#Her name is Kasuga

[chaotic-tired-cat]

Took a day off with some besties for girls night in/art time/tea & tipsy gossip while working on fucked up OC creation

[ferretwanted]

sorry about the not drawing thing. here's a picture of my cat.

[caramelmochacrow]

happy birthday miyu!!!! (im sorry i almost forgot, i got distracted!)

[funarisjournal]

Random thought occurred to me on the way back from work. Kinda random, but I had to make a musing-essay on it.

We joke about how Nomoto and Kasuga never call each other by their first names, but I realized they kept this streak going even when it would've made sense to actually use their first names??

I can't help but give props to the drama version for keeping it up, too. Curry party, Nomoto has trouble addressing Kasuga? I originally laughed because she was still new to having a girlfriend ("what do I call her??") But now I realize she couldn't even say Kasuga's name lmao. Kasuga ends up finishing the introduction to Yako properly

Even Japanese fanworks keep up the lack-of-name streak, actually. It's still just "Nomoto-san" and "Kasuga-san," even if the work takes place after they move in together.

Heck, even I can't personally do anything with them using first names. It feels...weird right now lmao. Do you all get that feeling, too? Or are you on Nagumo and Yako's side (former giving them the firstname-chan names and the latter at least addressing Nomoto by first name)?

[td-tbbg-official]

The queen of mean… The girl who made the show’s first alliance… The famous backstabbing, lying little [censored]… All of those names and more belong to this one contestant.

Building her reality TV career on lies, this contestant has appeared in four seasons – much more than most can say for themselves – and has gotten as far as possible in most of them. She even found love in the third one… But abandoned it for the prize of one million dollars! But in the fifth season, love was her answer… For her rival became her lover.

But listen to this: now, her life is totally different! Her parents stole her money, and she was left with little to nothing to start a life for herself. She now lives alone, having gone through multiple roommates and even more jobs. She can barely keep her life together – which would explain why she’s back. After all, the fame she’s acquired thanks to Total Drama is nowhere near good!

You must know by now who I’m talking about, correct? Welcome… Heather!

“…Get that camera out of my face. I’m coming back, period. What more do you want…? Just… Leave me alone.”

How far will Heather get? Only time will tell, here on Total Drama: The Bridge Between Generations!

coming soon to an AO3 near you.

questions, concerns, suggestions to be deposited in the ask box.

TD: TBBG is written by @canonically47. the blog is entirely run by the writer.

[bahoreal]

EVERY TIME KASUGA SAN SMILES MY HEART GROWS 8 SIZES

[guzhufuren]

Japan 🇯🇵 A Guide to Some of the Best Queer Asian Shows

Full list here.

1. Cherry Magic!   mind reading; secret crush; office setting

By still being a vіrgin at 30, Adachi gains a magical power – the ability to read other people's minds by touching them. At first, he’s overwhelmed by his new ability, and it’s not proving to be helpful to him. But that all changes when he accidentally touches their office’s most perfect guy Kurosawa, who he learns has romantic feelings for him.

WeTV (Cherry Magic) & no international streaming of Cherry Magic The Movie is available to my knowledge, so watch on bilibili or KissKH

2. Kieta Hatsukoi (My Love Mix-Up!)   misunderstanding; high school setting

Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl in the seat next to him in class. But he despairs when he borrows her eraser and sees she's written the name of another boy — Ida — on it. To make matters more confusing, Ida sees Aoki holding that very eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him!

Viki

3. Our Dining Table food; child character

Salaryman Yutaka finds it difficult to share meals with other people. However, his life starts to change when one day, his cooking attracts the attention of a young boy named Tane and his older brother Minoru. The two brothers are impressed by Yutaka's cooking skill and invite him to their house to cook together. Yutaka's dreary life begins to change, and soon he finds himself looking forward to the meals he shares with the Ueda siblings together, as well as developing a taste for romantic feelings.

GagaOOLala

4. She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat wlw; neighbours; self-discovery; food

Nomoto loves to cook, but tends to make too much food and has no one to share it with. Luckily for her, turns out her neighbor Kasuga has a big enough appetite for the both of them.

No international streaming available, translated to english by Furritsubs, S1 & S2, watching instructions provided, please support translator on kofi.

5. Takara-kun to Amagi-kun high school setting; relationship exploration

Takara is a good-looking popular guy in class, while Amagi is a simple but bright and pure fellow classmate. The two begin to date in secret after Amagi's blurted out confession.

Viki or GagaOOLala

6. Old Fashion Cupcake! age gap; boss/assistant; self-discovery; office setting; food

At 39, Nozue realizes that by letting himself be carried away by his daily life, he ended up locking himself into his routine. It is Togawa, his 29-year-old subordinate, who shakes up his habits by offering him one day to go snack on pastries in an establishment more popular with girls. From one snack to the next, Nozue feels rejuvenated... But is it really the effect of these delicacies or rather that of emerging feelings?

Viki or GagaOOLala

7. Love is Better the Second Time Around second chances; adult romance

An associate university professor and an editor in their thirties, who promised to elope together back in high school but didn't because of a misunderstanding, find each other again after a magazine column ties them together.

GagaOOLala

8. Mr. Unlucky Has No Choice But to Kiss! lucky guy/unlucky guy; university setting

College student Fukuhara has bad luck that causes problems everywhere he goes. One day, Shinomiya, a student with super good luck, helps him out. Now, in order to divide the luck between them, Fukuhara needs to be with Shinomiya all the time.

Viki or GagaOOLala

9. Perfect Propose childhood friends to lovers; roommates

Hirokuni Watari, a cog in the corporate machine, faints on the street one day and ends up meeting Kai Fukaya, a childhood friend he hasn't seen in 12 years. With Kai having no place to stay, he ends up staying with Hirokuni and making home-cooked meals for him to soothe his exhaustion.

GagaOOLala

10. Two People Who Can't Fall in Love (Koisenu Futari) aromantism; asexuality; self-exploration

Sakuko finds it difficult to live in a society which operates under the assumption that people will fall in love with each other. She meets supermarket employee Takahashi and ends up living with him under one roof because of their similar values towards romance.

No international streaming available, watching instructions provided here.

11. I Cannot Reach You best friends to lovers; secret crush

Long time friends and total opposites, Yamato and Kakeru always stick together. When the reserved Yamato admits his feelings, can everything change?

Netflix

12. I Want to See Only You best friends to lovers; coming of age

In the final summer of high school, childhood best friends Sakura and Yuma must start thinking about college and their futures. That is, until Sakura confesses to Yuma with a kiss.

No international streaming available, translated to english by Furritsubs, watching instructions provided, please support translator on kofi.

13. A Man Who Defies the World of BL breaking the 4th wall; comedy; university setting

It suddenly dawns on Mob that he lives in a BL world! So he must turn down any hot guys who approach him.

Viki or GagaOOLala (S1) & Viki or GagaOOLala (S2)

14. My Personal Weatherman roommates; under-negotiated kink

Yoh is a struggling ero-manga artist living with his Mizuki Segasaki, a popular weather forecaster. Yoh believes their arrangement comes with Segasaki providing for him in exchange for housework and sex. Segasaki always has sex with Yoh before the day when the rain season will be over, which results in Yoh being sexually frustrated whenever Segasaki predicts sunny weather for the next day.

GagaOOLala or Viki or Apple TV

---

You can watch some shows for free by setting VPN to Japan. In other cases I recommend paying for subscriptions to show appreciation and support of content in order to get more of it in the future, but if you can’t, watch on KissKH (better quality), Dramacool or get files from MkvDrama. Enjoy!  🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

[bleghxy]

GL manga recs:

Summary: Maki's first love was her high school classmate, a girl named Midori. But Midori broke up with Maki at graduation, saying they were now "too old to be fooling around dating girls." Ten years later, Maki still can’t get Midori off her mind, and when the two women reconnect after a chance encounter, Maki realizes that, while her feelings haven’t changed, Midori has long moved on—in fact, she's engaged. Yet the more Maki hears Midori talk about her soon-to-be-husband, the more red flags she notices. And Midori has another secret, one she hasn’t yet shared with Maki. Will it be the last blow to Maki's hopes that their romance might be rekindled? Or will it be the push that sets them on a new path—one they'll travel together?

Review:

There's so much depth to this. At a glance it looks like a simple story. You read the summary and think oh well it's the same old plot of getting back with your ex but it's not. It deals with heavy topics like abusive relationships, comphet and the fear of being alone. It's very realistic in its portrayal. Both of the women are very well written especially Midori.

Status: Completed

Summary: Cooking is how Nomoto de-stresses, but one day, she makes way more than she can eat by herself. And so she invites her neighbor Kasuga, who also lives alone. What will come out of this dinner invitation?

Review: This manga is such an excellent read. There's so much that I love about this manga. I don't wanna spoil it so I'm gonna let you find out on your own. It points out the troubles women face due to the stereotypical portrayal of them in society. There's a good amount of discussion on lgbt especially on Nomoto's end. I won't say much about Kasuga because I don't wanna mistakenly spoil her past. There are also new characters in vol 3 who are as well written as the main characters. The women in this story are very well written! I really recommend this one! Also trigger warnings are given before anything heavy or disturbing is mentioned in this manga.

Status: Ongoing

Summary: Dani's promising future as an elite athlete is cut short when, during the middle of the television broadcast competition, her heart collapses. This ordeal will not only affect her health, but also destroy her relationship with her mother and skip her tennis career. In order to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and all its problems, she decides to go with her cousin to the small coastal town Levant and it is there where she will meet Blanca, a girl full of life and love for astronomy who will remind her that life can be beautiful and that Dani can shine again as the stars do.

Review: This is very short but still a good read. Even though I wished it were longer, it still managed to carry out the development between the two main characters. The only issue I had with this is, since the manga is very short, it fails to properly carry out the development between Dani and her mom.

Status: Completed

If you want more GL recs:

[lurkingshan]

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. Most of these shows are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna 2

Another great batch of episodes this week, as Kasuga and Nomoto settled into dating life, all the gals got together for various food related events, and Nagumo began seeking treatment for her eating disorder. This show is just always so compassionate with its characters, and manages to find interesting conflicts without going for high drama. I am very much enjoying seeing Kasuga and Nomoto figure out how their relationship should look now that they're dating and also how to communicate and respect each other as they make decisions. Kasuga's tendency to let Nomoto steamroll her feels harmless when it's about picking fruit or vegetables, but it won't be when it comes to making decisions about where they live and how to set up their home, so it's great they're addressing it early. It's also awesome to see them expand their circle of friends and deepen their bonds with Yako and Nagumo--I was high key jealous of the curry and s'mores parties. And Nagumo just has my whole heart. When she expressed profound relief at learning there is a name for her illness and ways to treat it, my mind immediately jumped to Rachel Bloom. Looking forward to her healing. I can't believe there is only one more batch of episodes coming, love and gratitude to @furritsubs!

Chaser Game W

I’ll keep this brief. This show was a mess, and not even in a fun way because unfortunately it was also extremely misogynistic. @twig-tea covered the major issues well in her post. Wild that this show aired simultaneously with TsukuTabe, what a dichotomy.

My Strawberry Film

This one is really not grabbing me. It feels kind of slow and muted and uncertain about what it's doing. I am not finding the mystery or the love rhombus compelling, and this week's focus on Hikaru's infatuation with Minami had me yawning and picking up my phone a lot. But it's early, I am hopeful it will pick up some steam.

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

This was a cute episode about Sakae and Soga getting past their initial awkwardness, learning how to communicate with each other, and moving into a more intimate phase of their relationship, and I think I would have loved it if we'd gotten it two weeks ago. This should have been the episode that followed their initial confessions, but instead the show did a two week diversion into love triangle nonsense, and unfortunately, I think it really threw off the pacing and the connection to these characters for me. It just feels too late in the show for this relationship to still feel so new. We haven't had time to settle in with them as a couple, or for them to develop a strong foundation to make us root for them to overcome the coming obstacles in the final arc. Still, this episode had some delightful scenes--Soga finally paying a visit to the sauna was my personal fav, and I also enjoyed the metaphor of Sakae literally catching Soga's love (and knowing @bengiyo would lose it over another important SPORTS moment in bl). This is a show I really want to love, but something just isn't connecting.

Perfect Propose

I love this final episode and I love this show. Hiro quit his job, Kai resolved things with the shop owner and his son, and they finally got on the same page about their relationship and made out about it. 10/10 no notes for this finale. It was lovely to see Hiro finish his project and make a decision to quit the daily grind--I loved, too, that he is still in touch with his former colleagues--and we saw the change in him so quickly. He looked happier, lighter, brighter. His skin was cleared and his crops were watered! And Kai got to have his moment of catharsis too, sharing his fear that he is a burden on others and having Hiro affirm for him that he wants him in his life and he's a help, not a burden. And I loved that we got all that plus a great kiss, a bed scene (with a very cute leg cramp diversion) and a small peek at their new domestic life together. This show makes me happy and it will definitely be one I return to for rewatches.

Ossan's Love Returns

I'm of two minds on this finale. On the one hand, I really loved it as a single episode of the show, was happy with where all the resolutions landed, and was left with a very warm feeling toward the show overall. The cherry blossom scene especially really got me right in the feels; I've loved the progression of Maki and Haruta's relationship this season and I love the way they talk to each other. They have earned themselves a spot on my list of favorite drama couples who I actually believe are going to stay together. I also loved everything about the big chaotic group scene and all these characters coming together to pour love on Haruta; it felt earned after a season of him knocking himself out for all his loved ones. The end joke with Chief moving in next door, and getting a final Maki/Kurosawa battle, was *chef's kiss*. And Takegawa's perfect life partner being a cat? 10/10 no notes. I will be clutching my aroace Takegawa read tightly to my bosom.

On the other hand, the episode reinforced for me that the way we got to a lot of these resolutions didn't feel quite right. In particular, I don't think the way Kurosawa's health scare played out across the back half of the season worked, and I'm not too pleased about spending three episodes in a downbeat, tragic mode for the sake of a simple pun joke. I think the whole plot would have landed a lot better for me if the audience was let in on Kurosawa's mistake at the start and the tone of his overwrought goodbyes was farcical all the way through. Not only would that have maintained the comedic tone of the show, but we could have used that story time to better seed some of the themes of this episode with Haruta's crisis of confidence and yearning for family. I'm pretty much agnostic on Kiku and Izumi; they never sold me on that pairing but I wasn't mad about their ending.

Overall, I am very glad I jumped into this show and enjoyed the watch experience a lot, despite my quibbles with some of the overarching writing choices. The cast is amazing and all the characters make me smile. If they make another season, I'll be watching!

Bonus: Josi teki Saikatsu

I finally watched this drama this week--I held out for awhile hoping to find it in better quality, but no dice, it's 480p in the grey--and despite the potato lens I loved it so much. This is the story of Miki, a transfemme lesbian, just trying to live her life in the way she wants, and all the barriers she comes up against in that pursuit. Our story begins when her childhood friend, Goto, comes looking for his old pal in a moment of desperation and is stunned to see how she's changed. The show is only four short episodes, but they manage to paint a full picture of Miki's life at home, at work, with friends and lovers, and with her estranged family, and show us how she became who she is. Miki is whip smart and perceptive and generous, but also wary of trusting anyone after she's been let down by so many loved ones. I love her so much, and you will too. This story was written by a trans woman and it shows! Brave the 480p and check it out.

[bengiyo]

She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat 2 Eps 17-20 (Finale)

Last week gave me everything I wanted and more. The whole squad went over to Yako's place for a curry party and everyone had a great time. Later, Nagumo got a diagnosis for her condition and got to have personal time with Yako. Kasuga and Nomoto continued to work on their communication and making sure they aren't trampling over each other. They're continuing to work on this move. Seriously, we had a curry party and a s'mores party last week. We planted strawberries together. Let's finish this.

Episode 17

Looking for housing is so stressful. I was wondering if we'd get into housing discrimination in this.

Red beans in Japan are different from what we eat here. Theirs carry a naturally sweet profile that doesn't mesh well with creole cooking.

I feel like those beans needed to boil longer, but that's me thinking in my home cooking terms.

Yes, ladies, tell each other how happy you are to see each other.

@furritsubs thank you for the note about Azuki beans.

I'm really enjoying the way they're handling this situation. The realtor wasn't trying to be homophobic, but the systems he was upholding with the landlord references reinforces the status of same sex households. I also like that they acknowledged how circumstances closet people in ways that hurt them. This is good payoff from the news bit we saw earlier in season with Kasuga.

Getting a tasty treat in before going back into the fray is so valid.

Kasuga being even more affectionate about Nomoto's food now that they're dating is exactly what I wanted.

Episode 18

Oh fuck yeah, let's continue to unpack how structural homophobia makes people scared to share something that should be a joyous occasion.

Amused that Yako is the primary person using Nomoto's given name.

Are we going to have a takoyaki party next??

COME THROUGH, YAKO!!! You gotta help your folks get through this bullshit, but never let them forget that it's bullshit!!

I am relieved that we checked in with Ms. Fujita about divorcing her husband at the same time as we're working through LGBT housing issues. Single divorced women likely also face huge challenges in housing when marriage is the goal we're being pushed into.

Wow, Sayama, you are in contention for the Yihwa Best Girl Award this year. You are an ally. Love the way she examined how what she said might have been hurtful.

Feeling like you somehow failed because you didn't get married in your 20s is so real. I sometimes struggle with this in my 30s.

This show uses its characters to illustrate its political points in a way that feels gentle and accessible, but also carries a sense of urgency. Women are facing extreme reproductive pressure right now, and it's clearly not making those who don't already want husbands and children happier. Hell, it's making them resentful to the point of divorce as they get older.

Hold on. Gotta cry a bit about Nomoto telling Kasuga that being told outright that hiding who they are upset her made her feel better got me.

Episode 19

Takoyaki Party let's goooooo!!!

A party where you cook together like this is always so much fun. We had fun with some friends' kids a few weeks ago teaching them how to make pancakes and letting them add their own toppings before, during, and after cooking.

Nagumo managed to enjoy a bite of food with them. Hold on. Crying again.

We've seen takoyaki a few times lately, and I am very impressed with this cooker.

Yako, tactful as always, is gonna check on Nagumo. I love her.

This is so important. Couple formation does affect the friends around them, and I'm really glad Yako let Nagumo voice that she supports her friends even as she knows she's going to miss the dynamic they've had. Yako is so right to point out that a change doesn't mean it's over, and their friendship will last if we all continue to reach out.

This realtor scene is so good. I like how politely she asked for them to disclose their relationship with the express purpose of securing ideal housing, and we're getting into how the financing of housing can affect people's privacy. She's also owning that landlords can discriminate against couples. I also appreciate that their meeting room was private.

I'm ready for the moving in party!

Episode 20

They got the house!!

A crab cream croquette party!!!

Wait, where's Nagumo? I wanted her to try a croquette too!

We are on the bed together. This is not a drill.

Yes, let's acknowledge that they have liked each other since season 1.

The intimacy question is on the floor!

They are finally hugging!

NOW KISS!!!

That was very sweet, and felt right for them. I'm glad they had that moment in the old place before they moved.

Cried because of Ms. Fujita and Nagumo possibly getting hired.

So glad Yako and Nagumo are still hanging out! That's really how some friends groups will be. Two people will just gel at a party and grow close.

Oh hell yeah we're at casual intimacy now.

I'm so excited to see where the TV goes next season!!

Oh my goodness Kasuga is wearing a lighter sweater!!!!!!

Final Verdict: 10, Go Watch This Immediately and Then Show it to a Friend. Seriously, do not make excuses for yourself. You owe it to yourself to watch this show. Between this, Ossan's Love Returns, and What Did You Eat Yesterday? coming back, we cannot stop supporting our shows about older people getting together and forming their own forms of family. This show built on the foundation of its first season and made every little detail feel so potent and impactful. I did not expect the pen pal to grow into a trusted confidant and core member of this friend group, nor was I expecting the women at the supermarket to help Kasuga as much as they did. This season was excellent, and will be joining WDYEY on my comfort watch rotation.

Big thanks to @furritsubs and friends for making this watch possible.

[one-vivid-judgment]

Hello! I've been diagnosed with Kasuga Ichiban deficiency. I was wondering if I could ask you for some sfw and nsfw hcs for him with a female s/o 👉👈

Posted Ichiban hcs not long ago but what's some more, am I right? We all love him, and if you don't, I frankly do not trust you 🤧

You know German shepherd puppies? That’s literally Ichi. Super loyal, super energetic and super cute. Hell, he even has the hair. The mannerisms, too. He tilts his head when he is confused like a puppy would and it’s adorable. Of course he is also super affectionate, even out in public if you let him. He’s missed out on so much romantic action his whole life, and it’s not that he is trying to overcompensate or anything, but now that he finally has it, he is practically bouncing off the walls with excitement.

He won’t force you to get along with the Ichigang, but he would love it if you got along with them and he could invite you over to hang out with them. He might be a little uneasy introducing you to Saeko at first, considering he used to have a crush on her and the failed proposal and all that—but to be honest, she doesn’t care. Are you making Ichiban happy? Are you treating him right? Yeah? Then it’s all cool. Don’t you dare break his poor heart though, or else she will take matters into her own hands. And so will the rest of the Ichigang, for that matter; Ichiban may be an idiot, but he has a heart of gold. He doesn’t deserve any more bad things happening to him.

Still a little clumsy when it comes to planning dates, so it will fall on you most times. He has fun pretty much doing anything with you though: ice cream dates, walks on Hamakita Park, shopping, eating out, just grabbing drinks. You name it, he likes it. This man is just so happy to have you by his side, he doesn’t care what you do so long as he gets to spend time with you.

Super eager to please in bed. Your pleasure comes first, then comes his own. He loves a good blowjob as much as the next guy, but if he had to pick, he would choose to finger you or go down on you instead—his beard tickles when he eats you out, but it’s a nice type of itch. He may have a thing for the way you taste too, with how often you see him licking at his lips or sucking on his fingers after he's made you come on them. And if you are not vocal while he’s doing it, he’ll learn just what to do to make you loud; he just loves knowing he is making you feel good, and your noises are the best indicator.

Praise makes him so weak. He’s been berated and insulted enough to last him a lifetime, especially back in the Arakawa family, with Sawashiro on his ass for every little thing. He can take a compliment, but it makes him a little shy. Blushing mess, tries to play it cool but ends up just scratching at the back of his neck and laughing awkwardly. “Haha, you think so?” or some such. Grab him by the hair and call him a good boy and he will melt. If you wanna make him subby, that’s the best way.

He may have grown up at a soapland, but man, is dirty talk not his thing at all. Not the humiliating kind anyway. He is better at praising than he is at making you feel less than. He does not like that, he does not want to insult you—he just wants you to feel good and to let you know he loves you. You tried humiliation once and he called the safeword within five minutes. Poor thing just can’t do handle it at all, no matter how into it you may seem.

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

Thank you for this question @wen-kexing-apologist.

What scene in BL has made you the happiest?

I'm a pretty happy girl while watching bl in general. I talk to the people on the screen, I clap and cheer and all that. If I'm supremely happy then I'll probably let out a scream and scare my cat. So I think the show recently where she suffered the most with my happy screams was definitely Tsukutabe. I hope you don't mind if I answer with a GL. The amount of times I just wanted to jump up and down with glee was unmatched, I believe. And I think nothing made me as happy as watching Kasuga talk to her father. This moment, I was just cheering like a crazy person.

It was fantastic. She is just so quiet for most of the time, but she's always listening, observing the people around her and processing. And after the talk with her soon to be divorced friend (I'm sorry, her name escapes me), where she confided in her and got the acceptance that she, maybe subconsciously, craved and words that she needed to her, she was finally able to do that. To have that conversation, to be firm and honest with him and be somewhat at peace with that part of her life. It was excellent. I LOVE HER. There are so many other moments from this show that I could honestly use to answer this question.

Now comes the anger.

So that really depends. I get angry at characters and at a show in general. I get angry at shows a lot for making stupid decisions. All my posts during Absolute Zero are a testament to that. And more recently I had a bad reaction to episode 11 of Unknown so I guess I'll talk about that.

See, I'm not really into sex scenes in general. Because more often than not they are just there. They don't add much to the overall story except to say that it happened. But when the show is good I expect them to match it. And Unknown is a really good show. It's great. So to say I was disappointed would be a massive understatement. I've spoken about this with @lurkingshan in the comments and the scene just didn't match up with the quality of the rest of the show. And this is obviously my opinion and how I see this show. There are a couple of reasons for my anger.

The first is Qian. Qian had just spent a lot of time considering Yuan's feelings and his own, the change in the relationship dynamic and he had to tackle his own fears around being vulnerable to another person and allowing himself to surrender to his desires. Because he has so little sense of self worth beyond being a carer for people around him, if Yuan didn't keep pushing, in his own way without actually forcing anything, I don't think Qian would consider crossing that line. But once he did, I think they needed a slower scene, where we could see him really embracing the moment and surrendering. Let's not forget this happened on the same night he said it wasn't sure he could make the change from brothers to lovers. That it wasn't sure what his feelings for Yuan were. So I just don't like that choice.

The second reason was the editing. And maybe this is a me thing. But even if I were to think that their first time would happen exactly that way, that scene was a mess. Sex scenes are usually not great in bl. Because the pretty takes the place of the good. So it's a lot of pretty lighting and bokeh effects. Which I have no problem with by itself. But the quick cuts drive me crazy. It's the same reason I never connected with the pretty sex scene in The Sign. If I'm gonna connect to the characters during a sex scene I should be able to linger a bit, to take in the atmosphere and physicality of the actors during it, so that it resonates emotionally. And it has to flow naturally as well for that to happen. So just cutting it randomly with different body parts, kissing and flashing facial expressions here and there just doesn't do it for me. And that's what happens in some of them including this one. And the SOUND. It drove me crazy. If you wanna use breath sounds during a scene like this, then do it well. I've seen both versions of the scene so I'm gonna focus on the reedited one cause the other one makes me doubly angry for other reasons. They change between normal speed and slow motion in the scene. And the sound doesn't really change between them so of course it didn't match, but the worst is the fact that it also didn't match anything. The sound was not from that scene. Probably because it was edited so much so the sound that they used was different, but it kept taking me out of the scene on top of what all the other reasons.

That was a longer answer than I was expecting. So I'll stop now. I hope most of that is coherent enough. I rambled a bit. Anyway thank you so much for this question.

Have a good day💜

[curiositycryptid]

Total Drama Hcs (Part 2)

Heather - Instead of a regular gold tooth, the zingzings gave her a golden fang. Friends with Harold, he’s the first one who fully forgave her. LeShawna sent her a gift and she was actually genuinely excited, only to find out it was a skunk sent to spray her, fortunately it didn’t and since she was sad it wasn’t a proper gift as a sign of friendship, she kept the skunk and named him Stinky. Above average iq.

Sierra - Apologised to Cody, then didn’t see him for a while to give him time, she’s still working to repair things but doesn’t mind if he doesn’t want to see her again. Kept his hat, She had short hair (cause the explosion) which is naturally puffy and kind of frizzy. She has some burn scars and still needed to use crutches for a while. Dresses in bright colours. Above average iq.

Courtney - Good with mechanics, naturally has wavy hair. Writes books and is interested in humanitarian studies. Almost a genius, just smarter than Cody but not as smart as Harold. Likes sheep dogs.

Gwen - Naturally curly brown hair but straightens it, yellow eyes (because cool) has matching tamagotchis with Cody that can be used to talk with emojis. Has a small sunburn scar on her hand, into astronomy and astrology. Learnt the alien language from an alien movie (perhaps the one in action) and can talk to Duncan using it.

Full names: Heather Lee Kasuga, Sierra Shröder, Courtney Medoza Satella Animada, Gwenivére Blzyâck

[jacksgreysays]

I’m feeling nostalgic for the childrens book The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw (changeling pov by a child who didn’t ask to be swapped out with someone else, the kid eventually goes in to faerie to get the kid back and due to the slow time in Faerie the kid is like, two). So… Changeling!verse where the Nara’s agreement with the fae to raise changelings whenever pregnancy ends in a stillbirth was hammered out by someone who didn’t think to expressly keep the fae from taking the living twin and replacing them as well. (Because hey, technically they ARE the produce of a pregnancy that ended in a stillbirth, and the fae are grabby). In other words, Shikako is a changeling who replaced a baby who never drew breath, Shikamaru is a changeling who replaced the boy baby who DID draw breath, and in this verse eventually baby Kino was Un-kidnapped from faerie by Shikamaru (with Shikako joining in with the force of a speeding bullet). There’s nothing in the ancient contract that stops the changelings from independently kidnapping their sibling back! (They checked) I’d be happy with just an exploration of the dynamics pre-Kino rescue as well. Shikako replaced a dead baby, as in line with the clans traditions. Shikamaru replaced a living one, who might still be out there. The Nara are obliged to raise both ‘as their own.’ How does the clan react?

Oooh, dona, you’ve brought yet another interesting facet to changeling!verse OoO

I’m wondering about the naming of characters and if there’s a bit of a… sort of shuffling? Like, obviously the twins are named Shikamaru and Shikako because Shikaku is unimaginative and also the heir should have a Shika name. But… if the “real” Shikamaru is the non-still born baby, does that mean the rescued child that is younger due to time flow weirdness is genetically Kinokawa and would have been named Shikamaru had he not swapped out? Or is that baby genetically Shikamaru and so the twin brother that Shikako grows up with is genetically Kinokawa?

… not that it would affect the plot, per se, but it’s fascinating the think of. Because if the “firstborn” is supposed to be the heir, then rescued child—as the only actually “born” child—would be heir over his seemingly “older siblings.”

… and then NOW I’m thinking about the stillborn other!Shikako. Like… what DO the fae do with those stillborn babies? What if they revive that other!Shikako? So then that means there’s a set of “human twins” in the fae world and a set of “changeling twins” in the human world? And what do call other!Shikako? In which Shikaku and Yoshino end up with four children, lololol (I should probably stop before I end up in Invincible Kimmy Schmidt “Olson quadruplets, octuplets” bit territory)

I think the clan reaction is ultimately tertiary to 1) Shikaku’s reaction and then, based on (1) 2) Yoshino’s reaction. And I should say, actually, 1) is Shikaku and Kasuga and Sembei’s reactions since they’re the ones who were with Shikaku when they placed the shrouded bundle into the hollow of that old, gnarled tree

Because… do the fae put TWO babies in that hollow? Does Shikaku, confused, rush home to find an empty crib which held the breathing baby boy? Do Kasuga and Sembei figure out what’s going on? Does the history have a precedent for this situation, this loophole taking which strains the agreement between the Nara clan and the fae? Or is it just the one baby in the hollow and no one notices that the baby boy in the crib is different (babies are weird squashed things anyway, who could tell the difference? Or IS there a difference, a series of differences, little details which don’t mean much but do feel… uncanny?)

And, depending on how Shikaku, Kasuga, and Sembei react—what they can dig from the clan’s lore, what they can sense in the shadows, what the Honored Sika Tribe can advise—do they even tell Yoshino? How can they? The exchange was meant to prevent her heartbreak, would she understand as someone new to the clan? Would she blame them? Resent them? (Would she still love these children, even if they are not hers by blood?) ((The answer is yes, of course she would love them, they are her children regardless of blood. The answer is yes, even for the somewhat silly scenario in which she has two sets of twins of differing ages))

I would like to think that Shikaku would tell Yoshino, because their marriage is built on trust and love… but this wouldn’t be the first time I have them keep secrets from each other (ie Yoshino in Stars Also Dream, hiding her Jedi past) Although I’m pretty sure this is a more egregious secret than Yoshino’s secret Jedi past…

Anyways, if Yoshino doesn’t know that “Shikamaru” got switched then the clan also doesn’t know. Both Yoshino and the clan probably know that “Shikako” is a changeling, but the “Shikamaru” switcheroo is probably a secret until the rescue mission happens. And—I’m not even joking now—it would be FASCINATING if there was an other!Shikako. Because the clan could be like, ah fuck, there’s TWO of them. Before realizing that “Shikamaru” is just quieter about his rebellions, so actually, ah fuck, there’s FOUR OF THEM. And I don’t know HOW human children are raised in the fae world, but I imagine they’re kinda feral or at the very least have extremely different priorities/morals from the changeling children raised in a militaristic society.

So other!Shikamaru—whether or not he is genetically Shikamaru or Kinokawa—would be named Kinokawa. But what is other!Shikako named? VagabondDawn did post an absolutely fantastic fic recently shadow of the future (at least we have each other) which included, honestly, one of the greatest Nara names: Inei (ie shadow and shadow) which I think would be very applicable here… OR, is Yoshino equally as efficient-yet-unimaginative as Shikaku when it comes to names (which, I mean, she might be considering she agreed to Deer Boy and Deer Girl and then named her third child her maiden name) and so the boy is Kino and the girl is Kawa? (lol)

The clan truly is just like… the idea that some of them are “we don’t like these clan heirs, we want a different one that doesn’t argue with us” and then they get two feral/fae-raised children so they immediately about face and go “actually, we love the clan heirs that have dragged us kicking and screaming into progress and success, we will keep those ones.” And Shikaku and Yoshino are just like, lol, we’re keeping all of them.

In terms of plot, I feel like the way to actually do this would be to reframe the god interactions as fae interactions so, for example:

—

They got the idea from Orochimaru.

“Probably not the best way to start,” Shikamaru says with a grimace. He, at least, has the decency to act contrite in front Ibiki.

Shikako, disregarding the fact that they are on the wrong side of a T&I interrogation, just rolls her eyes. “We didn’t get the idea from Orochimaru. Technically the Sandaime was the one who opened the portal, and it’s not like he has a monopoly on fuinjutsu or fae studies. If anything, he stole the seal from the Yondaime, and the Yondaime probably built his seal based on Uzumaki mythology. Although, since the fae predate the Elemental Nations as we know it, and we have definitive proof that the Gelel Empire used a form of fuinjutsu, it could be argued that—”

Thankfully, Shikamaru kicks his sister’s ankle to head off the rant. She kicks him back.

Ibiki sighs. “When I said start at the beginning, I don’t need you to get into ancient history. Try again.”

Minimally chastised, the Nara twins begin again:

During Orochimaru’s invasion of the Konoha Chuunin Exams, the Sandaime does not summon the Shinigami. He opens a portal to the fae world, in hopes that the chaotic, magical, anti-chakra energies of the fae world will disrupt the his student’s techniques—either by thwarting the summons of his dead teachers, or by weakening the barrier enough for reinforcements to come through.

In many ways, the Sandaime was a foolish man. In this particular way, his foolishness costs him his life.

The fae energies do not weaken his student at all. Or, at least, not before it weakens and, ultimately, kills the Sandaime. Then, goal achieved, Orochimaru simply uses the portal as an escape route.

For most, it would be perilous. For those originally created in the fae world, for those changelings who are exchanged with human children, it is merely going home.

So, no, they did not get the idea from Orochimaru… not really.

— And then I would go into something like… releasing Gelel sort of gives them the hint that the “human Shikamaru” is still alive and in the fae world. Changeling!Shikamaru doesn’t really want to pursue it, because he feels weird ways about things and if Changeling!Shikamaru is in fact canon!Shikamaru, then he doesn’t really do any internal self-reflection until he’s absolutely pushed to it by someone else and also motivated by protecting his loved ones (either his sister or his teammates)… Changeling!Shikako is fascinated by the idea, but ultimately has SO MUCH on her plate that she can’t really prioritize a dangerous excursion into the fae world (even though she does, from time to time, tweak the original seal array just because it COULD be MORE EFFICIENT if it was LIKE THIS instead)

Then fighting Jashin is some kind of corrupted archfey or something and Shikako getting yoinked out of Land of Hot Springs by the Sika Tribe actually brings her into the fae world, so actually changeling!Shikamaru’s original quest is to rescue Shikako (since time flows differently, what is, like, a day to her is a few weeks to him) meanwhile Shikako meets “human Shikamaru” (aka, Kinokawa. And MAYBE “revived human Shikako” aka… Inei? Kawa? Mystery child) and she can’t possibly LEAVE them, so when Shikamaru (and, let’s face it, a good chunk of Konoha Twelve) come to “rescue” Shikako, they also rescue the new/old Nara sibling(s).

Anyway, the Nara clan will just have to accept that their options for next clan head are all WEIRD AS HELL and REFUSE TO LISTEN TO THE ELDERS :D

[fangirlyness]

Tsukutabe favourite scenes - Episode 3

Tagging as #TsukutabeFaves in case anyone wants to filter out these long posts. Other fave scenes by episode.

#3 Kasuga smiling

I still don't really understand why Kasuga smiled here but it's so cute, I don't care!   Kasuga's embarrassment and Nomoto's gentle ribbing about it?  It's so playful and sweet!  Whaaaaa!!!  I love how Nomoto leans in as Kasuga turns away.  Don't be shy, Kasuga!!!

#2 Watching each other eat

When Nomoto watches Kasuga eat, nothing else matters.  Her initial surprise gives way to amusement, which gives way to HEART EYES.  Her face adores Kasuga and "LOVE?" starts playing.  I am so giddy with the Feels.   The first time I saw this, I could not contain my excitement!  It's Lesbian Activity of Significance! And I love how stunned Nomoto is when Kasuga calls her name.  Caught giving heart eyes!  Ahhh!  (Chef's kiss). 

And Kasuga watches Nomoto too, in a different, more careful and subdued way.

For Nomoto, the adoration was so full-hearted, she had to be snapped out of it.  

At this stage, I can't quite place it for Kasuga.  I'm thinking maybe she might feel safe and warm with Nomoto? 

Kasuga has an aversion to alcohol through a bad experience, and hasn't touched it since.  She shares this with Nomoto who gets it, and who questions what people get out of putting others down.  We've seen others controlling what Kasuga consumes - the rice portion, the beer.  And we've seen the opposite from Nomoto.  Nomoto just... Lets Kasuga be who she is, and actively encourages her to have more of what makes her happy.  Kasuga's had a fearful, stifling childhood, and she's spent her adult life finding and being who she is.  And Nomoto honours that. 

Kasuga's got a serving of alcohol too, though there's no pressure to drink it.  And while watching Nomoto, Kasuga feels safe enough to try a sip, and a second. And Nomoto's mouth-full-of-food smile at Kasuga is just! so! darling!  

Everything about this meal - from the making of the gyoza, the cooking, and the eating - has been a partnership and shared experience. They're equals all the way.

It's such a treat watching these two watching one other while they discover who they are to themselves and each other.  

#1 Nomoto's squee!

GAY CRUSH ACTIVATED. 

That's it. 

That's my analysis. 

Runner up: Preparing food together for the first time.

It's practice for when they DO live together, hehehehehehe. (This scene is my Real #3 but I didn't have the brain power to give it the write up it deserved. So it's a runner up).

Additional theme: Kasuga observing and remembering what Nomoto says 

I love the way Kasuga quietly notes what Nomoto likes and wants.  She's always watching and listening, and it shows how she values Nomoto.  They've known each other a short time, yet the impact they've had in each other's daily lives is apparent, and beneficial.

Kasuga saw Nomoto's joy for the sauce plates, and how much she wanted to go to the farmer's market in the last episode.  Kasuga is attentive and thoughtful, and shows her care with actions.  Some people might keep notes on their phone whenever their partner says they like something, except Kasuga would probably just remember the 2743 items in her head.  

Thanks for reading!

[cocogum]

Weird HxH Facts you might’ve not noticed before (part 9)

Fact #1: Feitan doesn’t eat food that has already been touched.

Explanation:

For someone whose job in the troupe is to interrogate people through the use of torture, Feitan would never touch someone else’s food.

This is particularly odd for him since he has no problem playing with the bodies of his victims while questioning them but seems to not dare cross the line on eating another person’s meal.

Chapter 398 perfectly demonstrates his refusal to do such a thing.

Fact #2: Nobunaga hates shellfish.

Explanation:

Never would we have learned that Nobunaga would despise shellfish.

It’s a completely different thing to hate it for personal tastes but the main reason why he’d never eat one would be because he almost got food poisoning because of one.

It’s rather hard to imagine a member of the Phantom Troupe getting poisoned by a shellfish of all things.

He immediately backs down from eating an oyster made by Hinrigh in chapter 398.

Fact #3: Despite coming from Meteor City, Feitan’s main language isn’t the same as his companions.

Explanation:

Even though Feitan is an original member of the Phantom Troupe, he seems to not have properly learned Japanese while growing up in Meteor City like the rest of them.

*the word “Japanese” in their universe has been altered to something else but we’ll call it “Japanese” since the true word for it hasn’t been revealed to us yet*

It has been shown that instead of speaking in Japanese, Feitan seemed to be most fluent in Chinese. Whenever he’d get angry during a fight, he’d suddenly switch his butchered Japanese and convert it to Chinese, implying that he was letting go of his restrictions to fully express himself.

This shows us that, unlike his companions, his first language is Chinese and his second language is Japanese.

During the Phantom Troupe’s backstory, Feitan has been shown speaking zero times but does look like he perfectly understands what everyone around is saying. We don’t specifically know when or how Feitan learned Chinese at such a young age given the fact that most Meteor City children at the time couldn’t read.

Fact #4: Baise and Ivlenkov get killed by a sentient vacuum cleaner.

Explanation:

It is hard to believe that someone could have been killed by a vacuum cleaner no matter if it was a sentient one or not.

And yet, this is exactly what happened to Baise and Ivlenkov in chapter 73 during the Yorknew City arc.

As the two are running away from the auction massacre to warn the others, Ivlenkov gets killed by Shizuku followed by Baise right after.

Fact #5: Tsubone has a granddaughter even though zoldyck butlers aren’t allowed to have their own families.

Explanation:

A lot of rules need to be respected to become a butler for the zoldycks.

Not only will you have an extremely dangerous life due to serving a family of assassins, but your life will also be monitored and controlled by the same family you chose to attend to.

Since the butlers should be completely devoted to their masters, this means they are strictly forbidden to have a partner and/or children.

If you happen to be a zoldyck butler and have been discovered to have broken this distinct rule, you’ll either get killed or punished severely. A good example of this would be in chapter 322 when a butler named Kasuga had been caught having a lover which made Illumi give her to Nanika so that she would become another one of its victims.

This rule however doesn’t seem to apply to Tsubone since Amane reveals in chapter 326 that she is her granddaughter.

Whether Tsubone adopted Amane or got into a relationship in the past to make her own family is unclear. Even if we assume that Tsubone might have been allowed to have a family so that she could produce more loyal butlers for them, the zoldycks would have still broken one of their own rules for her making her the only exception to this one specific restriction.

Fact #6: Luini learned of the Phantom Troupe thanks to Wikipedia.

Explanation:

The Phantom Troupe is one of the most infamous and dangerous groups in the world.

Even if someone wouldn’t be knowledgeable about their history, they would still have a big idea of who they are as individuals by just hearing their troupe name alone.

Luini, an assassin for the Heil-ly family, chose to learn more about them in the most relatable way possible.

Upon meeting three members of the troupe, Nobunaga, Phinks and Feitan, he exclaims that their capabilities could have been more than enough to slaughter the rich but he must’ve guessed they were more “behaved” than he thought they would be given that he believed a bit too much on what Wikipedia had to say about them.

The fact that an assassin had to use Wikipedia to learn more details about an already notorious group leaves a lot to the imagination.