#Amazingly Emotional™

[theturncoattournament]

Who is the best turncoat character? (Round 2)

A tournament for characters who change allegiances and/or have a redemption or corruption arc during their stories

PROPAGANDA:

Ruru Amour/Cure Amour- Her redemption arc is amazingly done in my opinion because she was originally an android built for the evil company called crisis corp, and she was built to be emotionless. She would act as a main antagonist for the heroes called the precure. And eventually she decided to basically disguise herself as an exchange student to learn more about the precure to defeat them. And then she met this girl named emiru, who taught her how to feel emotions like love, and joy, and sadness, ect. And soon her and emiru became precure together, and it made my heart burst like. I cried.

Zuko- Zuko's redemption arc is the peak redemption arc that all redemption arcs are compared to

-*slaps prince of the fire nation* this guy can fit so much trauma in him -one of the best redemption arcs of all time -this dude spent the better part of 3 seasons flip-flopping between good and evil -can be so funny in the driest way possible lol -had to fight his own sister, who is insane

he literally has the best redemption arc ever written

Zuko spends like the entirety of season 2 slowly realizing that the Fire Nation were the Bad Guys™, had a whole moral crisis towards the end of the season, ended up choosing to side with his sister so he could go back home even though he knew it was the wrong moral choice, spent the first half of season 3 angsting over having made the wrong choice, then finally joins the good guys for good halfway through the season

[negrowhat]

Hello Lovely,

This message is here to request that you share, overshare, word-vomit, Ted Talk™, or pontificate about any subject you feel particular feelings or emotions about. It can be a current interest, something you are curious about, a show/book/music group you're really into, or just overall general knowledge you feel like sharing.

So please share with me something that you find interesting, and I hope you have an amazingly wonderful day.

💜🌻

Hello Lovely! Right now I'm just really vibing with the series I'm watching right now. I took a little break from BLs for like idk 2 or 3 months and idk as soon as November hit we were gifted some really good end of the year series. Series I genuinely feel excited to watch. We're getting back actors we haven't seen for awhile. Billy, Pavel, Nut, and Kaownah??? OFFGUN ARE BACK TOO! I haven't seen them in awhile and I'm super excited to see them on my TV again.

I've been waiting all year to get some decent action plots and now I have three series. Gangster Oppa has been such a treat. Meen is doing the gangster role well. Love to see Tew actually rough people up and have people cower in fear around him and then he turns into this big sweet softie for Guy. Sad he's quitting the life but whatever makes Guy happy. Also I love Guy, he's the cutest and sweetest boy and I want to protect him forever.

Pit Babe, I still don't quite know what's going on but gotdamn Pavel as Babe is epic. That character was made for Pavel, he lives that life anyway. 90% of his pics he's leather clad, smirking, and straddling a motorcycle. Also the bottom discourse has been wild to see, Pavel is really fucking with people's preconceived checklist of what a top should look like. Meanwhile I'm just enjoying Babe be the world's sluttiest Alpha speed racer. Also IDK if Way is going to be good or bad in the end, but I'm just loving seeing Nut Supanut's face on my screen.

The Sign just started and I'm already obsessed. Saint has produced another banger, but I wasn't worried he did give us SCOY and GAP. The Sign has a bigger budget and they went all out with the production. I've missed Billy terribly and that man is so foine and he is the king of sex appeal. Alot of people felt like there was too much combat in the beginning but I ate it up. I loved all the action. I'm excited for the fantasy aspect. We have some soulmates happenings going on. Babe is new and I'm loving him as Tharn. He's quite pretty with great brows and a lovely beauty mark. He and Billy have great chemistry and I just know they're gonna have us by the neck the whole time.

Cooking Crush started today and I'm just excited to see OffGun have a more comedic series this time around. Off is so good at comedy and I'm glad his character seems to be doing the chasing for once. It's going to be very light-hearted...until the script flips and they have us SOBBING! It's only a matter of time, they have the range and none of OffGun's series stay light for long.

[nytehavyn-circle]

RaDean "Dean" Harriman

FC: Can Yaman Sexuality: Heterosexual but bi-curious Species: Human Height: 6'2" Age: Late 30's Occupation: Photographer

Dean was born into a life of struggle. His parents lived a meager life, but always managed to put food on the table, sometimes at the detriment of other bills.

His mother died of cancer when he was 10. It horrified him for the rest of his life because whenever someone mentions cancer, he has to talk himself down from a possible panic attack. That said, he is caring and kind to cancer patients or people with family and/or friends of loved ones. Because he's went through it.

Along with his other photography, he takes amazingly beautiful and sometimes heart-wrenching pictures of cancer patients. These particular pictures, he sells them to cancer wards, medical magazines, etc. He gives back that particular money to help cancer research and to St. Jude's especially.

His father tried to raise Dean correctly. He loved his son, but he struggled with alcohol constantly after his wife died, and quite often found himself falling asleep in his recliner after hitting the bottom of one. Dean's father never went to bars, just liquor stores, because he didn't want to leave Dean all alone. He tried. He desperately tried. Dean couldn't be bitter and hateful toward his father, because he saw the struggle. His father died when Dean was in his 20s.

When his mother died, she left Dean and his father with quite a sum of money. When Dean's father died, he left Dean with quite a sum of money. He's able to live off of this quote comfortably.

Before all of this, before his mother's death, Dean became fascinated with photography. He started taking pictures of almost everything; anything that looked special, or 'cool', or interesting, Dean was there to snap a photo. At first, he was using his parent's Polaroid camera. Then, on his 11th birthday, he was gifted with a digital camera. He was excited because it meant higher-quality pictures. He continued to take pictures of almost everything, sometimes distance pictures of people. Yet, he had a modicum of decency. Before he took close-ups of people, he'd always ask permission but told them to continue doing what they were doing before he bothered them, telling them to pretend he wasn't there. Then he'd find the Perfect Moment™. He didn't always know what it would be, but he'd recognize it when it happened. Sometimes he'd wait for hours before finally snapping a photo.

He became better and better at finding the Perfect Moment™ for pictures. Even with intimate objects, he'd manage to find that moment.

He managed to start selling his pictures to major magazines like National Geographic, Science, Popular Mechanics, and Entertainment Weekly. He became an international name in the world of photography because he didn't photograph just one type of theme, he took pictures of everything; from a picture of a crack in the sidewalk to pictures of war. He became a multiple-award winner for photography, which led to corporate entities hiring him to take specific photographs. He was paid handsomely for his work.

This money, along with the life insurance his mother and father left him, has just allowed Dean to keep up his lavish lifestyle.

Dean is non-monogamous. He's afraid of commitment. He rarely opens up about his emotions. He's been in a couple of relationships that turned abusive and toxic, with himself as the victim, and sometimes the perpetrator. It was enough for him to swear off actual relationships because he didn't believe they worked out. He believed people in relationships were fooling themselves and each other.

He participates in one-night stands, threesomes, and multiple dating partners, where sometimes he makes the 'mistake' of setting up dates at the same time on the same day. Which has led to some not-so-surprising moments. If he hears the word "love," he panics and ghosts the person.

He's also quite a dick. It's speculated that his poor life growing up, his father's alcoholism, the cancer, his mother dying from it, and a few other unnamed reasons, have turned him into an asshole.

But he has managed to make some friends and have them become friends with benefits. That's the height of his emotional commitment. But even the few friends he has don't know much, because he never opens up. He has built a wall around him out of tempered steel which is six inches thick, which would take a pair of metal clippers, a jackhammer, an ice pick, and a blowtorch to even crack it open.

No one has ever stuck around long enough to try to break through. (And why would they? He's a jerk.) They give up before they've even gotten started. It would take the patience of a saint to break through his barrier.

The only people who know the most about him are the higher-ups at NyteHavyn Castle. And that's about it.

Dean is a dick, but it seems to be a defense mechanism, to keep him from getting emotionally involved with anybody, although he can be quite romantic. But he has difficulty showing his romantic side to anybody because he doesn't want to be seen as weak. He wants to believe in love, but he's scared to. If and when he feels himself becoming emotionally attached to someone, he will distance himself, pushing down his emotions into the holes left in his heart from before. The truth of the matter is that Dean doesn't believe he deserves love or is worthy of it.

But how he would find so much joy to have someone or someones, actually love him for him, who have the patience to break through. He has yet to find those people.

He's easygoing, and snarky, but hides his kind nature. He can be manipulative and calculating. He hates himself, but no one knows. He hates being vulnerable because he believes this also makes him weak.

Dean has all but lost hope that he'll ever actually find love. So, Dean is emotionally unavailable. You want a hookup? A friend with benefits? Non-commital booty call relationship? Dean's your guy.

But don't tell him you love him, you'll send him running off in the opposite direction.

Also, Dean has a sister he was never told about and doesn't know about.

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group L Round 2: #L1 vs #L2

#L1: Normal Girl™ accidentally joins Kansai’s biggest criminals

#L2: Girl turns into a tanuki and learns about racism

Details and poll under the cut!

#L1: Akudama Drive

Summary:

After the fall-out of a war between the Kanto and Kansai regions of Japan, citizens of Kansai now live in a dystopia. Criminals are bigger and badder than before, resulting in a specialized Execution Division rising to combat these ‘Akudama.’

An ordinary person accidentally wedges herself into the midst of a gang of the worst of the worst, and now she’s on the run with Kansai’s top Akudama to fulfill a cryptic mission. Her goal was to get back to her normal life, but one thing leads to another and she gets trapped, bound by her sense of morals to stick with her terrible team.

The team in question consists of a Brawler with a need to find the toughest opponent to fight, a Doctor who toys with lives, a Hacker who has run out of games to play, a Courier who always gets the job done, a Cutthroat with a kill count of 999 bodies, and a Hoodlum who was set for a prison sentence of 5 years. Joining them is the Black Cat, their mysterious recruiter, who promises great wealth to the Akudama.

Propaganda:

Akudama Drive is an anime produced by a video game company, and it’s amazingly a single standalone piece, unlike their other projects. The three people who lead the creation of the Danganronpa series (character designer, story writer, and music composer) came together and produced something so different from their usual pattern and it pays off.

The character designs are so fun, the music vibes hard, and the story is better than anything seen in DR before since (no offense meant) the cast all get fleshed out as individuals beyond a single trope. Everyone is depicted as morally grey, and it’s such a fun experience to watch the madness break out and root for the bad guys or the bad guys.

Every scene is so pretty, and you can see the color theory SLAPPING THE SCREEN, it’s so pleasing to look at. The voice acting is also top tier! The character evolution can literally be heard in the voices 🛐 The anime is a fun show with cool stunts and epic battles, but it’s still got some interesting social commentary if you’re the type that loves dissecting that madness. There’s a little something for everyone!

Trigger Warnings: Child Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore, Rape/Non-Con, Self-Harm, Constant Flashing Lights and Screaming

#L2: BNA: Brand New Animal

Summary:

Throughout history, humans have been at odds with Beastmen—a species capable of changing shape due to their genetic "Beast Factor." Because of this conflict, Beastmen have been forced into hiding. Anima City serves as a safe haven for these oppressed individuals to live free from human interference.

During a festival celebrating the town's 10th anniversary, Michiru Kagemori, a human who suddenly turned into a tanuki, finds that Anima City is a far cry from paradise. After witnessing an explosion in the square, she is confronted by Shirou Ogami, a seemingly indestructible wolf and sworn protector of all Beastmen. As they pursue the criminals behind the bombing, the two discover that Michiru is anything but an ordinary Beastman, and look to investigate her mysterious past and uncanny abilities. Could she turn out to be the missing link between Humans and Beastmen?

Propaganda:

This is one of the first few anime I watched when I was getting into it, so I'm rather fond of it. Though the show is only one season, overall it's pretty solid and ties everything together at the end. I also really like how they utilize color in the animation (it especially makes fight scenes more interesting to watch). The worldbuilding they have with the beastmen is pretty neat as well. This anime is good if you're looking for something quick to watch.

Trigger Warnings: There is some violence, and since the characters are animals, that may fall under animal cruelty. There are a few parts in the show where the colors get pretty intense, so that could be considered flashing lights. There is racism, as the beastmen are discriminated against by humans.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[s0ckpupp3t]

i just ran the most wonderfully chaotic dnd session yet, and i had the time of my fucking life.

for context, my party consists of;

a genderfluid purple monkey, who is known to eat things they don't need to be eating, such as suspicious fruit and extraterrestrial grass. they have a flying drink mixer named chauncey, and they pamper the hell out of that little guy.

their college roommate, a dragonborn who's best known for sarcasm and rolling 0's on wisdom saves. he is the reason the captain hates caramelized onions. aj you know what you fucking did.

the second dragonborn that the monkey adopted (an npc of mine), who is a dumb-as-rocks barbarian who hates shirts (stereotype-y, i know, but i love her)(and she's a lizard there are no drag-iddies), who has a crush on the other dragonborn and also the party's fairy.

the party's fairy, who has a thing for *both* of the dragonborns and is a terrible, awful, no good, very bad liar. fortunately for her, both the dragonborns are stupid. the monkey is aware of all of this, and they are loving it.

a warforged pirate who's been blown up a couple of times and uses his own skull from his original body as a puppet. his voice is that of skeletor.

the captain, a tall, pretty, stern elf woman with severe mommy issues and a hatred of caramelized onions. her and the fairy are the only two with positive modifiers on wisdom. (also npc)

the warlock, with a tome familiar whose only expression is casual contempt. he is down-bad for the captain lady with mommy issues.

and, starting this session;

a lore bard who they found in a random dark cave, singing about the most famous war of their home planet. they had been on a spelljammer for about a month.

last session, my party came to a cave with a stone barrier covering the entrance, with a riddle etched into it. around that cave, there were two trees at the entrance and a large pool of water, surrounded by a carpet of yellow flowers. the answer to the riddle was "reflection," and they figured out that if they passed a perceppies check on the pool, they would see a young man's reflection staring at them from the surface of the water. if they knew his name, the cave would open.

that young man's name was Narcissus.

long story short, my party solved several more riddles and ended the session about to crawl into a dark tunnel.

they started the game by doing so and falling down into a dark room, where they met our newest character. the barbarian did not trust him immediately because the first emotion he made her feel was sad. she lightened up quickly, and so did the rest of the party when they faced a couple of salamanders together, after the purple girlboy threw open a set of doors without care immediately got grappled and restrained

who they found at the end of it all? was, of course, Echo. a heartbroken shell of a girl, who nobody could understand because she had no voice until one was given to her. they earned her trust by first, feeding her, and communicating with her via telepathy. she was finally understood and sobbed, and they all made a new friend, and it was beautifully heart-wrenching.

however, she was literally in love with the og narcissist™

and her new friends had some hell to pay.

so, when they left the cave, they made a stop by the pond again. and the two dragonborns launched girlboy into they air to do a mega cannonball into the lake, to ruin his day. upon helping them out, the college roommate goes "oops" and drops a bottle of ink into the lake. and then. stands up, straightens out.

whips out his dragon dick and starts pissing in the lake, flipping the bird. while Narcissus cusses him out. with a shit-eating grin the whole time.

i, jokingly, amazingly, say,

"roll for dick size."

he does so. 1d6 + CON modifier

he rolls a 9.

the fairy and the barb lose their shit in silent, desperate rage. both of them, stupid. both of them, useless.

everyone else just regards him with a silent respect. however, the former two are unable to form words for the rest of the walk back to town.

the bard started singing, "the dragonborn comes"

and the pool was referred to as "the puddle of Narpissus"

the words "roll me pissuasion," were uttered

we were on fire with the stupid jokes, and we laughed until our ribs hurt and we couldn't breathe together.

it was unanimously voted as my best session so far, and this is my first time running a campaign.

anyways i would kill for my friends in a heartbeat love my friends a normal amount

[mkstrigidae]

hi! ive been in my feels lately and decided to finally read apwh for the first time, and it struck just how tragic the situation is, especially the jonsa side of it, no matter what there will always be moments in which jon is more of a brother to sansa’s siblings than she is, simply because of their upbringing. not that they wont be close, but the bonds formed in childhood might not be possible to replicate in adulthood. this might not be the ending you were thinking lol, i was simply feeling pessimistic and thinking about this fic.

lots of love this is an amazingly fleshed out story

It is an absolute nightmare scenario, honestly haha. Like, you're absolutely right about that missing time and those experiential gaps- I've been thinking about that a lot lately. There's just so much that was taken from Sansa, but she's also got this whole other life that happened outside of the Winterfell Bubble™ and a whole other set of experiences. Like, you're definitely right in that Jon is more of a sibling in some ways than Sansa is to the rest of the Starks, and that has the potential to cause some friction.

It's a hard thing to reconcile, I think, when there are so many things from Sansa's life so far that she would never trade in, like Robin and Mya, but she also hasn't quite grasped just how much she missed out on. There's a sort of 'stages of grief' period she's got to hit at some point, but she's kind of still in denial about a lot of things right now as a sort of mental defense mechanism. At some point, that grief and anger at what she's been denied are going to hit, and, uh, it's probably not going to be pretty.

That being said, there's an experience of living as Sansa that the rest of the Starks can't necessarily relate to- of essentially living as a normal person in a world where everyone knows who the Starks are and people regularly recognize them and there's the whole media thing, and the old money thing. It's another part of her life that she kind of has to mourn at some point, and there are going to be complicated feelings about the whole thing. Her life has been difficult in a lot of respects, but there are a whole bunch of things that I think Sansa wouldn't trade for anything.

Thank you so much for such a lovely ask!!! I always love hearing people's analysis of the story and their takes on all the wild plotlines/emotional ramifications flying all over the story haha 🥰🥰🥰

[pseudonymphomania]

IM HERE!! OOGA BOOGA.

Remember me? You better still have that promise tucked away in your pocket! Cuz I’m here to dump a Mammon-load-‘a-trouble! (Ideas)

Okay. But first, a little bit of back story.

At first when I played the first game, I was really just playing for self interest (and I was bored). I really started to get attached to Lucifer but then I saw the relationship between Luci and Dia and was like- “OH THESE BITCHES FUCKIN’!” (That’s literally why I’m only playing the game. To see these two love birds interact (and possibly uncover a little more of their backstory piece by piece.)

Anyway. Back to the main point ig.

So. The main idea that comes to my mind with these two is just… lingerie. Lucifer wearing lingerie to ‘impress’ or ‘seduce’ Dia is just SO gold. Also Dia trying to fit into lingerie but it just ends up tearing and is absolutely hilarious. I love home boy sm oml.

The second idea would probs be something like- “Stressful day? Leave it to Dia! He’ll make is somehow worse by trying to cheer you up!” Which is so cannon in my opinion- bc I’m still remembering the pillow fight scene from early in the game lmao.

The last idea is probably gonna go with Lucifer slander. The brothers teasing Luci about how Luci and Dia never leave each other’s side and are always near each other is golden in my opinion.

Anyway. That’s pretty much a more tame version of my thoughts (and so much less in numbers). I hope to read more of your AMAZINGLY CRAFTED fanworks in the very near future! Kudos to you, from the DiaLuci community 💙❤️

Ahoy there fellow shipper!

I'm so happy you found me here because I am also full of shenanigans and I loved reading yours!

While I did start playing to experience that chuunibyou part of my life again and be a nonbinary character in an otome (interesting concept), I ALSO play the game mainly to see these guys interact. This ship can fit into so many situations™ and I have no trouble writing or drawing them in any AUs with their silly dynamic. To this day, nothing beats The Glory Days Lucifer UR card. I based so much of my work off of it. I hope that the devs can keep feeding us in the future ❤️

Lingerie: ooh! Funny story, I have DiaLuci go to the sex shop in Chapter 16 in "Self Control" (Dia goes a lil nuts buying random stuff), and it becomes thematically relevant again in the sequel "The Sex Shop". I do a callback to Lucifer sarcastically noting how the panties cover nothing and "what's the point?" I characterise him as a pragmatic being so I wanted him to be the foil to Diavolo's silliness (Chapter 13 TSS). I started out writing these for smut purposes, but I just couldn't let the possibilities go to waste; that's why SC and TSS both go into very emotional territory and are very plotful because i wanted them to be together in all ways (from love, friendship, lust, not necessarily in that order). They were meant to be together the moment Dia rearranged Lucifers mind via their first meeting (Dia gets to rearrange more than that in the far future after their thousands of years of slowburn ohoho). I write these bitches as switches so ofc they both get to experience the fun things. I may draw the lingerie but I also have part 3 of The Self Control Saga where I can go into it because part 3 is my Kinktober offerings.

Dia making everything better™ is the best thing ever. This absolute bafoon of a prince presses a mystery button just for the lulz and stops time. Canonically, he's too silly for his own good and i swear Lucifer gets more grey hairs dealing with all the shenanigans. (Dia finds his greys mad sexy though so maybe he's doing it on purpose)

Re: the brothers. I think you would enjoy reading chapter 2 of "Lucifer's Socks and Other Goofy Stories". I will get them to poke at the relationship somehow in one of my stories but I haven't found a thematically relevant place to put that yet :D

Thank you for enjoying my shenanigans. Feel free to throw more thoughts at me! NSFW is the name of the game but tell me you wouldn't enjoy the fluff just as much! :))

🖤❤

[copics-and-renegades]

Whumptober 2022 Day 15: Emotional Damage

When you could have something like an ally, but the both of you are dysfunctional messes.

---

You know, I’ve been pondering for a long time how Yuan and Botta respectively would vibe with the party if they had the time to engage in more casual conversations, and I decided that while Botta would hit it off AMAZINGLY with Colette, MUCH to his own disturbance (”I’m feeling extremely awkward having this conversation right now, given that I don’t normally talk to the people I’ve tried to kill at some point. Because - and yes, it is really as weird to say as it sounds - I’m actually very good at this kind of thing...” - “Oh, don’t worry about it! Most of my friends tried to kill me at some point, you know! :D” - “This... is horrible and doesn’t make me feel better at all...”), he’d CLASH with Zelos and CLASH ugly.

I think everything about Zelos’ manners and personality, the truth and the acting, grates on Botta’s nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Conversely, Zelos just starts seething whenever Botta does this “haha I don’t care what happens to me, all that matters is the endgame”. Maybe because he thinks it’s admirable and he HATES that, probably more because he can clock it as dishonest because NOBODY is fully selfless and claiming so is SUCH A LIE and so Zelos (internally?) flies off the handle like HE IS SUCH A LIAR WHY IS HE ALWAYS LYING WHY IS HE ALWAYS SO HIGH AND MIGHTY WITH HIS GODDAMN LYING RAAAAAAH.

Also, but this is just my personal headcanon to amuse myself, I like to think Zelos did his whole “honey~” spiel on him whenever they had briefings about that little. spying. thing. And while he didn’t even bat an eye, the instance he’s alone (or with Yuan), Botta was just yelling at the skies like “I WANT TO KILL HIM WHY CAN’T I FUCKING KILL HIM HE’S SO ANNOYING HOW CAN A PERSON BE SO ANNOYING”.

Just. Clashing personalities and a tendency to play up whatever the respective other hates the most about them.

So I came up with this scenario - and yes, I’m rambling for ages - this scenario here, where idk they’re both involved in some spying / infiltration / double-agent-ing thingie, maybe for the same thing or maybe for something that at least doesn’t directly oppose one another. And Botta is in a shitty position where he’s somewhere deeeeeeep down on the foodchain and he has to just. bear. with whatever is handed to him.

So it’s like. Did he get slapped around? Get called a slur? Had his drink spilled on him? Did someone maybe just outright spit into his face? Whatever happened, there’s really nothing he can do about it but breathe and take it, and he’s still keeping that “wow good thing nothing anyone can do to my body will ever get to my psyche and also I’m so goddamn selfless and mission-focussed I don’t actually care, I’m fucking amazing :D” face up on the outside, for the sake of his task and also because he’s a bit of a pompous, arrogant ass. But Zelos is looking right through him because Zelos likes NOTHING more than to get into endless “Pot - Kettle” discussions with unwilling participants - see him and Kratos lmao - and so Zelos tries to reach out in his insufferable, dysfunctional, extremely grating Zelos Way™ to get him to FINALLY STOP LYING TO HIMSELF AND OTHERS GODDAMMIT and maybe idk share the burden in a way.

And Botta’s urge to push him down the stairs is just ever rising, rising, rising.

/ramble

[looye29]

Product Name: LeptiTrim Special Offer [ad_1] Click here to get LeptiTrim Special Offer at discounted price while it's still available... All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. LeptiTrim Special Offer is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked. Description: Although this photo with my newborn twins and loving husband   of 8 years - was - at the time - one of the happiest and most fulfilling moments in my entire life - it was also - unfortunately - the start of a weight gain nightmare that crippled my physical and mental health, self-confidence, and energy - to the point where friends I'd run into that I hadn't seen in years didn't even recognize me! And although those painful memories are difficult and humiliating for me to tell - I thank God each and every morning for what happened next. Because what happened next led me to a weight loss journey - that I believe not only changed my life - but I believe it could very well change millions of other women's as well - and hopefully - even your own. I feel better than I did when I was 20 - and my sexual health - well… let's just say that little secret stays in the bedroom. All of this - while still being able to enjoy all of my favourite foods like chocolate and pasta - and even share a romantic bottle of wine with my husband on our date nights. And most importantly - this simple, natural exotic mixture - that only takes 30 seconds a day to implement - helped me support my mental health, confidence, energy - and with god's help - gave me the strength and courage to save my marriage to my loving and supporting husband Matthew - and be the mother that I always dreamed about being - one that my children can proudly look up to - and can count on for many more years to come. And as unbelievable as my journey still feels to me - it all comes back to a 30 second morning exotic mixture that I was so blessed and forever grateful to have discovered from a very unexpected source. And as you'll soon learn - I'm here today not only because of the personal responsibility and desire I have to share this with each and every woman who is struggling with excess weight - but also to fulfill a special promise I made to the very person who revealed this discovery to me.  Listen - before we go any further - let me assure you this has nothing to do with pre-packaged diets, weird berry bills, silly exercise machines, or any other fad the diet industry is trying to advertise to us women. And more importantly - it's definitely not about starvation diets and excessive exercise - which, from my experience, will inevitably drive you into emotional distress -  leading to binge eating, adrenal fatigue, digestive issues, metabolic damage and other eating disorders. This is something completely different than anything you've ever seen before. However - this does have to do with how this simple and completely natural exotic mixture - helps trigger an amazingly powerful - yet virtually dormant metabolism boosting hormone in the female body that controls almost everything to do with fat-burning for women. Which I know may sound far fetched for you - but I promise it's not - so just keep watching. What's even more unbelievable is that this very hormone that lies virtually dormant in your body - is the very reason why when you were an adolescent you could eat almost anything you wanted to - yet were slender and lean - with seemingly endless amounts of youthful energy. The common mainstream diets and exercise fads followed by millions of women today - may actually be blocking this dormant hormone's effectiveness that much more. Simply put - this dormant hormone may be the root cause of our struggle with our weight.

And when we don't activate and restore our bodies ability to use it  - then losing weight can seem impossible no matter what you eat or how many endless hours of exercise you do - as I know all too well. Hello, I'm so glad you're still here with me. My name is Nubbia Stirling   - and what you may not believe to be true is that for years before the birth of my twins - and my rapid weight gain - was that I was a published fitness model, personal trainer and coach for many years. So, yeah, talk about an embarrassing fall from Grace. And even more so - my loving husband Matthew - was a professional bodybuilder with a long list of nutrition and exercise credentials. We always believed that weight gain was only associated with eating too much and exercising too little. And when my weight gain struggles began - we were both in utter disbelief that what always worked for me before - seemed to be making everything even worse now. However, what we didn't know - and what I'll be sharing with you in the next few moments - is that for women - once we get above our late teens to early 20's - is that eating too little - and exercising too much - not only doesn't address the true root cause of our weight gain - it can make it even worse And what lead us to this? I'm not sure if it was fate - our prayers - or just plain good old luck. But just as I started to accept that I would never be skinny or fit ever again - my husband Matthew accepted a new position as an influencer manager at a nutrition company - and at that very company - he met his new co-worker who opened up our eyes to the drop dead simple and incredible fat-burning discovery for women that changed our lives forever.     His name is Dr. David Gundermann   - and beyond holding a PHD in Nutrition and Metabolism from the University of Texas Medical Branch - a Masters in Human Performance from the University of Florida As I mentioned earlier - my weight gain struggles were impacting much more than just my health & wellness In-fact, they were also destroying our marriage. And even though I knew that my husband loved me for who I am on the inside - and not what I look like on the outside - I knew deep down that my lack of energy to even go outside with him for a romantic hand-holding walk - or my lack of confidence to even cuddle up with him while we watched our favourite tv shows - and every other crummy side effect that was a consequence from my struggles with my weight - was in so many ways - literally tearing our marriage apart - and I felt so guilty deep down inside of me because of it. And then one sunny summer day, it happened - I hit rock bottom. That morning, while getting ready for the day- and discovering yet another pair of pants were fitting a little too tight - I decided to face the truth and see where my weight was at. I instantly felt an overwhelming feeling rush over me when I stepped on the scale and it read an all time high of .. ready for it? 181 pounds. One hundred and eighty-one pounds. I was at a loss for words. Here I was doing everything I thought was right - yet I just passed the 180 pound mark! I knew what I was doing something wrong I had to get this unhealthy and life-draining weight off at all costs before it had gone too far! The next day, my husband was explaining my situation to his co-worker, Dr. Gundermann After lunch, Dr. Gundermann pulled Matthew aside. He wanted to know more. Matthew explained everything to Dr. Gundermnan. He let him know that I was doing everything I knew about diet and exercise. I was weighing my bland and boring food. I was spending hours on the treadmill. Yet absolutely nothing seemed to be working. As Matthew would later explain to me - It was like a light bulb went off inside of Dr. Gundermann's head. He looked at Matthew, put his hand on his shoulder, smiled, and said "let Nubbia know that her struggles with her weight, well… tell her not to be so hard on herself - It's not her fault." Now listen closely and stay with me - because this is the most important part of the presentation.

"Matthew, the science is as clear and undeniable as it gets. There is one hormone that controls almost everything to do with fat burning for women - Leptin. You may not know exactly what leptin is or how it works - so let me quickly explain. Leptin is a naturally occurring hormone made by our fat cells - that signals our brain to increase thyroid hormone production and our metabolic rate. It also curbs our appetite - and keeps us from overeating by telling our brain that our body is full. Simply put - high levels of leptin speed up your metabolism, keeps you active, and signals your body to burn fat - while low levels of leptin - slow down your metabolism, preserves energy and signals your body to eat more food.    Now get ready for the true reasons that men and women burn fat very differently. Researchers recently discovered that women naturally have up to twice as much leptin in their bodies, compared to men. At first glance, that may sound great. However, it's not - and here's why. Women can be up to three times less responsive to leptin than men are. Basically, women's brains are numb to leptin's signal. True, they have an abundance of it - but they're not using it for its fat-burning potential. Which leads me directly to the second unique reason your wife's current strategy to burning fat and keeping it off - is so tough to sustain You see, popular mainstream diet and exercise plans - like the one she's following - are designed with calorie suggestions that are too low - and cardio durations that are too long. And what that means is that whatever fat-burning potential she had at first - would then be cut in half after the first week of diet and exercise - and if she continues - it gets even worse each and every day that goes by. Which is exactly why so many women experience frustrating weight loss plateaus. And it's also the reason why so many women experience a weight gain rebound once they've stopped their diet. You may have heard of it referred to as the Yo-Yo effect. Your weight starts to go down - and then it goes back up even quicker than it came off. And Matthew, in your wife's case - it's likely her metabolism is now slower than when she started trying to lose the weight - resulting in all of this excess fat she's gained - even though she's basically starving herself on nothing but salads. So to quickly recap Matthew. Unique problem #1 women face when trying to burn off fat is their fat burning switch turned off. Unique problem #2 women face is that they follow popular mainstream diet and exercise programs that aren't geared towards their needs, abilities and limitations. These two unique problems create a never-ending downward spiral that becomes nearly impossible to break. Are you beginning to see why burning fat - and keeping it off - is such a struggle for your wife, and millions of women just like her? It doesn't matter how much motivation and drive she tries to have to move more and eat less - her brain is literally telling her to do less and eat more. And if you're wondering why women are genetically predisposed to leptin resistance - here's why. Evolution has made it much more difficult for women to burn fat by keeping the leptin signal less efficient in order to allow the weight-gaining demands of childbearing and child nurturing. Their DNA is simply hard-wired to carry extra body fat to provide stored energy and warmth to ensure protection and survival of their offspring.    Plain and simple - evolution doesn't care about a woman's desire to fit into those old skinny jeans from high school - it has other plans. And if you're wondering what happens to women's leptin issues after pregnancy - like your wife's after her recent birth of your twins - well, the bad news is they get a lot worse - which is why losing that baby weight has been a struggle for millions upon millions of other women. A woman's brain is literally hard-wired to tell them to move less and eat more - like those late night junk food cravings your wife struggled with that you were telling me about earlier.

   Yet, this is where everything gets really interesting. Remember earlier I mentioned how women have roughly twice as much leptin as a man? That means women already naturally possess so much more fat-burning potential. It's already within them - just waiting to be let loose -and rev up their metabolisms. And the good news, Matthew??? I know exactly how to make that happen. It was then that Dr. Gundermann discretely took my husband into his office - pulled out a dusty red file folder from the back of his cabinet - and handed it to him. He instructed Matthew that inside this file was research that he uncovered   while finishing his doctorate at the University of Texas Medical Branch. And within it - contained a list of various nutrients and the amazing fat-burning potential that happens when combining them together in the correct amounts - first thing in the morning - something he referred to as nutritional synergy. Dr Gundermann instructed Matthew that he was not to share these secrets with anyone but me because he was bound in legal non-disclosure agreements - and if this information leaked to the public - he could not only lose his job - but also be liable for financial damages and more than likely would have to spend the next few years fighting off high priced corporate lawyers - that would inevitably take everything he had.    He made Matthew promise on his life though - that once his non-disclosure agreement expired - that we had to share this confidential information with as many women as we could - because just like Matthew - Dr. Gundermann also had loved ones in his life that possibly dealt with consequences of leptin resistance - and he felt it was his duty to get this fat-burning knowledge out to all the women who needed it the most. And thankfully for you - that time is now. That night Matthew rushed into our front door with that red file folder clenched tightly in his hand. Sat me down at our dining room table. Gave me a kiss - and continued to tell me everything I needed to know about leptin and leptin insensitivity. And although it almost seemed to good to be true - which left my body as I could only believe that our prayers were finally answered. We opened up the file folder. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of pages of scientific literature, charts, & graphs. It looked as though this was someones entire life's work. The fat-burning solution was staring right back in front of me. It was titled "leptitrim." The first ingredient on the list was surprisingly one of my favourite spices - cinnamon. Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants, - which you now know helps support leptin levels in already normal ranges. The second fat-burning ingredient - is a plant compound found in green tea - EGCG. And if you enjoy a cup of coffee or tea, then that's wonderful news because EGCG burns fat even faster when it's combined with caffeine. However, one of the greatest attributes of all is its ability to work synergistically to support nutrient efficiency     in all of the ingredients found on Dr. Gundermanns list. However, the next ingredient on the list looked almost too good to be true.  It supports leptin - and starts working almost immediately. It's mango seed extract of the West African plant, Irvingia gabonesis. So to quickly recap - the three ingredients so far to help support  leptin levels and begin to incinerate body fat on Dr. Gundermann's list were…. Cinnamon, EGCG, and Irvingia Gabonesis. Now, Dr. Gundermann noted that these ingredients alone would be enough to begin seeing some significant fat burning results. Yet, with all of his years studying metabolic processes and pathways - he knew that there were a few more ingredients that could really help today's woman be that much more successful on their weight loss journey. That's why he also recommended Inulin - an exotic soluble fibre extracted from the chicory plant root - that helps switch off cravings for high calorie foods - so you can stop those late night snack attacks dead in their tracks.

Along with oat fibre to help hydrate and support gut health - so when you do have the occasional sugary snack - you don't end up feeling gross and bloated. He also listed a healthy variety of antioxidant fruit and berry powders - strawberry, raspberry, black currant, blueberry, cranberry, grape seed and pomegranate - that when combined together - provide an energy boost from their vitamins and minerals to help you take on the day at full strength. My husband and I looked at each other - the science was sound - everything we just read and analyzed thoroughly - although not like anything we've tried so far - made complete sense. It honestly sounded almost too good to be true - but we were both confident that this was the solution to my seemingly never ending weight loss struggles. After all, this natural exotic drink mix - is backed by science to help you incinerate body fat - all while nourishing my body, reducing cravings, and catapulting my energy levels. I'll admit, even though the science behind Dr. Gudnermann's formula was as credible as it gets - I was still a little skeptical - after all - I had tried so many other solutions yet nothing had worked. Yet, after just a few weeks, I was amazed. I was already feeling vibrant and full of energy and full of hope. For the very first time in years - I felt great. I continued taking Dr. Gundermann's leptitrim formula each and every morning as soon as I got out of bed - and over the next few weeks I kept noticing a big difference in not just how I felt - but how I looked. My energy was through the roof. I was waking up and whipping up breakfast before my husband and the kids even got out of bed. I was flooded with all day energy. And although I hadn't yet stepped on the scale - I knew the weight was coming off as all of my clothes began to look baggy in the mirror. Instead of wanting to hide from the world - or wearing baggy clothes that covered up my belly - I was full of excitement - grinning from ear to ear - even wearing a bikini to the beach in the first time in years. And not only did I have the body I laid in bed and dreamed about having - I also had my marriage back. Mathew and I started going on dates every weekend. We watched movies together. We snuggled up on the couch in each others arms every night. And even though I knew he loved me with all of his heart - it was the first time in what seemed like forever that my confidence let me really feel it. My heart was full once again. And of course, the spice in our marriage was finally back - and trust me - that flame is still burning strong to this day.. That's why I thank my lucky stars that I came across Dr. Gundermann's research. And that's exactly why I'm so excited for you to be here today. I'm honored to unveil to you the future of female fat loss - leptitrim. This solution, specifically for women looking to drop unwanted body fat, will work for you even if you have terrible genetics, a painfully slow metabolism, or if you're convinced you've tried everything else - and nothing has worked. leptitrim is the only product in the world that contains the 26 unique and highly concentrated polyphenols. There's simply never been anything like leptitrim in the history of women' weight loss. Simply mix one scoop of instant dissolving - and absolutely delicious leptitrim - first thing in the morning in either water, juice, or even into a fruit smoothie - and let science do the rest. It's also important to know that the scientifically backed ingredients     in leptitrim are extracted from completely common, natural, and recognizable botanicals. Instead of obscure, hard to pronounce, and potentially dangerous chemicals - that you find in so many mainstream fat-burning supplements you find on the shelf at many big box retailers. Imagine, what would it feel like to stop wasting your time and money over and over again on so-called weight loss solutions that aren't truly effective for a woman? I know what it felt like for me. It felt like a gift from above.

Now, It would be totally normal to expect a solution that provides such drastic results to be a considerable investment. Well, breathe a breath of fresh air and relax because I want you to experience all of this for nowhere near what you're thinking - or what you'd happily pay. I simply refuse to let price be a barrier for you to get started today. The last thing I want for you is to experience the physical and mental anguish that I went through when I suffered for so long. I don't want you, your loved ones, or any other woman to needlessly suffer any longer the way I did. I've been blessed by finding Dr. Gundermann's leptitrim formula. The promise I made to him to share his fat-burning discovery - is the reason why that all I care about is getting it into the hundreds - or possibly even tens of thousands of other women who need it the most. Now I know we agree that this is an unbeatable offer and I understand if you're anxious to get started right away. So, provided that leptitrim I still in stock, you should see a table appear below this video with three money saving options for you to choose from. If you don't see it, that means we've temporarily sold out, in which case you can contact our customer service department and they'll be happy to add you to our backorder notification list.      However, if you do see those 3 options below, make sure to secure your order today while we still have availability and are able to offer the current pricing. Here's exactly what to do. For fastest service - simply choose your money savings package below this video - and then click the add to cart button to reserve your discounted order of leptitrim - and proceed to our 246 secure order page. And don't worry, your order information is 100% safe and secure. We use the same online security system as trusted companies like amazon.com Next, fill in your order information and confirm your order, and our team will get your package ready and ship directly to your door right away. And hey, if you're still feeling a little hesitant, I totally get that. After all, that's how I felt before leptitrim solved my struggle with my weight. However, because I know you'll see life changing results. I'm not just promising them - I'm guaranteeing them. Today's offer is fully covered by my 60 day 100% satisfaction guarantee - making this an absolute no Brainer for you. If you're not successful in achieving the results you want - no problem! Just send my easy to reach team an email in the next 60 days and we'll give you your money back - no questions asked - no hard feelings. You have two full months to test drive this drop dead simple solution for your metabolism, your digestion, your confidence, and for restoring your youthful energy. Safe product. Safe purchase. There's simply no risk. It's time to select your money savings package below and to experience firsthand everything I've talked about 100% risk free today. It's risk free, and worry free. Select your money saving package below right now and don't waste another minute. This is a special offer, on that won't be around forever. Do not take the chance of coming back later only to find that it's too late. Take this opportunity to experience what might be the most dramatic fat-loss of your life. Make today the day that it all started. You're clearly ready - why wait another minute? Take advantage of this limited time offer now - it might just be the single best opportunity you'll ever have!So select your money saving package below and then click the link to secure your discounted purchase of LeptiTrim today, and let's get going. Terms of Use | Disclaimers | Privacy Policy | Shipping & Return PolicyDisclaimer: The website's content and the product for sale is based upon the author's opinion and is provided solely on an "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" basis. You should do your own research and confirm the information with other sources when searching for information regarding health issues and always review the

information carefully with your professional health care provider before using any of the protocols presented on this website and/or in the product sold here. Neither ClickBank nor the author are engaged in rendering medical or similar professional services or advice via this website or in the product, and the information provided is not intended to replace medical advice offered by a physician or other licensed healthcare provider. You should not construe ClickBank's sale of this product as an endorsement by ClickBank of the views expressed herein, or any warranty or guarantee of any strategy, recommendation, treatment, action, or application of advice made by the author of the product. Testimonials, case studies, and examples found on this page are results that have been forwarded to us by users of "Enter Product Name" products and related products are not intended to represent or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. +For maximum results, combine LeptiTrim with a healthy calorie reduced diet and regular exercise to help manage weight and avoid storing body fat.We’re confident that you’ll love LeptiTrim but if you’re not completely satisfied for any reason, keep your opened bottle of LeptiTrim and return the rest of your unopened LeptiTrim bottle(s) within 60 days of purchase for a full refund minus shipping and handling. Return shipping is the responsibility of the customer. Contact our Customer Support team for more information and return instructions. Special offers are not valid on previous purchases and can not be combined with other offers or discounts.ClickBank is the retailer of products on this site. CLICKBANK® is a registered trademark of Click Sales, Inc., a Delaware corporation located at 1444 S. Entertainment Ave., Suite 410 Boise, ID 83709, USA and used by permission. ClickBank's role as retailer does not constitute an endorsement, approval or review of these products or any claim, statement or opinion used in promotion of these products.*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. [ad_2] Click here to get LeptiTrim Special Offer at discounted price while it's still available... All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. LeptiTrim Special Offer is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.

[chongoblog]

You’ve mentioned that the Mega Man trailer for Smash is your favorite/makes you emotional. Do you have history with Mega Man, or is it just because it’s dope as hell?

I think it was incredibly convenient timing, since I had just started getting REALLY into the early Mega Man games about a year before the trailer dropped iirc. So seeing that reveal meant a lot. I think another thing that made it Mean A Whole Lot is because Smash 4 was about when the idea of Trailer Reaction Videos started to become relevant (at least the first time in the Smash series) and seeing people become so emotional over beloved characters like that for the first time sure did make me feel something (especially since I'm suuuuuuuper empathetic)

But a lot of it IS because of how dope the trailer is. I discussed it on the stream before Sora dropped, but it's an amazingly crafted trailer. It has it all. It has the perfect mix of A) A moment where the average viewer realizes "OH SHIT ITS THEM!!!" (the helmet appearing), but also B) has enough hints that someone who REALLY loves the character will recognize them beforehand (his silhouette without the helmet), which only makes the aforementioned moment so much sweeter.

And also, like, I don't know. Just him standing there for a second, giving the audience a second to take it in as the iconic melody blares on the guitar, before he jumps away and teleports to The Screen™. It's just too perfect to feasibly put to words, and literally thinking about it gets me incredibly emotional.

The Mega Man Reveal is so fucking good.

[queer-as-used-by-tolkien]

Thoughts on The Hobbit, now that I'm slowly getting back into it

The Hobbit: There and Back Again - great story, I loved it, amazing themes and message, amazing writing and prose (I'll read Tolkien's stuff just because the way it's written is so beautiful and poetic). I've heard it called more of a fairy tale than something really serious; but taken as a children's book, it's truly amazing.

The Lord of the Rings - I read these back-to-back three times as a preteen. It's Good™. I love the world and the way the story is unapologetically a tool to convey the worldbuilding (often derailing into history and song). It's a world with atmosphere, a sense of being, a sense of reality. This is a story that makes you care about the world as much as the characters. You worry about the consequences to the world if Frodo's quest fails as much as you worry about the characters themselves. It's also a dying world; the elves are leaving, the dwarves are fading, and you mourn the passing of these cultures and civilizations.

(I have not re-read LotR in many years, so I won't comment on the story itself; likewise I barely remember the LotR movies at all.)

The Hobbit movie trilogy - violates canon; both in facts and what the book is really about. However, the story it does tell is great. I'd call it professional fanfiction or a straight-up adaptation, undeservedly given canon status a lot of the time but without question very good and its fame is well-earned. The movies (this includes LotR) add several new dimensions to the atmosphere and vibe of Tolkien's work, new angles for appreciation and understanding, like all good fanfiction does.

An Unexpected Journey - OH MAN THE FEELS ALKSDFALKSDF. This movie is 11/10, REALLY well done, I love the attention to detail (adding personalities and histories to the rest of the dwarves?? YES). The character development of both Thorin and Bilbo specifically is a gem. The story's themes are spelled out and fulfilled amazingly well (better than in the book). This movie does well as a standalone.

Desolation of Smaug - honestly felt rather like an interim between the first and third movies; not much character progression, felt like unnecessarily long set-up/transition to BoFA.

Battle of the Five Armies - an absolutely STUNNING sequel to An Unexpected Journey in terms of both plot and character development. Would make me cry if I was the type to cry, definitely makes me feel deep emotions. 9/10 - truly amazing (but not quite as great as Unexpected Journey)

These comments from YouTube perfectly illustrate how (and why?) I feel about the Hobbit and Thorin.

[akechijubeimitsuhide]

Rating taiga dramas I have seen so far

Hideyoshi (1996): 9/10 

Overall one of the best ones. Really good cast, best Monke, intimidating and charismatic Nobunaga, sympathetic and very tragic Mitsuhide, Hidenaga actually plays a major part (a rarity in taigas), One My Beloved, Hideyoshi’s mama is THE BEST, Sen no Rikyu is Nakadai Mother Fucking Tatsuya, the “resident OC” spot is taken by Goemon who starts out a bit annoying but evolves into a great character later. Hideyoshi and Mitsuhide get acquinted in the first episode and for the most part are good friends (occasionally rivals) so the fallout is pretty damn sad. Their mom are also friends, it’s adorable. The -1 is because it kinda sits down after Yamazaki and drags until people start dying in the last few episodes.

Kirin ga Kuru (2020): 5/10

The good: Mitsuhide, Dosan, Yoshitatsu, Hisahide, the Hosokawa bros, Mitsuhide’s family. Mitsuhide’s beautiful hair (it deserves its own award).

The bad: worst miscast Nobunaga EVER, the resident OCs, the horrid bright green costumes in the first few episodes, the ending is BULLSHIT.

Nobunaga, King of Zipangu (1992): 5/10

The good: great Nobu, portrayed as a human being for once, pretty good battle scenes, Frois is adorable.

The bad: Zuiten. Oh sweet fucking Jesus he is the WORST OC in taiga drama history. WHY. Also: the writers have no idea what to do with Kicho so she just moves to Sakai for a while, Dota Gozen Hates Nobu (le sigh), the buildup to Honnoji is just 1-2 episodes. Also have I mentioned Zuiten SUCKS?

Sanada Maru (2016) - 8/10

The good: best Mitsunari ever, DILF Masayuki (best trickster dad), Masayuki’s ninja boyfriend, pretty good Monke, great Ieyasu who isn’t a mustache-twirling villain despite being the main antagonist, Nobuyuki is a cutie, Grandma Sanada is great, Yoshitsugu and Mitsunari being Library Boyfriends, Uesugi Kagekatsu being sad and gay (as he should), excellent Honda Tadakatsu, Hideyori is a great cast. Yukimura’s iconic armour looks AMAZING.

The bad: miscast Yukimura (too timid, too plain, too old for the first half, and just no charisma whatsoever), no budget for proper battles, annoying Resident OC Girl, not enough screentime for Yukimura’s actual main wife (and she’s badly written too), Chacha and Hideyori don’t even die what the fuck?!

Gunshi Kanbee (2014) - 9/10

The good: mostly really great cast, amazingly written relationship between Kanbee and his family/retainers, best Monke (reprising the role, perhaps even better), pretty good Nobu, pretty spot-on despicable but greatly cast Araki Murashige, beautiful Hanbei, great One, really good and emotional finale. No annoying Resident OCs! See, it’s possible!

The bad: Mitsuhide is a complete miscast, Mitsunari is Evil(TM), Nohime is with Nobu at Honnoji for no goddamn reason

Tokugawa Ieyasu (1983) - 6.5/10

The good: Ieyasu’s actor is great and plays him for his entire adult life (although he’s a wee bit too handsome and tall), BEST Nobu ever (so wild, charismatic and sexy), it starts with Ieyasu’s parents getting married so we see their pretty sad lives too.

The bad: Ieyasu is a bit too much of a saint. He should have more flaws. Hidetada is blamed for most of the events at and after Osaka. Mitsunari can’t decide whether he’s evil or not but has a completely unnecessary romance subplot with an OC. The pacing is often terrible, sometimes it’s too fast and sometimes it takes several episodes to get anywhere. Nohime is with Nobu at Honnoji Yet Again.

Yoshitsune (2005) - 8/10

The good: very pretty Yoshitsune, very good Benkei, amazing Kiyomori (same actor as the Nobu in the Hideyoshi taiga), pretty damn good battle scenes, tragic finale

The bad: pacing. PACING. also, Yoshitsune is a bit of a Mary Sue. can’t he have some flaws to make him a bit more human? also, those stupid eboshi hats every adult samurai/noble wears 24/7. They look bad on everyone.

[fandomsandhappiness]

The Politics of Iron Widow

This post contains spoilers for just about everything that could possibly be spoiled in Xiran Jay Zhao's Iron Widow.

Let's start at the beginning. The life and death of Yang Guang, the mecha pilot. "No rich people let their sons be drafted", Zetian declares. "We're all peasant trash... Including him!" So, he grew up a nobody. Learned he had amazingly high spirit pressure, became part of the army, and had an impressive career. "Though he’s only nineteen, he’s already ranked Colonel, meaning he’s served for over five years." Let me rephrase: he's been a soldier since he was fourteen. Since fourteen, he's been exonorated as one of humankind's greatest soldiers, defender of civilisation, a celebrity. I daresay that'd go to anyone's head. On the flipside, he's regularly sent into battle, where he knows he could die in any given fight. Pilots virtually never make it past twenty-five, so he's unlikely to live another six years.  Whenever he defeats a foe in melee, "bursts of foreign emotion shot through him—grief and terror and rage, as riotous as static." Imagine playing a video game and feeling the suffering of every faceless goon you kill. I imagine that doing this on a regular basis - since the age of fourteen - would likely take its toll. I also reckon that if a pilot were to develop qualms about the frequent deaths of their co-pilots, the army/strategists/Sages would do everything in their power to convince that pilot that this was absolutely necessary for the future of humanity, and the girls were all volunteers anyway. Later, we learn about the tributing process, whereby pilots are sacrificed. But at this early juncture in the book, if one reviews what is known about Yang Guang, he cuts a rather sympathetic figure. There is the insinuation that he killed Zetian's sister, but there's no evidence for that - the mystery is only starting to unfold. Besides, both pilots and co-pilots are clearly disposable to the army, enticed to their deaths with promises of fame and glory. The pilots just live a little longer.

What a relief, then, that Yang Guang is revealed to be so undeniably unpleasant! His own memories reveal him to be abusive, so thank goodness Zetian kills him. If I sound sarcastic, it's not because I don't think he did terrible things, or that Zetian's response was uncalled for. It's because all it would take would be a slight shift in the way his story is told, and Yang Guang would be a tragic figure indeed. And If he weren't an abuser, and Zetian killed him but later came to the conclusion that he was exploited just as her sister was, would the story not gain an emotional depth that it's otherwise lacking?

This is my big problem with Iron Widow - any room for nuance is effectively trampled over, again and again. Zetian acquires two boyfriends, but thankfully they agree with her on every topic, always. Everyone else is part of an oppressive system and deserves whatever they get, we are told. In fact, since the three of them are the only ones in the book who seem at all concerned about women's oppression, the book contains more male feminists than female. As a matter of fact, there aren't many women in this book at all, and the ones depicted all hate each other. Solidarity is an alien concept in this never-ending stream of thoroughly American individualism. Wu Zetian will be liberated when she can act alone, without any reliance on others. This is how all women will be liberated, it seems: by the Action Hero™, because they cannot even liberate themselves.

But individualism is a dangerous myth. Even when Zetian appears to be at her most liberated, she and those around her are continually reliant on the labour of nameless, faceless, drones. Who cooks their food? Who makes their clothes and cleans their rooms? It is hard to imagine the pilots or strategists doing it themselves. Aside from a throwaway line referencing the presence of women working in the cafeteria, anyone not in a position of societal power doesn't get to play a part in this story.

Furthermore, Wu Zetian's thinking shifts throughout the book, from that of the revolutionary, to the reformer, to the tyrant. Initially, she scorns the system and its enticing lies: "It’s just a low-odds fantasy that gives girls delusions of surviving!" She joins the army, but in the knowledge that she will kill Yang Guang and likely die shortly thereafter. Once she becomes a copilot, however, she buys into the system. She makes a deal with Gao Qiu. She does the photoshoots, disseminating the propaganda she detests. She agrees to be a cog in a murderous machine, but consoles herself with the thought that if she can only be the best cog, she'll rise to the top and be able to effect change from there. She never addresses what this change will look like - more on this later. By the end of the book, rather than continuing to mellow out her political stance, Zetian takes a dramatic shift into something else entirely: tyrancy. Anyone who causes her problems, even if they only did it because their children were being threatened, is a part of the system and must be killed. Only she can be allowed power; no one else can be trusted. What a relief that gentle Yizhi never disagrees with this murderous stance.

After Zetian has killed off most of the government and her family. Gao Qiu reappears. And he knows her secret weakness, surrounding himself with innocent girls. Fortunately, they're all faceless and nameless, because Zetian kills most of the named women in the book. Gao Qiu has shown himself to be a cunning manipulator and a force to be reckoned with, and seems set to install himself as Zetian's regent. After all, as he reasonably points out, she can't rule single-handedly. She'll need someone who knows how the system works. I got very excited at this, because I thought it was setting up a scintillating battle of wits that would unfold throughout the next book, as Zetian negotiates between the demands of the position she has seized and her ideal of women's liberation. Yizhi promptly killed his father, though, so that won't be happening.

Then comes the final reveal, that "my [Yizhi's] people recovered a quartz drive of documents in the palace rubble". He's clearly taken control of his father's empire very quickly, and a good thing too, because nobody else would ever help these people with anything. They have no friends. It reminds me of the MCU - people are not allowed to like each other unless they're fucking. Also, everyone is very beautiful, which is fairly standard YA but it irks me every time. Anyway, this drive of documents reveals there's far more to the setting than just one world. Which, although I wasn't expecting it, did a lot to help me wrap my head around Zetian's lightning-fast, bloody rise to power.

Somewhere on the internet is an essay about how the aesthetic of revolution is constantly on display in Hollywood, but it never goes beyond a veneer of plucky-heroes-fighting-bad-guys, and never deals with the aftermath. I tried to find it to reference here, but alas. Iron Widow casts Zetian in the role of glamorous, feminist heroine, trying to change the world, but never asks the question of what she wants it to look like once she's done. Women will be liberated, yes, but what might that entail? How will she tackle centuries of tradition and ingrained ideas about what a woman's role is? That messy, awkward problem has no easy answers, and Iron Widow neatly sidesteps it by expanding the scope of its story. Wu Zetian may have seized power in Huaxia, but rather than deal with the consequences of that, the sequel will see her re-established as an underdog fighting the system. It's just a bigger system to fit the powered-up underdog.

I feel like this book tries to be three things: a monster-mecha throwdown story; a romance, and a political book. It's just not very subtle. That's fine for monster-mecha battles, and it's tolerable in romance. For politics, it is unforgivable. Zetian has a surfeit of snappy lines and has never held back in her life, and while I can see the appeal, I prefer to see the politics bleed through the story, rather than constitute it. I could overlook the blatancy of the politics, though, if they were saying something worth my time. And don't get me wrong, women's oppression is bad! I know! But I've heard it so many times before, and in far more nuanced ways than Iron Widow seems capable of. Women shouldn't be shamed for their bodies or sexual proclivities, it tells us, but this was mainstream feminism in the 1920s. And Iron Widow seems set on saying it so very loudly.

In the decades since the 1920s, white feminism has been forced, kicking and screaming, to acknowledge the complicity of (wealthy) white women in furthering oppressive systems, an acknowledgement which has played a part in the popular rise of intersectional feminism. When Zetian hears someone being racist (and racism in this book is always vocalised, never seen, unlike women’s oppression), her response is, 'Well, that's not great.' The moment ends, and her inner monologue returns to the way in which exactly half of the population is oppressed. No more, and no less. Racism? Of no concern. Queer liberation? Irrelevant. Wealth distribution? This peasant girl is unconcerned. Wu Zetian remains stubbornly, painfully, a one-trick pony.

few more things that didn’t quite fit into the essay

i do wish the artwork on zhao's website had been included in the book. i had no idea what the hunduns or the mechas looked like, aside from vaguely-humanoid. turns out their basic forms aren't even that. i’m sure there were good reasons, but it’s my wish and i’ll waste it as i will

they said in some tags that they were given a strict limit on word count, which could go some way towards explaining the book's pacing. like many debut writers, they had lots of ideas and wanted to put all of them in! unfortunately, the word count meant that character scenes were lost while plot remained intact, limiting the opportunity to include and flesh out minor characters. a shame

i’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what it means to be a man or a woman or whatever and after all that, i don’t really have a good answer. i’m happy with that, i think. but if i asked this book that question... in iron widow, womanhood is suffering. there’s nothing good about it. which i think is linked to zetian’s hatred of every woman she knows. girl. get some friends.

zetian is moving in a very-male dominated world, which makes it harder to include many female characters (or any sort of women’s movement, which i felt was sorely lacking from the book, leaving zetian the Lone Female Feminist). perhaps if zetian had been representative of all women trying to make their way in a male-dominated world, and there'd been moments when she'd been supported by some of the otherwise nameless, faceless women... but it feels rude to make suggestions about how other people should write their books. i'll stop now

[edit 31/05/2023: after being annoyed about it for a full year, i finally found the essay i mentioned above! it’s outlaw kings and rebellion chic, by alister macquarrie. it’s even better than i remembered. go and read it]

[fiddler-sticks]

Soooooooo, as y'all know, I went to see a highschool production of Newsies earlier today, and this is a ramble about it lol

It was absolutely AMAZING for a highschool production!!!

The Jack absolutely BLEW ME AWAY HOLY CRAP. He had the accent and mannerisms down, and I only heard his very very thick Wisconsin accent a few times lol. His performance was filled with emotion, and he could actually dance UNLIKE SOMEONE *cough cough* Jeremy Jordan *cough*. He couldn't belt the full last note of Santa Fe, but he went for it and I love that.

If y'all know me, you'll know I rarely cry. Literally nothing makes me cry, and it's actually quite frustrating. Well, Letter From the Refuge actually brought a tear to my eye. Crutchie was amazing and an absolute all-around Sunshine Boi™. (something specific that I remember is that when Kath told them they might make the front page, he slumped against a table like he was about to faint lol)

Davey left a lot to be desired, and I don't love Kath enough to have paid enough attention to her to give a character analysis lol. She was an AMAZING singer though!

Race was a girl, and I normally don't like when productions do that, but she got all the mannerisms down, and I really liked her! (something specific I noticed was she was leaning on the set during Once And For All, and when she was called over she lazily peeled herself off the wall, and I was just like 'yessss, that's my Racer' lol). She also did the erster bit amazingly. It's really easy to be cringy doing that, but she did it well and I laughed

Pulitzer was really great!! I normally zone out during Pulitzer scenes (especially Bottom Line), but I really liked his performance! He was very realistic. At the end when Jack and Pulitzer 'spit shake', he actually spit in his hand and shook Jack's hand XD

Hannah was SO FUNNY OMGGGG. Her comedic timing was exactly on point, the voice was great, and she got the accent DOWN PAT.

The Delanceys were just- 🤌Love love love love love!!

I absolutely LOVED Weasel, too. I liked how he said his lines, and he was just the right amount of funny while still being an antagonist. I didn't really like the way he played some of his other characters, but I loved Weasel.

In terms of choreography, there wasn't much of it (and KONY was MAJORLY abridged so that there was no dance break), but what choreo it had was very clean and together. I can tell the choreographer knew these kids, what they could do, and how to make them look good.

As for songs, they kinda butchered Watch What Happens Reprise, but that one's hard, so I understand lol. For Carrying the Banner Reprise (MY FAVORITE!! [right after Bottom Line]), instead of everyone coming out and singing it, they did tiny groups singing a line or two each while moving office set pieces off the stage, and I kinda liked it like that. It's kinda like they're all over the city, instead of all together in one part of the city.

Anyway, that's all I can think of right now, except for that my sister and I wore our newsie caps lol. I might make another chapter later, or just add onto this one.

Here's a collage of pics from the school's facebook page

Anyway, that's all I can think of for now. I might make another post later with more stuff I can remember.

My sister and I wore our newsie caps, and if mom would just LET ME HAVE A SMARTPHONE, I would have more pictures. But I she won't, so I don't :((

[weirdcharacter]

Music-Sharing, Part. 2

So here we go again, you guys have been my #1 motivational source for the past week so let me thank you with more music!

@loth-wolffe @m-o-o-n-s-g-o-o-n-s ily both you're the sweetest so here's for you: Soft Edition™ 🌊

Let's start with some soft and sad 90's song (thanks @callmewesel for the correction 😂)

You must know about my (small) obsession with A-ha; their songs are so soothing and soft and beautiful, I always get these nostalgic vibes but it's never really sad? More like "fond memories of a time I never even knew" and-

I love 'em. I really do.

THIS RIGHT HERE.

Sweet Ari, this one you might really like, it's calm and sad yet a bit hopeful and all~

I remember the first time I listened to it because I got chills. It's sooo beautiful and emotional (I prefer the accoustic version because for this reason)

The piano, the voice, it got me feeling a LOT of things.

Nostalgic, is such a GOOD way, I can't help but imagine a nice afternoon on a bike, bathed in the sun, laughing with whoever you feel the closest to and just- existing together while nothing else matters

They also have "sadder" songs (Shed A Tear 👌) and overall have these nice Tender Summer Vibes™ which I loveeeee

Moony, when I listened to your recommendations I felt like you'd like this band like idk I feel like it would match with your musical style?

I'm in love with the guitar, plus I always think about a beach or the ocean when I listen to their songs so it's a big YES for me 🌊

What can I say, I love the vibes.

It's soothing, the kind of song you listen to when the night had come, and you're leaning on the edge of your open window, and there's no wind outside it's just the right amount of comforting warmth and you let your mind wander...

Just imagine it

CATCHY SONG

HER VOICE, LISTEN TO HER VOICE IT'S JUST AMAZING OMG

I should calm down

It's just so entertaining I couldn't help but dance along if I was listening to it while walking outside you know?

Again, Moony, feel like you would like this one; piano and tranquil rhythm, he's also pushing his voice a bit which is- *chief kiss*

ENJOY BEING SAD MES AMIES

It got everything you like: piano, tranquil rhythm, soothing voice, and a tender nostalgia that gets you right in the guts.

I love it.

Her voice!!!!

I'm a sucker for these kind of songs; either entirely instrumental or with a voice; but like cinematic songs that you could perfectly fit for a story or a movie

It's impossible to listen to it and not see a scenery happen before your eyes, really

Okay I should stop here 😂 hope you'll enjoy them! 🌊

EDIT: let me just introduce you to a French singer that I LOVE

He has a way with words, I promise his songs are amazingly written; most of them are love songs/ ballads but some handle more serious topics too

But really, 10/10 definitely recommend

There, now I'll stop and grab something to eat 😂