#AND the fact we learned she got bullied in high school in this episode too

[skrunksthatwunk]

just finished toh s3e1!!! i uh. i need to go lie down :,)

[danawinter]

I'm I just being too shallow in that it REALLY bothers me that Quinn is never allowed a good prom? Like, Rachel gets a Tony Award, Mercedes gets to tour with Beyonce, but Quinn getting her crown and actually not being traumatized/humiliated at prom is apparently too blatantly wish fulfillment-y for this show, I guess. At the LEAST, couldn't Finn have been booted for a 2nd year in a row, so she wasn't stuck serenading him after he dumped on her all night?

Yeah, it is genuinely a combination of bad things that makes it so hard to enjoy s3 prom.

S2 prom is interesting in the sense that practically no one really wins. Santana wanted to win because of her struggling with her sexuality, and then doesn't. Quinn wanted to win to prove that her fall from grace was only temporary, and then doesn't. Kurt gets prom queen and realizes that the bullying might never end. Karofsky wins, but because Kurt also does, it doesn't feel like a victory. But at the end of the episode the glee club celebrate and try to have a good time in spite of everything.

We gain so much from that. And above all, the show isn't concerned at pointing fingers at who the villain of the week is.

But in s3, it really just feels like primarily Quinn really gets the shaft. And the worst part is, we don't really learn anything. All the time that could've been used on exploring these characters actions is just wasted on everyone talking Quinn down, including herself.

If Finn had focused on how Quinn lying brings back some really bad memories from s1, and while they never talked it out then, they can get a chance to talk it out now and truly find peace between them before graduation. But instead Finn just blames Quinn for him not being with Rachel, as if he didn't have the opportunity to decline her offer? Like, his inability to talk to his fiancé is not Quinn's fault or responsibility.

And then the scene with Rachel just feels so patronizing. We know that Quinn and Rachel are friends at this moment, so it feels so forced that Rachel doesn't want to talk to Quinn until prom. And the whole "All I ever wanted was to be your friend" speech feels so dumb. I mean, as a Faberry shipper I gobbled it up, but from a narrative perspective it feels like it is trying to really shift the blame to Quinn. In the sense that it feels like they're trying to say 'Rachel's always wanted to be Quinn's friend, so if they are fighting it must be Quinn's fault'.

And then to top it all of we have the scene where we see Quinn decide to give away her crown. The fact this show can put a character through so much trauma and turn around and have her say that she had the dream high school career, is frankly one of the most offensive things ever.

Finn and Rachel get to have their crowns and shove all of their problems onto Quinn, as if the problems don't actually lie with each other and themselves. And sure, Quinn gets the satisfaction of knowing that she got the most votes, and she still gets to have the moment where stands up and everyone points and gasps. But is that enough? I don't believe it is.

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom episode 4-7 Thoughts: (under a readmore because, these got kinda long!)

-the outfit danny had to buy for dash's party. CLASSIC 2000S i cannot stop laughing. And also showing up to the party and everyone is dressed like the trio is hilarious. and further proof that everyone looks good dressed goth.

-dash has a closet full of cute lil bear plushies?? LOVE that. adorable. also his response to danny trashing his room fighting a ghost was SO valid if somone BROKE MY BED IN HALF ID BE PISSED TOO.

-technus being like 'oh smart, u should be a tutor!' then later being like 'forget tutor, be a teacher!' :) supportive king <3 I also really like his upgraded suit/design. AND SPOCK CAMEO??? HELLO??

-the music in this show is super. its so funky. I looked it up and the guy who does it, guy moon (awesome name) also did music for other cartoons like fairly odd parents, barnyard, chalkzone, billy & mandy, AND some actual movies like FIGHT CLUB??? the whiplash I got from reading that)

-sam being rich explains a lot about her, actually.

-I know the moral of the episode was supposed to be 'dont ditch your friends for popular people/spend a lot of money on clothes that arent You to Fit In'. but tbh. it wouldve been easy for danny to have been like 'well, okay, ill come but only if my friends can!' but I get. that hes 14. so. not a lot to say there.

-BOX GHOST IS BACK!!!!! also, danny sitting up and wearing the dress/wig/makeup. umm thats how I dress everyday LMFAO. unironically me. (hate the jokes that boil down to 'haha funney man in dress' tho. but this is a look)

-jazz being protective of her brother once again being like NOOO YOU GUYS BETTER NOT STAKE OUT HIS (actually haunted) LOCKER!! shes aware of how people perceive him and she wants to help :( which is also probably why she told dash to invite him to that party even tho she had no interest in going!! she wants to help him out :(

-gotta say im with tucker on the whole 'should danny use his powers to get back at bullies' debate. 100% yes. let him teach kids to fight back. making dash throw his food at paulina out of the blue? no. but when hes actually about to pick on someone? yeah! for self defense? YEAH! if dash and his friends just threw food at him, I think rather than. idk doing sneaky shit with frogs he couldve just threw it back and not pulled punches if they tried to fight. I kNOOWWW its a kids show so they are like 'if u fight back ur just as bad!! violence bad!!' but. theyre HIS POWERS. WHO CARES.

-like my only gripe is that dash really isnt LEARNING ANYTHING WHEN DANNY GETS BACK AT HIM IN THE MOST PETTY INDIRECT WAYS. whatever they had to add a bully psa episode I guess. I hate it and I hate the way cartoons usually handle it because these methods simply Do Not Work. 'aND YouRE USinG YOur poWErs FOR EVill???!' this is Not Evil. even when poindexter takes dannys body, theyre only being 'nice' bc hes stealing soda for them!! bitches deserve what they get (nothing too brutal bc theyre high schoolers but damn, if they pick on danny he doesnt need to be the 'bigger person' he needs to start biting people)

-SAM TRYING TO SMUGGLE FROGS OUT OF THE BIO LAB?? girl in middle school when we had to dissect frogs we could opt out, also, they came to us already dead and preserved...

-sidney's lingo and the fact hes in black and white is sending me. also, danny is a ghost celebrity apparently for being a halfa?? ok. thats interesting to know

-the DENTIST BEING EXCITED ABOUT THE COTTON CANDY FLOOD IS THE FUNNIEST THING SO FAR.

-I LOOOVE the trope of 'wishes gone wrong'. not crazy about the stereotypical genie, or the use of the dreamcatcher looking design. (also, I KNOW theyre scientists but the way theyre handling a cold...are the fentons ANTIVAX)

-the genie. she. whitewished paulina. JKASDFHKJ. (the ghost literally just being hello kitty???? im dying) 'why do i feel that im special and wonderful? because I AM! <3' paulina ilu self worth queen. felt bad for her also getting possessed by (2) boys later who were arguing INSIDE HER. WTF.

-imagine being the guy trapped in his now flying car. he thought danny and tucker were HALUCINATIONS. imagine being trapped in a flying car with two, what you think are imaginary arguing 14 year olds convinced ur gonna die. i WOULD say this dude is gonna need so much therapy, but he seemed totally fine and excited when they landed (I would be happy too if a chicken was on my head. chickens rule) stoner rights

-sam's bat slippers??? iconic. SO cute.

-I think desiree's backstory is so :( do all ghosts have messed up sad backstories?? poindexter's was sad too...cannot imagine box ghost has any kind of fucked up backstory. but what if. his mom got pushed off cliffs by boxes...........a la cruella... anyway her 'no man may lay a hand on me' iconic. ilu

-I know danny has no concept of how much bras cost but my god dont attack tucker with some girls bra. those are so expensive.

-its really. well its not a GOOD THING he went into the portal and got fucked up, but its good danny was the one to do it rather than sam or tucker. because even tho he was being influenced by desiree and kept getting more malicious and it prob wasnt 100% him...he sucked as a ghost like most the people he 'pranked' were innocent ppl just Chillin and he didnt want to help anyone at all. I think danny is the most responsible out of them but also, hes 14 and shouldnt HAVE to feel obligated to fight every ghost. hes a good kid and wants to, but I also feel like he feels like...responsible for the portal turning on?? because his parents did give it up,, but it was an accident and not his fault (if anything, why was the on switch on the inside. why was it that easy. why was there no safety measures. that seems like smth OSHA needs to hear about). like thats my son. hes a good boy. and hes never done anything wrong in his life, ever. if anyone hurts him im killing everyone in this room and then myself. etc.

-danny's curfew is 10PM????? DUDE. when I was 14...shit I couldn't be out that late, I had to be back at like, 8 at the latest, and my parents had to know exactly where and who I was going with, AND i had to call/text them regularly...is this a case of my parents being overbearing, or the fentons sucking??? the only time i could EVER be out that late was if I was at an overnight sleepover or smth...

-the vultures have lil fezes. why do they have fezes...theyre so fuckin funny 'ask him for directions' 'I KNOW WHERE IM GOING' these ghost vultures are my new grandpas. pick them up, put them in the adopt box.

-'I wonder why those guys were trying to waste dad!' THEYRE GHOSTS. YOUR DAD HUNTS GHOSTS. why is that not a conclusion you'd immediately jump to??

-*jazz voice, clearly disgusted* WISCONSIN???

-mrs fenton with the lab coat and leg warmers and PERM. YESSS STYLISH.

-was going to say 'ew billionaire' @vlad but. super valid he used his powers to assumedly steal and cheat to get that money, thats how all billionaires do it! but ew hes a SIMP. and spending your billions on FOOTBALL STUFF?? you are Not Valid overall. I DO respect the fact you have a castle instead of a mansion. in wisconsin. if youre going to be stupidly rich might as well go all out, torches on the wall and all. I DO like his ghost form's little kitty ears. catman. and his cape! every design can benefit from a cape. and how different his forms look, like danny looks the EXACT SAME IN BOTH FORMS ASIDE FROM COLOR CHANGES. vlad's is like,, I could believe they were different people!! also I love the drama. but dude you are fighting a 14 year old. lame. also he was like, telling danny he wanted his mom and him and like, wanted him to renounce his dad?? WHAT ABOUT JAZZ?? bitch. those r MY kids and they are both important and special. I do agree they need better parents but thats not u sir <3

-I thought vlad's 'little badger' nickname for danny came from the football mascot of the packers, but google says they have NO MASCOT?? so now I'm like?? is it because his hair is sometimes black and sometimes white?? I hate to give him props but thats a PERFECT NICKNAME. theyre also tiny and vicious!

-why did I get so excited that Skulker is back!! its been like. 2-3 eps LMAO. AND THE DAIRY KING. ICONIC I LOVE HIM. hes the nicest guy ever :) more nice ghosts please. danny cannot be fighting alone everytime with no ghost buds like every ghost being hostile sucks :(

-mr. fenton knew vlad was controlling him, but a few episodes ago he had no clue danny was doing the same thing...is it something about how malicious the ghost is?? he just seemed to think his memory had gaps the first time, this time he was INSTANTLY LIKE 'GHOST'. then again in this ep when danny did it again he was just slightly confused but not immediately freaking out like he did with vlad possessing him!!

-'my parents will accept ME NO MATTER WHAT' so. so why haven't you come out to them yet, danny?? if you really think that?? if theres no harm, and you're sure??? if vlad is a real problem, wouldnt that make dealing with him easier, to expose him???? SO WHY HAVENT YOU COME OUT YET?? COULD IT BE,, MAYBE YOU HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT WHETHER YOUR PARENTS ACTUALLY WILL ACCEPT YOU??? 🤔 ... 🏳‍🌈 I get why people say He Is Trans. I totally totally get u danny.

-sorta unrelated, but it just occurred to me in one of these eps they go to casper HIGH not casper middle school??? theyre 14?? dont highschools usually do ages 15-18? (I didnt go to hs so I might be wrong, if I am ignore this...) freshmen are usually 14-15, could just be a case of them not turning 15 yet but they will sometime in the school year (I say they because tucker said he was 14 too)? I know the show has 3 seasons, so by the end of it will they be older? thatd be neat but usually cartoon characters stay the same age...I love shows where you can see the characters age and grow up, though...three seasons seems like a long time to spend on like, 1 year...

[pluviophile-bookworm]

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Rewatch pt.3

Ok, full disclosure: I should not be doing this right now. But I've been thinking about it since yesterday and, well, I reckon I can go over 1x4 and 5, and then move on to my actual work. So here we are. I'm really, really excited for these two, so without further ado, I'll dive right into:

1x4: It's hard to believe that I couldn't see... the majority of what happens in this episode when I first watched it

Why is Nini such a pro at making a scene with whoever her current boyfriend is in the middle of a public place? I mean, I get it that she's upset about EJ going through her phone — who wouldn't be — but maybe - and this is just a friendly suggestion — she could try and discuss that in private, not start a shouting match within view of all their classmates. Just saying.

'Ricky would never steal my phone' — well, perhaps not, but he's not quite above deleting stuff from it, either... I wonder if whoever is writing this show knows that there are many other ways to make a relationship unhealthy... it's not funny anymore. Just repetitive.

Ahhh Natalie and her emotional support hamster! At least there's one good thing about this scene.

Sure, Ricky, blame Big Red for the fact that you misplace your stuff... a very nice best friend he's got, indeed.

Gosh, everything is so awkward and there is just so much tension all over the place — Ricky's parents, then EJ and Nini, and then Carlos just being oblivious to the fact that they just broke up... you know, that last part just made me laugh. And then Ricky's reaction to his parents legally separating just broke my heart. That boy's been through too much.

Big Red being completely clueless about theatre terms is super funny and endearing, but let me just put myself in his shoes for a sec. He's followed his best friend into a badly thought-out scheme to get back together with his ex, got dragged into joining the crew, and is now expected to know what everything is. I would not put up with that... ok, who are we kidding, I'm a massive pushover and would put up with anything, but my point is... he shouldn't have to. At least people are doing the bare minimum to help him learn and nobody's laughed at him for not knowing. That's the good thing about this crew.

Ok, so I have posted about my thoughts of their take on What I've Been Looking For before, back when the episode was brand new, so I won't go into detail about that. In short, I think they've got the arrangement all wrong considering that it is a plot point in the original movie, but... the execution is funny. The scene is about Nini and EJ's post-breakup tension and it shows. I just kind of wish now Miss Jenn had pulled Nini out and put Gina in, even just for this rehearsal — and I might or might not be saying this as a Portwell shipper.

Miss Jenn is done with the students' personal drama and honestly, I'm right behind her. These kids are being completely unprofessional — and well, I realise that we can't expect them to be professional at this stage, but... they could at least try to concentrate on rehearsal and not their personal lives for a second.

Ricky hugging a cushion is my spirit animal. That's it, that's the comment.

Ahhh the tension between EJ and Gina though... 'around here seniors don't follow sophomores' — well, we'll see how it goes, Mr. Senior.

What gives Nini the right to shout at strangers about their relationship? I am honestly so frustrated with her these days. Wonder why I never was during season 1. The reasons are all there.

'He loves you' — yeah, like a little sister, he does. Also, Ash is so precious, always trying to see the good in other people. EJ 1.0 is so lucky he had her as an example.

Ok, I'm not going to go into what an amazing best friend Big Red is because we all know that (plus I'm saving it for a certain scene in 1x5), but this must be so hard for him. I mean, he's trying his absolute best to help Ricky feel better and distract him from his problems, and Ricky is turning everything down. I mean, I guess I understand where he's coming from too, but I'm unable to look at things through the lead-centric lens alone anymore. I'm more aware of non-lead characters now (some more so than others) and this is putting a whole new spin on my perception of everything that happens.

I've got no idea how Big Red can sleep with all this noise, though. I could never. But to each their own.

'perfect on paper' — that's EJ 1.0 to a T. I've got to give Nini that.

Ricky wearing the pride t-shirt... we love to see it.

See, this is why I keep forgetting why I ever shipped Rini and then remembering again... their chemistry is just so on-again-off-again, and here it's definitely present, but I just need a couple with consistent chemistry, you know. Hey, isn't that kind of what All I Want is about? Kind of. I don't know. I've been unable to listen to that song ever since it got big irl. I have this... problem with media that becomes popular and mainstream... I mean, I never hold a grudge against things just for being popular, but I just... relate to underrated stuff much easier. Not because it's underrated, but it just so happens that nearly everything I like and relate to is underrated in some capacity. Even HSMTMTS itself — it's practically unheard of here in Bulgaria, so I would not have found it if I hadn't been looking for it specifically. Ok, this comment got derailed several times. I guess I'll just stop here and move right on to 1x5 at this point.

1x5: A bedazzled tablecloth, a perfectly balanced unicycle and bad reception at the barn... not the perfect ingredients, but they can still... Work This Out

'Miss Jenn says that's a life in the arts... well, that and almost constant unemployment' — alright, I know this line is not supposed to be funny, and that it's a painful reality for a lot of people, but... maybe it's the delivery. I just laugh every time.

See, this is what I mean when I say I want to see consistent chemistry — Seblos have it. I mean, I really don't want to jinx things, but... they do.

Big Red seems to be in a more... outspoken mood today, I guess you could say. Too bad Ricky is still shutting everything he says down. Seriously, Big Red and Seb should start a club for people who try their best to be there for their loved ones and still keep being shushed.

I might be super frustrated with nearly everything Nini says and does (can somebody please tell me why that is?), but... flushing her dress down the toilet? Major mood.

Listen, I love Miss Jenn and that she's close to her students, but... emerging from a toilet cubicle and inviting herself to Kourtney and Nini's girls' night was... Will Shuester level of questionable.

Ricky being the mature one about his parents separation is... I mean, it's admirable, but how did he move past the impending depression of last episode and towards being the one who tells his dad to get up and move on? Well, I mean, good for him. But I think the issue is far from buried yet.

'Friend of the year'? Ricky? I don't think so. First of all, if he were, he'd know that Big Red does not have two left feet. Wasn't it you, Ricky, who was stumbling over the steps in HSM a couple of weeks ago? You're one to talk. Plus Big Red's been listening and trying to help while you've just been spouting off about your personal problems for... how long has it been now? I get it, Ricky has issues that he needs to work through, but he's almost legally blind in both eyes when it comes to Big Red.

Ok, but Ricky is the epitome of 'cannot solve his own problems but has a suggestion on how everybody else should solve theirs' in this episode. Maybe take a step back and listen to your own advice?

'My parents think I'm bonding with the livestock' — I've got no idea why I find this line so funny, but I do. And I've got so much love for this entire scene. Carlos' reaction to Seb's response to his invitation is just... the most adorable thing ever! My heart might just burst. Especially given what we're about to go through tomorrow in 2x10... I am. Not. Ready.

The entire karaoke scene just reminds me of... pretty much every extended family reunion on my mum's side. Her cousins love karaoke and are also completely tone-deaf. I love it that they're able to have fun with it, but my ears are still recovering from my great aunt's birthday party two years ago.

'When did you become Nini?' — Why does Mr. Mazzara know so much about his students' dating lives? I mean, Miss Jenn does, too, but he doesn't strike me as someone as invested in them as her. Idk, it just struck me as kind of weird.

'I didn't agree to photos' — please, EJ, I'm sure you'll want memories from your first fake-dating gig with Gina... once you're no longer fake-dating, you know. Boy, these two are going to have stories to tell to their grandchildren.

I've said some stuff about Nini, but... 'a bedazzled tablecloth' is the funniest description I've heard for Gina's homecoming dress.

'Maybe it's not actually about you at all.' Yeah, you tell him, Reddy! Ricky needs to get over himself.

The way Big Red sniffs out the drama, though... I was not-so-randomly reminded of that moment in 2x9 where Seb was like Carlos. and Big Red was like, 'Are you guys fighting?'...

Big Red doing a comedic lip-reading of Gina and EJ's dramatic scene is absolutely hilarious. I might or might not have sold my heart and soul to him after seeing that scene for the first time. But I just remembered how he said earlier that maybe he can't read lips and that just makes this 100% funnier — he was basically like a child who can't read yet making up a story based on the pictures in a book, and I mean it in the best way possible. He's a theatre dark horse, this one, and they should all be intimidated — or inspired, whatever they choose — by his hidden talents. Gosh, I love this guy. But can you blame me?

'You think I'm actually going to confide in you?' — Absolutely. You can't bully someone from your position of authority over them and then act like you're their friend. I do know now that Mr. Mazzara has hidden depths, but he had no right to be as rude to Carlos as he was in 1x3. He was right about one thing, though — Carlos doesn't need a dance partner to dance.

Ricky saying he was going to apologise to Gina and counting that as an apology is giving me major TJ/ Buffy flashbacks. I wonder why that is... * sarcasm *

Nini feeling like a fraud makes me actually sympathise with her for a second. But I feel like Nini's flaw of defining herself through boys and Ricky in particular has been addressed one time too many now, since it was first addressed here in this episode. If they make her and Ricky get back together again in season 2, I will riot. [side note: I feel like the Born to Be Brave scene says a lot about both Rini and Seblos as couples. Nini and Carlos both feel, in the moments leading up to the song, like they are incomplete without their partners. Ricky, too, has built his personality entirely around Nini at that time (and is still not completely over that in s2). And then the song comes in to remind them that they don't need a partner to be happy. I'm just thinking of Big Red's 'perfectly balanced unicycle' comment from the promotional materials, and of how he and Ashlyn, even when they're dating in s2, are never portrayed as being incomplete without each other. I guess there's a reason why they're the Beta Couple of the show — their relationship drama is nearly non-existent, and when it does exist, it's just caused by them caring too much about each other. Every other couple on the show should learn from them.]

Everybody supporting Carlos during the Born to Be Brave number just warms my heart so much... I am actually crying real tears. And then the end, when Seb finally shows up, right in time for the slow dance... I have a lot of feelings about this scene.

Seblos' dialogue here still kind of makes me cringe a little... but like, in a good way.

Yikes... Miss Jenn's getting into trouble... I mean, it was bound to happen sooner or later. But she's lucky she's had enough time with her students for them to love her enough to fight for her. Still, this is a topic for another episode, and so I won't expand on it in this post.

Well, that's it. That was 1x4 and 5. Those were pretty much my favourite episodes when season 1 was airing. And I can definitely see why, even if my views on some things have changed due to stuff that happens later. But, as I constantly say, that's what rewatches are for. In other words, 'once more, with feeling this time' as my choir director used to say.

[nickysescapism]

here my thought on Fate real quick:

Things that did not piss me off:

Bloom being extra spicy really mega ultra special² (by now I’m not even surprised anymore)

Silva

the short time we spent with Marco

That one good-looking specialist girl that got killed off pretty quickly (you will be missed)

Terra’s dad

Bloom being the only one with an american accent (because british accents are supperior and also it shows that Bloom does not “fit in”)

Sam aka another white boy (but my feelings towards him were neutral so yeah)

Things that did piss me off:

the blatant whitewashing

unnecessary pop culture references (we get it you watched HP and make IG stories)

pls stop butchering the four houses like that if you can’t get your facts straight

the constant fatphobia

Riven’s obvious biphobia and everyone just accepting it

the 'blond mean girl' trope because what would we do without it

the victim (Dane) falling for the bully (Riven) for no apparent reason

“I hAvE A cOuSin NaMeD FlOrA”

the only black woc being the “mom of the group” because we haven’t seen this stereotype for a hot sec

the boring and repetitive sequences of the specialists training with wooden sticks like children in elementary school

“We DoN’t HaVe WiNgS aNymOrE”

Bloom being super selfish and everyone risking their lives for her constantly because they all love her anyway

the line “you full-creeped on my insta last night and I haven’t told anyone” exists non ironically (Riverdale called they want their awful-cringy-lines back)

"Riv"

fetishizing bi people (because bi’s can only ewist on Netflix if they are doing threesomes because that’s what being bi is all about apparently)

using the word mansplaining in the first episode TWICE in the span of a few minutes and not even using it right

the only healthy relationship (Musa and Sam) is so freaking boring that one had to make up a non existing drama to make it less boring

the unburned slaughtering like 10 specialist who are pros and do this job for years but two first-year fairies were able to get away without a scratch

the non existing friendship between the winx's and therefore it makes no sense that they still keep hanging out with each other

the erasure of our queen tecna!!

all the good specialist were erased too (like Timmy and Brandon)

the outfits making them look like grown ass moms and not like teenagers

the cast looking like they are more likely to be in college than in high school

Beatrix (besides everything she isn’t even a good villain, she is the worst secret “villain” i’ve ever seen like she is like a freaking elefant in mouse town)

and now Alfea basically is Hogwarts 2.0 but a cheaper version of it

changing Musa's powers because we need element powers for some freaking reason and not even doing anything with her powers for like 90% of the show

everything looking so dark and greasy and boring and basically not like Magix or anything magical at all

Stella (she is basically Diaspro but so much worse)

the lowkey abusive relationship between the adoptive parents (mom) and Bloom just to never mention it again

Aisha having no backstory and telling EVERYONE constantly that she swims but we never get scenes of her outside of her "parenting Bloom" sidequests

Terra saying that she misses Stella because she insulted her and was mean to her, because fat girls need this constant body shaming amiright?

they really tried making Stella bullying Terra ✨their thing✨

Aisha struggling with her powers is suddenly not important anymore when it’s inconvenient

the girls hate each other for like 80% of the show and suddenly they have a deep bonding

Musa being useless and stating the obvious and only being there for obvious exposition

"You are sad, aren’t you?"

“Yes, how do you know that? Is it because I’m crying my eyes out right now?”

“No, dummy. I’m a mind fairy. I can feel what you feel.”

the whole changeling plot

erasing the Trix and compromizing them into one character, but then give Beatrix two side kicks so they are basically a group of three again ???

they made it even more straight than the OG

the Sky/Stella/Bloom love triangle because we needed that one

the adults being stupid af

Vanessa apparently almost dying in the fire and having third degree burns but only at places that can be covered by clothes easily (and also they do not look like third dagree burns at all)

Bloom ready to kill her “parents” because they took away her door

“BuTt StUfF” another great literal masterpiece from our all-time favorite Riv

Stella is not only not part of the group for like 75% of the time, the others also don’t like her at all and therefore you don’t care about her problems at all

the teachers being unecessary mean to their students like “oh you just learned to control your powers, well damn you still suck hope you get better soon lol that looks so bad try harder”

Aisha being the only one who has no love interest

^same as Terra who is pining after a dude that doesn’t like her that way

Bloom always playing the victim and always acting like no one suffers as much as she does

using pop music that doesn’t fit the tone of the scene at all (and also ruining one of my fav songs)

Alfea basically turning into every garbage teenage high school Netflix ever had

Everyone acting as if Beatrix is super smart and a good spy even tho she sucks at it without end (why would you try to get as much attention as possible?? and kill your accomplice???)

no other planets but realms and still here everyone knows that California is part of America because americans aren’t full of themselves at all. Just replace California and America with anything else. :)

“You aren’t from Solaria, are you? Where are you from?”

“I’m from California Fer Island.”

“Uh...is that..part of...?”

“America Everix, obviously????”

they tried desperately to be woke by throwing stuff around like “don’t be sexist” and “don’t come at me with this feminist bs” like good job...to the white old dudes who completely missed the entire point of feminism and sexism - performantive feminism if you will - always SAYING the most basic feminist (women can be strong too) stuff but not DOING it

fire is somehow effective against BURNED creatures (e.g. throwing water filled balloons at a mermaids)

all telling and no showing (expositions + no flashbacks = BORING)

Sky being so obessed with Bloom that he doesn’t care that she drugged him at one point

Dane’s character doing a 180 out of nowhere for plot convenience

Stella being a threat to other students but no one seems to care

the good ol’ the bad guys aren’t really bad but in the end turns out they are and the good guys were the good guys all along plot twist that we have seen a million times on netflix alone

Sky not having trust issues after Bloom spiked the water bottle and just accepting that she felt the need to drug him

Sky having daddy issues and that being treated as his main character trait

using phones all the time but when it’s important suddenly no one got a phone with them

beatrix drags a random “bad  boy” into her evil plan because that was ever a good thing to do but kills her only partner that already had the trust of FaRa

Sky still persuing Bloom even tho he knows that Stella could blind Bloom because she can’t control her powers and even threatens to do so - again no one saw a problem with that??

Bloom being one of the worst liars out there but Aisha is like “wow, you are a great liar” like no bitch you literally had to help her five seconds ago

Stella blinding her best friend being one of the most underwhelming plots I have ever seen (I mean how can a show fuck it up so bad that a literal girl blinding her best friend doesn’t interest me?)

no one can have an interesting storyline because there is the slight chance that they could outshine the real star (bloom)

^therefore most sideplots are super shallow or just boring

[kdramyatic]

The Uncanny Counter

Who knows me for a while knows that since the first episodes I loved it and yeah, I loved it till the very end and now that it's over I feel like I have lost a part of me. It was the best part of the week: wait for the weekend to have some hours of this amazing drama.

Plot: 1000/10

General things I loved

That evil spirit thing is something we kinda see in some dramas, but I liked the way it was showed here: people who have bad feelings are the ones who are possessed. The fact they work in a noodles restaurant was different and funny too.

The teamwork

The whole Yung thing, the way they've become counters, the way their hair changed (and made all of them look more like a team, like a family), the way they defended each other and supported one another. That was what made me love it the most.

So-mun's growth

We could watch our So-Mun growing, his development through the episodes was notable. Not only as a counter, finding new abilities that no one thought he could have, but also the way his mind has changed. He got more mature (we can definitely see that by the two last episodes, in which he cared for Hyeok-u, even though that boy has bullied him for a long time). He learned how to control himself and that made him even more powerful. He became that superhero he created with his friends.

The FANTASTIC TRIO: So-Mun and his friends

Of course by the ending of the drama, with all that fights against the Super Evil Spirit we missed some scenes of his adorable friendship with Ung-min and Ju-yeong, but when it was all over we knew for sure that nothing has changed between them. They're the perfect trio. So-mun's friends were always there for him, protecting him when he was weak, cheering for him when he was sad. And now that he is stronger, he knows how to protect them. By the middle of the drama we saw him protecting them with his life against the bullies. Now that they're safe, he promised to keep caring for them with simple things, that means a lot. I also found it adorable how his friends were able to understand the situation os So-Mun. He could get himself healed, but couldn't tell them how. He had to go out suddenly to catch some evil spirits, but couldn't tell them. But they understood, because all that mattered was that their friend was finally healthy and happy. That's beautiful.

Other counters stories

The first one I'll comment is Do Ha-na because: I love a powerful woman. The story of how she lost her family was really sad. The way she tried to forget it and tried to avoid the other to see it was so real. For sure she wouldn't like to remember it, no one would be able to talk about it and would like to be remembered about how it was. But it was beautiful how she started to open up her feelings a bit more. It was hard for her, but she finally got able to remember her family in a better way.

Mo-tak's story was pretty sad. I still feel so bad for him. I can't imagine how would it be to know that you were on coma because someone tried to kill you, you lose your memories and, after seven years, when you finally get your memories back and remember you had a lover, that person is taken from you. I think he is a really really really strong man. Also, I wanna say he was one of the best characters. He always made me laugh when he couldn't arrive properly at Yung. I still find that funny tho.

Ms. Chu was incredible. She cared for them like the good mother she is. One of the things I liked the most (I know I say that a lot but I definitely loved this drama) is that she could still being with her son. I'm sure she suffered a lot for losing her child and seeing here being able to keep in touch with him was adorable. She was very caring and could sacrifice herself in order to protect the ones she cares. I think she is amazing.

Jang-mul was a funny man. He always came with some cool stuff for them and cared for his teammates. Idk what to say about him but I liked him lol

So-mun x Do Ha-na

I liked so much how their relationship was treated. Yk, since the first episode we see So-Mun being enchanted by her (tbh who wouldn't). They became teammates and friends, but they had a lot of work to do, they were always fighting and working. Also, So-Mun was first seen as a child bcs of his age, being a high school student and also his temperament. But as the episodes have passed we can see how Ha-na starts to see him and to treat him, and it gives us the idea of how she is feeling too. Anyway, they were too busy and even if there's nothing clear about them in the end, I still think that there's something there.

Cast: 10/10

PERFECTIONNNN. I confess I only started watching if because of Sejeong, because, well... that's Sejeong. However, I fell in love with all of them, their actings were so real.

OST: 9/10

That's not a 10 because it was only 3 songs, but I liked them. I loved that one of the songs was sung by Sejeong. I know that this drama was not like the majority of dramas I watch, those are romantic and full of emotional soundtracks. That was not the focus here and that's why I loved the ones which were released + the instrumentals when they were fighting or doing anything else.

To put it into a nutshell:

I LOVED THIS DRAMA. THAT'S ALL.

[icecreamkink]

watched all of the untamed / cql in two weeks after my friend 1 told me abt mdzs a hundred years ago and my friends 2 and 3 tried to get me into cql for like two whole years and there are.

feelings.

very first scene is a very dramatic death in the middle of nightmare battle on sith planet land . i will forget abt it in the next tenish episodes and then will be very surprised when it becomes Extremely Painful

anyway magic flying gays and possession and human sacrifice! we are off to a great start

in retrospect, chaos goblin wei wuxian must have had a blast pretending to be so cRaZy and be as disruptive as he could as mo xuanyu lbr

listen. why is fire always evil coded. cant a magic clan wear red, black and orange and have flame motif while being wholesome?

For Legal Reasons These Are Not Zombies

i wish the politics of the sect were a bit clearer, especially at the beggining when the wen clan had sm power, was wen ruohan the chief cultivator? is that why they were so slow in responding to the attacks? im v confused by the pre yiling patriarch politics

fighting in the roof by the moonlight as way of flirtiiiiiiing. as i understand this is a wuxia/xianxia trope and honestly...... thank u for ur service

slight bullying and being a nuisance in general, as a way of flirting we love to see it

wwx: if i drink on the rooftop, thats not inside the cloud recesses! hmmm check and mate :D lwj: i will fuck u up so help me god   wwx: :0

i lov them

through hell or high water (quite literally) wei wuxian rem ains a trashfire gremlin till the end and i love him with my whole heart

in the pt subs wei wuxian calls jiang cheng a stubborn duck and i dearly wish that had come back

my opinions on almost every character goes from love to hate u - Hmm Me Like U - BABY. ILY. and i am Very Pleased w that. its been a while since i loved such a complete cast so much i think

no really. i WONT go into a detailed rant abt what i love about each of these characters and each of their relationships to each other. but i COULD. 

some lan disciples in the loudest whisper ever: YEAH THATS THE JIN BASTARD MENG YAO HEARD THE GOT SUPER HUMILIATED BY HIS DAD LOL SURE HOPE HE DOESNT TAKE SLIGHTS TO HIS CHARACTER TO HEART

lan xichen, immediately: i must Love him 

being into problematic ppl is in the Lan genetics, we come to realize

wen qing deserves so many awards for so many things but not snapping and just stabbing wen chao is at the top 

that scene at lan qirens class where wwx talks about using resentful energy to fight a violent spirit. exquisite.

 It establishes Good Student lan wangji, wei wuxian as curious and questioning and not afraid of taboo,  lwj sees that wwx is not, in fact, a dumb ass hes just a Dumbass,  shows us the audience (esp. a western audience) how shocking the idea of disrupting the dead/dying and controlling resentful energy actually is,  the theoretical foreshadow arguing, everyone else like ‘shUT UP’,  “and how could you ensure that the resentful energy would obey you and not hurt other?” “well i havent thought that far” and of course, lan qiren just straight up lobbing a hard object at wwx head,. chefs kiss

fellas is it gay to bother the hot rule obessessed nerd from ur school and make drawings of him with flowers in his hair and then hide gay porn in his book to antagonize him and ask him to hold ur hand and be ur friend and talk to him all the time and get him drunk and give him bunnies bc you know he likes them and give him a lantern and always want his attention and dedicate yourself to getting him to smile-

and after all of that wwx rly said oh i Admire him, aksd like yeah we all were there in high school buddy

i have Learned. caves = gay.

 accidental marriage +beint physically tied together with the sacred married ribbon+ gay panic+foreshadowing+bunnies! in the cave (1)

the story abt lan yi and baoshan sanren tho. i would like to see it

early days wen bros pull my heart strings like a guqin 

EVERYTHING about the lantern scene; disaster hets jiang yanli and jin zixuan; how wwx made lwj a bunny lantern. how soft and touched lwj was. wwx gleefully pointing out he was smiling and lwj IMMEDIATELY PULLING HIW SWORD ON HIM LMAO. tragically foreshadowy promises to do right by pepople, living without regrets. lwjs 'oh no do i love him??' face. just. all of it. 

i have it on good acc that in the novel lwj is explicitly Repressed Gay Panicked Big Horny which is delightful and rly Adds to the performance

 baby lwj is really just conceal dont feel dont let them know u have EMOTIONS (derogatory)

jiang cheng rly went "why dont.u go play with HIM if u like him so much"

jc and wwx have big BIG annoying sibling energy dont think too hard abt it or youll cry

lotus pier is soo pretty :((((((((((((((((

up until episode 13 you could think this could be a magical ancient chinese gays pride n prejudice w swords and shenanigans ................youre just not prepared for the game of thrones of it all

seriously ha ha ha i cried so much w this show my eyes genuinely swelled up . like. physically. fun timez fun timez

that being said, its hilarious that wen xu goes to cloud recesses like 'come out or ill kill all these hostages' and then DOESNT WAIT FOR AN ASWER AND KILLS THEM ALL IMMEDIATELY. do u know how blackmail works sir

 would like to make it recorded that from day one i was like 'CALL A GODDAMN CULTIVATION G20 THIS ASSHOLE SECT IS LITERALLY MASSACRING YALL!!' and it took them like 3 or 4 massacres to do anything and they STILL sent their heirs into their territory  LIKE

when wwx cites the gusu lan rules to wen chao tho. that rebel/attention whore/cutie pie 'look lan zhan i DID memorize the rules after all' ‘also a big fuck you to the wen sect :D :D’ sweet spot that scene achieves . delicious

all the cultivator young masters being petty af even though they are practically prisoners at the cave is hilarious and i love them

hurt and comfort + gay mistunderstandings + watsonian gay declaration music + accidental evil acquisition! at the cave (2)

its like where do i start? the fact theyre both trapped and kind of heavily injured inside an isolated cave with a murder turtle? wwx gay panicking lwj into coughing up bad blood? lwj being jealous as wwx babbles abt mianmian? telling him he shouldnt play with people and wwx saying he never played him? wwx going Oh. I See what is happening. YOU like mianmian, and lwj absolute done face ??? (iconic) wwx touching the sacred married ribbon Again? the telepathic communication? the sword? WEI WUXIAN ASKING LAN WANGJI TO SING TO HIM AS HE IS PASSING OUT AND LWJ SINGING HIM. THE SONG. HE WROTE. FOR WWX. AND THAT HE CALLED. THEIR SHIP NAME????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

they are SO insufferable pleeeeease

in the words of my friend 1 : “CQL is so gay we were all amazed how it got past the censors Ofc unfortunately it can't be novel level gay But they did their best And we love them for it”

in the theme of songs THIS OST. WUJI HAS BEEN LIVING IN MY MIND RENT FREE SINCE I FIRST HEARD IT the whole ost is so so sO beautiful.

 the costuming in this is also soooo exquisite. the embroidery? the fabrics? the details? how every sect and clan has a distinct style and architecture? (also ik they based each off of dif periods in chinese history which is REALLY fucking cool) just chefs kiss

the direction too!. i enjoy the unusual camera movements and i think they give it that Vibe, also their composition is PARTICULARLY good when it comes to telling the subtext through position of camera/position of character (like nhs off to the side in scenes he at first glance doesnt need to be/ how lwj is often centered when hes Jealous Yearning at wwx being affectionate w other ppl, wwx return from burial mounds etc)

ik madam yu is like Badass Milf Check and shes not getting any mom of the year awards but im delighted at how messy she is. IMAGINE that woman on tiktok

you better have enjoyed gay cave (2) bc its Just Pain from here on out! 

jiang fengmian and madame yu win the Most Dramatic Way to show they do care about each other, actually ..... ever :)

i thought jiang yanli jiang cheng and wei wuxian forcing themselves to escape yunmeng barely holding on after their parents are killed was going to be the height of pain in this show. ha. 

the family dynamics in general on this showwwww, both blood/ adopted/ found families, brotherly bonds and lifelong friendships just. rly. truly. fucked me up. theyre all so important and complicated and well rounded and beautiful and tragic

and beyond being a Win For the Gays im so glad the relationships w wwx and jiang yanli/ wen qing were NOT changed from platonic bc they are so much better like that imo. like maybe if we didnt Live In A Society it wouldnt be so, but the fact wwx and others can love and value them so much and theres nothing romantic or sexual abt it is like. so refreshing. especially @ jyl, with the way he and jc are overprotective of her and shes such a nurturing/care taker figure for them, it would just not vibe as well if they made it romantic

i love that this is a story abt Wei Wuxian, the Yiling Patriarch aka Actual Satan/Boogey Man/Village With/Public Enemy Number One , my dude is literally a necromancer who only dresses in black and has evil smokey black tendrils wafting out of him, but the really edgy one is still jiang cheng, pastel purple fashion icon

and speaking of best/worst siblings wei wuxian and jiang cheng *immediately starts crying* 

The Golden Core Transfer i just. no thots only tears 

wen qing and wen ning putting themselves in so much danger just.... to help them. wn saving jc from wen chao. wq finding a way to get wwx to transfer his core. like thinking about the monumental work these two did to help wwx and jyl and jc... jyl trying so fucking hard to be strong and keep on moving and giver her little brothers comfort after losing everything... jiang cheng. losing his parents and his home and his ability to do anything abt it and his complete desperation and lack of self worth and turning on them with agression  when he didnt realize all that they did for him ... hhhhhhhhhhhhh

me, pointing at the whole cast “i just LOVE them mom!!!”

its sad tho, that BARELY ANY of the women have like.... actual important conversations let alone relationships with each other at all in the story. and like wq and jyl have stayed at the same place for extended periods of time, where wq actively took care of her TWICE,  and still! not one measly convo, nothing! ................ .𝓌ₕᵧ

everyone in this show need a good sip of Self Worth and Stop Sacrificing Yourself juice 

ngl the sword flying looks very dumb 

“a-cheng, please bring a-xian back.” “i will, i promise.” ;-;

the whole calling each other by the More Intimate Version of the name, first as teasing and later as true intimacy. mmmhmmm yes

untamed where everythings the same but wwx evil flute song is eoeo

related that scene when wwx comes back from the burial mounds for the first time w demonic cultivation and he acts all formal and calls lwj hanguang-jun and keeps being evasive and distant and mean and soooooo................. facetious 

and how hes kind of desperately trying to keep intense lwj at bay (A FIRST) and avoiding actually talking to either of them and its all tension ughhh and then he MOCKS his and lwjs relationship, he jokes w him in this like... mean echo of their usual ~banter~ oof 

 and like!!! uncertain but so relieved jc who just HUGS him w no reservations for once and its not like he isnt just as worried as lwj abt wwx and what hes doing, but he chooses in that moment to enjoy getting him back first and mmhmMMMmMm yes (maybe my favorite scene in the whole show? MAYBE SO. ) 

highkey hurt me but also. i might be into mean wwx. i will take no criticism.

lan zhans sad eyes tho :((((((((( 

on one hand i wish we could have seen what happened at the burial mounds but on the other the timeskip adds so much flair to his return so im hnnn

also i love that hes been missing for 3 months reappears kinda melancholic and bloodthirsty and knowing malign tricks and jc is like 'so. are u sad bc of lan wangji'

when ur bae survived the war but he thinks ur evil/ might be evil so you cant kiss :///

hmmm talking at the rooftop under the moonlight not mentioning everything that stands between usssss

they are the two jades of lan and we’ll be the two heroes of yunmeng is the type of line u dont even need to know whats gonna happen to know thats gonna be sad

when they fight wen ruoshan at the nightless city i thought that was the battle we see at the first ep and its not and its so easy and theyre all like ‘yayy we won go wwx!’ i was just. SCREAMS WHAT is gonna HAPPEN

so like. post burial mounds/sunshot campaign pre yiling patriarch wwx is like. ultra arrogant, ultra mocking, peak lil shit and it gave me e v e r y t h i n g i wanted

even tho having the wen prisoners at the targets at phoenix mountain and still having wwx and jzx shooting the arrows was???? so.... tone deaf 

wwx: fucking w demonic energy   jyl: he has never done anything wrong in his life, ever <3 <3 (mood)

the parallels between meng yao/wei wuxian (and even xue yang a bit?) are Seen and they are Valid

wwx post burial mounds: can yall SHUT UP abt the goddamn sword (suibian left the chat)

LIKE truly, we talk abt the angst and yearning with wangxian. but what abt wwx and suibian. xianbian / xianqing angst and comfort 100k

take a shot everytime someone coughs up blood

zidian is simply the coolest spiritual weapon rip to suibian and chenqing and bichen and sendou and baixa........ but tis the truth 

cons: everyones families died in a nightmare war! everyones homes burned to the ground! everyone is traumatized! pros: everyone gets cooler clothes and weapons!!

wen ning and a-yuan and yanli bestest babes squad dont touch me rn

everyone: brooding and fighting                                                                wq and jyl: why dont you try some acupunture/drinking some soup and calm down huh? how abt that bitch?? 

showing the battle/massacre at the nightless city first was genius actually bc then everytime we have a cute scene w yunmeng bros and theyre like 'we'll be together forever! uwu' youre like oh. oh no. oh no no no. 

justice vs lawfulness vs means and ends 👁

jc: stay in the right path and practice the art of the sword                        wx: yeah thats not gonna happen chief

my reaction to wwx renouncing to the sect politics to help the wens was just that elmo burning gif in succession

the dramatic rain. wen qing desperately calling out to wen ning. the ghosts/puppets killing the guards. how terrifying wn actually was while wwx was controlling him :( lwj goeing after him to try and stop him and then he just; he Sees him and understands him even if he cant actually do anything about it other than let them go. 

“there must be somewhere in this earth we can go to :(((((((((”

"IF I HAVE TO FIGHT THEM, I'D RATHER IT BE YOU. DYING BY YOUR HANDS WOULD AT LEAST BE WORTH IT." oh my god oh my god oh my goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooddddddd

also lwjs umbrella is white w black smoke.. .  . nice

yiling patriarch / demonic farming burial mounds settlement is like one of my favorite concepts. they an "EVIL" FARMING COMMUNITY LED BY THE VILLAGE WITCH COME ON

they planted TURNIPS and LOTUS FLOWERS and ONE (1) baby and made lanterns and a common hall :(((((((

wen qing and wei wuxian, baddest bitches and genius science best friends i absolutely LOVED to see it. they rly went ‘is anyone gonna sibling/project partner that’ and didnt wait for an answer

both wwx and jyl getting lotus ponds at the burial mounds and in lanling bc they miss lotus pier ;;;;;;;w

;;;;; wish jyl had actually gone into the burial mounds. we were robbed of jyl and wq meeting again and jyl meeting a-yuan and seeing the settlement and the homes and all ;w; at least jc did go, stab wounds and broken arms and all

wwx like... having thrown his whole life away to help the wens (yeah the sect leaders and jin guangshan in particular wanting his stygian tiger amulet was an Element but still) and not.... necessarily regretting it, but grappling with all of the consequences of it... becoming moody and drepressed at times, missing his family and lotus pier and his friends and probably simply missing being around people and causing trouble, extrovert that he is, lashing out at the wens and at a-yuan, just in general the whole messiness of that experience

the way the resentful energy does affect his temperament is rly nice bc its not too in your face,(i mean outside of the Shaky Hands of Rage) but like he clearly has a much lesser control on his anger and impulsivity (tall order) than both before bm and after hes ressurected

on that note A-YUAN BABIEST BABY BOY BEST BOY

lan zhan being like oh hey there wei ying fancy meeting u and our son here. just passing by u know how it is hmmmmMm and then PLOT TWIST having defied orders to go see him and being punished for it. oof;;

 they habent seen each other in like? a year? and now theyre tgt 10 seconds and are already parenting a child together

also lwj rly kneels down in the snow way too much to be healthy

wwx: calm down guyssss i wont lose control of demonic cultivation omgggg  .   spoiler alert: he loses control of demonic cultivation

did u enjoy cute children? good bc now the Real Pain Begins

jiang yanli and jin zixuan rly out there APROPRIATING both disaster gays AND bury ur gays huh ;w;

i KNEW jin lings birthday was gonna fuck something up but the GASP that left my body when wwx lost control of wn and killed jin zixuan .. . . 

im sorry and thank you aaaaAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaAAAAaAAAAA 

when wen ning and wen qing were telling wwx their plan i was saying NO NO NO NO NO NO out loud in despair 

also can we talk abt how wq is definetely talking about only the both of them surrending themselves but then? everyone else just surrenders w them? IT MAKES NO SENSE LIKE WHY WOULD THEY what would be the Point

 sometimes there are some pretty gaping jumps in logic and continuity that are just like                     ?          ?

wwx: oh so when you try to murder me its justified but when i survive through dark magic and murder all of you its a "war crime"

unsurprisingly, his most feral, most spiraling moment talking to the sect leaders on the roof and attacking them and even fighting lan zhan is among my favorite scenes... its like, so painful to watch but also   so       thrilling   (and maybe my wen bbs dying arose some resentful energy in me what can i say) 

and its JUST, all they ever wanted was to do good but then... war. and trauma. and hubris. 

jiang cheng on the ground clearly thorn between what to do and feel is a Mood, lets just say

i was already crying when jyl showed up, but if i wasnt-

 i suffered SO MUCH through this series trying to figure out WHY jc would kill wwx. and when i understood. its somehow not as bad as i thought and also MUCH MUCH WORSE

a look into my group chat during the last flashback episodes:

SO ANYWAY. after the BLOOD BATH and RIPPING YOUR HEART OUT and FEEDING IT TO YOU  the untamed goes ‘ayy back to the present!! tu du dud ud du’ 

literally it ends a quarter into an episode and then KEEPS GOING i had to pause and stare blankly at the ceiling for an hour

babie cultivators and detective soulmates . i do need some cute after All of That 

(not that the pain is over LOL)

lwj is significantly less emotionally repressed in the present and its delightful. hes just ALL IN with wwx. and not just in the ‘i would and have killed various men and risked my reputation for you’ but also ‘ur tired here have a drink i brought it up cause i know u like it and it want you to be happy, always’

“when everyone praised me and wanted my power, you were the only one that challenged me. now that everyone hates me and wants me dead, youre the only one that stands by my side.” hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnnnnnn 

and just filling in the blanks how lan zhan searched for him. for all of those 16 years he searched for him and was punished for it and raised a-yuan, the only survivor of the burial mounds settlement, as his own in gusu......

and jiang cheng.  being the tough love uncle . having raised the yunmeng jiang clan from the rubble all alone, his whole family dead, some of it on the blame of his own brother, his siblings, his closest friends gone.......and only jin ling there needing his guidance. 

THE PARALLEL BETWEEN JIN LING BEING A LIFELINE FOR JIANG CHENG AND A-YUAN FOR LAN WANGJI AFTER THE BATTLE AT THE NIGHTLESS CITY  

great now i made myself sad

and like . the fact! that lwj and jc dislike each other!!. jc projects blame onto him for wwx both “leaving” him and indirectly causing their families deaths and when hes so consumed by it he makes wwx an enemy, lwj is there now? trying to protect him?? and lwj, who can never understand the pain that wwx , indirectly or not put jc through, but who was right there when jc tried to kill him and will never allow him to hurt wwx again. and how they like. in a way project blame of their tragedies onto each other while dealing with some type of survivor guilt and in their own way still loving wwx through it all???  amd in way its kind of fundamentally selfish but also tragically understandable? and like when u put it against the fact that after he disappears during the sunshot campaign they were looking for him together and fought together??

JUST. THE CHARACTERS. AND THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS. MAN. UGH. GOD. 

and like i think thats what makes it so good? its such a sad and painful and violent story, edgy even, but its compelling bc at the center of it there are all of these relationships and different types of love and hope and. :( i love it

enough crying lets talk abt wwx sleeping at the jingshi with lwj and wearing his under garment for a minute 🙏

 jin ling just has that Was Raised by JC energy tho lmao i love him

babie cultivator squad is the perfect ammount of cute and comedic relief while still bearing the weight? of the narrative in a way, both from sizhui and jin lings existences, and also. like. how do i put this. they feel hopeful? they were born after a war, they came of age at a time of relative peace, they dont hold on so closely to the resentments of their parents/father figures, they are specifically shown as more accepting and open minded. and its like.... Hope for the future  

one of the ?? things  i love the most is the fact that the main cast are often in situations where theyre hunted/running but they like. never wear disguises... just going around in their gorgeous expensive clan clothes and hair ornaments and distinctive spiritual weapons.... maybe w a straw hat on, just for kicks

wwx teacher 🥺🥺🥺

so this is why its called Yi City Misery huh

a-qing is such. an icon. im so sad. my girl even knew to leave xys dumb self rotting by the road but no one listens to her thats why theyre all dead or sad 

her and xue yang measuring each other up was so entertaining lmao

 its the funniest thing when hes like. HERES MY SAD STORY. FOR WHY IM A SADISTIC MURDERER. I BROKE MY HAND ONCE. 

like ok someone broke his hand in a horrible way, and like Poverty, i get it but also like.......... that lost the brunt of a proper sob story like, 50 sadistic murders ago bby

and i love that xingchen does not entertain that for a second hes like ‘not ?????? good enough???’ and the best thing is he wasnt even like 'u hadto be the bigger person' or sth but ' well then break that dudes hand back, rip his arm off for i care, what do the rest of us have to do w anything???” 

anjo sensato :(

xue yang is like..... the sexy sadistic evil version of a himbo..... a meanbo...

the fucked upness of xy’s feelings for xxc/ xxc and sl feelings for each other... like my dude literally gave his bf HIS EYES. and xy getting so attached to xxc .... the fucked up fake domesticity.... having him hurt sl..... then desperately trying to bring him back ...................... oof

song lan........... literally had his eyes AND tongue removed, his bfs eyes put in place, was almost killed, turned into a puppet by his bf unknowingly, manipulated by xy, sees his bf killing himself in despair.... and STILL finds the strenght to get up from there, and keep on traveling and helping people and attempting to fix xxcs soul.......... like, my man. damn. 

wangxian looking at songxiao and seeing an Actually more painful parallel for themselves. ft. that Color Coding. 

THE A-YUAN/SIZHUI REVEAL PUNCHED ME IN THE HEART but in a good way for a change

should have know that he would be the Best Boy the cute one w all the braincells

the butterfly AND the bunny lantern. i see how it is

u know is very convenient that no one can see the stark black veins on wen nings neck, ever 

BAT WEN NING 

wns face when lwj comes into wwx room like ‘:0 omg did u two finally get your shit together? good for you master wei good for u’ 

(they didnt) (yet)

DISASTER DRUNK LWJ. JUST. THRUST SOME CHICKENS TO SHOW UR RESSURECTED BAE THAT U LOVE THEM.

i have absolutely no idea WHY they gave lwj the same punishment for fighting his own sect/allies to protect the burial mounds as when they got drunk on cloud recess class days.... like? its such a ... emotional continuity error again

also is lwj gonna get an actual friend besides wwx , ever

mianmian marrying and having a family and a cute life after saying FUCK U AND UR SYSTEM TOO in a much less unhinged and dramatic way than wwx......... fills me w joy

also lol the idea that like. her husband not knowing that shes friends w satan/the boogey man/the village witch is hilarious

i love nie mingjue bc hes the resident Though Guy but also the most dramatic bitch in this show and thats Saying Something

jin ling cant have one uneventful relative can he

the fact that everyone present already knew “mo xuanyu” was wwx at the stairs is so funny, their faces are like ‘oh............ wow. that. sure is a development. shock” 

in the tradition of extremely loud whispers wwx tells lwj with twelve guards standing like one meter away from them: HEY PSH LAN ZHAN PRETEND IM FORCING YOU TO STAY W ME DO IT

oh my god oh my god

the absolute Yearning on his face when he leaves wwx and a-yuan at the burial mounds and refuses to stay for dinner was already Enough but the fact?? they brought it back?? to this declaration of love?? their expressions??????? strike me dead right now just go ahead

lFor Legal Reasons We Cant Kiss but we will have a very sappy declaration of love and trust and look at each other in way that is the actualization of 💞💘💗💖💓💘💞💗💖💘💗💖💕💞

also icb all the sect leaders and guards are standing there watching them say they like like each other with a dozen swords pointing at their neck

i enjoyed the depiction of the fickle public perception and how easily it can be used to scapegoat people. when the sect leaders turn on jgy and wwx knows thats its more for convenience than anything else...

poor lxc is literally like 'oh so when YOUR problematic boyfriend gets called evil its a misunderstanding but when its MY problematic bf-'

ok like i cant get over nmj let jgy play a song that messed with his temperament at all, like maN u KNEW he might be shady wth

wwx: “hey dont say anything bad abt lan zhan hes not an arrogant dick, thats just his face. 

ME ON THE OTHER HAND"

the cultivators as wwx is poking holes in their narrative is literally *nazaré meme*

"wei wuxian-!" "what did i break your leg, too?" not to be problematic but i laughed so hard

not as hard as "you dont have the rank to talk to me " tho

i Enjoy that, over the course of story, wwx sees that... theres nothing truly to Do, but move on. he saw how his arrogance and his mistakes hurt others, and hes trying to fix what he can, but he already did die for his mistakes and there are things he cant fix and that's. just how it is. even towards jgy, the narrative doesn't go gleefully and completely with "lets make THEM pay bc theyre the big bad" bc its not that simple, and it wouldn't lead anywhere but more pain...

re him and jiang cheng and the wens and kinda. isnt that what nhs did? scheming to displace jgy out of revenge more than any justice and doing so in the most painful way?

idk if that actually makes sense im truly just babbling

i thought the scene at the lotus pond would be CUTE but the context was PAIN again

jiang cheng finding out about his golden core and his conflict with wwx at the guanyin temple .... destroyed me but in a nice way kinda.... same way it destroys him look at his face oh god

and. the fact??? he sacrificed himself for wwx?? first?? and he'll probably never tell anyone much less wwx???? keeps me up at night

i havent decided if the neckbreak transition between jgy does sth super Evil or does he he does OR Does He yes he does O R does heeeee is sth i dislike or not

jin guangyao and wei wuxians most interesting parallel is that... theyve both seen 'hmm hey this system is fucked up' and wwx went 'so fuck it all i will renounce it and challenge it' and jgy went 'so fuck it i will use all of it to my advantage and manipulate it to my goals and whims'

the fact jgys mom was actually great and he loved her and his whole issue w it was more than simply being ashamed of being a bastard kinda got me ngl

never trust a dude with a fan.

nhs and jgy: the first rule to a convoluted and decades spanning violent revenge plot is to have fun and be yourself! 

when a-yuan finally FINALLY remembers ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;-;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; wen ning has someone in his family back and a-yuan has someone to talk abt his wen family and wwx has him back bc he survived and lwj raised him anD HES THEIR SON. THEYRE MARRIED AND HAVE A SON. UGH.

and theyre allowed to heal. everyone is allowed to try and recover and be happy

netflix put all of the 3 endings on top of each other and it looks kinda weird actually BUT I DONT EVEN MIND :’’’’’’’’’)

the gasp that left me when lwj says ‘wei ying’ and wwx turns.........

there was also a screen with ‘thank you mxtx for creating these characters, we hope their wishes come true’ and i might. have cried then too. maybe. 

that was . a ride. as is proven by this behemot of a ramble clearly i just really needed and Outlet. i am currently trying to convince dumb monkey brain to not consume the other medias of mdzs immediately bc i REALLY need to like. live. a life. and take care of real responsibilities.  *longest oh boi ever*

[zero2heroyesindeed]

Okay, now that I’ve calmed down from Wing it Like Witches (and am back home after my parents dragged me to an indoor inflatable obsitcle course for the day) i’m finally able to process my thoughts on the episode.

Lemme start off by saying, I don’t like sports. I find them unbelievably boring and if an animated series has one or even a few sports related episodes I will ALWAYS skip them on a rewatch. So leave it to the Owl House to make a sports episode I want to keep rewatching over and over (like soon as i’m done writing this i’m gonna watch it again). Like i’m gonna be ranking all the season 1 episodes once the finale happens next week but this is easily gonna be one of the top ones.

Building off the few glimpses we got in First Day and Enchanted Grom Fight, Willow is gaining so much more confident and is socialising with other kids. No longer hiding her talents and letting everyone appreciate her. It’s just so heart warming to see considering how we were originally introduced to her. But I love how it’s shown that her getting over her trauma is going to be a lengthy process as she still hides away whenever Boshca tries to put her down but is now able to bounce back.

Speaking of Boshca, oh my gosh. I already know there are people out there who are going to call her bullying one note and unrealistic. But lemme tell you, i’ve never seen a more realistic portrayal of a bully in animation (I thought Amphibia was great at that but this is a whole other level). Every single day of my 5 years in High School was exactly what Luz, Gus and Willow went through here and it is honestly refreshing to see. The bully doesn’t always need a sympathetic backstory (and since we have the abusive parents angle covered with Amity I really hope Boshca just stays the way she is). Some people are just jerks who enjoy hurting others. But this is a Disney show so I won’t get my hopes up (like I did after Amphibia’s first episode).

Gus was also on top form this episode. He was able to add some comic relief while still not taking away from the episode and even getting a few badass moments (I cheered when we swiped Willow’s hair clip back from Boshca.

The only thing I didn’t care for was the Eda and Lilith stuff. Thankfully their subplot where they have there own Grudby game isn’t too long and the ending was really nice and presumably is build up to both next week’s episode and the season finale. But it was every part of Sports episodes I really don’t care about. The moment Hooty said “no magic aloud” I was ready to just zone out. You’re just watching 2 insanely powerful woman not use their powers while running around a square and throwing a ball. It’s not bad but it’s way too generic and safe for this show especially compared what’s happening during the game in the A story.

While Luz challenging Boshca is totally in character, at this point I am kinda waiting for when all this catches up to her and she learns to stop living others lives by making decisions for them. However, I will say there has been some significant development in that Luz realizes she’s taken this too far and honestly her going up to Boshca taking Willow’s place as her target might honestly be one of my favourite moments in the series so far. I do really like they show Luz is capable of being simultaneously selfish and selfless.

And finall let’s talk about Amity. I love how quickly we’ve escalated from a small blush to her entire face turning red if she even gets within 6 feet of Luz. Also LOVE! AMITY BLIGHT SAID “LOVE” PEOPLE THIS IS NOT A DRILL. WE ARE APPROACHING A CONFESSION. I REPEAT, WE ARE RAPIDLY APPROACHING A CONFESSION. But as great as all that is my favourite moment comes from the start of the episode where Boshca insults Willow and Amity just materialises out of thin air to deliver one of the sickest burns. Even though Lumity is the main focus, I like we are still showing how Amity is growing as a person outside of that. And even though it seems Willow and Amity are basically friends again here I really hope we get a little more development of that relationship in either the next episode or the finale before they state it as fact.

But I hope you’re already for next week cause Luz is going to Emperor Bellows’ palace which means IT’S ABOUT TO GO DOWN. Can’t beleive we’re almost at the season finale. I hope the hiatus between seasons 1 and 2 isn’t too long but it’ll probably last until next year. So I want a Lumity confession in either Agony of a Witch or Young Blood, Old Souls because that will be the only way i’ll survive the Winter.

[livinglikearoyal]

K-drama Recommendations (May 2020)

Here is part two of my Kdrama recommendations, since my first one had such a positive response and I had a couple people ask for more. All of the dramas on this list can be found on Netflix US as of posting. These are all dramas I have watched since my last post in November...I have described why ten of them are amazing and listed a handful of others that are worth a shot as well. (I watch too much Netflix...my goodness)

These aren’t in any order based on how much I liked them; they are ordered based on the order I watched them. The ones listed in the honorable mentions list are dramas that either had a somewhat similar storyline to one of the ten that are explained or I just couldn’t find the words to describe them! Obviously, everyone has different tastes and perspectives when it comes to dramas...this is just my take! 

I am always looking for new dramas to watch! Send your suggestions and/or thoughts my way!

Suits (law, witty, drama)

Summary: Go Yeonwoo is a man wrapped up in some shady business, just trying to get by. When a deal goes bad, he finds himself seeking safety by blending in with the many applicants trying to join the top law firm in Korea, Kang & Ham. Although he isn’t a law student, his photographic memory and previous experience taking assessments for law students helps him impress the company’s ace: Attorney Choi. Go (illegally) becomes Choi’s apprentice and the series follows them as they figure out how they work together, how to save their company, and how to not get caught. Based on the American series of the same name. 

Why I liked it: I watched the American version of Suits as soon as it came out and followed it for several seasons. This Korean version is much more my speed. The storyline is complicated enough to keep your attention but not so complicated to make you stop watching. They took the key components of the American series and made them better: more realistic, less focused on sex appeal and more on the storyline, and you could really connect with the characters. It really hits on the ideas of integrity, truth, and empathy.

The K2 (action, romantic, political)

Summary: Kim Jeha is on the run in France. While trying to elude his captors, he runs into a woman in a white dressing gown and she begs for his help because she is also on the run. He is hesitant but ends up helping her escape her captor’s hold in the subway. She runs but is captured again on the street and he doesn’t help her a second time. Flash forward several years: Jeha is now appointed as bodyguard for the wife of a presidential candidate (she is terrifyingly powerful) and he is assigned to watch over the candidate’s illegitimate daughter, Anna. Anna is the girl from the subway. The series follows Jeha as he seeks revenge for all of the false accusations that have marred his past while also protecting Anna from the political corruption and previous trauma she has encountered. 

Why I liked it: This one took a second to get into. The way that the storyline is introduced is purposely chaotic. Once I got to the second or third episode, I really got into it. Each character is well developed: There were so many characters in this storyline and I empathized with most of them. Each character has their own motives and reasons behind their actions; they don’t do something just to fit their role as the “good guy” or “bad guy”. The dynamic between Jeha and Anna definitely had me yelling at my screen several times. The corruption and complications that come along with power is portrayed in such a powerful way. It is a show where you think you have it figured out but you don’t and as soon as you give up and stop trying to guess, something predictable happens. It keeps you on your feet while making you fall in love with its characters. 

Inheritors (romantic, teenage angst, social issues)

Summary: Kim Tan is in California after essentially being kicked out of Korea by his family, especially his older brother. One day he sees Cha Eunsang arguing with her sister after Eunsang traveled to the U.S. to see her only to find out that her sister lied and she has been using all of the money that their mother has sent for things less legal than an education. Tan sees that Eunsang is alone so he offers for her to stay at his home mansion. His fiancee (arranged) shows up and is not pleased to see Eunsang in the house so she does all she can to kick her out. Eunsang eventually returns to Korea to be with her mother, who has now moved into a mansion as their housekeeper. Tan also returns to try to smooth over his relationship with his family and he has to return to his old high school, where he  had previously set the standard for how privileged students rule the roost. His friend turned enemy is now the “alpha male”. The series follows Tan and Eunsang mostly; showing their varying perspectives on attending the same school but coming from completely different backgrounds and financial situations.. Even comparing Tan’s perspectives from his other “inheritor” peers or himself several years prior is really interesting.  It also shows their very different relationships with their families

Why I liked it: This show started out soooo cheesy. I remember commenting to my friend that I was watching this with-- I felt like I was watching a crossover between “Saved by the Bell” and a daytime soap opera. The American characters at the beginning are so stereotypical it was funny to see. Once the storyline got past the first few episodes and they were back in Korea, it really increased in quality-- both visually and written. This is another one that really allows you to connect to so many of the characters. I was constantly wanting to jump through my screen and just give the characters a hug (social distancing may have contributed a little too…).  By the end of it, you have nearly 10 or more characters that you are invested in and you really want to see them succeed. The ending can be a little frustrating if you are the type of person that wants everything (all the minor storylines) to be wrapped up in a little bow. The ending closes out the main storyline well but leaves the others very open ended. I will always be on the lookout for a sequel/spin off. Also, Eunsang is a girl that will tell it like it is...she doesn’t take BS from anyone...unless she wants to. She isn’t the stereotypical damsel in distress. Also...that “Love is the Moment” song will forever play in my head during ANY romantic scene in ANY show from now on. 

My Secret Romance (romantic, work place drama, comedy)

Summary: Jin Wook is a rich man getting ready to inherit the family company. The only thing standing in his way is the fact that his father doesn’t want him to take over until he is married. And the fact that he doesn’t take proper care of himself nutritionally, causing him to pass out. The company has recently hired a brand new dietitian, Yoo Mi, and Jin Wook’s assistant assigns her with the task of providing three healthy meals for their very picky boss. Yoo Mi, being brand new, is learning to be the head of a very opinionated kitchen staff while struggling to make food that is worth eating. Once Jin Wook and Yoo Mi meet, they realize that this isn’t their first encounter. As the series progresses, the two work on figuring out how to work together after their first meeting, what they feel for each other (especially considering that Jin Wook is expected to marry another woman), and how to work through their interesting family dynamics. 

Why I liked it: This is a show that really shows the effect of emotional baggage. Neither of the main characters have a “simple life” and it plays into their interactions daily. It is a cute show, an easy watch, nothing too complicated but definitely heartfelt. It is a good illustration of the different ways that people care for those around them too. There are definitely several complications that come along and they are realistic and well thought out. 

Tomorrow, With You (time travel, emotional, romantic)

Summary: Yoo Sojoon is the CEO of a very successful real estate firm. He ends up saving photographer Song Marin from being hit in an intersection and begins to try to get to know her. Little does she know, that Sojoon has been able to time travel using the subway ever since he narrowly avoided being in a major accident in that same subway tunnel. Sojoon is interested in Song Marin because he wants to save her, being encouraged by his mentor, a man that is also able to time travel in the same way as Sojoon. Sojoon encounters the many issues that come along with time travel and does all that he can to avoid the heartbreak that he sees when he travels to the future. 

Why I liked it: This one was interesting. All of the characters storylines are so tangled together and there are times when you can’t tell if we are seeing past Sojoon, present Sojoon, or future Sojoon. It feels like we are in that time travel web right along with them. It is definitely a heartfelt story that will have you in your feelings while making you think. Life is complicated, with and without time travel, and this shows that. 

Itaewon Class (Social issues, workplace politics, vengeance, family)

Summary: Park Saeroyi is a teenager that gets kicked out of his new school after punching the school bully and refusing to apologize. His father has recently purchased a building and is working to make his own restaurant after being let go from his position (the bully’s dad was his boss). As Mr. Park was making a delivery, he is a victim of a hit and run and passes away. Saeroyi finds out that the bully was the one driving the other car and attacks him, landing Saeroyi in prison for several years. Upon release, Saeroyi sets out to begin his plan to take revenge on the bully and his family for all that they have done. Saeroyi’s goal: Become the #1 restaurant business, overthrowing that family’s company. The show follows Saeroyi as he puts his plan into action and tries to go from the bottom of the totem pole to the top. 

Why I liked it: I loved this drama! I’m not sure whether it was the storyline, the diverse characters, or the main character himself. The irony of so many things had me falling in love with Saeroyi’s plan and Saeroyi’s character was so...wholesome. I definitely yelled at my screen several times, especially during the last handful of episodes. The characters (at least those that work closely with Saeroyi) are so easy to love. Even those that aren’t the easiest to love, you still root for them. Now, the bad guys are the bad guys and they stay bad but you can see their motivations...not always making the pill any easier to swallow. It is definitely a drama I would recommend to everyone, whether they like foreign dramas or not. The storyline is good, the acting is wonderful, and it tugs at your heartstrings. 

My Holo Love (action, romance, emotional, sci-fi)

Summary: Soyeon has lived a very solitary life due the fact that she has a face blindness disorder where she can’t recognize the differences in individual’s faces. This all stems from a childhood trauma. By chance (or not), she ends up with a pair of high tech prototype glasses that allows her to interact with the AI program that is installed, named Holo. He is meant to be a sort of personal assistant and only the person wearing the glasses can see and hear him. Holo helps Soyeon throughout her daily life, explaining who people are as they walk up to Soyeon so she can identify them and taking on the role of love coach. They become quite attached to each other, emotionally. They both realize the limits though, considering one is a human and one is a hologram. Holo is the spitting image of his creator, Nan Do...a man that the world thinks is dead. He is not. There are many people looking for him and his glasses. This causes him to become well acquainted with Soyeon.

Why I liked it: This one is cute. It is relatively short too...only 12 or so episodes compared to other series that have 20+. It was really interesting to see Soyeon’s relationship with Holo vs. Nando, but a good sort of interesting. The pacing was good and I really became invested in these three main characters. The ending is bittersweet (leaning more toward the sweet side) and how they get there is complicated, sometimes messy, but very intriguing. Definitely a good show to watch if you are wanting to watch something a little out of the ordinary while also seeing most kdrama troupes represented. 

Chocolate (medical, romantic, angst, tearjerker)

Summary: The show begins in a small restaurant on the pier of a tiny town. Lee Kang’s mother is the owner and he loves helping around the business and watching her make the meals. He sees a young girl outside that is alone and hungry. He puts his skills to use (mind you, he is young...like 10 years old), and makes a full spread for this girl. He promises to make her a chocolate dessert later on if she returns. He makes it, but she never comes back (it was out of her hands). Fast forward to when these kids are adults. Lee Kang was taken in by his father’s family (who disproved of his mother) and groomed to become the top neurosurgeon at the family’s hospital. The young girl, Moon Chayoung, is now a chef and dating Kang’s best friend. They encounter each other another time in Greece when Kang searches for her to come back to Korea to make a final meal for his best friend who has failing health.  Kang and Chayoung end up in a car accident that changes both of their futures and makes everything even more complicated but also provides some reminders about what is really important. 

Why I liked it: Good lord, did I cry with this one! Nearly every episode had me in tears: both happy and sad. It is so sweet and sad. Just...ahhh. It is bittersweet like dark chocolate. Even looking back at the episode summaries on Netflix has me feeling some kind of way. I texted my friend after nearly episode just to vent about why I was crying. These characters are so relatable and my heart broke for them so many times while also celebrating for them. The cast is amazing and the storyline really makes you think about what you have and how you should value those around you while you have them around. I will definitely rewatch this when I need to be lost in my emotions. This is a drama that I don’t know why more people aren’t talking about it. I absolutely loved it.

Crash Landing on You (realistic drama, romantic)

Summary: Yun Seri, a South Korean heiress, find herself stuck in a tree on the north side of the Korean DMZ after a paragliding incident and a freak tornado. Ri Jeong Hyeok finds her and hides her in his home, with the help of his troop of North Korean soldiers. He is not a fan of hers and is looking for ways to get her back to South Korea without raising suspicion. His fiance returns from being abroad after years and throws a wrench in the plan as he had been introducing Seri as his fiance to decrease the suspicion of the neighbors. Seri is getting used to life in North Korea. Several issues arise as they try to get Seri back to the south and these complications bring them even closer together. 

Why I liked it: This one is sweet. Nothing too emotional or heart wrenching. It is interesting to see how they portray the differences between the two countries and how important our relationships with others are, no matter what the government is like. The storyline isn’t rushed or forced and I really appreciated that. It seemed like events unfolded naturally. The characters are loveable and you find yourself wanting to be a part of their “squad”. Some characters redeem themselves, others don’t. Some characters get the ending they deserve, others don’t. The ending isn’t exactly what the viewer (or at least what I) hoped for, but it is more of a realistic ending and I appreciate that. 

Cinderella and the Four Knights (angst, romantic, dramedy)

Summary: Hawon is a high school student that is working multiple jobs. Her step-family is nasty toward her and her father is on the road most of the time. She shows her spunk when she speaks up against some men at a club that are jerks when she delivers food. Hyunmin is one of three heirs for his family’s business and fortune. He sees Hawon’s spunk and offers her a fair amount of money for her to play the role of his fiancee at his grandfather’s latest marriage ceremony. She doesn’t realize what she is in for. When she stands up for herself at the wedding, she grabs the grandfather’s attention. He ends up hiring her to live with his four grandsons to “whip them into shape” and gives her missions to complete, essentially trying to get the grandsons to interact with each other as they each live their own separate lives and don’t like each other.  Hyunmin is the eldest cousin and is the “arrogant playboy”. Jiwoon is the middle cousin and is the most withdrawn; he was an orphan and was thrown into this affluent role overnight...leading him to portray himself as wild and rebellious. Seowoo is the youngest cousin and he is a popular singer and is a sweetheart. The fourth knight is the secretary of Chairman Kang, Lee Yoonsung, and he is the bodyguard for Hawon and the three cousins. 

Why I liked it: This one is complicated in the best way possible. It definitely hits on many of the stereotypical Kdrama troupes. You fall in love with all of the the main characters, even the chairman (a role that typically is the bad guy). The relationships are complicated, the characters are lovable, and the main female character has a backbone. Throughout the show, I couldn’t decide which “knight” I wanted Hawon to end up with. The writers did a great job at portraying each of the characters in an equal but unique light to allow the viewers to see them for who they are. The storyline is complicated but simple at the same time. I will definitely rewatch “Cinderella and the Four Knights” again. 

Honorable Mentions: 

Cheese in the Trap

Man to Man

Because this is my First Love

The Lies Within

The Bride of Haebaek

The Legend of the Blue Sea

[mcheang]

Alya+Adrien Redemption Plot: Good news-Alya finds out Lila’s a liar. Bad news-she also finds out Adrien knew all along but not that he knew about the bullying. Now she’s out for Adrien’s blood. She proves it to everyone & and they all turn on Adrien. It’s all resolved in the end, but both A’s learn their lesson. Alya learns to wait & think instead of acting on first impulse, & Adrien learns lies can have harmful consequences

So much information, so little time

Happens during the Ladybug episode

When Lila claims Marinette pushed her on purpose and stole her necklace, Alya knew she was a liar.

Ok, maybe the thieving was credible but Marinette would never push someone she disliked. Even Chloe never got that treatment!

As Alya sought to prove Marinette’s innocence, the other students just sat back in shock over the day’s incident. All the while, Lila soaked up the attention from other students. It made Alya grit her teeth so hard she was surprised she didn’t crack a tooth.

Marinette was relieved to hear Alya finally knows the truth but Alya sadly told her Lila left no evidence behind and one human testimony isn’t enough. Marinette then informed Alya that Adrien knew.

Alya was enraged and incredulous. Is that the same Adrien who did not bother to help Alya clear Marinette’s name?

Seeing the hurt look on Marinette’s face, Alya quickly said maybe Adrien decided to confront Lila alone.

Marinette: I shouldn’t be surprised about everyone’s reaction.

Alya: Girl, they’re just stunned

Marinette: no, you don’t get it. Lila said she would turn everyone against me. And now look what happened?

Alya paused. “She did keep putting you down whenever we asked her to babysit.”

Marinette: I’m surprised you still believe in me

Alya: I’m your Best Friend, Marinette. Besides, I know it’s not fair to ask you to take over babysitting all the time. At the time, I had just thought Lila was being overly generous and wanted you to be the same. Now, I just want to give the old me a smack on the head.

That said, after Marinette got back to school because Lila apparently had a lying disorder (Alya can’t ever believe she was that gullible.) Alya finally managed to track Adrien down. She had been looking for him ever since her phone call before getting distracted by Sentibug.

Alya called Adrien out for knowing Lila was a liar and not telling them.

Adrien admits his high road was not the best idea in hindsight, but now that Marinette was back, things were right again.

Alya: and that makes it ok?! We have to expose Lila!

Adrien remembers the deal he had made. Be Lila’s ‘friend’ and Marinette gets to go back to school. “No, we don’t. Lila got Marinette back to school. She’ll leave her alone.”

Alya: how gullible are you? You know Lila’s had it out for Marinette, and you just did nothing!

To be fair, this is the first time Adrien saw Lila target Marinette. He thought she sought to get rid of Marinette because she kept calling Lila out on her lies. As for the seat changing incident, he didn’t think Marinette would mind seating with her other friends in the back. He just thought Lila manipulated the seat exchange to be closer to him.

He does not know about Lila’s threat, or how she has been poisoning the class against Marinette.

And while Alya was searching in her free time, Adrien had to go home for his scheduled lunch. He returned just in time to hear Alya call Marinette about her failed investigation.

Adrien: Lila made a mistake and she fixed it.

Alya: she probably didn’t want to deal with an akumatized Marinette! Ugh, why do I even bother with you? This is like your handling on Chloe. You always look the other way. I can excuse your actions because you were childhood friends. But you are actually working with Lila on photoshoots and enabling her actions, and you call yourself Marinette’s Friend.

Adrien reminded himself that his deal with Lila was supposed to be a secret. He walked away.

Nino was confused when Alya told him to ignore Adrien. He didn’t listen and asked Adrien what he did to upset his Girlfriend.

Knowing she needed proof, Alya got the evidence she needed to expose Lila. But that wasn’t enough. She needed to expose Adrien for the fraud Friend he really is.

Alya cornered Adrien again and privately recorded their conversation as she demands he back her up in exposing Lila or their friendship is off. Adrien sadly declines. Before Alya storms off, she quietly asks how had he known that Lila was lying to all of them, how long had he let her believe the liar was best friends with Ladybug, and let her ruin her blog credibility.

Adrien looks down in shame. “Ever since her first day.”

Alya opens up a private chat group for their class, excluding Lila and Adrien. She sends them all the proof she has gathered.

As expected, everyone is hurt and outraged that they had been deceived and Adrien stood by and let it happen.

Marinette is hurt that Adrien did not care about her feelings after Lila accused her.

The class decides to expose Lila to the staff, but how to do it when the adults will believe that lying compulsion excuse?

Alix: we can inform her mom.

Markov: I can send you Mrs Rossi’s email and phone numbers.

Alya: um...why are there 2 of each?

Markov: I sent you the information from Lila’s parent contact information in the school files and Mrs Rossi’s contact information in the embassy files.

Max: I assume this is how Lila got away with her truancy.

For once, Chloe offers to help contact Mrs Rossi. She is angry Lila made a fool of her and wants revenge. As for Adrien...Chloe is disappointed he didn’t tell her the truth, knowing she had idolized Ladybug. But does she honestly want to help Adrien fix his friendship with these losers? Um...she’ll think on it.

Anyway, Chloe uses her father’s influence to drag Mrs Rossi to the principal’s office, where she tells Mrs Rossi Lila’s stories and slams all the evidence on the table.

Mrs Rossi is humiliated and enraged. In her mood, she lashes out at the principal for believing such faulty evidence and excuses!

Faced with an angry parent and vengeful Chloe, the principal apologised but also has to expel Lila for all her crimes and truancy.

Mrs Rossi honestly feels Lila deserves that. But what she wants right now is to drag her Daughter out of this stupid school so she can rant at her in the privacy of her own home.

Mrs Rossi drags Lila in disgrace from the classroom. Lila tries to protest her innocence but notices the class all glaring at her. She glares at Adrien, assuming he had gone back on his word.

Adrien wisely does not defend Lila.

The principal makes a public apology to Marinette via the speakers and exposes Lila. He also credits Chloe for this.

The class are annoyed but let this go.

Adrien notices the class giving him the cold shoulder and Nino acting silent beside him.

Fearing he knows the answer, Adrien asks what’s wrong?

Nino: how could you let her lie to us like that?

Rose: how could you abandon Marinette like that?

Ivan: we trusted you!

Adrien: I...I

Adrien can’t tell them what he did. They wouldn’t believe him.

Then Chloe speaks up.

Chloe: give Adrien a break. He’s totally inept in these situations. The only lies he deals with are tabloids. And you are supposed to ignore those and let them blow away.

Kim: he let us be lied to, he let you be deceived, too, Chloe

Chloe: yes, and I am angry about that too. But aren’t we supposed to be a better example and whatever?

Max: how could he let Marinette stay expelled and do nothing?

At this Chloe could not help him. Adrien found the courage to speak up. “I did do something. I made a deal with Lila that I would be her “Friend” if she would let Marinette go back to school.

Marinette: you really do care about me.

Adrien: of course I care. You’re one of my first friends. And I’m sorry for my part in enabling Lila.

Alya: you should be!

Marinette nudges Alya. She sighs.

Alya: but since I was also rash to believe Lila’s tales, and the worst in you, I am also sorry, to Marinette, and you, Adrien.

Adrien: apology accepted. Still friends?

Alya: of course.

Nino: so, in the future, maybe my bro can actually tell us the truth instead of letting us stay in the dark. And maybe my Girlfriend will check her facts thoroughly before proclaiming to the world. Agreed?

This may sound harsh, but Nino is going through emotional turmoil of Friend betrayals and being caught in the middle.

Alya and Adrien blush: definitely.

Meanwhile, between the class, Damocles’ guilt, Lila’s hatred; and Mrs Rossi’s rage, Hawkmoth is overwhelmed with emotion and doesn’t know who to pick. He wants to become scarlet moth again but Nathalie needs him now. He regretfully does not transform and tells Nathalie to rest while he cuts off ties with his muse.

[bellatrixobsessed1]

Icy Is The Avatar Of High School; The Essay

I would like to begin this essay with a song. While reading this essay keep in mind that Icy has the exact same energy as this song which (imo) embodies prep & jock with a touch of nerd. No goth tho, press f in the chat.

Wow I put way too much into this. I hope y’all love it.

Okay so lets get into this! We will begin with the obvious one, goth:

*Gestures to all of the snow*

Edit: that was supposed to say show but snow works too.

Next we will talk about Jock.

So think of your typical jock. A stereotypical jock has a few qualities; reckless bravery and determination, large ego, usually at least kind of an asshole, doesn’t know when to quit, craves them gainz, and makes impulse decisions. 

Icy is definitely a very brazen person. It takes balls (and a large ego) to get banned from your campus and then very boldly strut back onto said campus in the middle of dinner while the whole school is assembled. She looked at Lord Darkar, shadow phoenix of the underworld and was straight up like, “yeah, whatever dude.”  Dude is such a jock word. 

So onto determination! Okay look, we have like 7 whole seasons of her trying to take over the world. She was arrested, what? 5 times? She literally doesn’t know when to stop. Give up??? Who’s that??? 

I feel like the large ego thing also speaks for itself she is constantly talking about how she deserves to be Darkar & Valtor’s main witch. She is well aware that her plans are usually fantastic. She just exudes an I’m better than you energy. It’s in her posture, her gestures, her tone of voice. Icy is absolutely certain that she is the shit and in the 4kids version one of her demands to the professors was to stand before the student body and say, “Icy rules, Icy’s the greatest.” *Spoiler alert* she is. I promise that she is not holding me hostage. 

Which brings me to the next point, getting dem gainz! Your average jock is at the gym, drinking protine shakes, and building muscle! While Icy is not in a gym trying to get 6 pack abs, she 100% chases them magical gainz! The dragon fire is just a really hot protine shake.  

In the 4kids version, upon overrunning Cloud Tower, she addressed the student body by welcoming them to her pep assembly. Ya know who else likes pep assemblies? Football jocks. 

Also that whole scene in episode nine (Spelled) where she rallies up the witches and they all chase Musa. That’s like the goth equivalent of getting the entire football team to chase after the nerd (or a member of the rivaling team).

And let’s not forget the ‘nerd run’ from season two where she rode this dinosaur thing and chased Timmy, the stereotypical nerd type. (It’s funny because she doesn’t know that she’s a nerd too). 

Okay so now that we dug deep into jock, it is time to discuss Prep!

I tend to use prep & always wears pink, blonde, mean girl interchangeably. But wiki says; Characteristics of preps in the past include a particular subcultural speech, vocabulary, dress, mannerisms and etiquette, reflective of an upper-class upbringing. Both definitions hold up in my book. 

So we’ll start with wiki’s. Icy (depending on whether or not we’re going with the season 8 retcon) is from an upper-class upbringing. Tbh she’s like Stella but a witch.  Icy is Stella’s goth phase and that’s why Stella fears Icy because she knows that that’s what she could be. I feel like Icy also has the most preppy dress style of her sisters.  Also pretty sure preps are known for being over-achieving perfectionists. Icy was actually pretty good with her academics. 

As for the Regina Gorge type prep; Icy is totally your classic mean girl bully, but make it witchy. I really think that this speaks for itself. It sings for itself too in 4kids OST. One of the lyrics in the Mean Girls song is that they will steal your boyfriend and trash your makeup. If that doesn’t scream prep, Idk what does. 

She reads them magazines. I don’t remember which one but I do remember her mentioning that there was a question posed in said magazine about ‘what would you do if you took over the world’ and apparently she wrote, ‘you’ll find out soon enough, loser’ and sent it in. 

Loser, pixies, nerds, dweebs. Icy has a whole list of mean and petty insults to put in her burn book. Like bye girl. 

Literally all of the Miss Magix contest. That is peak mean girl shit. The Trix literally went to a beauty pageant for the sole sake of making everyone look stupid and to trash on everyone’s fashion and makeup. On top of all of that she did that just because Lucy agreed to do their homework for ???? amount of time. Let’s be real, it was a life sentence.  

Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for! Nerd!

Literally every time she calls anyone a nerd or a loser I wheeze because, girl, check yourself! Prior to getting kicked out (for being a dumb jock), it is heavily implied that Icy, Darcy, and Stormy were at the top of their classes. Like these three were Griffin’s best students. And I am inclined to believe that Icy was thee top student. This woman was an overachiever whether she wants to admit it or not. 

Icy is the plan person. She’s the one who keeps the Trix on task. Though Darcy exudes ‘group mom’ energy, Icy is usually the one to snap at them to stay focused. She’s the organized one  and the one who seems to do most of the scheming. That takes some deep thinking and brain power. She knows how to summon monitors, banish trolls into oblivion, astral project into virtual reality using voodoo dolls, summon nightmare monsters, and summon an army of rot. Like how does she know all of this?  Studying. I almost said that I have no proof except in the Winx comics (this one) she is seen venturing to the library to research dark magic and spells. 90% she has done some extensive research and reading into all of these things because I highly doubt that Cloud Tower teaches things like summoning the army of decay. That was all down time research because this nerd enjoys learning about dark magic. Ya know who else enjoys reading and learning? Nerds. I know, I’m a nerd who loves reading and learning. Just because she likes learning about ~cool~ thinks like dark armies, doesn’t mean it’s not a nerdy quest to know everything about the subject she knows. 

Speaking of which (lol get it, witch), Icy also knows about history. She was the one who told Bloom all about what happened to Sparks and all about the coven. Why? Because that knowledge is floating around in her brain and she chose to retain it. I have a feeling her knowledge of history goes beyond the coven and Sparks too because she also knew that the Ring Of Solaria had fragments of the dragon fire.  She knows too much about this shit. 

I think that her nerdiest moment though, had to be when she solved that riddle at Red Fountain to get the codex. Like you have to have brain power to solve a riddle with the added pressure of being surrounded by your foes on enemy territory. In general her nerdiness just bled through in that season because she was snatching those codexes left and right. 

Also lets get into the fact that she (especially in the comics) has a tendency to humiliate herself, whoops. She managed to get her own (and Darcy & Stormy’s) memories erased, she got them trapped in an avalanche (and then dated a fellow nerd for two seconds and pretended like she didn’t hate it), and she is constantly pulling ‘we’ll be back’ speeches every time she gets defeated. Like seriously this is the evil equivalent of ‘lol I meant to do that’ or ‘haha, that didn’t happen, you didn’t see anything.’ And then she will make her next attempt as if she had never gotten defeated at all. Because losing is for losers and Icy ‘totally isn’t’ a loser. 

And honestly what’s more nerdy then prattling off your entire evil plan? Like this is her trying to flex her intelligence. 

Let’s not forget how she had her nerdy fangirl moment. She simped for Darko for like two or three whole comics. Like full on simping over here. If she could have bought a T-shirt with Darko’s face on it, she would have. Bonus, he was her childhood crush.

And finally, I am also very  inclined to believe that Icy is the fake it until you make is sort. With her it’s all about presentation. The only thing that saves her from being an obvious nerd is confidence. I touched on this with the whole ‘you didn’t see anything’ bit. But legit, pretty much everything she does would be kinda nerdy if she didn’t make it look good. 

Please feel free to add if you think that you have more examples of Icy being a nerd. 

[blake-belladonna-defence-force]

The Owl House, Ep17

Why is this teenaged brat having a villainous monologue like she’s some kinda Cinder Fall wannabe? You’re a high school bully, kiddo. Not exactly queen of the underworld.

Seeing Willow be the popular one must have stung. And it was awesome seeing Amity put her (Bosca? Boscha? How do you spell it?) in her place while acknowledging that her past behaviour was wrong. We love to see character growth, y’all

Also... what the fuck is grudgby anyway?

“You can’t reason with crazy.” Luz has a point, y’know.

I’m loving Willow’s new found confidence... and I’m kind of hoping that Boscha loses this upcoming match. The girl really needs to be taken down a peg or two. And why is this teacher making himself a target? Sir? This is a place of learning. Please don’t encourage her 😂

“I’ve been talking for too long.” Oh. Oh, you poor lil baby disaster. That’s a gay panic if I’ve ever seen one... and honestly, kind of a mood! And did she even stop blushing once throughout that entire conversation? Baby girl’s got it bad 😂

Luz. Luz, hun... we really need to have a discussion about challenging people on your friends’ behalf without their consent. This just spells disaster, kid.

I love Eda. So much. Her lil behaviour towards Lilly just reminds me so much of a baby sibling (says the baby sibling 😂) and I love it.

Ooh... so Eda is the baby sibling? Did she always feel trapped in Lilly’s shadow? Is that what’s happening?

Ye Gods. This is bad. Very, very bad. Both mentor and apprentice have made some pretty serious bets and I am worried.

“Me? On a team with you? Running around in cute uniforms? SweATING?!” *face redder than a fucking tomato* Oh god. Amity Blight. You baby disaster zone. You’re a treasure... and Luz is so fucking oblivious 😂

What is it with the Boiling Isles and putting their kids into dangerous situations? Gotta feel bad for these kids, man. They’re not gonna have an easy match.

Ahhh... so now Luz has enough interactions points to unlock another part of Amity’s tragic past, eh? Good to know.

So Amity messed up, got her teammates hurt and left... oh geez! Amity, again with the blushing? How many times this episode are you gonna get flustered, girl?

... Amity... did you just ramble about Luz while trying to get her friends to save her ass? Oh honey... you have it so fucking bad 😂

Aw... I love that, despite how they’re on opposite sides, you can see that the sisters do care about one another. The fact that Lily wants Eda to come to the coven because she wants to says a lot, honestly. I like this.

“No. I think I made it better.” Said softly, with that soft look at Luz? Stop. This is too wholesome and cute 😭

Kill em with kindness, Luz. Kill em with kindness.

Ooh! New magic for Luz! Very nice!

Pfft. I wonder what they could POSSIBLY be dunking on here? 😂😂😂

Looks like Amity’s social life isn’t the one that got killed, eh, Boscha?

... Amity’s default state is just flustered at this point. “HAHAHA! WHO’S AMITY?” and “Wow! Sports!” as Luz picks her up? That’s some gay activity right there...

Also... what the fuck is Eda feeding this girl? She hefted Amity up like she’s nothing more than a grape!

So in conclusion... the gang won where it counts most and Amity is a baby disaster and I love her and want her to be happy. She just exists in a flustered state by default and it’s adorable.

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom season 2, ep 12-16 thoughts! these episodes, in comparison to the first 10 or so, felt way more laid back and low-stakes, which I appreciate sometimes. I didn't appreciate how lazy jack's halfa design was in masters of time, it made me so annoyed I redesigned it. 👎🏻 u_u

see prev episode thoughts in this tag <3

-'picking a fight with me and my upgraded form!' 'you upgraded to a mullet?' DANNNNY. YOU CANT SAY THAT TO TECHNUS. YOUVE HAD A MULLET TWICE NOW ('fun' split danny, and evil future danny BOTH HAD THEM). I HAVE THE RECEIPTS.

-danny seeing technus hurting valerie and yelling I AM GOING TO BREAK YOU IN HALF. SAMEEEE <3

-axion labs is now a part of vladco. FUCK YOU VLAD. hes not even really IN this episode, but just thought I'd throw out a nice fuck you anyway.

-'capable of blasting a single person into space in (2) minutes!' tucker. that would kill someone. i mean yeah they might get to space, but theres NO WAY THEY WOULDNT CATCH FIRE, OR THEIR ORGANS WOULDNT LIQUIFY BECAUSE OF THE STRAIN. THEY'D PROBABLY PASS OUT BEFORE THEN, BUT. ...no, okay, I get why vlad bought this company. this is RIGHT up his alley.

-danny KNOWS VAL DIDNT DO THIS, THAT SOMEONE STOLE THE SUIT. AND SPENDING ALL NIGHT CHATTING WITH HER. <3 and val is a 9TH DEGREE BLACKBELT?? danny's mom is, too!! omg and she hunts ghosts, his parents would love her. and her fav fruit is kumquat bc its a funny word. im so with danny val is amazing. I love her and I Do Not Want To Hear It From Sam.

-I knew danny wanted to be an astronaut, but the bowling tidbit is like. yes give me more useless info abt these characters, I love tiny details that make them feel more human, and im glad hes got hobbies aside from ghost stuff, we dont really see a lot of that!!! (I mean, we knew 'fun' danny from when he split himself in half liked bowling, so obv it makes sense he LIKES it, but hes very GOOD at it. so proud of him, bowling king) val calling him neil armstrong and them teasing each other. LOVE THAT.

-technus you are my favorite grandpa for setting this up. SAM WHY ARE YOU BEING SO CREEPY BE HAPPY FOR YOUR FRIEND!!! STOP SPYING ON THEM!!! who actually cares if technus did 'set them up' together, theyre having fun and enjoy each others company!!! 'you think the universe wants you two to be together?' 'i dunno, but maybe /I/ do!' EXACTLY DANNY!!! SOO TRUE.

-and valerie being happy sam said she wants to try and be happy for them and make room at the lunch table for them. and hugging sam over it. VAL NEEDS MORE FRIENDS.

-VAL GOING AFTER TECHNUS IN HER SUIT WITH (1) MILK, AND (1) TREE BRANCH AND KEYS!!!. I LOVE YOUUUU BEST GIRL. her new suit kicks ass

-dannys like 'HEY IM AN ASTRONAUT :D' AW. ...HES IN SPACE... the fact he's actually intending to give her the ring. with SAMS NAME ON IT?? IM CRINGING DANNY NO. YOU CANT DO THAT...thank god he didnt. thank god valerie cut it off and said they can just stay friends for now. tbh, they both have a lot on their plates!! they obv both still like each other...it can be a future thing!! when she knows about phantom! youre 14 theres no need to rush. I just want her to have friends and be happy :(

-...danny struggles to do (1) pull up. SAME. but all the ghost fighting in phantom form REALLY doesnt carry over at ALL? that sucks

-sam being as fit as she is, is not just a goth. shes a goth jock.

-honey I Shrank Our Kid, One of his Enemies, and his Bully: the episode

-dash's crush on phantom is So Obvious. fitness buddies :) watching them interact always makes me laugh. also, phantom, with PANTS. 'how many costume changes you gonna go through, what is this, vegas??' DASSH DJKSFHASKDF

-MADDIE GOING AFTER THE MOUSE WITH A BROOM, WHAT THE FUCK. AAAH. JUST BUY SOME KIND OF MOUSE TRAP.

-danny likes lime and vinegar chips. which sound very good.

-'our boy finally has the physical prowess of a 60 year old president!' ...poor danny LMAO

-'what's wrong with beauty pageants' oh tucker you sweet naïve child. what ISNT wrong with them. who approved this for a high school?? (I mean, yes. unfortunately child pageants exist, but...) also danny and tucker once again treating the pretty girls like objects. I need to meet the grown man who wrote this, I just want to talk...

-prince aragon's dragon form reminds me of maleficent (color scheme wise) which is always a bonus. considering the episode is called beauty marked, I feel like the sleeping beauty references are deliberate

-sam with the fake fangs. once again her accessories never miss. hate the 'not like other girls, girls who get sucked into this kind of thing are all shallow and all want to be carbon copies' bs tho.

-sam trying to be the Worst Bride, being rude as shit. DORA IS GOING TO GET KILLED. DID YOU MISS THE PART WHERE SHE SAID THE PRINCE WILL HAVE HER HEAD IF YOU ARENT THE IDEAL BRIDE. YOU /KNOW/ DANNY WILL COME SAVE YOU. JUST ACT CHILL UNTIL THEN. even if you were doing fine to get him to take off the crown, consider maybe not letting his poor sister get punished also?? sure, she could also take off the crown and has dragon powers, but did you know that for sure?? dora didnt even really realize it until you guys talked!! (or at least, she was scared to stand up to him. you had no guarantee she would...) but. good for dora. ANOTHER friendly ghost to add to the List :)

-tucker is so under appreciated in his time. if he was doing a tech-based campaign today he'd have a better shot. people in 2004 had NO IDEA how much tech would be a part of our day-to-day lives...altho. tbh if you're going to be running for student council president, maybe you should..focus on things to actually improve the school? since he's going for a tech angle, he could say like, he would be running fundraisers for the schools computers to be upgraded, etc? we've already SEEN he can be good at money-making entrepreneur type stuff!!

-oh my god wait. this episode is JUST YUGIOH?????! A REBORN PHAROH USING A TEENAGER AS A VESSEL?? YESSSSSS

-tucker using his new minion to feed him grapes and carry him. AND LOCUSTS ONTO THE BULLIES. I love how when he's possessed, he gains winged eyeliner.

-this episode is giving me big 'plankton makes everyone in bikini bottom his slaves and build monuments of him from the spongebob movie' vibes. and the pharaoh has a traitor who works for him? VERY big yugioh vibes. aknadin confirmed

-I like that danny is still completely exhausted after using ghostly wail. (still patiently waiting on him to get duplication)

-LOVE the fenton's 80s outfits. I get hes 14 and embarrassed by everything they do because theyre his parents, but. cmon, this is one objectively cool thing theyve done. love 80s fashion.

-...was vlad just standing on that streetlight waiting for danny to come out? how'd he know they'd be coming out the back? how long has he been up there???

-oh, wait, his ecto-acne has flareups? that SUCKS. danny was...well I dont want to say he was LUCKY HE HALF-DIED, but he was lucky his was pretty instant (I'm assuming that had to do with the power/scale of the portals being different?) I remember in the ep we met him, vlad made a point of saying he was stuck in a hospital for a long time, so. that really actually sucks and I feel bad. not that it excuses anything he's done...but like. it does suck.

-vlad being so sure danny wouldnt help him he made it somehow contagious to his friends to make sure he'd get help? danny is a nice boy, he wouldve helped if it was anyone else. the only reason he wouldn't have is because of the shit vlad did to him, on purpose. vlad 100% dug his own grave by being the biggest asshole, so it is very hard to feel bad for him.

-clockwork is back!!! and making danny learn lessons The Hard Way. Uhhh, okay. I kind of get Danny’s logic, that time traveling this far back would prevent vlad from becoming a halfa also, ergo no arch nemesis or ectoacne to worry about. But the fact that was basically the first solution Danny came up with to solve this problem is actually so funny. It’s so extreme

-APPRICIATION FOR THESE 80S LESBIAN BG CHARACTERS.

-vlad telling maddie in the lab (in the 80s) he has something he's wanted to tell her 'for a long time'...how long have they known each other? I assumed they met in college, since jack always calls vlad his college buddy/roommate, so jack and vlad for sure met in college, but did vlad know maddie longer? thats surprising if so. Tho we don’t know what year of college they’re in so they could mean they met as freshmen and a few years have past…speaking of maddie shes crushing the 80s look.

-vlad blames jack, but. maybe dont stick your face 2 inches from the portal??! THIS FEELS LIKE LAB SAFETY BASICS. IF SOMETHING HAS POTENTIAL TO BE DANGEROUS, DONT GET NEAR IT. WITH YOUR FACE UNPROTECTED IN ANY WAY. (altho jack didnt really give a Big Warning besides screaming BONZAI. so. also that, but cmon.) also, they need gloves, goggles, and to pull all of their hair back tbh. but fuck lab safety, I guess!

-cryyyyinnng at how lazy they were with jack's ghost form design, its just plasmius' design on jack!!! you couldve given him his own design!!

-there. I did that in about 10 minutes and its somehow less lazy than what made it into the show. embarrassing! better yet, I think the episode would've been better if maddie would've gotten the ectoacne. or maybe its just me, wanting to see her design! anyway. I'm sure people have already done redesigns of them both as halfas. I have to go look after I finish this watch through. Also mildly frustrated jacks resentment and bitterness is basically also a copy paste of vlads backstory. They’re different characters, I really don’t think jack would stew in bitterness and jealousy the same way vlad would!! I also don’t think he’d give up after one time of trying to hunt ghosts and getting laughed at. Our canon timeline says different…I dunno, I get it was for laughs, but I’m annoyed because the POTENTIAL this plot has…

-did vlad really wear a stupid cheese hat to his wedding. ok actually that kinda rules. and the cheese door knocker. the dairy-only buffet table. vlad still got rich, just on being the New Dairy King. (Assuming that means he owns a lot of dairy businesses?) ok! this actually is great. hope maddie isn't lactose intolerant!

-'no matter how hard I tried, I could never get rid of my ghost half, the half I knew Maddie could never accept' ohh, ouch, what a horrible thing to say to her HALF GHOST SON. 'YOUR MOM WILL NEVER ACCEPT YOU' BASICALLY.

-maddie strapping danny to the table with a lazer pointed at him in a secret lab she keeps from vlad that she makes a point of saying is sound proof so he can scream all he wants...CHRIST. DANNYS POOR PYSCHE.

-also, not to feel bad for alternate vlad (because, he did lie to maddie saying jack blames her and never wants to see her again...) but. being married to a woman 20+ years and she immediately goes back to jack? if she didnt love vlad and feels like she had to hide shit from him, and says she wasted her best years with him, WHY MARRY HIM. it feels like leading him on!!! cannot believe im feeling bad for vlad, but. this alternate timeline vlad is significantly Less Horrible than Our Vlad. did she not think she'd get funding for her ghost stuff? (which, fair assumption since they're considered 'ghost fanatics/nuts in canon...but...) why did she think jack or vlad would be her ONLY OPTIONS? be like your sister. be single. Actually, this au could’ve been really interesting if after the accident, vlad lied to her and said jack never wanted to see her again, but she stays single. Imagine how much that would bug vlad… like, in her mind, it was never a competition it was jack or no one type situation…

-danny being like 'leave him ALONE' this jack is a HOMEWRECKER, DANNY. let them go to court and settle this at the least. ...or just throw vlad into the portal. (100% human, defenseless vlad) CHRIST, MADDIE THATS BRUTAL. THATS MURDER.

-danny seeing his mom immediately accepting him and his dad being half ghosts in this universe, if I was him this would be a great sign that his universe's maddie would also.

-*maddie voice* "clockwork will help!" *2 seconds later, with clockwork* "I will Not Help." TOUGH LOVE KING. YES LET DANNY SEE THE SODA HIMSELF AND DEVOLP BETTER OBSERVATION SKILLS.

-when clockwork ""reset time to the way it was"" just before danny "meddled"" ...did he really erase a whole alternate timeline? ...damn. because maddie and danny both called it an alternate timeline by name, it splitting when the college incident went different, so it wouldnt have really mattered if he reset it, right. like because danny's timeline is on a different stream? why didnt clockwork just. show danny a replay and not Reset That Timeline. wh...I wonder how many people that Erased From Existence. Anyway! once again stating clockwork is casually terrifying!

[pluviophile-bookworm]

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Rewatch pt. 4

I really need a pick-me-up after 2x11, and I feel like 1x7 might be what I'm looking for, so here I am again with another HSMTMTS rewatch. I'm genuinely so excited for both of these episodes, so without further ado, let's jump right into

1x6: She stands for... lies, pressure and very inappropriate suggestions (coming here after 2x11 might have been a mistake, actually)

I honestly don't get why Nini's reaction to seeing Ricky in full Troy costume was so big — he actually looked pretty ok to me. Sure, the wig is a bit too much, but so what, it's cute.

Ahhh my boy Reddy is so adorable in that talking head... 'click!' Gosh, I love seeing him so cheerful! Guess he's embracing his role as part of the crew. As he should.

'I'm home'. Yes, Sebby, and you look so good, too! Gosh, I love this scene so much. I can't believe I'd forgotten about it.

Gina looks beautiful, though — I mean, she looks beautiful in anything, but I really like the Taylor look on her.

Ok, I fully understand everyone's frustration about this picture — it's genuinely so hard to get a good picture of someone jumping up in the air, and I can only imagine what it would be like with six people. A bunch of my classmates tried to do something like that ages ago and, needless to say, it didn't go very well. No good pictures were taken that day.

Ah, Portwell: the early days. Ok, but wanting something and feeling like you have to get it is far from the same thing, EJ. Honestly, these two in their early days as accomplices... this is not the first time they've been like 'X is the same thing as Y' when it's obviously not. I mean, of course, that time they became accomplices because 'we want the same thing' — which, at that point, they didn't.

Ok, but they were in such unison with that 'Not now!'... couple goals! You know, even before either of them had considered the possibility of them being a couple for real.

That's a lot of pressure that Miss Jenn is putting on dear Carlito over there. I mean, he's one of the youngest at the drama club and he has to essentially do her job for her, all while she's not even sure if she'll be able to return to her job. I just... keep reminding myself that these kids are closer in age to my little brother than they are to me (except for EJ, who is precisely in the middle), and then the pressure they're under takes on completely new proportions in my mind. None of them should have to deal with all of this. And no amount of 'trust the process' is making it better.

'Should I just live vicariously through someone else?' Oh Reddy, you should just live for yourself. I mean, the truth is I don't practice what I preach most of the time, but I really do mean this. Just go out there and live your best life. You're not Ricky's therapy dog or anything (that being said, Ricky's getting a therapy dog when?).

What part of 'a forest of boys' does Nini not get? It's simple enough. Just help Carlos do his job, how about that? I mean, he shouldn't have to do everything himself anyway.

See? He cracked. That's what happens when you put all this responsibility on a teen's shoulders and be like 'deal with it'. He was just trying his best, you guys. He did not deserve all the clapback.

Ricky's forced optimism about Miss Jenn and the show is too much even for me. Sure, I know everything turns out mostly alright at the end, but this just sounds like Ricky's on the verge of a breakdown. You know, every time someone's been too unrealistically positive on this show, it has ended in a breakdown. And that's the last thing I want.

I do agree about the simple acoustic version of the song, though. Sometimes simple is the best option.

Major props to Carlos for going up to Mr. Mazzara like that. If someone had bullied me, and especially if that someone was a teacher, I'd never have dared to call them 'Benjamin Mazarra!' to their face. Even when he's on the verge of despair, this boy is still the boldest. And we love him for that.

Is this where the 'Carlos Surname' joke started, though? I had forgotten. It was funny while it lasted.

Ricky doesn't know it yet, but he's seriously playing with Gina's feelings there. And I don't blame him because, again, he doesn't know yet, but I still feel bad for her.

'Despite the 4.3 GPA, I'm actually an idiot.' — EJ is high intelligence, low wisdom, confirmed. Not that this is news, but I really don't remember much about this season, so I'm pointing this out now.

Now forgive me if I'm not feeling for Miss Jenn after 2x11... she did some really unforgivable things there. Still, as much as I want to say a real qualified teacher would not do any of that, my personal experience suggests otherwise, quite unfortunately. Miss Jenn might not be very emotionally mature, but not having legal teaching credentials is not her biggest issue, really. It is precisely her lack of emotional maturity.

OMG, Big Red accidentally invited the entire drama club over! And that, I guess, is half of how Redlyn established themselves as the hosts of every out-of-school drama club gathering. Thanksgiving is, of course, the other half. Gosh, those two were the parents of the drama club even before they were a couple. Guess they're soulmates in that way, too.

Ok, so I didn't comment on this after 2x8 when Big Red did it to Ricky, but now that I finally notice that Seb did it to Carlos, too (I took my time, thanks), I need to talk about the knee touch thing. See, this is exactly the amount of touch I used to be comfortable with (since I'm very touch-averse) — both on the giving and on the receiving end — and it can mean so much when you feel bad. It's a subtle 'hey, I'm here, it's going to be fine', a sort of hug-without-the-hugging... I feel like this is a gesture we don't see enough of in media and it can feel just as intimate as, say, holding hands or cuddling. I don't want to talk about kissing because I don't know anything about it. But I just love how we've got the knee touch depicted by both a romantic pairing and a platonic pairing in the show. Ok, rant over. But I just really wanted to talk about this because, well, I saw myself in it.

'Her past is a little bit sketchy'... I see, Ash has already started writing Truth, Justice and Songs in Our Key, even if she doesn't know it quite yet.

Miss Jenn finding out Mike is Ricky's dad is just as awkward as it should be. Whatever they had going on should have ended right then and there.

'... people in the dramatic arts are insane' — 'Thank you.' — Umm, Miss Jenn, you are not really helping your case there. Quite frankly, you're lucky you've got the allegiance of the entire drama club. I don't think they'd have your back as much after 2x11, though.

Ok, but... Big Red wearing a longcoat just to take it off for the dramatic flair of it all? An icon if I've ever seen one. Also, mad props to Larry for apparently learning this number in record time after Dara got injured.

Oh, and... mad props to all the kids in-universe for writing, rehearsing, and learning this entire number in one night.

So both Seb and Natalie have solo lines in the song... and Seb was promoted to main in s2. So does this mean Natalie will get the same treatment in s3? I mean, that will probably mean they'll try to stick her in some sort of romantic plot, and I really don't need that, but I really, really want her to be a main character.

Also, let's not forget we had our first Redlyn moment in this number... seeing them dance together makes my heart jump with joy!

I won't lie, though, the entire dance number and everything was just a little bit uncomfortable to watch after 2x11... these kids do so much for Miss Jenn, and what does she do? Put insane amounts of pressure on some of them, shuts others down at every attempt to put in a word, favours yet others despite their abysmal performance at the audition, and then has the audacity to tell that same person to jump off of something high, with all the implications attached? Not that I'm naming any names, of course. Ok, this has taken a sudden and uncalled for turn for the dark, so I guess I'll just move right along to the next episode now.

1x7: A world where 'That was terrible!' and 'I'm so happy!' can both be true at the same time

My girl Ash is doing the recap! And she's a pun queen, too. 'Miss Jenn was in hot water, Carlos was a hot mess...' — not pleasant, but so true. But wbk. Ashlyn is the best.

And... Ricky and Nini's on and off chemistry is back on. Good for them, because after season 2, I really needed to see a good rehearsal. But I'm thinking EJ's joy at the end-of-school bell had little to do with Thanksgiving...

That look Reddy gave Ashlyn as she was walking out... might be me digging for breadcrumbs, but I think I just saw the exact moment my boy fell, and he fell hard. Ok, I realise now after I've said this that 'fall' probably isn't the best choice of words, but you know what I mean. Fell for Ashlyn. Not like... oh, never mind.

'So meek, so mild, sword!' I can't really explain it, but I love this line. And I feel like it describes Ash so perfectly: like, she might be meek and mild, but if you cross her, she's armed. Gosh, I love her!

Not the Caswell parents leaving their children alone over two holiday breaks! No wonder these two are the way they are. But they're about to get a beautiful Thanksgiving celebration. [Fun personal fact: the year I was born, my birthday fell on Thanksgiving day. That doesn't mean much in Bulgaria, but my dad works with a lot of Americans so my parents knew about it and I've known this and that about this holiday I've never celebrated since I was very young. I have no idea why I'm telling you this, but Thanksgiving has always reminded me of my birthday for this reason, so... ok, moving on.]

So I know she kind of suggested it, but... why does Carlos think it's his place to invite people over to Ashlyn's? I mean, this was part 2 of Redlyn establishing themselves as the hosts for any out-of-school gathering, but... oh well, it led to a beautiful party with everyone, so... I'll allow it.

I really liked Nini's talk with her grandma. It was really nice, and a very fitting way to remind everyone what Thanksgiving is originally about. I feel like people often forget that when it comes to... literally every major commercialised holiday.

Wow, EJ really is that person where once the tap is open, it can't stop spilling. And I kind of like that look on him. It's a transitional stage between EJ 1.0 and EJ 2.0, and I appreciate it for what it is.

Ahhhh it's Redlyn's first proper 1-on-1 conversation! I mean, it got kind of really awkward really quickly because of — surprise, surprise — Nini and Ricky (and EJ), but those two are so adorable! No more breadcrumbs — we're about to get an entire five-course meal here! Which goes really well with the Thanksgiving setting, now that I think of it.

Gosh, they've never really talked and my boy whips out the 'the only thing I'd ever throw at your face is a brighter spotlight' line right off the bat? Boy is whipped! But like, he is the master of grand gestures where Ashlyn is concerned. Still, in this first moment they shared, he really was like, go big or go home, and home isn't really an option here. But I should have known, it's in his name after all. Gosh, I love both of those two so much! Especially when they're together.

Ok, so... this is a really bad way to meet your mother's new boyfriend. Poor Ricky. As if ringing his mum wasn't hard enough already.

See, when I rewatch season 1, I get where the Rina stans are coming from, but then again, remember when I used to say I wanted Gina and EJ to just be friends? Yeah, that's changed too. Not that I ever shipped Rina romantically — I rarely ever ship a pairing unless they're explicitly stated to have something going on, just because I can't see that sort of stuff very clearly — but I really, really want them (Ricky and Gina, I mean) to be really good friends. Once they get past the awkwardness of their sort of history, I mean.

I miss the good old days when Nini was a nice person... I mean, we kind of (really) had a glimpse of that in 2x11 (I'm guessing she was making up for Miss Jenn's very inappropriate slip-up), but I miss the days before she was this big internet-famous songwriter and actually had to be convinced by Ashlyn that she should write songs for herself... wait, now that I think of it... Ashlyn might have helped create a monster there. Oh well. Still love her so much!

You know, I love the Choosical, but it's all a bit sad, if you stop to think about it for a sec. Just picture little single-digit-aged Carlito making this whole thing up in an attempt to participate in his favourite thing... only to not have anyone to play with for the next ten years. Great, I just made myself cry. The thing is, I relate to that story a bit too much. I remember in preschool, when the rest of the children would play together, I'd sit in a corner by myself and read the only book that was there... over and over, day after day. I don't even remember a single thing about that little book right now, but back then I clung to it like it was everything. And I couldn't very much share the experience with any of my peers, seeing as I was the only kid there who could actually read (my grandma used to be a preschool teacher and she taught me to read when I was 4). So yeah. I went off on a rather personal tangent there. Thing is, I know how little Carlos felt and I'm so happy that he finally gets to share this thing he made with a loving and supportive group of friends. Everything has its time and place, I guess.

'Look, I'm not following Big Red just because he paid me a compliment' — of course not, dear, you know your own worth and we love that for you — but see, when he said that thing that you're referring to as a compliment, he did not lie! You really are the brightest star and deserve the brightest spotlight. See, the thing I love most about Redlyn's compliments to each other is that they're so sincere and state nothing but the absolute truth. Those two just see each other for what they are, and love each other as they are. And I think that is beautiful.

It's so funny to me every time someone gets something wrong and Carlos just walks past them out of nowhere and corrects them without missing a beat. I kind of relate to that side of him, too. Except it's usually about grammar and language in my case, not HSM trivia.

If I were Nini in this scene, and was suddenly put face to face with Emily on the spot like that, I would not have been able to handle it. So props to Nini for handling it.

Yeah, sorry to break it to you, Emily dear, but whatever you're doing is not a Cockney accent. I don't claim to be an accent expert, but I know first-hand what Cockney sounds like and... that's just not it. Even Dick Van Dyke was closer to a Cockney accent in Mary Poppins, and that's saying something. (See, I feel bad criticising any aspect of Emily because her actress is no longer with us, but... I have no idea who let them get away with passing this off as Cockney).

Is this the beginning of Jennzara there? I am loving this.

Of course Carlos was obsessed with Glee as a kid... but wasn't he a bit too young for it when it aired? I know I was, and I'm older than those kids. I mean, I waited until I was emotionally mature enough to watch Glee, and that wasn't until 3 years ago, when I was 18 going on 19. Ok, I'm thinking too much into this. Moving on.

Ahhhhh, Redlyn! Just... all of their moments. But screaming the lyrics of What I've Been Looking For on top of their lungs while looking right at each other... was so beautiful to watch. Give me more of that!

EJ: 'That was terrible.' Seb: 'I'm so happy!' — Moods, both of them. Those two are real-life emojis, aren't they? And we love them for that.

'... without laughing... or killing each other.' — I feel like that last specification was needed given that it's Ricky and EJ we're talking about, and especially what happened last time they had to do a one-on-one exercise during rehearsal. The ensuing scene, however, is the most hilarious thing!

Root beer, huh? Is that the HSMTMTS code for 'awkward' now? I mean, Nini and Gina had a nice talk there, all things considered. I really want the two of them to put the Ricky thing past them and be friends... but we'll see.

Gina is trying to make the sleepover thing look like 'it's not a big deal' despite how big of a deal it obviously is to her... to which I say, good for you, girl, but I wouldn't know. The only sleepovers I've ever had have been with my little cousin who is 9 years younger than me and also insists on sleeping with a very bright nightlight on, which means I can't sleep at all. So yeah, I wouldn't know. But I'm happy that Gina is feeling included.

So this is the exact moment when it becomes clear that Big Red is not telling us the complete truth when it comes to his HSM knowledge... '14 and 10'? Even I didn't know that. I knew 14, but... for someone who allegedly 'hates musicals', my boy has very detailed knowledge of one certain musical movie... I love how it got him a certain girl's attention, though. Not that she wasn't already paying attention to him, if you catch my drift.

Ok, but this hits even harder now than it did the first time — just when Gina has finally managed to make friends, to feel included in their group, her mum has to move her away again. This is straight-up tragic. I'll say it now, and I'll probably say it again when it comes up in the rewatch — Ashlyn is an absolute queen for taking Gina in for the next semester.

'That's sort of what you always do, huh? Take care of everyone else' — yeah, Ash, and you do the same. You two just need someone to do for you what you do for other people. See, guys, this is what I mean. This is why they're soulmates. Because in a world that has more or less forced both of them to put others first, they put each other first. They each get to be the most important person to each other after they've been stepping back for others all the time. And if that isn't beautiful, I don't know what is. I know I'm repeating myself over and over saying this, but... they own my heart and soul and I'm not for sale.

Ok, but Ashlyn's little run after Big Red left was so cute! Girl is... I don't know why I keep using that word, but... falling.

Unpopular opinion: Out of the Old is the best Nini solo to come out of this series to date. Maybe I feel that way just because I relate to it most, but hey, that is a valid reason to like something.

Oof, EJ's losing followers. Oh well, if they're unfollowing him for being too honest, they didn't like the real him to begin with. So good riddance to them.

Yikes... Jennzara fell asleep with flammable stuff left unattended... we all know how that ended, but just the fact that they felt comfortable enough to fall asleep in each other's presence... speaks volumes. So I guess... well, I don't know what exactly I'm saying regarding the fire they caused, but I loved this big little moment they had.

So this is it. That was 1x6 and 7 and, well, they were beautiful, but there are some parts I can't look at in the same way anymore after 2x11. Guess that's the risk of a rewatch. The Redlyn scenes, though — still the best part of both of these episodes. That and a couple of other things for which I don't need to pretend like I haven't seen season 2.

[hanbereviews]

Octavinelle Main Story Review/Analysis

Welcome to the next analysis/review of the twisted wonderland main story. Today we will be talking about a very popular dorm, Octavinelle! Home to the Leech brothers and Azul Ashengrotto. I have a few mixed feelings about this story, and we’ll be speaking about them whilst we speak about the characters! As always, warning for spoilers.

Azul Ashengrotto

The antagonist of our main story, Azul gets an interesting amount of character moments as well as a decent amount of speculation about him inbetween his appearances. It is apt to say that Azul’s temperament is discussed more than directly shown in most episodes, but I and many other people have managed to piece them together! 

To bring out an age old and corny metaphor, Azul thinks the pen is mightier than the sword. He was frequently bullied in elementary school due to not being as athletic and physically fit as the other children. He quickly realized there wasn’t exactly any fixing that aspect of him, but he had something even more important up his sleeve. Being smart! With Octavinelle being based on the little mermaid, of course each of the dorm residents were originally sea creatures. Azul was an octopus, and as such could use his eight legs to write a variety of spells. Eventually this allowed him to perfect his unique magic “It’s a deal,” a mimic of the sea witch Ursula’s contract she made with Ariel. 

In exchange for making their wish come true, Azul would have the unsuspecting person give up a part of themselves, most of the time it’d be their magic. It’s safe to say most, if not all of Azul’s self worth stemmed from these contracts, the belief that if he had a wealth of magical abilities and leverage over the student body that he could never be taken advantage of again. This feeling of his is so pervasive that it leads to what I personally believe is one of the most heinous acts in Twisted Wonderland, he ends up essentially tricking the student body into selling themselves into slavery. 

With all this in mind, it is no surprise that when the students are inevitably free from Azul’s control via destroying his contracts he immediately induces an overblot. What else could he do, when the only thing keeping his self esteem in check was the fact he had physical proof he wasn’t the same wimpy octopus from his earlier years? By the end of the story, he finds a much healthier replacement for that self esteem boost, throwing himself into monstro lounge’s business! Though, you have to wonder if his newfound interest in generating as much revenue for his personal cafe business as possible doesn’t present similar problems than his previous coping mechanism. 

Jade Leech 

The mediator of the Octavinelle dorm and a fan favorite, Jade is supposed to be the saner of the Leech twins. But that doesn’t exactly pan out in practice. Along with Floyd, Jade plays a more supporting role in the story. Which I believe is a bit of a flaw, as we don’t learn much about him or Floyd through their moments in the main story. Rather, we have to look beyond that into character stories, events and the chapter after Octavinelle’s. So what I am piecing together is mostly from that. 

Jade and Floyd met Azul in elementary school, deciding to stick with him up until now because his actions were deemed interesting. This begs a question, will they both leave him when he does something they think of as “boring?” While they say that, their words don’t match their actions. For instance, disgust is expressed over Azul so brazenly using his magic to steal people’s abilities and thus leading into him overblotting. Yet Jade stays with him until he wakes up, and makes no indication that he no longer wishes to serve Octavinelle. Thus you can make the inference that Jade is far too attached to Azul to leave him even over something this egregious. This behavior applies to Floyd too, which leads me to an explanation of the brother’s actions around each other via…

Floyd Leech

Floyd himself! Marketed as the “crazier” of the Eel duo, Floyd also plays a supporting role in the main story. However we learn his unique magic, “Bind the Heart” allows him to redirect people’s magical attacks. Floyd’s personality is displayed as a bit more aimless than Jade’s, wanting to do things he finds fun and his attitude fluctuating with his mood. He’s got a lot more “cutesy” moments, more likely to pout or whine when things don’t go his way. Well, not exactly cutesy when you hear it, but to some people it could be! 

Knowing Floyd, it seems baffling that he would follow anyone around, much less someone as “weak” as Azul. So what exactly bridges the gap between them? 

Jade does. Their whole relationship rests on Jade.

This is not to say Floyd doesn’t care about Azul in his own way, because he most certainly does. It is not like Jade controls his personal relationships. But as you learn more about the brothers and their habits; you begin to understand that Floyd takes a lot of his cues on how he should be acting from Jade himself. Recall that a bit earlier I said Jade is supposed to be the saner of the two twins. Well he is, and he isn’t. With Floyd’s behavior being so erratic obviously Jade would need to compensate by seeming more approachable. But everything Floyd does he has his twin brother behind him encouraging it. 

Thus it is no wonder Floyd took a liking to Azul. Jade liked him! So that meant he must be worth it. And at Floyd’s own admission he’s never exactly bored when around the both of them. So the expectation that he would want to leave Azul high and dry after his overblot is overridden by how invested he’s become in their relationship due to their dynamic. An injection of a personal theory here is also that Azul is the only friend Floyd’s managed to make on his own terms. If you take a look at his interactions with Riddle, Floyd pisses him off multiple times. Enough to get Riddle’s redfaced sprite! You have to wonder if Floyd means harm when he speaks to Riddle or if how he speaks to others just clashes with Riddle’s general temperament. Which then carries on to wondering if he has trouble making friends with others in general? But this part is all based on assumptions!

Final Thoughts

I give this story a 5/10. I think it did well in explaining Azul to us. But since his antagonistic act in the main story kind of overrode everything else going on, we couldn’t get much elaboration on Jade and Floyd themselves. Therefore whilst the plot itself was very gripping and well written, the characterization sucked! But as always, this is my personal opinion. And I won’t say the main story didn’t make me love Octavinelle, so maybe it did it’s job and I’m just being nitpicky.

[slutegoshi]

1Hi Beastars fandom! We got an actively updating Fanfic rec list!  Below is a collection of #Beastars fanfic I’ve read. This means just reading through some #Beastars tag on AO3. I can only read so much work a day, so the updates might come in a (or bi)weekly form and mass dump fic rec.  Enjoy! Read fic!  

SLUTEGOSHI NOTE: I love these all these fics so much and have gone back and re-read them several times over. I hope they become some of your favourites too. Remember if you have an AO3 account (or not) please leave positive comments and love on all these fics!  

RULES OF FIC: read tags  read with kindness constructive feedback doesn’t need to be destructive Explicit/Mature work should be read with discretion Keep Kink shame to yourself 

REC KEY ❤ - Slutgoshi recommendation Story Link - Author Link Rating - Completion Status - Word Count - Ship/Detail  or additional notes

Authors summary.

☆ TOP 5 FAVOURITE - of the week

1 . kill me more - sushishorts Mature - Complete work - 3976 wc - Haru/Legosi/Louis Summary: In which Louis knows, Haru urges on, and Legosi wonders.

2 .  The Wolf Trap - surveycorpsjean Explicit - Complete - 18,279 wc - Legosi/Louis, Action, adventure Summary: If you're going to play the game, you have to play it right.

3 .  A Tale of Moon - Wuffin_Arts (Chaptered Fic) Mature - Uncomplete - 8,000K+ wc - Louis/Legosi, Kid fic Summary: This story will focus on the life and drama of these two as they grow and learn more about themselves, and face the struggles of it all. 4 . Leave Me On Read - cutiefemdom Teen - Complete - 3624 wc - Louis/Legosi, cute, texting fic Summary: Louis gets Legosi's number to keep an eye on him but instead slowly falls in love. 5 . do we realise that we’ve already closed our eyes - aiineslin* Mature - Complete - 1631wc - Louis/Ibuki, sad, angst fic Summary: he has always followed where life took him, unflinching and unresisting. ** this fic is labeled restricted and might not be able to be read by non-ao3 users. if you can’t view it, it’s because it’s restricted by author.

☆  ★  ☆  FULL SLUTEGOSHI REC LIST  ☆  ★  ☆

SLUTGOSHI - Legosi Centric Fic 

☆ Fluff / Angst / Non Explicit How to Handle Your Harem - TheFancySquid Teen - Complete - 1218 wc - Legosi / multiple characters, comedy Summary: Legosi has a harem, plain and simple. But the animals in the harem aren’t too happy to have to share the grey wolf. muted emotion - sushishorts Teen - completed - 5245 wc - Legosi/Jack, Imprinting fic Summary: Jack isn’t an idiot. He’s a dog, and his kind are bred to be the most intelligent creatures of their world. Their biological strain is the end result of the strive for perfection. As far as he wished that his arrogance for knowledge would prove him otherwise, Jack knows the question that’s coming. "Who did you imprint on, Jack?"And he’s afraid to say the answer out loud. Wolf, Dog, and Deer - TheFancySquid General Audience - Complete - 1651 wc - Jack/Legosi/Louis, Old Friends Summary: Jack and Legosi have been best friends since the moment they met. They did everything together; looked for bugs, dug in the dirt, and thing you could think of these two would do it together. They thought their duo couldn’t be better, until they met Louis the red deer. Bloodstained Wolf - GoGetterBrae Teen - Uncomplete - 46,000+ wc - Legosi/Male!Reader, First Person fic Summary: Two male wolves in love but they couldn't be more different.

Collared - Reflet271 Teen - Uncomplete - 11,000+ wc - Legosi/Reader, Second Person fic Summary: Human beings are treated nothing more than slaves to animals. Some try to escape. Others accept their fate. So what will you do?

☆ NSFW

Come Vibe With Me - cripplingfanficaddict Explicit - Complete - 1843 wc - Bill/Legosi Summary: Bill gives Legosi a major vibe check, and Legosi absolutely hates it. Legosi then decides to get that sweet, sweet revenge.

Loyal to You - orphan_account Mature - Complete - 4455 wc - Legosi/Jack, Slow burn, angst Summary: Jack and Legosi had been inseparable since childhood and Legosi's sudden disappearances take a toll on his best friend in unexpected ways.

Lustful Thoughts - Welcumtotheshitholecanitakeurorder Mature - Complete - 7,582 wc - Riz/Legosi, One-Sided Pinning Summary: He knew that the thought of fighting the wolf was accelerating, but he didn't think it would push him off the edge.

OT3 - HARU/LOUIS/LEGOSHI

☆ Fluff / Non Explicit Your Favorite - orphan_account ❤ Teen - Complete - 772 wc - chatfic, humor, fluff Summary: Haru and Louis love their boyfriend, even if he is horribly incompetent when it comes to electronics (and flirting).

Morning In - callmecacti General Audience - complete - 841 wc - Domestic fluff Summary: Legosi's day off and they're having breakfast together. every morning, every night (I will love you the same) - Soqquadro ❤ General Audience - Complete - 1,400 wc - Fluff, Feel-good Summary: It’s a normal day, but those are the ones Legosi enjoys the most. terminological inexactitude - sushishorts ❤ Teen - Complete - 4006 wc - rumor mill, Canon Divergent Summary: In which the Drama Club believes that Legosi and Louis are fighting over Haru, and completely misses out on the most important detail of it all.

Porclelain Wolf - FatDragonLair Teen - Complete - 1,518 wc - Angst fic with happy ending Summary: After having a severe injury a week ago, Legosi hasn't been the same. Louis and Haru are worried for the wolf and try their best with fixing him. Wild Side - slycooper20 Teen - Uncomplete - 19,000+ wc - Included OC, Cannon Divergent, Cherryton Summary: An old friend of Jack's gets accepted to the prestigious Cherryton Academy, but when he gets involved with the mysterious grey wolf Legoshi, his life spirals out of control as an unsolved murder, a mysterious stranger, and a gang of lions all enter into his life.  The Way you Bloom - Sanomo Teen - Complete - 4,219 wc - Alternate Universe, adorable Summary: The day in the life of a flower shop owner isn't always fun, certainly not when she is a dwarf rabbit; but sometimes all it takes is a gentle wolf to brighten her day. ☆ NSFW

Bad Liar (Series) - pocketfullofbees Explicit - Uncomplete - 22,000+ wc - Canon Divergent, 120CH, BDSM Summary: Legosi and Louis share a feral first kiss. Legosi has to deal with the fact that he might be in love with the guy who let him eat his leg, and his rabbit girlfriend. The three of them try to hang onto each other while also trying to figure out this crazy adult world.

kill me more - sushishorts ❤ Mature - Complete work - 3976 wc - Getting Together, Haru and Louis scheme Summary: In which Louis knows, Haru urges on, and Legosi wonders.

To One I am Tied, to the Other I am True - Born This Gay (Sinpie_Senpai)  ❤ Mature - Complete Work - 6111 wc - Snapshot, Getting Together Summary: Legosi is in love. Louis is exasperated. Haru is fond of them both.

little red riding hood - dedicaiton Mature - Uncomplete - 1,046+ wc - Alternate Universe Summary: Haru is a little rabbit that explores deep into the woods to find a blood-red flower. But whatever is lurking behind those trees is seemingly more trouble than this venture is worth.

The Rabbit, The Deer and The Wolf - jekyllhyde Mature - Uncomplete - 1,300+ wc - Alternate Universe Summary: Haru and Louis are engaged and living together, both looking forward to a bright future as an herbivore couple who have been together for a few years.That is... until a big, bad wolf moves next door and their lives become a whole lot messier.

LOUGOSHI 

☆ Fluff / Angst / Non Explicit 

dream of me - grieve* Teen - Complete - 7413 wc - Pinning, One-shot Summary: Louis is in love with Legosi.

The Ride Home - Doubtfuldeer ❤ General Audience - Complete - 1352 wc - Domestic Fluff, One-shot Summary: OTP prompt: They comes home after a very long drive. Person A is wide awake, but Person B is extremely exhausted and falls asleep in a very uncomfortable spot. Person A wants to carry them to bed, but there’s a problem: B is really tall, and REALLY heavy, and A is very weak.

Utlerior Motives - Doubtfuldeer, pocketfullofbees ❤ Teen - Complete (series: on-going) - 4642 wc - Crack, Fluff, 701+ Summary: Louis and Legosi have some unexpected bonding time over some episodes of Rick and Morty (i'm unironically proud of this tbh)

Leave Me On Read - cutiefemdom ❤ Teen - Complete - 3624 wc - Louis/Legosi, cute, texting fic Summary: Louis gets Legosi's number to keep an eye on him but instead slowly falls in love.

Like a Beast Hunting For Love - cutiefemdom ❤ Teen - Complete - 1811 wc - Soulmates, Alternate Universe Summary: Early in their lives, all animals wake up to a soulprint on their wrist. It's the shape of the animal's paw they are destined to be with. For herbivores who get a carnivore's print it's a death sentence.Louis doesn't think he's meant long for this world.

musk - mokarozu Teen - Complete - 1011 wc - Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha!Louis Summary:  “Louis, I want..” Legosi said breathily, his heat growing far too unbearable. He yearned to be filled, practically aching at this point in time. He gulped, before finally giving into his temptations as he admitted.“I want you, alpha..”

☆ Long Form / Chaptered Work Mostly Uncomplete or Active Updating

I’m In Love With a Dork - aekyuu General Audiences - Uncomplete - 9,700+ wc - University AU Summary: In a world where Legosi doesn't drop out of high school and actually graduates, Louis enters a well-known University with a prosthetic foot that attracts a lot of attention and fear from other animals. Legosi, feeling bad for what he'd done to Louis, and witnessing other animals "bullying" Louis, also enrolls into the same University to protect him at all costs.

Craving More Than You’re Given - doopstory ❤ Teen - Uncomplete - 74,000+ wc - Canon Divergent, 120 CH Summary: Friendship finally established, Legosi and Louis start to really get to know each other.

A Wolf with Little Heart - TheFancySquid ❤ Teen - Uncomplete - 41,000 wc - Alternative Universe, Dark!Legosi Summary: Legosi is a rude, obnoxious, and down right mean and negative person to everyone around him. But for what reason?

Repose Unto Terror - wurmz Teen - Uncomplete - 2,600+ wc - Canon Divergent, Louis cares fic Summary: It was the least he could do to maintain this state of purgatory, to fund this male's survival. Under any other circumstances, with the prohibitive cost of preservation, he was certain that Legosi wouldn't have been allowed to linger in limbo for so long. It was the least he could do, Louis repeated to himself, to use his wealth to fund the basic survival of a male who gave himself for the prospect of a new future.

wanted life enough to risk the open field - jurassicqueer Mature - Uncomplete - 6,200+ wc - Canon Divergent Summary: Legosi's chronic worrying keeps him up until long walks are the only way for him to sleep at night. One warm, humid evening, he stumbles upon the bloody mess left by Tem's attacker-- except Tem is still alive. This changes things.

Salut d’Amour - Doubtfuldeer ❤ Mature - Uncompleted - 13,000+ wc - AU Orchestra Summary: An AU in which Legosi is a violinist, and Louis is a pianist. All Legosi wants is to one day play a duet with Louis, but he ends up getting much more than he bargained for.

Over There - Big_Hairy_Stallion68 ❤ Mature - Uncomplete - 17,000+ wc - Cannon Divergent - 123CH, Slow burn Summary: What if the society of Beastars was only part of a larger world? What if there was an alternative, a different place to live in, a different society with different customs? What if Louis and Legosi had enough of the bullshit and just wanted a... regular life?

A Tale of Moon - Wuffin_Arts  ❤ Mature - Uncomplete - 8,000K+ wc - Louis/Legosi, Kid fic Summary: This story will focus on the life and drama of these two as they grow and learn more about themselves, and face the struggles of it all. Penumbra: Part 1 - Srugging_Altas103 Explicit - Uncomplete - 23,000+ wc - Cannon Divergent Summary: To be a gray wolf was a damning fate in Legosi's eyes. Despite his best efforts, he would always been seen for the predator he was. However, one fateful day led him to begin a less-than-wholesome relationship with Louis, challenging everything he had ever thought about himself. To be gay was a damning fate in Louis's eyes. Despite his best efforts, it continued to fester within him, threatening to destroy the future laid out for him without mercy. He needed to cope; any insecure straight guy would do.

El esclavo Luna y el amo Sol - Kmilarts (Language: Spanish) ❤ Explicit - Uncomplete - 23,000+ wc - Alternate Universe, Slaves, Top!Louis Summary: Raised as a slave to be treated as a free person, the slave Legosi became free with his master Louis. You will get more than just freedom, you will also have the love and family that someone of your caste should not have, but sometimes the world gives good things to people who deserve it.

Last night I dreamt that somebody loved me  - kastiyana Mature - Uncomplete - 27,000+ wc - Alternate Universe, Body Guard!Legosi Summary: Louis is a rich heir of the Horns Conglomerate, future CEO, future Beastar, his life seems all planned... until this exasperating wolf is hired as his bodyguard.

☆ NSFW

Guess You're Apart of Me Now - butterfingers69 ❤ Explicit - Complete - 4,239 wc - Trans!Louis fic Summary: Shortly after Legosi left the hospital after being shot Louis and him agree to meet up and talk. They soon realize that not only are they connected, but perhaps they don't mind.

The Wolf Trap - surveycorpsjean ❤ Explicit - Complete - 18,279 wc - Legosi/Louis, Action, adventure Summary: If you're going to play the game, you have to play it right.

tame - TrashKing (Vanya_Deyja) ❤❤ Explicit - Complete - 2561 wc - possessive legosi, shishigami louis Summary: Legosi is not leaving here without Louis.

Heat - TrashKing (Vanya_Deyja) Explicit - Complete - 2213 wc - Rut, Knotting Summary: Interspecies romance is taboo, politics is complicated, but this? This is simple.

Secret Lovers - Zeuspower6 Explicit - Complete - 2731 wc - Top Louis, secret relationship Summary: Louis and Legosi are in a secret relationship, but a few of the drama club members start to get suspicious.

Hurts So Good - cutiefemdom Explicit - Complete - 1637 wc - Dom Louis, Dirty Talk Summary: "Unruly puppies have to be taught to behave." Legosi doesn't realize that he's being too rough during sex so Louis decides he needs some disciplining.

Disgusting - TrashKing (Vanya_Deyja) ❤ Explicit - Complete - 2268 wc - Masturbation, Verbal Humiliation Summary: There's something very perverse about how Legosi sits with his predatory instincts all the while frantically denying them. Unfortunately for him Louis lives to make his life a hellscape.

Sweet Release - Skrap Explicit - Complete - 1050 wc - BDSM, CBT, Smut Summary: A story about Louis and Legosi's time in bed and Legosi's relatively new toy.

Release Your Inner Wolf - Nacht_Writer Explicit - Complete - 4698 wc - Smut, Knotting, Exhibitionism Summary: Legosi is the only one Louis' trusts to grant him his darkest desire: to be fucked and marked by a carnivore.

Smoke Under the Moonlight - omnic Explicit - Complete - 4515 wc - Dom/Sub, Bottom Louis Summary: Legosi visits Louis at his dorm during his early morning smoke.

i would go down on you for days - orphan_account Mature - Complete - 2009 wc - Pinning fic Summary: Legosi often dreams of Louis.

in love(with your existence) - sweetycat Explicit - Uncomplete - 1,685+ wc - Cannon Divergent 114 ch, Porn With Plot Summary: Louis The Red Deer can proudly state that he’s never been speechless. Surprised, sure. Shocked even. Yet, he inevitably has a retort to whatever is being communicated to him. He has resolve.It all goes to shit the day his canine friend confesses his herbivore fetish. (or, Louis has a different reaction to Legosi’s confession in chap. 114)

A Good Alpha - cutiefemdom Mature - Complete - 8442 wc - Alternate Universe, Alpha!Louis, Omega!Legosi Summary: When Louis had presented as an alpha it hadn't been a shock to anyone, despite the fact that he was a herbivore.What was shocking was his mate.

My Temple (In You I Feel Safe) - cutiefemdom Explicit - Complete - 2596 wc - Canon Divergent, Knotting Summary: Louis knows it's obvious to every beast within a ten foot radius that he is going to into heat. What's worse is that those beasts happen to be back-alley sellers who are all carnivores. In one word he is: fucked.

This Wolf Is Mine - cutiefemdom ❤ Explicit - Complete - 4198 wc - Canon Divergent, Possessive Behavior Summary: Just like how Legosi had a fetish for herbivores, Louis was coming to accept that he might feel the same way about carnivores.One carnivore in particular.

A Royal’s Scent - cutiefemdom Explicit - Complete - 21,776 wc - AU, Prince!Louis, Louis/Jack, Louis/Legosi Summary: Prince Louis had already had enough on his plate before a wolf was apprehended on the border of his territory, thank you very much. Too bad his lessons never taught him about the intricacies of the wolf mating cycle. Dorime (Series) | Hail Mary | Full of Grace - frymyrisole Explicit - Complete - 20,416 wc - AU, Priest!Legosi, Mob Boss!Louis Summary: The day he came, Legosi's life turned upside down like the pancake his mom used to make every Sunday morning. The old doors of the church swung wide open with a resounding creak. A male red deer walked in an untouchable air to him. He was dressed to impress with an all-black three-piece suit. His shirt, his pants, his fancy little vest, all fitting tightly on his body. He even had a black jacket draped over his shoulder, the fabric trailing behind him like a cape.

Mío - Dakuraita (Language: Spanish) ❤ Explicit - Complete - 3,293 wc - Alternate Universe, Top Louis Summary: In a Universe where Louis is the boss of the mafia, Legoshi is his back guard ... however despite all he has lived through, the wolf has not let the rabbit of his heart go; Louis, on the other hand, is now only interested in the wolf and the dynamics they have developed over time. It is unforgivable that Legoshi is not his. It's yours, only yours.

MISC SHIPS / GENERAL B★ FIC

☆ Fluff / Angst / Non Explicit

I’m Simply Pina -  TheFancySquid ❤ Teen - Complete - 973 wc - Trans!Pina Fic Summary: Legosi stopped suddenly. He sniffed the air. There it was again, that familiar scent of a female. Legosi looked down at the club members below. He scanned over all the members, trying to isolate the source of the scent. His eyes finally fell on the far too familiar dall sheep, Pina.

Meanwhile at Cherryton - Sunset_Rider Teen - Uncomplete -  4016 wc - Jack Centric, 701, General  Summary: Jack is awake late at night thinking about the past and the desicions he has made.

do we realise that we’ve already closed our eyes - aiineslin* ❤ Mature - Complete - 1631 wc - Louis/Ibuki, sad, angst fic Summary: he has always followed where life took him, unflinching and unresisting.

pavo christatus - SatyrSyd37 ❤ Teen - Complete - 2839 wc- Dom/Kai, Canon Compliant Summary: Kai’s a mongoose. Dom’s a peafowl. It’s no wonder Kai’s drawn to him…he just wants to eat him. Right?

☆ NSFW

Bill Sneezes in Kai's Face While Attempting to Film Himself Shotgunning a Vape Cloud into His Mouth - BeAggressive ❤ Mature - Complete - 1988 wc - Bill/Kai Summary: Bill thinks it's funny, at least.

Gaffer Bias - BeAggressive ❤❤ Mature - Uncomplete - 8329+ wc - Bill/Kai Summary: The first night of Bill's first show as head of the drama club went great. Bill has a horrible idea that will probably ruin night two.

Jack x Juno - Haw ❤ Mature - Uncomplete - 4,700+ wc - Juno/Jack, Literally the cutest fic Summary: Juno is a heartbroken mess. Jack is still lonely. When their fates collide will that be fixed?

Fading Anger -  Haw  Mature - Uncomplete - 3,800+ wc - Kai/Sheila Summary: Kai is a little shit and is love with a beautiful Leopard.

Cornered in the Bathroom Stall - TheFancySquid ❤ Mature - Complete - 2,309 wc - Riz/Pina, dubcon, smut Summary: Pina is cornered in the bathroom by Riz the brown bear.

Miguno & Durham - AleksWulfe, legosiwithagun Mature - Complete - 975 wc - Mild Smut Summary: "We're going to fuck, of course. During lunch you said if you died 15 times on the final boss I’d get to fuck you," Miguno responded. 

HONORABLE MENTIONS

☆ (aka, currently reading / popular in fandom)

We're Only Animals: Book 1 - doopstory, NilesTheWhiteTailedDeerQueer Mature - Complete - 307,678 wc - Alternate Universe, Louis/Legosi Summary: This is an alternate universe where instead of attacking Haru in the beginning, Legosi attacks Louis, drastically altering the events of Beastars. Pining, danger, love, loss, it's all here. Can Legosi figure out his purpose in life and will Louis be able to come terms with his true feelings about becoming the Beastar? And can they figure out their true feelings for each other in a world where their love is forbidden?

St. Cherryton Hospital - http_petrichor General - Uncomplete - 13,000+ wc - Hospital/Good Doctor AU Summary: Carnivores can't be surgeons. Everybody knows that. What if they go haywire and eat organs from donors, or just ravish the patient while in operation? Legosi has known this all his life, too. But he could still dream of being one.Then, one day, he saves a boy's life. Then, he finds himself as a surgical resident at St. Cherryton Hospital. The first carnivore to ever become a surgical resident. How will society react?

A Vigourous Haws - Hartatak  Mature - Complete (?) - 2461 wc - Crack, Discord Vigs/Haw, #FanficitionStars Summary: Wasting no more time, he hastily rose up on his two feet with the help from the bed that had supported his resting body, only to realize a few new shocking facts. “Why am I naked? And why is my body is covered with ... fur?”

READING LIST (Not Yet Categorized)

Selfish - doopstory - Complete - Louis/Legosi Quite the Twist - MadAcries - Uncomplete - Louis/Legosi, Gosha/Gouhin Bare Back Black Alley Boys - Mico_Kun - Uncomplete - Louis/Legosi The New Waiter at Cherryton - peachie_teaa - Uncomplete - Louis/Legosi

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 

Q: Hi, I don’t see my fic on here? A: I haven’t read it! Send it to me.  twitter: @vote_dogs | discord: @DogVote ask box

Once I’ve read a fic, it will be placed on this rec list. The categories will grow or change based on how fic transforms in the BEASTARS fandom so expect this rec list to look different all the time! New languages will be added, or translated to english, I google translated a spanish BEASTAR fic and it was beautiful (You will see it on here). I’m so excited to read more fic! BEASTARS is a gorgeous and complex and inspirational manga series; these stories only add multitudes of theory and dynamics. That means YOU need to write fic. DM me here or on Discord your link. Spread work, say hi: #Fanficitionstars. Ask me to proofread/beta a fic? dogvote123@gmail.com