#Chu and Penny are dating

[rosielav]

Hello everyone. Sorry I haven't been posting much art, it's been hectic at work.

Please enioy this teeny tiny Penny admiring a very large Chu (Chu is still trying to figure out humanoid hands....give her some time)

[englishotomegames]

I*CHU: Chibi Edition, a rhythm action / visual novel joseimuke idol game, will be released in English for the Nintendo Switch by PQube!

The game is currently set to release on Amazon on September 26th, 2024, but this date has not yet been confirmed.

"Guide 32 aspiring idols towards their ultimate debut. Play rhythm action games to unlock characters and create your own groups. Follow the characters’ journeys through the main story and support them through their struggles!

Visual Novel – As a teacher and producer, it’s your job to support the boys on their journey to becoming an idol. Explore their individual stories, and help them follow their dreams.

Endless Talent – 32 idols into nine separate groups! Different styles of music and performances, choose your favorite or love them all equally! Rhythm Action: Fast-paced and exciting rhythm action mechanics revolutionized for the Nintendo Switch, choose touchscreen or controller input!

Star Studded – Over 80 original songs featuring top Japanese voice actors. Experience their beautiful voices whilst you play to ensure your idols are putting on successful shows!

Gacha Without The Microtransactions – Successfully complete shows to unlock currency to scout idols. Choose your favorites from the line-up to create your own original group – all without spending a penny in microtransactions!

Increasing Difficulty – Are you a god at rhythm action or a newbie dipping your toes? From Normal, all the way up to Nightmare mode, prepare to challenge yourself!

Endless Talent

Your time as a producer has come! Aspiring idols need guidance on their journey to stardom and only you can provide it.

Created by a renowned talent agency, Etoile Vie School is a special academy designed to teach and train idols to be. 32 idols-in-training, also known as “I-Chu” have been chosen to attend this academy and are all working hard towards their major debut.

Explore These Unique Characters

Separated into stylistically different groups, each idol has their own individual aspirations and unique personality, but with challenging hurdles ahead they must find the right way to understand and get along with each other.

Guide the Idols to Stardom

Enter you! It’s your job as their teacher and producer, to guide these unique characters, through their struggles and stresses, helping them make music and resolve issues, to become the ultimate idols in the music industry!"

[satoshi-mochida]

I*CHU: Chibi Edition launches October 3 in the west - Gematsu

OperaHouse-developed rhythm action idol visual novel I*CHU: Chibi Edition will launch both physically and digitally for Switch on October 3 in the west, publisher PQube announced.

I*CHU: Chibi Edition first launched for Switch on November 10, 2022 in Japan.

Here is an overview of the game, via PQube:

About

Guide 32 aspiring idols towards their ultimate debut. Play rhythm action games to unlock characters and create your own groups. Follow the characters’ journeys through the main story and support them through their struggles!

Visual Novel – As a teacher and producer, it’s your job to support the boys on their journey to becoming an idol. Explore their individual stories, and help them follow their dreams.

Endless Talent – 32 idols into nine separate groups! Different styles of music and performances, choose your favorite or love them all equally!

Rhythm Action: Fast-paced and exciting rhythm action mechanics revolutionized for the Nintendo Switch, choose touchscreen or controller input!

Star Studded – Over 80 original songs featuring top Japanese voice actors. Experience their beautiful voices whilst you play to ensure your idols are putting on successful shows!

Gacha Without The Microtransactions – Successfully complete shows to unlock currency to scout idols. Choose your favorites from the line-up to create your own original group – all without spending a penny in microtransactions!

Increasing Difficulty – Are you a god at rhythm action or a newbie dipping your toes? From Normal, all the way up to Nightmare mode, prepare to challenge yourself!

Endless Talent

Your time as a producer has come! Aspiring idols need guidance on their journey to stardom and only you can provide it. Created by a renowned talent agency, Etoile Vie School is a special academy designed to teach and train idols to be. 32 idols-in-training, also known as “I-Chu” have been chosen to attend this academy and are all working hard towards their major debut.

Explore These Unique Characters

Separated into stylistically different groups, each idol has their own individual aspirations and unique personality, but with challenging hurdles ahead they must find the right way to understand and get along with each other.

Guide the Idols to Stardom

Enter you! It’s your job as their teacher and producer, to guide these unique characters, through their struggles and stresses, helping them make music and resolve issues, to become the ultimate idols in the music industry!

Watch a new trailer below.

Release Date Trailer

[dear-indies]

Hi Cat! I hope you had a nice weekend. Could you please help me with faceclaims I’ve been struggling with? I’m trying to think of actors and actresses that could fit both the screwball comedy and the noir aesthetic of movies from the 30s/40s. Thank you so much!

Non-binary:

Sara Ramirez (1975) Mexican, some Irish - is non-binary (they/them) - Madam Secretary.

Janelle Monáe (1985) African-American - is non-binary (she/they) and is pansexual - Glass Onion, Hidden Figures.

Women:

Anna Chancellor (1965) - The Hour.

Miranda Otto (1967) - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Queen Latifah (1970) African-American - is openly dating a woman but hasn't publicly labelled her sexuality - Bessie.

Luisa Ranieri (1973) - 7 Women and a Murder.

Christina Hendricks (1975) - Mad Men.

Ruby Lin (1976) Chinese - Phantom of the Theatre.

Ginnifer Goodwin (1978) Ashkenazi Jewish / English, some Welsh, distant German - Why Women Kill.

Kelly Macdonald (1976) - Swallows and Amazons.

Juliet Rylance (1979) - Perry Mason.

April Bowlby (1980) - Doom Patrol.

Zhang Jing Chu (1980) Taiwanese - For a Few Bullets.

Allison Tolman (1981) - Why Women Kill.

Kate Siegel (1982) Russian Jewish, Moldovan Jewish, Polish Jewish, German Jewish - is bisexual.

Ruth Wilson (1982) - His Dark Materials.

Natalie Dormer (1982) - Penny Dreadful.

Emily Blunt (1983) - Mary Poppins.

Kerry Bishé (1984) - Penny Dreadful.

Andra Day (1984) African-American - The United States vs. Billie Holiday.

Nathalie Kelley (1985) Argentinian, Peruvian [Quechua, possibly other]

Chasten Harmon (1985) African-American - Damnation.

May Calamawy (1986) Jordanian, Palestinian / Egyptian.

Janet Montgomery (1986) - Dancing on the Edge.

Natasha O'Keeffe (1986) - Peaky Blinders.

Rachel Shenton (1987) - All Creatures Great and Small.

Evan Rachel Wood (1987) - is bisexual.

B.K. Cannon (1990) - Why Women Kill.

Julia Garner (1994) Ashkenazi Jewish / English, Cornish, Scottish, Irish, German, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish.

Anya Taylor-Joy (1996) - Peaky Blinders.

Sadie Calvano (1997) - Why Women Kill.

Benedetta Porcaroli (1998) - 7 Women and a Murder.

Men:

Burn Gorman (1974)

Chiwetel Ejiofor (1977) Igbo Nigerian - Dancing on the Edge.

Matthew Goode (1978) - Dancing on the Edge.

Oscar Isaac (1979) Cuban-Guatemalan-Spanish - W.E.

Vinny Chhibber (1980) Indian.

Ben Barnes (1981)

Fawad Khan (1981) Pakistani.

Utkarsh Ambudkar (1983) Marathi / Tamil.

Oliver Jackson-Cohen (1986) Egyptian Jewish / English - The Haunting of Bly Manor.

Nikesh Patel (1986) Indian - Indian Summers.

Hale Appleman (1986) Ashkenazi Jewish / Irish, English - is queer.

Ludi Lin (1987) Chinese.

Nicholas Ralph (1990) - All Creatures Great and Small.

Dominic Sherwood (1990) - Penny Dreadful.

Jacob Anderson (1990) Afro-Caribbean, English - Interview with the Vampire.

Daniel Zovatto (1991) Costa Rican - Penny Dreadful.

Freddy Carter (1992) - Shadow and Bone.

Jeremy Pope (1992) African-American - is gay - Hollywood.

David Corenswet (1993) Ashkenazi Jewish / English, Irish - Hollywood.

Anirudh Pisharody (1994) Indian.

Eli Goree (1994) Black Canadian.

Jonah Hauer-King (1995) Ashkenazi Jewish / English.

Hey! I'm not that helpful when it comes to time era asks but I hope you find some suggestions useful!

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Dragon Dancer Chapter 22: Target Practice

Cassell College worked hard to return to normalcy after the outbreak of violence that occurred right there on campus. The students were noticeably shaken up. Despite having studied here at Cassell, many had never seen a live dragon. After experiencing an overwhelming show of deadly force at the hands of a dragon that was no larger than a pick up truck, fear spread among the student body when they contemplated an actual war against these creatures.

They paid a lot more attention to classes and drills now. The training center had never been so crowded. Some, mourning friends who had died or were maimed in the attack, were demanding more access to the facilities than their rank deserved. But EVA was an AI and, while kind, she didn’t decide to override her programming to fit with the new demand. There was a long waiting list.

Master List

Because I was S-rank and still holding Star of Cassell privileges, I could stay at the shooting range well after dark. Susie had given me the basics and now I was just working on accuracy. With ear muffs on and earbuds under those, I lifted the pistol and fired three quick rounds at the paper target. 

My scores were passable, but I needed to get better than that. Turned out that despite my dragon gift, most combat skills were still based on standard issue firearms and for some, like Johann, relics like swords and martial arts. 

The dragon blood allowed us to be faster, stronger, and more agile than the average human being. Lancelot helped me see that with training in parkour and acrobatics. Because I’d never been asked to rapidly scale a building I’d never realized I could do something like that. I’d never been tested on how high I could jump or run. In addition to my dragon gift, being able to move and leap like a gazelle was overkill to me. 

I was a scorpion that had just been given a pair of wings.

I pulled the earmuff off my ears.

“Not bad for a beginner.”

I shuddered with fear and whirled on the speaker. “Caesar! Don’t sneak up on me!”

“You had your ear muffs on, I didn’t have a choice!” He grinned, arms crossed “Mind if I give you a few pointers?”

“Sure… what are you even doing out here so late?”

He came up beside me. “I could ask the same of you.”

“Plain old insomnia. I figured I’d make use of my time.”

“You’ve been here all evening.” He said, with a little laugh.

“You’re going to give me pointers right?” I asked, uninterested in talking about my persistent issue with night terrors. If I told him why I couldn’t sleep, he’d start trying to solve my problem. I didn't want to tell him anything that might give him a clue about what my father was or a clue of what had happened to me.

Caesar obliged, helping me with straightening my shoulders, raising my arms and how to hold the weapon steadier. He was a good teacher. He knew exactly what to say to help me understand what I needed to do.

The next three shots had a higher score. Caesar nodded with satisfaction. “Awesome. Think you can remember all that?"

“Eh…” I laughed. “Might need you to tell me a few more times.”

His blue eyes looked down at me. “You know, I could more easily train you in shooting as part of the Student Union.”

“Oh, here we go.” I playfully rolled my eyes.

He raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean by that?”

“Nono told me that the whole reason you offered the Star of Cassell was to force me to join your club!”

He huffed, offended. “What do you mean force? I don’t force anyone to do anything!”

“Well, that’s what she said! I believed her.” I put the gun down and started to dismantle it.

He glanced away. “She’s being dramatic. It only would have been three months!”

I looked up at him in shock. “So you were seriously going to do that!”

“As a trial basis. If after three months you didn’t like it you would be free to go! How is that forcing?” He chuckled. “Besides, you lost that high ground when you immediately turned around and made Johann Chu your boyfriend, didn’t you?”

I glanced up at him, frowning. “I had my reasons. Besides, it's not like we’ve been on any dates or I’m forcing him to kiss me or anything.”

“Lame excuses. You could have said bodyguard. Why boyfriend?”

“Because Fingel told me that there were two things people wanted to know about me most. One, which club I was joining and two, how to date me.” I sighed. “I just… I just didn’t want to deal with that.”

“Heh… well, I would ask if you considered Johann’s feelings and then I just remembered he doesn’t have any…” Caesar shrugged.

My frown deepened and I paused in my work.

“It’s almost poetic justice in a way. He makes the girls here gamble with their hearts. Never rejecting them, out of politeness. But what he’s really doing is keeping them coming back to the table, time and again.”

“Oh really?” I said, continuing to work.

“Oh yes,” He exuded great confidence in this. “They’re hoping that maybe this time they’ll hit the jackpot and he’ll understand their feelings. Despite the low odds that he ever will.”

He began to chuckle. “And now look, he’s stuck in a loveless relationship… While he may deserve that… I think you deserve a lot better.”

“Thanks… I think.” I open the hard case for the gun parts and start slotting them in.

“Well, enough about him.” He waved dismissively, “Have you considered being part of the Student Union Dancing Society?”

“Oh… yeah!” I perked up a bit, suddenly recalling. “Johann told me about it earlier. When we first met.”

Caesar cocked his head in surprise. “He did? Why didn’t you come to me about it afterwards?”

I looked up at him, stunned with wide eyes. “Uh… because I found out I was dying?” My words came out louder than I expected and I winced. 

Taken aback, Caesar averted his eyes. “That’s right. Sorry.”

“No…” I sighed, swallowing against the sudden knot in my throat. “I forgot that it's … been six months for you guys. Longer at this point. But only a few weeks for me.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you. I just think you’d fit right in.” When I didn’t respond, he tried again. “I have something to confess.”

I looked up at him, trying to get a handle on my sudden painful memories. “What?”

“I personally lead the Dancing Society. Including their battle training.” He grinned down at me, not sorry at all.

I began to laugh, incredulous. “Oh wow! Really? Is that so?”

“The chance to dance with you… an S-ranked student. Would be an absolute honor.” He leaned closer to me, winking.

I leaned away, closing the case. “I’m suuuuure… but I’ve never seen you dance so… I don’t know how honorable it would be.” I twined my finger in my hair and then pointed at him. “Besides, don’t you have Nono to dance with?”

“Why not both?”

“Why not both? She’s your fiance! Shouldn’t you want to dance with her more than anyone else?” I asked.

He shrugged, frowning a bit.  “She’s not as into it as me.” He turned to me again, smiling. “You on the other hand… have trained for years.”

Gratified, I shrugged my shoulders and grinned. “Could probably teach you a thing or two. But … I don’t have to join your club to dance with you.”

“Again with the refusal.” He seemed genuinely perplexed. “I don’t understand.”

My eyes shifted. “I like Johann. And… no matter how you feel about what we’re doing… the way you talked about him just now was not good. I’m not interested in being his rival.”

Caesar shrugged. “Then don’t… Just join and you don’t have to participate in the rivalry.”

“I don’t think he sees it that way…”

“Then that’s his problem.” He said flatly, glaring.

I take a breath and let it out. I glanced away. “I don’t want to argue. Okay?”

“We’re not arguing.”

“Well, for last minute, you’ve done nothing but dismiss everything I’ve said!” I glanced up at him again, daring him to dismiss this too.

He met my eyes, read my intentions and replied. “That doesn’t make this an argument.”

He couldn't hide his satisfied smile when I started laughing again. "You're funny!"

I took the gun case off the platform and walked away from the shooting range to the storage area. He followed me. "And you're fascinating!"

"Why?" I shot back at him. 

"S-ranks are so rare as it is. But women are rare even in A-ranks!"

"Seriously, Caesar?" My voice was like a sad trombone but he didn’t even flinch.

"It's just a fact!"

I walked in silent disagreement. Johann did not seem to have the same viewpoint.

He forged ahead. "Lately I’ve learned quite a lot about you through observation and various other means."

My jaw dropped slightly and I paused in my step before continuing. “Uh huh?”

“All signs suggest that you might even exceed what we know about S-ranks. You did beat Lu on the first challenge for the Star of Cassell, remember?”

He watched me put the case away. My eyes were distant. I'd stopped answering. I used my card to check the equipment back in. “You owe it to yourself to put your talent to good use. And there’s no better way to do it than joining me…” He paused and reconsidered a moment “... us.”

He’d stopped his pitch and so I asked him. "Is that all?" A voice in my head was telling me he was trying to be complimentary. That he was just saying to me what he said to other people. But it was being drowned out by my pain.

"What do you mean is that all?" He said, quietly. "Carli…" He blocked my attempt to step around him. "Before Lu, the last S-ranked student to walk through Cassell was forty years ago… Forty years! Do you not understand how valuable that makes you?"

"Oh…" I looked away for a moment, then I turned to face him. I was smiling, even laughing, but the pain and rage made my voice tremble. "I know exactly how valuable that makes me!” My smile turned down to a mask of anger. “Down to the penny!"

Caesar's eyes went wide, stunned. His eyes narrow slightly. “What…?”

"Probably more than you know!" He reached out to me and I slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me! People like you are the reason I need Johann!"

A woman’s voice from the ceiling broke things up. "Since your equipment is turned in, I can't hold the shooting gallery open for you. Please exit and I will shut down the lights and set the security alarm."

EVA materialized behind me and I strode through her hologram in my haste to escape.

"Carli, wait!”

I left the building. I was going to cry. I had to stop it.

“What do you mean ‘to the penny!’” He’s already caught up to me, trying to meet my eyes, looking for an answer.

And just like that, I’d said too much. I’d done exactly what I was trying not to do. “Don’t talk to me! Don’t talk to me again! Not until the three months are over!”

“What… what happened to you…” He whispered. “Does Johann know about this?”

I broke out into a run, not looking back. I didn’t get any sleep. The next morning I spotted a text on my phone from Caesar. “Are you alright?”

I blocked his number.

Being calm was impossible. I was so exhausted, breathing was painful. I used makeup to cover my darkened eyes.  

Johann met me at my usual time, but I was late. “Sorry.” 

“It’s fine. Just a study session today anyway.”

That was a change in schedule. Caesar had probably talked to him.

After we neared the cafe where we tended to study, he said, “Can I ask you something?”

“Mmhm.”

“Do you like theme parks?”

[dreamingsushi]

Before we get married - Episode 1

Before I start my recap of this episode, let me mention that it is not the first time I watch it!  I first had a look at it a few weeks ago with a friend and I must say it was quite a weird experience.  Anyways.  Whan I saw the previews of the drama, I was quite intrigued by it because the theme and the plot seemed a little bit different from what we are used to and I thought it would be interesting to watch.  We’ll see from now on.

The first episode starts slowly by outlining for us the characters.  On one side, we have Chu Kehuan, apparently a very successful business man, while on the other side we have Zhou Weiwei, your average white collar it seems.  Both main characters have their first encounter in and out of a cab.  Zhou Weiwei is hurrying out of the car while Chu Kehuan is trying to get in.  On her way to meet some director, Zhou Weiwei bumps into a kid on a skateboard and spills the whole content of her purse including the taxi bill.  Since she needs to keep it to get reimbursed by her company, she runs after it.  That little piece of paper does have a will of its own as it flies from left to right back and forth.  Naturally, it’s Chu Kehuan that picks it up for her and as a quite arrogant little rich guy, he makes fun of her.

There, I’m already a little bit disappointed : the male lead is a rich little jerk and the female lead is scrapping every penny to live. I wish we wouldn’t have the rich-poor pattern, even though I don’t think Zhou Weiwei is poor, from her apartment and job I guess she would be from the middle class.

Destiny could have stopped her magic right there, but after they part and Chu Kehuan get in the cab, he finds Zhou Weiwei’s red planner.  Instead of asking the driver to wait and to get off the car a few seconds to hand it back, he keeps it.  That scene is really weird.  It’s like “Oh! A planner!  Nice, I’m going to keep it!” Maybe Chu Kehuan is just a really indifferent person?

Well not when it comes to his work and his opponent.  Apparently Chu Kehuan is the run for a CEO position against Shu Mingge, another investment expert I believe.  To build up the tension, we have then getting set up in their office, as if going on the finals on a box-ring.  I think the whole preparation could have been edited out, it’s a waste of time.

We switch right away, before knowing who is going today’s big bet, to another office filled with overexcited workers trying to buy some camera that’s at a really good price.  Nice product placement there!  This scene is to introduce another character though and probably the most boring character ever : doesn’t own a credit card, believes cellphone is enough to take pictures, paper money is better than virtual money.  I think we have here a guy very much in love with money.

Better news! That office is also Zhou Weiwei’s office and boring guy... Well it’s obviously her boyfriend.  While on the bus, previously which I didn’t mention, she texted him, saying she wanted to meet with him after work.  He answered : “Even though today is a week day that we are not appointed to meet, I also want to see you.” I can’t stand the guy already.  He is a bore.

Up till now, it seems I really hate that show...  Well it only has been 12 minutes, maybe it’s going to get better!

Another little scene of the competition between Chu Kehuan and Shu Mingge.  Chu Kehuan is obviously losing with the value of the stocks he invested in going down, but he looks quite confidente still.  Pass.

Good.  Zhou Weiwei finally realizes that she lost her planner.  She goes to her roommate asking about it.  Han Kefei really is portrayed as a sex-addict.  Earlier in the morning, she’s showering with a guy that slept over, now she’s in a conference room trying to seduce (it looks a lot more like she’s forcing him to be there though) an employee.  Shouldn’t a manager like that be fired?  Why is she doing this in the conference room?  Why is she so violent about it?  I mean, what is happening there... Abusive boss in every way and Zhou Weiwei just tells her “you even eat what’s raw.”  I know they are roommate, but shouldn’t she report her to high ups?  I really don’t understand a thing about this.  Why is everybody so abnormal?

Again to the competition, Shu Ming gets cocky and naturally, that is when his stocks start dropping as Chu Kehuan’s are climbing higher.  No big surprise.  Lots of shocked faces, lots of slow motions to show the face expressions.  And finally, Chu Kehuan looks human and he waves his fist for victory.  So unlike him, but thanks for the effort for not being too sure of yourself.

And what better to celebrate this big win than playing tennis with a friend!  I must agree with you, being a CEO is the best.  Money making wise.  Workload wise, I can’t say.  And is anywhere better than the locker room to look through Zhou Weiwei’s planner?  He says he’s looking so he can find her, but by the way he’s flipping through, he’s going way too much in detail.  Her name and phone number are probably on the first page...  Ah, no, her business card is a the bottom of the planner.  Good job.  I must remark here that it looks like a bullet journal and I really love that because I love bullet journaling myself.  Bonus point for the bujo.

Well it seems Zhou Weiwei has a really bad memory and that’s why the planner is so important to her.  During her meeting, she can’t open the ppt for her project because she doesn’t remember the password for it.  The meeting is about to be cancelled when she is called by... no one else but Chu Kehuan!  So nice of him to bring the planner to her at her office building.  Not nice of him to try to hit on her.  Is it true that in western country, inviting somebody for coffee means you want to hook up?  To me it has always been a way to thank somebody for something they did for me.  I don’t know, maybe I should change my thanking methods...  Well, let me tell you that we are going for another love-hate relationship.  No clichés.  But at least, the meeting is saved.

So on her date with her boyfriend, she is clearly embarrassed by how cheap he is.  Then a collegue pass by the street and the try to hide : turns out it’s forbidden to date somebody from the company.  What a crappy rule : where do you expect your workers to find their partner if not at work?  Anyways.  It’s their three year anniversary, they are happy and the best way to celebrate is... by scanning old receipts to see if they can win some money.  Haha, Weiwei’s face is so funny, how romantic.  She definitely hates that her boyfriend is so cheap.  I can’t believe she still puts up with him.  Well at least it’s to buy a house together, I guess he is serious about her at some point.

Oh... I totally forgot.  The guy started dating her because on their first date, she paid her part of the meal they had together.  Darling, dump him.  This is so cringy, it’s not romantic.

Her three year anniversary gift?  A cup he bought with points he saved...  CHEAP.  CHEAP. CHEAP.  And when she wants to stay the night, he says no because it’s not Saturday and they agreed they would spend the night together only on Saturday.  DUMP HIM.  I know she most likely will somewhere in the future, but it’s already taking too much time...

At least she is unhappy with it so after she leaves she goes to a solo KTV.  I so want to try these, it’s like my dream.  Naturally, outside the cabin, BAM!  Chu Kehuan is there.  Fate is really strong between those two already, they bump into each other pretty much everywhere. Kehuan obviously also thinks so.  Three meetings in one day, that’s an amazing fate.  But he needs to ruin it by reciting by heart everything he saw about Weiwei’s finance.  He is so annoying.  Weiwei’s reaction in that particular moment the most realistic part of the whole episode so far.  I have to congratulate Puff Guo for her acting, I enjoyed it very much.  Well actually, even though Weiwei’s reactions are most of the time weird, I have to say the acting is on point.  At that point, I think the script is just strange.

Anyways, she gets mad and when she tries to go, she rips her shirt open.  I watch the scene a few times, I don’t get how it happened, she didn’t touch anything.  Maybe it was too tight on her, I don’t know.  Anyways, her underwear is showing, she’s shook.  For the first, Kehuan acts like a gentleman and cover her breast with his jacket.  If they were a couple, it would be such a sweet moment.  Please redo it 15 episodes later.  Thank you goodbye.

So she goes back home, tells the story to her sex addict roommate, gives herself a pep talk in front of the mirror : girl, it’s about time you realize you’re not happy.  Kehuan is annoying, the character is so unrealistic to me up till now, but at least, he knows how to turn somebody’s mind upside down.

The next, dear Kehuan keeps on calling Weiwei on the phone.  It’s really childish honestly.  Doesn’t he have anything more important to do?  Like, maybe... I don’t know... working?  Well at least we know he has a party that night and he makes his subordinate make sure that Weiwei attends.  Naturally, because it’s fate, the guy knows Weiwei’s roommate, seems like they had a thing sometime.  Well anyways, he convinces her to make Weiwei attend the party so they can find her a boyfriend.  This is so twisted.

So they go to the party, Weiwei tries to leave when she sees Kehuan, her friend threatens her to end their friendship if she leaves, twisted, twisted, twisted.  Lots of wine drinking.  Somebody teach them how to drink wine.  Please.  I don’t even drink wine and it bothers me.  And then they... THIS IS TWISTED OKAY?  WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS DRAMA??  They bring a crane game.  It Kehuan grabs a teddy bear successfully, he gets to sleep with any girl he wants at the party.  IT’S DISGUSTING!  I JUST CAN’T. NOPE.  THIS IS WRONG!!

As expected, he grabs one.  I don’t need to see the reste of the episode to know who he will ask out.  Yuck.  Dude, your morals are wrong.  Yup.  Of course, she doesn’t want to.  So instead he gives her three chances to grad a teddy bear to refuse him?  Okay.  NO.  And the crowd is cheering so she wouldn’t catch it?  What is this?  This is so inappropriate.  I don’t think something like that should be allowed in a drama.  And it wouldn’t be a drama if she didn’t loose.  They end up in a BDSM room and I am just thinking... what the hell am I watching...  At least, he just handcuffs her to the bed.  AS IF THIS WAS NOT BAD ENOUGH ALREADY...  He leaves the key hanging too far away for her to reach it.  In the process, we learn that he has a girlfriend.  Poor girl, I wouldn’t want to date somebody like that.  Dirtbag.

After he leaves her like that, he sees on his phone thousands of phone call, from whom I assume is his girlfriend.  I feel another twisted relationship coming.  Maybe it makes him regret or whatever, but he goes back to free Weiwei.

She runs to her boyfriend, but she can’t bring herself to tell him what happened even though she insists on staying over even though it’s not a Saturday night.

Kehuan gets home to his girlfriend, locked outside because she forgot the door’s key.  I can already tell the relationship is so unhealthy.  She basically worships Kehuan and if she could, she would be his slave.  That’s really not a good start.  I can already see he’s bored with her.  Two unhappy couples.

The episode ends on Weiwei deleting Kehuan’s invitation on a social media to be friends or to follow her, I couldn’t recognize the app.

Overall...  This is twisted.  I will try the next episode, the preview are still intriguing me, but so far I am not enjoying it so much.  I hope it gets better soon.  If ever you decide on watching, just be prepared : this drama is kinda more adult like.  It is definitely not for a younger public.

Thanks for reading, see you on another episode!

[rosielav]

A pumpkin Monteith for @mossdaggar

I definitely put him on the right date :) 27th babey what a great day for a Monteith

~ send me an ask with a number 15-31 (not 27), one of my OCs (or a random theme), and your fave color, and I'll draw you something on my doodle calendar :) ~

[suppersanchez]

The Importance of Casino Marketing

Each office in the gambling club has a task to carry out, and each is significant for various reasons. Our visitors would not remain with us long in the event that we didn't utilize janitorial administrations and our cafés would not sell much without the cooking staff. In like manner, the gambling club showcasing division is fundamental to the achievement of the gambling club. Consider the expansiveness of obligation held inside the gambling club showcasing blend: advancements, promoting, player assessments, player clubs, have staff, comps, appraisals and opening advertising - and this is simply to give some examples.

While it would be embellishment to recommend that players would quit going to the gambling club if these vanished, we would pass up exponentially expanding income openings should we decide to not exploit all that the club showcasing division can offer.

Advancements  xiu chu mien nam Barely any occasions breed fervor in the lives of our gambling club visitors as much as the advancements we offer in the club. They keep the data on the fridge and imprint the date on their schedule. They anticipate every occasion and take in the energy the advancement vows to bring. Clearly, the basic role for such occasions is the income that is created from the expansion in play. Nonetheless, it is likewise doubtful that the uplifted degree of expectation makes a dependability inside the visitor that fits rehashed incomes later on too. The showcasing division is basic in the assessment and execution of these advancements.

The advertising staff is first liable for the assessment of past advancements to figure out what blend of occasions and offers will be best on which days of the week so as to guarantee the articulate most productivity. Clearly, these principles will shift by area and club and just a key investigation of past advancements, paying little heed to result, will give the information expected to settle on educated and consistent choices. For instance, an assessment of your past space competitions may uncover that Tuesdays are more gainful than Thursdays. Therefore, it could be an exorbitant mix-up to make any suppositions in regards to the plausibility and gainfulness of these occasions. Rather, an intensive examination led by the showcasing office will guarantee the ideal accomplishment of all future limited time battles.

After the productivity assessment comes the planning. All together for every occasion to be effective, the showcasing division must wear an assortment of caps to amplify the occasion. They are the bosses of correspondence that guarantee that all offices are working in synchronization in anticipation of, and during, the occasion. Also, it is their authoritative abilities and meticulousness in the planning that will guarantee that visitors are generally welcomed and appreciate the occasion to it fullest.

Furthermore, let us not overlook the occasion itself. This is the point at which the host staff really satisfy their title, inviting the visitors into the occasion and guaranteeing that everybody is making some extraordinary memories. This is your gathering and your benefactors are actually that, visitors in your home.

Publicizing

It is anything but a stretch to think about that nothing unless there are other options would be conceivable without illuminating visitors regarding the advancement and paying little heed to which strategy, or techniques, you pick, the best way to do that is publicizing. Regardless of whether you use mail, telephone, email or even close to home discussions, promoting is the manner by which you keep in correspondence with your visitors. Recall that flyer on the fridge? It must be imagined, planned, made, printed, tended to and sent. It's a great deal of subtleties just to help your visitor to remember an occasion, yet with the present pace of life, it is a basic update that may mean the contrast between their participation or nonappearance.

Publicizing can likewise be utilized for non-advancement interchanges that create pay for your gambling club: room offers, food specials, club news and amusement are on the whole approaches to stay in contact with your customer base and give that little additional suggestion to bring them again into the club. Influence the showcasing division to be persistently mindful of every open door for correspondence that hardens your relationship with your visitors.

Player Evaluations/Ratings

Player assessment is a basic part to guaranteeing club ROI through key examination of player use and this assessment is best executed by the host staff in your promoting division. They have the perceivability to the visitor's play and subsequently can decide the player's status and, as you probably are aware, this status is basic for different reasons. To relate to the prior conversation on advancements, understanding a player's status will guarantee that we are welcoming visitors to occasions that compare to their degree of play. It would not be worthwhile to welcome a visitor that scarcely meets the prerequisites of your most reduced level of play to a similar New Year's Gala as your VIP visitors.

Comping Policies

On a related note, status is likewise essential to understanding the cutoff points through which comping keeps the gambling club beneficial. All around prepared advertising has know the gambling club's comping arrangements can settle on choices about which comps will at last produce more income for the gambling club through proceeded, or expanded, play. Obviously, comping exists at each degree of play, yet comping erroneously, regardless of whether over or under, will at last cost the gambling club cash. Over-comping a penny openings player diminishes the club's benefits simply like under-comping a high-limit player may mean losing those incomes to another gambling club. The promoting office, and most outstandingly the host staff, comprehends this parity and will be the gambling club's supporters for comping in a way that is valuable to the business.

Host Staff

While we're on the point, a conversation about the significance of the promoting division would not be finished without including the club have staff. They are the diplomats of your gambling club and your VIPs' essential purpose of contact. All things considered, they are vital to your general showcasing plan. That, yet when forcefully and suitably prepared, they can be instrumental in augmenting gambling club benefits and expanding income age.

By and large, the club advertising division is the center point of your gambling club activities. They make, break down and drive income into the club and accordingly, the office must be a very much oiled machine so as to keep steady over the ever-changing gambling club business. With the correct association, bearing, structure and preparing, they are unequivocally your most noteworthy resource. Their investigation guarantees the vital promoting that drives benefactors into the club. Their energy drives forceful player card recruits to build your benefactor database. Their association and tender loving care makes energizing occasions that are all around joined in and foreseen. Their friendliness is the individual touch that keeps benefactors returning to your property rather than to your opposition.

Putting resources into the promoting division is an interest later on for the club. Influence the gathering and the entirety of its benefits, qualities and information base to discover the blend of staff, occasions, advancements and promoting that will keep on developing your gambling club, its supporter base and incomes subsequently.

[starfriday]

The 4th International Film Festival • Macao (IFFAM)

28 November 2019:

The International Film Festival & Awards • Macao (IFFAM) will take place from 5th December (Thursday) to 10th December (Tuesday). This year’s programme features 10 big sections showcasing over 50 international films, and presents three competition sections –

International Competition

,

New Chinese Cinema

and

Shorts Competition

.

A brand-new section titled 20th Anniversary Macao Special Presentations will unfold in the Film Festival this year to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao Special Administration Region. The IFFAM Organizing Committee will continue to push forward the development of Macao films, and cultural and creative industries, enhance exchange opportunities with international movies as well as unveil a wider landscape for development of cultural and artistic platforms, tourism and other fields through this edition of IFFAM.

Festival Programme Highlights

The 4th International Film Festival & Awards•Macao will be screening over 50 international films. Programmes include: Opening and Closing Ceremony, Opening Film, International Competition, Gala, Flying Daggers, World Panorama, New Chinese Cinema, Director’s Choice, Special Presentations, 20th Anniversary Macao Special Presentations, Shorts Competition, etc. The Industry Hub activities and Masterclass will also be held during the 6-day festival period.

Opening, Closing and Award Ceremony

Opening Ceremony Date: December 5, 2019 (Thursday) Venue: Macao Cultural Centre Red Carpet: 5:30pm Ceremony: 7pm

Closing and Award Ceremony Date: December 10, 2019 (Tuesday) Venue: Macao Cultural Centre Red Carpet: 6:30pm Ceremony: 8pm

Opening Film

Jojo Rabbit – 44th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Grolsch People’s Choice Award Date: December 5, 2019 (Thursday) Screening Time: 8:30pm Venue: Macao Cultural Centre – Grand Auditorium

Closing Film

i’m livin’ it – Selected for competition for 32nd Tokyo International Film Festival Date: December 10, 2019 (Tuesday) Screening Time: 9pm Venue: Macao Cultural Centre – Small Auditorium

International Competition － An international competition comprising of 10 feature films which is a showcase for first and second time filmmakers with 60,000 USD as the award winning prize

·         Bellbird, by Hamish Bennett（New Zealand)

·         Bombay Rose, by Gitanjali Rao（India/France/UK/Qatar）

·         Buoyancy, by Rodd Rathjen（Australia）

·         Family Members, by Mateo Bendesky（Argentina）

·         Give Me Liberty, by Kirill Mikhanovsky（USA）

·         Goldie, by Sam de Jong （USA/Netherlands）

·         Homecoming, by Adriyanto Dewo（Indonesia）

·         Lynn + Lucy, by Fyzal Boulifa（UK/France）

·         Two Of Us, by Filippo Meneghetti （France/Belgium/Netherlands/Luxembourg）

·         Two/One, by Juan Cabral（UK/Mainland China/Canada）

Gala －A selection of mainstream crowd-pleasing films will be screened in a series of red-carpet presentations

UK Galas

·         Judy, by Rupert Goold（UK）

·         A Shaun The Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, by Will Becher and Richard Phelan（UK）

Japan Gala

·         Dance With Me, by Shinobu Yaguchi（Japan）

Flying Daggers － A non-competitive selection of films representing the latest style of genre cinema, including TIFF People’s Choice Award winner The Platform

·         First Love, by Takashi Miike（Japan）

·         The Lighthouse, by Robert Eggers（USA）

·         The Platform, by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia（Spain）

World Panorama－ Celebrated directors and award-winning films from major international film festivals

·         Balloon, by Pema Tseden（Mainland China）

·         Dirty God, by Sacha Polak（Netherlands/UK/Belgium/Ireland）

·         Little Joe, by Jessica Hausner（Austria/UK/Germany）

·          My Zoe, by Julie Delpy（France/Germany）

·         Proxima, by Alice Winocour（France/Germany）

·         Saturday Fiction, by Lou Ye（Mainland China）

·         The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão, by Karim Aïnouz（Brazil）

·         The Long Walk, by Mattie Do（Laos/Spain/Singapore）

·          The Wild Goose Lake, by Diao Yinan（Mainland China）

New Chinese Cinema － A competition section of outstanding films from Chinese-speaking territories

·         Better Days, by Derek Tsang（Mainland China/Hong Kong）

·         Dwelling In The Fuchun Mountains, by Gu Xiaogang（Mainland China）

·          Lucky Grandma, by Sasie Sealy（USA）

·         Over The Sea, by Sun Aoqian（Mainland China）

·         To Live, To Sing by Johnny Ma（Mainland China/France）

·         Wet Season, by Anthony Chen（Singapore）

·         Wisdom Tooth, by Liang Ming（Mainland China）

Director’s Choice － Film classics selected by Asian and non-Asian filmmakers

·         The 400 Blows （1959, François Truffaut, selected by Anthony Chen）

·         Blow-Up（1966, Michelangelo Antonioni, selected by Wang Xiaoshuai）

·         Tokyo Story （1953, Yasujirô Ozu, selected by Cristian Mungiu）

Special Presentations－ Screenings of films at the discretion of the Artistic Director and jury president related to special guest attendance

·         A City Called Macau, by Li Shaohong（2019, Mainland China） – Starring Talent Ambassador Carina Lau

·         The Captain, by Andrew Lau （2019, Mainland China）

·         Dark Waters, by Todd Haynes（2019, USA） – Screening as “Hollywood Special Presentation”

·         The Domain, by Tiago Guedes（2019, Portugal）

·         Flowers of Shanghai, by Hou Hsiao-hsien（1998, Taiwan/Japan） – Starring Talent Ambassador Carina Lau

·         A Hidden Life, by Terrence Malick（2019, Germany/USA）

·         The Present, by Hur Jin-ho（2019, South Korea）– Short film starring Talent Ambassador Suho

·         Red Amnesia（2014, Mainland China） – Tribute to Ambassador Wang Xiaoshuai’s achievements

·         The Truth, by Hirokazu Koreeda（2109, Japan/France） – Starring Talent Ambassador Juliette Binoche

20th Anniversary Macao Special Presentations － Marks the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region

·         Ina and the Blue Tiger Sauna, by António Caetano de Faria and Bernardo Rao

·         Let’s Sing, by Keo Lou

·         Patio of Illusion, by Chen Shangshi

·         String of Sorrow, by Oliver Fa

·         Years of Macao, by Tou Kim Hong, Penny Lam, Albert Chu, Emily Chan, Peeko Wong, Chao Koi Wang, Maxim Bessmertny, Ao Leong Weng Fong and António Caetano de Faria

IN FOCUS (Retrospective) – This year’s Actress IN FOCUS is Zhou Dongyu. She stars in Derek Tsang’s Better Days, which will be screening in the New Chinese Cinema section

Shorts Competition － A selection of 10 Chinese-language shorts from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao

Masterclass － Invited festival ambassador, Korean director Kim Yong-hwa and BAFTA’s special mention Lily James as speakers and interact with Macau audiences and film industry insiders

Industry Hub－ Inviting over 200 industry professionals from 28countries to participate or present in film forums from December 6-8

Awards

International Competition

·         Best Film

·         Best Director

·         Best Actress

·         Best Actor

·         Best Screenplay

New Chinese Cinema

·         Best Film

·         Best Director

·         Best Actress

·         Best Actor

·         Best Screenplay

Other Awards

·         Best Short Film

·         Macao Audience Choice Award

·         Audience Choice Award for Chinese-language Films

·         “Spirit of Cinema” Achievement Award

·         Asian Blockbuster Film 2019

·         NETPAC Award

·         Variety Asian Star: Up Next Awards 2019

Ticketing － IFFAM public screening tickets are now available for purchase through the Macau Ticketing Network at www.macauticket.com. Tickets are also available at the screening venue from December 5-10 during the festival.

·         Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/IFFAMACAO/

·         Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/iffamacao/

For more information, please visit the official website:  www.iffamacao.com

[puckish-saint]

ok i thought i was finished ranting but im not the more I read from the side of the writers, the more it becomes clear that they really don’t care about quality If you look at the Overwatch canon - and I really mean just the canon - it’s bad. It’s just really, really bad. Overwatch is two dozen clichés slapped onto a decent first-person-shooter. The characters are shallow and trite, any originality seems accidental. We all make fun of the fact that McCree dresses up and acts like a cowboy in 2076, but from a purely objective point of view, he doesn’t fit into that universe. Neither do Hanzo and Genji with their names and traditions that date about 500 years into Japan’s past. Soldier 76 is the epitome of an overdone character trope, Reaper is the most stereotypical bad guy villain you could possibly make up. 76 is dressed in red white and blue, Reaper gets the “black = evil” look down to an inch. Tracer and Widowmaker were designed to be jerk-off material and the former being lesbian is only thanks to massive fan involvement. All the major characters are painfully overdone and boring and the few that are interesting from the start have so little in the way of content that it feels like the writers just don’t know what to do with potentially exciting characters. So here’s the thing, and I’m speaking purely for myself here, Here’s what made Overwatch into one of the greatest, most diverse and creative fandoms I’ve ever been in: The fans. I didn’t get into Overwatch because I thought “man, I really miss Supernatural, where else can I get bad writing and boring characters” I didn’t want to get into Overwatch because nothing about the official material appealed to me in any way, shape or form, but I was dragged in by what the fans made of that material.

Fans took the archetype of the “gunslinging outlaw” and made him a faceted, troubled man who still manages to not take himself too seriously. Fans worked out the story of how McCree came into Blackwatch with more depth than Blizzard ever did with their two pennies about “being given a choice between Blackwatch and maximum security prison”. The artists of Blizzard picked up on the depth fans gave Hanzo as more than just the walking talking museum exhibit about the history of Japan, but without fan involvement we would never have gotten his new style, reflecting a kind of character development that Blizzard never even alluded to, but that fans have been working with from day one. Fans made Soldiier:76 blind, both physically and metaphorically. Fans gave Lúcio and Hanzo prosthetics and wrote backstories for them in the same go.  Fans latched onto the dynamic between Roadhog and Junkrat until Blizzard was steamrolled into accepting the two have a close, if unconventional, bond. And Reaper, jesus, what you guys did with Reaper is nothing short of miraculous. Those of you who have been following my blog for a while will know I might as well tattoo this guy’s name on my ass for how obsessed I am with him. But if it weren’t for the fandom I wouldn’t give a shit about him. Canon Reaper is about as three-dimensional as the paper on which his concept was written on. There’s nothing to his character. A 1930s Sci-Fi villain has more depth than him and everything about him screams of a lazy or incompetent writer squeezing some gameplay into something that they hoped would pass for a character. And then fandom comes along and brings him to life. You gave him motivations beyond the flimsy “jealous over a promotion” excuse for a plot-device. Maybe Overwatch was a mistake or maybe the real bad guys played him and Jack out against each other, maybe there’s more going on. You gave him relationships. The tragic friendship between him and Jack, believing it was the two of them against the world until the world tore them apart. The father-son bond he struck with Jesse, that delinquent kid he saw sitting in his cell and couldn’t bring himself to abandon. If it weren’t for fans, Reaper would never look down the barrel of Pharah’s rocket launcher and be proud of how far she’s come, from that spirited child that has grown into an idealistic and strong woman. Fans gave Reaper chronic pain, taking another plot device Blizzard never thought out properly and followed it to its conclusion. He went from a b-side villain to a man justifiably angry but also deeply protective and caring about those he holds close.  And then we have Chu saying he’s “amused” by the fans’ theory that maybe Reaper has a point when he accuses Mercy of doing wrong by him. Because unintentionally he wrote one of the greatest ethical dilemmas of medical science into their character dynamic and chooses to deal with that by ignoring it. That’s the level of writing we can expect from Blizzard and Chu. The kind that pairs up his favourites without regards to all the minor characters who would have benefitted much more from extra content. Nevermind that one character has entirely too much of it and the other is reduced to being a love-interest with no own agenda or plot. There are a dozen theories and plot ideas about Mercy, as well. We have Mercy, a brilliant scientist who saw her parents die and swore to herself never to let anything like it happen again. We have a Mercy who loves her friends so deeply she can barely give name to it and does whatever she can to keep the safe. We have a Mercy who’s ruthless and ambitious, who saw two dying men and made them into her greatest scientific achievement, never caring for their pain. And we have a Mercy who really just does the job that’s in front of her, who hopes that any day now the time might come where she’s not needed anymore, where all the killing and bloodshed will have finally ended. It may just be me, but I prefer any of those theories to the Mercy who’s little more than Genji’s girlfriend. And I prefer the fandom’s Reaper to the one who’s just a handy prop for the good guys to defeat.

[mrhotmaster]

The List Of April 2020 TV Series Of Hotstar, Netflix And Amazon Is Here: Check Now

The biggest TV title of March — The Mandalorian — was gifted over fortnight early because of the (botched) beta roll-out of Disney+ Hotstar, which now launches officially Friday. Star Wars fans haven't any doubt already watched it, so you will not find it below. April also saw the return of confounding sci-fi Westworld and Jason Bateman-led Ozark for his or her respective third seasons. the previous continues through March, as is that the case for the opposite HBO series, The Plot Against America, from the creator of The Wire. Joining them in April may be a jam-packed list of latest and returning TV, and that is despite us not having the ability to incorporate some (like Killing Eve) which don't air weekly on India.

Disney+ Hotstar has five new titles — from a previous couple of episodes of recent Family to new shows featuring Cate Blanchett and Phoebe-Waller Bridge — despite not having one new Disney+ original series. Netflix also has five. Money Heist is the most-talked-about title, but there's a promise within the hands of Mindy Kaling and Vir Das, who are drawing on their own lives in a method or another. And if it's local content you're after, Amazon has two of these on offer: the return of Four More Shots Please!, and another from the house of The Viral Fever (TVF).

Here's our April 2020 TV guide, which incorporates shows on Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+.

Home Before Dark

When: April 3

Where: Apple TV+

The first of two Apple originals in April is predicated on the true story of young journalist Hilde Lysiak (Brooklynn Prince, from The Florida Project) who unearths a chilly case that everybody, including her father, is trying to bury during a small lakeside town. Created by Dana Fox (The Wedding Date) & Dara Resnik (I Love Dick), and directed by Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians). Three episodes on the release date, and therefore the remaining seven weekly thereafter. Already renewed for a second season.

Money Heist

When: April 3

Where: Netflix

“The war had begun.” That's how the hit Spanish heist series ended its third season. (“Part”, to be precise. The new “Part 4” is technically the last half of the second season.) When the fourth season begins, everything is in chaos: the Professor (Álvaro Morte) thinks Lisbon (Itziar Ituño) is dead, Nairobi (Alba Flores) is somehow hanging in there, and Tokyo (Úrsula Corberó) and Rio (Miguel Herrán) have invited the army's wrath. On top of all that, an insider plans to defect.

Panchayat

When: April 3

Where: Amazon Prime Video

Jitendra Kumar (Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan) plays an engineering graduate with dim job prospects during this The Viral Fever (TVF) series, which finds him eventually picking the village council — hence panchayat — during a tiny Uttar Pradesh village. There, he struggles to handle the responsibilities and chart a far better path for his future. Neena Gupta (Badhaai Ho), Raghubir Yadav (Peepli Live!) also star.

Tales from the Loop

When: April 3

Where: Amazon Prime Video

Swedish painter Simon Stålenhag's futuristic art book of an equivalent name is that the foundation for this new sci-fi series, which tells the story of a rural Swedish town where people live above “The Loop”, a machine that has unlocked the mysteries of the universe and delivered to live things that were confined to sci-fi. Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Paul Schneider (Parks and Recreation), and Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes) star. Nathaniel Halpern (Legion) is the creator.

Modern Family

When: April 9

Where: Disney+ Hotstar

We don't usually usher in ongoing series in our TV guide, but a series finale for a long-running popular show deserves a mention. After 11 seasons and 248 episodes — the two-part hour-long finale will make that a good 250 — the once-brilliant mockumentary about the extended Pritchett clan is prepared to wrap things up. If you've never seen the show, you will need a full five days — that's 124 hours — to catch up. Sleep is for the weak (or dead?).

Run

When: April 13

Where: Disney+ Hotstar

Fleabag's Emmy-winning creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge is an executive producer and recurring star on this comedy thriller that comes from the mind of Waller-Bridge's frequent collaborator, Vicky Jones. In it, a lady (Merritt Wever, from Unbelievable) with an uneventful suburban life drops everything for a pact she made together with her college boyfriend (Domhnall Gleeson, from About Time).

Mrs. America

When: April 16

Where: Disney+ Hotstar

Cate Blanchett leads the power-packed cast — Sarah Paulson, Elizabeth Banks, Uzo Aduba, Rose Byrne, Margo Martindale, and John Slattery the others — in her American TV debut with this miniseries that tackles the story of Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative activist who opposed the Equal Rights Amendment within the 1970s. Three episodes on the release date, with the remaining six weekly thereafter.

What We neutralize the Shadows

When: April 16

Where: Disney+ Hotstar

Based on Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's 2014 mockumentary horror comedy film, the story of 4 vampire housemates who are cohabitation for many years on New York's Staten Island continues within the second season, which can feature the likes of Mark Hamill (Star Wars) and Haley Joel Osment (Future Man) as guest stars. Two episodes on the release date, and one weekly thereafter.

Fauda

When: April 16

Where: Netflix

After airing over the New Year period in Israel on local TV, the third season of the political thriller — first announced back in December 2017 before the second season released, confirming the series' uber popularity — reaches global audiences. In it, Doron lays a trap for a determined young boxer when a months-long covert mission puts him and his team on the trail of a Hamas leader high on Shin Bet's — the Israeli equivalent of the FBI — wanted list.

Four More Shots Please!

When: April 17

Where: Amazon Prime Video

The all-women quartet — Sayani Gupta, Kirti Kulhari, Bani J, and Maanvi Gagroo — is back for more meaningless sex and rocky relationships within the second season of this romantic comedy-drama, which finds them jetting off to Istanbul and Udaipur when they are not busy living it up within the posh upscale neighborhood of south Mumbai. It stays all women behind the scenes too, with Nupur Asthana (Bewakoofiyaan) the new director, and Ishita Nandy joining her sister Rangita as co-showrunner.

The ghost within the Shell: SAC_2045

When: April 23

Where: Netflix

The Japanese cyberpunk franchise — which received a horrible Scarlett Johansson-starrer live-action adaptation three years ago — further expands with a replacement anime set within the titular year 2045, during a period of a replacement global financial crisis and a time when the planet is engulfed in an AI-driven “sustainable war.” Amidst all that, counter-cyberterrorist force Section 9 has new threats to affect.

Defending Jacob

When: April 24

Where: Apple TV+

Chris Evans (Captain America), Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), and Jaeden Martell (It) lead the cast of this thriller miniseries, directed by Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game), that's supported William Landay's 2012 novel of an equivalent name. In it, Evans' character may be a lawyer whose teenage son (Martell) is accused of murder. Three episodes on the release date, with the opposite five weekly thereafter.

Never Have I Ever

When: April 27

Where: Netflix

Mindy Kaling delivers her own childhood experiences as an Indian-American during this coming-of-age tale, which is about in the present day and follows Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), who wants not-a-nerd boyfriend, less hair, and an invitation to a celebration, where she is going to politely decline the alcohol and hard drugs she is going to naturally be offered. Tennis legend John McEnroe drops in as narrator because he's the idol of Devi's dead father.

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels

When: April 27

Where: Disney+ Hotstar

Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones' Margaery Tyrell) and Daniel Zovatto (Fear the Walking Dead) lead the cast of this dime novel spin-off set 40 years after the events of the first in late 1930s l. a. , during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Dormer plays a shapeshifting supernatural demon and Zovatto is l. a. Police Department's first Mexican-American detective. And since this is often the late 1930s, Third Reich features a role to play also.

Hasmukh

When: April TBA

Where: Netflix

Vir Das may be a co-creator, co-writer, creative producer, and star of the sole Indian original series on Netflix in April, which follows a timid, aspiring, small-town comic (Das) who discovers that he must kill off-stage to kill on-stage. “Kill” naturally implies two very different meanings here. Das has said that the show has elements of crime mystery Dexter and comedy anthology Fargo. Ranvir Shorey (Khosla Ka Ghosla!), Manoj Pahwa (Article 15) star alongside.

Beyond April

We'll have an in-depth round-up of upcoming TV shows monthly, but we do know a good bit about the longer-term already.

Hollywood: Limited Series / May 1, Netflix

Trying: Season 1 / May 1, Apple TV+

Upload: Season 1 / May 1, Amazon Prime Video

Betty: Season 1 / May 2, Disney+ Hotstar

Billions: Season 5 / May 4, Disney+ Hotstar

The Eddy: Limited Series / May 8, Netflix

The Third Day: Limited Series / May 12, Disney+ Hotstar

Central Park: Season 1 / May 29, Apple TV+

[zhumeimv]

In The Heights - Official Trailer (2020) Lin-Manuel Miranda

In The Heights – Official Trailer (2020) Lin-Manuel Miranda

Date: 2019-12-12 23:00:03

[aoa id=’0′][dn_wp_yt_youtube_source type=”101″ id=”AZLmFO4kE1M”][/aoa]

Check out the first trailer for In the Heights, featuring music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the Heights is set in Washington Heights in New York, and follows bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines and sings about a better life.

[evelynsmusings]

Super Supper Singapore List (Eat Play Travel Blog Article)

”If you got that ‘Screw Calories’ mindset and you are already planning to go somewhere with your pals down to hang out, you have come to the right list! Best to drop those plans to a nearby fast-food restaurant or that instant noodles because the SUPER SUPPER SINGAPORE list is gonna treat your time and tummy to a merry night with these top late-night foodie hangouts!”

2017, Eat Play Travel Blog Article

EAST

 Feng Shan Food Centre/Bedok 85 Market

https://burpple-1.imgix.net/foods/599075d68216c318e581528111_original.?ixlib=rb-1.1.0

AKA Bedok 85 where any eastie will tell you it’s the place to be for supper. Most stalls are open till 10pm and some staying open till 3am to satiate your late night cravings! Must eats at Bedok 85 are Bak Chor Mee, Oyster Egg, Chicken Wings, Hokkien Prawn Mee and Sambal Stingray.

 Address: 85 Bedok North Street 4, Singapore 460085

Opening Hours: Varying Times, Latest 4am Close

http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.sg/2015/10/the-bark-cafe.html

 The Bark Café

 The Bark Café stands beside the Changi Chapel Museum is a chill, laid-back supper spot for your friends with drinks and perhaps a game of pool. The quaint outdoor dining restaurant and bar is known for their Asian and Western cuisine, with an extensive menu just for different palates!

Address: 1000 Upp Changi Road North, Singapore 507707

Opening Hours: Mon – Thu, 11am to 1am; Fri – Sat, 11am to 2 am; Sun, 11am to 1am.

 https://therantingpanda.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/img_9253.jpg?w=940&h=626

 126 Wan Dou Sek Dim Sum 

 Dim-sum Eastie fanatics rejoice! This place is famous for their delightful dim sums, particularly for their siew mai and chee cheong fun aka rice noodle roll. Located along the Sims Avenue, Wan Dou Sek has a vast selection from their massive menu, so there’s definitely something for everyone!

Address: 126 Wan Dou Sek Dim Sum: 126 Sims Ave, Singapore 387449

Opening Hours: 24 hours (Daily)

     WEST

Fei Fei Wanton Mee

 https://burpple-1.imgix.net/foods/7cfe36a471b27289ca1227652_original.?ixlib=rb-1.1.0

 One of the most talked about Wanton Mee in Singapore, this old-school wanton mee is open 24 hours and if you are craving for some noodles at that ungodly hour of the night, here is your fix! It’s well-known outlets are located in Joo-chiat, but fret not, there’s an outlet right at Clementi for westies to enjoy!

Address: Fei Fei Wanton Mee: 18 Clementi Road, Singapore 129747

Opening Hours: 24 hours (daily)

          Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak

 https://www.misstamchiak.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/P2281722-1300x867.jpg

 Westies are no strangers to the absolutely delectable Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak. The stalls operate during night time daily to after midnight and even if hunger pangs in the night, be sure that you get to enjoy plate or packet of fragrant Nasi Lemak. 

 Address: Boon Lay Power Nasi Lemak : #01-06, Boon Lay Place Market and Food Centre, 221 Boon Lay Opening Hours: 6pm to 2am (Daily)

                  Bangkok Street Mookata

https://burpple.imgix.net/foods/283117691d77de1060c1467239_original.?ixlib=rb-1.1.0

 This fuss-free mookata chain is a fail-proof option when you're craving a BBQ fix. Located within heartland coffeeshops in neighbourhoods like Jurong West, Bedok and Ang Mo Kio, Bangkok Street dishes out hearty mookata sets at affordable prices — perfect for penny-pinching students.

 Address: Bangkok Street Mookata (Jurong): 498 Jurong West Street 41, Singapore 640498

Opening Hours: 5pm to 3am (Daily)

 North

 Springleaf Prata Place

 https://www.burpple.com/f/ITzFyVjs

 “It is just pratas for the night?” Not just merely prata my friend, anyone that has been here before knows that this place is a great supper spot because of their dedication to prata! Sure, you can get your gorengs but if you are in a group, why not share THE ULTIMATE MURTABAK jam packed with tandoor chicken cubes, egg, cheese, mushrooms and onions for perfect savoury. Other must-try creations include the Prata Blaster and Umami 50 as well!

 Address: Springleaf Prata Place (Thong Soon Ave): No. 1 Thong Soon Ave, Singapore 787431 

Opening Hours: 8am to 12mn (Daily)

        Xiang Ji Roasted Meat

 https://cdn4.sg.orstatic.com/userphoto/photo/0/A5/00207F8E1EC0751BD204FApx.jpg 

 If you stay around Choa Chu Kang, there is this 24-hour coffeeshop that you might been acquainted with. However, if you are new to the area and your friend that stays there invites you down to the area, you have to give this stall a try. Tender Roast meats and Char Siew awaits you as it pairs along well with their sweet gravy and fragrant rice, something that will fill your belly and mood up!  

 Address: Block 302, Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4, Singapore 680302

Opening Hours: 24 hours

             Al-Azhar Eating Restaurant

 Cred: Shafiee Barahim https://www.instagram.com/p/BA9GlUPxl-X/?hl=en

 A plethora of food choices awaits those that live around Woodlands when you come down to Al-Azhar. Staple choices like prata and gorengs are available but have you ever tried a Teh-Pakistan before or Kashmiri Naan? All you got to do is look a little and surprises awaits you but if you do want to stick to local comforts, you must definitely have their Butter Chicken Masala to call it a delightful night!

 Address: Al-Azhar Woodlands, 30 Woodlands Ave 1 (Woodgrove Dr), Singapore 739065

Opening Hours: 24 Hours

                      Central

 Outram Park Yu Hua Rou Gu Cha

 http://i.hungrygowhere.com/business/e2/5a/11/00/outram-ya-hua-rou-gu-cha-restaurant.jpg

  They say back in the days, this dish was meant to be a breakfast dish. It might not be like steamboat but it sure can be affordable and wonderful with your pals as well when you share a piping bowl of Pork Rib Soup. You can find it warming both your belly and your soul when you drop by down for their signature soup or settle down for their watercress soup to cool you down if it gets too heaty!

 Address: 7 Keppel Road, 01-05/07, PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex, Singapore Opening Hours: Tues to Sat 7am to 3am, Sun 7am to 1am (Closed on Mon)

         Jen’s Kitchen-On-the-Go

 Hotel Jen: https://www.hoteljen.com/uploadedImages/Hotel_Jens/Hotel_Jen,_Singapore/Taste/Restaurants/Jens-Kitchen-On-the-Go.jpg

  Now if you are in the mood to pamper yourself, especially if you are around the city or just staying at Hotel Jen, do visit Jen’s Kitchen On-the-Go for late night treats. Its chic and it is the perfect spot for you to chat till sunrise over a good cup of Sea Salt Caramel Latte but if you do need that extra energy to last through the night, spoil yourself with their Melted Peanut Butter Milkshake. It will make an excellent date location to impress your special someone tonight.

 Address: 1A Cuscaden Road, Hotel Jen Tanglin Lobby, Singapore 249716 Opening Hours: 24 Hours

                 Beach Road Scissor Cut Curry Rice

 https://s3.burpple.com/foods/2d941c0d9f0ac7e7f101324788_original.?1445617019

 My late nights often bring me to this place for a good fulfilling pick me up and where else can you get curry gravy this good anyway? Sure, some people not accustomed to this might say it looks sloppy but one spoonful of that curry rice along with the braised sauce will set you back to the queue ordering for more. Don’t let your plate be merely just curry chicken, fill it up with those crispy prawn fritters to really soft yet well-cooked vegetables and you will find yourself ready to head out once more!  

 Address: 229 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208905

Opening Hours: 11am-3:30am

     South

 Ye Shang Hai Teochew Porridge

https://burpple.imgix.net/foods/62613fb37c7f90066661538449_original.?ixlib=rb-1.1.0

 Another fine Chinese that guarantees that you will feast like an emperor at this Teochew Porridge shop. Take your humble porridge as a canvas and fill it up with as many side dishes from their homemade fishcake to their salted vegetable that will leave your tastebuds tingling in euphoria without busting a hole in your wallet. If you brought along friends or just feeling real hungry, go get their steam fish and meatcakes for the authentic Teochew porridge experience!

 Address: 116 Bukit Merah View, #01-217, Singapore 151117

Opening Hours: Wed to Mon 10.30am to 5am

 Soon Li Yong Tau Foo

 https://burpple.imgix.net/foods/62613fb37c7f90066661538449_original.?ixlib=rb-1.1.0

A big pot of tasty Yong Tau Foo would not go unnoticed by us, especially when it comes with crispy ikan bilis and flavourful soup. However, be warned that the food is in high demand! You take what you want in the bowl and the stall owner will whip you up the best Yong Tau Foo that you have ever known.  

Address: BLK 115 Bukit Merah View, #01-78, Bukit Merah View Market & Food Centre, Singapore 151115

Opening Hours: 11.30pm to 3am (Varies)

2am: dessertbar

 http://www.asia-bars.com/2014/05/2amdessertbar-dessert-restaurant-singapore/

 If you are around Holland Village after a late-night meal and desire a touch of sophistication, drop by 2am: dessertbar where every dish is presented to you like an amazing work of art. You can expect burgers and sides but we rather persuade you to go pamper yourself with their Japanese-infusion artisanal desserts. It is a definite must-go if you are one that loves indulging in fine tastes with a date.

 Address: 21A Lorong Liput, Holland Village, 277733

Opening Hours: 2pm-2am

[theconservativebrief]

You may have heard that Warren Buffett, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway whose net worth is somewhere around $87 billion, lives in a modest house he bought in 1958 for just $31,5000. Or that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg drives a stick-shift Volkswagen GTI. Maybe you’ve seen those articles floating around about how Bill Gates, who was once the wealthiest man in the world, wears a $10 watch. Or how Amazon head Jeff Bezos, who is currently the wealthiest man in the world, drove a Honda Accord for years after becoming a billionaire.

Most recently, the UK Sun reported that Michael O’Leary, the embattled CEO of budget airline Ryanair (which has been forced to cancel scores of flights amid strikes by pilots who say they’re underpaid and overworked), is as frugal in his everyday life as he is with his airline. Matt Cooper, the author of a forthcoming autobiography of O’Leary, told the paper that the airline CEO is “utterly ruthless and pathological about how much he hates spending money.”

We seem to love stories about frugal billionaires and penny-pinching CEOs. These anecdotes about the denizens of the Forbes 400 list driving sensible family vehicles and eschewing Rolexes are more than a reminder that the ultra-rich are just like everyone else: They’re also a way of justifying billionaires’ wealth by showing that they don’t spend it frivolously. There’s an aspirational element to it as well, since these anecdotes are often coupled with advice on how anyone can save millions if they drive a cheap car and never go out to dinner.

Commending rich people for their frugality is also a way of policing regular people for spending money on anything other than the absolute necessities. The subtext is clear: If Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg are happy with modest homes and budget cars, everyone else should be, too.

For the wealthy, frugality is framed as an admirable sign of self-control; for everyone else, it’s a requirement. The question isn’t how much money one has to spend, but how that money is spent.

The underlying message in all these anecdotes is that good wealthy people don’t flaunt their wealth, and the best wealthy people have the same consumption habits as everyone else.

Rachel Sherman, an associate professor of sociology at the New School for Social Research who studies consumption habits among the wealthy, said that many rich people are concerned about what their spending says about them. For her book, Uneasy Street: The Anxieties of Affluence, Sherman interviewed 50 wealthy New York parents, many of whom emphasized how frugal they were and how “normal” their spending habits were.

“The wealthy people who I’ve studied are really concerned with the moral implications of privilege, and I think a lot of the popular culture representations of wealthy people are also really moralistic,” Sherman told me. “Being frugal is one of the ways in which we evaluate whether a wealthy person is morally good or morally bad.”

The fawning articles that are often published about the frugal rich, Sherman said, reproduce “an idea that very frugal consumption is good,” both among the wealthy and among middle- and low-income people. For the very rich, being frugal is a way of showing that they don’t take their good fortune — and their literal fortunes — for granted. For everyone else, frugality is a signifier of self-control.

She also noted that plenty of other wealthy people get held up as an example of how not to behave: One example is the “rich kids of Instagram,” teenagers and 20-somethings who flaunt their families’ inherited wealth on social media. Or Donald Trump, whose gilded ’80s aesthetic has become synonymous with the bad taste of the nouveau riche.

Kevin Kwan’s 2013 novel Crazy Rich Asians is practically a manual on the distinctions between Good Rich People and Bad Rich People. The protagonist, Rachel Chu, is dating a Good Rich Person: Nick Young, the heir to one of the biggest fortunes in Singapore, who downplays his wealth so much that Rachel doesn’t realize he’s the heir to one of the biggest fortunes in Singapore. His relatives, who are materialistic and can’t look past Rachel’s working-class background, are Bad Rich People; they’re the villains in both the book and the 2018 film adaptation.

“I think wealthy people who care about feeling like they are morally worthy of their privilege and who want to be seen as normal are always using people like that as their foil,” Sherman said. “That’s something that they can say, ‘Well, we’re not that.’ By saying that, they’re often signaling, ‘Well, we’re wealthy, but we’re not the kind of wealthy that wants all the attention, that has this over-the-top taste.’ They sort of distance themselves from that.”

That also means downplaying their own spending habits. The families Sherman interviewed spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on private school tuition, home renovations, and lavish family vacations each year, but most of them continued to classify their spending as normal.

One woman told her husband that he wasn’t allowed to “talk about what we pay for things to your family outside of the city … they’ll think that we are the craziest people in the world. And we’re not. We’re, like, totally normal people.”

Another said she took the label off the $6 bread she bought at the grocery store because she didn’t want her nanny to see it — and, more importantly, because she was uncomfortable with the vast inequality between her own family and the nanny’s.

What the simple dichotomy between good rich people and bad rich people obscures is that even if wealthy people aren’t spending as much money as they could be, they’re still spending far more money than the average person. Mark Zuckerberg may be known for his minimalist hoodie-and-T-shirt wardrobe, but those hoodies are made of cashmere and cost $2,000. His peers in Silicon Valley may have adopted a similar aesthetic, but many of them are paying a stylist big bucks to help them do so.

The Sun story paints Michael O’Leary as a money-minded penny-pincher, but if you read past the headline you’ll see that he literally owns 100 racehorses. Apparently, O’Leary is frugal because he fired his horse trainer, even if he still has the horses, and just bought a fourth house.

These stories about financially prudent billionaires are also used to shame others for their own spending habits, which are cast as frivolous in comparison. In a 2017 interview with Time, investor Mark Cuban said that anyone who wants to get rich should aggressively save and not spend money on anything other than the essentials. “I did things like having five roommates and living off macaroni and cheese and I was very, very frugal,” Cuban said. “I had the worst possible car — those kinds of things.”

Meanwhile, millennials are told they wouldn’t be in such dire financial straits if they just spent less money on coffee, rent, weddings, bachelorette parties, alcohol, Uber and Lyft rides, travel, and avocado toast.

Lauding the wealthy for their thriftiness is also a way of blaming people for their own poverty. “There’s a whole image of the welfare queen driving a Cadillac,” Sherman said, referring to Ronald Reagan’s infamous description of public assistance recipients who spent the money on luxury goods instead of basic needs. “That’s why food stamp spending is restricted in particular ways; there’s this idea that poor people can’t be trusted.”

In other words, the financial advice millionaires dispense onto the masses ignores basically every structural problem that keeps people poor in the first place, from poorly funded public schools to stagnating wages to being saddled with tens of thousands of dollars of student loan debt. Frugality is presented as a simple position to a complicated problem — a promise that anyone who saves enough money and has the right mindset can be rich, or, at the very least, not poor.

Increasingly, conversations about wealth have shifted from how the wealthy spend their money to whether they should have that much money to spend, and how they accumulated that wealth in the first place. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) recently called out Jeff Bezos for amassing more and more wealth while Amazon warehouse employees make so little that they qualify for public assistance.

Where some people see a frugal billionaire who should be emulated, Sanders and others see an unconscionable hoarding of a fortune built on the backs of underpaid employees.

“The implicit message on those kinds of stories is: ‘These people are good, therefore it’s okay for them to be so wealthy,’” said Sherman. “And what I argue in the book is that talking about any of this in that way avoids questions about distribution. Should they have $50 million to begin with, regardless of what they spend it on? That, to me, is a question that never comes up, partly because these representations of rich people as frugal or as spendthrifts is focused on their spending habits, not on what they have.”

Original Source -> The appealing myth of the frugal billionaire

via The Conservative Brief

[rosielav]

A quick and simple Penny

She's an angel :) a few hundred years ago she popped into this plane to check things out, as she's a curious one.

The first thing she saw was a flier posted outside of a strange building. It said 'Washington State Penitentiary's Annual Field Day', with a date and other pertaining information. She was enamored by this phrase and took is as her own name.

Soon after, while plane-jumping, she happened upon Chu, a planeswalker herself. Chu intruduced herself, and when this beautiful mess of eyes and wings and rings and legwarmers and chunky shoes stated her name was.... A phrase.... She asked if she could refer to the angel as simply Penny.

And boy howdy did Penny's light pink skin turn a deep crimson at that. A nickname? Her *first* nickname? And it was given to her by this incredibly tall, naked, all big hair and big eye, monster..... Oh golly, she couldn't be happier.

They started dating shortly after meeting :)

[sensitivitysensitivity]

books i read summer 2018!

so, here’s all of the books that i read over the time of like, end of may to august, including my star rating as well as a short synopsis and a brief little paragraph about what i thought about it while i watch comedians in cars getting coffee. don’t read my reviews if you don’t want ANY spoilers. the reviews aren’t spoilery, it just has some hints to the end and such. 

i. the hate u give by angie thomas

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

the hate u give is about a young african american girl named starr who is present when her childhood best friend is tragically murdered in an unwarranted act of police brutality, and how she finds her voice and the strength to speak out about the matter of police brutality with the support of her family and friends, as well as finding out who her real supporters are.

i adored this book with every last bit of my heart. the characters are absolutely hysterical, as well as strong and inspiring. i even loved starr’s stereotypical white boyfriend (who is being played by KJ Apa in the film adaption coming out this year and i literally yelled). i loved the way the book incorporated social media and such without making it seem as if teenagers are simply media obsessed. it really showed many different perspectives and sides to arguments that make you think, as well as inspire you to stand up for something you believe in.

ii. emergency contact by mary h.k choi

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

emergency contact follows two college students who are seemingly lost in life, dealing with issues in their respective lives, who meet under strange and awkward circumstances, and take a liking to one another and start a friendship that consists almost entirely of text messages as they help one another through their woes of life, and develop feelings for one another cause yanno its a YA romance.

i didn’t NOT enjoy this book, but it wasn’t my favorite. i found penny’s character kind of annoying, and really rude sometimes, and i didn’t really love her dynamic with any of the characters, including sam who is the guy she is texting throughout the book. i really liked how realistic it was, kind of giving a real look into how life works i guess? i thought sam’s storyline with his ex girlfriend was incredibly dramatic and unneeded and it frustrated me, and the end of the story literally wasn’t affected at all by that storyline, it was just not needed. at all. like the ending was like cute and sam was cool but it was just kinda not as good as everyone online said it was. if it would’ve ended differently it would’ve gotten two stars lol.

iii. every day by david levithan

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

every day is the story of a genderless character that goes by the name of a, who jumps around from body to body every day into the life of somebody else, but they meet a girl, rhiannon, while in someone else’s life and they fall in love with her, and they then spend every day finding ways back to her

that was real hard to explain okay, but i really, really enjoyed this book. i found some aspects a little repetitive and it took some time to get to the point, but it was such a sweet story, and i loved getting to know each of the characters that a used as a host, and i enjoyed figuring out which characters that i liked more. i also liked the slight thrill of the kid who is trying to get a caught, as well as the ‘reverend’ who has the same condition as a, but learns to control it. i usually don’t like an open ending, but i liked this one since it implies a goes away to find out how to control himself and get back to rhiannon. overall i enjoyed it, and it was fun to read and get to know the characters, but i gained nothing from reading it because the ending was open and it felt like there was no actual point. i don’t know it was good.

iv. play me backwards by adam selzer

★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

play me backwards is a really freaking weird story about the misadventures of leon who finds out his childhood girlfriend is possibly going to come visit, and is pushed down a rabbit hole of weird tasks he is sent to do by his best friend stan, who apparently is actually satan, such as finding the white grape slushee, date a popular girl, and listen to the full audio book of moby dick, all the while spending almost all of his time at the run down ice cream shop he works at. honestly that’s the best i can do the book is super freaking strange?

the weird thing about this book is that i actually really enjoyed reading it, and i actually really liked the character of leon, but i genuinely had no idea what the hell was going on the entire time. he was just kind of running around, like messing around with his girlfriend he didn’t like, thinking about some british girl, and being a lowkey satanist. like i have no idea what the point was, i honestly don’t even know what it was about. leon was a relatable character and he was funny, and i enjoyed his point of view, but the book was bad. the idea sucked and i felt like i was wasting my time reading it. but i had a fictional crush on leon and the ending like kinda forced itself into having a point, even though it was a stretch, so two stars only for leon. but i liked it. i don’t know. 

v. eliza and her monsters by francesca zappia

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

eliza and her monsters is about a young girl, eliza, who writes/draws a world renound web comic, monstrous sea, but remains completely anonymous except to her three best online friends and her family, but then she befriends the new student at school, wallace, and she finds out he is that he is the most popular fanfiction writer for her webcomic, she finds it harder and harder to keep her secret as she falls in love. 

so i read this book in ONE NIGHT. it was really good, and never failed to entertain me. i couldn’t blame eliza for falling in love with wallace cause girl i did too. he was such a cute character and so were her internet friends, and so were all the characters and i loved reading all of the little snipits of the webcomic, it was just adorable, and their love was adorable, and it was just adorable. plus it really puts a nice look on mental illness, and im not talking about eliza, wallace had extreme anxiety and it was very real and i really appreciated it. took away a star because eliza pissed me off on multiple occasions and i found her annoying a lot. other than that rEally great. 

vi. i’ll give you the sun by jandy nelson

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

i’ll give you the sun is told from the perspective of twins noah and jude during two very separate periods of time in their lives, jude telling her story at age sixteen and noah at age thirteen, as they go through life, and falling in love, and family secrets and tragedies as the grow apart and back together.

okay so i didn’t know how to explain this without spoiling it completely, but WOW i loved this book. i genuinely couldn’t decide if i liked noah or jude’s story better, and finally decided on the answer being BOTH. it was so good, so emotional, noah and brian made me sob and so did jude and oliver, and i loved the characters and all the revelations they had and im just rambling and i feel like im making no sense but jesus, this book was amazing and the story was just so absolutely amazing. not a single flaw in this book. absolutely amazing OH ! MY ? GOD! absolute favorite of the summer.

vii. the absolutely true diary of a part time indian by sherman alexie

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

the absolutely true diary of a part time indian is the critically acclaimed novel about a teenage boy, junior, who had many medical issues who lives in an indian reservation, but decides that he is destined for greater things and decides to transfer to the “white school”, and he faces many challenges such as finding his place at this school and the backlash of the other members of the reservation. 

it was very difficult for me to like this book, at first because of the fact that i read it for school, but then ONLY for the fact that i found out about the sexual assault charges against the author, and im so upset i bought the book and essentially supported the author before i was aware olf that, but that doesn’t change that i had to read this for school, and that i actually liked it. it was very aware of racism and a lot of racial stereotypes and provided very raw experiences and the drawings were fun to read. i don’t really wanna go on cause i don’t wanna praise it too much, but i took away a star cause sometimes i found it repetitive and some things simply didn’t have a point, but i liked it. 

viii. a semi-definitive list of worst nightmares by krystal sutherland

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

this book tells the odd story of esther solar, who believes her whole family is cursed by Death, and whatever fear that cripples them throughout life will kill them. but the curse is threatening the life of her twin brother, eugene, she decides to face every fear she has written down on her list of things she must avoid so she never has to face the curse herself, with the help of an unlikely friend, to lure Death to them and reverse the curse. 

so that summary probably little to no sense at all. because the book itself is so difficult to explain, but i actually really enjoyed it. it took me a while to read it, but i loved it. esther was a real character, with so many real flaws, and her ‘friend’ jonah who helped her overcome all of her fears, really brought out the best parts of her, as well as bringing light to the nature of abuse. the book dealt with a lot of real problems, such as mental illness, and does it in such a lovely and sensitive way, but without holding back, as well as showing someone who seemingly had no hope, get better, which i find amazing. the only reason i took a star away was because so many parts dragged on and i got bored sometimes, but overall, it was a great read with so many great characters and it was very whimsical and enjoyable!

ix. crazy rich asians by kevin kwan

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

crazy rich asians follows rachel chu and her boyfriend nick young as he brings her home to his ‘crazy rich’ family that he hasn’t prepared her for at all, and essentially don’t approve of her, as well as it follows everyone in nick’s extended and immediate family as well as some family friends and their extravagant lifestyles as well as all the drama that comes with being that freaking rich. 

okay i adore this book. it was absolutely amazing, and i could barely begin to tell you all of the amazing characters and storylines, each one more interesting and intricate and extravagant than the next. i loved the representation, and accurate representation at that, of the asian culture. it was just great. other than being somewhat hard to follow at times with the constant perspective change, i loved it. the movie was rlly good too lol. 

x. the kissing booth by beth reekles

★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

the kissing booth is the absolutely dreadful story of a young girl, elle evans, and her best friend, lee flynn, as they plan a kissing booth for their high schools fundraiser (for what? i have no clue) and elle ends up kissing her best friends older brother, noah flynn, and by a strange turn of events they fall into a forbidden (because lee makes the rules ig) romance. 

really ended off the summer GREAT with this one! it sucked, it was horrible. there were actual, typos? in the book? it was incredibly sexist, literally making elle seem like a piece of property, and theres MULTIPLE occasions of sexual assault that is glossed over. in fact, the best friend lee assaults her (slapping her butt without permission) and when someone ELSE assaults her he says “no one is allowed to do that but me” thats reason ENOUGH. it’s gross how they both try and control her, and its honestly just bad. the story is all over the place, and it feels like a wattpad book, because it literally is, and i payed six dollars for it. so the jokes on me ig.