#yes they said the song was inspired by the Ghibli Film

[microbihon]

"Oh Mimi. . . can you tell me there's an issue?" SO EXCITED for Good Kid's Next song :D :D :D

[bagginshieldweek24]

Bagginshield Week 2023 - Guideline, Dates, Prompts

Welcome all to Bagginshield Week 2023, an event meant to inspire creations surrounding the relationship between Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakeshield! Keep reading below the cut to find out how to participate, when will it take place, and what are the prompts!

What is considered as Bagginshield for the purposes of the event? Any kind of relationship between Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield, whether that be platonic, romantic or sexual, so long as said relationship or the interactions between these characters are the main focus of the work you create.

Is there one specific incarnation of the characters/story that we must abide by? Not at all, you can write them following the lines of the book, the animated film, or the live action trilogy, and even add your own flavor to them. As for the story, you may observe either canon, or make it as canon divergent or alternate universe as you wish (prompt notwithstanding).

Are other pairings featuring Bilbo or Thorin welcome? Yes. So long as Bilbo and Thorin remain the focus of the work, you may include any other background pairings, other relationships (of any nature) that feature Bilbo or Thorin, and polycules/open relationships. I find it perfectly understandable and more than acceptable if you wish, for example, to develop a platonic relationship between these two characters, while also hinting at either of them having a romantic relationship with someone else. Different strokes for different folks.

What mediums are allowed? Are there any minimum requisites for completion or participation? Officially speaking, all mediums are allowed and there aren’t any requisites , since the purpose is to simply inspire more creations of this pair, but the following minimums are encouraged -

Art: 1 sketch.

Fiction: 250 words.

Commentary: 250 words.

Podfic: 5 minutes.

Edits/manips: 2 pictures.

Gifset: 2 gifs.

Moodboard: 4 pictures.

Playlist: 5 songs.

Any other mediums you can think of are more than welcome! If what you wish to create in (animation, cosplay, embroidery, essay, poetry, video edit, you name it) isn’t mentioned above, is simply because I couldn’t even begin to conceptualize what could be considered a minimum for it or wasn’t entirely sure if what I had in mind would work out. You’re more than welcome to drop any comments on other mediums in the ask box, and to participate just as freely as anyone else! Again, these minimums are suggestions, after all!

Event Specifics

Date: June 4th - 10th. 2023.

Two extra days (June 11th and 12th) will be available to post/finish creations.

There are two prompts to chose from or combine per day.

There are two alternate prompt sets (regular and whump), with five prompts each, which you can exchange or combine with any daily prompt.

For those posting in Tumblr, you must use the tag #thilboweek23 to have your post reblogged. For those posting in AO3, a Collection will be set at the beginning of the event. For those who may post somewhere else or would prefer remaining anonymous on Tumblr, you may: make a short Tumblr post to promote, request me to share your work through the Discord server (that is still being set up) or an ask through Tumblr, or send me an email with the link to your work through an account I will share later (I’m afraid I don’t have Twitter or Instagram accounts, sorry).

Prompts

June 4th: Fairytale AU | Domestic June 5th: Bilbo in Erebor | Piercings & Tattoos June 6th: Pride & Prejudice AU | Blade/Sword June 7th: Nautical/Pirate AU | The Moon/The Sun June 8th: Ghibli AU | Hobbit Culture June 9th: Erebor Never Fell | Flowers/Flower Language June 10th: Everybody Lives/Nobody Dies | Haunted House/Castle/Palace

Regular Alternate Prompts: Courtship | Secret Relationship | Thorin is an Errant Smith | Meeting the Family | Enchantments/Spells

Whump Alternate Prompts: Believed to be Dead | Nightmares/Hallucinations | Silence | Left Behind | Hidden Injury

[ystk-archive]

[Translation] L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer interview (BARFOUT! magazine vol. 122, Oct. 2005)

(Yes, there's really a long-running arts and culture magazine in Japan called Barfout. Click here to view full-page scans of the feature, and feel free to contact me with any questions/comments.)

What surprising developments took place on capsule's new album!?

I'm crazy about capsule's newest album, L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer. It includes "Flying City Plan" [Soratobu Toshikeikaku] — featured in a collaborative music video created by Ghibli subsidiary Studio Kajino and directed by Momose Yoshiyuki — for a total of ten songs (perhaps I should mention that video is on the same level as many sci-fi films!). capsule is a creative unit made up of Nakata Yasutaka (producer) and Koshijima Toshiko (vocalist). The two have been entertaining listeners with their extremely poppy releases that'll take you on a virtual joyride through a world of music inspired by interior design and mass-produced goods. That said, I was taken aback by the song "Glider"! Even with their cool, plastic charm, capsule launched a dramatic pop track with a melody that tugs at the heartstrings the minute it begins. If I had to compare it to works by other artists, it's got a similar feeling to Quruli's "Wandervogel" and Supercar's "YUMEGIWA LAST BOY." Geez, I've really been wearing this song out! (At this point, "Glider" is going at #1 on my top ten favorites of 2005!) Including a club-oriented track with an enjoyable guitar sound, capsule's new album is filled to the brim with groundbreaking songs that overflow with human emotion. It'll definitely add a certain je ne sais quoi to your own space!!!

Original interview text by Fukushima Ryutaro, translation by ystk-archive

"From outerspace to the ocean, I wanted it to have a sense of vastness" (Nakata)

barf: How in the world did you arrive at something like L.D.K. Lounge Designers Killer? Nakata: All the tracks on this album definitely make me go "hey, I can make good songs too!" (laughs). barf: The jacket photo is a picture of grass. Nakata: It's fake. The clothes we wear in the "Glider" video are also made out of that. I'm not much of a nature enthusiast, but in Japan we sure do have a lot of state-manufactured parks, don't we? The album cover's aura is sort of like that, how it's natural but somehow artificial at the same time. barf: The first track, "Flying City Plan," was used as the basis of a short film, following the examples set by "Portable Airport" [Portable Kuukou] and "space station No.9." They're even screening it before the movie Touch. Nakata: The first short "Portable Airport" showcases a fantasy town in capsule's type of aesthetic. After that was the resort concept for "space station No.9." So for this third one, we aimed for it to be more visually spacious and panoramic. From outerspace to the ocean, I wanted it to have a sense of vastness, so that's why I went with "Flying City Plan" for the music. barf: It has a majestic feel. Nakata: I tried to give it an easygoing sort of speed. When you're flying in an airplane, you can't feel the wind, but you know it's going by extremely fast outside. So the music follows along those lines, with a relaxed pace, kind of giving off an executive's suite type of vibe. And they retired the Concorde planes, so... (laughs) barf: Did you have any thoughts on the video, Koshijima-san? Koshijima: It's dramatic. She's a damsel in distress (laughs). barf: The second track "Teleportation" sounds so much like capsule's usual while simultaneously feeling quite new. Nakata: That's because, in a rare move, I played the guitar. I've used it before but only for riffs and whatnot, this time I played it more messily. barf: Speaking of guitars, the third track "Lounge Designers Killer" is rather rock-influenced. Nakata: To be totally honest, I was given a guitar. So I was just thinking like, "What if I use guitar sounds for this album?" There wasn't a deep reason behind it (laughs). barf: What kind of guitar did you get? Nakata: The one I used in the music video.¹ After we finished the shoot for "Glider," I added guitars to the song (laughs). Originally I thought it'd be interesting that the video was going to show a guitar being played with no guitars in the music, but since we went through the trouble of getting it, I threw some in the song after the fact. barf: That would've been a bizarre visual element (laughs). I get the sense that capsule is strongly influenced by cool instruments. Nakata: I really like changes of scenery and instruments. With bands, new ideas are sparked by the members interacting with each other, right? I pull my inspirations from instruments and checking out stores I haven't been to before.

"capsule does things without focusing on whether or not it's 'too late' to do them." (Nakata)

barf: "Glider" really comes to life as the seventh track following the science fiction-esque "Antenna." Nakata: I tried to make the transition sound unnatural. There used to be a sense of flow even though songs weren't actually connected to each other, but nowadays there's a high possibility that people will import albums into a computer and listen to everything out of order anyway. I wanted to put something there that would make the listener go "huh?" when the song changed over. "Antenna" starts and ends abruptly: the intro begins and cuts off halfway through, giving the impression that it's broken; it's the same type of weird feeling you get when the TV channel suddenly changes. So I put that in there to make the connection between the songs worse, not better (laughs). barf: "Glider" stands out strongly. Koshijima-san, how was it singing this song? Koshijima: Honestly, my voice was in really bad shape during recording and it was at its worst when we got around to "Glider" — it wouldn't come out at all. But when I got to listen to the song in the studio, I was struck by how long it's been since I heard something so good, and because of that my voice somehow managed to power through (laughs). barf: The title of "Progress and Harmony for Mankind" [Jinrui no Shinpo to Chouwa] feels a bit out of place, doesn't it (laughs). Nakata: It's from the 1970 Osaka Expo. barf: Really!! I didn't make the connection. Nakata: It's so like us to not use the theme from this year's Expo (laughs).² The Osaka Expo happened during a time when people really valued science. They thought like "with science, anything is possible!" Along with the ecological issues, I think the idea of creating another earth is fascinating (laughs). barf: With the kind of rhythm it has, the song's got a cool spacy feel to it. Nakata: That track is close to the type of music that pushed me into doing music. I felt like how I did in junior high, making songs like this when I started recording at home. Koshijima: You definitely did material like this when we first met. It was pretty heavy (laughs). Nakata: That's why when I listen to recent releases, I feel like I've gone back in time. These days, a lot of the songs I hear that people say are "good" are nostalgic. Bands have started making house and electro-ish music with '80s sounds and I wind up thinking, "Can they really do that?" barf: It has gotten like that. Nakata: capsule does things without focusing on whether or not it's "too late" to do them. It's not that I'm bitter about it though; that's just what happens when you do what you enjoy. barf: But if that's how you naturally go about about things, then it's okay. Nakata: It's not a recent phenomenon, but I do think people who create things feel confined. If they do this genre, then they have to use certain sounds — they have so-called rules like that. I make music thinking it'd be nice to ignore those rules.

¹ Nakata owns a Yamaha RGX A2 which he "played" in the Glider music video. I think. I was told that it was actually a different guitar but I guess not! ² 2005 was the Aichi Expo with the theme of "Nature's Wisdom." He's saying this in reference to his disinterest in nature.

[taexual]

Dude where do I even start :ccc

This chapter, I really couldn't wait to have some free time and read it peacefully (peacefully meaning, squealing and losing my shit at every paragraph)

I loved the plotting ok, the attention to details, the way they all worry about each other and just fight against this urge to bury Sid alive, so inspiring and wholesome :D

Also, something I've absolutely always loved about your writing is this continuous narration of the characters thoughs, interactions and quirks, like it may be the simplest of things for other people (like writers in general and stuff) but for me these moments -of Luna finally exchanging a gossipy stare with Maggie, or Jungkook feeling devastated when Oc took her hand away, and then making sure that it wouldn't happen again-, they just add so much endearment, personality, depth to the story. Idk, it feels like every comma you write has a purpose, and will eventually add up to some beautiful metaphors, and revelations.

What does it feel like to be such a talented writer??

Now, regarding the lovey dovey stuff... What the actual fuck are you trying to do to me? I swear I cannot look more deranged giggling at my phone every 32 seconds jfc, have some compassion.

Like jk demanding that kiss in the park? Had me doing flips

The “I never knew how to love you quietly."

AND OC RECITING HIS ENTIRE SPEECH??!? ‘We have Sociology together, I saw you sleeping in class, very cute by the way, the professor does not know how to shut up, have you seen that new Studio Ghibli film, I recently watched their classic with some friends, My Neighbour Jungkook, I’m Totoro by the way, I thought maybe—wait—no—’”

“Not one period, nothing,” you continued, a melancholic haze in your eyes. “Just commas and an endless stream of thought. You could have asked me to bury a body, I would have said yes.”

STFU I ALMOST CRIED, THOSE ARE MY BABIESS

The rain listened. It had become a fundamental part of your present and a prophet of your future: the two of you were going to spend the rest of your lives listening to the rain and falling in love.

This destroyed me actually, get me someone to listen to the rain and fall in love with, rn please and thank u

Also watch me try and write 'transfixing. Beguiling. Effulgent. Pulchritudinous' next time I'm falling asleep to test my writing abilities fr, just you wait

He was almost ready to call Rated Riot’s next song “Smile Lines” and just sigh dreamily into the microphone for five minutes while Yoongi played gentle piano chords in the background.

As if their entire discography wasn't like this already, at least in my mind it is. But yeah, I can totally see him doing something like that next time oc does anything remotely endearing (breathing basically)

Ugh idk what to say, you have me screaming and crying for this couple, these characters and their story all the time, and I love you for it. There are also things I forgot to mention because my phone refuses to actually save things in the Clipboard, but overall this made my week, as your updates always do (and that paired with Ateez's performance in Coachella in a couple of minutes?? Yeah life feels worth living again 🤭🤭)

Thank you sm for this, take care of yourself pleaseee, ill be waiting for the next one cccc:

oh how i wish i could thank you eloquently, instead of going sskdhfksh at every word of your message 😭 i must stress that the fact that you noticed (!) these little moments between characters and you've enjoyed (!!!) them is the absolute highest reward i could get 🙏🏻 it's so easy to skim, you know?

babe making you giggle is my main purpose in life at this point, i don't know what to tell you. and you'RE SO RIGHT OMG he's so whipped for her, their next album is just going to be jungkook morphing from this 🥰 into just this ❤️ (like me for you rn, fr)

i also hope you have more peace and quiet to do the things you enjoy in your life!! i love you!!! 🥺🤍🤍🤍🤍 bless ateez btw

[willowgast]

tag game time!

i was tagged by the lovely @contre-qui, with the aim of tagging nine people to learn about their interests - i'm unlikely to find that many people myself but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it! going under the cut because this is a pretty long(ish) one.

music!

fave genre a little bit of everything but right now especially medieval folk & pop rock

fave artist a strange mixture of måneskin, kraftklub, siames, cavetown, and rainbow kitten surprise

fave song hard choice, but probably 'brothers' by siames & eddy capparelli

most listened to song recently either 'coraline' by måneskin or 'king orfeo' from the child ballads

song currently stuck in your head 'happy pills' by weathers

five fave lyrics oh boy, this is gonna take some thought.

"called to the devil and the devil said / hey! why you been calling this late? / it's like 2a.m. and the bars all close at ten in hell, that's a rule i made / anyway, you say you're too busy saving everybody else to save yourself / and you don't want no help, oh well / that's the story to tell" ('it's called: freefall' by rainbow kitten surprise)

"today i coo, today i caw / i have a pistol party and i kill 'em all / i think i might be scared / of the man and the men with their hands inside / and the women, oh, the women all they do is cry / and i, well i lose my mind" ('little pistol' by mother mother)

"so did you pack your bag, or did somebody pack it for you? / take me to the sad, sad party that you're bound to / whether you're a 'have-not' or a 'have', i got a question / are you living dead, or is this some kind of possession?' ('blast doors' by everything everything)

"but what if i run out of fertiliser? / what if the clouds run out of rain? what if lemon boy won't grow no longer? what if beaches dry of sugar cane?" ('lemon boy' by cavetown)

"now they tell you that you're their muse / yeah, they're so inspired / but where were they when they called your name / and they lit the fire? / when the voices came, you cut your hair / but you're stilled confused" ('joan of arc' by arcade fire)

books!

fave book genre fantasy all the way

fave writer bernardine evaristo, leigh bardugo, madeline miller

fave book oh dear, here we go. 'circe' by madeline miller, 'six of crows' and 'crooked kingdom' by leigh bardugo, 'girl, woman, other' by bernardine evaristo, 'good omens' by neil gaiman & terry pratchett, 'the raven cycle' series by maggie stiefvater, 'oranges are not the only fruit' by jeanette winterson, and a whole lot of old norse literature of dubious authorship (but especially 'gisla saga' and 'hrafnkels saga freysgoða', and pretty much all of the eddic poems in the volsung cycle)

fave book series it's a tie between leigh bardugo's grishaverse novels and maggie stiefvater's 'the raven cycle'

comfort book 'the secret kingdom' by jenny nimmo

rainy day book any of my norse books, sagas or poetry

fave characters nina zenik in the grishaverse, ronan lynch in 'the raven cycle', gisli in 'gisla saga' (not sure if that counts as a character or historical figure, dependent on perspective...?), and circe in, y'know, 'circe'

five quotes from your fave books?

"i thought once that gods are the opposite of death, but i see now they are more dead than anything, for they are unchanging, and can hold nothing in their hands" ('circe' by madeline miller)

"'spreader of swords, it is your own sons' / corpse-bloody hearts you've chewed up with honey, / proud man, you've consumed dead men's meat, / eating it as ale-dainties, sending it to the high seat' [...] with the point of a blade she gave the bed a bloody drink, / with a hel-keen hand, and set the dogs free; / she woke the servants, and in front of the hall-door / she flung a burning brand: she paid them back for her brothers. / to the fire she gave everyone who was inside, / who'd come from myrkheim after murdering gunnar and his men; / the ancient timbers fell, the temples smoked, / the buildings burned of budli's kin, and the shield-maids inside; / their lives stemmed, sinking into hot flames." (gudrun avenges her brother in 'atlakviða', a poem in the old norse poetic and elder eddas)

"you aren't a flower, you're every blossom in the wood blooming at once. you are a tidal wave. you're a stampede. you are overwhelming." ('crooked kingdom' by leigh bardugo)

"from the passenger seat, ronan began to swear at adam. it was a long, involved swear, using every forbidden word possible, often in compound-word form. as adam stared at his lap, penitent, he mused that there was something musical about the ronan when he swore, a careful and loving precision to the way he fit the words together, a black-painted poetry. it was far less hateful sounding than when he didn't swear." ('the raven cycle' by maggie stiefvater)

"but where was god now, with heaven full of astronauts, and the lord overthrown? i miss god. i miss the company of someone utterly loyal. i still don't think of god as my betrayer. the servants of god, yes, but servants by their very nature betray. i miss god who was my friend. i don't even know if god exists, but i do know that if god is your emotional role model, very few human relationships will match up to it. i have an idea that one day it might be possible, i thought once it had become possible, and that glimpse has set me wandering, trying to find the balance between earth and sky. if the servants hadn't rushed in and parted us, i might have been disappointed, might have snatched off the white samite to find a bowl of soup." ('oranges are not the only fruit' by jeanette winterson)

hardcover or paperback | buy or rent | standalone novels or book series | ebook or physical copy | reading at night or during the day | reading at home or in nature | listening to music while reading or reading in silence | reading in order or reading the ending first | reliable or unreliable narrator | realism or fantasy | one or multiple POVS | judging by the covers or by the summary | rereading or reading just once

tv and movies!

fave tv/movie genre fantasy, travel/road trip & comedy

fave movie the secret life of walter mitty, supernova, any and all ghibli films, scott pilgrim vs. the world, lord of the rings, the how to train your dragon trilogy

comfort movie the lion king (original), how to train your dragon, from up on poppy hill, kiki's delivery service

movie you watch every year elf, howl's moving castle, love simon

fave tv show she-ra and the princesses of power, skam, bee and puppycat (i guess more of a web series than a tv show?), adventure time, the it crowd

comfort tv show adventure time

most rewatched tv show skam, every october without fail

five favourite characters catra (she-ra and the princesses of power), sana (skam original), marceline (adventure time), moss (the it crowd), inej (shadow and bone netflix adaptation)

tv shows or movie | short seasons (8-13 episodes) or full seasons (22 episodes or more) | one episode a week or bingeing | one season or multiple seasons | one part or saga | half hour or one hour long episodes | subtitles on or off | rewatching or watching just once | downloads or watches online

tagging (absolutely no pressure, this is a pretty long one!): @crowcaves, @the-obsidian-soul, @natscbi, @somehowmags, @gabrilearnelle, @clockwords, @starsspace... and that's it, that's as close to nine as i'm getting, but if anyone else just feels like doing it then feel free to consider yourself tagged!

[putschki1969]

Wakana e-onkyo Interview English Translation

Note: The first interview with Wakana regarding her cover album. Some juicy details so be sure to check it out!! A little highlight: Hitoshi Konno provided his violin playing for the album!! As always, take everything you read with a grain of salt, my Japanese is by no means perfect. If you want to use this translation or parts of it, be sure to CREDIT me and LINK to this post.

■ SPECIAL INTERVIEW ー with Wakana

Wakana debuted in 2008 as a member of Kalafina. In February 2019 she made her debut as solo singer. Her cover album "Wakana Covers ~ Anime Classics ~" has just been released. It features anime songs in a classic arrangement. Be smitten by Wakana’s charming and expressive vocals, she adjusts her voice to fit the mood of each song. Also pay attention to the unique sound which perfectly conveys the image the different arrangers envisioned. We talked about the songs, her singing,  the arrangements and the overall sound.

── I think everyone has long been hoping for you to release an album with the concept of covering anime songs with a classical arrangment. What inspired you to pick this particular timing?

Wakana: It was partly because I appeared in my producer’s event "Satoshi Takebe Premium Duo Session Special Vol.9 Satoshi Takebe x Wakana" last November. Takebe-san suggested we should do some covers and I told him I would love to sing some Ghibli songs. That’s how we ended up performing a Ghibli medley which was a lot of fun. Having had that amazing experience, I was planning to do a series of live performances starting this spring where I would cover anime songs in collaboration with a female group called 1966Quartet.

── Unfortunately all plans for spring this year were ...

Wakana: Yes, the live was cancelled before it even got announced. However, I had planned to hold the second instalment of that concert series in December anyway so we decided to just start from there.

── So were you planning to announce the release of the album during the spring live and then accompany the release with the winter live! Was it supposed to be like that?

Wakana: Actually, at the beginning, it was only a live project, I had no plans to release an album. However, during the stayhome period while I was filming videos for my fan club, I asked the fans, "are there any songs you want me to sing?" There were many people who mentioned anime songs, especially Ghibli songs. Needless to say, I loved all the suggetions and I realised that fans would probably be very happy if I released an album in advance of the live. So, while secretly starting the album production, I uploaded some covers on YouTube to get everyone excited. Eventually I was able to announce that, “yes, I am actually working on an album!”

── When it comes to the production of an album like that, the most difficult thing is selecting songs.

Wakana: If the choice had been up to me only the album would be full of Ghibli *laughs*, in order to prevent that I gathered the opinions of everyone around me and this is how we ended up with the final tracklist. For example, I came up with the idea to include a "Doraemon" song and some newer pieces from Makoto Shinkai movies but "Yatsura No Ashioto No Ballade" and "Get Wild" are songs that I wouldn't have suggested myself. I didn't think I would ever cover a song like "Get Wild".

── With so many Ghibli songs to choose from wasn't it particularly difficult to decide which songs to include in and which songs to give a pass?

Wakana: It was!! For example, I was adamant about having “Kaze no Toorimichi” on the album but that forced be to remove “Teru no Uta” from my list because both songs have a similar atmosphere. Then there were songs like “Kimi wo Nosete”. When I performed it together with Takebe-san at this live it left such a strong impression on me. Plus, I have always liked it so I KNEW I had to have it on the album. In fact, this song came to my mind first when thinking about the selection of songs for this album, I was literally crying removing song after song from my list of candidates but I comforted myself with the thought that I would eventually use all those songs for my live performance in December!

── How did you arrange each of the songs once you managed to select them?

Wakana: I asked three arrangers to help me this time, Shin Hashimoto, Miki Sakurai and Shu Kanematsu. According to the image I wanted to convey with each song, I gave it to one of my three arrangers. We held many remote meetings where I first talked about the image I had in mind for the individual songs and in response to that, the arrangers sent me their suggestions... Everyone came up with absolutely wonderful arrangements that go far beyond anything I could have ever imagined!

── I think that deciding on the key is also a problem for a cover song. Did you decide that after consulting with your arrangers?

Wakana: It's not as simple as to just change a male singer's song into a key that is easy for women to sing, after all, you don’t want to ruin the atmosphere of the song by changing the key too much. To begin with I sent sample recordings of me singing certain patterns for each song to the arranger and then arranger would suggest a key they found fitting. I asked them to send me accompaniment that matched their preferred key and then I re-recorded my singing with their accompaniment to get a feel for the overall atmosphere. So with that sort of exchange between myself and the arrangers we selected the perfect key that would suit each song.

── When you say that you don’t want to ruin the atmosphere of a song by changing the key, what exactly do you mean by that and could you name a song where this applies?

Wakana: Take "Rain" for example, the key is a little too low for me which doesn’t exactly make it easy for me to sing but I think that singing it with this key will bring you closer to the world created by Senri Oe and Motohiro Hata. A world that’s filled with tears, tears by men.

── "Rain" is a song with particularly strong emotions from a male perspective.

Wakana: It took a while to get into the lyrics. Kanematsu-san who was in charge of the arrangement helped me interpret the song from a male perspective. Towards the end of the lyrics there is a line that says "Whistling, I follow". Why does he whistle in this moment? I didn't understand. So when I asked Kanematsu-san, he said, "I think the man in this song is trying to appear cool." And indeed, when I read other phrases such as "incapable of words" or "in front of the eyes of the world" at the beginning it suddenly made sense. Once I had challenged myself with this song I came to the conclusion that I want to sing more manly songs from now on. This song truly taught me the pleasures of reading and singing certain lyrics.

── And then on the contrary, we have a song like “Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara” which is sung from the point of view of a little girl.

Wakana: I knew I had to give this song to Sakurai-san to arrange, it needed a woman’s touch. That image of Kiki flying though the sky and that final scene where Tombo finally flies on his very own machine. This song has such a refreshing vibe and a sense of speed, it’s transporting you right into the future. It was not my intention to change those images, I wanted to stay very faithful to the original atmosphere. That’s why I asked Sakurai-san to keep the refreshing vibe and only make some other slight changes.

── Being overwhelmed with love for a song like this, did you have trouble approaching it as a singer?

Wakana: When I went to see one of Yumin-san's live performance, Yumin-san said, "I'm so happy that I am still in love with the world I envisioned as a girl." This brought tears to my eyes. There is still so much love. You have believed in God since you were little and you want to do your very best without ever giving up just like Kiki! That’s it!! That's why this song has such a girlish cuteness and innocence! But how to best express it through my own singing? I worried quite a lot about this. I consulted with Sakurai-san and Shin Hashimoto-san, who was in charge of the direction of all the songs, and somehow we decided on a singing style that all of us liked.

── Although it is faithful to the world of the song, it does not really resemble Yumin's singing style. For example, Yumin is applying a lot of vibrato starting from the first few lines but you are stretching out your notes in a calm manner followed by a bit of vibrato.

Wakana: That way of singing is unique to Yumin. I was not trying to simply copy the original songs, nor was it my intention to surpass them. I just love these songs so much which is why I tried singing them with as much joy and carefreeness as possible. I think I was able to do that because I had lots of time to face each song during the stay home period.

── So you were able to sing these songs you love so much without putting too much effort into it?

Wakana: In terms of singing, I was working a lot on my breathing technique this spring, so I guess the results of that came out while I was working on the album. My vocal coach said, "humans do not consciously inhale or exhale. If you exhale naturally, you will inhale naturally so there is no need to overthink it. This was especially true for “Toki ni wa Mukashi no Hanashi wo”, when I want to sing as if I'm talking, I don't want to put consciously add a breath. After all, I don't think about breathing when I'm talking. So I just let it happen naturally. 

── Is there anything we should pay attention to in terms of the sound of the arrangement?

Wakana: Everything really. But there is maybe one thing I would like to point out ... I was surprised that Kanematsu-san suggested we arrange "Inochi no Namae" with only strings and no other instruments. Listening to this song by itself is amazing but hearing it alongside the other tracks is quite fascinating because there is an audible change due to the lack of other instruments. In addition, the beautiful atmosphere from the recording studio is conveyed wonderfully through the music. When we were recording it felt like time had stood still.

── Are there any other things that impressed you when you were present at the recordings?

Wakana: “Ai ni dekiru koto wa mada aru kai” was arranged for piano, violin, and cello but we used the main area of Victor Entertainment’s largest studio to have Okuizumi-san play all by himself on the cello while Shin-san on the piano and Konno-san on the violin were recording in adjacent booths. We wanted the sound of the cello to be heard clearly since it takes up such a big portion of the song. Speaking of sound, “Yatsura No Ashioto No Ballade” is rather simple and only consists of my singing and a piano accompaniment.  We did a very basic racording and kept it quite raw without adding too much sound components to the song. I wanted to create a special atmosphere for the recording so we darkened the room, and I sat in a chair. All of a sudden I was becoming aware of sounds I had never noticed before, the creaking of the chair, my clothes rustling. I didn’t want these noises to be included in the recording because I feared it would end up being too raw so I made a lot of effort to record it while making as little noise as possible *laughs*.

── I was surprised by the arrangement towards the end of “Get Wild”  since you didn’t add a semitone-upward key change.

Wakana: …… Ahh! Now that you mention it.

── But it didn’t take away from the enjoyment since the tension was still incredibly high from the interlude, I didn't even realise at first that there was no modulation *laughs*. Besides, if you had transposes it up a semitone according to the original song, it would have sounded too pop-like and the classical atmosphere would have diminished.

Wakana: Regarding "Get Wild", I was particularly worried that the charm of the song would be lost by using a key more suited for a female singer. So I was adamant to make this song the most powerful out of all tracks. I asked the members of 1966 Quartet to record it because I wanted this song to have a sprinting vibe reminiscent of their Beatles and other UK rock covers. As for my singing style, unlike "Rain" which I sang in the early stages of production with gradually strenghtening, I sang this song with a lot of strength from the get-go both in the verses as well as in the choruses.In the original sample I sent my singing was still quite soft but then I realised that wouldn’t work, I needed something different so I decided to sing in a fierce manner from the first note onwards. The arrangement is also based on that.

── In your YouTube videos - including a recording of “Get Wild”- you are using Victor's new model "HA-MX100V" as monitor headphones.

Wakana: Those headphones have a really clear sound and I am not only using them for vocal recording but also for track down, mastering check, home recording and video editing. Also, in the latter half of the recording, I started using Shure headphones recommended by Kanematsu-san and my engineer. When using them, you hear the exact same thing in the recording booth and control room !

── You use Victor and Shure for your work. What about headphones outside of work?

Wakana: When I am travelling by train or car I like to listen to music. So Sony's noise cancelling headphones are my favourite. Even when I am  travelling on a heavy rainy highway, the sound of the rain and the roaring noise in the tunnel are all cancelled out! I also have wireless earphones and use them quite a lot.

── Good headphones are becoming more appealing than ever for music fans especially now with the ever-increasing number of live streams.

Wakana: That’s true! If you are using wireless headphones, you may be worried about the synch-gap between the video and audio so I think that a pair of high-quality wired headphones is perfect for a live stream. For my upcoming live "Wakana Anime Classic 2020" the audience capacity has been halved so we also decided to offer a live stream option.

── That’sgreat news!

Wakana: I think that some people find it difficult to attend the live because of the distance to Tokyo and the fact that they do not want to worry about getting sick in the current situation. So I'm very happy that everyone can enjoy it in the form of live stream. Since this is my first attempt there is still a lot to learn but with the help of many people around me we are trying to think of various things to make this experience enjoyable for everyone. There a re a lot of things to consider after all, things such as stage sets and video production.

── You mentioned that you would be singing songs that didn’t make it to the album?

Wakana: Definitely! And of course the songs from the album but I would like to sing them with a unique arrangement that can only be heard during the live performances. Please look forward to all of it!

── I'm looking forward to it!

Wakana: And there is something that’s actually still a secret ...

── What is it?

Wakana: Four Hippos will be the appointed image characters for my live! Since I am only doing covers I thought it would be fitting to use hippos as motif. [Note: “hippo” in Japanese is read the same way as “cover”]

── Thank you.

[jojiship]

Studio Ghibli Films: Thoughts & Rankings

I have been binging Studio Ghibli (and other anime films) since May. I saw a lot of people in Youtube rank them and I decided to do it as well. While I don’t have a camera to record myself, I decided to post my ranking of its films. First of all, I want to say that this is quite a subjective ranking and it’s personal. These are my opinions and of course, everyone can have opinions of their own. Second of all, I think all of these films have their good sides, but there are ones that I enjoyed and there are ones I didn’t enjoy. Either way, I recommend people to watch all of these films. You won’t regret watching most of them.

This post ranks the films from the 5th to 1st. Obviously, there will be spoilers ahead, so you’ve been warned.

5. Princess Mononoke (1997) – I would watch the animation of the nature in this film for hours in loop. It’s so wonderful, beautiful and breathtaking. Whether it’s animating the lake, the forest or even just the trees, I was in awe of it. It truly makes you appreciate it and again, Studio Ghibli shows you how much they love nature themselves. Now, let’s talk about the film. The film was amazing. The best word for it is amazing. The plot was so different and yet so captivating. There wasn’t a moment in this film where I was bored and where I felt it dragged along. Seeing this battle between humans and nature was what I had to see. When I was a kid, I didn’t appreciate this film as much, but now, it’s definitely one of my favourite films and in my top five of Studio Ghibli films. All the characters were incredibly well written, especially Ashitaka, San and Lady Eboshi. I love how there was no villain in this film. Yes, Lady Eboshi and her people were ruining the forest, but they were also trying to live their lives and grow as a community. I loved how everyone played a part in the village, the men, the woman and even the disables, had roles. You don’t see this in many films and I like that Princess Mononoke showed us that. The boars and the wolves were interesting to see as well. The bond that San had with her family and how she hated humans because of how she was raised. The ending was great. I liked that Ashitaka decided to stay and help with Irontown rather than go with San like some people expected him to. The only thing that truly bothered me was the face of the Forest Spirit. It haunted me for days which prove how much it creeped me out. If someone told me that the face of the Forest Spirit was their sleep paralysis demon, I would believe them in the spot.

4. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) - The first Studio Ghibli film that I’ve seen is My Neighbor Totoro. It’s the kind of film that reminds me of my childhood and it’s the one that gives me a nostalgic feeling. I love it so much that it’s definitely the film of Studio Ghibli that I’ve seen the most. It has this charm that should be more prevalent in other animated films, especially films for kids. Every scene is truly like magic. Whether it’s the umbrella scene at the bus stop, or the scene where the tree grows, or even the scene with the cat bus and the girls. Satsuki and Mei are enjoyable, vibrant and interesting characters. The bond between them reminds me a lot of my bond with my older sister. You can definitely say that I was a lot like Mei as a little kid (Yes, I did get lost one time and made my whole family, especially my sister lose their mind). Again, this film embraces the beauty of being a child. It shows the curiosity, the innocence, the energy and the imagination that most kids possess at that age. Totoro is such an interesting character design and it’s no surprise that it’s the logo of Studio Ghibli. My Neighbor Totoro speaks to my inner child and reminds me of the good old days. It’s a film that I’ll recommend to everyone, but especially young kids. Also, it’s the Studio Ghibli film that makes me smile through the whole of it. If I’m feeling sad or if I’m not in a good mood, I watch My Neighbor Totoro and it never fails to make me feel better.

3. Spirited Away (2001) – Objectively, I think Spirited Away is the best film that Studio Ghibli has ever produced. Personally, it’s the third, but that doesn’t mean it’s worse than the second and first. It’s a matter of preference that I have. Again, I watched this film as a kid and I did enjoy it a lot. I always called it one of the best animated films. I rewatched it in May after years of not watching it and I loved it just as much as I did when I was a kid if not more. Miyazaki created an unforgettable film with an astounding plot, amazing characters and an exciting world building. Chihiro is your typical kid. She can be whiny and scared just as every kid is her age. The growth that she goes through the film was amazing. Watching her work hard and her progress was such a good watch. You could see her struggle with cleaning at first, but soon enough, she got the hang of it. Also, as much as I love the film, I couldn’t help but think that her parents were a bit dumb. Like my parents wouldn’t have done any of the things her parents did. My dad wouldn’t have sped like that in such a dangerous road and they definitely would have turned around after coming close to the temple. Either way, I’m glad that they screwed up though because it gave me this film. The other characters like Haku, Yubaba, Zeniba, Lin and many others were brilliant. Out of all this, I enjoyed Haku the most. The way he helped Chihiro was so nice and their whole bond was fascinating to see on screen. The guests in the bathhouse were designed so well and were just so good. I don’t have any words to describe the scenes with No Face or the spirit of the polluted river because they are out of this world. No wonder this film won an Oscar for best animated film. The details, the story, the animation, the characters, the soundtrack and the world building all deserve an Oscar of their own. 

2. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) - I don’t think I’ve ever cried with any film, book or series as much as I cried with this. Even when it ended and I had turned my TV off, I was crying. It’s one of the saddest films I’ve ever watched and truly, the saddest film Studio Ghibli has ever made. It touched my heart immediately when it started and it ended up ripping it at the end. I knew that it wasn’t going to have a happy ending, the beginning tells you that it’s going to end quite sadly. Yet I was taken back by the scenes, especially the last scenes. The story of Seita and Setsuko is a story that many kids have experienced in war. In most war films, we are shown battles, we are shown armies, soldiers etc., but not in this film. In this film, we saw the personal history of siblings trying to survive war and bombings. Seeing Setsuko hallucinating was heartbreaking and it was in that moment when I started to cry. When Seita said that she never woke up after that, I couldn’t control myself. Funeral scenes have been hard for me to watch lately, but not a single funeral scene has broken my heart like the one in this film. The scene where Home Sweet Home played in the background left me speechless and I still don’t know how to explain how I feel with that scene. Grave of the Fireflies is a film that is all too real and it made my whole body hurt at the end. Although it's ranked second in my list, it’s the one who I’ll probably rewatch the least out of all Studio Ghibli. Takahata is truly an incredible director and this film proves that better than any other film of his.

1. Whisper of the Heart (1995) – Talented. Inspiring. Brilliant. Relatable. Amazing. Show-stopping. Spectacular. Never the same. Totally unique. Whisper of the Heart is undoubtedly the best Studio Ghibli film I’ve watched. I enjoyed everything about it to the last details. I didn’t even stop the film to get water even though I was thirsty as hell. That’s how much I loved the film. I never related to characters as much as I related to Shizuku and Seiji. I write and I used to play the violin when I was younger. While I stopped, I still enjoy every story that has something to do with violins. Shizuku was such a normal character that spoke so much to me and to everyone I recommended this film to. Many of us have been in her position where we didn’t know what we’re going to do in the future. While Shizuku had many interests, you could see that she was stuck. I liked that she was inspired by Seiji to see if she could be good at something and she learned that she did have some sort of talent for writing. But just like Seiji’s grandfather, Shiro said about polishing her talent. I think many people, especially people who paint, draw, sing, compose, write and build, should listen to his words. They shouldn’t expect perfection at their first try and that they should give it time and hard work for their skills to become amazing. When I first started to write, I needed to hear Shiro’s words. This film is such a beautiful coming of age story that I think everyone should see no matter the age. Now, let’s go to the romance of the film. Hands down, Shizuku and Seiji are the best romance in Studio Ghibli films. While I love Howl and Sophie and Jiro and Naoko, it’s Shizuku and Seiji that won my heart. They had such a good romantic journey. Their scenes were just astoundingly beautiful, especially the one in the end. When I saw him by the tree, I started to giggle and I always screamed. It was just incredible to watch. Every interaction they had made me love them more. I repeat, the best Studio Ghibli couple. When I finished the film, I wanted to find a guy like Seiji. Too bad we were in lockdown and I was unable to find him. The use of Country Roads was amazing. I always loved the song and now, it’s one of my favourite. What upsets me about this film is the death of its director. If Kondo hadn’t tragically passed away in 1998, I think he would have given us other amazing films like Whisper of the Heart. I can say that this movie whispered in my heart and I’ll never forget it.

[kynikoisto]

GETTING TO KNOW MYSELF✨

1. Museum date or aquarium date? Why?

Museum dates because being surrounded by such environment feels like going back in time and I would love to learn the meaning behind every art pieces.

2. Describe your favorite type of weather.

Cold rainy season. Perfect for reading a good book, sipping hot choco, covered with heavy blankets.

3. Name a subject/topic you know a lot about.

4. Do you have any friends or know anyone with the same name as you?

I know a girl who happen to have the same name as I am as her second name back in SH.

5. What’s something most people love that you hate?

Attention.

6. Who knows the most about you personally?

7. If you could create ANY mix-up or mythical animal and have it be brought to life, what would it be?

Dragons and Phoenix.

8. Do you think everyone in our lives serves a purpose, or are some people just there?

I believe our lives serve a purpose or else life is just depressing. And by depressing, I mean lacking motivation. And boring.

9. How do you feel about getting your picture taken?

Uncomfortable but still doing it anyway for the sake of capturing memories I can look to when I'm older.

10. Any guilty pleasure/s?

Procrastinating 😒

11. What is your favorite Studio Ghibli film and why?

Haven't watch everything yet but so far I really like Spirited Away.

12. Do you always make eye contact with people when you’re speaking to them?

I try to.

13. Have you ever self-harmed?

N E V E R in a million years.

14. What’s the nicest compliment you’ve ever been given?

Can't remember if there's any but it feels good to be called "smart" or "intelligent".

15. Have you felt butterflies in your stomach today?

I was about to say, "Sadly, no." but then I remember watching tiktok and saw a Hyunjin edit saying "I love everything about you." and the feels was sending me! 😭❤️💖 It feels as if it was directed to me. 😢💞 He was actually reading a comment and then he asked, "You love everything about me?" then he had that cute little smile on his face uwuuu I just want to protect him at all cost 💪🤧

16. Did anyone/anything get on your nerves today?

Yes! haha it's about the prisoner who escaped and I was thinking about how dumb the police officers who ordered him to go out to "fetch some water". 🤦‍♀️

17. Is there something you currently want, that you can’t have?

18. Who was the last person to make you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable?

One of my classmates.

19. Think of the last film you watched. Who was your favorite character in it?

Jo March from Little Women 😊

20. What are you known for?

21. What is something you are skeptical about?

22.If you have a job, do you prefer morning shifts or evening shifts?

I'm nocturnal. I'm more creative at nights so evening shifts it is.

23. What is something you are most confident about?

How about something you're really insecure about?

My competency.

24. What do you think in general of girls with short hair? How about guys with long hair?

Absolutely gorgeous! 💖✨

25. With films in languages you do not speak, do you prefer a dub or a subtitle?

Subtitle.

26. If you wear makeup, what are your preferred brands?

27. What part of a person's body do you usually find the most attractive?

Neck and arms.

28. What/which music are you currently listening to?

Classical.

29. Do you find smoking unattractive?

It depends on which context it was used for. Because in art, it looks good as it adds personality and mystery but I don't like it in-person knowing I could be a second-hand smoker which is dangerous for my health.

30. What was the last thing you looked up on Google?

Eating chipmunk or squirrel.

31. What is the 10th picture in your phone gallery?

Sleeping Pumpkin – my cat.

33. What job would you be terrible at and what job would you be good at?

32. Would you ever dye your hair an unnatural color?

Of course!

34. Do you think forgiveness is mandatory to move on from something?

35. What did you think was cool when you were younger?

"I thought jejemon was cool." 💀

36. Is there a place that makes you sad to return to?

My elementary and jh school. It reminds me of all the disappointments I've been through and I have a lot of bad memories in there.

37. What's the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Can't remember the exact words but it goes like, "If you have that passion. If you have that fire in you. No matter how small or big it is. As long as you still have it. I believe you can do anything that you set your mind into." by Felix.

38. Have you ever treated someone badly just because someone else treated you badly?

Guilty

39. What's your favorite lyric from your favorite song right now?

I'm always looking for my way with the blueprint

The answers the world has given to me are wrong

I always dream of my blueprint coming true

I'll proudly achieve my dream

My future is bright

- Blueprint by Stray Kids

40. What was the last thing that completely took your breath away?

41. Is it true that if you can't love yourself, you can't love another?

I believe so.

42. What's the most positive thing you could say to yourself right now?

43. What time of the day feels the most magical to you?

17:20

44. Were you a cute baby?

👉👈

45. Is there something you wish you had said sorry for, but never did?

46. What is any creative talent you wish you had?

Musical talent, please! 🙏

47. Do you think you'd make a good teacher? Why or why not?

I don't know. It's not my passion and am very impatient but whenever someone asks me about something and I somehow know a lot about it and share it to them, I could go all in and get very hype about it but it looks like they get bored so easily so I just immediately stop and take a step back. So I'm always not able to share all the knowledge that I have and try not to go dig deeper when explaining stuff because all my efforts are only going to go to waste if they're not interested. And eventually things could also get to the point where someone thinks I'm a "know-it-all" when I'm certainly not.

48. Do you think it's possible to fix a "broken" relationship?

49. If you chose to get a tattoo what would it be and where would you want it?

Haven't thought about it yet.

50. When was the last time you stayed up past midnight and what were you up to?

Now. Looking for that beautiful inspiring words Lee Felix said years ago but I can't find it on the internet. Why???!

[linogram]

50 questions tag

tagged by @chngbok

1. what takes too much of your time?

school

2. what’s makes your day better?

music

3. what is the best thing that happened to you today?

that ask, where someone said they were also ace and I was the first ace stay they'd met

4. what fictional place would you like to go to?

in a ghibli film

5. are you good at giving advice?

yes, but i'm bad at following it

6. do you have any mental illness?

I mean yeah, like I'm not gonna say, but u could probably easily figure it out

7. have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?

no, tho I think I used to have night terrors where I would scream out and scare my cousins, those were fun times

8. what musician inspired you the most?

if we wanna get all deep n personal n mushy gushy n stuff, then my cello teacher and a rlly close friend of mine, but like not as deep n mushy gushy n stuff, suga, day6, and skz

9. have you fallen in love?

nope!

10. what’s your dream date?

hmm, ig like a walk and just wandering around

11. what do others notice about you?

uh, I've had someone say that when I play cello I act differently, does that count?

12. what is an annoying habit that you have?

talking way too much when I'm w my friends, tbh I need to just shut up when I'm w them and only speak to when spoken to

13. do you still talk to your first love

never had one so, nes

14. how many ex’s do you have?

none

15. how many songs are in your playlist?

uh main one about 2390

16. what instruments do you play?

only cello and piano, tho im trying to learn acoustic and bass guitar, and I do chorus (if u count that)

17. who do you have the most pictures of?

oof I have a fuck ton of skz and suga

18. where would you like to go before you die?

out of the US

19. what’s your zodiac?

aries

20. do you relate to it?

meh, sometimes, usually when I wanna fight someone

21. what is happiness to you?

uhhh,,,, ermmm, I wanna think of some cheesy ass shit, but nothings coming to mind :/

22. are you going through anything right now?

I sure am buddy boy! :)

23. what’s the worst decision you’ve ever made?

uh, deciding to bottle up my emotions in like 8th grade (or maybe 7th), rlly fucked me over tbh

24. what’s your favorite store?

this music store called opus

25. what's your opinion on abortion?

pro-choice

26. do you keep a bucket list?

nope

27. do you have a favorite album?

it's not stray kids, but mitski? be the cowboy? absolutely owns my entire heart

28. what do you want for your birthday?

it'd be nice to see skz live and thank them, yknow?

29. what are most people’s first impression of you?

that I'm younger than I am and I'm quiet, tho idk if that's right bc thats wha I assume is their first impression of me

30. what age to you seem according to most people?

ayy!! I've already sorta hinted at the answer in this in the last one, like I'd say 15-16, tho I've had someone think I was like 14/15

31. where do you keep your phone while sleeping?

next to me, I listen to music through headphones while sleeping

32. what word do you say the most?

not to sound like a stereotypical teenager, but "like"

33. what’s the oldest age would you date?

so, I'm 18 rn, probably like 19 maybe 20

34. what’s the youngest age would you date?

like 17

35. what job/career do most people say sould suit you?

tbh, ppl don't rlly tell me things like this, but when I tell ppl im doing music they're like "yeah, makes complete sense, good choice", so ig music?

36. what’s your favorite music genre?

pfltlbenr, beats me idunno

37. if you would live in any country in the world, where would it be?

I have never actually been outside of the US, but maybe like uh,, idk some place in Europe? where I could go to different countries easily as I pleased?

38. what’s your current favorite song?

nfwmb - hozier

39. how long have you have this blog for?

for a while, but I just started posting on this one in like January and I had another (same blog I just moved, so it'd be my main) that I started in like july/August of last year (so 2018)

40. what are you excited for?

this year to be done so I can finally be some w high school

41. are you a better talker or a listener?

uh, tbh I keep being told I talk too much, so ig a better talker (even tho im shit at talking)

42. what is the last productive thing you did?

hmm, probably get up and use the bathroom this morning

43. what do you want for Christmas?

uh,, tbh idk

44. what classes do you get the best grades in?

music, hands down

45. on a scale of 1-10 how are you feeling right now?

like a solid 4

46. what can you see yourself doing in 10 years?

music teacher? maybe?

47. when did you first get your heartbreak?

tbh, never, I mean i pair a grandparent I was sorta close to, but like that was more of a long term thing, so ig if that counts as heartbreak, then that

48. at what age do you want to get married?

lol. never

49. what career did you want to have as a child?

anything and everything, like for a while I wanted to be a firefighter

50. what do you crave right now?

validation

tagging: @honeyboyfelix @jal-hago-isseo @hwangwhatjin

[badger-s-moved]

*+:｡.｡fifty questions tag｡.｡:+*

1. What takes up too much of your time?

— all 1935783921 projects i have going on all the time sksksksks but also i guess daydreaming???

2. What makes your day better?

— @bfjeno​ , my pets, music, warmer weather, daydreaming

3. What’s the best thing to happen to you today?

— i got this super cute skirt that i look adorable in and !!!! i also got mr. toad’s wild ride socks and they make me so happy uwu

4. What fictional place would you like to go to?

— not o be that bitch and say hogwarts but uhh. hogwarts (also any of Miyazaki’s setting for his ghibli films!!!)

5. Are you good at giving advice?

— most of the time yeah (i give a lot of unsolicited advice but people don’t seem to mind all that often)

6. Do you have a mental illness?

— nothing diagnosed but there have been talks of anxiety, ADD/ADHD and maybe a couple othr things

7. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?

— nope!! and i pray to the gods that it stays that way

8. What musician(s) inspired you the most?

—  jonghyun, gerard way, frank iero, jongdae, taemin

9. Have you ever fallen in love?

— yep

10. What’s your dream date?

— DANCE HALL DANCE HALL or like. there’s this one cafe down in denver that does live big band music and dance lessons so that would be fun O R going paranormal researching or antique hunting.

11. What do others notice about you?

— prolly my hair or my loud ass voice sksksksks, also people talk about my posture a lot bc i really like having good posture when i sit ??

12. What’s an annoying habit you have?

— i rip at the skin on my hands all the time

13. Do you still talk to your first love?

— yes

14. How many exes do you have?

— 2

15. How many songs are in you playlist?

— probably upwards of 5000 when it’s all put together

16. What instruments can you play?

— trumpet, piano, a little bit of flute, guitar, and uke

17. What do you have the most pictures of?

— jongdae or my trip to china

18. Where would you like to go before you die?

— every country i can tbh, but if we’re to be specific i really wanna go to all the wonders of the world and as many archaeological sites that i can

19. What’s your zodiac?

— leo sun

20. Do you relate to it?

— i used to hate it, but since i’ve gotten more into astrology i’ve become a bit more partial to it

21. What is happiness to you?

— being able to live comfortably and without too many worries; being able to spend an equal amount of time with friends and loved ones as i am working

22. Are you going through anything right now?

— just some personal issues and school stress

23. What’s the worst decision you’ve ever made?

— not giving myself a voice for the first 14 years of my life

24. What’s your favorite store?

— any sort of antique or book store, i also really like uniqlo for clothes and this store called attic salt that’s in park meadows in denver

25. What’s your opinion on abortions?

— it’s not my body, it’s not my choice. i think people should be able to do what they think is best for themselves, and that better education on the topic of sex, abortion and forms of contraception should be developed and implemented rather than the underdeveloped curriculum that is being used now.

26. Do you keep a bucket list?

— yes

27. Do you have a favorite album?

— i have more than i can count but if i have to pick one either revenge or danger days by my chem

28. What do you want for your birthday?

— some cute stationery, maybe some stuffed animals, some new language textbooks, maybe some good foreign candy ??? 

29. What are most peoples first impressions of you?

— a lot of people say that i’m intimidating (fun fact my best friend didn’t talk to me for 3 months when she first met me bc she said i was terrifying lmao), but like once they start talking to me i’ve been told i’m really approachable

30. What age do you seem according to most people?

— 18-20

31. Where do you keep your phone when you sleep?

— on my bed next to me playing my asmr playlist

32. What word do you say the most?

— i’m not including swear words so uhh: mood, love/babe, listen

33. What’s the oldest age you would date?

— 18/19

34. What’s the youngest you would date?

— 15

35. What job/career do most people say would suit you?

— teaching, languages or history

36. What’s your favorite music genre?

— indie, (punk) rock, 80′s pop, pop punk

37. If you could live in any country in the world, where would it be?

— China/Taiwan, South Korea, Austrailia/ New Zealand

38. What’s your current favorite song?

— Do You Believe In Magic - The Lovin’ Spoonful, Inevitable - Starkid (from tgwdlm), Savannah - Relient K

39. How long have you had this blog?

— I’ve had this blog since like. January 2015 i think ?? so like 4 years babiey

40. What are you excited for?

— @bfjeno maybe visiting me over the summer !!!! going to an East Asian religions class with my sister, applying for college

41. Are you a better talker or listener?

— i’m good at listening but not at comforting, but like i’m also a huge chatter box when i want to be sksksksks

42. What is the last productive thing you did?

— i bought a gift for my mom and i started working on some moodboards for a starkid thing

43. What do you want for Christmas?

— see my birthday list plus: maybe a couple kpop albums, maybe the money to buy a decoden case, /maybe/ a nice camera or some vintage clothes

44. What class do you get the best grades in?

— chinese & english/humanities

45. On a scale of 1-10 how are you feeling right now?

— i’m prolly at a solid 7 or 8

46. What can you see yourself doing in ten years?

— if life goes the way i have it planned right now, i’ll be living in either china or south korea working either as an interpreter, english teacher or as a translator on archaeological dig sites

47. When did you experience your first heartbreak?

— i’m not counting this romantically so the day my grandfather died

48. What age do you want to get married?

— if i’m going to get married before my 30′s preferably but like. i’m not overly picky about it

49. What career did you want to have as a child?

— author, archaeologist, forensic toxicologist

50. What do you crave right now?

— i would love some authentic chinese food rn

                         ・���…━━━━━━━☆☆━━━━━━━…‥・

shoutout to both @bfjeno and @bxngchan for tagging me!!!

i tag: @yourdailydoseofnct @markheehee @cosmicxwoobear and anyone else if yall wanna do it uwu

[britesparc]

Weekend Top Ten #453

Top Ten Films That Make Me Happy

So every once in a while I do one of these things and the world ends up moving so fast that between me having an idea, writing the list, and it going up on Tumblr of a weekend, the plates have shifted and it doesn’t seem quite as relevant anymore. I remember listing ten films I wanted to see because cinemas were reopening; I think only two of them ever actually saw the inside of a Cineworld. And so we have this week; when I came up with the idea for the list, I thought either we’d all be in a celebratory mood, or else need commiserating. And at the time of writing, it’s looking – thankfully – that we’ll have enough reasons to be cheerful to be getting along with. But who knows? If you’re reading this on Saturday there may be a new president, or maybe the old one’s bombed China.

It’s a funny old world.

Anyway, like I said, my initial thought was that, in this time of darkness, we might need a little light; that everything is rather remorselessly grim and difficult, and we could do with a bit of cheering up. We’re all back in lockdown, the idiots are in charge, and Halo Infinite was delayed till next year. Lots of crap is going on. And, yes, fingers crossed, maybe we will be celebrating the Idiot in Chief getting booted out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue before too long, but life has taught me never to count chickens, and you can always do with a little restorative nip in your pocket, just in case. And what is a good curative for the blues? A fillum.

Yes, feel-good films. Cheerer-uppers. Movies that make ya happy. There are lots of them, of course; it’s practically a genre. But one man’s meat is another man’s poison, and one man’s (end of) It’s a Wonderful Life is another man’s (middle section of) It’s a Wonderful Life. Which is to say that what makes me happy might not make you happy. I found this when doing a bit of research for this list; as is common, I often have quite a few ideas when I’ve thought of a topic, but I like to Google it (or Bing it, as I get Microsoft Reward Points and I’m saving up for a few months of Game Pass), just in case there’s some obvious film that has escaped my mental grasp. In this case what I found was some of the films that people consider to be uplifting are downright weird – Forrest Gump? Really? And a lot of truly mediocre romcoms seem to float people’s happiness boats, from the wildly uneven Love Actually to the tepid You’ve Got Mail to the overlong and overly twee The Holiday (a film which I hated on first watch but which has grown on me, Stockholm-style, as I’ve seen it over and over again every year). And some people even list stuff like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars or Pirates of the Caribbean; good movies, true, but are they feel-good? I mean, loads of people die in all those films; in one of them an actual planet blows up. I know we like zombie monkeys and Harrison Ford in a waistcoat, but they’re not really the most relentlessly cheerful films, are they?

Or are they? I mean, when I got right down to it, there were quite a few blowy-uppy pictures that are genuine comfort blankets for me (Air Force One, which I watched so much at one point that I used to fall comfortably asleep to it when I was on my own, nearly made the cut). So, y’know, who am I to judge? I think what makes us feel comfortable, happy, and upbeat can be wildly diverse and erratic, even within our own taste window.

And really that’s what I was after here; comfort movies, films that uplift or inspire or just, well, make you smile. Not just because we’ve blown up the Death Star or because Tom Hanks has snogged Meg Ryan again. But there’s something about the film, from its story to its characters to its composition, that is continuously joyful.

So whether we’re lifting a glass in celebration or drowning our sorrows with an armful of Stella, here’s to the films that make us feel better. Chin up, folks. It might never happen!

Paddington 2 (2017): what is it about this film that evokes such joy? I’d say everything, from the script to the performances to the music to the shot choices. The bad guy is funny, the dire situations rarely threatening, almost everyone is nice, and it ends with a redemption and a musical number. Beyond all that, though, Paddington himself is such a supernova of absolute goodness that you can’t help but feel optimistic just by watching him. It’s perfect, really.

WALL-E (2008): a film that starts with the end of the world but it gets better. It’s a cinematic joy, the virtually dialogue-free opening giving us dystopic vistas and a real sense of mood. But it’s WALL-E himself who brings the real feels, a mechanical wonder who does nothing but make other people happy and improve their lives almost by accident. he saves the human race and the planet simply by trying to be nice to one person at a time, and that’s a hell of an optimistic message.

When Harry Met Sally (1989): far sarkier than the other two films, and obviously a bit more, well, grown up (we all know what you must not do with Mister Zero), this is nonetheless a beautiful film. A slow-burning romance between two friendly, funny people, witticisms flying from every mouth, some absolute, genuine emotional stakes that you really, really care about, and the single most romantic ending a film has ever had.

Groundhog Day (1993): let’s face it, it’s the best film either Harold Ramis or Bill Murray has ever been involved in, and I bought every issue of Transformers/Ghostbusters. A tour-de-force of cynicism and sourness from Murray, but he gradually unravels (in more ways than one), becoming a happier and better person. It’s funny, it’s sweet, and the complexities of its chronally-displaced plot means there’s loads you can unpick. Masterfully written, directed, and edited, and that’s some of its joy, too.

The Hudsucker Proxy (1994): the Coens have, obviously, made a lot of very good films, and not all of them are darkly serious (No Country) or darkly hilarious (Fargo); they also have lighter fare, but none as floaty-light or so supremely joyous as Hudsucker. The script is pure screwball but also a precisely-honed, fast-spoken, Golden Age charm; the performances are all fantastic (we also get the best Lois Lane, Perry White, and Steve Lombard scene ever shot, and it’s not even in a Superman film). Look, it’s hilarious, it’s arch, it’s fantastically put-together, and it’s actually, genuinely hopeful and optimistic. It’s my favourite Coen Brothers movie.

Singin' in the Rain (1952): I’ve always got a lot of love for movies about Old Hollywood, but Singin’ isn’t really some kind of backstage satire; really, it’s a story about love, honesty, and creativity – movies are just the backdrop. But it’s the songs. Let’s face it, it’s the songs – and dances. These are some of the most joyous songs put to celluloid, and Gene Kelly absolutely attacks them from all sides. But I’ve gotta say, my favourite number is probably Donald O’Connor running up the walls in “Make ‘Em Laugh”.

Strictly Ballroom (1992): there’s a personal touch to this one, as my wife and I chose “Love is in the Air” for the first dance at our wedding. But there’s more to this film than memories of me being a shit dancer: it’s a supremely romantic film, possibly the most enjoyable straight-up romance from Luhrmann’s Red Curtain trilogy (spoiler alert: no one dies). A great underdog tale, two kids taking down a corrupt system, a story of the unlikely girl nabbing the hot guy; it’s timeless, it’s well-told, and its unusual setting (ballroom dancing competitions in Australia) gives it an extra kick.

My Neighbour Totoro (1988):  Ghibli films often present us with a nicer, fairer world, where even the nasty monsters are there to teach us important lessons, or at the very least plucky kids can do the right thing and save the day. Totoro is different in that there isn’t an antagonist; there isn't much drama or, really, plot. It’s two very small girls dealing with a complex life situation, and also a giant bear-monster thing with a massive mouth who could be scary but is actually really nice and magical and saves the day because the girls deserve it, and also there’s a hollow cat that’s also a bus. It’s fantastic, but it’s also so nice, just a load of nice people and nice monsters being nice to each other, and if – let's say – the elements can be good, can't we be good too?

Die Hard (1988): yeah, okay, contradiction corner; a supremely violent and sweary action movie that makes me “feel good”. Is it the bit where he throws a bomb down a lift? Or shoots a dude from beneath a table? Or when Ellis dies? Honestly, yeah, there’s a little bit of that; the action stuff is so well-done. But it’s also a film with a ton of heart and soul and wit and life. John McClane is a masterpiece of character design, a gruff cop with a heart of gold, a capable action hero but also a working-class schmo who just wants to try to get back with his wife. He struggles and bleeds and doubts himself; he’s not a superman. The villains are incredible, with great lines and great designs and a great scheme; you care about these guys, they’re interesting. There's a part of you that wants Gruber to get away as much as you want John and Holly to get back together. It's a Christmas movie, all about family and forgiveness, and It's just plain fun, uncynical and sentimental and really, really funny. It's the best action movie ever made, I watch it every year, and it brings me great, great comfort and joy.

The American President (1995): oh no, too soon! But I couldn’t include The West Wing in a list of feel-good films, so this is the next best thing; smart public servants being smart, as well as moral and just, wearing their immense power with the right amount of humility. Sorkin really believes in the majesty of the office of President, and the founding myth of America and what that means, and he makes you believe in it too. His dialogue is, of course, exceptional, witty bon-mots and one-liners, but the love story is great too; two people finding each other later in life and trying to make it work despite everything. So it’s a great film, a funny film, a sweet film, a romantic film, but also kinda important; a film that makes you aspire to higher ideals, that gives you hope and confidence in the institutions of government.  I suppose it is a fantasy – God knows, the last four years have shaken these institutions to their very core, over here as much as in the States – but The American President can make you believe again.

There you go. Ten films that just make me happy if I'm down, or cement that happiness if I'm already in the mood. All of these films, you’ll notice, are also very, very good; not some kind of “guilty pleasure” (if such a thing exists; don’t pleasure-shame!). Funnily enough, it’s the quality of the films that adds to their charm; I appreciate the craft as much as the plot or theme or performances.  Like when I watch American President (or, more accurately, The West Wing) and I just enjoy seeing people good at their jobs be good at their jobs, then watching a well-made film makes me happy because I like seeing people good at their jobs be good at their jobs.

Anyway. Tear yourself away from Twitter, stop refreshing fivethirtyeight.com, pour yourself a drink, and – hopefully – make yourself happy this weekend. Unless you voted for Trump, then you can get in a bin.

[amzarashi]

rules: you must answer these 85 statements and tag 20

tagged by: the amazing @irishforjane thanks love 💕 💕 💕

tagging: @nathanieljostn @pequicks @lunaloved @m1nyards @lovelydisarray

the last

1. drink: water 
2. phone call: dad 
3. text message: a friend from uni 
4. song you listened to: magnets by lorde 
5. time you cried: i don’t keep track of them anymore, but it’s been a while 
6. dated someone twice: yep. (I date everyone twice. Second chances) 
7. kissed someone and regretted it: yep 
8. been cheated on: yep 
9. lost someone special: yep 
10. been depressed: clinical depression and bpd  
11. gotten drunk and thrown up: nope. never had a drink

3 favorite colors 12. black 
13. gray 
14. red and pastels

in the last year have you

15. made new friends: yep


16. fallen out of love: yep


17. laughed until you cried: yep


18. found out someone was talking about you: yep


19. met someone who changed you: yes


20. found out who your friends are: yep


21. kissed someone on your Facebook list: yep

general 22. how many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: like 80%??? 
23. do you have any pets: yes. a cat. HE LOVES MY MOM MORE THAN ME 
24. do you want to change your name: yeah, to draco or something a bit more gender neutral 
25. what did you do for your last birthday: sat alone and cried because all my friends had left and i was among the last people in the dorms 
26. what time did you wake up: 7:30 am 
27. what were you doing at midnight last night: anxiety stuff 
28. name something you can’t wait for: fob’s new album and yoi season 2 
29. when was the last time you saw your mom: this morning 
31. what are you listening to right now: nothing, but melodrama by lorde is my go to music atm 
32. have you ever talked to a person named tom: not that i know of 
33. something that is getting on your nerves: a lot of stuff; tumblr not showing my posts in the tags??? 
34. most visited website: tumblr 
35. hair colour: black 
36. long or short hair: shoulder length 
37. do you have a crush on someone: yes. 
38. what do you like about yourself: there’s not much, but my eyes??? 
39. piercings: one on each ear 
40. blood type: AB+ve 
41. nickname: draco 
42. relationship status: it’s complicated 
43. zodiac: taurus 
44. pronouns:they/them 
45. favourite tv show: sense8, eyewitness & stranger things 
46. tattoos: don’t have any 
47. right or left handed: right 
48. surgery: none so far 
50. sport: does anime marathons count as a sport??? 
51. vacation: spain or the nordic countries 
52. pair of trainers: nope. i wear sandals and loafers

more general 53. eating: bread 
54. drinking: nothing 
55. i’m about to: work on edits??? 
56. waiting for: inspiration to strike me for said edits 
57. want: photoshop cc, peace of mind 
58. get married: no 
59. career: writing or travelling

which is better 
60. hugs or kisses: kisses, but i love hugs too


61. lips or eyes: eyes, but lips on some people


62. shorter or taller: i’m short af, so taller 
63. older or younger: older 
64. nice arms or nice stomach: both 
65. hook up or relationship: depends 
66. troublemaker or hesitant: depends..

have you ever 67. kissed a stranger: nope 
68. drank hard liquor: nope 
69. lost glasses/contact lenses: nope 
70. turned someone down: nope 
71. sex on the first date: yep 
72. broken someone’s heart: yep 
73. had your heart broken: yep 
74. been arrested: nope 
75. cried when someone died: yep 
76. fallen for a friend: yep

do you believe in 77. yourself: there has been moments 
78. miracles: i want to 
79. love at first sight: nope 
80. santa claus: nope 
81. kiss on the first date: i’ve kissed on first dates, so yes? 
82. angels: yes

other 84. eye colour: brown 
85. favourite movie: not a movie person, but ghibli and makoto shinkai films are life

[lunardolphinalex-blog]

11 Questions Thing

Okay, let’s do this! Let’s procrastinate on more homework!

Tagged by both @b4d-c4t​ and @lunacy13​, thank you both, I will be answering ALL 22 QUESTIONS!!! LET’S GO!

Rules are answer 11 questions and then make up 11 of your own. Next, you’ll need to tag 11 people plus the person who tagged you. Finally, make sure you write the rules under the sentence that indicates who tagged you.

Heh....I’m so sorry, I’m not gonna follow all these rules!

B4d-C4t’s Questions:

What’s the best thing that happened this month? Discovering Toon Boom Harmony, and knowing for sure that’s the animation program I want to pour all my money into. As a result of getting used to the program, I’m learning a good amount of vector, and I usually hate vector!

How many pieces of chocolate have you had this week? 1, and it was from my co-worker today.

Do you eat pineapple on your pizzas? No. Well...I’ve never actually tried pineapple on pizza, but I don’t like pineapple so....

Do you prefer horror or comedy? Comedy, I like horror sometimes, but I haven’t seen anything good lately.

How many Youtube channels are you subbed to? ...28

Marvel or DC? Um... I’m actually not into superhero stuff. Yes, I know this is ridiculous since I’m REALLY into comics. If I had to choose, I’d say Marvel.

What is your dream job? Freelance Illustrator, comic artist, or storyboard artist

What is your favorite Ghibli film? “When Marnie Was There” (I’ve only seen this, “Spirited Away”, and “Ponyo” a long time ago, so there are very few to choose from for me)

What gaming systems do you own? An old XBOX that I never play on anymore, a Wii that’s on the main TV with no good games so I never want to play, a DSi XL that I lost all the good games to and has a shitty battery, and my “potato computer” (As Alexy calls it), it’s a 2-year-old laptop that took 3 days to even download GTA5, and the only thing I actually game on!

Do you have any posters? A few, but they’re either in storage or I don’t know if I had to throw them out. Either way I have none hanging in my room

What’s your favorite band? The closest I have to a favorite would be Skillet, because they’re the only band with an album I can listen to from start to finish and then some!

Lunacy’s Questions

What is something that amazes you? How people can work 2 jobs and go to school without becoming a wreck.

How would you define art? A meaningful freedom and expression of yourself. Art can have different meanings and people can have different views on what’s good, but if you tried and it has a meaning to you, it’s art.

What would you do in the zombie apocalypse? Find a weapon (maybe my aluminum baseball bat), and.....the next steps depend on if these are Walking Dead zombies, Z-Nation zombies, L4D zombies, or Plague Inc zombies with cheats on! Also, I’d go to the kennel where I work and pick up a POWERFUL DOG, or at least a greyhound to be my companion.

What song means the world to you? “Sailing” by Celtic Woman (I play this song every time I travel out of state, and looped this song for 5 hours straight while finishing my final project for algebra in the 8th grade)

What fantasy world would you like to live in? The HTTYD universe. I mean, DRAGONS! I WANT A DRAGON COMPANION!

Favorite aquatic animal? Dolphin

Favorite board game? Haven’t played any in a long time, but it used to be Labyrinth

Have you ever danced in the rain? Yeah, and like any other dance from me, in was jerky from fear at times, and very still and nervous the rest of the time.

What’s one place you’ve visited before that you’d like to see again? New York (or any northern state) in the winter. I love the snow, I never get to see it here.

What song do you have stuck in your head? I’m listening to music now, but I’ve had “Non Stop” from Hamilton in my head all day!

Has anyone ever said something to you that inspired you? Yeah a few times. One of my favorites would be anyone with cool art or artists who I admire tell me “Your art is great!” or “I love your art!” It makes me want to continue making stuff and improve.

Jeeze, that took a while. I’m not going to tag anyone or do any questions, I’m exhausted.

[frenchibi]

Tagged :D

I was tagged twice (again??) – so have more answers under the cut :D

This one was by @gummicows, thank youuu :D

1) Has any of the fandoms you have been in disgusted you? Yeahhh but I tend to just avoid the people that for example ship things I don’t?

2) If you wanted to change your url, what would it be? I’m actually very happy with my url :D

3) Do you have any hobbies? UHMM so many??? Writing, drawing, singing (solo & choir), skiing, reading journaling, cooking (occasionally), collecting books (does that count)…? I enjoy crocheting too sometimes, and I make videos :D

4) How socially awkward are you (stories anyone ;D)? I’m actually pretty… confident, most of the time? Obviously I mess up sometimes but I wouldn’t call myself socially awkward. I get comfortable in social situations relatively quickly, unless there’s people around that I seriously dislike ^^’

5) Do you have a musical preference? That depends on what I’m doing and how I’m feeling :D For singing, I prefer Disney songs or songs from Musicals (Les Mis, PotO and Hamilton own my ass). For writing I like to listen to instrumentals and soundtracks (also works well when I’m having conversations that require my full attention :D). For driving, I prefer rock music? My dad introduced me to a lot of 80s rock music when I was little :D And then I also really enjoy pop and indie music? I like uplifting songs best, and I pay a lot of attention to the lyrics most of the time ^^

6) Are there any books that hold a special place in your heart? …do you have 3 hours?

The short version of my answer is yes, there are many. Some examples of which are:

Harry Potter by JKR (because those were the first books I read on my own, and in English, too? That was a big deal for me, a bilingual German kid xD My teachers let me read under my desk in our English lessons in primary school :D – and because Harry Potter made me dream, and made me want to write stories myself.),

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (because it left an immense impact on me that few other books will ever have? The story is astounding, it’s written in such an engaging way, and I just… *clenches fist*),

The Hours by Michael Cunningham (given to me by an English teacher after he read some of my original work – it’s been really inspirational for me, and stylistically SO INTERESTING??)

Die Stadt der Träumenden Bücher by Walter Moers (yes, a German book, I prefer to read books in the language they were originally published in, even if I generally prefer to read in English – in any case this book blew me away with its creativity and wit and just the general… richness of the world the author creates? It’s fascinating. I believe it’s called The City of Dreaming Books in the English translation)

The Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness (which is just… I love the concept, I love the characters, I love how it’s done – just, all of it. It’s fantastic.)

A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (because it is intriguing and heartfelt and hilarious at times, in a morbid sort of way, and it taught me a lot of big words as a kid in a non-condescending kind of way xD I used to have the audiobooks as well as physical copies and those are books and CDs that I handled VERY, VERY OFTEN.)

(I’m limiting this to six now bc this is getting long but I have like 20 more, if you want recommendations hmu, send me an ask :D)

7) Any movies you’d recommend? Ohhhh, boy – I’m Marvel and Disney trash and there’s not much more to it. Big Hero 6 was my absolute favorite until Moana came along (before that it was The Little Mermaid, probably? Ehh), I love everything concerning Captain America and Iron Man (ahhhh), I also really enjoyed Star Wars (All of the older ones, and The Force Awakens was awesome, as was Rogue One) and I have, surprisingly, seen all the James Bond movies except the most recent one? xD It was a family thing. I also enjoyed the HP movies even though I liked the books much more, and Fantastic Beasts was, well, FANTASTIC.

Oh, ohhh and I love Ghibli movies? Ponyo was adorable, I loved Howl’s Moving Castle (because I loved those books so much too?!?!?) and Spirited Away – those movies just make me feel so happy?? Ahh, and one of my favorite animated films is Garden of Words (Kotonoha no Niwa) because it is just BREATHTAKINGLY beautiful?? It is just gorgeous to look at. 8) What is a phrase you commonly use? …I don’t think I have many English ones here because most of my rl conversations happen in German xD I bet I do have a bunch of phrases I use a lot in writing, though none are coming to mind right now. 9) What is the first thing you notice when you see someone? The way they treat other people. Their body language and the words they use when they’re talking to someone they see as an equal or someone they think of as “beneath them”, versus how they talk to superiors. I pay a lot of attention to words and honestly barely any to appearance (mostly because I find it difficult to look at people directly? It’s an issue. I can’t remember faces at all, but you can bet I’ll remember the things you said).

10) Have you ever fainted or passed out before? Yup, in school when we were forced to do a 30 minute run at 40°C ^^ fun times. It’s been a couple years though xD

My questions:

1. Something you wish your parents had taught you?

2. Something you want to change about yourself?

3. Something you hope to never change about yourself?

4. Describe your best friend or a very close friend in 5 words.

5. Your favorite place to be?

6. Favorite artist (musician, actor, writer, artist, fanartist/fanfic writer? Pick one, or two, or all?)?

7. Website you spend most time on?

8. A dream for the future?

9. Something you’re proud of.

10. Recommend something! A movie, a song, a book, a fic – anything! :D

(I tag @chxngsey, @seijouho, @ghost--fox, @heirxx, @cheatos, @missellaineous, @fandang1, @screamingnitrogenchallenge, @joanofarcticmonkeys, @cheetahleopard, @lalikaa - you’re all welcome to do the above tag and my 10 questions, or the tag below, or both :D @gummicows and @iwazumie feel free to do the ones you haven’t? xD)

…and this tag is from @iwazumie, thank youuu :D

Relationship status: single Lipstick or Chapstick: *whispers* both Last song listened to: …surprisingly, I haven’t listened to music today except when I was in the car with my brother… he was in charge of it though cause my radio’s broken, and I don’t know the titles of the techno stuff he listens to xD Last movie I watched: Moana (…for the third time.. whoops) Top 3 shows: FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST BROTHERHOOD *hyperventilates*, Haikyuu, Bakuman? (I’ve seen so many, it’s hard to pick just 3 ok?? Noragami, Barakamon, Baccano!, Durarara!!, Death Note, Soul Eater, One Punch Man…?) … and if we’re talking about stuff that’s not anime… Game of Thrones, Supernatural (though my enthusiasm is waning), currently Brooklyn Nine Nine :D Top 3 characters: Edward Elric (I love him), Iwaizumi Hajime (I LOVE HIM), Olivier Armstrong (She’ll kick my ass and I will thank her for it) Top 3 ships: IwaOi, EdWin, Yato/Hiyori