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maschotch · 2 years

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I've gone a little deeper about Emily's past in my fic 'Unrequited' and 'As It Was'. I'm just obsessed with her character and the backstory both she and Hotch have. And I just finish reading the little backstory you did about Emily and I loved it!!

i’m really not much of a jemily fan (partly because i think fanon characterizations of jj are completely delusional, partly because i think fanon characterizations of emily are beyond insulting, and mostly because i cannot fucking fathom what anyone could possibly like about jj), but i went ahead and read those two pieces because i figured you came into my inbox already knowing that. it’s just… not how i see either of those characters. not even necessarily the shipping aspect, even ignoring my reservations about jj, but because of the way i think emily approaches relationships

this sounds hypocritical after writing about emily + family, but i feel like emily doesn’t really care about her biological family anymore. at least i’d like to. i’d like to think she’s accepted that she’ll never be what her mother wants and that she’ll never get what she wants from her mother. she’s 36 when she joins the bau—surely that’s enough time to realize she can’t hold onto those childish fantasies anymore. not that i disagree with what i wrote, i just think it's given her a complex ab family rather than it actually being something she truly craves. it was a setup for her life: she wasn't meant to be with others, which is something she eventually tries to change about herself

i’m a big fan of low-empathy emily, so i feel like she has to put active effort into caring about relationships. as a child raised by an extremely distant parent, she probably chalked it up to never having connections growing up, so she never learned how to make connections in the future. it’s easier to assume she’s broken, and it’s easier to blame her mom for it

but really, i don’t think there’s anything wrong with her, she’s just different. at some point i think she had to wrestle with that: it’s hard to think she fell into the job best suited for her personality just by coincidence. being a spy requires that cold, calculating observation and analysis of relationship dynamics. she can view things objectively because she isn’t naturally inclined to get emotionally attached. she can witness unfathomable horrors without a flinch—things that would rock jj to her core, things that would perturb the unflappable hotch. she knows she’s better equipped to handle those types of experiences because having empathy was never really a priority. (it's part of why i think she was the only one who could've walked through hotch's apartment that day: she wouldn't get distracted)

that being said, i don’t think connections are impossible for her. the bau proves that, declan proves that. but i think that was a conscious choice on her part: she had seen enough—caused enough—pain and grief to realize that she should feel guilty for it. so i think she wakes up every day and decides to care. she decides to be a good person. eventually she confronts that she's tired of living a life she doesn't feel like she could be proud of

she’s not heartless, by any means. she just doesn’t become emotionally involved until she comes to the logical conclusion to do so. she has a soft spot for kids because they haven’t had a chance to truly know themselves and the world they live in. she loves the team because of how deeply connected they are to each other. so, when push comes to shove, she’s always willing to leave if it means keeping them together. it’s easy to make that choice because she loves them: in season 3 when the choice is between her and hotch and she knows hotch’s loss will devastate them; in season 6 when she’s making them potential targets for doyle’s vendetta; in season 7 when she feels the tension that never quite settled upon her return. i don’t know if any of the others would’ve made those decisions as easily, even if it was the best choice for them as a whole. not even hotch, who is terrified that his proximity is enough to hurt people he cares about. she’s detached in a way that can separate her from others, but she’s able to turn that into her strength: whether that means manipulating her way into terrorist organizations or walking away from the only chance at a family she's ever had just to keep them safe

i have my bits and pieces of evidence for it that i can scrounge into a semi-believable character analysis, but ultimately i think it’s so i can enjoy more of her character without getting irked by aspects of the archetypes she could fit that would typically annoy me. i’d like to think she’s above some of that: she’s too cool to have mommy issues, too badass to spend years pining over relationships, too self assured to be insecure about her decisions, too smart to let anyone see through her.

i say all this as a hotch fan, who has traits very similar to these. but it suits him. it makes him more interesting, to know that there’s a vulnerability behind his stoic appearance. but with emily i think it’s far more admirable for her to choose to suffer because she wants to care. minimal loss is the perfect example of that: she makes the logical choice to put herself at risk because she wants to protect reid. she’s not running away from who she is anymore, and she’s not really fighting it either. she chooses to be a good person, not out of guilt or even love, but because it’s something she values.

for me, emily is the cool brooding hero who could be a villain so easily. maybe, in an earlier time in her life, she was. but she’s done being selfish. she’s willing to make sacrifices for others because she decided that living by a code is better than living for nothing at all, even if it causes her pain. guilt and love—two burning sensations that were so opposite yet so intrinsically linked—were burdens she chose to bear so she wouldn’t feel so hollow anymore. and it does cause her pain. so, so much pain. to me, it makes her endlessly more fascinating. i’d rather her be a knife that dulls its edges than something soft chiseled to a jagged point.

#aljkhsfgjk was halfway through breakfast when i saw this in my notifs then got so worked up reading the fics that i just HAD to say smth #now--thirty minutes later--my toast is cold and forgotten #and im trying to decide if i feel mean enough to actually post this #asks #emily prentiss #i really just. don't like emily in most ships #i think ppl who ship her w tsia or derek are slightly more forgivable--they retain her fun energy #but with jj and hotch?#they just.. its just... its not her #she doesnt pine like that #even if i actaully liked jj i just dont think emily would waste her time with someone who's too scared to accept herself #idk im just so TIRED of queer ships where the main source of angst is rejecting their own sexuality #especially with the bau... htey know themselves better than that #not all of them! i think jj and spencer struggle to come to terms with it (jj moreso)#but derek? hotch? emily? penelope? they have deeper darker secrets that far outweigh whatever shame they may feel from being gay #if anything i think their homosexuality (bisexuality imo) is a relief for them... a breath of fresh air.. smth they can love ab themselves #an outlet... physically and emotionally... suckin n fuckin to forget how much they hate themselves #bc they DO hate themselves #but they're not plagued by the.. by the SHAME jj and reid have #theres a difference i think #and people can project if they want--thats totally fine #i just dont think it suits their characters

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adrihelle · 2 years

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J'ai publié 1 104 fois en 2022

C'est 1 102 billets de plus qu'en 2021 !

6 billets créés (1%)

1 098 billets reblogués (99%)

Les blogs que j'ai le plus reblogués :

@mccnknightstcrdst

@soundsfaebutokay

@sensitivehandsomeactionman

@seidenbros

@kell-be-belle

J'ai étiqueté 954 billets en 2022

Seulement 14% de mes billets ne comportaient pas de tag

#bridgerton - 132 billets

#mcu - 132 billets

#moon knight - 121 billets

#the witcher netflix - 99 billets

#the amazing devil - 98 billets

#bridgerton season 2 - 94 billets

#joey batey - 89 billets

#the witcher - 88 billets

#jaskier - 87 billets

#steven grant - 80 billets

Longest Tag: 54 characters

#please i want the season 3 to be about him and sophie!

Mes billets vedette en 2022 :

n°5

Thank you for tagging me @seidenbros! 💜

I never really participate to that kind of tag before because of my shyness (even on the Internet). But why not trying something new for a change?

Fav color: violet/black

Currently reading: I’m reading a bunch of things for my master about movies, tv series and monster’s concepts. But when I don’t do my master, I’m reading the fifth volume of The Witcher.

I live in Canada and I’m speaking French (it’s my first language), so I read some Quebec writers; currently I’m reading Roux clair naturel of Fanie Demeule. It’s about a girl that construct her entire identity on a lie; she’s not naturally a ginger. The character is obsessed to keep that secret down but she’s feeling guilty about it and she develop an identity crisis. It is beautifully written.

Last song: Say it - girl in red

Last series: High School Musical The Musical The Series - Disney+

Last movie: Thor: Love and Thunder

Currently working on: I’m currently working on my master (and trying to survive it!)

*Sorry for my poor writing. English is not my first language and it's been a while since i wrote in it!*

Tagging (no pressure!): @kell-be-belle @soundsfaebutokay @bridgertonland

3 notes - publié le 12 septembre 2022

n°4

Hello again, hehe. For The Horror and the Wild album ask game, 12 and 15?

For the 12: What song do you always sing along with?

I'm not going to be original, but it's definitly the song Fair. Whatever I'm doing (most likely writing my master that doesnt want to be finished) I wil stop myself and just sing peacefully the lyrics. They help me to calm myself and to believe that I will share one day a love like this with someone. It encapsulate the certainty of a tomorrow (something an anxious girl like me crave everyday).

For the 15: If you could recommend only one THATW song to your followers, what would it be?

I would certainly recommend That Unwanted Animal for the extraordinary performance of Madeleine Hyland. She have an incredible strenght and sensitivity in that song (that she have in all the songs of that album and others) but it's really remarquable in that one. Her voice is ethereal and splendid in it. And the song is really good and, in my point of vue, talks of another way of the anxiety and the depression that Joey and Madeleine talk in Farewell Wanderlust. The one coming from within that you didn't suspect was there but wait the most unexpected moment to eat you alive, destroying you and everyone you love and adore.

*Sorry for my poor writing. English is not my first language and it's been a while since i wrote in it!*

4 notes - publié le 9 septembre 2022

n°3

4. What song from Love Run do you always sing along with? for the album ask game. :)

Again, that's a tough one! I sing along all of them (or more particularly, part of them). Doing lipsync on the ''Fuck you'' in ''New York Torch song'' with a mask in a public bus is one of the best thing to do ever (you all have to try it someday). But if i have to choose one song that I always sing along, it would be Love/Run. I sing the whole eight minutes with my heart and my soul - when Joey sing the first Unemployed, my knees go weaks...

The melody and the lyrics are juste soooo fine! It's the promise for adventures, for fun, for lazy day without culpabilities, for love, for dead, for life, for everything. That the only thing worth to move, to do something, is LOVE.

4 notes - publié le 27 juin 2022

n°2

2 and 18 for the Love Run asks!

For the 2 : What song from Love Run gradually grew on you?

I would say Little Miss Why So.

I don't know really why, but at the first listening, I didn't understand the song. In fact, I didn't see where the song was in the story of these humans, what she meant for the two of them, what she was saying about them, about their relationship, about their past, present and future.

It's been only a few weeks that I really, but really listened to the lyrics and saw what that song meant for the protagonists in the vague and vast story of them that I made up (even that story change with time, with my endlessly listening of these songs).

For the 18: If you could pick one Love Run song to watch performed live, what would it be?

Oh my god! It's so difficult to choose! Like is it even possible to choose between one?

I would like to see King be performed just for that line, that I found absolutely beautifully written and sang:

The sea and its waters , every unwanted daughter (is that you're here)

Or even for the whole performance that must be to listen in live of New York Torch Song. Or even just for the comfort of listening Not Yet-Love Run in live.

Sorry, I didn't pick one song; it's just impossible to choose between all of them!

*Sorry for my poor writing. English is not my first language and it's been a while since i wrote in it!*

9 notes - publié le 9 septembre 2022

Mon billet n°1 en 2022

His hands thightened, and the space between them diminished by several inches. ''What do you see?'' he asked. Sophie stumbled, but she never took her eyes off his. ''My soul'', she whispered. ''I see my very soul''.

Julia Quinn, ‘’An Offer from a Gentlemen’’

15 notes - publié le 25 avril 2022

Obtenez votre année 2022 en revue sur Tumblr →

#tumblr2022 #année en revue #mon année tumblr 2022 en revue #votre année tumblr en revue #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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galactic-pirates · 5 months

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For the fandom ask game: 13, 17 James Watson, 20 Sanctuary, 24 John Druitt, please. 😊

Oh yes! Such great questions, thank you so much!!

13) What's a character or ship you haven't written/drawn yet but would like to some day? Oh, many. You should see my ideas list for drawing - it's long. There was a Star Trek prompt event and I got ideas, and the Year of the OTP event and I got ideas. So yes several for Star Trek (B'elanna/Seven, Kira/Dax, Owo/Detmer) and I really can't forget Janeway and Amelia Earhart. I will be bitter forever at the missed opportunity not to have her join the crew. It seemed like such poor characterisation as well. Would Amelia Earhart really have turned down the opportunity to pilot a starship??

17) What's a book, movie, or show you think James Watson would like? I don't think he would like crime/mystery media to be honest as either they don't play fair, or the answer is so obvious and the characters so slow to get it, that it's annoying. I think he'd probably check out the various Sherlock Holmes adaptations out of interest (and also to be guarded against any teasing), but I don't think he'd exactly like them.

To be honest I can't really see him watching much TV outside of documentaries. I think he might like movies a bit better as they are basically like plays. I think he might be interested to see examples of modern films out of interest for how they are made (hasn't technology come so far type thing) but I don't think the plot of most would grab him.

Books would definitely be his media of choice, and call him old-fashioned for that if you like. I don't know why but I wonder if he might enjoy a good old archaeological thriller. You know hunting for lost treasure and definitely on the more ridiculous side. I think he might be more willing to put up with inaccuracies if it obviously isn't taking itself too seriously (kinda like the Uncharted games).

The only actual title that springs to mind that I think he would actually like is The Princess Bride. Not sure why but I think he'd think it was clever and well done.

20) When did you first join Tumblr? How long was it between that and finding Sanctuary? Around April/May 2016 I think? I'd been lurking (aka reading specific blogs but not signed up) for several months before that, sometime mid-2015 I think. Anyway, I finally got FOMO and wanted to join in.

I first started watching Sanctuary... I can tell you, let me scan the blog archives. I think I tried to find it August 2020, and watched a bit via YouTube as I wasn't confident I would like it. I got the DVD in September and I think I was... mid season 3 (mid-October I blogged about having reached the Hollow Earth arc). You can tell my obsession really ramped up in October as clearly I did a deep dive for ALL the gifsets.

Amusingly one of my initial posts said that Tesla made a lousy friend (I'm laughing, boy did my opinion change) - hey! I never remember this stuff when I get asks about opinion changes. I remember my opinion now and rarely what came before.

Anyway I wrote my first novel length multi-chapter (Our Darkest Hour) that November before I finished the show. I actually stopped watching for the month in case the show messed with my outline, which it would have because Normandy jossed my Helen/James headcanon but oh well. It was kinda fun, a bit like capturing a fraction of the experience of if I had been creating when the show was originally live.

24) What's your favourite thing about John Druitt? I feel bad about this but the honest answer is his cursed nature. Without it, he's still a compelling character (as I wrote purely in Choosing Fate) but that agony of what happened to him, and the trauma to those he loved/who loved him just grabbed me. It's TRAGIC, and I like to fix things.

It's the whole Winter Soldier "it wasn't you" "but I still did it" type thing. Blame and judgement and guilt and darkness, and forgiveness, and how people can move on - it's fascinating. I see discussions on it on tumblr sometimes about redemption for characters. How far is too far? Are there some things that are unforgivable? Does it depend on outside factors - like being cursed - to mitigate blame? People have opinions. This can get controversial and I don't do conflict.

I remember Teal'c talking to Tomin on Stargate, saying that life didn't have to end, that he could never be forgiven but he could still do good in the world. I think of Regina who willingly walked down the path, but was pushed and manipulated by others (and a lot of pain). When I have written Regina I've talked about people being more than what they have done, that people have the power to choose, and she chooses to do better.

With John it's not really a choice (at least in my headcanon) while he's a host to the parasite. However, once it's removed - how can he move on? It wasn't him, but it was still his hand on the blade. He remembers it being him. I think it would warp his sense of morals too, after a century even if he wasn't a host anymore. Finding his sense of self, and his own moral code, would be a challenge.

Also his relationship with James. Coming of age in a world where it was punishable by death (or 10 years in prison and societal ruin). That too.

#long post #I answer things

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thisentertaining · 3 years

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Obsessed with the idea of a Great British Bake Off AU for The Magnus Archives Not the ones where they just have pretty much all of the characters be on the show and have fun Easter eggs like Melanie being great with knife work and Oliver doing Death by Chocolate. I've read those and they are WONDERFUL but imagine:

Season 2/3 Martin Blackwood, fresh from a worm siege and with a boss who alternates between disappearing for no reason, disappearing because he's running from the police, and being a paranoid freak, and with a coworker who is slowly becoming more and more bitter, just showing up being like 'I passed the auditions my life is insane but I'm doing this'

Voiceover: Martin is an archival assistant at the Magnus Institute, a research facility which specializes in the supernatural. Martin: oh yeah, I'm really excited to be here! It uh, the timing works out really well really. A few months ago it would have been a lot harder, I was living in my work basement for a bit and it would have been hard to practice with just a toaster oven and electric kettle, heh. Noel: ...what? ----- Voiceover: For his signature, Martin will be making lavender sandwich cookies, with a honey lemon filling. Martin:I make these for my boss occasionally, he seems to like them and I almost never see him eat, so... Noel: Do you get along with your boss then? Martin: Oh no! He er, he hates me actually, used to think that my baked goods and tea were the only thing that kept me from getting fired. Noel: Used to? Martin: Yeah er, I... Recently found out I actually have really good job security.

---- Martin: So, for my savory pie, I'm going vegetarian. It's going to be a bit different for me, but I got one of the 'meat' statements, er, like where people give statements about like, meat or cannibalism or livestock, yeah, I just finished doing the research for one of those and they always turn me vegetarian for a bit. ----- Matt: So, Martin, for this Technical challenge you have Peach Cobbler a la mode, are you more worried about the cobbler, or the ice cream. Martin: definitely the cobbler. Matt: Really! Martin: Yeah, I absolutely hate peaches. Matt: Now then, what did peaches ever do to you? Martin: well technically the peaches didn't do anything, I was just...trapped in my flat? By this evil supernatural worm lady for- for almost two weeks. By the end of it I had nothing to eat but canned peaches, like every day. Can't smell them now without gagging, going to make the challenge difficult. Matt:... I worry about you Martin. ---- Producer: do you want to call anyone? Martin: er, my mum doesn't always pick up if I call outside of our scheduled times (or during our scheduled time), and Tim recently hasn't been... Great... Well, let me try- *Phone rings* The Archivist: What is it Martin? Is this an emergency? Martin: Oh! I-I wasn't sure you'd pick up, being abroad and all. The Archivist: Yes, well, I just made the discovery that my presence here was completely useless beyond hearing a story about a man with an evil pig and-never mind. What are you calling about? Martin: Oh, I just, er, I won Star Baker? The Archivist: Martin! That's fantastic! Finally some good news. You would not believe the time I'm having here. Really you deserved it, that trifle was gorgeous, the Earl grey pastry cream was inspired. Martin: Er, Jon, how did you know what I baked? I didn't tell anyone that recipe. The Archivist: ...*click* --- Martin: Oh, for my decorated loaf I am actually a bit inspired by one of the statements I recorded recently. I, er, I don't think I'm allowed to say too much information but it was a, uh, a movie about spiders, and I just really like spiders. This isn't going to be a spooky spider though, not like the statement. They're actually really good for the ecosystem you know? Keep the unpleasant bugs out. So, I'm making a nice spider on a web, just nature, no creepy. *under his breath* I hope. ---- Paul: Wow Martin, I am really impressed with the realism here, but I must say I'm curious with your choice. When we asked people to make a to-scale replica of something out of cake, I don't think a tape recorder was on the top of anyone's mind. Martin: oh, it's just something I see lying around all over the place at work. Especially since my boss has been, er, out of office quite a bit recently. Just... Felt familiar I suppose. ---- Voiceover: For his gingerbread showstopper, Martin is doing an ambitious design based on the original design of the Royal Opera House, when it was still known as Covent Garden Theatre. Noel: So, what are your feelings on gingerbread, Martin? Martin: well, to be honest, it used to be a lot more positive. Noel: Oh? Martin: *sighs* It's just, a good friend of mine is a huge fan of Robert Smirke, so I, well I chose this design based on him? Used his favorite flavors in the icing and all. Work has been... Stressful lately so I thought it would be a nice gesture, you know? Might cheer him up a bit. But when I went to talk to him about the Theatre he... Well let's just say we had a row and leave it at that. He isn't happy that I'm spending time here instead of focusing on the crazy stuff at work. Which is rich by the way. He hasn't been in during working hours in weeks, but uh, I'm going to try to keep that negative energy out of my bake. He's still a friend, and maybe when he sees the end result he'll be touched, I don't know. Noel: Martin, your life is a tapestry. Martin: One with fraying edges Im afraid. ----- Martin stands in front of the tent, speaking directly to the camera, face flushed, eyes wet and voice rough. Martin: It's just, just a bit

embarrassing I suppose. I'm pretty sure I'm the first in the history of the show to be in the grand final and not have anyone to invite to the party. Mum isn't... Well she's in a care home, couldn't travel like this even if she was the type to come to something like this. Jon isn't even in the country right now, off in America doing who knows what anymore. Tim is... After what he said a while back about me being here being a 'pointless waste of time when eldrich-' er I mean I just didn't want to bring it up with him after our last fight. And i barely know my other coworkers, and from what I do know they don't like me much. Did you know one of them used the phrase 'Not Cool' to segue talking about me? And it was recorded! I just... Yeah, bit pathetic I know, that my coworkers are the only ones I could thing to even consider inviting but... That's me I suppose. I almost invited one of the institutes donor, actually, just so I would look so pathetic. I don't even know Peter, just had the one conversation and he honestly creeped me out a bit? But it was the first pleasant conversation I'd had at work in a while so I almost... But I chickened out, well obviously. It's probably for the best. Now, I just need to shake this off or something, can't let it taint the bake just because I'm a bit lonely. Voiceover: Despite the weather report, it is unseasonably chilly in the tent today, which could have an impact on the rise of the bread that they are being asked to bake in the showcase. ---- The scene is bright and filled with exciting colors, the magnificent Showstoppers nothing but crumbs as people settled down at the party. There is a crowd around the winner, who has let to let go of the coveted cake stand. Other than that, families and groups of friends cluster around picnic blankets chatting. Martin stands separate, his technical having burnt and his showstopper decorations falling short of the standard. He'd lost. And unlike the other competitor in the grand final, he was facing it alone. With a sigh, he finds himself wandering back to the tend, feeling foggy and unattached. The cameras are gone here, and all of the crew are at the party or cleaning up somewhere else. He makes his way over to his table and stands, wistful for a moment as he remembered the one bright spot he'd had in his horror-filled life. That would be gone now. He palmed the brulee torch, almost without thinking. In the back of his mind a scheme had started to form, and it would require a bit of light arson. The torch would light statements much easier than a normal lighter after all.

----

Season 4 Jon waking up from his coma around the time the episodes actually aire and watching them obsessively.

#the magnus archives #TMA #tma fanfic #martin blackwood #jonathan sims #timothy stoker #great british bake off #Great British bake off au #gbbo au #gbbo #Ignore my timeline idek #No this was not inspired by a guy in gbbo being named jurgen #Martin don't use the recipes you found in leitners

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starswallowingsea · 2 years

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It's book review time! This time for a book I actually finished like a month ago and completely forgot to do my review until now!

So I read the Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner back in August. I got it through Book of the Month because nothing in July (when I signed up) particularly called out to me and this book has been on my TBR for a while so I took a chance on it.

Overall it was... kinda meh. It reads easy enough and I finished it in a week but I wish there had just been more to it.

My overall rating was 3.5/5 stars and I'll get into the details under the cut.

So this book is one of those split historical/modern perspectives books, similar to the Paris Orphan but not done quite as well in my opinion (and a lot of other people's opinions too). The concept is there, an apothecary that helped women kill their abusive spouses or men in their lives, which certainly existed (side note: if that is what interested you about this novel, I would highly recommend the first season of the podcast Criminalia, which was all about lady poisoners and each episode includes a cocktail recipe to go with the story. Anyway,) and are important to study, but the modern perspective was lacking.

I'm in the minority that didn't really mind Caroline, but I kind of interpreted her as being raised in like an Evangelical household where the decisions she says she made with regards to her husband (such as not going to grad school, taking a job she didn't want just for the stability, etc) made more sense? But then towards the end her husband shows up and it just makes everything very, very weird. He admits to drinking some of her essential oils on purpose to get her attention because he thought she was going to leave him for cheating on her (no fucking shit dude). If she wasn't already preparing the divorce papers when you cheated on her with one of your office workers, then she definitely would after you intentionally poisoned yourself and almost died.

The past segment of the book also felt somewhat weak. I understand that it had to take place before the invention of poison detection in forensic analysis during autopsies started getting better and more accurate, but other than that it didn't feel like Penner utilized the setting to its fullest extent. Also the twelve year old character thought her vagina was haunted by the ghost of her old master and nobody explained the concept of periods to her? Why. They kinda just brushed it off as "all girls and women bleed once every lunar cycle" but never explained that it was natural to her.

Finally, my biggest gripe with the book was the absolutely insane focus on pregnancy. It feels like all the characters except the child are obsessed with having children. The old lady who runs the apothecary laments how her lover had forced her to have a miscarriage (which at first I didn't mind as a motivation for her, but then), one of her customers comes in and wants to kill her husband's lover so he'll sleep with her and get her pregnant and she can have children, and the most egregious example of all, the modern character, as her husband was being taken to the hospital, thinks that one of the emergency responder's making a remark about keeping essential oils out of reach of children is an attack on her for not having children. Girly, it's just a statement of fact. You shouldn't keep essential oils within reach of children or they will eat it and die.

I think towards the end Penner was trying to go for some sort of magical realism or just in general actual magic in the setting but it was not very well executed. The only real sign of it was the 12yo girl character believed that magic could save the little hole in the wall apothecary and brewed some "potions" to keep them alive in dire situations and she chugged it before jumping from a bridge into the Thames, which certainly the impact into the cold water should have killed her almost instantly and we have not been led to believe she knows how to swim either. At the end we see that she survived and hinted in the one piece of writing about her that survived to the 21st century that she believed the potion protected her on that day. Yeah. If she wanted to add that little hint of magic, I wish it had more of an influence on the plot and more of a presence in the book or was just left out entirely.

Anyway, it's an easy read. If you need something quick to read and get out of a slump, it'll do that. It's not awful but it's certainly odd and could have done more with the connections between modern and historical instead of just some random tourist coming across one of the old bottles in the river on a vacation away from her cheating husband. It's not the worst book I've ever read but it's also not worth writing home about because it was so good. It's average. It's so unfortunate that it has such a beautiful cover and such a mid-tier story.

#shay speaks #book reviews #bookblr #the lost apothecary #i had most of these thoughts written down in the bad books book club discord from when i was still reading it #link is in my carrd if you'd like to come join us!

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allmightluver · 3 years

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You should make a compilation post of your faves throughout the years. That sounds like fun. Maybe a picture with a small snippet of information about why you like them or what kind of influence they had on you.

Whew boy, ok, this gonna be super revealing and embarrassing 🙈

Long, so if you wanna read, it’s under the cut.

Ok, I'll list my fav characters that really stuck out to me, and still do more so than the other favorites I’ve had (this doesn’t mean I’m actively following them and all that, just favorite characters that basically stayed with me for a long time). And then I'll try to see if these more important favs have anything in common. At the end I’ll just post some other random favs I’ve had over the years...I'm already embarrassed ;alkfja

So here’s my list, it’s kind of in order from earlier in my life to more recent:

Doc--The Land Before Time VI: The Secret of Saurus Rock

I used to be obsessed with The Land Before Time series as a kid. I have several that I loved, and can’t remember one that I didn’t like. Some even that scarred me to this day remembering them. But the sixth movie will always be my favorite only because of this character. Pretty sure he was my first real favorite or “obsession” if you will. Doc aka The Lone Dinosaur is a Diplodocus that seems to have long outlived his life span, and is still kicking with an unmatched ferocity. The legend goes that the biggest, meanest sharptooth (a big T-Rex) attacked the Great Valley, when a unknown, lone dinosaur stood between it and the valley’s inhabitants. He managed to kill the beast, but not before being injured himself (hence the scar). Afterwards he left just as soon as he came, only to come back present day. Think Lone Ranger type: independent, short-spoken, intelligent, doesn’t stay anywhere long-but seems to know when he needs to show up somewhere, doesn’t need help-strong enough to hold his own, keeps people a good tail’s length away. Yeah. Pretty sure he was the influencer of my future faves. Ashamedly still love.

Aslan--Narnia

I remember the moment he came on the screen, my eyes widened considerably. I was smitten right then and there. Of course all the characters talking him up the first half of the movie had my hopes very high, and he delivered. Strongest character. Period. Big kitty-I want to pet. Kind. Wise, so smart-in both advice, and always seems to already know the answer before it’s asked.. Mysterious-where does he come from?? (Yes I’ve read the books, but I want better details). He never stays long either, here one day and gone the next. And then of course, the icing on the cake, literally died. Was tortured and beaten before brutally murdered, only to come back the next day psyche you THOUGHT-. Always the end to the story. There to finish it and help move on. Would 1000/100 feel safe with him on my side. Still love.

Dr. Gregory House--House

A huge influencer on me. Was my fave for years and I still love him. Anyone who knows about my WIP Painkiller? A lot of the story uses House as a reference. Bad boy. Super intelligent. Actively chooses not to think when it comes to his own life (knows the consequences of his choices and yet still makes them). The guy to turn to when nobody else can figure it out. Embarrassingly, whenever I’d go to the hospital as a kid, I’d imagine him limping down the hallway. Snarky, funny, abrasive, emotions-what emotions? Chronic pain (this of course sparked my interest in that aspect), pain meds-drug abuser, jerk, risk taker, if you were sick you’d want him as your doctor. Yet every now and then you get to see a small glimmer of someone caring. (Easier to see in the earlier seasons) It’s so deep down and hard to get to it seems like it’s not even there. He’s hidden that fact because of the wound within he’s tried so hard to bury.

Doc Hudson--Cars

I’m a bit embarrassed about this one. I was obsessed with a car for like two years. Think natural born talent-Built Different, still unrivaled present time, who’s career got cut short from a debilitating accident. Ran from media and everything he knew, true identity unknown to everyone around him, intelligent, grouchy but has a good heart, wise from experience, not one to talk about emotions or his past openly, when he finally comes back to the world so to speak, he’s not only remembered but welcomed back by everyone with excited shouts and glances. Still got it.

Master Shifu--Kung Fu Panda

He’s so fluffyyyyy. An instant fave for me. Trained to be the Dragon Warrior, but wasn’t chosen, vowed to be the one to teach the Dragon Warrior instead, best Kung Fu teacher in all of China, his master thinks he’s a fluffy angry ball of fur and needs to loosen up. Super fast, just because his student is the Dragon Warrior doesn’t mean he can’t find a way to neutralize him, the new leader of the Valley of Peace, grumpy and no-nonsense at first-but once he warms up to you he’ll be nicer, not such a stick in the mud, still don’t take him for granted, Wise, can throw around an opponent several times his size with ease, was Soft once and got hurt, lost his son to power greed-and then was nearly murdered by him, has a new son now, may be old but still ready to throw down if needed, heart of gold under the fluff. Still love the adorable fluffy man.

Shadow The Hedgehog--Sonic The Hedgehog

Ow the Edge. Still the coolest Sonic character, I don’t care who you are. Shadow was the longest character I followed; several years. I still love him (probably always will at this point), I just wish the franchise would do his character better justice. A hybrid alien lifeform mixed with a hedgehog, was created to be Earth’s hero, witnessed his best and only friend (at the time) that was more like a sister, be murdered before him in a sacrificial act, had his memories erased to be Earth’s end in an act of revenge, managed to work through the brainwashing and remember his true purpose at the last minute, now an amnesiac once again, struggles to discover who he is and his purpose, hero? villain? why not a little both? Not necessarily a villain, but not a hero either-definition of antihero, may get drawn to the darker path, but almost always will get back on the good path, has saved the world several times, does what he thinks is right, 50+ years old, seemingly doesn’t age, my fav colors, doesn’t mean to be edgy-has terrible RBF, ponders deeply, introverted x100, extremely intelligent despite his forgetfulness-but it isn’t his fault his brain was messed with so much, honestly, should be stronger than Sonic with his power and abilities, imo, but it’s Sonic’s franchise. Is doomed to be betrayed by the world and knows it, but still fights everyday to make his own future.

Garnet--Steven Universe

Square mom. Wise, Strong, coolest, the heavy hitter, yet also tender, caring, seemed distant at first due to keeping a secret, but now has opened up, calm and cool headed-usually, leader of the group, thousands of years old, thinks more than she says out loud, was banished from her home land with the promise of being killed if found, Steven is more than just the kid she helped raise, 100/10 her son and I think Steven feels the same way often (though he probably sees all the gems as his mothers, Garnet seems to be the one to go to with questions, for cuddles, or just to hang out with). The square. The hips. So much to love about her. Would absolutely feel safe with her around. Even better if I get to sit on her lap.

Lucario--Pokemon

Lucario is my favorite pokemon, but I wanted to touch on my favorite Lucario in the series. This being the one from Lucario and the Mystery of Mew-”Aura Lucario”. Strongest known Lucario that ever existed. About a thousand years old, still stuck back in time-only felt like a day or two, believed it was betrayed by its master (trainer) and is completely heartbroken, one of the few pokemon that can speak-through telepathy, doesn’t know where it fits in anymore, doesn’t trust humans as it believes they will always betray you, loner, standoffish (at first), began to trust again, discovered his master had died to save their world, sacrificed himself the same way his master did. Lucario in general is a very powerful pokemon-surpassing many mythicals (and I believe some legendaries). It’s a little powerhouse of a pokemon that you can find in the wild (albeit rather difficult in some instances) and you would definitely want on your team. It’s ability to evolve into Mega Lucario makes it all the more powerful.

L Lawliet--Death Note

Ok so I was late to the Death Note party. As in I watched it only a few years ago. Even so walking into it, I knew the thing everyone constantly said and freaked out about: L dies. I knew this. I knew it for years. And yet my denying brain refused to believe how this man, my favorite character, could possibly die. Maybe everyone got it wrong. But nope. Exactly what I knew would happen, happened. I’m not going to lie when I said I literally mourned for L for over a week. How can you not love him? I honestly didn’t care much about the rest of the anime afterwards; what was the point anymore (I did finish it yes). L, doesn’t sleep-literally for days on end, extremely intelligent, the first, second, and third best detectives in the world (yes he used different names LOL), he figured out who Kira was right away-but no one would listen to him or let him act on his intuition, snarky, Strange: sits weird, only eats endless amounts of sweets, rather blunt, surprisingly good at tennis? Still jokes around. Got depressed when there were no breakthroughs with the case, and then got punched out pffft, orphan-his life before living at the Wammy house is unknown, had many different people train to be his successor-only two lived and managed to reach his level together, Born Different, I personally headcannon he has a condition called Marfan Syndrome (I have a post explaining it and how it pertains to L here), will always love this guy.

Levi Ackerman--Attack On Titan

Aheheh heh hehhhh *wipes drool* This little guy packs a huge punch. He may be only 5′3″, snarky, and has a terrible RBF, but he’s the guy you want on your team as he’s the strongest warrior there is. Levi has a lonely backstory, full of death, abandonment, and fighting to survive. His heart is guarded and he’s not out to make friends by any means. He comes off as grouchy and he’s more than rough around the edges heh tiny angry elf, especially with his intense cleaning regime. But if you manage to make it in his good favors, heck, even get him to tolerate you, you can bet he’ll fight to the death for you. A life below ground made his legs weakened from lack of sunlight, and he eventually injured one in a battle with a giant several times his size (just everyday life for Levi Heicho). It put him out of commission for some time, but his position as the greatest warrior didn’t leave him bored by any means. If he disagrees and makes a threatening statement, even those at the top of the hierarchy would shiver and watch their back, knowing full well what this man’s capable of. He won’t hesitate, b- Despite all this, he has a rarely seen heart of gold, that he keeps tightly under wraps from the general public. Levi has a lot of weight on his shoulders that he never really asked for, but is doing his best nevertheless. This guy will always hold a place in my heart.

Meliodas--The Seven Deadly Sins

Ahhh My poor Depressed, precious boy. This poor guy has fought for thousands of years, for what? For the love of his life and he to live a happy life. He’s lived so many lives, and watched her die every time. He himself has died multiple times, stated by himself that he’s literally tried everything to kill himself off completely. And yet the curse placed on his head forces him to be revived and fight once again. He never ages, and yet waits for his love to grow, or to come to him and start their journey anew. She’ll never remember her past life, or him, and he’ll smile and win her heart over and over again. Yet this pure looking boy hides a dark secret-one that even he fears himself. His past was one of pure evil, he did many things he’s not proud of, and every time he dies, a piece of himself dies along with him, slowly returning to the demon he used to be. Meliodas doesn’t want to revert to that, but has no control over it, and is therefore terrified and lost. He comes off as a perverted little stinker; he hides his feelings well. Dis boy strong. Thought he was strong before? Psyche, that was a mere smidge of his true power being held from him-for fear it may hasten his reverting to a darker Meliodas. Would definitely want this boy on my side. Seeing the physical and mental scars he wears, his hardiness, his strength; I love this boy with my whole heart.

Scrooge McDuck--Disney

Alright, alright, he’s stingy and cranky. But there’s a lot more to his character that’ve come to love, and I find him adorable. Firstly, I should start off saying there are many “universes” to this character. The one’s that I’ve come to love the most are Don Rosa’s storyline, specifically “The Life and Times of Scrooge” (it’s a whole comic series--AMAZING if anyone wants to read, I can hook you up. Also it has its own music album written and composed by none other than Tuomas Holopainen, who himself is a legend, the keyboardist and composer for the band Nightwish. I HIGHLY recommend this album as well, especially if you’re reading the comic as you go, it really helps set the mood), and the other is the DuckTales storyline. I haven’t finished the older DuckTales, but I much liked the newer series. Scrooge set out to make a fortune for his poor family to live a good life. Strong Boi. He battled for years by himself in landscapes, wildernesses, and deadly conflicts in search of money to buy his clan’s homeland back. He always had a good a heart, a of heart of gold that he now hides under his cold exterior to protect it. He grew up with a good conscious, however throughout the years of constantly being backstabbed and taken advantage of, he turned cold, reclusive, and untrusting. Living in the frigid north by himself made him tough, and rougher around the edges. Eventually he struck gold, and then began to stack up the money more and more than he ever intended to do, eventually losing himself in the wealth after fighting for so many years to make money, and forgetting his heart. Now old, alone, painful from old wounds, and broken, his great nephews come to his home, and bring life back to this old soul. (The man’s over 150 years old in DuckTales) Scrooge is very intelligent, strong, quick, probably the best fighter of the lot even at his age, and will fight for those he cares about to the end. This fluffy duck will always hold a very special place.

“All Might” Toshinori Yagi--My Hero Academia

Where to even begin with dear Toshinori. The ultimate good boy. This is probably the purest and most well meaning character I’ve ever fallen for. It’s not often I fall for someone so good. He’s done nothing to deserve the negative backlash and short stick in life. He has his flaws, of course. But nothing he did was not without meaning, as he fought on his own for years on end to create a better world. No one helped him; he never seemed to need it, he’s All Might! Even his “mean” comments almost always have well-meaning behind them. (I.E. Telling Deku he didn’t think he could be a hero: he’s saving the boy from a painful awakening and likely painful life which could easily end in an early death. His reasoning behind sharing his scar was to show that even someone like him, as strong as him, struggles day to day. Without a quirk to back you up, going into hero work is a death sentence. He was obviously distracted and overwhelmed by his short and quipped responses). He deserves so much better. Deserves to cry-let the poor guy cry!! Not just a few tears, he obviously has more than that built up throughout the years. Let him finally address it, but with a trusted someone, and not alone. Toshinori has a disability that’s been crippling his body, mental health, and way of life for several years now, and he’s in chronic pain on a day to day basis. Multiple health complications. Depressed to the max. Will run into the busiest street in the world with semi’s going 100mph to save a mother duck and her ducklings from being squished like little pancakes without a second thought for his own safety; didn’t think at all. Doesn’t find value in his own life, and therefore does anything and everything to save another. Dad to everyone who is in need of one; even if you don’t. You are now adopted. Incredibly smart and talented, and yet naïve in some precious ways. He sometimes chooses not to think at times; perhaps to protect himself from seeing so many negatives. Emotionally distant, puts up a front that could convince anyone and expertly hides his true feelings. I could go on. He’s perfect. Everything I could ever ask for.

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The thing I’ve noticed in doing this is that I seem to be drawn to characters that:

1. Are typically older in age.

a. Doc: “The Lone Dinosaur”, was thought to have been long dead, before Littlefoot’s grandpa’s grandpa was alive, and yet he still lives.

b. Aslan: seems to be like a constant, un-aging character that always has existed.

c. House: 45-53 throughout the seasons on the show.

d. Doc Hudson: unknown; elderly; most likely 60-80.

e. Shifu: 60+

f. Shadow: 50+

g. Garnet: 5,752

h. Auro Lucario: hundreds of years (1,000+)

i. Levi: 30′s

j. L: 24-25

k. Meliodas: 4,060+

l. Scrooge: 154

m. Toshinori: 50′s

2. Almost always male in gender.

3. Have a lot of knowledge to pass on as well as wisdom to share if people take time to listen.

4. Are exceedingly powerful. I have a thing for power apparently. A lot of these characters are or arguably are the most powerful characters in their series. And power comes in more ways than just physical.

5. (And probably the biggest reason) All of these characters have gone through some kind of physical and/or mental trauma that they bear the scars and/or are still dealing with to this day.

a. Doc: Fought the most ferocious sharptooth, who left a scar along his face and neck from a claw.

b. Aslan: Willingly let himself be beat, humiliated, and ultimately killed by his nemesis.

c. House: Suffered a leg infarction leading to muscle death, causing consistent chronic pain. Was also abused as a child by his father.

d. Doc Hudson: Was in a bad crash during a race that took a long time to recover from, which ultimately ended his career

e. Shifu: mistakenly turned his son into a power hungry monster, that destroyed the Valley of Peace when he was denied. Had to fight his son, but was unable to go through with it, leading to a leg injury that left a limp. Was nearly killed by his son when he returned.

f. Shadow: Created as a scientific experiment. His sister best friend was murdered before him, for him. Had his memories tampered with to alter his goal. Fell from outer space to Earth. Amnesia. Foggy memories, different stories from everyone around him: a hero? a villain? a simple experiment gone wrong? an android? only a copy of the real thing? Chose to protect humankind. Told humankind will betray him in the future anyway for fear of his power, and seal him away as a prisoner-much like he had been before for 50 years. His own friend will be brainwashed into capturing him.

g. Garnet: Was threatened with death for being alive, being who she is. Witnessed her comrades and dear friends shattered pieces forced together to create a monster.

h. Aura Lucario: Thought its master had betrayed him. Was imprisoned for what it thought was a few days, but was actually several hundred years. An ancient soul lost in a new world. Sacrificed himself to save the Tree of Life and the whole kingdom. Discovered his master had actually died doing the same, and hadn’t betrayed him. Died happily knowing as much.

i. Levi: Watched his mother die and decay as he starved as a child. Was found by his uncle, but raised to fight to survive; once he could, was abandoned yet again. Him and two friends wanted to live above ground; the two were murdered and eaten by a titan before they could. Countless soldiers and friends followed him to death, and answering to families. Injured his leg saving Erin. Uncle returns, and attempts to kill him. Had to let the man he devoted his sword to distract the enemy in a suicide mission. Had to choose between him and Armin to save. Is confined to wheelchair due to injuries. (Unknown if it’s a permanent thing or not).

j. L: Orphaned as a young child. Was raised for his intellect, not necessarily a big happy family. Had to train his successors for when his undoubtedly early death happens. Enjoys what he does, but also hides a depressive side.

k. Meliodas: Can’t be with the one he loves, as she dies repeatedly before him. Can’t die himself. Forced to live through the pain again and again. Afraid of who he is, of his power, of losing control, of himself. Was stabbed in all 7 hearts as his brother looked on emotionless. Watches people come and go throughout his lives. Knows his brother hates him, and has tried repairing their relationship, but Zeldris is still healing. Has to kill his father-though that may not be as terrible as it sounds.

l. Scrooge: Alone for several decades over his life, pretty much since age 13. The obsession of finding his fortune made him greedy, causing him to do several terrible things. When he realized what he’d done it was already too late. Has been hurt several times. Pushed away his family and friends, too afraid of letting anyone in. Has had several injuries throughout his lifetime that still act up, hence the cane (besides using it as a weapon). (2017 version:) built a rocket ship as a present to his niece, only for her to get lost and trapped in outer space, causing his nephew to part ways and take Della’s three eggs along with. Was accused of not spending his fortune to find her, even though he had until his employees forced him to stop.

m. Toshinori: Extremely likely something traumatic happened in his youth. Devoted his entire life to saving people, causing his own health, his relationships, physical and emotional needs to be unaddressed. Watching his master, the woman he thought of as his mother, die for him made him even more determined not to let anyone else risk their life for him. His only goal in life is to help people, others, leaving his health, wellbeing, and even life unimportant to himself. He has very few friends, and even fewer that he feels he can truly let his own defenses down with. He was so good, no one thought to help, meaning he was completely overworked and couldn’t say no to anything or anyone. He drove his body ragged trying to keep up. Few people trying to help him only committed crimes instead. His injury took several things from him, physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally. Lost his somewhat good health. Lost his job. Lost his purpose in life. Mental health has tanked. In chronic pain everyday. Body can’t keep up. Tries and tries, and keeps failing his boy (in his mind at least). Feels useless; a waste of space; depressed. Dare I say suicidal.

So, perhaps, at the end of all this, it just proves.... that I’m drawn to damaged people.

and maybe I have daddy issues??? rofl

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Bonus: here’s some random favs I’ve had from over the years, some that I still love and somewhat follow, from more recent to past:

Dunban--Xenoblade Chronicles

Oh Dunban. It’s like you were made to be an instant fave of mine. A super strong warrior with a battle wound that’s still affecting him to this day, and causing him intense pain even while he continues to fight? Like the perfect whump character that’s still awesome and to be feared even with his handicap. Not to mention him being drop dead gorgeous did I say I have a thing for long hair. Love his “father of the group” personality, and wise advise he gives the younger characters. He honestly is still a pretty active favorite. Obviously more so when I play the game and remind myself of him again. Tie for ultimate fave in the game.

Alvis--Xenoblade Chronicles

Silver haired boy? Yes. Over-powered? Check. Mysterious character with several unknowns? Double check. Alvis is also an easy fav for me. In a way, he’s one of the most powerful characters in the game. There’s a lot to like about Alvis, and one could argue the opposite as well in a way. Either way, I wish we had more content on him. I couldn’t tell you exactly what drew me to him, but I was easily wrapped up. Possibly due the mystery behind him for half the game. Tie for ultimate fave in the game.

Melia Antiqua--Xenoblade Chronicles

She’s a mysterious girl with wings on her head! Blue eyes and silver hair-so aesthetically pleasing. Plus her homeland is so unbelievably gorgeous, and don’t get me started about the floating city. She’s totally unique in her own way, and unfortunately has the shortest straw of the group in my opinion. Yet she stays strong and keeps moving forward. Love this girl. My initial fave of the game.

Rico Brzenska--Attack On Titan

She’s not a common face in the show, but she managed to catch my eye with this scene here. The relieved and hopeful look in her eyes show so much emotion. She’s a serious person that has no time for fooling around, but still an interesting character in my book.

“Saber” Altria Pendragon/King Arthur--Fate Universe

The legendary King Arthur and her legendary sword Excalibur. If you’re going to war for the chance to have a wish granted, you want her on your side. Overly powerful, awesome, and a tad naïve on day to day life, she’s an instant favorite.

Black Rock Shooter--Black Rock Shooter

This whole series is a tad confusing for me, honestly. But it’s been years, so that doesn’t help. But right away I knew this character would be my favorite. Black style, long hair, blue eyes, glowing blue eye-yeah, another instant fave. Also best fighter, kind in her own way, like a dark angel.

Kagari Izuriha--Black Rock Shooter

She’s initially crippled, but it’s all in her head? Perhaps there’s a lot wrong in that head of hers. Kagari using her creepy dolls to chant over and over “Go Home!” to a guest while her lifeless eyes stare directly into theirs, and when she doesn’t get her way, proceeds to throw herself down a set of stairs to get attention-yes she’s a bit wacko. But that’s why I love her.

Riki--Ginga Nagareboshi Gin

Scars? Check. Strongest character that no one has bested? Check. Bonus points for dying a heroic death after fighting the murderous bear known to kill anything and anyone in it’s path.

Karkat Vantas--Homestuck

Besides he and I sharing an astrological sign, there’s so much to love about Karkat. He and I have a lot in common as well! His moody demeanor, constant overtired look, sass, loves movies, oh man I could go on. The main difference between he and I is that he’s a natural born leader-that would terrify me. He’s a reliable, anger issues to the max, type guy that tends to hide things about himself. I love this best boy whole heartedly, along with his ancestor Kankri. His ancestral line is interesting, you can’t deny that The Sufferer/The Signless’s story of preaching equality, only to end up brutally murdered, isn’t something intriguing. Being a genetic mutant with blood the color bright red, Karkat’s line is exceptionally careful of showing this off, for his own life’s sake. He’s sooooo interesting and adorable. Yes please.

“Mockingbird” Toto Sakigami--Deadman Wonderland

Toto is definitely a creepy character, don’t want to turn your back on him, or he’ll find a way to make you bleed, and then lick it up to steal your abilities. Despite his fragile composition now, he’s the only character to fight the “Wretched Egg” and live. He’s well known as the strongest character, at least was. Now his body may come apart if he’s not careful, and he’ll need to re-stitch himself up. The creepy factor combined with the power was an instant fave on my part.

“Wretched Egg” Shiro--Deadman Wonderland

Shiro comes off as a playful child that loves candy, happy and giddy and wanting to play. But her other personality is one of sorrow, destruction, and rage. She’s incredibly powerful, having only one person go to head to head with her and live. She’s adorable, and I love albinism.

Madoka Kaname--Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Madoka is a sweet girl that’s a bit naïve at first, jumping the gun with wanting to be a magical girl without taking in all the factors that come with it. Positive and negative alike. But despite that, she desires to help people as much as she possibly can. And after waiting to make her decision like Homura advises her, she finally reaches it, and wishes a wish that makes her become the ruler of the entire universe. Saving every magical girl from transforming to a witch. Her overwhelming power and kind nature drew me to her. One of the few truly good characters on my list.

Homura Akemi--Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Homura seems like the “edgy” character in the series, staying in the shadows and speaking very little if nothing at all. She says things people don’t always understand. But she is focused on a goal in front of her that keeps slipping through her hands, and she’s become so engrossed into it that she’s lost touch with some of her emotions towards others. There’s so much to like about Homura, her determination, her demeanor, her power, the hair again the long hair.

Ryugu Rena--Higarashi No Naku Koro Ni

Rena is the adorable character that loves everything cute. She’s a nice girl that would do anything for her friends even murder. But behind her charming personality lies a girl void of emotion, at least all positive ones. You may call her a bit “cracked”. That smile replaced for a grimace, caring eyes changed to a dangerous glint, and then she goes for her weapon of choice: a cleaver/hatchet. She’s one you don’t want on your bad side-if you value your life. Rena is very powerful when determined, and her ability to flip on a dime is something to fear. I relate to her in multiple ways.

Kiba--Wolf’s Rain

I have a thing for all white or all black wolves. As well as leaders. Kiba being that strange person no one knows who maybe talks a bit strangely and doesn’t seem like he exists on the same wavelength as everyone else. It was a given I’d fall for him. Also his skill and strength, being arguably the strongest of the group, and his devotion to his cause, the willingness to lay his life down and fight for what he wants. There’s no way I couldn’t like him.

Lucy/Nyu--Elfen Lied

Ah Lucy, the depressed, overpowered, “strange little girl” woman with a split personality completely opposite to herself. Her trauma, her strength, and personality attracted me from the start. This, I believe, was the second anime ever I decided to watch.

“Angel” Kanade Tachibana--Angel Beats

Kanade Tachibana or “Angel” is a quiet girl that rarely speaks unless spoken to, until she’s comfortable around you. She has a “strange girl” like essence to her when you first meet, she speaks in ways that may not make sense at first. Yet she is arguably the strongest fighter in the series. Making her own weapons and surprising everyone with her overwhelming strength and fighting skills, she’s a mystery that keeps unfolding. Her mannerisms, her strength, her reputation, her kindness, her selflessness and mysterious nature easily drew me in. Plus, the time she was shot in the gut, and the time multiple souls of her divided and then returned to her all at once, in short, the pain she endured was a huge eyecatcher. Gosh I’m so screwed up.

Aniu--Balto

Aniu appears in multiple Balto movies. She’s Balto’s mother, and little is known about her. She acts like a spirit, giving guidance and inspiration to Balto and others in need of it. The only mortal thing about her is having Balto. She often appears and then disappears in the blink of an eye. The mystery behind her and her ethereal like disposition is what I loved.

Aleu--Balto II: Wolf Quest

Aleu is Balto’s daughter, the only pup of the litter born that looks like her father. Because of her looks, she’s unwanted by everyone in town who adopt her siblings. When she’s older she struggles to find her place, searching out who she is and where she belongs. The sense of not belonging, longing to know more about yourself, and finding you’re meant for something great is what drew me to her at a young age I believe.

#lover talks #ask me #phew boy #sorry that took so long #been working on this for months xD #long post #my fav characters #At least all that I can remember

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doorbloggr · 3 years

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Sunday 25/9/21 - Media Recommendations #19

Contents:

Twilight Princess (Manga)

Dr Stone (manga/anime)

Lately, I have had a lot I want to write about on this blog, but lack that activation energy to actually start writing an article. Ideally I will at least word vomit more onto the blog in the coming week or so, because I have the topics in mind, just unsure how to start any of it.

Media Consumption has also slowed to a crawl, but I'm getting back into it. This week I wanna discuss a manga series I've been reading slowly as it has released, and an anime I have long been reading the manga for.

The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess (Manga)

Akira Himekawa

Zelda fans have a unique schism between their fans that many other longer running series may not experience. Because most games star a relatively unique cast of characters, a unique spin on the world, gameplay, and even artistic style, what your favourite in the series is will throw you into a hard debate against fans of other games. There's this post i saw somewhere(?) once where it was said your favourite Zelda game is the one that came out when you were 12, presumably because this is the one you experience first, or at least earlier in your Zelda journey, and I can completely relate to that.

The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess was the first Zelda game I played, and it has been my number 1 or 2 in the series consistently. Compared to the games that came before it, it was darker, had a richer world, and just a grander scope. But today I'm not here to explain the game, I'm here to talk about the manga.

Akira Himekawa is a pseudonym for a pair of female manga artists that have been writing manga together since the early 90s, and I know them well for their Legend of Zelda adaptations. They have covered most of the main games everyone knows, Ocarina of Time, Majoras Mask, A Link to the Past, and even a couple volumes of Four Swords Adventures. Their most recent work has also been the most long and in depth adaptation, my first Zelda game, Twilight Princess.

Like all of their Zelda adaptations, Akira Himekawa's Twilight Princess follows all the same plot beats as the main games. The order places are visited, the main characters Link encounters, the dungeons and their bosses, but the mangaka add... more to the world. Link has a deeper back story explaining what led to the start of the adventure. What in the games are essentially blank slate NPCs become characters in their own rights with personalities and arcs and motivations. The Twilight Realm, which is essentially just a dungeon in the game, is fleshed out as its entire world, with society, and lore.

In the game, Link is cool, and a bit of a himbo, but the manga's take on him is so much more interesting. He's a brooding edge lord, with a damaged past. He's a do-gooder, but he's also flawed and suffers from caring too much. Link is a character full of regrets who constantly bounces between "become a hero to prevent the atrocities of the past coming back" and "give up so that you don't make things worse". I understand that the games leave Link as a blank slate so that players can fill in their own ideals, but seeing Link as a fully fleshed character with his own motivations is cool as hell.

The supporting cast is similarly fleshed out compared to the game's take. Zelda, Illia, and Midna have complex motivations and evolving personalities. Midna was already a great character, but the manga truly does not skip out on making her deep and interesting. The "Resistance", for those who've played the game, are all multilayered characters now, all with arcs that are actively explored as they actually go help Link on his adventures, instead of just telling him info and leaving him to it. The dungeons do not take nearly as much plot time as they do in the games, essentially minimal theme building and then boss, but this works better for the format in my opinion.

If you like high fantasy manga, or are just a Zelda fan, I highly recommend this series. I haven't finished reading it, but Book 9, which I think is the final in the series, has recently been released in English. Obviously playing the game first is a good background, but I think you could 100% enjoy the series without it.

Edit: Finished book 9 and there's definitely at least one more book to go.

Dr Stone (anime/manga)

Inagaki, Boichi; TMS Entertainment

Ok so must I remember wrong because I thought I recommended this one, but apparently I never talked about Dr Stone before, which is a complete travesty. But now I am both up to date with the manga and most of a season deep into the anime, and I have A LOT to talk about.

As those who have also read my dinosaur blogposts will understand, I am a big science nerd. Biology, palaeontology, space, chemistry, it's all so interesting, and sometimes I struggle to understand how a passion for science is not a universal human experience. I share that in common with the main character of a manga I've been reading for maybe a year now, Dr Stone.

In Dr Stone, the world of 21st Century humanity is brought crashing to a halt when a bright wave of mysterious light blankets the entire planet, and everywhere on the entire globe, humans have been turned to stone. 3700 years later, a young man who has kept his mind active within the stone forces himself awake and breaks out. Around him, nature has reclaimed the Earth and millennia of human progress has been all but buried.

Senku is a young man of science, and spent years obsessing over every scientific domain he could comprehend in order to one day travel to space. In this stone world, armed with this wealth of science progress in his mind, Senku begins efforts to restart the scientific age, and free every single person frozen in stone. He starts with a mysterious acid that breaks down the stone. Then he develops tools, machinery, electricity, and eventually, he wants to push humanity back to the space age within his lifetime. Senku may be a know it all, but knowledge only gets you so far. Thanks to the allies he makes, a wealth of expertise will be harnessed to bring his dream to fruition.

Dr Stone is a must read for anyone who enjoys Scifi. Although the rate at which progress is made seems absurd, every single scientific process the kingdom of science works on is real science. Although post apocalyptic themes establish the base for the story and the supernatural force that turned humanity to stone is the main adversary, Dr Stone is a very scientific story based on real Earth and its just... exhilarating!

The scope of the story begins on the small scale in primitive villages, but the story eventually reaches a global scale. There are adversaries at each step, those who wish to rule the Stone World with might, free of the tyranny science had in our age, and there are also those who wish to use science as its own form of might, but Senku and his allies want to use science for the benefit of everyone. So that one day, all of humanity will be restored, and that eventually, he will get to moon.

I will refrain from speaking any further on story specifics because you really should experience the plot for yourself. So I will end with the presentation itself. The art and format of the manga are beautiful. Character designs are rugged, stylised, and exciting, it's very easy to determine what a character is all about just by their unique appearance.

In the last week, I have begun watching the anime, as it has been long enough since I started reading that I can experience parts of the plot anew. The anime is very beautifully made, the world is lush and beautiful, and characters move in such a fun and interesting way. I'm watching the English dub, and characters sound exactly like the voices I had for them in my head.

If you have even an inkling of interest in Dr Stone after reading what I've said today, you should definitely experience the story for yourself, 1 billion percent.

#blog #blogpost #media recommendations #anime recommendations #manga recommendation #the legend of zelda twilight princess #the legend of zelda #twilight princess #twilight princess manga #akira himekawa #dr stone #dr stone manga #dr stone anime #boichi #inagaki

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flufffysocks · 3 years

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let's talk about andi mack's worldbuilding

sorry this took forever to make! i've been pretty busy with school stuff and i kind of lost my inspiration for a bit, but i ultimately really enjoyed writing it! i wish i could've included more pics (tumblr has a max of 10 per post), and it kinda turned from less of a mini analysis to more of an extremely long rant... but i hope it's still a fun read!

i've been rewatching the show over the past few weeks (thanks again to @disneymack for the link!), and i’ve been noticing a lot that i never did the first time around. this is really the first time i’ve watched the show from start to finish since it aired, and it honestly feels so different this time - probably a combination of the fact that i’m not as focused on plot and can appreciate the show as a whole, and also that the fandom is much, much smaller now, so there’s a lot less noise. so the way i’m consuming this show feels super different than it did the first time, but the show itself doesn’t - it’s just as warm and comforting to me as it was the first time around, if not more so.

i think a lot of that can be attributed to andi mack’s “worldbuilding”. i’m not quite sure that this is the right word in this context, to be honest, because i mostly see it used in reference to fantasy and sci-fi universes, but it just sort of feels right to me for andi mack, because you can really tell how much love and care went into constructing this universe. for clarity, worldbuilding is “the process of creating an imaginary world” in its simplest sense. there’s two main types: hard worldbuilding, which involves inventing entire universes, languages, people, cultures, places, foods, etc. from scratch (think “lord of the rings” or “dune”), and soft worldbuilding, in which the creators don’t explicitly state or explain much about the fictional universe, but rather let it’s nature reveal itself as the story progresses (think studio ghibli films). andi mack to me falls in the soft worldbuilding category. even though it takes place in a realistic fiction universe, there’s a lot of aspects to it that are inexplicably novel in really subtle ways.

so watching the show now, i’ve noticed that the worldbuilding comes primarily from two things - setting and props, and oftentimes the both of them in tandem (because a big part of setting in filmmaking does depend on the props placed in it!).

one of the most obvious examples is the spoon. it really is a sort of quintessential, tropic setting in that it's the main gang's "spot", which automatically gives it a warm and homey feel to it. and its set design only amplifies this:

the choice to make it a very traditional 50s-style diner creates a very nostalgic, retro feel to it, which is something that's really consistent throughout the show, as you'll see. from the round stools at the bar, to the booths, to the staff uniforms, this is very obvious. the thing that i found especially interesting about it though is the choice of color. the typical 50s diner is outfitted with metallic surfaces and red accented furnishings, but the spoon is very distinctly not this.

instead, it's dressed in vibrant teal and orange, giving it a very fresh and modern take on a classic look. so it still maintains that feeling of being funky and retro, but that doesn't retract from the fact that the show is set distinctly in modern times.

of course, this could just be a one-off quirky set piece, but this idea of modernizing and novelizing "retro" things is a really common motif throughout the show. take red rooster records. i mean, it's a record shop - need i say more? it's obviously a very prominent store in shadyside, at least for the main characters, but there's no apparent reason why it is (until season 2 when bowie starts working there, and jonah starts performing there). a lot of the time, though, it functions solely as a record shop. vinyl obviously isn't the most practical or convenient way of listening to music, but it's had its resurgence in pop culture even in the real world, mostly due to its aesthetic value, so it's safe to say that it serves the same purpose in the andi mack universe.

the fringe seems to be nostalgic of a different era, specifically the Y2K/early 2000s period (because it's meant to be bex's territory and symbolic of who she used to be, and its later transformation into cloud 10 is representative of her character arc, but that's beside the point). to be honest, exactly what this store was supposed to be always confused me. it was kind of a combination party store/clothing store/makeup store/beauty parlor? i think that's sort of the point of it though, it's supposed to feel very grunge-y and chaotic (within the confines of a relatively mellow-toned show, of course), and it's supposed to act as a sort of treasure chest of little curios that both make the place interesting and allow the characters to interact with it.

and, of course, there's andi shack. this is really the cherry on top of all of andi mack's sets, just because it's so distinctly andi. it serves such amazing narrative purpose for her (ex. the storyline where cece and ham were going to move - i really loved this because it highlights its place in the andi mack universe so well, and i'm a sucker for the paper cranes shot + i'm still salty that sadie's cranes didn't make it into the finale) and it's the perfect reflection of andi's character development because of how dynamic it is (the crafts and art supplies can get moved around or switched out, and there's always new creations visible).

going back to the nostalgia motif though, the "shack" aspect of it always struck me as very treehouse-like. personally, whenever i think of treehouses, there's this very golden sheen of childhood about it, if that makes sense. i've always seen treehouses in media as a sort of shelter for characters' youthful innocence and idealistic memories. for example, the episode "up a tree" from good luck charlie, the episode "treehouse" from modern family, and "to all the boys 2" all use a treehouse setting as a device to explore the character's desire to hold onto their perfect image of their childhood (side note: this exact theme is actually explored in andi mack in the episode "perfect day 2.0"!). andi shack is no exception to this, but it harnesses this childhood idealism in the same way that it captures the nostalgia of the 50s in the spoon, or the early 2000s in the fringe. it's not some image of a distant past being reflected through that setting; it's very present, and very alive, because it reflects andi as she is in the given moment.

some honorable mentions of more one-off settings include the ferris wheel (from "the snorpion"), the alley art gallery (from "a walker to remember"), SAVA, the color factory (from "it's a dilemna"), and my personal favorite, the cake shop (from "that syncing feeling").

[every time i watch this episode i want to eat those cakes so bad]

these settings have less of a distinctly nostalgic feel (especially the color factory, which is a very late 2010s, instagram era setting), but they all definitely have an aura of perfection about them. andi mack is all about bright, colorful visuals, and these settings really play to that, making the andi mack universe seem really fun and inviting, and frankly very instagrammable (literally so, when it comes to the color factory!).

props, on the other hand, are probably a much less obvious tool of worldbuilding. they definitely take up less space in the frame and are generally not as noticeable (i'm sure i'll have missed a bunch that will be great examples, but i'm kind of coming up with all of this off the top of my head), but they really tie everything together.

for example, bex's box, bex's polaroid, and the old tv at the mack apartment (the tv is usually only visible in the periphery of some shots, so you might not catch it at first glance) all complement that very retro aesthetic established through the settings (especially the polaroid and the tv, because there's really no good reason that the characters would otherwise be using these).

besides this, andi's artistic nature provides the perfect excuse for plenty of colorful, crafty props to amplify the visuals and the tone. obviously, as i discussed before, andi shack is the best example of this because it's filled with interesting props. but you also see bits of andi's (and other people's) crafts popping up throughout the show (ex. the tape on the fridge in the mack apartment, andi's and libby's headbands in "the new girls", walker's shoes, andi's phone case, and of course, the bracelet). not only does doing this really solidify this talent as an essential tenet of andi's character, but it also just makes the entirety of shadyside feel like an extension of andi shack. the whole town is a canvas for her crafts (or art, depending on how you want to look at it. i say it's both), and it immensely adds to shadyside's idealism. because who wouldn't want to live in a world made of andi mack's creations?

and, while it's not exactly a prop, the characters' wardrobe is undoubtedly a major influence on the show's worldbuilding. true to it's nature as a disney channel show, all of the characters are always dressed in exceptionally curated outfits of whatever the current trends are, making the show that much more visually appealing. i won't elaborate too much on this, because i could honestly write a whole other analysis on andi mack's fashion (my favorites are andi's and bex's outfits! and kudos to the costume designer(s) for creating such wonderful and in-character wardrobes!). but, i think it's a really really important aspect of how the show's universe is perceived, so it had to be touched upon.

[^ some of my favorite outfits from the show! i am so obsessed with andi's jacket in the finale, and i aspire to be at bex's level of being a leather jacket bisexual]

and lastly, phones. this is a bit of an interesting case (pun intended), because the way they're used fluctuates a bit throughout the show, but i definitely noticed that at least in the first season terri minsky tried to avoid using them altogether. these efforts at distancing from modern tech really grounds the show in it's idealist, nostalgia-heavy roots, so even when the characters start using their phones more later in the show, they don't alter the viewer's impression of the andi mack universe very much.

so, what does all of this have to do with worldbuilding? in andi mack's case, because it's set in a realistic universe and not a fantasy one, a lot of what sets it apart from the real world comes down to tone. because, as much as this world is based on our own, it really does feel separate from it, like an alternate reality that's just slightly more perfect than ours, which makes all the difference. it's the idealism in color and composition in andi mack's settings that makes it so unmistakably andi mack. even the weather is always sunny and perfect (which is incredibly ironic because the town is called shadyside - yes, i am very proud of that observation).

the andi mack universe resides somewhere in this perfect medium that makes it feel like a small town in the middle of nowhere (almost like hill valley in 1955 from "back to the future"), but at the same time like an enclave within a big city (because of its proximity to so many modern, unique, and honestly very classy looking establishments). it is, essentially, an unattainable dream land that tricks you into believing it is attainable because it's just real enough.

all this to say, andi mack does an amazing job of creating of polished, perfect world for its characters. this is pretty common among disney channel and nickelodeon shows, but because most other shows tend to be filmed in a studio with three-wall sets, andi mack is really set apart from them in that it automatically feels more real and tangible. it has its quintessential recurring locations, but it has far more of them (most disney/nick shows usually only have 3-4 recurring settings), and it has a lot more one-off locations. it's also a lot more considerate when it comes to its props, so rather than the show just looking garish and aggressively trendy, it has a distinctive style that's actually appropriate to the characters and the story. overall this creates the effect of expanding the universe, making shadyside feel like it really is a part of a wider world, rather than an artificial bubble. it's idealism is, first and foremost, grounded in reality, and that provides a basis for its brilliant, creative, and relatable storytelling.

tl;dr: andi mack's sets and props give it a very retro and nostalgic tone which makes its whole universe seem super perfect and i want to live there so bad!!

#andi mack #buffy driscoll #cyrus goodman #jonah beck #tj kippen #tyrus #ambi #bex mack #analysis #film analysis #disney channel

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twh-news · 3 years

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"Loki" Director Kate Herron Talks The Epic Season 1 Finale And The Easter Egg Fans Should Go Back And Listen For | Buzzfeed

Warning: There are MASSIVE spoilers ahead for Season 1 of Loki!

Welp, Loki Season 1 just came to an end and I think it's safe to say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe will never be the same. Following the Season 1 finale, we sat down with director Kate Herron to talk about everything — like how it felt introducing the multiverse and Jonathan Majors to the MCU, casting this incredible ensemble cast, Loki's bisexuality, and so much more. Here's everything we learned:

1. First, Kate has always loved Loki, so she knew she wanted to be involved in the "character's next step" in some way.

"Basically, I love Loki, and I found out they were making a show about him. As a fan, I was like, 'I need to know where he's gone.' Then, I just wanted to know what the story was going to be. I loved the character. I think Tom Hiddleston's performance is amazing. I really wanted to be part of whatever this character's next step was because I think Loki's had one of the best arcs in the MCU."

2. Directing all six episodes of the first season felt like filming a six-hour movie.

"Directing all six episodes was a really unique experience, right? Because normally TV is run through the showrunner system, and Marvel didn't do that on Loki. It was incredible. It was quite an undertaking to do six hours and run it like a giant film. I'm so grateful for the opportunity, and I'm really proud of what we made."

3. When Kate signed on to Loki, only the first few scripts had been written, the "rough shape of the show" was in place, and they knew Loki would be arrested by the TVA.

"When I started, Michael [Waldron] had written the pilot. Then, there was a second episode written by Elissa [Karasik], and Bisha's [Ali] episode was written. So, there was a rough shape of the show. It was already fixed in that Loki was gonna be arrested by the TVA and then it had this twist that he was going to try and solve the mystery of who this other Loki was, but then it pivots and becomes this love story about him falling in love with himself. I just thought that was so inspired and the message that had about self-love. I just really wanted to be part of that."

4. And they always knew the show would end at The Citadel at the End of Time and the multiverse would be born.

"As we dug into it with Kevin Wright, our producer, the studio, Michael, Tom, and also our whole team, I think it was always thinking like what was the best story, in particular during the second half of the show. We always knew they were going to The Citadel, something would happen, and the multiverse would be born, but we didn't necessarily know it would come out of Loki and Sylvie fighting. That idea came out of discussions with me, the writers, and the studio."

5. It was "always the plan" to introduce Jonathan Majors to the MCU during the Loki Season 1 finale.

"I think me and the writers were just like, 'Well, they haven't told us we can't introduce that character. I guess we're doing it.' It was really exciting and I felt really honored that I got to be part of it."

6. Kate was involved with Jonathan's casting for He Who Remains/Kang alongside Peyton Reed, who will direct Ant-Man: Quantumania, and Marvel Studios.

"Being part of the casting discussion with Marvel and Peyton was amazing. It was massive. I was just like, 'Wow, I can't believe I get to be part of this conversation.' Everyone was just so excited about Jonathan. He's one of the best actors. I just couldn't believe we got him."

7. Jonathan brought a lot of "cool ideas to the table" once he was cast, and Kate gave him "space to play."

"He just brought so many cool ideas to the table. I think when you're working with an actor like Jonathan, it's really just about giving him space to play, and let him find the character and give him a cool way to do that. I really enjoyed working with him. We finished the shoot filming in The Citadel, so it was really interesting that we finished filming with Jonathan. I just felt very lucky I got to direct him."

8. Jonathan actually voiced the Time-Keepers in Episode 4, which added to the Wizard of Oz homage.

"Obviously, the Time-Keepers were being made in post, and we hadn't cast anyone [for the voices] yet, and I thought, 'Well, Wizard of Oz. Like it should be the wizard, right?' So I thought it would be cool if it was Jonathan, and I think the key thing then was just working with him in a way that we could disguise his voice. I think the fun thing was, Jonathan is an amazing character actor. So we just sent him the art and he was sending audio clips to me and Kevin Wright and being like, 'What about this voice?' It was just so much fun to do that with him. I think that was just joyful."

9. Kate's favorite Easter egg from Episode 5 was Throg — in fact, Chris Hemsworth recorded new lines and sounds for that small part.

"That one I was very proud of and it was very fun. I had that shot designed for a while. I think I'd seen it in Futurama, and a lot of animation does it, but I love the idea of going through the dirt and it reveals something. I always felt like that shot would be the place to insert an Easter egg. When we had Throg in there, it was so much fun and it was perfect. We also recorded Chris [Hemsworth] for that. It was just so much fun."

10. She also loved the Thanos Copter and said it was a "funny" detail the producers loved from the comics, so they had to include it.

"The Thanos Copter was great. Kevin Wright, our executive producer, was really obsessed with that copter, I was like, 'We have to put the helicopter,' and it was so funny. Episode 5 is our best Easter egg episode. There's so much deliberately because of the nature of The Void as a place where deleted things are sent."

11. There's one Easter egg/detail Kate hasn't seen fans catch onto yet, and it involves a "familiar" voice at the very end of the Season 1 finale.

"The one I would say is — it's less Easter egg and more cool story-wise. So, at the very end of the finale, when Loki is in this alternate TVA, there's a character that runs behind him and is going to the armory and people should listen to the voice. It's very quick, but it's someone familiar."

12. Loki was inspired by numerous iconic sci-fi movies, like Children of Men, Alien, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Metropolis, Starship Troopers, and more.

"Bisha, in the episode [she wrote], she spoke about Children of Men and also Before Sunrise as a reference, so I was really inspired by that and the idea of bringing these sci-fi things together. Across all the TVA, I wanted it to just be a big love letter to sci-fi movies, like Metropolis, Brazil, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, [and] Alien. A reference I could never talk about early was Starship Troopers just because, obviously, the TVA are bad guys and in that movie they also use a lot of propaganda film and we had our Miss Minutes film. So, that movie played a hand. There was so much across the show. We had references from everywhere."

13. And the inspiration for how The Void would look in Episode 5 actually came from Teletubbies.

"I never really spoke much about it, but basically in Episode 5, The Void was originally written like a desert, but when I pitched, I said I thought it would be cool if rather than like a Mad Max desert apocalypse, it's more like an overgrown garden. Like, this is the place where the TVA throw their rubbish in. I just loved the idea of that. I think I realized as it started to unravel that I'd basically pitched the British countryside. As we were building it, I was like, 'Am I just homesick?' I remember trying to explain it to the visual effects artists who were making it, and I was like, 'You know, it's like the Teletubbies. You know, rolling hills just one after another.' So, yeah, the Teletubbies became a useful reference when describing The Void. So, that's how they played a hand in it."

14. Kate was the one who suggested Sophia Di Martino audition for the role of Sylvie.

"Sophia was in a short film of mine called Smear. I was very happy to pay her, finally, for her talent. When we were reading for the role, I was like, 'There's this actor I know and I think we should ask if she wants to read.' Everyone was like, 'Yeah, sure.' So, she read in these audition tapes, and we were all watching the tapes back and I remember everyone at the studio was like, 'Wait, who's that?' And I was like, 'Oh, that's my friend Sophia.' They thought she was amazing."

15. Sophia's audition tape was so good that she was immediately cast.

"Basically, everyone was really excited by her tape and I think she got cast in the room, which is incredible. I was excited because I got to bring my friend along. She's such a good actor. She's fantastic in Flowers and I was just so happy that she was coming along for the ride. I think she's done such a beautiful job with Sylvie."

16. One of the most important things when crafting Sylvie and the other Loki Variants was making sure they were their own characters, and not just Loki copies.

"I think the most important thing, minus just tiny little gestures, was really making it important that Sylvie was her own character and that all the Lokis weren't just 'faded photocopies.' They were all their own Loki. It wasn't even that they stood in a similar way or looked similar, but what in their soul made them a Loki. I love that line, 'Lokis always survive.' That idea goes across all our characters who are Lokis."

17. Casting Sylvie was one of the hardest things, and Sophia was able to bring her own spin to the character and she was the perfect "sparring partner" for Tom.

"Sophia has this talent — and I think Tom has it as well — where she's so funny and naturally so witty and charismatic that you can't take your eyes off her. She's also really good at playing characters with a lot of anger, pain, and vulnerability. I just felt that those qualities were so Loki to me. She brought her own spin on it too. Tom's performance is so iconic, so Sylvie was a tough role to cast because you need to give him a good sparring partner, but also, it's another Loki and people love Loki. So, it was really making sure that she felt distinctive enough that she was different, but also that we gave Tom a really fun actor to play alongside. It was really fun watching them. It was really fun seeing their chemistry grow."

18. Sylvie's fighting style was actually crafted to have similar movements to Loki's, thus showing that they are basically two sides of the same coin.

"I know Tom and Sophia spent a lot of time together. I think the fun thing with Sophia was the little things, like the fighting styles. She has a very different life to our Loki. Loki is very balletic in his fighting style, because he grew up in the palace, whereas Sylvie grew up in apocalypses. So, she was going to fight a bit more like a feral cat. I thought that was fun to play with. We worked with Mo [Ganderton], our stunt coordinator, and it was really fun to find little mirror image stuff they would do when they fight. We did a little bit of that on Lamentis and there's little bits here and there where we've done that. There's also little gestures that they do that are quite similar."

19. Kate had a "four hour" phone call with Owen Wilson before he was cast. They talked about Marvel, Mobius, and Loki.

"Everyone was so excited to cast him. I remember, they were like, 'Kate, just call him and see if he's up for it.' That was a lot of pressure. But then, I spoke to him on the phone and we spoke about Marvel and Loki in Marvel. Also, we talked about what our show was doing, who Mobius was, and then just getting his take on it. It was a very detailed conversation. I think we spoke for like four hours. At the end, he was like, 'I'm in.'"

20. Wunmi Mosaku's role was originally supposed to be a male character, but Kate suggested having an "open casting" because she thought Hunter B-15 would be really great as a female character.

"When I spoke to the studio, I was like, 'This character is cool, but I just think it could be really interesting if this was a female character. So, could we do open casting? We'll have men and women read, and we'll just see who's the best person for the role.' So, Wunmi read for it and just blew everyone away. We were like, 'We have to cast this person!' So, we kind of remade the role, really, around her."

21. Kate loves the idea that Hunter B-15 joins this club of sci-fi female characters who were originally supposed to be men.

"It was cool because I love Ripley in Alien and I love Kara Thrace in Battlestar Galactica. In the original Battlestar, Kara Thrace's character was played by a man, and Ripley in Alien was originally written as a man, so I liked that Hunter B-15 was joining these badass women in sci-fi. That was really cool to me."

22. When Kate pitched her ideas to the studio, she include Gugu Mbatha-Raw as the actor she wanted to play Ravonna.

"Gugu was in my pitch when I spoke to the studio. I was like, 'I think she'll be really great.' I love her work as an actor. From Belle to the episode of Black Mirror she's in, everything she's in is so different. I think that's so interesting with Ravonna because in the comics, Ravonna's been good and bad, and she's such a big character. I was like, 'I'd love to see Gugu's take on that character.' The studio was really excited by that and so was Gugu."

23. Kate said it was "important" to recognize Loki's bisexuality in the show, and she loved how it was naturally worked into a conversation between him and Sylvie.

"It was just important for us to do it in a way that made it canon, acknowledged it, and also done in a way where like, if someone asked me, I would just be matter of fact about it, like, 'Yeah, I'm bi.' I think that was the important thing for it and building it into the conversation. It was important to the whole team and the way that it was written was really beautiful. It felt like the right place to do it because these two characters are starting to open up to each other and are being a bit more honest about who they are. So it felt like the right place to have that moment."

24. The TVA weren't always going to be Variants/humans. That idea was born out of conversations with Kate, the writers, and the rest of the Loki team.

"When I started, I think it was a bit more up in the air with like, who are the Variants who work for the TVA? Are they Variants? They actually weren't Variants when I first joined. Casey was an alien, for example. I think something we all locked onto was it was more effective to make them more human. It was already in there that the Time-Keepers wouldn't be real and that would be a big Wizard of Oz rug pull. But the extra rug pull we added was that, on top of all of that, the TVA don't realize that they're actually Variants."

25. One of the things Kate enjoyed the most was figuring out the "inner workings of the TVA," like how the Minutemen would operate.

"I think it was really fun, in terms of the bigger structural stuff, to work with everyone. Also, figuring out the inner workings of the TVA, like every squad of Minutemen would have a hunter and they'll be little details sprinkled across all the world building in the show. Generally, we always looked at the characters and what was the best story and how to get to the end goal in the most effective way."

26. The season finale intro — which included seeing space, the sacred timeline, and hearing quotes from the MCU and history — was an homage to Contact.

"Basically, Eric Martin, our writer, he'd written in this amazing idea that for the opening we do an homage to Contact, and kind of move through space to the end of time. Then, we'd see the physical timeline, and then we see The Citadel. I love Contact, and I was like, 'Oh, that's so cool.' We took that idea to Darrin [Denlinger], our storyboard artist, and me and him just nerded out about space and about how we wanted to pay homage to Contact but not be completely the same.

So we played with the idea of time and he was bringing in so many cool ideas. But then, the amazing pitch he had as well was like, 'What if when we pull out at the very end, the timeline isn't a straight line like how you guys have been showing it in the show? What if it's actually circular?' I thought it was such a good idea."

27. Kevin Feige helped come up with the idea to include Marvel quotes over the Marvel logo because it was something the MCU had never done before.

"I had this weird idea where I remember saying to my editor, Emma McCleave, I was like, 'Oh, can we add a baby crying or the sounds of the city? And it's like we just hear life.' So her, me, and Kevin Wright got really into that. So we were adding all of these different sounds into the timeline. We also had quotes from just life, not Marvel. Then, we showed that cut to Kevin Feige and the rest of the team.

They all thought it was cool, and then Kevin Feige was like, 'Oh, do you know what? We've never done quotes on the Marvel logo before.' So, we thought that was cool and we added the quotes to the Marvel logo intro. Then, me, Kevin Wright, Emma, and Sarah Bennett, Emma's assistant, decided to just put the MCU quotes across the whole thing."

28. Going from hearing all of the voices in the season finale opening to utter silence in The Citadel was also a way of learning something about He Who Remains.

"I loved the idea of all the noise and this Greek chorus building because when you finally pull out and see The Citadel and how isolated it is, it tells you so much about He Who Remains' psychology because he's surrounded by all this brimming life, but he's completely isolated and alone. I thought it tells you a little bit about his character and who he might be before we see him."29. Kate loves that the season finale opening is a "beautiful handover" from the previous phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe into this one with the multiverse.

"It was a real group effort, and we were just really excited at the idea of it being this really beautiful handover from the previous phase of Marvel. Also, we get to encapsulate a little bit of our world as well, which was really fun. The editing team put so much time into that. I really want to watch it in a planetarium or something."

29. Kate loves that the season finale opening is a "beautiful handover" from the previous phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe into this one with the multiverse.

30. And finally, even though Loki sets up a lot of upcoming MCU projects — namely, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Ant-Man: Quantumania — Kate didn't have a lot of conversations with other MCU directors and writers.

"Kevin Wright and Stephen Broussard from Marvel were our producers on Loki, and they worked with Kevin Feige, Louis [D'Esposito], and Victoria [Alonso]. They always steered us in terms of the Marvel big picture and let us know if anything was off base. It's so secretive at Marvel, so I only spoke to Peyton just because our timelines crossed [with Jonathan]. Generally, Marvel manages everything internally and keeps us all in check."

#loki #loki series #kate herron #interview #article #buzzfeed #loki spoilers #spoilers #loki series spoilers

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emachinescat · 3 years

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II've decided to watch MacGyver from the beginning (again), and I'm live tweeting the experience with every tweet tagged with #savemacgyver. I thought it would be fun to share my collected thoughts from the episodes on here as well.

My Thoughts on S1E3, "Awl"

You're not only going to make it to 30, Mac, but you're going to make it to season 6. #savemacgyver

I love that Jack's bucket list includes finishing the Harry Potter books. Guess he's not a one-trick pony after all with sci-fi. A healthy blend of science fiction and fantasy is just what the doctor ordered.

Dylan Thomas reference! That poem was written about the poet's own father, and is about how everyone, no matter who they are or what they stand for, fights against death in the end. He's begging his dad to "rage, rage against the dying of the light," to not give in to death so easily, to keep fighting. Just taught this poem, actually, so I'm vibing with this reference super hard. Though to be fair, I'd be vibing with it anyway. Love Dylan Thomas.

Oh my gosh, this is the one with the fire extinguisher and inflatable escape! I'd forgotten which episode that came from, but I see GIFs of it all over Tumblr. Poor Mac especially, that looks like it hurts. Why is Lucas Till so good at being whumped?!

Jack hugging the fire extinguisher: Iconic.

I'll never get tired of seeing that polar bear! Do we know if he has a name?

I cannot get over how small and excited Bozer is, not a care in the world except for his movie. It's exciting to think about what's to come for his character growth, though I do wish he wouldn't have to go through all the things he does. :(

Jack's conversations with his dad at the grave are just everything. And I feel cheated that we haven't gotten to see Mac have the same kind of conversations at Jack's grave (though I firmly believe it's a regular occurrence off-screen).

Seriously, the way he talks to his dad is so familiar, so comfortable, so natural. It's like Daddy Dalton is right there with him and it fills me with so many emotions that I can't even.

The smile on Jack's face and the pride in his voice when he talks about Mac to his dad is the purest thing ever.

Also, that's a big-ass tombstone Jack is leaning against.

"Hi, Mr. Dalton. How's... life?" MAC! 😂

I can't tell you how much I love it when other characters talk about how smart Mac is. "He's a genius..."

First mention of Mac's dad. It's sweet how invested Jack is in Mac rebuilding his relationship with his old man. Also, I really wish we would have gotten a flashback of Jack's dad at some point. He seems like such an amazing man.

"If I could have one more day to sit and talk to my dad instead of that hunk of rock, I'd do anything." Jaaaaaaack 😭😭😭

Good old Ralph Kastrati. Single-handedly the most annoying character in all of cable television. Y'all have no idea what you're getting into with this one, dream team.

PUNCHFACE.

"My mom dated a guy like that once." Ouch. I'm about to start a Riley Zinger Counter for each episode. Her comebacks are 🔥

It's not just his face, Jack. Everything about this dude is punchable. Especially the way he says "yo."

Ewwww tightie whities no thanks imma head hom now byyye

Mac just snatched that can right out of Jack's hand as he was about to take a drink. Classic.

If I didn't hate Ralph before (spoiler: I did), then I extra hate him for the foie gras comment.

Yes, Jack, "asshat" is the perfect descriptor for this guy.

Is Mac seriously about to just make him some noise-canceling headphones? Who am I kidding? Of course he is.

I need more of Mac punching people in the face. For science.

Poor Jack didn't get to punch the punch face.

🎵 Snipers gonna snipe, snipe, snipe, snipe, snipe 🎵

Between the foie gras and the calfskin, they are really making this guy so easy to hate just sayin'.

"As soon as you're done saving his life, I'm gonna kill him, you hear that, smart-ass? I'm already dressed for the funeral." 🤣🤣🤣🤣

"He's g-good. He just... got kinda shot." Is that the medical terminology, Mac?

Jack using country music as a form of torture 🤣

"You're going to be seeing Yelp stars if you don't shut up!"

Have I mentioned how much I love the music in this show?

"I don't wanna die listening to country music!"

I love how bossy and grabby Mac gets when he improvises.

Another belt grab! I can’t get over Jack trying to keep his crazy partner from falling out of the window – it gives me life!

Actually makes me wonder if he does it because Mac’s taken a tumble out of a car window before. *fanfic brain engaged*

“You know how I feel about your puns.” C’mon, Mac, pus are the greatest forms of humor, bar-pun. (Geddit?)

Mc made a C in biology? I’m not buying it.

Dwwwwwww the sounds of the surgery. No thanks.

Though I will say this is one of the coolest (albeit grossest) things Mac’s ever done on this show.

What the heck is with that elevator door? It took a whole 10 years to close! I wouldn’t trust it. (To be fair, I don’t trust any elevator, but that’s neither here nor there.)

Sir Bleeds-a-Lot lol

Riley stepping in and taking charge once again. No idea how these two functioned before she came along.

Some seriously cool MacGyverisms in this episode. The whole process of “killing” Ralph and bringing him back with office supplies is so OG MacGyver and it gives me all the warm fuzzies.

Ralph: “You’re not a scientist, you’re not a doctor. So how the hell do you know all this stuff?” Mac: “...I read a lot of books?” I love Mac so much.

“Now go die.” Lolololol

The moment with Ralph wanting to call his mom and grow the hell up is surprisingly genuine and heartbreaking. Character development for a character in only one episode, hello, is that you?

“He’s dead, but he’ll get better.” MacGyver, 2016

Riley’s comeback about Jack’s plan to take out six guys if Mac takes out two is another winner. (Riley: 2, Jack: 0) Still, I love the whole, “Sure it does [count as a plan]. First, I’ll take two. Then, I’ll take the other four.” This is why Mac is the plan guy, not Jack.

“Or I can take them all out.” Mac’s confidence = 🔥

I might need to start a Mac sass counter too. Jack: “You seriously want me to put this on my face?” Mac: “Only if you like breathing.”

Jack’s left fist getting jealous 🤣

They really liked choking Mac in the early episodes, didn’t they? Not that I’m complaining. Actually, why did that stop? That strangled, panicked cry of “JACK?!” is music to my fanfic writing, hurt/comfort obsessed, whump-loving soul.

That cough - it actually hurts me to hear it! They should have given us some more repercussions or aftercare for Mac breathing in that gas!

Ralph fell asleep. Of course.

“You know, it’s weird. I’m glad he’s alive… but I still want to kill him. 🤣 I’m with Jack on this one!

Ralph: “A fresh start. I could use one of those right?” Riley: “Or a whole new personality.” ZZZING!!! Riley: 1 million, the world: -10

Oh he did not just call Riley “little hottie.” I’m back to wanting to kill him, character development be darned. So diminutive, dehumanizing, and objectifying. This guy has more than won the douchebag lottery. Riley can more than stick up for herself, but still. The way he speaks to her here makes me feel all kinds of gross.

He just said “ya heard” unironically. Can we let Jack punch him now, please?

Jack offering to let Ralph keep the cash he lifted if he gets to punch him is great, but even better is Mac and Riley offering to chip in money for The Cause.

Oh, yeah, Bozer was in this episode. I’m excited for when he is utilized more!

Bozer’s monster Mac is nightmare fuel!

“A letter? That you put in the mail? It’s 2016.” Hey, as someone who has an actual, old-school type pen pal, step off, Jack.

Mac: “You just gonna watch?” Jack, offended: “Not anymore.” How is it Jack is like Mac’s dad but they also bicker like 5-year-olds? This relationship is so strange, so wonderful, and the heart of the show in so many ways. I love them.

Mac’s words of wisdom about the nature of life are actually super encouraging and exactly what I needed to hear today.

I’d forgotten how much I love this episode – t’s so fun! Although the Codex storyline in season 4 is probably my favorite plot-wise, coming back to these early episodes is like a breath of fresh air! Excellent, excellent episode with so much to offer!

What are your thoughts on "Awl?" I'd love to discuss! :)

#macgyver #jack dalton #riley davis #wilt bozer #macgyver rewatch #my thoughts #episode review #save macgyver #we can still save our show #emcatreviews #spoilers #s1e3 #awl

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