#(it doesn't take that much to be smartest than those two tho)

[palaceoftears]

I can't help but enjoy the Wei Yanwan-Jin Zhong-Chunchan absurdly evil team, the writting pushed all the limits to create the most hateful characters ever and guess what? They didn't achieve it

[yume-x-hanabi]

Currently watching: Miss Night and Day

I decided to review a few of the dramas I'm currently (re)watching, starting with a new find: Miss Night and Day

This one is currently airing (new ep every Sat.-Sun. on Netflix) and has just reached its halfway point, so I think it's a good time to write down my thoughts.

The basic plot

(Genres: Romcom, Mystery, Fantasy)

The main character, Lee Mi-Jin, is a 28-year-old who keeps trying and failing to get a job as a public servant, and even falls for a scam out of her desperation to find a proper job. One day, she helps a magical (?) cat, who grants her a blessing/curse (depending on how you see it lol) as a result: during the day, her appearance ages to what she would look like in her 50's, while she comes back to her young self during the night. Cue her scrambling to juggle those two identities while keeping it hidden from everyone.

Ironically, she manages to find a job quite easily as her old self through a senior employment program, and through hijinks ends up as secretary to prosecutor Gye Ji-Ung, whom she met as her young self when she got scammed, then later as a witness to a murder case.

Impressions so far

Story: One thing you need to know about me is that I'm a sucker for crime/mystery/legal dramas, especially when there's an interesting twist in the setting. So right off the bat this one's premise drew me in. I also tend to not really enjoy romance/romcom dramas on their own, but sprinkle in some crime/mystery, plus some supernatural element on top, and I'm innnnn.

So far it's delivered on both fronts. The serious underlying investigation plotline is less prominent than the comedy hijinks, but that's good for where we're at, I like the balance between the two. There's a lot of subplots going on, and they keep things moving and interesting; it's worked well in terms of pacing. There's one plotline I would have preferred done a bit differently, but I'm reserving judgment on that until I've seen where it leads. Otherwise I've enjoyed the way it's going.

Characters:

Main girl: She's a very fun lead. She's generally a peppy heroine, but she's also a woman nearing her 30's whose life has not turned out how she wanted, so she's also got that Tired Adult™️ vibe that's quite relatable. She may not be the smartest (she sometimes has a tendency to rush in without thinking at first), but she's also perceptive and resourceful, so while she does need saving from time to time, she also often can find a way to get out of some situations she put herself in (often when it pertains to keeping her identity switch secret lol). Both actresses are doing a great job with the role--you really feel they're playing the same character, so much that you sometimes almost forget they're two different people.

Main guy: I'm really, really loving this take on the "stoic/assholish male lead (who will be softened by the love interest)" archetype. Yes, he is a stoic workaholic and a bit of a jerk... when he's at work. But in his day to day life, he's quite openly sweet and empathetic. And I really like that this is the side that Mi-Jin got to see first. So it's not really that he has a hidden soft side that she needs to discover, but more that she gets confused by the contrast with his work persona. She eventually calls him out on his bad attitude toward her (old self) in the office, and he improves on that front too. (Honestly tho apart from his scheme to get her to quit being his secretary at the beginning, I don't think what earns him his reputation as a jerk in the office is even that bad? he's just mostly blunt and doesn't tolerate slackers; like in a lot of cases it's warranted imo). Anyway I really like his character, and there's a lot of little scenes I absolutely adore (and definitely makes me ship them :p) Only thing I find weird is that he hasn't taken note of the similarities between young Mi-Jin and her old self (for example, her bright pink backpack she takes everywhere should be a giveaway; also the fact she tends to pop up in the same places he last saw her old version at lol). Dude is supposed to be a smart prosecutor, I'm surprised his observation skills are failing him there (especially since there's been a few close calls).

Second male lead: I'm gonna be honest, I don't care much for him. He's obviously gonna be important considering the recent plot development, and I guess I'm glad Mi-jin has someone at work who knows her secret and wants to help her, but I still don't have much of an opinion of him. He's just there lol. I do hope they're not going to drag in an unrequited love subplot or something like that.

Supporting cast: I initially found Mi-Jin's overbearing parents annoying, but it's clear they love her and want the best for her, so they've become quite endearing. I absolutely love her best friend (she's a beauty youtuber lmao), she's so cute and such a sweetheart. Other supporting characters are okay so far; potential suspect is creepy enough, tho he's so obvious I'm wondering whether he's a red herring. We'll see I guess...

Music/Directing/etc: The music's appropriate to the scenes, which is what matters most, but nothing particularly stands out aside from the main theme. The directing is good, again nothing particularly stands out imo (maybe a small negative point is a bit too much repetition at times), but nothing bad either.

All in all, it's a pretty fun show and I'm quite enjoying it so far. Waiting for new episodes is hard lol

[nezumi-writes]

hi! may i request a matchup for twisted wonderland, genshin, and haikyuu? i prefer to be matched with male please!

appearance ; i’m 5’3 tho people tend to think i’m taller than i actually am because of my long skinny legs. i have shoulder length black hair with teal highlights, and i wear round-rimmed glasses that have a very high prescription because i’m practically blind. i’m average weight, and my fashion style tends to fluctuate between light/dark academia or alt.

personality ; my mbti is isfj 9w8, i’m a weird hybrid of slytherin and hufflepuff. i’d say my most prominent personality trait is that i’m a very blunt and straightforward, honest person. i speak whatever comes to mind without thinking things through and regardless of the consequences, i lack a filter. as quiet as i normally am upon first impression i think people prefer me that way because the moment i open my mouth people regret not asking me to shut up before even trying HAHA. i’m still not the most talkative, i love being a listener instead. i tend towards teasing and poking fun at people although i know not to cross the line, i just enjoy bantering. i love flustering people, but i get very easily flustered myself, and i have tsundere tendencies. i also have a witty sense of humor which can be dark and inappropriate at times (that coupled with my habit of being impulsive with my words and not thinking things through before saying them is a recipe for disaster). i’m very independent and i go with the flow yet at the same time i march to the beat of my own drum, i hate feeling pressured more than anything and i just can’t get along with others who nitpick at my flaws. i don’t hold grudges easily or take things personally and i’m very forgiving and accepting, i pride myself in my ability to understand other people and see through them in a way different to how the vast majority would see them and i go an extra mile for those i care about, even complete strangers. this however makes me easily taken advantage of, but i know how to stand up for myself when necessary.

likes/dislikes: pretty straightforward, i like sleeping a lot LOL. i also like to research topics of interest too like psychology. astronomy is cool too, i plan on majoring in astrophysics. i dislike self righteous people who nitpick at my flaws, and harsh criticism (although i understand when it’s necessary, i’m just sensitive to it)

extra / what i look for ; i’m not very picky, but i love easygoing and carefree people. i tend to gravitate towards people who are more outwardly calm and have a comforting presence, my energy gets drained easily. but anyone who serves as a balance and accepts me for who i am works! my love language is quality time or acts of service and my ideal date is stargazing.

thank you!!

Thank you for requesting!

Your Twisted Wonderland match is Ruggie

Ruggie loves your honesty, even if it creates awkward situations.

He's very good at helping curb your impulse control

That being said he is anything but uptight and loves just being around you, even if you two aren't doing anything in particular

He appreciates that you try so hard for the ones you love, he needs to be pampered sometimes, but as long as you two are dating he'll make sure you're not taken advantage of again

Ruggie's love language is acts of service so he'll do even little things for you that he knows will make you're life easier

You're Genshin match is Thoma

No matter how much work Thoma is given he rarely stresses out

His presence is one of the most comforting around, de-stressing with you after a long day of work is one of the best things ever

He doesn't push you to socialize if you don't want to and is more then okay with doing the talking while you're out in public

Even if you aren't that talkative about it he loves hearing about your interests, he honestly thinks you're one of the smartest people he knows

Both you and Thoma are very good at understanding people, the both of you are almost like mind readers together, you always know what people need

You're Haikyuu match is Kuroo

(I feel like I give Kuroo to people a lot lol...)

He loves that you're independent, he has enough people to look after as it is (Lev and Kenma)

That being said he still loves to destress with you

Kuroo teases you a little but he always knows what line not to cross

I feel like Kuroo really like psychology and once you talk more about astronomy he'll do his own research so he can keep up with you ;)

While he loves that you're so kind he can't help but want to protect you from being taken advantage of again

I really hope you like your matches, I'm trying to get back into writing so let me know if you want anything changed! I love your name btw, I'm very excited for Cyno!!

[coinofstone]

3x12 The Coming of Arthur pt 1

The title is such low hanging fruit I feel bad cracking a joke about it.

It's a quest episode! I love a quest episode. Srsly feel free to send me any and all Merthur quest fics. I can't get enough 😂

This is the episode responsible for the lovely Leon fanon headcanon that he's immortal. Always handy in an Arthur Returns fic.

Uther: you must go on this mission alone

Arthur: *brings Merlin*

I do love Merlin being being a smart alec and nagging Arthur while packing. Excellent banter.

Arthur said

Arthur threatening a young boy like this is such an ugly and uncharacteristic action it makes me angry.

Merlin tending to Arthur while he's sick and injured 🥺

Also I'm sorry but Merlin shows fuckin Gilli his magic but he's hiding it from fuckin Gwaine while Arthur is suffering? Silly.

Cenred's massive army makes me wonder if it's a result of his tolerance of magic or lower standards than the knights of Camelot, or some combination of both.

Poor Leon, though. He's just got back from near death in that forest and Uther sends him right fuckin back in 😂

Looks like they snuck in to Camelot via the dragon's cave. I doubt that was the intention but I still approve 😂

Knowing he's on a suicide mission, Arthur gives Merlin an out, knowing he'll never take it, knowing he doesn't even want him to: he still presents him with the choice.

How come literally everyone else gets a crown that fits them but Arthur walks around looking like he's wearing hand-me-downs?

Morgana might be evil but she looks damn good on a throne.

3x13 The Coming of Arthur pt 2

There's a post going around Twitter about ppl who nitpick at TV shows... this comment falls into exactly that category 100% but I'm sorry, I cannot just ignore the fact that Morgana's got these massive banners and an entire army's worth of uniforms, I mean look:

Every guard with the sigil on his uniform and half a dozen banners in the council chambers alone. That's to say nothing of the ones outside. I mean look at the sheer fuckin size of these things:

Look how tiny the ppl are next to em! They've gotta be at least 15 feet long, at least. Where did they come from? Were they all magicked into existence? Who designed that sigil? What does it represent? Is it Gorlois' banner? I HAVE QUESTIONS.

Leon isn't someone I've ever been particularly attracted to, personally, but his defiant shout of "Long Live the King" in the face of Morgana's threats, is sexy as hell.

Depressed Arthur is such a mood.

So. Gwen. Originally in 3x12 when Morgana essentially invited Gwen into the fold (insofar as a Queen's servant can be), it seems to be a set up, because Morgana has been treating Gwen like shit for ages, why would she suddenly want her friend back? Especially since Morgana knows something is going on between Gwen and Arthur - there's no way she believes that they were actually under the spell of some random sorcerer, that just doesn't make any sense. So you kind of assume - or at least I did - that Morgana is keeping Gwen close knowing that she'll be useful as bait or a hostage, just essentially as a person of value to Arthur. She's known Gwen for too long to actually believe she'd cross Arthur, there's just no way someone as machiavellian as Morgana doesn't see Gwen's 'loyalty' as a simple survival tactic. All of this is to say, when Morgana and Morgause eavesdrop on Gwen's conversation with Sir Leon, Morgana is just like, 'welp, she's betrayed me. Guess I'll kill her in the morning.' as though she was actually expecting Gwen to do anything else?!?! Like, why? It would've made so much more sense to just cut that line entirely and go straight to something like

Morgana: it's as we suspected, she's betrayed me

Morgause: yes, now she can lead us straight to Arthur

And it would've made so much more sense than the weird sort of purgatory they've implied where Morgana changed her mind about Gwen very suddenly the night before she took the throne. It's not a super important detail in the overarching story but it's another example of how carelessly their story has been handled.

Me rn:

I do love that they made Freya the Lady of the Lake, and that she kept her promise by telling Merlin how to defeat the army of the dead.

How Merlin really sees Kilgharrah:

Gwen really is the smartest of all of them.

I do love that Merlin's first undead kill with excalibur is entirely an accident lol

The subtext between Morgana and Morgause is really gross. I haven't said anything before because I generally don't approve of ship shaming but the not so subtle subtext gives me the heebies.

This is such a great shot

Everything about it, his woman at his left and his man at his right, his romantic rival opposite him on his wife's side, as directly opposite her as possible at a round table with an uneven number of placements. It's a really beautiful shot, fitting for an equally beautiful scene. It's a very moving scene, the music really adds the exact emotion you'd expect for this moment we all recognize... and I feel like the knights' oaths are very well matched. The snarky part of me wanted to make a 'call me maybe' joke about Percival, but he's so sincere I just can't do it. The moment of levity added by Merlin's banter with Arthur is really, really well paced. Honestly I think it's probably the next perfect, iconic scene since Gwen and Arthur's first kiss. Hats off to this crew.

(Don't worry dear reader, I'm sure I'll get back to complaining shortly)

Santiago is so dreamy. I'd share his bedroll any day.

I like that despite all the talk of equality and doing the thing Uther wouldn't approve of, Gwen still worries about the company seeing her and Arthur kiss. Like, he's planning an insurrection with a bunch of commoners and two dudes who've been officially banished from Camelot, but she's internalized the classism and the rules of royalty so deeply that even amongst friends she instinctively keeps their relationship hidden. I'm not sure how intentional that was but it's brilliant.

The fight big fight scene with Merlin just barely missing the cup while the knights are cornered, and Gaius showing up like the brilliant deus ex machina that he is, honestly makes the previous budget-slashed episodes more bearable. Because this really is great, even knowing it's great at the expense of those others.

Morgana's screeching is eerily similar to Aithusa's.

I wonder if they knew they were getting renewed for a fourth season when they wrote this. Because you know, it really could've worked as a series finale as well. An open-ended series finale, but a series finale all the same.

As a Queens kid, I cannot explain to you the joy it gives me to watch Arthur and Merlin just chillin on the steps to the castle as tho it were a stoop, which I suppose, in a sense... it kind of is. Ahhh youthful days.

Commentary is Jeremy Webb and Julian Murphy.

And this kids, is why we're watching with commentary! They've just explained that Morgana's sigil is supposed to symbolize the Rowan tree that's supposed to be at the heart of the Isle of the Blessed. That suggests she designed it herself, so there's at least one of my earlier questions answered.

They talk a lot about how Emila Fox was very pregnant when they were filming her in this season, and they shot entirely around it - and I can't help but feel anger toward Joss Whedon and his 'handling' of Charisma Carpenter's pregnancy during S4 of Angel.

One of them called the round table scene 'curiously moving' and I think that is really fitting. They'd had this in mind for about two years, which is probably why it's so extraordinary. That's a great gestation period for a scene as iconic as this.

One final tidbit: the sword in the stone was filmed in France, and made it back to Wales intact. I guess nobody wanted to take it out. That's kind of an interesting thought, like a little set superstition or something. It's kind of cute.

The DVD extras/special features will get a separate post if I feel I have comments worth sharing.