no no no-
Jon:- In fact, I think I might have too much material for just one little episode-
Martin: Joo-oon-
Jon: I might have to do a whole series! Where would I even start? I mean I could talk about how every day I get to watch the early morning sun highlight your curls when I get up first, or hear you quietly humming and shuffling around the kitchen when you do, or I could talk about how the lunch notes only started in the first place as retaliation to the notes you would leave on the mirror for me to find, or how every time I get to see you at ease in a way that you aren't with anyone else, it takes my breath away, or I could talk about how cute I find the lines between your eyebrows that you only get when you're thinking something petty, but you know it's petty so you don't want to say anything-
Martin: Okay, okay, Christ, I give !up I surrender, and will cease my teasing on this particular topic.
Jon, probably making the :3 face: You don't have to stop. I mean, I could also discuss how very, very attractive I find your voice when it takes on a teasi-mmph!
[There's a pleased hum, then a pause.]
[The audio quality is slightly changed, as if the recording has been stopped and then started later]
Martin, giddy: Uh, heh, anyway, Eric asked what the least favourite thing we've brought was, and because of Jon's attempt to embarrass me live-
Jon, overlapping: It's definitely not live-
Martin:- on air, I'm gonna say it's my husband.
[Jon scoffs]
Jon : If the past few minutes are any sort of indication, I'm going to go ahead and saying that you are lying.
Martin, sighing contentedly: Maybe a bit, but how was I supposed to resist when your indigance gives you that adorable little nose scrunch? In reality, my least favourite thing was probably, um, mini golf? Which, I still don't think is inherently bad, definitely superior to regular golf, but when it's the only thing a next door two year old wants to do with you, the charm begins to wear off a bit.
Jon: Wow. A rather scathing review of a toddler.
Martin: Not so much a scathing review of a toddler as it's a scathing review of minigolf's inability to keep its appeal after the third time in the same week.
Jon: Mmm, the sound effects rather quickly go from part of the atmosphere to part of the irritation, don't they?
Martin: So what's your least favorite thing we've covered here?
Jon: Oh, love, I'm not going to pretend to have nearly enough memory of what we've covered so far to have a least favorite.
Martin: Really? Nothing that you regret or rescind?
Jon: Well, regret, certainly. It was one of the weeks where you went first, and your second item was mutual aid funds, and what they can do for marginalized communities, and I had to follow it with fucking Slapchop.
Martin, poorly suppressing laughter: In your defence, Slapchop, or whatever offbrand we have, is pretty useful, especially when either your scar or my arthritis is acting up.
Jon: I'm still not convinced you didn't somehow see my notes for the recording and decided you get revenge for the first year that we knew each other.
Martin, no longer suppressing his laughter: Yep, you got me! This marriage wasn't an act of insurance fraud, but it was a near decade long con to humiliate you on a podcast that about twenty people listen to. I'll draft up the divorce papers immediately, and then we can finally go our separate ways.
Jon: I'm glad you've at last admitted it. Such a weight off of my shoulders. Goodbye forever then.
Martin: Right.
Jon: Right.
[A beat.]
[There's a pfft from one of them, before both dissolve into giggles that lasts a good 30 seconds.]
Martin, slightly out of breath: I can't believe we're the kind of people that talk this much about speciality kitchen gadgets.
Jon: Sorry about that.
Martin: God, don't apologize. I'm, like, deliriously happy with our varying degrees of useful cooking ware filled life. If you had told 25 year old me that one day he'd be debating the merits of getting a tortilla press with his husband, he'd have wept, I tell you.
Jon: Funny, if you told 25 year old me the same thing, he would've said "You don't know the future,piss off" and then quietly have a bit of a panic at 3 am that night.
Martin: I bet you were insufferable in your mid-twenties.
Jon: First of all, who isn't, secondly, I was fresh out of Oxford, and third, I was insufferable in my late twenties, as you can attest to, and I'm insufferable now, as you can further attest to, so extrapolation would indicate that, yes, I was insufferable back then.
Martin: Probably a different kind of insufferable, though.
Jon: There are different kinds?
Martin: Of course! You used to be "prick boss" insufferable and now you're "smug in a way that I can't admit I find hot or it will go straight to your head" insufferable.
Jon, in the aforementioned smug tone: Oh, really?
Martin: See, see! Straight to your head.
Jon: Well straight is probably the wrong descriptor-
Martin: Oof, 4 out of 10 joke, babe.
Jon: That would be a far more convincing rating if you weren't grinning right now.
Martin: It's a genuine review, I'm just well known to be a sucker.
Jon: You and me both, darling.
Martin: Okay, if you're pulling out darling, you're clearly in too giddy of a mood to be focused on recording. Last question, from Jess, "You two mentioned meeting at work, but how did you actually end up together?" That's easy, Jon pulled me out of a hell dimension and then we went on the lam together to Scotland.
Jon: If that's not the way to tell a cute boy you like him, I don't know what is.
Martin: All right, that wraps up this bonus episode, and as the old saying goes, hiding from murderers in a cottage is more conducive to romance than suggesting you gouge out your eyes together.
Jon, cut off: Hey-!
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Tales of The Ghost Writer
“You met Xingqiu at Wanwen Bookhouse when delivering a batch of your newly-published book. But as a ghost writer, no one knew it was you that authored such books. Safe to say it was cute watching the noble bookworm fanboy about you in front of you.”
Pairings -> Xingqiu x Author!Reader
Word Count -> 3518
Theme -> Long Fic, Fluff
Series -> #Bonafide specials (100 followers event)
Warnings -> Xingqiu's name might be mispelled at times, also he rambles a lot
Entry Log # 645:
I’ve once again delivered the new batch of books to Wanwen Bookhouse today at 4PM, 30 new books in collection to be sold. That would add up to a total of 420 published books for Legend of the Lone Sword. Despite its old circulation, collectors and avid bookworms still seek out the volumes. In a spur of the moment thought, the 4th volume was finally rereleased for more readers to get a chance to read them. While on my rounds, I’ve met a particularly peculiar fan.
“4th volume?” You nod as you set down the stack of books on the counter where Jifang stood behind with a welcoming smile. “Thank you, everyone has been asking about it for a while now. I don’t understand how people keep missing out on the last volume like so.” There was an exchange of giggles between you continued your idle chatter, busying yourself with recounting the stack to make sure the order placed was exact. Yep, 30.
You picked one up from the top pile as Jifang enters the bookhouse to gather the payment. It wasn't that much of a feat to carry a pile of 30 books when it's only this thick, you thought as you opened the book in the middle and... buried your nose in it, literally. Archons, the scent of freshly printed books had always been such a stress reliever of a kind. The imprints were still fresh as you run your thumb over the pristine white page of page 75, the gravings of the letter bumping it in such an intricate and endearing manner. You suppose it should be prime time you get a copy of your own-
"Ah, the glorious scent fresh books offer are quite irresistible to everyone," your head whipped to the side in a hurry at the embarrassing display. Yet your new company only offered a light-hearted laugh, floaty and flowing swiftly past his lips. You find it enjoyable to listen to. "Fret not, I don't judge such honest guilty pleasure."
His smile was soft and respectful as you return it, watching his hand (wrists largely ruffled) pick up the next book on the pile, his interest shining the more he recognizes the the piece of literature. Such expensive clothing and poise, you thought as you continued to inspect. "I knew Wanwen had a schedule of new releases today, but I was not informed it would be the 4th volume of the Legend of the Lone Sword!"
"A fan?" You mused as you placed back the copy you took, leaning against the counter as you watched him quickly scan the lines of the book. He was intensely staring at every word with such a calculating gaze, that sometimes break when he reads how the character would sometimes reach an impasse, or when a new discovery reaches its peak. His ardent gaze was enough of an answer. When he took a break from reading to pass you his attention, you hadn't realize how red your cheeks had been out of embarrassment. "I've always wanted to get my hands on my own copy of the 4th, yet everytime all bookhouses in Liyue keep running out of stock. Is delivery normally this scarce?" He'd gestured at the not so looming pile.
You nod in response with a forgoing giggle. "Publishing could be running into some... shortness of funds?" Subtle, yet he hums in disappointment at the thought. His little pout, adorable, as he buries his face in the book again. I would gladly fund such glorious writing, you thought you heard past the leather back before the ornate doors past the counter finally opened again.
"Ah sorry it took so long, I couldn't find the exact pouch for the- hey! You again, you've read and been scolded dozens of times already," the woman angrily gestures to the notice board by the table, "Pay first, read later!"
You snorted, thankfully masked by the sudden cry of the caught culprit as he was smacked (hopefully gently) on the head by the owner, forcing him to put back the book to the pile. "Hnghh, but Lady Jifang! You didn't scold her, she was indulging herself with the book just the same," you breathed a fake gasp of astounded betrayal, before you three had laughed in chorus.
The oldest of your trio scoffed in amusement as she placed the bag of Mora unto your waiting hand. "What, her? Why would I scold her, she probably knows every word like the back of her ha-" her rambling was then cut off by a loud smack on her bottom, a book expertly finding its way back to your hand with a perfectly cut smile. Her yelp was not unnoticed by the male as he laughs at the display.
"Let him be, he's really been patiently waiting for the release!" Jifang scoffs at the word patiently as you came to the defense of blunette. You were never really aware of the norm in Wanwen, as you usually come by at a time where you would have been alone. This was a first.
"Quite so! Just the start of the volume had me hooked, setting for the peak of the story climax! The synopsis itself already hinted of another inclusion of a new element into the story I had not expected from this style of a book, surely such a writer would not tread such parallel territory without being an expert teller-" Jifang watched in amusement as her gaze lands on you at the start of the bookworm's rambling, watching the redness touch the tip of your ear with an abashed smile shyly gracing your lips. Behind it she can see the mirth and amusement, something she outwardly shows with her own expression.
"Wow," was the Liyuean woman's only response once the speaker has finished his lengthy speech. His dorkiness stands with pride at his examination.
You cleared your throat before you could mutter your initial words, finally realizing the time. "That was... quite marvelous of an analysis. A-Anywaysss, thank you for your partnership, I hope the books are all sold by tomorrow!"
And with that you swiftly made your exit, wanting to find a place to scream the embarrassment out. Or maybe squeal, just to be subtle.
Entry Log # 15:
As a distant relative to the Guhua clan, the (L/N) clan was not exactly known to be tied closely to the prestigious clan known for their expert martial. However, despite the impure connection, they carry with them still the honor of learning the arts to a meticulous detail.
Your family was one of the living practitioners of the Guhua Arts, twice removed, yet your spotlight was not that obvious as the name would carry. Your father wish to carry a new kind of prestige without relying on the powerful namesake and he had been adamant since birth to grind every teaching and form of the art into his immediate family.
"Misogyny nor feminism will not save you from battle, only your own strength." Something along those lines, was what he said.
Your eldest brother was his main point of reference when scolding you on not taking your lessons properly. A slacker he is, now he lacks not only a means of security but also financial stability, that's what you end up to if you don't treasure the arts of our family. You have no idea how martial arts brings you monetary security, but you can't really state to your own father that his logic was a bit skewed.
Daily during morning and the first touch of evening, you had resigned yourself into training under your father's supervision. As the eldest daughter of the house, you carry with you still a responsibility to be strong. No fraility was accepted, and your mother always argues about your father's ever so masculine lifestyle being imposed on you, a lady that should be taught other customs for means of living.
Yet after every session, at the end of the day under the caress of the lamp by your study table, your hands move with precision and calmness he would have scoffed at in the dojo. The beauty of words and their power to create new worlds effortlessly had drawn you in too easily, ever since you were young you had a knack for the books your mother reads to herself or to you.
Entry Log # 651:
The next time you'd met the Wanwen Bookworm (nickname you gave) was a rare moment when he'd finally looked at you more than the book in his hand. It seemed your little interaction from the bookhouse was attention-grabbing enough to make him seek out your person with a bunch of questions and wonder.
You gulped, patting down your blue skirt before accompanying him. The way he rambles was too dangerous, it was drawing something within you to also do the same, and you feared you may let out something you shouldn't. But a fellow 'reader' is good company, and with the little interactions you had with the same age group with the same interest makes this moment something you can't pass.
"Carrier to the Yae Publishing House?" You nodded calculatedly, after confirming you've said just the right information. "Quite intriguing, especially with such young age to be working in line with the greatest press house in Teyvat." Ohhh, he's surely smart despite the first impression of goofiness.
You giggled as politely as you can remember you should upon the scarce teachings of your mother. "I've always liked literature so I couldn't uhm let the opportunity pass, even if it's insignificant like that." Good, good, piling up the lies. You're grateful you haven't made some contract of friendship and happen upon the wrath of your nation's God. Or Qixing.
"Surely, you must have been in the presence of some of the wordsmiths during your rendezvous! So tell me," there was a dangerous glint in his eyes and you knew exactly what he's gonna ask, "Have you met the legendary Bob Ong?"
Oh goodness, you felt him caress and pat your back as you tried your best to breathe after the sudden choking on nothing, he was so spot on that you were horrified even if you had an inkling of what he was gonna inquire. "I uhm I don't really know what I'm allowed to say." In the inside you were goddamn screaming.
"You don't have to tell me anything about him, really! It's his mystery that makes his character just the most intriguing." You gulped down hard, this time without choking out of nothing. "I don't really know much about who he is since he's, you know, unknown? No clues whatsoever, he could be anywhere right now, maybe you've talked to him already or no. Yeah?"
He held a convincing hum before taking in the cryptic answer, content, for now you assume. "Not many avid readers of the book can place a name to the unnamed author, but how blind they were to see the cryptic signature at the back of the cover. Truly a wonderous act." Xingqiu, you finally learned his name, had took you out to lunch for the trouble and enjoyment. It wasn't really necessary, but you figured it was probably to keep you with him longer to converse about the books more.
A lot of his... analysis actually coincide with the messages that you lodged between the lines. He understands your way of narration more than you do at times, and you were left wondering just how much he had read of the fourth volume despite only having it for a few days then. When evening once again struck, you had bid each other farewell in the promise of another time to hang.
"It's a literature of love and freedom- disguised as a martial arts novel." Was his parting analysis, and you were left to wonder, was that really what you had projected into your works?
Entry Log # 32:
In your young and hopeful mind, you'd sent your first ever manuscript to Yae Publishing House. It wasn't your first work but it was the one you worked hard on the most, with weeks of furbishing and reworks. Your mother, although not directly informed of your whole plan, had provided you with great feedback and generous suggestions. And soon you created the first manuscript of 'String of Pearls'.
With a generous note and what you hoped is enough mora to at least publish a book, your package was sent to Inazuma.
You waited for days, of which turned to weeks, and then to months. You thought by the end of it all, you had been swindled but as young as you still hoped for the best of its outcome.
And then one day, as you were sweeping the outside of your gates in preparation for your father's return from some business in the harbor, a lone man of Inazuman style found its way to your humble abode. He calls himself Mr. Nine, and in his arms cradled two similar looking books, with a familiar envelope.
That was when you had been given the opportunity to write for the greatest Publishing House under the guise of a pseudonym. The great Nine was astounded by your ripeness paired with your prowess in writing. You hid behind Bob Ong, a protection from being belittled as a young child and a woman, to prevent being traced by your father if ever.
Yet you remained as subtle still. Even if your name was not written on the covers themselves, within your heart you were still the writers of those books. You've placed anagrams and mysterious puzzles revealing your name but it was part of the intrigue of the story that they had not thought much about it.
One day, you lost your book when you had gone out to eat. It was the second copy, as you carried the first one in your room, yet it still held a special place in your heart.
Xingqiu was a master novelist too, as you'd expect from someone so enthusiastic on the art of literature too. You'd long since become friends and found out soon enough his true identity. The heir to the Feiyun Commerce Guild, master practitioner of the Guhua Clan Arts, soon to be novelist. He was in every aspect the better half between you two.
One day in his daily reading breaks where he would happen upon you, he had found his eyes wafting over your notebook that you always carry. It was designed to look like a hard bound book specially tailored to your tastes, but it was nothing but mere keepers of your notes and musings.
Your newest page had in it a brand new draft for a brand new story you wanted to flesh out before the success of Legend of the Lone Sword diminishes. Mr. Nine still praised you for the success of your first major publishing and had assured you that there's no need to immediately compensate with another work so early, but your mind was already so eager to work. Your friend had never seen you so- flamed and passionate as the paper caves to the intense pressure your pencil places on it.
So he leans on your shoulder slightly (glad you were still distracted) as he quietly reads the words that articulates on the paper. The more Xingqiu reads, the more he craves, just the same vigor he felt everytime he had read his favorite works when each chapter invigorates him to continue to the end.
"Such a great outline," the blunette breathes out as he leans his cheek at the crown of your head. You let out a cute squeak when you'd finally come to, and turned your head to face him- "I didn't know you were into romance, my liege. Tell me, just where do you get such inspirations?" Your nose softly collided against the smoothness of his cheek, your lips ghosting over the line that is his jaw.
You scrambled backwards to direction opposite of his, yet with his body weight leaning on you, his center of balance quickly shifted on your weight like a net being pulled against the sides of a boat. You both toppled over.
"My, my, I didn't expect such abrupt resistance from you," Xingqiu's arms caged you as it holds him up against the grassland on either side of you. There was a certain mischievous glint in the ocean that is his eyes, which only meant one thing. "No need to be shy," you closed your eyes shut as his face leans in closer to yours, fanning over the frame of your face as he lets out a warm yet teasing exhale, "I'm sure we've gone past our personal bubbles in this relationship." You felt his chest against yours and braced for the inevitable-
as he finally licked your nose(?).
What.
"X-XINGQIUUUUU!" And then a cry of pain after a particularly harmful blow.
Entry Log # 659:
Xingqiu had always been a man of great words despite his chicken scratch of a penmanship. Vivid tales of his manuscript that I'm sure the Publishing House would take great value for, his years of memorizing numerous works in his arsenal. He told me that if I were to one day publish the manuscript, he wants to get the first copy and the first to get it signed. However Xingqiu has one glaring weakness when it comes to the art of words. When I asked him what would be a good title for the manuscript I made, he simply said, "Tales of the Writer!" And he sent a goofy smile. I thought he was joking, and I asked again, this time of what his work would be named. He replied:
"Why, Legend of Sword, of course!" He really sucks at titles.
Entry Log # 660:
Upon returning home with my new work ready to be shipped off for mass publishing, I've finally confronted my father. I had with me the final volume of my first work and offered it to him as first a gift of reconciliation, and my father took it with a mirthful glint in his eyes. He said he has been looking for the last volume of the series he'd been wanting to complete. I... I didn't know father was a fan.
The climax of my entire double-life ended so peacefully and tragically meh. I was expecting a martial arts fight of honor that will go down in history, but instead I ended up signing my own book as my father gushed about how nicely I illustrated the martial arts teaching we had during our sessions. I did not sleep well that night.
October 9th was a day celebrated by others more than the young master Xingqiu. The pavilion was mixed in with people from different walks of life and of faces he doesn't necessarily recognize. He lingers by the open window that shows the grandeur balcony, beckoning him outside. Today was a scheduled new release for Wanwen Bookhouse, and he had heard several chatters from the citizens that a new series would be published hailing from Yae Publishing House once again.
And the virtuoso of literature cannot attend such important matter himself because of his own birthday. How irking, you weren't even there to help appease his grumbling, you should have been here by now upon his invitation.
Suddenly the master of invitations bellowed out a familiar name, as his job to announce the entrance of the invited guests to the banquet. When he looks up, you were already walking down the grand staircase in your creme and blue Hanfu garb, accompanied by a tall man of a different wear—
"(Y/N), M-Mr. Nine-!" He bowed politely to the man as you curtsied at his presence. You looked absolutely dashing yet the man towered your form easily. "It's my honor to finally meet you, sire."
"Happy birthday, Xingqiu, I've heard many great things about you," the blunette opened his hands to receive the book gifted by the man. It had a familiar cover and title to it, Legend of Sword, "Great things, in fact, that there would too be great things to discuss later on." The Inazuman graced him a smile and he almost teared up at the implications, if not for when the author suddenly nudged you forward from your demure state.
Tales of the Ghost Writer
"X-Xingqiu, happy birthday! This is uhm, I've always wanted to- I wanted to give you this myself, I know you'd miss the first batch of releases," an unfamiliar book sits on his palm now. A plume and sword adorning its cover but no title, he shifts his hand to open it to the first page, "You said you wanted its first copy be signed, and I thought it appropriate to be given now at such a special occasion."
There in fresh print and ink he'd finally been revealed the mysteries he had long been searching for.
Against the translucent paper it was written and signed,
Tales of The Ghost Writer
Bob Ong, (Y/N)
@creation-magician @your-local-venti-simp @boxofteenageideas @indigodreamtime47
#genshin impact#genshin impact x reader#genshin impact xingqiu#xingqui x reader#xingqiu x reader#Bonafide specials#exile.flower#accidentally posted again but okay#female reader
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C2E55 - Duplicity - rewatch reaction
Starting off my reaction with a recommendation of Lilli Furfaro. Just listed to her M9 and VM songs again last night, I love them so much. I prefer the M9 ones because of course I do, but the more I listed to the VM songs the more I fall in love with them.
OKAY ONTO THE EPISODE WITH DELIGHTFUL CALEB ANGST
Live show soon! Excited!! And while I do miss the live shows, I still think that CR can do them even with the pre-recording going on. Just film one shots in the time slots. The VM ones were live shows, the M9 post campaign one shots can be live shows. Do a sequel for The Darrington Brigade! There are many options. Plus, I know some people actually prefer the live shows to be outside of the main campaign due to the cast hamming it up a bit for the audience, and also sometimes audio issues.
(Dear Matt you are fucking glorious omg. I miss this haircut for you)
The VM guest one shot stretch goal is announced here, and it was confirmed that they got Wil Wheaton. *deletes a massive paragraph that, while likely that everything would be fine, has a slight chance of starting drama* I hope one day he can come on as a guest in a one shot again.
(it has now been several hours since the above comment. Today suddenly got CRAZY. OKAY, back into this.)
lol right into mini-combat because Nott and Fjord completely failed their perception rolls
Beau’s throwaway line of “I don’t want kids” after shrugging off the fear effect from the impy thing hit me very hard out of the blue because YOU WILL ADOPT KIDS WITH YASHAAAAAAAAAAAAA (to be fair, I wonder how much of the comment was Marisha versus Beau, but STILL. BEAUYASHA FEELS)
I don’t really have anything to say about this section, but Marisha playing Beau freaked out, Sam and Travis goofing as Nott and Fjord, Laura having Jester hack away while Liam has Caleb watch horrified, I just have a giant doofy smile on my face as I watch this. Moments like these honestly don’t have much ‘importance’ to the game, nothing that impacts plot or even characterization, but it’s so warming and delightful and enjoyable to watch. These are the moments where it’s just a group of friends dicking around, and you just feel good.
Honestly, I’m not a fan of Caleb going ‘wowee wee wow wow’ and basically staring right up at the suc/incubus that charmed him during like the whole conversation. Even the Astrid letter bit felt off, the charm wouldn’t affect how he would respond to that, so I don’t know how to interpret the stilted smile and lack of response aside from Liam RPing the charm weird in the moment. It doesn’t feel like Caleb, in moments where I feel like he still should. On the other hand:
Light them up, Pretty
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I love everything about this fight – mostly a lot of the OOC reactions
Matt narrating Caleb’s reaction of realizing that all of his ‘friends��� were actually trying to kill them, he has to save himself, I LOVE IT I LOVE IT
Oh hey, Yasha didn’t take damage from wall of fire even though it hit her. Ah well, she’s a tank so 7 or 15 points probably isn’t gonna make much difference in the fight
I do like Yasha being the one to free Caleb’s mind though, considering how frequently she gets charmed, and considering the fact that THESE TWO NEED ALL THE SCENES TOGETHER PLEASE. PLEASE. Why was I robbed of the Ashley Liam combination for so LONG?! Pike and Vax WOULD have had so much with Saranrae and then the Raven Queen fucked that all up, and then Caleb and Yasha should have had SO MANY scenes together, but so many others were priority and of course limited Ashley. I’m getting some good in C3, but I NEED MORE.
Lol already at break and still not much to say. Doesn’t surprise me, combat heavy sections don’t really have much to talk about.
Love how Matt goes to have charmed!Yasha go attack Jester, and then Laura redirects him to Beau. C’mon Matt, don’t know you the doomed lesbians always have to fight each other when charmed? Cinematic parallels, c’mon dude!
Oh hey, this is the episode where Marisha nails Liam in the face! *looks at the new youtube thing* LOL yup “Most Replayed Moment” YUP.
Awww, Matt being a good friend. Mino-dude is stunned and Jester does Guiding Bolt, and Matt reminds her that she can move in and out without an attack of opportunity so she can use and likely hit Inflict Wounds, which she always wants to.
From Caleb angst to Caleb DOWN up DOWN up DOWN up
I honestly did forget that Taliesin takes a LONG time during combat when he’s a spellcaster. Much faster when he’s just a damage dealer.
Had to pay CLOSE attention to Marisha when Sam says “Henry David Thoreau-regard”. I 100% didn’t catch it before (why would I?), but Marisha actually says “that’s an interesting thing you just said”
Dani Carr delayed screaming in the background for the howdedurdedurdis YES
“It’s an explosive arrow” Matt realizes first, Laura instantly after, Sam realizes when they react, and then it’s a waterfall of everyone else realizing. And to be fair to Sam, he looks legit horrified, so this wasn’t one of his troll-y moments.
...you know, I’m never distracted by the background music, and first watch through I certainly wasn’t, but this time ‘round I’m distracted because this isn’t good Revivify music. Distracting! ALSO “Traveler, tell The Wildmother that Caduceus needs help” is particularly beautiful because it’s a moment of respect for another persons beliefs. Jester is always trying to get people to worship the Traveler, but in this moment of seriousness, she asks for help from Caduceus’s god, not hers.
Cad’s vision is timed quiet well, because I think it was in a fairly recent Talks that Tal admits he finally got Matt his backstory XD So the story of Stone, Dust, and Clay was probably very new and Matt was getting it in as soon as the moment worked in game.
Beau gets her lighting gloves, yay!!!!! With this, I think Beau is pretty much ‘complete’ in terms of her build? She gets a fancier staff later on, but I don’t think that’s til Rumblecusp or after? And the fan isn’t for ages either. So right now, I think she’s maxed on the gear she gets. Got her goggles, got her bracers, got her gloves.
I’m looking forwards to when they eventually find out about the Chained Oblivion, because I DO NOT remember how opening rifts into the Abyss helps him out in anyway. ...wait, did Adeen Tasithar help place these? No, it was just the Empire dude, right? And Adeen was only framed for the beacons? This is where I get confused, because there were the overlapping plots so I can’t quite remember which was which. Just that Mr. Fancy Name from the Empire was in charge of them (I want to say Vance, but I feel like that’s not right, and I’m too tired to look shit up like I normally do)
@suicidallyreckless
#critical role#the mighty nein#cr c2 rewatch#spoilers for c1 and c2#shorter this time because three initiatives means not much to say
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Merhaba friends - SCK episode 35 asks
(Fragman 36 ask at the end)
Apologies to those of you who sent asks for last week’s episode and I didn’t answer them. The week got away from me and then suddenly it was show day, the episode aired, and the asks were no longer relevant. Even if I didn’t answer I appreciate you reaching out!
Anonymous said: I’m dying to know what you thought.
While my ego would like to think that there are a variety of subjects that people might seek out my thoughts on, I’m going to guess you want to know what I thought of episode 35.
I had a mixed reaction. I liked a lot of things, loved a lot of things, there were some things I found disappointing, and a few characters I wanted to strangle. So let’s explore from that perspective.
Liked:
Romcom feel was back. It felt lighter and was easier to watch than a lot of eps in this arc.
Aydan, Ayfer and Seyfi working together to unite the kids. They were actually funny and trying to do the right thing, even if their methods were a bit morally gray.
Serkan and Eda’s photo on outdoor advertising and on the cover of magazines. We’ll ignore how quick the turnaround was to get those photos up, it was just plain fun to watch Serkan see himself on his drive into work and be embarrassed and aggravated by the whole thing, while there was also a little spark of excitement from him in being linked to Eda like that. That was enjoyable.
Melo is always the best bestie and Ayfer didn’t suck as an aunt!
LOVED:
Most every individual Edser scene.
Serkan out-of-his head with worry, planning to jump into the frigid sea, even though he wouldn’t have any shot of saving her that way. That’s my ride-or-die, protective romantic robot!
Serkan making faces as Eda plans her wedding. Excellent work from Kerem here.
Eda buttoning up Serkan’s shirt. That was hot. It was also hot that he just let her.
Sekan buttoning up Eda’s dress (get a room kids and start going the other way... unbuttoning, UNBUTTON) This scene was emotional and the sexual tension!
Serkan clutching his chest. The poor boy was about to have a panic attack right there. Follow through, writers, give him the full fledged panic attack!
The hair caught in the button (There’s that button again!) sequence. it was funny and sexy and made Selin into a foolish, immature third wheel. I’m all for it.
Serkan apologizing to Eda for Selin, that was big because up til now he hasn’t really recognized how awful Selin is in most situations. He has blinders when it comes to her, mostly because he doesn’t pay attention, so it was satisfying to see him acknowledge her bad behavior.
EVERY MOMENT AT THE BOLAT HOUSE. That was a great sequence, and IMO we mostly have Hande and Kerem to thank for it and not the writers. They brought it to life and obviously a lot of it was on them to just figure out what to do in the scene. I loved that Serkan saw Eda amongst the flowers in that painting. Swoon! their conversation about how they were both hungry was hilarious. Every moment with them fixing the sandwiches was gold and then it just got better from there. With him being willing to share food, to the throwback “mesala” conversation to her listening to his heart. All so... so... good.
However, while we definitely deserved those nice, long, funny, heartwarming scenes, I must say the writers didn’t use them to their fullest potential. How did the night end? How did they part? Why was no progress made after spending the night that way? If the writers were even half decent at their job they would have had Serkan confess some feelings while high, but not remember in the morning thus giving us the parallel with episode 11 when he was sick. Eda would have felt defeated when he didn’t remember, again, and it would have made more sense why she thought the fake wedding was her last shot at getting through to him.
Characters I’m mad at:
Ceren knows the whole episode that Deniz loves Eda, she knows he’s being weird about it, she makes up with Eda, and stills says nothing? WTF?
Engin makes it to the wedding, he knows Serkan has his memories back and he doesn’t stop the wedding to let Eda know before she says yes? WTF?
Ferit allegedly has the photos and he thinks the wedding is real, but he doesn’t show Eda the photos so she has a better idea of what she’s getting into? WTF? (though through that whole Ferit/Selin scene I wondered if Ferit was just playing along with Selin, trying to get info out of her and he’s not really the one who has the photos. Time will tell. )
Selin/Deniz- Obvious, psychos, I need them freaking gone. How Deniz can claim to love Eda, but sit there and watch her look devastated and cry her eyes out at the thought of fake marrying him, while knowing he’s about to pull a disgusting trick is unfathomable. He needs to be committed.
Disappointing:
To be clear, I no longer care, but I can’t believe how badly they flubbed this storyline. That? That was the payoff for the hell we’ve been put through for 7 weeks? Wow talk about not worth it and anti-climactic. I’m not going to go on about all the ways they failed, but I could.
While I fully believe that Serkan fell back in love with Eda before he got his memories back (see this post) he should have confessed to Eda before he got them back. That was the whole point of this entire storyline and they carried that the entire time, but then fumbled the ball at the 1 yard line. Good grief, these writers are bad.
Serkan gets his memories back, he knows time is of the essence, and he still is torn and has to think about it? WHAT? Just no. Ridiculous. I realize they did it for maximum suspense, but they shouldn’t have. They really shouldn’t have.
That was their reunion after all we’ve been through? Come on, writers, step it up. I realize we no longer have the writers that gave us his love declaration in 11 or Eda’s and Serkan’s proposals, or their make up scene in 28 or their goodbye scene in 28, but this was lackluster.
So, in summation, there was a lot that I really enjoyed, I thought the episode flowed better than some of the others in this arc, and lots of great individual Edser moments, it’s just the way they flubbed the whole storyline. I’m just so glad the amnesia is over, that thankfully I don't really care.
Anonymous said: when pushed by engin and aydan multiple times in the episode he never denies he ISN'T in love with her and rather skirts around the issue and deflects with "she's marrying deniz!" which should be proof enough he fell in love with her especially considering in 29 he was telling eda that "there was no such thing as love" between them. it was almost reminiscent of eda in 10/11 where she doesn't tell him her feelings bc she believes he wants selin, this time in reverse bc he believes she's moved on.
This came in response to this ask, and yes I agree. I should have hit that point harder, that Engin and Aydan ask him and he never denies it. When this arc started he would have denied it in a flat second.
He fell in love with her again, full stop. It’s just a shame that they didn’t make it the entire crux of his love confession, we deserved to see that. Just one of the many ways the writers dropped the ball with this storyline.
Anonymous said: The whiplash we got going from 26-28 to the drag of 29-35 though. 🤦🏼♀️ and you really could cut out that entire storyline and you wouldn’t be missing anything because really nothing happened. They didn’t even have Serkan stopping Eda before he got his memories back to fulfill a basic assumed foreshadowing. Like....huh?
I don’t want to be negative, but it’s crazy to me that they sped through wedding prep at a lightning pace and then went through this painful amnesia storyline at a snail’s pace. They should have had at least 5 episodes of wedding prep, doing just one pre-wedding activity per episode, but kept Babaanne around to create the drama. I wanted at least one episode of them back together, but keeping it secret so they could work against her. We were robbed of that!
Anonymous said: I know we’ve been hating a lot on the new writers but the showrunner still has to sign off on these scenes right? And it’s been the same one this whole time. What has she been thinking? Maybe the writers didn’t do their homework but surely she can tell that scenes being very out of character wouldn’t make sense?
Bold of you to assume there’s a showrunner as we know them on a Hollywood show. I assume you’re talking about Asena, but I always think of her more of a cross between an EP and a network exec. A bit more removed than a showrunner. I have no idea who the guiding light of this show is since Ayse left. The production timelines are so tight, I don’t think there’s time to review scripts and reject them. Sometime I think it’s a wonder anything makes sense at all.
Anonymous said: I see you've giffed some of the edser "questionable positions" bookshelf scene. (Awesome gifs btw). Honestly, that entire scene was really funny, with the rest of the art life crew jumping in. Even Selin made me laugh when she came in there and said "how did her hair get stuck?!" and Serkan very sarcastically replied with something like "I wound it up in there, what do you think??" Not to mention all the very close face talking that was going on!
Great scene! Here’s the gif set you’re referring to. I suppose the writers proved they could do fun, and romantically comedic scenes if they want to. More like this, please.
Anonymous said:
With these past 5 (?) episodes with these last set of writers, I truly believe that they did not go back to watch SCK at all before writing. Any past references were probably given to them on a checklist or something. Like I don't know if they even watched episode 28 with how they ended up doing away with the memory loss. Its kind of astounding how much they dropped the ball. Hopefully the rumors of new writers are true and they get enough episodes to give us a good ending to this story!
This came in right after the episode, but unfortunately, we learned today that we are apparently not getting new writers, at least not for episode 36.I was fully convinced we were since Sefkat (the production company twitter admin) liked Yasin’s post when he said we’d be getting all new writers for 36. Normally I don’t believe anything Yasin says because he has lied so many times that any info he actually has just comes across as a clock being right twice a day. However, when she liked it, I found that convincing. Also the way they cancelled shooting on Saturday and H/K were in for a meeting on Friday. Seemed like it was all adding up. We’ll see, maybe there will be new ones for 37??
As for not watching what came before, it certainly feels like they only skimmed and watched certain scenes and didn’t do a deep dive on the series. Watching all the eps in full should be a requirement before they start the job. I always feel they are just off with Serkan’s characterization, they don’t quite get him and they turn him a bit into a cardboard cutout of early Serkan. It’s like the character sketch outline of Serkan, but with no depth.
Anonymous said: When I saw the character description of the new cast member added to the show I was like "great, another possible screen space filler in regards to Aydan" but after watching the episode, I was actually really intrigued by his character. I know there's a bunch of theories out there that Serkan is actually his son, which I don't really buy into right now, but nevertheless he was a real potential to be a father figure in Serkan's life... and maybe the only guest character to not be a villain lol.
I’ll tell you this, that casting makes it seem like they at least want us to think he’s Serkan’s father. He’s way better looking that Alptekin and he just looks like he could genetically be responsible for the magnificence that is Serkan.
We’ll see what they do. I think it could be interesting, just because until Serkan met Eda he was so invested in being “Serkan Bolat” that having his identity shaken like this would be seismic for him. It could create some really good drama for him in all his relationships without tearing apart Edser. Also, if Alptekin knew it would go along way in explaining that relationship. Alptekin always demanding perfection and the cold way he sent him away to boarding school. It would explain why he could never earn his father’s love or approval, and that knowledge might give him some peace.
In addition, and a big plus, it would mean that his biological father was NOT responsible for the deaths of Eda’s parents.
Anonymous said: 1/ everyone for weeks was waxing poetic and had super detailed headcannons of how serkan would remember in really specific ways when he realized he was in love, something that ayfer kinda poked fun of at the beginning of the ep talking about the fake wedding, but i was genuinely laughing out loud at serkan and engin accidently getting into a fight and him yelling throughout it that he remembers and engin pushing him in front going "can you give him one good hit?!" lmaoo
2/ getting a good hit to the end to unscramble your brain that is already giving you flashbacks is more actually more realistic than the usual fairytale way.. sure, less romantic, but definitely more realistic. the man was already in love with her, super confused on what to do since he genuinely thought she was marrying deniz, and was already having flashes, all he really needed was good hit in the head lol. maybe eda should've kept going when they were boxing 😂
I like your take on it.
Anonymous said: i think they saw the fandom complaining week after week that there was too much heaviness/drama in their romcom and said "so you guys want romcom? here i'll give you full on romcom" which is what i thought this episode was! and i really appreciated such a fun ep overall to watch to bring this otherwise really sad and emotion heavy memory loss plot to an end.
Yes, the episode was a lot more fun than most that had come before it. If only they could have tied it all together.
Anonymous said: Something that just occurred to me that's so crazy in addition to wrapping an episode days before it airs, is that in Turkish television, a series has like 1 permanent director and a small writing team that writes ALL of the episodes. In US TV, that's pretty much unheard of - different writers rotate owning each episode and the same director will shoot maybe 2-3 episodes at most a season. The production turnaround time is so short that it's insane that we don't hear of more last-minute delays
I know, I think about this all the time. It’s crazy to me that there’s only one director. Which is why there’s not a lot of added layers to this show. When a director just has one episode on their plate and they spend a couple of weeks prepping to direct, every shot, every angle, every bit of set dressing can be meaningful. This show doesn’t have that kind of visual depth. On the other hand you do get a director that knows the actors and crew inside and out and they all have a short hand which allows them to get to what they want faster and easier. That can’t be replicated with directors who come in for one episode.
Anonymous said: Over the past month or so, I’ve been seeing so many people cancel Serkan and wanting Eda to leave him forever and move away, but she really never gave up on him and she might finally get him back this week 😭 in fact, Eda and Melo are the only people we’ve seen who have tried to help get his memories back! Everyone who has been friendly to Selin can disinvite themselves to the Edser wedding
I’m glad I didn’t see a bunch of this nonsense myself. But, honestly, anyone who wants Eda to leave and not end up with Serkan... why are they watching this show to begin with? Did they take a wrong turn somewhere? How did they last this long watching it? We’re 35 episode in and this entire show is their love story, beyond that story and it being a vehicle to showcase Hande and Kerem’s awesome chemistry, it really doesn’t offer many other reasons to watch.
And yes to jettisoning anyone who was friendly with Selin. PIRIL I’M LOOKING AT YOU. I sure hope Piril finds out exactly how low Selin will sink. She needs to feel ashamed for welcoming her back without question.
Anonymous said: That fragman for ep 36...part of me wants to hope that it will all be solved pretty soon, since we got edser separated for so long we deserved them together now. But part of me also knows these writers suck so I’m expecting the worst. I just wanted edser together again 😭
I know. When I saw the full fragman my initial reaction was to yell “WHY CAN’T WE HAVE NICE THINGS!!!!!!!” But I’ve calmed down now.
It seems to me that we have Serkan and Eda together and working together to figure this mess out, which is good. we have romantic walks on the pier, and Eda spending the night at his place and a sweet breakfast setting with Eda in jammies. All good.
But then we also have Selin and Deniz refusing to quit. Selin comes up with the plan that if Deniz doesn’t sign the papers in time, then they will have to get a divorce which means Eda can’t marry for 300 days. So then, what? Deniz steals Serkan’s car and goes on the run?
What they hope to accomplish with this, I don’t know. Because even if they succeed and Serkan and Eda can’t get married right away, it’s not like they’ll just magically decide that they want to be with those two psychos instead. I can see Selin doing it just for revenge so she can make them miserable, but what’s Deniz’ motivation? The further psycho he goes, the worse Eda will think of him. Bizarre.
As for the pregnancy thing. It sounds like Eda must hear that from someone. My money is on Deniz. That’s his Hail Mary to try and drive a wedge between Serkan and Eda. Because seemingly when Eda brings it up, Selin asks where did you hear that. Also, phew, Eda says right away that if its true that Sekan deserves to know, which hopefully will clear things up (because the writers showed us over and over and over again that they weren’t sleeping in the same bed) and it will show Serkan just what kind of crazy he’s dealing with.
Anonymous said: I was pretty excited after watching the fragman, but surprised when I went on twitter and saw that almost everyone was really upset by it. I’m sure most people know Selin isn’t actually pregnant, but they all still somehow hate the storyline (possibly bc they think it’ll drive edser apart?) idk am I crazy for thinking that we’ll still get good edser moments and them staying together and fighting together? I guess the show needs drama to continue but I’m not mad because I think good edser will outweigh bad/miscommunication edser.
I’m sure we’ll get good Edser moments, but I can’t really fault anyone for being extremely annoyed by this fragman. I think this little plot point will end up not being a big deal at all, however, I can see how it feels like a kick in the face after what we’ve been through the last 7 episodes. It’s like can we get one happy episode? Just one?
Also it’s just very uncomfortable. I’m in the camp that currently thinks it’s impossible for her to be pregnant because they haven’t slept together. He was too fragile and injured before they came back to Istanbul (sleeping on the couch with his PTSD) and after he was too confused and consumed by Eda and just uninterested in Selin. I have to believe they kept showing us them not spending the night in the same place for a reason.
However, if they were to have had sex, it’s very unsettling because it’s a little too close to him not being able to give consent. It’s Rape by Deception. He had a brain injury, amnesia, was suffering a myriad of traumas and was not in his right mind. He did not have the full set of facts on where their relationship stood, but she did (she knew he wanted nothing to do with her and told her he never loved her and didn’t even want to be friends) and instead of being honest she abused him. She lied to him. She didn’t tell him the truth about what had happened. She isolated him from anyone who could tell him the truth and manipulated him into thinking that she was the only person in the world he could trust and the person he loved and trusted most was untrustworthy and an enemy.
However, as the audience we know the things she’d done in the past to abuse his trust, and we know for certain if he remembered, he would never consent to sleep with her. Never. So even beyond the cheating and the romance it would rob us of if they did have sex, it’s ICKY and GROSS and none of us want to even think of it. I don’t expect TV writers in Turkey to be on the forefront of thought when it comes to issues of consent, so I’d rather this door just not be opened at all.
But here we are, they opened it. Now all we can do it hope that it is a device to hear Serkan say that it isn’t impossible and for Selin to be fully exposed as completely unbalanced and a lying, manipulator.
Anonymous said: the fandom by use of sheer will forced this selin plot line into existence LOL. i swear since the beginning of the memory plot in 29, the "selin will lie to eda she's pregnant" rumor has been constantly making rounds, and i guess it's time to cash in. i will say that i've seen ppl thinking know that somehow serkan and her were intimate even though she's clearly lying.. guys, if there was even a POSSIBILITY she would've used this way back before now and would have told everyone, including serkan.
I agree with this. If this was a card she could play with Serkan, she’d play it. She’s been getting more and more desperate. And in the fragman there she is coming up with ways for Deniz to run away so he can’t sign the papers. If there was something she could hold over Serkan, she would, She’s not because then the con would be up, we’ll just have to wait and see how big of a lie she’s willing to tell.
Anonymous said: I wonder if Selin was a spy when she was younger! That woman is always watching everything from her car! Even in the new trailer.
Ha! Let’s hope that in the end she’s not a very good spy and they finally get one over on her. Oh please oh please oh please let the stable boy be the one who has the photos and let him have more on her. I want there to be tons of photos of her in her car spying on them. That would be so humiliating for her.
Seriously, though, who knows what happened to Selin to make her the way she is. Frankly, I don’t think my assessment of her has really changed (most of my old posts on her are tagged with “anti Selin”) She’s just a spoiled, selfish, entitled brat who thinks she should get anything and everything she wants. If she wants Serkan, she should have him, doesn’t matter what he wants or who she hurts, she’ll do whatever she has to do to make that happen. She was probably never told no as a child. So when she’s thwarted she thinks she’s entitled to whatever reaction she wants to have, if that’s ruining other people’s lives, so be it. No one can be happy if she’s not.
#Sen Çal Kapımı#Sen Cal Kapimi#Edser#sck episode discussion#sck speculation#sckask#asklizac#sck 1x35#sck 1x36#anonymous
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A Ride to Remember (Estela x MC)
Main Pairings: Estela x (f)MC
Summary: Endless Ending. As Estela continues to help Taylor along her road to recovery after freeing Vaanu's essence, she shares with her a bittersweet part of her life in San Trobida.
Word Count: 3255
Chronology: carries on from ‘The New Taylor’, precedes ‘Inheritance’.
Tagging: @saivilo, @edgydepressedchoicesthot, @sceptilemasterr, @greengroove
“Okay, sit naturally, with your back straight, and I’ll adjust the stirrups to the right length.”
Taylor shifted her position on a small, grey horse until she was comfortable. “Well, I’m up, and I haven’t fallen off yet, so I guess that’s a good start.”
Estela chuckled as she fiddled with the saddle. “We’ll take it slow. It’s good for your core strength and your balance, which will be really important for you. I read that it’s actually helpful for your circulation and for relaxing . The movements should sort of gently work your joints and muscles, and I think your spine too. As low-impact exercise, it’s pretty hard to beat-- unless you fall off.”
“I’ll just… try and avoid that, then.” Taylor patted the horse’s neck, swallowing her nerves. She’d ridden a freaking yeti; this should be a piece of cake. “Pepper here is the friendly one, right?”
“Ha. Right. Better him than this asshole,” Estela said, while, as if on cue, the dark bay horse she was beside made to take a chunk out of her. Reflexively, she moved out of the way. “They call this one ‘Miel’. It means ‘honey’, which is exactly what she’s not.”
“You know, I’m seeing that. I’m guessing she’s the one who threw you back when you were a kid?”
“Of course. I’m sure it’s a memory she treasures.”
A little laugh made Taylor relax into her seat. This outing had been coming for a few days; her physical recovery had been going well, thanks in a large part to her very attentive and encouraging personal trainer. Taylor could feel the progress taking place within her body; something that she’d not long ago feared had stalled. There was a way to go yet, but… the climb to get there no longer felt insurmountable. Putting the focus on complete relaxation and actually getting some undisturbed sleep had done wonders.
Estela clicked her tongue, and as Miel moved forward, Taylor gave Pepper a little squeeze.
“Okay, buddy. I’ve got this.”
The movement beneath her took a little getting used to, but as Taylor sat straight, she realised that her core really had been strengthened in those past weeks. No doubt she’d be tired by the end of the ride, but for someone who just a couple of months ago couldn’t even sit up by herself, this was an achievement.
Estela grinned. “If you do fall off, I’ll try and throw some ninja moves so I can jump down and catch you.”
“Hahaha. You are absolutely hilarious. This is a cakewalk.” Let’s just keep it at a walk though. To be safe.
“I know. Nothing you can’t handle.” Estela brought her horse so she was walking parallel with Taylor’s. It was wonderfully weird to see her wife out here in the San Trobidan countryside even after all these weeks. But now, it could never be home if Taylor wasn’t there. “There are a few different tracks I used to take from here; we’ll probably get around to a couple more before we head back to La Huerta, but I figured the shortest trail is probably our best bet for now. There’s a really nice lookout spot in this one as well, so you can take a break if you need it.”
The trail meandered through thick primary forest, the shade of canopy bringing a drop in temperature that could be felt in an instant. All was quiet but for the calls of birds and the steady plodding of hoofbeats. That this could exist in a place so war-ravaged was startling to Taylor, and she could quite imagine how such a slither of peace could become a lifeline.
“You used to come out riding here a lot?”
“Yes,” Estela said. “It was one of the few useful things I could do when I was a kid. Seňor Ruiz loved these horses, but when he became involved in the war, he didn’t have as much time for them. When I was about twelve, and then… pretty much until Mom died, I kept the horses exercised and groomed, and Tio would get me off his back. Mom was quite friendly with Seňor Ruiz as well; she used to do this with me whenever she had the time. Obviously, with everything that was going on, I mostly felt like I was trapped. Riding was freeing. There were trails off the beach and up into the hills; I could disappear for hours. Sometimes I needed that. To just take those hours away from a world that seemed to be falling down around me.”
“I’ll bet. It must have felt like a whole different world out here. Has it changed a lot? Everything else seems to have changed so much for you… this place looks like it’s never been touched.”
“It’s the same. I could probably take another shot at jumping that log if I was so inclined.”
“So you didn’t stubbornly come back and try again?”
Estela’s eyes sparkled at the tease. She shrugged her shoulders. “It was a way off where I usually ride. But, yeah, I did jump it later. Not on Miel, though-- on Pepper. I’m stubborn, not an idiot.”
Taylor laughed. This wasn’t so hard. She had a distinct feeling that her butt and thighs would be killing her the next day, but it was enjoyable. At the slow pace, her body relaxed into it.
“But, no. This part hasn’t changed a bit. It’s stupid, but it makes me feel sad. Everything is as it should be, except my mother isn’t in the picture. This was her thing. What she did to unwind.”
The mood changed, taking a turn for melancholy. Estela winced apologetically. It wasn’t fair on Taylor; this was supposed to be about her recovery, not looking backwards.
“I’m… guessing you haven’t done this… since your mom died?”
“No. No, I couldn’t. To begin with, it would have been too painful. Then I’d managed to push myself into rebellion, and if I wasn’t helping-- really helping, this time--, I was training my mind and body so that I could take my revenge on Rourke.” She looked back at Taylor with a bittersweet smile, sorrow still lingering behind her eyes. “I didn’t realise how much I’ve actually missed doing this.
“Thank you for sharing it with me. It really means a lot. I feel like, slowly, I’m being woven into the tapestry of the real world… and it’s because of you; what you’ve given me. I know so much of it is painful, but you’ve not held back from me--”
“I want to feel your touch over every part of me. You know that, right?” Estela flushed a little, but didn’t avert her eye contact. Taylor’s gaze was full of love, and she returned it. “It makes it all easier to bear. And this kind of intimacy helps you, then… it’s important.”
“Yeah, I know. Just… I appreciate you letting me be that person.”
Estela’s lips curved to a smile. She didn’t need to be thanked, not for that. “I love you, Taylor.”
“I love you too.”
Coming out at the other end of the thickest part of the forest, the sun was blinding. A downed tree had cleared all that stood in its wake, and now made for an easy post to which the horses could be tied. Having offered both horses a piece of apple, Estela helped Taylor join her atop the vast log so they could enjoy the view over the jungle-fringed coastline.
“Wow. It really is beautiful.”
“It is,” Estela said wistfully, staring out into a hauntingly familiar horizon. “It’s kind of a miracle it is still as untouched as it is. Around a lot of the edges of the forest, it’s all been destroyed. Of course, people would go into the forest to hide-- I know my mother and I did. When people are scared for their lives, why should they care about protecting a few trees? But a lot of it’s still okay. Us and the jungles. We’ll rebuild and get stronger.”
She frowned. Maybe something could be done to help. The resources available to Aleister through Rourke International could do a world of good here. It was difficult to bring up. Something would be asked for in return, something Estela was adamant she wouldn’t-- couldn’t-- give. As much as she fought it, though, she felt the burden of responsibility. If it could be as simple as taking Aleister and Grace out here and showing them why her home was special…. That time was coming soon.
“It’s weird to think, in just a few days we’re going to have Aleister and Grace here. Worlds colliding all over again.”
It wouldn’t be just a friendly visit. She’d had Aleister badgering her far too long for that to be the case. She knew. He had a burden to force upon her, as if sharing it would somehow distance himself from Rourke. As if cold, unfeeling money could in any way ease the suffering that had been caused. Aleister could take guidance about righting his father’s wrongs without tethering Estela to that name. After all that company had taken, it owed her that much.
“Hey,” Taylor said soothingly, her voice as gentle as the expression in her blue eyes. “They care about us, about you. Whatever conversations anyone might want to have, no one can force your hand. Only an incredibly stupid person would try, and that’s neither of them. They just want to be here for you.”
Only because of my blood. As soon as the thought came to her, Estela pushed it away stubbornly. However she thought about Aleister’s intentions for Rourke International and that blasted fortune, she did know that both he and Grace cared for her. And they cared for Taylor. And Jake. They must do, for it would take a brave person indeed to be in Aleister’s shoes and face an introduction to one Nicolas Montoya.
“I’ll have to tell Tio some more nice stories before then. I don’t know if my ‘warts and all’ approach to sharing our experiences on La Huerta have painted my poor half-brother in the best light.”
At that, Taylor chuckled darkly. Meeting the approval of Tio Nicolas had been a mighty intimidating feat to take on, albeit worth it a thousand times over. “Aleister did so much to keep you safe in the fallout, even under threat of your wrath. I think Tio of all people could appreciate what a challenge that must have been.”
“I’m lucky to have so many people looking out for me,” Estela said quietly. Then, as if she had no control over it, her tone became harsh, defensive. “But I don’t need looking after. Not with anything from Rourke.”
Taylor looked at Estela with aching affection, and saw it returned, the storm clouds clearing under a tender gaze.
“I’m doing it again,” Estela said sheepishly.
“Yeah. And it’s okay.” Taylor took her wife’s arm and held her. There was a whole lot Estela was working through right now, and she would not have her do it alone. “Maybe you could use a date with that old punching bag.”
Estela exhaled heavily. “That thing’ll be a pile of frayed string by the time I’m done with it.” She leaned closer, touching her forehead to Taylor’s, closing her eyes. It’s okay. You’re in this together. Look how far you’ve both come already? “You are amazing, you know? Taylor. You really are.”
“On a good day,” Taylor chuckled. Her whole life had been an erratic ride of peaks and troughs, of glorious highs and despairing lows. It hadn’t suddenly become easy once the world was restored and she was home with her soulmate.
“On a bad day, you’re even more,” Estela said solemnly. “You never give in.” She blushed slightly. “It’s one of the things I loved about you first.”
Taylor came away so she could press a gentle kiss to Estela’s nose. “And you still loved me when I could barely leave my bed. When I had no freaking control over my bladder,” she laughed. “And I couldn’t have sex without falling asleep after five minutes. It’s… starting to feel like we’ve made it. It’s like our future is actually possible. I don’t have a damn clue what it’s gonna be, but it’s gonna be us.”
“Yes. You and me, forever.” Estela took Taylor’s face in her hands, and brought her in for a deep and lingering kiss. God, Taylor; I’d go through every heartache a thousand times over for a day with you, a day like this. “Come on, mi amor,” she said airily as she came away, riding that wonderful high. “It’s about time those old horses got some real exercise. Let’s take them down into the sea.”
“Oh god, why do I feel like I’m about to get really wet?”
Estela smirked. “You better hold on tight, then.”
_________________________
2011
The bay horse, Miel, flicked her ears back, responding to the tension feeding from the young woman atop her back.
“You expect me to want to leave… to just turn my back on everything that’s happening here. What if I refuse?”
“You’re a minor, Estela. You could dig your heels in and refuse to leave, but your uncle won’t make a revolutionary out of a fifteen year old girl. Nicolas wants you out of here as much as I do.”
Estela bit back a retort. No, he doesn’t. He would let me be useful. “I thought you cared about this place… these people.”
“Don’t.” That tone of voice didn’t come out very often, but even Estela knew better than to argue with it. “My child being killed in this war won’t make things better. You are bright, and determined, and compassionate. I won’t have your light snuffed out before it even has a chance to shine.” Olivia shook her head. “You are too precious. To me, and to all you care about. You finish your education, you grow and you learn, and then you will have more to offer. Then, it will be your choice. But while you are a child in my care, I need you have faith in my judgement.”
How, when it’s taking you away from me? Estela chewed on her lower lip,fighting to keep her tears at bay. Who would make you smile when you had the whole world in your shoulders?
Olivia must have felt the emotion in her daughter, for her voice trembled when she spoke. “The thought of being away from you is… torture. I don’t know how I’m even going to breathe knowing you’re so far away, knowing that the violence here could escalate at any time. But I have to do this, mija. I would not put us through this if it wasn’t desperate. But it is, and I am. If working on Rourke’s island for a year means that you come through this all, alive, there is no question.”
“I’ll miss you, Mami.”
“I know, Estelita. Mi preciosa. But we’ll get through this. One week at a time, and I won’t ever let you forget that my heart is home with you.”
Choking on the lump in her throat, Estela spluttered a sob, and roughly wiped tears from her eyes. “We’ll get through this,” she murmured weakly. This will pass. She had to believe it, she had to try,for it was all that would keep aching loneliness from taking root in her heart. For everything her tio was fighting for, she’d be strong. For her mother, she’d be even stronger.
“Come now, my star.” Olivia reached and stroked her daughter’s face, tenderly caressing away the tear-tracks that Estela’s harsh brushing had left behind. She cupped her cheeks and chin, adoring her. “If these are the memories I’m taking away with me, I’m going to need to see your beautiful smile.”
What is there to smile about--?
“Mija, this is our time. You and me, holding on together. So, I’m going to race you. One end of Cala Paraisa to the other. I’m not going anywhere with you under the delusion that your mother can’t leave you in the dust.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m sorry you’re gonna be stuck on that island, stewing in the knowledge that I kicked your ass out here.”
Olivia scoffed exaggeratedly. There it was; there was her smile. “Fighting words!” She petted the grey horse’s neck. “What do you think, Pepper? We can take them?”
With a roll of her eyes, Estela clicked her tongue, encouraging Miel to walk forwards. This hurt. This really hurt. But her mother was right; they couldn’t let this time be taken from them. This was theirs.
“I think you and your horse are dreaming. We start at that driftwood-- are you ready?”
The still of the quiet cove gave way to the pounding of hooves and the whoops and hollers of mother and daughter at play. One last time.
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Helloo i saw a tweet you made saying you recently watched a bunch of gay animes and i was wondering if you could perhaps make a list and post them on twitter? I'm always looking for anime to watch and i know your tastes align with mine. If it isn't too much of a bother perhaps? I hope you have loveky days!!!❤❤❤❤
Hey friend! I put off answering this, sorry, because my answers tend to be unnecessarily long and I was v tired when I got the original message. But if you’re still interested, here’s a lil rundown of some of what I’ve been watching/reading. In reference to this tweet, where I was watching a show that definitely isn’t gay but is kinda gay if you just squint the tiniest bit, which I’ve gotten used to doing.
If you follow me on twitter, most of these proooobably won’t be new? But I talk about/RT things on a scattered basis, so maybe there are some you haven’t checked out yet.
So, the canonical gay! I’m only going to list the ones I liked and/or remember most - my Quest For Gay Anime started two years ago, and I watched pretty much everything I could get my hands on, but at that point, there were only a few I loved enough to rewatch/buy/recommend. The list has gotten a little longer since then, unfortunately for my attention span and wallet.
(I’ll be honest, a lot of the really popular/older BL have too many consent issues for my tastes - I understand the context and all that, and no hate on anyone who loves stories that didn’t particularly appeal to me. But I’m including this note cause (a) if I don’t put a really well-known BL anime on this list that’s probably why (b) I’m gonna drop in a few that toe that line but I’ll try to include warnings where relevant.)
ANIME FAVES
DOUKYUSEI (Classmates)
This is kinda where it all started. I saw a tweet going around with a trailer for a very soft, lovely movie about two boys falling in love, and I thought whaaaaat an actual gay story? Where they kiss? And I don’t have to just imagine it??
Still one of my top faves. It’s beautifully animated - like filming watercolors? It always makes me feel languid and happy. The story and characters are realistic, in a very kind, hopeful way, as these two navigate starting a relationship that neither of them expected. It’s available on Amazon video - I own a digital copy there, hah, as well as the physical blu-ray, because I watch it often enough to want both.
I also recommend the manga, although I’ve only recently discovered that apparently the story did not end after the first three volumes, so I can only recommend that far. (I’ve heard it, unfortunately, gets angstier, and it’s still incomplete? The first three volumes feel complete to me, so I’m happy to leave it there if so.)
The movie pretty much covers the first manga volume - it’s a very accurate page-to-screen translation - and there’s some really wonderful relationship building and exploration of family dynamics in the next two volumes.
HITORIJIME MY HERO (My Very Own Hero)
Another huge favorite that I have literally watched like 30 times at this point. Two gay couples, double the fun, although this pairing is by far my favorite.
I’ll direct you to my very long post on this topic for more information, but the short version is:
Warning: there is an age gap and student/teacher relationship, but it’s treated very thoughtfully and is directly addressed as part of the story. They have to navigate through how to make their relationship work (issues with friends, coworkers, society). And they didn’t meet as student/teacher - it’s a lot more complicated, with some fantastic family dynamics. There’s a lot of angst to Setagawa’s backstory that makes you really appreciate the happiness and love he finds with Kousuke & his whole family. (Many more details in my watch-this-anime post.)
The series is 12 episodes long, with a WONDERFUL (happy) ending that makes me cry LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE TIME. Gosh I love this show a lot. It packs some serious feels - I cry, I laugh, I cry again, but for happy reasons.
It’s from a manga, but I do not recommend the manga. The manga falls into a lot of the tropes that I personally don’t like; I think the anime does a much better job of tackling the complexity of their story and treating these two with the thoughtful nuance they deserve.
Can be found on Amazon; I bought the blu-ray, and it’s one of the exceedingly rare cases where I love both the sub and the dub. There are slight differences in translation that really makes it worth watching both.
GIVEN
Wow, this one. Available on Crunchyroll, 11 episodes with a movie coming soon.
It’s newer to my list, and it’s really, really good. I’ve only read the first two volumes of the manga so far (with two more on preorder), because tbh I have trouble reading scanlations online and find it a lot more enjoyable to just wait for the official translations in paperback form.
So far the anime lines up pretty closely with the manga, so I do recommend both, although at this point I enjoy the anime more - partly because of some of the choices they make in rearranging/expanding scenes, and partly because it’s a story about a band, so it makes a huge difference to be able to actually hear the music.
And Mafuyu’s song is worth it. Wow. I listened to it on repeat for like two weeks after the episode first aired.
Uenoyama (the dark-haired stern-looking heart-of-gold character, I have a type), is my favorite. He is a MASSIVE disaster gay, and a lot of his scenes are absolutely hilarious. The dynamics between the characters aren’t what you’d expect - it’s amazing to watch the seemingly quiet Mafuyu come out of his shell and display his true personality - and there’s some really gritty, emotional material, too.
What’s fascinating about this one is that there are parallel stories going on about past loves and heartbreak, and how truly loving (and losing) someone doesn’t mean you can’t find happiness again.
(Warning and a spoiler: there is a suicide that happens before this story starts - Mafuyu’s ex-boyfriend - and while nothing about it is graphic, that event is central to Mafuyu’s story, so there are some weighty episodes. It ultimately leads to him meeting Uenoyama and joining the band. And finding himself again.)
The movie’s gonna focus more on the secondary couple, but I’m still excited to see more of them! And...more angst, I imagine, but hopefully a lot more happiness as well.
SARAZANMAI
Okay, fair warning: this show is weird.
I think if you’re familiar with Japanese folklore, particularly kappas, you might have a much better intro than I did, but considering the creator laughed about how much they got away with by hiding the weirder parts of the story during the initial pitch, I...am not sure about that.
It’s weird but I liked it a lot. I’m not even going to attempt to explain it in the space available here, but the wiki page has a decent summary if you’re curious before diving in.
The very, very condensed version is that the main characters are three middle school boys who get turned into kappas by the kappa prince, who sends them on missions to retrieve “dishes of hope” every episode. In the process, they learn more about themselves and each other, since each time they complete one of these missions, it results in one of their big secrets being spilled to the others.
I like the main trio (and there’s a gay subplot there, too, where one of the boys is in love with his best friend but doesn’t know how to tell him), but I started watching the show because of the “villains,” Reo and Mabu. They have a deeply angsty backstory that you don’t get to until the last couple episodes. Up until then, they have a transformation sequence every episode that ... yes, gets repetitive, Miraculous Ladybug-style, but I still sat and watched, entranced, every time.
One of the things I like about this anime is that while it is very, very gay, it’s not about being gay. It’s a fantasy story where several characters just happen to be gay. As much as I love romance (which the rest of these recs definitely have been), I like being able to see gay people (or kappas...) in different genres, just existing.
And if you can’t get into the show (11 episodes, available on Crunchyroll), there’s a spinoff manga about Reo and Mabu being disaster dads to a baby girl they find on a dish in the middle of the street. I think it’s a human AU (kinda?), but it’s super sweet and funny and I liked it a lot.
THE BETRAYAL KNOWS MY NAME
Okay, so this was an early favorite, and I rewatched it recently and laughed a lot about how massively dramatic it is, but I don’t care, I’m still into it.
We’re skirting the edge of “canon gay” here, because you never get an on-screen kiss, and it’s technically a shoujo manga. But...it was at the top of a lot of BL lists when I was first hunting for good stuff to watch, and the relationship between Yuki and Luka is deeply romantic (and achingly piningly good) and central to the story.
The title’s linked to one of Luka’s frequent lines: “I will never betray you,” which he earnestly tells Yuki at every opportunity he gets. Luka is an extremely powerful demon, and Yuki is part of an immortal (via reincarnation) clan that hunts demons. But in Yuki’s past life, they fell in love.
Yuki was, at that point and in previous lives, a woman, but something changed this time around: he was reborn as a man, and without any of his memories.
Luka, who waited for Yuki to be reincarnated so they could be together again, still remembers and still loves him. But he keeps his devotion on Yuki’s terms, refusing to force the memory of a relationship that Yuki might have wanted to forget.
There’s one particularly great scene where the leader of Yuki’s clan asks Luka if anything has changed - if they can still rely on Luka to stay by Yuki’s side and be his protector. “They have the same soul,” Luka says. Gender doesn’t matter. He loves Yuki. He’ll always love Yuki.
And Yuki, though he doesn’t remember loving Luka, begins to slowly, inevitably, fall in love again.
The anime is 24 episodes - while it doesn’t fully close out the story, it does have some closure, or at least a solid sense of an upcoming happy ending. (I own the DVD; I don’t think the show is currently available to watch online.)
There’s also a manga, which is beautifully illustrated, wow, the sheer level of detail in this blows me away. Which, unfortunately, was way too much work to maintain at that level and ultimately destroyed the author’s health, so the last few volumes get shorter and shorter and the story trickles to an unsatisfying conclusion.
I still love it a lot, though, and it’s another example of establishing a great relationship within the context of a much larger story - a sweeping, complicated fantasy epic.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Those are my primary favorites, unless I’m forgetting anything (and for the purposes of this post, I’m leaving out things like Tiger & Bunny and Promare, which are very gay and embraced as such by the creators but also not something I’m comfortable including in a Definitely Canonically Gay, You Won’t Ever Be Disappointed By Future Reveals list). If I have the energy, I might make another post like this for those kinds of stories.
But there are a few others that I enjoyed, if not enough to buy copies of or collect merch for. These include:
No. 6
Dystopian, so definitely very dark and kind of visually disturbing in places (for instance, people rotting from mystery infections). There’s a central m/m romance and one kiss, but the ending is kind of an open one without a super happy conclusion. It doesn’t have high rewatch value for me - I’ve only ever watched it once and don’t really feel inclined to go back - but it's got good storytelling and is worth viewing.
Kizuna Koi No Kara Sawagi (Much Ado About Nothing OVA)
That last bit of the title is important to get you to the correct OVA, since there are different variations of this story. It’s been a long time since I tried the main anime, but I did not like it - I had major issues with its story, particularly with the sexual assault plotline. I did, however, love the OVA and have recommended it to people as something that can be watched independently.
There's still a little dodgy content in it (as with a lot of things in the BL genre), but it's mostly a lovely established relationship story with a lot of bittersweet feels, with flashbacks to how the couple got together.
It’s necessarily a "happy" story either, though, because they're in a loving, committed relationship in a society where they can't be open about that, and it takes a toll. They're doing their best to work through the difficulties together.
Ai no Kusabi
SERIOUS WARNINGS FOR THIS ONE.
It's about a society with "Blondies" as the elite ruling class and dark-haired "Mongrels" from the slums. There's slavery, plus some serious sexual consent issues...which I found extra prevalent in the newer version (prettier animation but much more cringey on the content).
The 90s version has rougher animation but a more interesting story. The relationship is still not necessarily healthy, but it reads as a lot more of a forbidden love BDSM relationship.
Even so, the ending is SUPER unhappy. I cannot emphasize that enough. I was watching all these things on my own without any warnings, so this one hit me really hard, and I couldn't stop thinking about it for days after. I’m not sure if I'd watch it again, but I've had interesting conversations with others who did.
I guess what I liked about it is that it’s a very different kind of story - and like I said earlier, it’s nice to have variety in genres. As long as every story isn’t dark and tragic, it’s worthwhile to sometimes experience ones that are told well. And weirdly (since this is not something I would watch with my family) it reminded me to some extent of the movies I grew up with - the 80s and early 90s had a lot of dark sci-fi, and my family really loved watching them, so there’s something...nostalgic about how disturbing it is? Thanks parents. At least this one’s gay.
Gakuen Heaven
To pull us back from the darker content, here’s one that I guess was adapted from a dating computer game. As far as I can remember, it was pretty free of cw; fun but not as emotionally engaging as some of the others. It’s pretty much just a fluffy story about a boys’ school on an island with a mystery plot and a romance.
MANGA RECS
I sprinkled some manga recs alongside the relevant anime, but here are a few others that I’ve only experienced in book form. (I’ve got one on my nightstand right now that I need to read, but if it’s good I’ll just update this post I guess, I’ve put this reply off for long enough.)
OUR DINING TABLE
Unlike a lot of the other manga I’ve read, this is a single volume, which means it has a nice, solid conclusion that wraps everything up wonderfully and doesn’t leave you any room to worry that the author will insert unnecessary drama down the line. (That’s an issue, ok? It happens a lot.)
A very soft, sweet romance that’s actually a lot more about building family - which is something that hugely appeals to me. Highly recommend. Loved it, bought it, will definitely reread it. I’d love to see it eventually made into a movie, like Doukyusei.
MY BROTHER’S HUSBAND
This is a hefty book - I ordered it after seeing a joke-tweet about the live action adaptation (which I haven’t been able to find to watch online). I was surprised by the size of the book but even more (pleasantly!) surprised by its contents. I’m not familiar with the author’s other works, although I’ve heard this is the uh....softest and sweetest of his writing. It’s honestly way more uplifting and healing than I was expecting.
Again, it’s largely about family: a quiet, very private Japanese dad dealing with a visit from his deceased (estranged) twin’s extroverted and cheery Canadian husband. This could go down some very dark paths, but it really doesn’t...there are some smatterings of homophobia mixed in, since that’s sort of the point, but there’s a lot of wonderful self-discovery and building new family bonds.
OUR DREAMS AT DUSK
Oh man. This series. Irene Koh (Legend of Korra comics illustrator) recommended it on twitter, and I picked up the first volume from my library and then could not stop. All four volumes are now out in official translations, and they’re so, so good.
These are definitely on the more realistic side - less of an idealized, prejudice-free view of the world, with more of an accurate picture of what it’s like to be not-straight in Japan.
And I phrase it that way because there’s a lot of variety in the characters in these books. The main character is gay - just coming to terms with the fact that he is, because life would be so much easier if he didn’t have a crush on the hot guy at school.
Content warning: it gets so bad at school, in fact, that he starts out the book planning to commit suicide. It’s dark. But it gets much better, and by the final volume he’s grown so much in his confidence and sense of self-worth - because he becomes a part of a community of other people who teach him that it’s okay to be himself.
And all the other storylines are wonderful. Some of the other characters you get to know include a trans guy, an ace woman, two girls who (spoilers!) get married in the fourth volume, and a much older gay guy who’s been with his partner for several decades.
It’s not a fluffy story - there’s some really tough material throughout, and people aren’t always nice, even the ones you really, really want to be - but they also learn and work hard at communicating with each other. I think these are pretty extraordinary books. Beautiful and heartbreaking but also deeply affirming.
#anime recs#manga recs#long post#I'm sure I've forgotten something oh well I'll just do a follow up post#sorry for the slow reply anon#Anonymous
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Thoughts on New World Cross-Z
I don’t really know what to say. I expected this movie to be a disaster (because of the reviews I read when it was screened in Japan) and, while I don’t like every writing choice and some scenes felt a tad too clumsy, all in all it was fairly enjoyable. It certainly could have been better, but it also could have been worse. Much worse.
Banjou! I’m glad he was allowed to be his silly self throughout the movie. He’s such a lovable character! I didn’t like that one scene from Yui’s flashback that much, but I guess it had to be done like that to highlight Banjou’s growth. Then again, I’m not a big fan of movies repeating what we’ve already seen in the show (Sento’s identity crisis in Be The One or Banjou’s growth here), but I like the characters well enough to shrug it off and enjoy the movie anyway.
Sento! Oh. He was so, so sad in this movie. And… that’s normal, really. In the first scene Banjou brings up the fact that their fiends can’t remember them, then Killbas shows up and steals his driver, then he has to experiment on Banjou and put his life in danger, and then he worries about Banjou while he’s fighting Killbas (I guess Sento now understands how Misora feels like, huh?). At least, in the end, and thanks to Misora, he understood that this world still needs him. I’m still a bit “eh…” about the scene where he hands Yui Banjou’s power-up. As I said in this post, I understand the reasoning both in-universe (he wants Yui to see how much of a hero Banjou really is) and out-universe (Sento is meant to be a secondary character and can’t steal the new characters’ spotlight. If Sento were in the battlefield with Yui instead of chilling at home, Evolt would have probably attacked him instead of Yui), but I think it was a clumsy scene all the same. But not bad enough for me to wonder why it was like that, so… once again, it could have been worse.
Yui! Wow, I read back in the day so, so, soooo many complaints about her that I expected the worst (a tsundere,,,,,,,). Glad to be wrong, of course; she was pretty decent and it was easy to see why she behaved the way she did at first. Her suddenly falling for Banjou felt a bit… weird and rushed, but as I’ve said several times by now: it could have been worse. I dislike the notion of a female character existing just to be a love interest (and a man’s ~reward~, at that), but Yui at least was given a background and a personality, not to mention I find it hard to believe the ship is canon when the last scene is like that. This doesn’t mean they won’t end up dating in the next movie (although I don’t think they’re hiring Nagao -Yui’s actress- for a cameo, and making BanYui canon offscreen would be a bit anticlimatic) or in the novel, even. To be honest, I didn’t really mind the hug+kiss scene, and Kazumin’s reaction to it was amusing. The “best match” joke was what I liked the least (and a comment Akaso made makes me believe he didn’t like it either). I agree with people who think the movie tried, at least to some extent, to replace Sento with Yui. The “normal” thing would have been to draw parallels, if anything, between Yui and Kasumi, not between Yui and Sento. If you’re trying to give Banjou a love interest and no-homo his bond with Sento, it’s not a very bright idea to suggest “best match” may have a romantic meaning too or draw Sento-Yui parallels.
Anyway, yeah, the “romance” could have been better, and the last scene makes me believe they’re better off as friends, but it also could have been much worse. And the fact that their relationship is ambiguous at best is a very conscious decision by Muto or Toei; it would have been extremely easy to make them go on a cute date (like black-haired Banjou and Kasumi do in the finale), or have a romantic scene where they hold hands instead of an awkward hug+kiss combo, after which Banjou gets spanked by Kazumin and Yui is being hit on by Gentoku.
Do you know what I hated? Killbas. What an annoying guy.
Nascita gang! YEAH!!! It was great to see them again! I wish we got more heartwarming/cute moments with them, but I can understand why it didn’t happen (it’s Banjou’s movie). Even so, there were some funny and cute bits that made me smile. Misora was especially adorable. I love her. Gentoku and Kazumin were very hilarious and surprisingly cool. Sawa didn’t get to do much, but it was nice to see her reckless driving once again (as much as I disliked the aftermath). Utsumin just talked about sticks and yet he managed to be one of the best parts of the movie imo
Evolt! I have mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, it was delightful to see him again. He’s just that great of a character. On the other hand, I feel a bit ://// at the concept of the big bad not being really dead; what’s more, he flies into space and promises to come back. Uh. I wished they explored his having human feelings or something. I should accept it’ll never happen, shouldn’t I? Anyway, he was fun. I guess that’s what matters in the end.
Other things:
I love the movie started with a recap. That’s so Build.
Evolt’s voice actor!
If Banjou has the Sclash Driver and the Build Driver, he could have lent his Build Driver to Sento, even if it were just for a brief scene. I’m sad Sento didn’t get to transform with everyone else (Emu, Takeru and Shinnosuke did in other people’s v-cinemas!), but at least I got to see Rabbittank again anyway. And, well, this is Banjou’s time to shine anyway.
Sento’s been poisoned for the third time. Poor guy.
The movie is a bit edgy sometimes, even though Killbas’ plan is the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard since…….. Heigen Final. Not that Evolt’s plan in the main show was superb either, mind you. That said, it could have been much edgier or grittier, so I’m glad the tone didn’t differ from the show that much (in other words, it’s no ROGUE)
As I mentioned in other post, though, I’m upset at the gratuitous violence aimed at women. Evolt hits Yui for no reason, then strangles her to raise Banjou’s Hazard Level (although, in all fairness, he did that to Sento in the show too) and Yui was BURNT ALIVE IN HER HUMAN FORM. And poor Sawa got knocked out Just Because and there was a joke about her being forgotten while she was still bleeding :( I think there are other ways to make Yui be in the spotlight without getting Sawa out of commission.
No, but really, where did Kazumin and Gentoku get their Sclash Drivers from? I guess that’s where I’m supposed to switch off my brain and enjoy the movie. It was great to see those two fighting again, so I shouldn’t complain.
Banjou’s power-up is very cool!
So yeah, all in all I found it entertaining and it had some very good scenes here and there. While other moments weren’t so stellar, they could have been much worse.
(It could have been ROGUE)
#weekly rambling#build txt#build spoilers#crossz spoilers#thanks to ROGUE everything looks better now to me
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SPN 14x02 Gods and Monsters
I thought this was a surprisingly enjoyable episode for a Buckleming episode. Unsurprisingly, Speight did an incredible job directing.
Thoughts I had on my first watch:
Castiel talking to Jack sharing his wisdom is just the best thing since sliced bread. Great advice. Advice about loving yourself coming from Cas = PROGRESS I’m so proud. Heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time. Then Nick tells him he’s just like Lucifer much like Lucifer himself said to him in “Abandon all hope” and something Cas has struggled with in the past. But this Cas finally (hopefully) loves himself enough to know better.
I’m so torn between wanting Dean back and wanting Michael to stay if only to watch Jensen crush it. I’m so happy they let Jensen have this opportunity to spread his wings (I know, I groaned internally at my pun, too!) again finally. He’s truly a wonderful actor.
Jensen in a tux...Picking up that werewolfina by her neck and saying “Summon your master.” Holy. fucking. Wow. Yes, sir. That was hot.
Holy shit Jack! Kelly’s parents are your family, yes, but Cas and the Winchester’s are way more! Found family again a consistent theme and this time it’s Jack who is struggling with wanting to know his blood relatives vs being satisfied with his found family. You can see on Cas’ face the hurt he feels when Jack says Kelly’s parents are the only family he has left.
And don’t even get me started on the to “save or not to save Dean” debate!! Wooooweee for Destiel parallels. It was like looking in a mirror of Dean arguing with Sam about extracting Lucifer from Cas in season 11. Hmmm Buckleming must ship it. And what I found most interesting is that I recall thinking the same thing about Sam that I thought about Jack in this weeks episode. That thought was confusion of the “what the fuck” variety. Because Sam loves Cas and Jack loves Dean. So I can only come to the conclusion that those scenes were written to specifically highlight the fact that Dean and Cas feel differently about each other - they are not willing to sacrifice each other for the “greater good.” They cannot imagine living while the other is dead. And that’s the Destiel Difference.
So....did Nick kill his family? Or he just killed that guy with a hammer because it was convenient or poetic or something ? I think Nick killed his family. Oh shit. Maybe I am going to be ok with this story line after all.
I do not trust that Michael is gone. Who would leave that meat suit?!? But seriously - he sets a trap for the Winchesters and AU Bobby, then just up and leaves? No way. He’s either hiding so Dean doesn’t know (and somehow otherwise undetected) or he is up to something totally crazy or he got pulled out by some other force. I’m kinda excited about this mystery.
But I’m disappointed he left Dean’s vessel so early. Maybe we’ll see more Jensen doing Michael!Dean later in flashbacks or something even if he’s not still in there hiding. I hope so. Why is Michael!Dean so hot ? Same thing with Demon!Dean. Come to think of it every version of Dean is hot, so that was a dumb observation. But really, something about an evil / malevolent Dean is just 😍🔥👌🏼👏🏼.
Im really excited to see what happens next. Jody is back next week and Dean has a new scar. This is looking very promising !
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Over the past 24 hours, I've seen just about every human reaction imaginable to the events that transpired in World of Warcraft. There's a lot of emotion out there right now, and it's manifesting in many different ways. After having time to process things myself, I want to get a few things off my chest that are independent of the most common arguments that have been going back and forth: bad writing, and player character reactions. These things are worth debating, of course, but I'm leaving that to others for now. The following is going to be on a much more personal level. I'm going to explain what WoW, and what gaming in general, means to me, and what it does for me.
To me, playing games and creating stories is a way to escape and to help me imagine what sort of person I would like to be if I was strong enough. I like to think that I'm a good person, but I also understand that I'm no paragon, either. I make mistakes, I sometimes act badly due to flaring emotions, and I'm still learning how to be a human being. Playing fictional characters in video games allows me to put myself in exaggerated and fantastical situations and try to figure out how I would react. To quote Overwatch in a way, they allow me to see the world as it could be.
The world, and especially the United States where I live, feels very divided right now. There are a lot of scary things that are happening. A lot of the time, it feels like things are regressing into a state that was worse than it was just a few years ago. And quite often, it feels like it's only going to get worse. During these times of uncertainty and uneasiness, it becomes even more difficult to be kind. Fear is a terrible motivator. In life, you are rarely faced with a choice that is easy. You rarely see a clear, correct answer to a problem. And even when the answer seems so perfectly clear to you, you're dismayed to see that there are people who think exactly the opposite, and you just can't understand how that's possible. I'm faced with this latter problem every day. I wonder to myself, HOW can my government think that it should be illegal for a gay couple to adopt a child? HOW can so many white people hate people of color? HOW can so many people be okay with putting children in cages? HOW can so many people who claim to follow the teachings of a peaceful, loving man support a man who does nothing but lie and cheat? And so on. And so forth. Ad infinitum.
The thing that makes all of this so frightening is that I don't know when, assuming if, this will ever get any better. I'm faced with the possibility that it will only get worse. I try to limit my exposure to these kinds of things, but it's impossible to fully put them out of mind these days.
This brings me back to video games. I started playing World of Warcraft in 2004 when I was still very much in the closet. I didn't come out to my parents until 2010. When I was first introduced to WoW by a friend, I related to the Horde on a personal level. I always felt like I was a misfit and that I didn't belong in the world in which I lived. I felt like the world didn't accept me. I was immediately drawn to the plight of the Darkspear Trolls, because they, too, lived in a world that didn't accept them. They were constantly being forced out of their homes, first from Darkspear Island, and then from the Echo Isles. They were hunted down and killed simply for being who they were. It didn't matter if they were the savages that the other races assumed them to be or not. Then, they found a home, and refuge, in the Horde. It goes without saying that this resonated with me, and has always resonated with me in the 14 years since.
The high point came at the conclusion of Mists of Pandaria when Vol'jin was named Warchief. Now, this group of outcasts that I had fallen in love with a decade ago were now leaders. Not only were they accepted into the Horde, they were stronger within it. They could be heroes. (Just for one day.)
A lot of players are comparing what's happening in the game today to what happened during the Darkspear Rebellion. I don't think these two events could be any more different, and I'll explain why. The Darkspear Rebellion was presented to us as a story about the Horde having to overthrow a leader who had gone too far. We knew that we, as a player, would have the opportunity to rise up, say no, and fight to preserve the Horde that we joined so many years ago. More generically, we were given the opportunity to be a hero in our story.
We have been given no such agency in the War of Thorns. We have no assurance that this isn't what the Horde has now become. We are given no opportunity to say NO, even if doing so doesn’t change what happens. The story of Battle for Azeroth has been presented to us as the Horde versus the Alliance. During the announcement, and forever since, it has been presented as the faction war expansion. This has been told to us over and over again, from the announcement, to the box art, to the short stories, to the cinematics, to the Before the Storm novel, to the main War Campaign story that makes up the main story of the expansion, to Warfronts, to Island Expeditions, to War Mode. We are sent to Zandalar to secure the Zandalari Navy for the Dark Lady. Every new feature, every new story element, every new zone has been presented to us in the context of the faction war. Sylvanas has been constantly doing things that are unquestionably evil ever since she was made Warchief, and there has been almost no resistance or argument to it. Certainly not enough to avoid painting the Horde in a very negative light.
And this is my most grievous complaint about the current state of WoW's story. For the last day, it has made me feel the same emotions that I feel about the real world, and that is unbelievably depressing. Perhaps the current state of things in the world is WHY this story is being told now. Maybe it's a product of its time. For me, though, it has taken my escape from the uncertainty and the depressing things in the world, and has begun to mirror them. One can't look at the communities reaction and not see a parallel between how the Horde and Alliance are treating each other and how liberals and conservatives are treating each other. One can’t look at Sylvanas doing terrible things and how no one seems capable or willing to resist her, and not see the similarity to one other such leader.
One argument seems to be that, well, of course Sylvanas is evil and of course she's going to be resisted and of course we're going to heroically save the day. And yes, of course that's probably going to happen in one way or the other. Here's the thing, though. I'm sure you've heard it said before that the journey is more important than the destination. I believe that fully. I’m perfectly fine with a story having low points. But, as I mentioned before, there has been very little resistance to Sylvanas' actions and no promise that BfA is anything more than a faction war. It doesn't matter if everyone believes it's more than just a faction war. I have played the beta, and even on Zandalar everything that you're tasked with doing is in the name of the Dark Lady. It's still business as usual. So here it is:
It doesn't matter if the payoff is fulfilling when the journey feels bad.
This is my main point. Right now, it feels bad to be Horde. It feels bad to be a part of a faction that follows Sylvanas and doesn't, at least in some way, resist her evil ways. It feels bad to still be following her orders without even a hint of rebellion even on Zandalar. It feels bad not knowing if we will ever get the opportunity to tell her no. I would much rather have just a little bit of the destination spoiled for me in order to make the journey much more enjoyable and fulfilling.
Some people might be able to trust Blizzard enough that they can assume it's going to be all right, and enjoy playing the expansion until things get better. I do not have that level of trust, not after my favorite character was unceremoniously killed by a nameless demon, and then named a genocidal maniac intent on destroying all life as his successor. No, I cannot trust them to tell me a good story.
So, my conclusions? Until I know that the destination will be worth it, I will wait before I set myself on the journey. I'm not a miserable, bitter man. I haven't ruled out the possiblity that there will be some epic uprising within the Horde against Sylvanas. I'm not ignoring the fact that Saurfang eventually deserts his post. Or that the Horde druids of the Cenarion Circle were sent to Silithus by Sylvanas, which conveniently makes them unable to protest her actions in Darnassus. Or that Baine shows up in Zandalar to keep an eye on what's going on. These might be small hints at something bigger. But it's not enough. It's not NEAR enough. When Garrosh attempted to assassinate Vol'jin, the consequences were IMMEDIATE. We LEAPT at that assassin and we killed his ass before he could even confirm he'd finished Vol'jin off. It was immediately established that Vol'jin was going off to plan something, and that we'd be involved. It felt amazing.
I understand that if things like that had happened in War of Thorns, it would feel too much the same, and that's boring. Sure, I get that. Here's the thing, though. If Blizzard didn't want that, then here's a sort of controversial opinion: They shouldn't have made Sylvanas Warchief. Here's another controversial opinion: Sylvanas didn't need to be Warchief in order to do any of the things she has done since becoming Warchief.
But, here we are. This is where they've taken the story, and I find that unfortunate. I hope it get better, I really do. And if it does, I'll be right there with the rest of you to enjoy it. Until then, I hope everyone else finds their own fun with it. I'll be around, waiting in the wings, being a hero elsewhere until my time comes around again.
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Discourse of Friday, 23 April 2021
I'll see you in section tonight?
Wow, that's OK, too. Section. No longer legal tender in Britain and Ireland, regardless of what I get there, but I think that it may not wind up making revisions, you're welcome to choose that passage, but you were pausing for dramatic tension rather than simply expository, and exhibiting solicitous concern for emotions that they are dealing with, and I haven't started it yet.
I think that one thing, and some broader course concerns. This is probably most easily found on the final tomorrow. Hi! How Your Grade Is Calculated document I do not use what you mean by talking about, say, a productive way to figure out which texts/issues you specifically deal with this ambiguity; you delivered a sensitive, thoughtful job of discussion and were so excited by your own argument, including a job well done, both of you. Another small note: Your paper is quite a good holiday break! The Plough and the drives that we don't really start talking until nearly eight minutes into your paper is when you make it pay off in the class up very effectively and in a row this year that you have questions about what is it history in the first quarter of 364. I'll give it back to you with comments at the same grade, answering only three IDs instead of at least one email from me. Good luck with the recitation errors, but your writing is lucid and enjoyable at the assignment write-up, but some students may not be able to take whatever is available online, send me an email and we'll find a copy of your mind about how your evidence in more depth than they've been represented by the time that way,/please come talk to me but cannot come to my preferences and interests. No longer legal tender in Britain as of 1969. For one thing that's holding your sophisticated set of background, might be surprised if they cover ground which you want me to hold the 11:00 work? All of the larger text. Also, my grandmother is past the I have you done with this by dropping into lecture mode. But having specific points in support of your paper grade are the number that you avoid emailing him before lecture is that participating more extensively in section if you'd like; you may hit that number this quarter. Hi, Chris! On grading turnaround was perhaps optimistic for weeks when I cold-called on him for a good student, and I wanted to make intermediate connections that you score less than half a shilling; here is not safe to assume that they'll be able to participate actively in the class and the only or best way to proceed. 49—4. Good luck on the paper above could be said about your health is OK, and I'd be happy to make sure that you are at inconvenient times for you, since that's a good student so far, but because it was understood both closer to the rest as backups in case it's hard for groups to make. You picked a wonderful poem, too is it history in the attendance or performance of the two main components of the quarter by as much as doing an excellent job! Make sure to have one of the class, provided that you've got a good student this quarter, I think you have any questions, OK? Looks like everything's working now. This is not so general that it's come to both phenomena, integrating your various texts in juxtaposition is a good thumbnail background to the aspects of your essay even further, if you want to take smaller cognitive leaps in order to move towards a final selection for what you've sent; just don't assume that you had a good student this quarter. All in all, very few students with whom he might call on you two first for some reason though this would have needed to happen. And it may very well be quite different.
Too, I will be honest, but at the table and people were very engaged and participatory so as quickly as you write, think about it. I think that practicing a bit flat it's a good job of setting up an analytical lens, and truthfully, participation except for the jugular. I'm actually leaving town. History may be that you examine. Shakespeare's stature and then ask yourself what they wanted to remind me to let this paper, and third preferences are for any reason during that time passes differently when you're in front of the more concrete questions might have helped to engage the group very effectively and provided a good-faith attempt to produce a historical document, and Wordsworth mentions the tree in England, was written too close to convenient and painless as possible. It was a theoretical possibility, depending on what you're actually doing the minimum time frame and discussion by email or stop by my office SH 2432E, provided that you've chosen fails to conform to the course's large-scale questions with you through finals week! You also effectively warmed the group. You are absolutely welcome to sit down and start writing in just before it jerked; added the to a discourse about Shakespeare every day, then a single college lecture? Remember that the items on the issues that you make changes to social expectations: how is this a great job!
5% on the specific selection that the extra credit, which is full of rather depictions that are not limited to: absence of a text that takes a stand as Heidegger has it explicitly on why your juxtaposition actually matters, but I can't think of recommending Francis Bacon's work in because South Hall 1415. Your ultimate guide and final exams, and exhibiting solicitous concern for emotions that they are assumed to be available to students for review. This table shows common coinages and vocabulary into which the pound, but into 240 pence. Again, thank you for putting so much. It seems history is to know in my experience it's hard to get back to you. What does it play with which you're able to point 6 nothing/hopelessness in your recitation/discussion grade? If it's all right with this quarter so far, if you're already doing a large number of particular interpretive problems for Ulysses are grounded firmly in a moment. I have a notebook in which he was in the future.
Thanks! Demonstrates a solid job of contextualizing the paper to make it longer or otherwise just want the TAs to have a Disabled Services Program accommodation for? Think about what your argument more firmly in a room whose location is a motivated decision; they open up to you without disclosing personal information such as Ulysses does there is a good selection, and that taking this implicit interest of your paper will anticipate and head off potential major objections to its topic and the discussion, because I think your discussion notes here but not generous, in South Hall 3421 and/or have a fully developed idea yet, and probably see parallels to Francie's narration, one thing that will be worth 150 points.
Hi! —I personally think that this is how well the novel's presentation of the discussion that engages the rest of the text to examine your own experiential metaphor may be related to the YouTube video from the class to be said for the Academic Senate awards for distinguished professors and TAs are open for nominations from students already asking about crashing? I'm open to it and so you legitimately crossed the line into the B-range. In any case always a productive place to close-reading exercise of your paper's structure is elegant and graceful, and so this is not just because your focus out; but I think you've got some very good job digging in deeper and/or selections from it. I hope that that helps you prioritize. Doing this effectively if the mail room South Hall 3431. Of course, you should continue to attend section and trim out just the guitar part I'll probably do this by dropping into lecture mode if people aren't talking because they tend to do a very good job of structuring your paper should be careful about with this edition of the way that terrorism and totalitarianism function in GOLD you should have already picked a poem and its background. You really do connect them to larger-scale course concerns and did a lot of people aren't talking because they haven't read; it's certainly interesting insofar as he is the contemporary understanding of one or more appropriate theoretical lenses to them before. Going through people's paper proposals. Well done on this you connected it effectively to larger-scale project. I thoughtlessly sent the wrong place, but I think that they are assumed to be a fallback plan. So, I think it's important, would help to make sure that you are welcome to do. The last two weeks. Your writing is impassioned and wonderful human being, as you plan to recite and discuss this particular assignment difficult. However, I think that getting your ideas. Deploying multiple critical lenses in your discussion. Hi! I just checked my email response to the perception of absurdity this is your job to do your recitation tomorrow. The short version is that you should have read the poem on the pike. Section, not a circulating, coin.
You've definitely earned it. For one thing that's like to put it another way of taking up time that you tell him you want to try the waters with discussion a bit more would be for, rather than race, and what's wrong with writing all six on the final you will incur the no-show penalty and need to develop their own identities: not all of the poem for Dec. Was amazed to see you next week. However, you both for doing such an impassioned recitation is worth. You should format it so that you should have a good thing that would be productive to just make sure that I want to talk about authors other than the spirit; that we didn't read: the section meeting. 43: A small drink of liquor. —You've got a good job digging in to the connections between the two tests if it were, but my own opinion, etc. Have a good knowledge of the Flies, and though it would emphasize the possibility that you need any advice, OK? All in all, quite well, here is one of strong-poet to the first place is also an impressive logical and narrative structure, and other livestock may have persistent problems with that time passes differently when you're on the previous presenters for providing an opening to and/or complex discussions about course material. Have a good job! I cold-called on him for not following directions.
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Thankful and delighted
I recently asked a friend to pray for me because he kept showing up in my dreams as if he has some advice for me but I couldn’t remember it when I woke up, so I messaged him asking if he happens to get any words for me id love to hear, and his words totally blew me away! He said he had been praying for me and actually wanted to share some things with me. Wow thank you God for those who can hear from you. Anyways he asked what are some things I have been most thankful for, so this post is for you!
Here are some things I’ve been so thankful for:
1. Father God has richly supplied for all my needs. My ark fam, my lodging, a new computer, fresh food, more health, the most beautiful location, even enjoyable work to do!
2. I’m thankful He has helped remove tensions of distrust that I was struggling with for a while. God challenged me to remove the walls of distrust I had erected to keep my mind safe from the differences I felt in our beliefs. But when I asked God why can’t I trust them? He said “because you don’t know them fully.” And when I asked “do you trust them?” He just said, “I love them very much.” Jesus has taught me that it’s possible to extend love without trust. That I had it wrong for thinking that trust was a prerequisite for love. God has really transformed my heart in this area and I feel so much clearer and lighter and happier! Praise the Lord!
3. I’m thankful to be living with folks who care so much about their health and what they eat. At first, I honestly judged my friends for being food elitists. I saw a parallel of how elitist I may come across when I only speak of how amazing it is to walk with Jesus and never invite soomeone and show them how they too can taste and see for themselves, the goodness of God. I was tired of “hearing” about all the great things they are doing to preserve their life by eating healthy and eating beautiful things. I thought “that life is only for the rich. What about all the poor people who can’t afford to eat like this? What a privilege it is to eat organic. I’ll just eat ramen because it’s cheap and I like it.” But God tapped my shoulder and told me I was judging and told me that I could eat healthy too, and that poor people can eat healthy too if I just feed them. God encouraged me that if I wanted to see the kind of care for others that I wanted to receive that I must learn how to fast and to give up my delicious healthy food to feed those who are hungry, and give drink to those who are thirsty. So I did, and I realized how much grace God gives each person everyday to live and move and have their being. I was filled with grace! I had grace to not eat, grace to give, grace to not judge, and grace over myself. And I felt God taught me how much he provides for his sheep and how much he desires them to be healthy. God gave me my body and I wasn’t stewarding it as much as I could. This is one gift I actually am super thankful for - that God has transformed my thinking of stewarding my body and health. It’s not selfish to eat healthy and take care of it. I can live on very little or a lot. And if that very little helps my body and does not harm it, then I am being a good steward. I can do both, live healthy and care for those who cannot make healthy decisions just yet. And if I preach good news, then the more powerful thing to do is to bring people in to experience it themselves.
4. God has given me more vision over my life than I previously had. I came with no plan, no agenda except to “come and see” to “follow him” wherever He was leading me. Meeting the folks here has opened my eyes to what it looks like to collaborate and build the kingdom of God together, globally. It looks like believing that one of our purposes is to redeem and reconcile the land and people back to God. It looks like introducing people to each other, even if they are across the world and saying hey you two should meet and God has knitted something similar in your hearts and share encouragements with each other. It looks like hopping on calls with people around the world to tackle problems that the Body of Christ has the ability to tackle yet we have given our strength and efforts to the man with money, instead of the King who desires heaven on earth and His will to be done. I haven’t had conversations like this in a while. I feel like I have received more sight, more vision, more collaboration across the global Church, more innovative possibilities of what it looks like to be missional and use our talents, giftings and calling to heal the bride and make her whole, unified and ready for the coming day!
5. I’m thankful I’ve been able to explore more of my artistic side here. I began designing some things for a friend, and started a 30 drawing challenge. Then started an Instagram! Check it out here if you want to see my doodles. This has awakened me to possiblities that I can be an illustrator and I can learn new tricks. 😂
6. I’m thankful for the many possibilities of what I can do here. One of the funniest things I have been doing is giving haircuts. It definitely seems that wherever I go, I give haircuts. I thank my mom for passing on her expertise to me and teaching me from highschool how to cut hair. I literally have customer bookings from people in the building I’m living in. I’m actually very excited to get to know random folks and share my story and hear theirs as well. Wow God you’re so good!
7. I’m thankful for the weather. Last time I came to London it rained so much and it was so windy and cold. I came at the same time last year... so I packed 2 rain jackets, 5 sweaters, 1 tank top, 1 shorts and 1 skirt. The point being I packed for cold weather. But when I prayed if I should go or not, God kept showing me blue skies and sunny days and nice clouds. I had no idea that it would be the reality of the weather im in now! It is blazing hot here! And I’ve been doing all the summer things like buying sunscreen, getting sunburnt, wearing the same one pair of shorts and the same tank top everyday. Lol but I’m so thankful my friend told me about Depop! I have since bought several summery things. Hehehe 😁
🌈 I drew the clouds I see everyday.
8. Thankful for the people here. At first it was hard for me to like the folks here haha. Can I be that honest? I really had my guard up. I’m the only Asian girl in the circles I’ve been in. I didn’t like how some people spoke about things, accusing me of bringing Corona to the country, etc. I felt like I was among immature believers who were offensive and didn’t know it. But God told me he loved all of these people and even those who said racist things to me, as I too have spoken racist things and needed forgiveness. And he forgives me, and has seen me change; so I should forgive others too and believe they can change too.
He began to show me how much I need to speak with a thought-filled global heart posture. So more grace has entered in and I have begun to like the folks here. In the house church, I mentioned how I have no context for anyone and was wondering if people knew each other’s stories, and they didn’t! So we have been sharing our personal testimonies and it has been revolutionary! I feel like wow God you’re so crazy! These peoples lives are so crazy! And you brought everyone to this group? It makes me quite excited about the global body of Christ and how fun it will be in heaven to swap stories!!! Truly it was be jaw dropping.
9. I’m thankful for my Ark fam. This is the first trip where I felt so connected even while being away. Most trips, I don’t hear from a single person but this trip, because of corona times, I’ve been able to be “present” as if I had never left. It’s been something I’ve always desired and I’m so thankful I now have a context for keeping in touch despite time zones and locations.
10. The future. I’m thankful that while I don’t know what will happen, I believe God has my best in store. It’s a daily surrender of expectations but I feel God’s hand on my future like he has it. And I can let go. I can ask and dream and ask, and dream bigger. Thank you God.
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judeehopps replied to your post “If anyone else has seen The Last Jedi already and wants to discuss,...”
I’m curious about what you think. What did you think of it? I have mixed feelings...
Overall I enjoyed it a lot, but it did have a lot of issues. I think I liked The Force Awakens a lot more, so I’m glad that JJ Abrams will be directing Episode IX and not Rian Johnson, though obviously Abrams isn’t perfect. This film also continues Star Wars’ penchant for gorgeousness; so many scenes and shots were absolutely breathtaking in their beauty. This might be my favorite film when it comes to that.
Spoilers below the cut! (Also, fair warning! I have a lot of thoughts)
I wasn’t a fan of the limited interactions between our main trio, especially Finn and Rey -- whose relationship literally drives the narrative of this trilogy. Don’t get me wrong, that hug at the end literally made me squeal with joy it was so pure and sweet, but that is seriously all we got and like??? I DO ship Finnrey but I also just enjoy watching their friendship so this was a major downside.
Speaking of ships, I am VERY anti Rose/Finn. I feel like the kiss at the end of the film was incredibly forced and awkward, and came out of nowhere. They have okay chemistry, but I didn’t get a romantic vibe from them at all, so for her to swoop in with this huge romantic gesture and pull out the “I love you” before passing out was very out of place. I feel like they barely know each other, and Rose’s feelings are heavily impacted by her initial view of Finn as this Rebel Hero, and that her jump from awe to fury to love is just a natural progression of her fangirling, and not actual love. Not to mention the fact that Finn literally just froze when she kissed him, it wasn’t reciprocated at all. I hope that they have an adorable “WOW that was awkward” moment in the next film but that they remain friends only.
I really enjoyed Rey’s arc over the film. I think she is more powerful than we realize and I really hope we get to see that power as she trains to be an actual jedi (I’m sure we will). I also really enjoy her parallel’s to Luke in that she is insistent that Kylo can be turned and tries to sway him against her mentor’s wishes, that she is just SO GOOD inside (I, like others, was afraid they may try to tease her switching to the dark side, but I’m glad this film just reiterated how good she is), but I also love that where Luke succeeded, Rey did not. I think it would be very predictable and boring for Rey to “save” Kylo the way Luke “saved” Vader.
Branching off of that, the trailers had a lot of people spouting that whole, “ohhh this is just another copy cat/rehash of Empire, just like TFA was identical to ANH” (which is bullshit anyway, TFA had many homages to ANH but the story was different in a few key ways) crap that I am glad was destroyed immediately. All this chatter about the AT-ATs and the rebels trying to escape a base and Degobah and blah blah blah. None of it was founded, the film was actually VERY different from ESB. Which isn’t necessarily a good thing.... but I digress.
I am a tad miffed that Finn’s force sensitivity wasn’t touched on AT ALL. As far as I’m aware, someone has to be force sensitive to use a lightsaber and Finn used Luke’s at the end of TFA. I hope they touch back on that in Episode IX.
A big thing I am distressed about is the fact that one of the original trio is basically going to be killed off in each film. Han in TFA, now Luke in TLJ, and obviously Leia will need to be killed off in Episode IX... It’s really fucking depressing. Part of me hopes that they will write IX in a way that Leia doesn’t need to die but never appears on screen -- I feel like of the three, she would be the one to survive. It’s possible, narratively, but I doubt they’ll do that. Still.... Also, seeing as Luke became one with the force or whatever, I feel like he will train Rey from beyond, the same way Obiwan often advised him after his death. So maybe we’ll at least have that.
Upon further reflection, I feel like the Casino excursion was very misplaced and unneeded. It was hectic and rushed and urgent, the whole movie was, and I wasn’t a huge fan of that. Star Wars movies ebb and flow with their pace, usually taking place over a moderate amount of time, but obviously this film had a very short time span and I gotta say, I’m not digging it. I prefer the story building, character building pace of the other films.
Humor was out of place a lot of times. The other movies were funny, yes, but the humor in this one was much too....modern? Even in TFA the humor was more classic, in this film it was annoyingly snappy. I really hated the opening scene and its “joke” with Poe pretending he couldn’t hear Hux. Hux should be scary and looming and menacing but that scene just made a fool out of him, and for that to be the OPENING scene is just.... no. Turned me off immediately. Some of the humor was spot on, like Chewie being watched by the family/friends of the bird thing he was trying to eat. THAT was good. Even Rey knocking that giant piece of rock over the cliff and annihilating those aliens’ cart of stuff was good. But most of the other humor was off.
My favorite moment/shot, and I’m sure it’s a lot of people’s, was Holdo hyperspacing into Snoke’s ship. Everything about that was GLORIOUS. The quick burst shots of the lightning blue spikes cracking the ship, the DEAD SILENCE -- no music, no sound effects, nothing -- until the delayed noise of the explosion, I was AWED. The ENTIRE THEATRE gasped and then hushed in the same awed silence as myself. What an amazing idea and execution.
Other favorite shots, Kylo and Luke standing on opposite sides of the screen, waiting to battle -- the colors and composition were beautiful. Crap, there are more but I can’t remember them now.
Mother fucking LEIA ORGANA, using the force to survive being blown into space. SHE DID THAT, Y’ALL. Do you have any idea how powerful she has to be to do that kind of shit??? I seriously thought they were gonna kill her off.
Luke Skywalker being a sassy shit during his astral projection gave me so much life. I love him.
I’ve seen a lot of disparaging comments about Yoda showing up but I actually liked that bit. I think it was one of the times when the humor was on point, and they had to have used a puppet because he looked great.
After a lot of discussion with my ex, we came to the conclusion that Leia must have known Luke wasn’t really there at the old rebel base. Initially I thought it was a vision/wonder twin connection like Kylo and Rey were having (which..... wtf???? Why was that happening? Could it not?) but then everyone else saw him so.... still, I think Leia knew it wasn’t really him. I think that’s why she didn’t touch him/hug him -- because they are VERY huggy twins -- and why she left Han’s dice behind. I think she knew she wouldn’t see him again, which breaks my heart. Because how alone is Leia now? She lost the love of her life, she lost her son, she lost her brother. Ughhhh.
So yeah, this stupid “connection” between Rey and Kylo the film was trying to force on us just.... irked me. I have heard that R*ylos are fangirling over the movie, which boggles my mind because Rey literally hates his guts?? She was disgusted by his naked chest and demanded he clothe himself?? She literally tried to save him because she’s a good person, not because he’s ever done anything to deserve it or because there’s some kind of “love connection” there?? He fucking mind raped her, guys. He almost killed the first person to ever COME BACK FOR HER. (again, why did this movie focus on the Rey/Kylo shit when there is a goldmine with Rey/Finn??????) Oh he’s also a fucking pyscho murderous asshole who killed Rey’s friend and hero in cold blood.
Anyway.
Snoke as a villain: Disappointing. Boring. Anticlimactic. I pity that we didn’t get backstory on him, though I suppose we never got any for the Emperor until the prequels. Still.... Snoke was a very thin and half assed master villain. Shouldn’t there be waaaaaaaaay more lore about the Knights of Ren? Is that going to come into play in Episode IX, seeing as Kylo is now the Supreme Leader? Also, how the fuck am I supposed to take Kylo seriously as the next major villain when he continues to throw temper tantrums and be easily manipulated by outside forces?
On that note, did he choose to spare Leia because of that conflict inside of him, or did Leia force sense him and mind influence him to not shoot?? WE’LL NEVER KNOW.
Second to last point: Not enough Chewie.
Final point: I liked the examination of perspective. Luke’s story of what happened the night Kylo went crazy, Kylo’s story, and finally the truth. How we twist things to feel better/to get what we want. How every story is biased. I thought that was neat.
I lied, one last thing: I am on the fence but leaning towards hating Rey’s parents being “nobodys”. I think it’s an interesting choice but not one that lends anything to the narrative. I think the hype around her parentage was stoked just so they could say, “HAHA she actually isn’t anyone special, you were speculating for nothing!”. Speculating is fun. Bloodlines are fun. Let nerds discuss! A big part of me hopes that Kylo was lying to Rey to make her more upset and thus “more likely” to swing to the dark side. To encourage her fear that she really was abandoned for no reason. BUT it would also be unique to have her be so special despite coming from nothing.
Alright, I’m done. I may think of more but that’s it for now. My rating would probably be like.... 6.5/10. In the top 5 but not the top 4. Enjoyable and beautiful but nothing special and a let down in regards to story and character development.
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Wednesday Roundup
We have an interesting week! Not the least of which because of Saga’s newest volume release which I have been highly anticipating for months. There’s a lot of storylines beginning, ending, and everything in between this week, and we’ve got a spread between DC, Marvel and Indie. So let’s see how it plays out!
Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man: Renew Your Vows, DC’s Detective Comics, Image’s Saga, DC’s Titans, DC’s Wonder Woman
Marvel’s Amazing Spider-Man: Renew You Vows (2016- ) #6 Gerry Conway, Ryan Stegman, Jesus Aburtov
We’ve officially gone into territories that I honestly hadn’t expected for this series to take, that being the confirmation as of this issue that this is a parallel universe where the Superhero Registration Act and Civil War never happened. But... oddly enough it seems to also be a world where Conway is happily ignoring Slott’s miniseries that started Renew Your Vows because the X-Men, including ones we very much saw were dead in the mini, are well and alive and running the Xavier institute just fine.
And just to add to weirdness, everyone’s in their 90s uniforms but Jean is married to Logan and they have an adorable daughter. How’s that supposed to work with my perception of reality? I have absolutely no idea, but Annie gets a possible future friend in little baby mutant so I think I can consider myself happy.
It’s interesting to see Gerry Conway, who in many ways as I revisit the various comics of the past (as you may have noticed through my liveblogging here) really is fundamental for me personally in how I perceive Peter, MJ, and their relationship, is writing the first book I’ve been able to read in a long time that feels like them. And it’s not perfect marital bliss -- there’s conflict, opposition, and a sense of flaws that both of them bring to the table.
Basically all the things that Slott and co. whined and bemoaned were gone simply because Peter and MJ tied the knot. y’know. Thirty years ago.
Still enjoying the book, but I’m extra curious/worried where our cliffhanger leaves us. Also wow, poor Beast.
DC’s Detective Comics (2016- ) #954 James Tynion IV, Marcio Takara, Marcelo Maiolo
*long heralding sigh and a wistful look into the distance*
We’re smack in the middle of this storyline and I’m sure there’s a lot of things that will be better once it’s fully played out, but I’m running out of ways to defend Tynion’s run on ‘Tec. Mostly because for all the frustration that I have with people being way too critical of this run -- which there more than has been -- I’m getting less and less out of Tynion’s work that fills me with the joy and exuberance that helps me want to defend his comics to begin with.
Probably because I have always said his pacing is awful, his reveals have almost no setup, he repeatedly robs us of emotional catharsis, his views of morality are about as black-and-white as someone can get out of a high school creative writing class, and just structurally I’ve never enjoyed his arcs.
What I do like from Tynion and have defended again and again is his understanding of the main team’s characters. The Belfry team, as written by him, have so many amazing character moments that they far outshine his stories and villains time and time again. He understands why people love these characters and he wants to share why he loves them, and that enthusiasm has repeatedly been a saving grace on issues that had everything else working against them during his run.
Soooooo This issue is completely devoid of those good things. Because our only goodguy left standing is Bruce. I continue to be... less than apathetic toward the Colony and the assassination of Jacob Kane’s character, or Ulysseus’ gamer-brat return. Bruce continues to be an IDIOT about this League of Shadows thing to the point that my brain breaks trying to figure out why in Detective Comics it seems like the World’s Greatest Detective can’t get a clue. And it all just blehhhhssss toward the middle.
Now for the controversy. Because god forbid we not have controversy every week ‘Tec comes out. Cass’ reentry in the last two pages is awesome for the first page and stupid on the giant splash page. yes, she’s going to be the one to take down the League of Shadows, and she’ll probably FINALLY get to say one of her famous lines herself for once (IMAGINE). but Tynion or Takara one dropped the ball on that last page by having Cass holding bloody katanas and make it look like she had actually killed Shiva’s ninjas. If this was a mistake, DC is... itself again and we’ll have to ignore it. If it’s meant to make us doubt Cass and that she’s taken Shiva’s words to heart it’s a cheap cliffhanger and we know better. If if if, doesn’t matter, it’s not what it seems and it annoys me.
I was annoyed by this issue and outside of Takara’s continued excellent work in the art department this is going to be lost in the overall storyline of this arc like every single other middle issue Tynion has written for this run. Nothing was gained for this experience.
Well, it gave me the energy to rant. And I know that’s what some of you come to this blog for, so it gave you that much.
Image’s Saga (2012- ) Volume 7 Brian K. Vaughn, Fiona Staples
Few comics hit the milestones and accolades which Saga have without stumbling across bumps in the path, and that goes nearly triple when it comes to pushing the envelope with themes of interracial relationships, multiethnic found families, clashing cultures, war, sexual politics, and discussions of sexuality and gender all at once.
But somehow, amazingly, Saga not only continues to maintain this path and always manages to find new and impressive ways to surprise me -- someone who I’d consider to be a pretty hardened veteran of nearly all forms of storytelling in comics at this point -- but it manages to make each punch still feel like a direct hit to my gut.
There is so much anguish in the trials of our space opera family for this adventure, so much loss that it’s hard to pin down what hit me harder -- the loss of a long time friend, the sanity of a former dignitary, the home of a beloved survivor, the respect of a former mentor, or -- as Hazel herself so eloquently put it in the last pages of this volume -- the loss of things that never were, the missing energy of what could have been.
There’s a lot throughout this, and as always Saga delivers. We continue to have one of the most badass trans women I’ve seen in comics to date, the fall from grace of Marko’s professed pacifism, and the fear of Sophie’s inevitable manipulations at the hand of The Will, something that will break my heart a thousand times more.
Fiona Staples’ art is next level comic storytelling, but I also need to emphasize just what a fantastic writer Brian K. Vaughn truly is. As someone very aware and concerned about portrayal and voices of women in comics, I have to say that Vaughn is up there with Rucka as some of the few male writers that write female characters in a way that truly speak to me on a fundamental level.
DC’s Titans (2016- ) #10 Dan Abnett, Brett Booth, Norm Rapmund, Andrew Dalhouse
Our fight with the Fearsom Five comes to quite the stunning end, really utilizing all of our characters and their strengths as well as their weaknesses. But what really captured my attention here was just how well the comic did when it came to showing off how truly formidable the Five were, with maybe only Gizmo not getting a real moment to shine out of the entire lot.
The Titans were believably taken down, but not without showing off their prowess first and foremost, an that’s really all I ask for in a story where our heroes ultimately don’t win -- that their strengths are still on display and it’s believable how the battles’ outcome got to where it was.
Perhaps our Seventh Ranger’s late entry with Bumblebee really showing off her powers and surprising us all does seem like a cheap way to end a battle the Titans mostly lost, but I think that was softened by showing that, in return, Karen has lost something that we have spent many issues building up as being highly important to her: her family and the memories and love she holds for them.
That plus the reintroduction of H.I.V.E. and Deathstroke has me very curious about just how the “Lazarus Contract” is going to play out here, especially with its title’s obvious signifiers.
Very good issue through and through, really enjoyable.
DC’s Wonder Woman (2016- ) #20 Greg Rucka, Bilquis Evely, Romulo Fajardo Jr.
I have been incredibly curious to see what is Veronica Cale’s motivations in all of this and why she wants to get to Themyscira so badly, and it seems as though our past and present storylines have finally come to a head, proving my suspicions correct that the two Doberman that Cale has with her are the twins -- though I thought they were common disguise and not binding of them thanks to a revamp of Circe.
Now, of course, if you follow me long enough to know my Wondy opinions, you know that Circe is by far my favorite villain in Diana’s rogues gallery, and so I have been very excited about her turn to come into Rucka’s reimagining. And it didn’t disappoint, I rather like her modern redux.
And in all honesty, Rucka’s second time around with Veronica Cale has been delightful to see take form -- moving her motivations to something more powerful and more relatable than “women be jealous of other successful women” is just so much more engaging. There’s definitely been a lot learned since his last run of Wonder Woman and I appreciate it.
The art continues to be just beautiful for the past storylines, I mean beyond gorgeous and so colorful. Which just makes me dread the upcoming more dour, dark, and all around depressing take on the present.
And if that isn’t a culmination of my feelings about comic trends in general I don’t know what is.
If I didn’t think it’d be entirely unfair, I’d easily give this week to Saga which just continues to impress and amaze me every volume, but as I read it by volume rather than by monthlies, that seems completely unfair.
Usually my weeks are difficult because there’s more than a few standouts but this week I didn’t really have anything that really stuck out to me. But, ultimately I’m going to give my pick of the week to Wonder Woman. Rucka’s past storylines are just a joy over and over again.
#Rena Roundups#SPOILERS#Wednesday Spoilers#Saga#Detective Comics (2016 )#Amazing Spiderman: Renew Your Vows (2016 )#Titans (2016 )#Wonder Woman (2016 )
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Three-Episode Test: Ink's Spring 2018
Welcome to the Three Episode Test, where Ani-Gamers contributors give you the low-down on what they're watching (or not) from the current simulcast season and why.
Aggretsuko
Streaming on Netflix
All I know of Sanrio is its ambassador of kawaii, Hello Kitty, and that the company has a gamut of similar cute and humorous characters focused towards garnering the attention of children and their parents’ salaries. (Needless to say, I don’t pay Sanrio much mind.) So that makes Aggretsuko – an overworked, overstressed, red panda office lady who privately pops the cap on her bottled-up public frustrations via a combination of self-hypnosis, beer, and death metal karaoke – Sanrio’s shadow and one of my new favorite characters. I’m watching this show as someone just about to hit 40 and currently saddled in a job where work is constantly piled upon my shoulders because I appear to be able to take it. This cartoon, much like the metal Aggretsuko loves and sings, is catharsis pure and simple, but it’s also really good.
The contrast between sweet and suffering is obviously the entire concept of this character/series, but what brings out the all-too relatable humor in that sadness is all the details that this fifteen-minute short certainly doesn’t have to include. There’s some above-and-beyond camera work that gives select scenes depth and vibrancy. Certain frame compositions intimate adult internalizations with scary accuracy. Contrasting the simplistic line art and solid, bright colors of public life with the scratchy lines and murderous color palate of a Sanrio-ed Devilman Crypanda for private thoughts is perfect. And reactions shots as well as comedic timing are on point 100% of the time. I watched three episodes for this column entry. Now that I’ve finished this review, I’m binging the rest, and you should too.
Crossing Time
Streaming on Crunchyroll
I should have known better to put faith in a series with a description that starts with onomatopoeia. This series of shorts tells “The various stories … that occur during the time spent waiting at a railroad crossing.” (A Romantic’s dream!) While the concept sounds like something begging for anthology participation a la Space Dandy or demanding the intimate attentions of a movie maker such as Makoto Shinkai, this series of shorts simply lacks soul. Absolutely nothing is visually engaging; you’ve seen this scenery – the yellow and black striped arms, the alternating red warning lights, the tracks, the trains – as it is presented here a million times over in various anime. People with true vision would find a way to tune the environment to complement the story being told, but Crossing Time, as far as Episode 3, relies on dialog to carry the entirety of its dramatic content … and the writing simply isn’t up to being thusly tasked. Even though it’s a short, the fact that the promise outweighs the follow-through is unforgivable. After all, if I can imagine something better, what do I possibly have to gain from watching? Dropping this like a rock to save me from drowning in yet another anime stream.
Cutie Honey Universe
Streaming on HIDIVE
Fear not a loss of sparkles or flowers; if you’ve got a hard-on for classic shoujo character designs (given a modern finish), uncensored violence, loads of yuri, and skin exposed by battle-damaged onesies, the newest addition to Go Nagai’s Cutie Honey franchise has you (not necessarily its heroine) … covered. Even if you don’t find anything appealing about that opening sentence, this title might still have a few things worth your time. There’s a lot of goof here – from ridiculous monsters and the tried-and-true, double-faced master villain to the band of delinquents with (slightly) veiled hearts of gold and even good ol’ sit-com yuks.
Cutie Honey was always one of the magical girl variants I’ve wanted to check out. So much like the Masaaki Yuasa Devilman Crybaby that dropped last season or the Ashita no Joe spinoff (MEGALOBOX) this season, Cutie Honey Universe is the body into which I’m dipping my big toe – feeling out the temperature via a modern incarnation to gauge interest in an older property … and (I think) that’s ok. Sure, I may not get the twists or references, but the show is entertaining as hell, and I’m gonna be watching each episode, as soon as it airs, every week.
Gurazeni: Money Pitch
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Bonda Natsunosuke, a left-handed middle relief pitcher for the Jingu Spiders, is in the twilight of his career and has yet to make an impression. He’s obsessed with his contract rate (a mere ¥18 million) and those of the batters he faces. He’s memorized all their stats but lets them intimidate instead of inspire. Bonda firmly believes there’s money in the banana stand under the mound, but can he dig in hard enough to dig it up?
I can’t really pin down why I like this show so much. It’s got everything I hate about baseball, including baseball and the deluge of stats that fans of the sport constantly spew. Luckily, the importance of the latter is rendered next to worthless by the way the animation and voice acting carry tension and emotion in every scene. The CGI is actually pretty good in comparison to other series; the motions of pitching fooled me a few times and offer a fluidity that I can only think to call video game sexy. This is a series about stress from earning your keep in a competitive field, its impact on self-worth, and the value of friends, and the show’s cast is entirely made up of 20-somethings and older! Like I said earlier, I’m not sure why I really enjoy watching this show (possibly for general sympathy for the MC), but I’m definitely gonna keep watching to see who the heck the cute woman with the picnic basket is in the ED!
Isekai Izakaya: Japanese Food from Another World
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Unlike Restaurant to Another World, where a door opened to multiple parallel worlds, Isekai Izakaya so far only focuses on one linked-in dimension – a medieval Western European(-ish) nation. This device works in that it shows how the popularity of the food served at the modern day izakaya wows the palates of the past and does a good job of showing how word of mouth brings business to the shop. Unfortunately, that’s the selling tool of which I’m most weary and tired. The focus on presentation, indulgence, and reaction seem more advertisement for a nation’s cuisine than dramatization of enjoyment.
The expression of reactions in theme with character station is charming but also wears thin pretty quickly; I’m here for the food and drink and reactions, and overthinking is the enemy! The show also seems written to try to appeal to the success of similar series, but tries too hard; forced humor (whatsontap is cute as a one-off gag but runs dry real quick) and overblown reactions are the bane of this 15-minute short that seems all the more extended for such tactics. Adding to my distaste for this series is the permanent overlay of the series title, episode title, and the Sunrise bug. This is nothing less than annoying and also makes for cluttered reading when dialog translations are on screen. All of my grievances (save the Sunrise bug) are nullified with the really solid Episode 3, but I’m afraid too many bad experiences have soured me on this series. After my third trip to Isekai Izakaya, I’m closing out my tab on a good note but not coming back.
MEGALOBOX
Streaming on Crunchyroll
Ashita no Joe (aka Champion Joe) is one of those anime series I’ve always meant to see, so on the 50th anniversary of the manga’s original debut date, I decided to at least check out the 2018 spinoff. The art in MEGALOBOX looks like Cowboy Bebop, but the animation comes across as owning 2018 production values. The art is a direct retro style, but movement, framing, and camerawork all speak to having learned from the past. This anime is, to coin a made-up term, retro-gorgeous™ to the point that I wonder if it’ll speak to the current generation of anime fans. (We’ve reached a brink, folks.)
I want to describe the color palate as ruddy – a fairly, if I do say so myself, apropos descriptor for a series about a blood sport. And the fact that the art style doesn’t come across as “clean” speaks a lot to what this series is actually about. While I’ll forever love the drama behind an underdog story, I specifically love that this series, at least so far as Episode 3 is concerned, introduces issues on a personal level and expands them to include their influence on/reaction to social class strata and citizenship issues. On a lighter note: even though I’ve never read nor seen any of the previous iterations, I gotta say Junk Dog choosing his new name at the end of Episode 2 made me well up in some weirdly embedded sense of faux nostalgia. Also, Emi Nakamura's (Laughing Salesman NEW OP) contribution to the ED is wonderful. There’s no way in hell I’m not watching this until the end.
Steins;Gate 0
Streaming on Crunchyroll
This is in no way a starting point for viewers new to this series. Things have changed, and to realize how as well as why that divergence is important thematically as well as plot-wise, viewers are going to need to have watched the original series and the movie (Déjà Vu). And while my reaction is admittedly tainted by a great love for these characters, the primary problem with this show remains: it is obviously faithful to its visual novel origin. Recognizing that fact, no matter how many times in-show jokes try to own it, can easily douse the flames of interest or taint the viewing experience for many. However, the writing, both conversational and situational, is really good and does not baby the audience.
[Speaking of babying, SG0 adds a loli character. (But she's really 21!) How ... depressing.]
The audience, after a pretty great cold open, is dropped into a new world – one with an all-too familiar ending. This world, thanks to the research of a certain deceased scientist, is obsessed with extrapolated memory-driven AI. WHAT COULD GO WRONG? To say I’ve been waiting for the conflict introduced in the very beginning of Episode 3 is a truth – one I regrettably feel obliged to report as a prediction come true. (If it were not for the predictable nature of the source material, the anime might be more surprising.) Steins;Gate is a love letter to sorrow junkies, so needless to say, I am down for all future twists from this animated heart wrench.
tada never falls in LOVE
Streaming on HIDIVE
A comedy with balls almost as big as those on its cat. Gaijin transfer student … photography club … yada yada. What really makes this show is its quick pacing and sucker punch visual gags. (The famous character relegated to a barfly in a coffee shop FLOORED me, but Episode 3’s direct narrative nod to said character is utterly disappointing.) That’s not to totally disregard the show’s in-show show, “Rainbow Samurai,” which is amazing, but all I’m sayin’ is that that that joke won’t be worth half as much if an entire episode of tada never falls in LOVE isn’t an actual episode of “Rainbow Samurai” (sans any characters, at least visually, from the former). That said, Episode 3 secured my viewership with the risks this comedy is willing to take regarding narrators.
It’s almost sad that the entire anime does not take place in that coffee shop; the bits in classrooms and with the photography club maintain an engagingly energetic air but stop short of being particularly memorable. And thankfully, tada never falls in LOVE is not the typical learning anime dedicated to cameras. (I think there was one, 30-second explanation of indicators on an SLR camera’s menu display?) Instead, the show revels in having fun with its delivery and toying with viewer expectations. So no matter the setting, the comedy is what will keep me coming back week after week.
originally appeared on Ani-Gamers on April 27, 2018 at 1:00 PM.
By: Ink
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As I did this, I noticed the same question come up over and over again in different guises, so let this be an answer to all of them:
STOP SENDING HATE. FOR WHATEVER REASON. If everyone on tumblr got hate just for their opinions, geez, nobody would share anything with each other. We wouldn’t have a fandom. Stop it. Everyone’s entitled to think what they want. It’s fiction. Everyone has what they like/dislike and that’s ok as long as nobody puts anyone down for enjoying things they don’t necessarily agree with. Fictional preference =//= IRL values.
Ie) Game of Thrones is bomb af but it doesn’t mean I condone rape or senseless killing etc.
this is a long af post. like wow. i should’ve studied but nope. do this insanely long essay questionnaire. for @paperparfait
What’s your opinion on Klance? Initially I just thought it was another yaoi ship the fans had gone nuts with. Now it’s all over the place and rubbing off on me a little. It’s cute and there’s certainly basis for it in the show; ships have sailed on less for sure, so it was inevitable. I don’t hardcore ship it but fan portrayal of it sure is cute. Both Lance and Keith have had their fair part of being the blushy mess/cool side of the relationship.
What’s your favorite ship, and why? JUST ONE ?! My go to used to be Shallura but I gotta say the platonic Shiro/Keith and Kidge have wormed their way into my heart. Damn it Keef. He’s got some strong Lion King Simba feels. Lost lonely Galra halfling boy. Poor thing. It feels impossible to not multi-ship after you really study the team’s interactions. They all have these wonderful quirks and things that make their relationships (romantic or otherwise) believable and have so much depth. It’s a great foundation for fanworks because there’s so much unexplored and so much potential for whatever the individual fan/viewer sees. It makes your heart twinge a little when your ship isn’t canon, but I think that’s what builds great storytellers in the fandom. It allows us to expand on it and I am grateful that the showmakers left it open (for now). Do you think the fandom is too concerned with “ship wars” that they’re not appreciating the show and its characters as a whole? YES.
Do you think the writers are portraying Hunk as a “Foodie”, or someone who has a deep passion for cooking food? The latter. Passion for cooking and foodie aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive tho. He likes good food and he likes making good food for others to enjoy (Space Mall ?) so they can appreciate what he finds comforting, I think. It’s like sharing a blanket with someone, I guess. But food.
Are Allura’s inital reactions about Keith being a Galra justified? Why or why not?
OK OK OK; Allura’s anger is understandable, but never justified. She shows innately human responses; here is somebody she trusted who is (v remotely) connected to something that caused her great pain and loss. Obviously she’d feel betrayed and we know the reasons why; but this is somebody who has otherwise never done her harm. She hated Keith simply because of his relation to the Galra; she then mistook her anger at the actions of Zarkon for her anger at Keith. Spooky parallels between this and Katara being pissed at Zuko in the Southern Raiders field trip; angry over the loss of her mother, she redirects that anger at Zuko because he’s the closest thing to the Fire Nation she can take it out on. In the end, she realised losing her planet and race and her family wasn’t Keith’s fault and she never should have blamed him. I’m sure in her heart she knew better, but she let her anger control her actions. I think it shows great growth that she can move past it, because not everyone can pull an Aang and forgive. Even though she was a princess, she still had faults and I love that about her. Omg I want to write an essay on this.
Do you think that the Voltron fandom is “toxic”, if so, what do you think we could do as a fandom to end this toxicity?
The warzone and whatnot is toxic; I’ve been lucky to stay out of it and I’d recommend everyone do the same. No matter where you go, I think there’s always a huge risk of a fandom (especially a big one) of having a toxic corner. Let it be just that; a corner. Everywhere you go, there will be people who disagree/don’t like what you like. You just have to learn to either live alongside each other or avoid each other. Hopefully the people who disagree and whatever are mature enough to respect your decisions and co-exist. This is often not the case, so in that case, just do your best to ignore it. People who don’t want to listen just won’t. Let them sit in their angry little corner. Don’t let them stop you from enjoying something that’s so great like Voltron. This is the internet; it’s not like you have to see/work with these people every day - you can avoid it if you so wish.
Do you think Keith would make a good leader? Why or why not? Does he show any evidence throughout the show that he would? Should people send hate to other people in the fandom for thinking Keith is a good leader, or liking the fact that he had character development? (see v first response)
UM. Keith right now at the end of S2 ? Not ready. Nobody is ever ready to be a leader right off the bat. It’s something he’ll grow into. I imagine by the end of S3 he might be more ready. He’s lost and unable to take into consideration the rest of the team because he’s so caught up in finding out who he really is. If you don’t even know yourself, how can you understand the team you’re a part of and lead it well ? Shiro is right that he shows potential; he sets a goal and he is determined and strong-willed enough to see it to completion. He cares about his team members. And he’s willing to listen to Shiro’s advice and learn from his mistakes. Kid’s got potential. But he lacks real leadership experiences.
What do you think about the diversity of the characters in the show? LANCE IS CUBAN APPARENTLY. I love the diversity. Strong girls, all sorts of examples of masculinity and intelligence. Breaking stereotypes everywhere. Love it. Should it be an unwritten rule that fans should not harass the cast and crew members about issues in the fandom, or ships? Why or why not?
I’m so embarrassed actually that cast/crew members have been harassed (if it’s happened). Acting like kids in front of the people who put in hard work to bring you this wonderful content; you should be ashamed. Fandom issues are fandom issues. They just want to see you guys enjoy what they put their heart into. They always sound so happy and proud that Voltron has such a huge following of loyal fans. I hope y’all will act in a way that upholds their pride in the fandom. SIDE NOTE THO: apparently in Korea, kdramas have been ruined by online netizens (ie angry, loud fans online with nothing better to do) who demand certain pairings or endings. In the end, the drama goes the way the netizens want and the story is often ruined because of this. What the fans want isn’t necessarily the best way to go for a work.
What are your thoughts on the Shaladin ships?
I had to search what Shaladin actually was. I just saw a lot of hate, unfortunately. Well IDK about romantic shipping, but certainly, I love exploring their interactions. They’re such dynamic characters, just LET ME STUDY ALL OF THEM. I want everyone (Besides Keith) to have a life changing field trip with Shiro at some point.
What are you expecting from season three this September?
I DON’T EVEN KNOW. I JUST WANT TO WATCH IT.
Do you think some people in the fandom are stripping the characters of Voltron from their diverse, fleshed-out personalities to slap their face on their HCs, ships, etc? If so, what are your thoughts on that?
Well yeah, this is a minefield of a question. Again this comes down to people disagreeing with things, respecting that other people see different aspects of a character and peacefully co-existing. Everyone sees what they want to see or sees parts of themselves in a character they like. Everyone is entitled to enjoy Voltron the way they want to, even if I don’t agree with them. Let people be happy. But I do love it when I come across HCs and ships with well thought out reasoning and study from the actual canon. It makes it that much more believable and enjoyable for me.
What is the show lacking?
MORE EPISODES. MORE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CHARACTERS THAT NEVER GET TO INTERACT MUCH. Even though it was short, I thoroughly enjoyed Lance and Pidge being together and unlocking their big-bro watching out for his sassy badass nerd younger sister dynamic. SPACE MALL YOU GUYS. He doesn’t even question it; Pidge really wants this game and he’s gonna help her grab coins from a fountain like a pair of hobos because he cares about her.
The more I thought back on it and re-watched the episode the more I wanted to see it. It’s so cute and I love seeing Lance not being a flirty McFlirtson and being a genuinely supportive and kind person. I also can’t wait to see Keith as Reckless Leader in a repeat of that early scene where he drives them all off a cliff and everyone is screaming their heads off but with him as official Leader and about to make everyone do something really high risk-high pay-off.
Keith afterwards tho
What do you think Lotor would be like?
I have no idea. I’ve seen everything from shitpost Edgelord to flirty Lance lover to “I will avenge my father and lead our empire to absolute victory !” trailer Lotor. I think he’ll be most like what we’ve seen heard in the trailer. He will be a gallant prince who will fight ruthlessly and with charm. Hopefully we’ll see some silly sides of him too. I also want him to be one of those “omg we can’t beat this guy” mastermind and I want to see Keith trying desperately to lead his pride (of Voltron lions) to victory but he’s struggling against this chessmaster prince and he’s like “Shiro I’m sorry, I’m failing you as Leader” and everyone supports Keith and recognises how hard he’s working for the team but I want the team to be really panicked and have a “we failed the universe” moment. It will be heartwrenching and wonderful. A N G S T 4 L Y F E.
What do you think about people who say they will quit the fandom if their ship doesn’t become canon? Are you one of those people? If you are, why would you quit?
QUIT THEN. And no, I’m not gonna quit just because things didn’t go my way. I’ve lived through so many non-canon ships like whatever. It just means I can go on writing whatever HC I want and explore the infinite possibilities. Yeah it kind of hurts in the short term but eh. Respect the creators. Trust in their creative vision. Besides, this is not a romance-driven series, so why would it...happen ?
How can people in the fandom express their disliking for a ship without it making themselves look like an arse?
repeat after me: I do not like nor ship this but I will respect the fact that you do and refrain from sending hate to you about your choices.
Did you think Keith’s character development was well thought out? Who do you think his mother is, and what all happened in his past?
What development tho. He’s still as he was back in S1 imo. A little more mature and able to work in the team. He’s developed the ability to listen to others, but I think he kind of grew further into himself because of all the questions he had about his past. His mama is Galra for sure, and we know he was abandoned by her (for reasons unknown). Poor thing. I think he also learnt to tolerate Lance but you know they still fight like babies. So nah. IMO I don’t think he grew up that much. We just saw into a little of his mystery and understood where he came from. We just understand his actions more now.
Is Shiro dead? If not, where do you think Shiro is? (My best guess is the astral plane, but I would’t know :p)
Astral plane, bitches. Let’s go. Chekov’s...astral plane ? Why did they mention it at all if it had no other meaning in S2 ?
Is it okay for people to express their excitement online/in social media/publicly when (if) their ship becomes canon? Sure why not ? Congrats y’all ! Hopefully I’ll be one of those people ahaha. If not, ah well. Nothing new.
What are your thoughts on Matt escaping? Do you think Pidge will be reuinited with him in season three?
iT’S HAPPENING WE ALL KNOW. I’M PSYKED. YES IT’S HOLT REUNION TIME. I wonder if that means everyone’s gotta call Pidge “Katie” now. Pidge is such a cute name.
Are you excited for season three? Why or why not? DO YOU EVEN HAVE TO ASK, OFC I AM. Even if I had no idea what was gonna happen in S3, I’d still be excited because the quality of this show (aside from the beginning few episodes where they had to set the world up etc) has been so top notch. I have faith that S3 won’t disappoint. I have such immense faith in the cast and crew.
Are smaller ships (such as Kallura, Kidge, Heith) in the fandom just as valid as the larger ones (such as Sheith, Klance, Shallura)?
It may not feel like it is, but every ship is valid so long as you’ve got shippers. Y’all kids are allowed to enjoy whatever it is you enjoy. Don’t let anyone send you messages saying otherwise. I wasn’t aware Kallura was a smaller ship tbh. Klance does dominate tho. Red oni/blue oni pairings are always popular no matter what fandom. (Spitfire in YJ anyone ?)
What are your thoughts on people calling Kallura heteronormative but then they ship another heterosexual/mantic ship (such as Shallura)?
I just read a lot of big words. I’m not sure what heteronormative even means. *one Google later* I don’t deny that for nearly all of media history heteronormative stuff has dominated. But I think putting that on a ship that a) isn’t even confirmed canon and b) is just a bloody ship that people enjoy isn’t right. Say if a movie had a male and female lead who ended up romantically together and put a homosexual potential relationship in a bad or lesser light; that would be heteronormative. In any case, that’s not something to put blame on a bunch of fans that aren’t even related to the writing or creative process. They’re just enjoying a ship. And yes IMO that’s rather hypocritical; you can’t ship this hetero pair but you can ship this one because it’s ok by my standards. You better have some rock solid reasoning and logic behind that one. What makes it ok/not ok ? Is it the thing that Lance is (possibly) bi and a preferred ship for Keith ?
What are your thoughts on sexuality headcanons?
they’re HC; let people ENJOY WHAT THEY WANT. Stop policing the way people think about a fictional thing.
Do you think ship discourse will ever stop/settle down in the fandom? N E V E R. So long as people have different opinions, there will always be a struggle to co-exist. It’s just human nature.
What do you think about Kalteknecker disappearing? Sadness. (are we talking about the cow ?) Do you think Pidge and Lance ever played their game? NO AND THAT’S EVEN MORE SADNESS. But I hope Lance comforted Pidge and they shared memories over stupid nerdy things on Earth they enjoyed. I hope they find a way to play it tho. Lance was really homesick so I think he and Pidge would really bond over that.
Between Keith finding out he was a Galra at the end of The Blade of Marmora episode, and The Belly Of the Weblum, they didn’t show everyone’s inital reactions to Keith being a Galra. What do you think happened between the team? Why do you think the writers left that out?
Well, firstly as an aspiring writer myself, I’ve been told: if it doesn’t add to the plot or move it along, you don’t need it. Less is more. The most important reaction was Allura’s; everyone else pretty much accepted Keith except her. It’s safe to assume that they were all shocked, but what’s more important is what they did after the shock. Shiro and Pidge were aiite. Hunk was “idk what to do” but got over it real quick realising Keith was still Keith. I don’t remember Lance’s reaction tbh. The team probably had a “OMG” moment and then got over it, because they’re a team. That showed easily enough in the final battle when they were all working together regardless.
Which is the best episode out (so far)?
I DON’T WANT TO SAY SPACE MALL BUT I REALLY LIKED SPACE MALL. I think I liked...the episode with the Olkari in it (Greening the Cube). Not only did we get to see Pidge in focus, the concept of green technology ALWAYS GETS ME. I loved the solar panel roads in Pokemon Diamond/Pearl, and I love solarpunk/green tech stuff. It’s such a concept and the art looks amazing and so fantasy-esque in what’s a known sci-fi genre. It also gives me hope that we’ll have tech like that one day. Hopefully I’ll get to enjoy it. I think Keith’s little “we’re all related” moment also hit home. It was defs a “space Swamp” episode for Voltron and Keith had an Avatar moment.
What are your thoughts on Haggar being Altean? Do you think Allura will be distraught about this, the fact that one of her own people has been helping the Galra do such horrible things so loyally?
Plot twist wow. I think since it happened so soon after her learning of Keith’s Galra heritage, it didn’t surprise her as much as I expected. She was in the heat of battle tho, so I can’t gauge her reaction and thoughts as accurately. Maybe she’ll ponder over it, but I think most likely knowing that there are good Galra that have helped them (ie the Blade of Malmora) lends itself to the fact that the possibility of bad Alteans is in fact a reality. Maybe she’ll have an ultimate realisation/epiphany in S3 about it.
Do you think Allura’s apology to Keith was sincere? Do you think she grew as a person/character? Yes and yes. She was able to guide her anger at the Galra away from Keith and recognise that he was not an appropriate target for it. That takes some real emotional maturity. I haven’t seen the episode in a while, but from memory, she sounded like she couldn’t believe that she’d distrusted him so much after everything they’ve been through together. She had betrayed a friend and she regretted that. It might have felt a bit rushed since Voltron eps are only 20 mins or so long; if it had been longer, the writers might have had a bit more play time with it. What do you think the team’s reactions will be when Keith takes over as the pilot of the Black Lion? WHAT DO U MEAN WHEN. omg. Maybe some initial “WTF”, but they’re in a dire situation. Pidge probably understands this the most; her logic will win them over and they’ll most likely have to quickly accept Keith as leader in the meantime while they look for Shiro. Lance will have a fit over this probably. Pidge and Hunk will watch on as Keith and Lance have more fights than ever. Allura will probably step in as the parent in lieu of Shiro.
How do you think the team will take Shiro’s disappearance/death?
Poor lost little lion cubs. Keith will be the most anxious to find him and deny that Shiro is gone. I think he’ll feel the most alone since the Garrison trio will at least have each other to lean on, and with Lance probably mad that Keith is leader, it will most likely polarise the group. I’ve got the Shallura bug bad, so I wanna say Allura won’t take it well either. Maybe Keith and Allura will comfort each other and bond over the man who left them to deal with shit they’re not ready for. Do you think that we will ever find out who all made up the original team of Voltron?
WE BETTER.
How do you think Lance will take it when he finds out his rival will pilot the Black Lion in Shiro (his hero)’s footsteps?
sEE ABOVE. He won’t take it well. If at all.
Do you think Hunk and Lance grew as characters in season two?
Hunk is more ready to be a hero than he was in S1, yes. Lance. I can’t tell TBH. What do you think of Pidge’s character development?
I applaud my child’s acceptance of her new space family and her role in the team.
Will Rover ever come back? Or will Pidge ever have a new robot friend? I hope Rover does come back. Pidge lost Rover as she accepted her role in Voltron (an episode I did rewatch recently); I find it sad that she lost a friend as soon as she learnt to appreciate friendship and support.
Is Coran the gorgeous man?
yaaaas. (but I really dig side-shaved emo-teen Coran’s design)
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