#I want video game characters from not so story centric games to have more DEPTH

[ptanalo]

Ah I wanted to rant more headcanons abt neon and her gear as a type of insulators for her powers even tho it’s not that deep

[imagineitdearies]

Hey! I just binged your fic in one night (and one morning) and I am completely blown away. Sadly the ask has a limitation for words I can write so I wanted to focus on one thing in my review : the game never really made me fear cazador or hate him. I mean I absolutely disliked him but it did not evoke super strong feelings towards him and i always found that a bit sad and lacking bc he is supposed to be a big villian. Your story telling on the other hand? Brilliant in every way. Astarion is so well captured (and I love your oc as well naturally) but I have never seen such a well done approach at cazador until your fic. He is so horrifying but also well layered as a character in your fic I wish they hired you for writing the parts with him. Honestly your fic made me truly hate cazador and that might be weird but thank you.

And the way you write their relationship? How they sneak away from torture and their "siblings" and cruel master for just a glimpse of hope? Gods you capture that all so eloquently and well it really made me cry in one chapter. I have rarely read a fanfiction this good

~Regarding my fic Perfect Slaughter (Astarion x Tav, Astarion backstory-centric)~

Hi anon, I hope you're doing well!! And have gotten caught up on sleep since your binge-read 😂

I totally relate to your experience--I found myself despising Cazador thanks to the beautifully acted and scripted dialogue of Astarion detailing his past, but the game outside of that didn't do much to make me fear or feel intimidated by him. Which is such a missed opportunity, considering the frightening charisma a vampire lord is supposed to have! But I did appreciate the tidbits of lore and depth to him that were teased by the notes/books in Szarr Palace, which helped me to construct a picture in my own mind of what exactly had made Astarion so frightened of him.

He is so horrifying but also well layered as a character in your fic I wish they hired you for writing the parts with him. -- You are so so sweet 😭 Honestly I hope one day to have some kind of job where I can write fantasy fiction, whether for books, video games, scripts....not for a medical journal, basically, even if I appreciate having income 😅😂

I take it as a huge compliment that you hate Cazador more thanks to PS!! One of my goals was to explore and flesh him out, and then portray him in a way that would be worthy of Astarion's fear throughout bg3. But the other main one was to give Astarion a little comfort along with the hurt a century sooner, so it's great to hear you're enjoying that aspect too 💙

Thanks anon, I hope you enjoy where the story goes!!

[variasus]

Hello, I’m making a game (Devlog n.1)

Ok, guess before I start talking more in depth about my mechanics and the background/thematic elements, a bit of a rundown of where I’m coming from with my ttrpg project would be useful for y’all. Mainly what motivates me to do this is that for now I haven’t really found the fantasy ttrpg that I really like and would want to use for some chill stories with my friends. DnD/Pathfinder are too complex and way too combat centric; Soulbound/BREAK!!! are really nice in their straightforwardness but maybe too attached to some traditional designs; and PbtA fantasy ttrpg that I’ve read just don’t go in the direction that stimulates me; to cite a few examples. So, what would I want then ? Mainly, an easy to grasp system that works toward a larger panel of resolutions and interactions than killing, with a focus on or tools for character growth, and making an impact in the world. Too often are fantasy adventures just combat encounters dotted across a story where the consequences of the player actions are only marginal, and rewarded the same whatever the course of actions they’ve chosen. for that part it’ll obviously be a work more of pre-written adventures and GM advices than part of the core rules, but still, providing the tools for PCs to change the places they live in is an important goal to me. When it comes to my inspirations there’s some of the games I’ve cited, Soulbound, BREAK!!!, OSRs and PbtAs and many more indie stuff are pretty good at what they do and some elements of them definitively have an influence on what I find to be cool efficient designs, and thus what I’ll put in this project. Themes wise, some of my recent readings are definitively having a big influence on the setting I’m building and what kind of stories I’ll tell in it. Amongst others, Earthsea, Elric, Nausicaa, CODA are all pretty different but share ideals around the use of violence, human relationships, and other aspects I don’t have the energy to write about at length today. I’ll also cite the excellent Book of Travels, a really chill and beautiful video game that really allows one to progress through it at their own pace and through their chosens interactions, the fact you could never fight once in your playtime and still get to the highest level through other sources of XP definitively helped me realise how much combat centric rpgs usually are. I’ll finish this here, but don’t worry this is certainly not the last time I speak about my goals and thought process. See you around

[incorrectlumityquotes]

FULL REVIEWS: “Hooty’s Moving Hassle”

I’ve only seen Howl’s Moving Castle once and I thought it was just okay. The animation was amazing. The story and characters were just...okay. But we’re not here to talk about that today.

A Hooty centric episode? Count me in, hoot hoot. The hype train just keeps on going and I was so glad that I found my new favorite show. AND my niece loved it too, so that’s a huge plus. The only thing that I was sure about this episode going in way back when was that Gus and Willow were going to be in it. Let’s check it out and see if it’s still as good as I remember it, hoot hoot.

“Cards! The paper rectangles that old people think are fun.”

Hot damn, Luz. The episode just started and she’s already out firing shots. But to be fair, she did grow up with smartphones and game consoles being a thing so I doubt she sees the appeal. Do kids even still play with toys anymore? Or do they all just play on tablets now? Probably why Toys R’ Us closed. 

Speaking of things that can only happen in this generation, callbacks and continuity! Eda’s curse is rearing its feathery head and like the irresponsible adult that she is, she’s out of elixir, hoot hoot.

It’s not our full introduction to Owlbert, but at least he gets some screen time where he actually moves and stuff. I totally get where Luz and King are coming from. When a friend discovers they’re really good at a game and they want to play it all they time because they like winning but it’s super annoying and you always lose because it’s not a game you would ever play on your own, hoot hoot. Yeah. Eda is that friend. 

People watching in a fantasy world would actually be a fun little way to do some worldbuilding, but I’m afraid some people would call it lazy. We get a bunch of set-up for the third act and then the spice of life returns, hoot hoot.

“Who hurt my babies?”

Hyper fangirl Luz spots her babies wearing frowny faces thanks to Amity and her little group. Apparently Amity’s forced friend brigade is going to have a moonlight conjuring which is basically just a slumber party. It’s literally exactly like a slumber party. I have proof. Just check out this video and see that slumber parties are just modern witch gatherings. 

Thanks to Luz though, Willow has enough friends to have a moonlight conjuring of her own. Wow, typing out that sentences actually made me feel really sad. Willow is a sweeties and she deserves the world. Okay I feel better, hoot hoot.

Also Penstagram? Really? Like freaking really? I hate Instagram. The feed is never in chronological order, I don’t know what “link in the bio” means and I never have enough pictures to just be on there. I mean, who freaking takes pictures for everything all the time? It’s a madhouse, I tell you. A madhouse, hoot hoot.

Like Owlbert, this is our kinda introduction to Boscha and her crew. It’s not a full introduction, but it’s not like we’re not going to see more of her later. There’s Skara again and Cat. Thank you, Owl House wikia.

Eda’s dealer suggests going to the Night Market to pick up what she needs and shoots down Luz’s moonlight conjuring idea. But Luz isn’t going to let something small like a parent’s permission stop her from helping her friends, hoot hoot. So Luz pulls the laziest plot device in all of fiction and lies. 

Sleeping King in a baby sling and Willow saying “I’m a sneaky sneakster” hoot hoot? This episode is all kinds of cute.

Eda heads to the night market and Luz has her little slumber party. A sad thought just occurred. What if this is also Luz’s first slumber party too? Her mom did say that she didn’t have any friends. I made myself sad again, hoot hoot. 

Luz, ever the good host, tries to accommodate her friends and they get to work on the moonlight conjuring. Luz chanting that she doesn’t know the words made me laugh. Especially because I’d do the same thing. 

Side note, but Gus insisting that Beefy Bob is a figurine is just kinda funny. All I kept thinking about was the difference between action figures, dolls, and figurines. Dolls don’t move but you play with them. Action figures do stuff and you play with them. Figurines don’t move and you don’t play with them, hoot hoot. “A real man never takes accountability” is hilarious and unfortunately true. 

“Light as a feather; stiff as a board. Light as a feather; stiff as a board.”

“Something ridiculous this way comes, hoot hoot.”

And just like that, our heroes conjure the whole house. How? Why? Never mind that shit, here comes Bosha! And the set up from early in the episode, hoot hoot. 

Meanwhile at the night market, Eda meets the recurring villain of the series. I like to call these guys jobber villains.

For those who don’t know, a “jobber” is a pro wrestling term. It’s a guy who is hired to just lose to the big name guys. I use the term “jobber villain” to describe any antagonist who isn’t the main villain who is used frequently to lose to the heroes. Think Team Rocket in Pokémon, Dr Light in Teen Titans, Ludo in Star vs the Forces of Evil, etc, you get the idea.

Tibbles hustles Eda over the Hexes Hold ‘em game and we get a bunch of funny ass jokes that I dare not ruin for you. The two plots cross for just long enough for Luz and co to get busted. 

I have concerns, hoot hoot.

Meanwhile, back in the other failed moonlight conjuring, the moonlight conjuring has failed. The girls do what every young girl would do in that situation and complain on social media. Amity gets a really cool shot that I don’t have and the episode ends with a hint that someone on our main trio is more powerful then they are letting on.

FINAL SCORE: 5 - Loved it.

This episode is funny as hell. That’s the main highlight for me here. There are so many good jokes especially since it’s my type of dialogue humor. 

Lots of character work. The reveal that Willow and Amity used to be friends adds depth to both characters, making the relationship a bit more complex than just bully-victim scenario.

I love it whenever Luz speaks Spanish. As a Hispanic guy myself, I’m really happy about this kind of representation. This plus Marco Diaz. 

We kinda get introductions to several characters who play bigger parts in later episodes. Bosch and Owlbert get soft intros while Tibbles takes the center stage as the episode’s main villain.

I’ve never been to a slumber party but I doubt they’re as fun as this.

.

.

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I forgot what the next episode is so I don’t have a lead up line for it...hoot.

[robinofinashiro]

don’t let me go - part four

series note: this chapter is more Colt centric just so I can actually give his character and story some depth. don’t worry our bois will return in part five.

request status: CLOSED

note: i’ve added a new anime to my list of animes I’m willing to write for! so if any of you are HxH fans, you guys are in luck!

you buckled yourself into Colt’s car, shoving your backpack in the backseat as you gave him a tiny smile, “so, you have siblings? how many?” you asked him. he grabbed the photo from his windshield, “just one. his name is Falco,” your eyes widened realizing the name.

he could see the sudden look of realization in your eyes.

“is everything okay?” he asked. you immediately shook your head yes, “uh, yeah. I think I might know him. my ex boyfriends cousin is your brothers best friend,” Colt stared at you for a moment.

Colt tried to figure out what you meant by that until it finally clicked.

“you know Gabi and Reiner?” he exclaimed.

you nodded, “dated Reiner for a few months and got to know Gabi because of it. small world after all,” you murmured trying not to dwell on the thought of Reiner, “but I don’t think I ever met your brother, I just know of him because of Gabi,” you explained.

you could tell Colt was still a bit taken back from everything you said but didn’t think of it any longer. he watched as you looked out the window and took a sip of your coffee before arriving to Falco’s school. Gabi and Falco were outside, messing around with each other before Colt beeped.

“COLT!” Falco screamed as he ran up to the front window, “Gabi needs a ride home. her cousin couldn’t come and pick her up so can you drop her off?” he asked a bit loudly.

Colt nodded as you felt yourself stiffen up. you hadn’t seen Gabi since before you and Reiner broke up. you figured that Reiner didn’t have the heart to Gabi that you and him were no longer together. you knew that Gabi did like you and you didn’t have it in you to tell her either.

“hey Gab!” you said as happy as possible. she immediately jumped up in happiness realizing it was you, “( your name ), what are you doing here?” she yelled, “how do you know them?” she continued.

you smiled at her, “I know Colt from school. I’m surprised Reiner couldn’t come and get you today,” Gabi waved you off, “he was hanging out with his friend Porco and was going to be twenty minutes late to pick me up so I asked Falco for a ride!” Gabi explained.

your eyebrows fluttered in confusion. you had no idea why those two were even together in the first place. they hated being around each other at any given moment so the idea that those two were even together by choice frightened you a bit.

once Colt dropped Gabi off, the three of you made your way to the store, Falco bugging Colt about getting more snacks than they needed. you could tell that those two were closer than most siblings were. you saw the way Reiner and Gabi were with each other but in the case for Colt and Falco, it was like Colt was almost Falco’s parent.

“so, are you parents going to be home to help with the house?” you asked Colt. he shook his head, “no, our parents are out of the country on a business meeting...as usual,” he murmured.

you couldn’t help but sense Colt’s sudden change in attitude. you knew it was best to drop the subject completely as you didn’t want to make Colt more upset. turning around, you saw Falco playing on his phone, not really paying attention to the conversation.

Colt pulled up to his house and you felt yourself completely stricken in shock. their house was huge. bigger than any ordinary house you had ever seen. the driveway was filled with three very luxurious cars that you couldn’t even think of how expensive they were.

“wow, amazing house,” you murmured in shock. he laughed a bit nervously, “yeah, I guess you could consider us rich or whatever,” Colt said trying to play it off.

Colt grabbed your bag and handed it to the maid as the two of you made your way to the kitchen. Falco had ran up to his room, screaming that he was going to play video games and you both shouldn’t disturb him. you couldn’t help but laugh at him.

“well, what do you want to do? Falco is probably going to play Fortnite until he passes out asleep,” Colt said as he took out everything for the small houses, “we can still build the houses if you want though!” Colt joked.

you nodded excitedly, “of course we’re going to build them. I haven’t built a gingerbread house in years!” Colt went into the fridge, taking out various drinks, “we have alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, you can have whatever,” Colt offered.

you nodded, grabbing the Seltzers from the counter, “a few drinks couldn’t hurt, right?” you mentioned, tossing a drink to him. Colt laughed, catching and popping it open.

+

the later the night got, the more you and Colt continued to drink. you had no intentions of even drinking tonight but this had been the first time you drank in what felt like months and you had no issue in getting a bit tipsy.

“Colt, these looks terrible!” you giggled, hanging onto him. he smiled down at you as he tried to apply the frosting to get the roof of the house to hang, “not as terrible as the ones I made last year,” he said handing you a picture from the fridge.

you looked at his and started laughing before trying to out it on the fridge and falling miserably. you accidentally tripped over your own foot and accidentally hit yourself with the door, “Colt, how did we get this drunk?” you jokingly asked.

he pointed to the amount of seltzer cans on the counter before the two of you started laughing again. you didn’t know exactly what was making both of you laugh as hard as you were but being this way with Colt made you feel this sense of relief that you hadn’t had in what felt like months.

the stress of constantly being around Porco and Reiner and them two always fighting each other really took a toll on you. it was exhausting to say the least. having to calm Reiner down all the time while trying to tell Porco that he shouldn’t be fighting anyone really did get on your nerves sometimes.

“I should really get home before we get anymore drunk and we pass out!” you slurred slightly as Colt nodded, “I’ll have someone drive us back to the school!” he yelled as he ran up the stairs to tell Falco he was going to to leave the house for a bit.

the driver started up the car as both you and Colt sat in the back, joking around and trying to stop yourselves from laughing. at some point, you were holding onto Colt’s arm, tightening your grasp around it as your head was on his shoulder.

“you’re warm, you know that?” you whispered to him. Colt drunkenly took off his sweater took off his sweater, wrapping it around you. you finally arrived to the schools parking lot, seeing a few cars still there, “i’ll walk you to your car!” Colt exclaimed.

you nodded as the two of you haphazardly got off the car and made your way to yours. your arm was still holding onto Colt’s, “i’ll text you tomorrow morning?” you asked, Colt agreeing.

you had no idea who leaned in first but before you knew it, Colt was pinning you to your trunk as the two of you locked lips. your arms instantly went around his neck, slowly pulling at the hair at the nape of his neck. a small moan came from him as you deepened it.

“( your name )?” you heard a voice call your name out.

you immediately pulled away from Colt, realizing who it was. you saw Porco standing next to Reiner, both of them staring at Colt with rage in their eyes.  

[bemusedandconfused-blog]

Claire watches Asian dramas: Esports/Video Games Edition

As I’ve mentioned before in my post about spooky rom-dramadies, I tend to enjoy shows better if there’s a larger plot and higher stakes at play than just the relationship stuff, whether romantic or otherwise. Here are three dramas set in the world of video games and pro-Esports that I’ve enjoyed!

King’s Avatar (2019)  全职高手

This was my first esports-themed drama, and I really, really liked it. The drama was a great mix of sports tropes and video game culture, and all the characters, including Yang Yang’s character, the “Battle God” Ye Xiu, experience growth over the course of the show. I’m thinking about rewatching it, or catching the anime version (released in 2017).

Pros:

The pacing of the show is really pretty good. Action kicks off right away, and there are nice ebbs and flows throughout.

The side characters are a lot of fun. I love the rag-tag team that pulls together, and you can tell that all the competing teams were well developed in the source material (novels), and each have their own individual personalities. 

Great depictions of female professional esports gamers. 

No awkward shoehorned in romantic storylines! 

Cons:

A couple random telenovela plot twists that come out of nowhere. 

Predictable sports-film cliches are unavoidable to a certain extent. 

If you’re not into actually seeing the video game fights and animated sequences, you may get annoyed. I really liked those scenes, though!

Love O2O (2016)  微微一笑很倾城

This Chinese series again starring the almost-too-handsome Yang Yang is a great show for someone who wants to experience the growth of a cute, lovey-dovey romance with relatively little interpersonal drama or roadbumps on the way to Happily Ever After. 

Pros:

Overall plot setup - they main couple meets in a video game, and they are both top players. The male lead runs his own software development company with his buddies (they are seniors graduating college), and must make his game a success in the competitive business world.

Secondary characters: I like that both the female and male lead each have their own friends and relationships outside each other. 

Best side couple in a Chinese drama yet: Hao Mai and KO (in the novels apparently these guys are most definitely a gay couple. In the show, due to Chinese censors, this is not explicitly stated but very strongly suggested. They are too damn cute!)

I like that the main lead female could stand up for herself in gamer society.

Yang Yang is very pretty.

Cons:

The female lead is portrayed very woodenly. There are some super awkward one-sided kissing scenes that are quite cringe-worthy.

The last episode is mostly just ewwww because the male lead is portrayed as super controlling and I really did not like it.

The male lead is adored by all the main characters and it gets kind of annoying toward the end. He also lacks interesting character traits besides “being good at everything and being really handsome”. 

Secondary female lead and her romance storyline was awkward. That cat was NOT okay (in one scene it’s panting), and it distracted me as a viewer. I had concerns for how animals were cared for on-set.

The show could have been improved if it felt like the male lead had to struggle a little bit to achieve his goals. Mostly it just felt like if he put in the work, inevitably he would be successful. I would have liked to see a little more character growth and self-reflection from him. (Experience real setbacks, learn from them, have moments of doubt, overcome them, that kind of thing). 

Go Go Squid (2019)  亲爱的，热爱的

The show I just finished this afternoon is my second favorite after The King’s Avatar. Set in the world of professional CTF (”Capture the Flag”) cybersecurity gaming, it finds a nice balance between the romance  and the esports storylines. The main leads have great chemistry, and the secondary characters are very cute too. I would highly recommend this one. 

Pros:

Characters have emotional depth, and get to grow and change over the course of the show. 

I like the depiction of the female lead, and how even audience expectations are subverted. 

A nice balance of how both male and female leads are shown to be brilliant and popular in their own ways.

I love how paternal the male lead is towards his team of kids. <3 

I like the portrayal of the parents a lot, for both leads. 

The pets are adorable and friendly, and seem very happy and healthy on screen!

The ending is super adorbs. Sugary sweet fluff to rot your teeth. 

Some really catchy songs are part of the OST for the series. Worth looking up on their own!

Cons:

The last few episodes were very male-lead centric, and I would’ve liked to see a bit of the reaction of Little Squid’s followers. 

The stuff with Team Solo in the early episodes throws off the pacing a little (slows things down in awkward places). But its not bad, and is important to the overall story. And that kitten is ADORABLE. 

There’s a 10 year age gap between the lead couple, and while it’s part of the plotline and addressed very directly, if that’s not your jam, here’s your FYI. 

CTF is not nearly as exciting to watch as “Glory” (in King’s Avatar, basically a fictional World of Warcraft-style game), so the competition scenes are pretty brief and hard to film in a way that the viewer can get excited about. 

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: January 2020

Hey here’s how I spent the start of this fine new year!

……….FILM……….

Parasite (2019) I was so focused on the plot that I don’t think I fully appreciated the beauty in this film. Watching this video helped a lot. One thing I admit (light spoilers to follow...skip past if you don’t want anything spoiled) is that I assumed there would be some sort of genre/fantastical element to the whole film. Because I’ve only seen The Host and Snowpiercer (loved both), I think I expected there to be a genre component to the whole thing. When they go down into the basement I really thought it was heading in that direction, and I definitely felt a little let down because of it. BUT after seeing the whole film, I feel like the themes and narrative were stronger because of how real it all felt. (END OF SPOILERS) I think it’s a film I’d like to rewatch to better appreciate the layers, but ho boy is it an emotional gutpunch.

Jojo Rabbit (2019) Just the best. The structure and (some) of the characters felt familiar, but it’s that comfort that makes the changes or introduction of an imaginary Hitler all the more interesting. Beautifully directed and the shifts in tone are so seamless that I really have a hard time pointing out where they happen.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) A little late to this but it was as good as I’d heard. It had the pacing, spirit, and lightness of late 90s/early 2000 adventure movies and I hope more films like this are getting the go ahead. Now to wait 3 years before seeing the sequel.

Between Two Ferns: The Movie (2019) A fun road trip movie that dips into scathing commentary on hollywood and talk shows? Absolutely. It worked well in building off of the webseries and the bloopers during the end credits really made it for me. Also I should’ve been playing Comedy Bang Bang Bingo while watching the movie. Anyway it does a great job of balancing the mean with genuine character moments and glimpses of sincerity.

……….TELEVISION……….

The Bachelor (Episode 24.01 to 24.03) It started out so promising (with the Hannah Brown return) that I was really primed for a format-shaking season. Nothing can quite live up to that beginning and it’s doing the show a disservice. Maybe if they just focused on nice reasonable dates and women getting along it would feel more substantial than the contrived fighting and lies we’re getting. I still believe that the most engaging season will actually be the one with the least drama. Perhaps I’m in the majority for thinking this.

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Episode 3.01 to 3.03) Reeeeeeally digging this season. Maybe it’s that there isn’t much relationship drama, or because the relationships play a part in the larger plot (as opposed to Riverdale...but that’s another can of worms). The Cthulhu and carnival stuff are offering a nice mix and we’re really getting lots of monster-of-the-week stuff so far. Hopefully there’s more to come!

Swamp Thing (Episode 1.03 to 1.07) It started out strong and moved at a nice pace, but it lost me. Some episodes had a monster-of-the-week, and those were fun but there was a lot more focus on the locals around the town instead of Swamp Thing. I appreciate a Swamp Thing-centric show would cost a looooooot more, but I also think that’s what most of the fans would want, right? Maybe if it was a 4-ep series it could really go all out and make a splash.

……….READING……….

Dracula vs. Hitler by Patrick Sheane Duncan (Complete) The title and back cover allude to a different, pulpier story, and it takes a while to adjust to the less bombastic narrative. The alternate history you DO get is great, and I think it’s because I didn’t mind a story with a hint of vampire set during the second world war. I’d still love to read a pulpy vamps vs. nazis novel, so if you have one then let me know. This wasn’t perfect, but I enjoyed it.

Head Lopper Volume 3: Head Lopper & the Knights of Venora by Andrew Maclean and Jordie Bellaire (Complete) There’s been a shift and a progression across the first three volumes of Head Lopper. It’s gotten more bold with its storytelling, a little more loose with its artwork (sometimes a hit and miss...I frequently go back because I feel like I’ve missed something in a previous panel) and the sheer scale of the world is expanding so quickly. It’s quickly becoming my favourite modern comic that captures the spirit of what I imagine pulp stories to be. Worth checking out vol. 1 if you haven’t already.

The Magicians: Alice’s Story by Lev Grossman, Lilah Sturges, and Pius Bak (Complete) If you haven’t read any of the Magician’s trilogy by Grossman, this is a great point of entry to see if you’d like the tone, characters, and general premise. If you HAVE read the first novel, this doesn’t branch too far the main narrative. I would’ve liked to spend a little more time with Alice on her own outside of what we see from the novel (and Quentin’s point of view) because what we do get is fantastic. I’m not sure it adds a lot of new elements to the novels but take that for what it is.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Legendary Edition  by Akira Himekawa (Complete) As far as a comic adaptation of a game, it really retains a lot of the core components. There are fun asides and elements get expanded further and it reads really well. Adaptations across media can be tricky but I think this is worth checking out if you liked the game. With that said, there’s a bonus story at the end that is so unrelated to the game and core world that it felt like a miss. It just felt like the author had a completely different story to tell and tried to shoehorn it into this property and it didn’t work. So if you pick it up, know that the best ending is the one you got in the game.

……….AUDIO……….

Yo, Is This Racist (Podcast) I’ve only recently started listening to this, but I really dig the format and the hosts are fun. Part reflection on current events, part interview, part commentary on society...it’s just all very good and funny and also good again.

……….GAMING……….

Baby Is You (Arvi Teikari) Never have I felt more frustrated, rewarded, and impressed by a game. I originally thought it was a sort of “there are endless ways to solve each stage!” game but it turns out the later levels have very specific solutions and that changed my perspective. It’s challenging but fun and uses lots of logic and creative thinking and I just don’t know how to describe how great this game is. Playing it on Switch is nice for the ease of playing a level or two before quitting, but I’m sure it’s fun elsewhere as well.

Neverland: A Role-Playing Game (Andrews McMeel Publishing) So I wrote a setting based on J. M. Barrie’s works and it’s getting published! The weekly group is taking a break from the megadungeon to try this out and it’s been a lot of fun! I will post more in depth recaps of the party’s adventures but so far, they’ve found a small village and nearly died to crocodiles.

A Red & Pleasant Land (Lamentations of the Flame Princess) It’s been aaaaaaaages since this group has had a chance to get together but it’s always so fantastic when we can make it work. The game is really getting to the point where the party has done enough that their actions are having consequences and the group...is adjusting to this. Right now they need to investigate a murder that they themselves are responsible for and I’m VERY keen to see how they approach it.

And that’s it! As always, let me know if you have any recommendations for what to read or watch or hear or play and happy Friday.

[see]

okay so the fundamental problem with jay is that they wrote him as a comic relief "nice guy" character with no depth (stressing here that he's not a pervert type character because this is a kid's show, the main deal with him is that he has a hopeless crush on nya that's played for laughs). the writers had plenty of times in the early seasons to either play up personalities to make the ninja more interesting (kai and zane) or flatten personalities to make them more applicable to roles they needed filled (cole, and this is its own problem, but also nya, and if she weren't the Sole Girl i don't think she'd have a personality at all, i can get into this in a separate post) but they never did anything with jay.

this wasn't necessarily a problem for the longest time until season 6 rolled around, and the writers decided to do a season centered around jay because they'd done so for zane (3) and kai (5, this is disputable) before. but the thing was, there was nothing likable about jay's character. compared to the other characters, it was REALLY hard for anyone to feel bad for jay or feel interested in his season, so in season 6 they resolved this by literally removing the other characters. by the halfway point, all the other ninja are gone, and jay has gone through lots of taxing trials by this point, this whole season basically being a "let's kick the shit out of jay so he's even slightly sympathetic" situation ("he deserved everything that happened to him" is a commonly shared sentiment throughout fans that i've seen, and i agree, especially because he starts out the season particularly greedy and horrible, which was an odd writing choice). the rest of the ninja only come back for the last episode, they're extremely out of place, and the season ends with everyone but nya and jay (and me, regrettably) forgetting about the whole incident. i want to stress that this is the only season EVER to not have the og ninja squad as focal characters, even in lloyd centric seasons (he isn't an og ninja, for context), the ninja are still extremely active and central. i’d like to make a side note here that season 6 isn’t terrible, in fact, it’s in my top 5 seasons, it just didn’t succeed in making jay sympathetic (or even particularly likable).

so, season 12, which is the second jay centric season and, as of writing, the most recent season. they actually learned and didn’t just delete the ninja from the story completely, yay! they only deleted 1.5 of the core ninja from the cast this time! let me elaborate. in this season they’re stuck in a video game, kinda like tron, and they want jay to be the focus because he knows about video games. cool, whatever. however, zane and cole both pose a significant threat to this concept, because zane is a robot (and therefore would probably have a more interesting dynamic with a video game themed season) and cole also knows his fair amount about video games (i’d like to stress here that the first cole centric season is GOING to be s13, so jay had two before cole even had one, which is bullshit). in the season, zane is relegated to a barely shown sideplot, cole is downplayed to only having a few lines (thus .5), and the other characters that are still present are just... out of character? INCLUDING jay? kai is a huge dumbass (taking the comic relief mantle and also doing a really bad job at all), nya is barely talking (because the writers finally realized that she’s way out of jay’s league and can’t even stretch the majorly 12 year old audiences’ suspension of disbelief any further), and jay... has absolutely zero agency? sure, he talks, but he doesn’t do anything for the majority of the season, and a lot of moments that could be potentially interesting are cut. for instance, in the beginning of the season, jay has a whole group of people that dress exactly like him, praise him like a god, etc, but when the ninja catch up with him, they cut the scene where he explains how it happens, and in the next episode they’re in a completely different place with no prior prompting?

i’m starting to ramble so i’m going to wrap it up, the writers waited too long to try to make him a well written character and they’re suffering the consequences, but they keep writing jay centric seasons because he’s a fan favorite. if you got to this point i am so sorry

[rebelcourtesan]

KH4 Wishlist (SPOILERS)

Finished Kingdom Hearts 3 and I have to say its a stellar game.  Definitely the gave we’ve been waiting for years to arrive.  And I’m looking forward to the second installation, though I do have a wishlist.

Below are spoilers for Kingdom Hearts 3.  Do NOT read any further if you haven’t finished the game and/or don’t want to be spoiled.  

THERE BE SPOILERS BELOW!!!!

1.  A Smaller Cast of Characters (excluding World/Disney characters)

    Don’t get me wrong.  I love the characters of Kingdom Hearts, but the problem is that it became congested with too many characters with their own stories and plots.  Some characters are actually extensions of other characters.  Roxas/Ventus/Sora and then there’s Naimine/Kairi.  Not mention Riku/Replica Riku/Darkness Riku and Xehanort/Ansem/Xemnas/Young Xehanort and so on.  You see where it can get confusing.

The cast needs to be reduced by about 75 percent so we have a more simple story that’s not convoluted web of plots and backgrounds.  The best solution to this is to let these ‘cut’ characters retire to their happy endings or be reduced to background or minor characters.  Let Lea/Axel, Xion, and Roxas live happily together in Twilight Town with Haynar and the gang.  Have Ansem and the redeemed members of the Organization do research on Radiant Garden.  Pick a core cast and expand that cast’s backgrounds and slowly introduce new characters. 

 2. New Protagonist

    I might get flamed for this, but bear with me.  I like Sora as much as anyone, but while playing KH 3, his personality grated on me.  I understand he’s the protagonist with the heart of gold and boyish charm, but watching him interact with the other Disney characters was like eating spoonfuls of sugar and washing it down with syrup.  I understand that his ability to make friends with whomever he meets is a special ability that makes him stand out in Kingdom Hearts, but it gets annoying after a while to constantly hear him introducing himself and his companions over and over and over and over and over again and again and again!    

Don’t get me wrong, there were good moments such as when he, Donald, and Goofy jumped on Davy Jones for stabbing will Turner and when he was upset at the idea of losing his friends showed a rare depth of character for him.  .  

But for too long Sora has been like this KH savior with no flaws save for not being as bright as others.  His personality has changed very little since his first introduction way back in the first KH.  In fact, he was more interesting in KH1 because he had self doubts about his capabilities which he overcame to confront Riku and regaining the Keyblade.  

I feel that Kingdom Hearts series is in dire need of a soft reboot, and the best way to do that is to replace Sora as a protagonist.  He’s had a good long run across six games and 17 years, but now it’s time to pass on the torch to another. 

3. Aqua as the Next Protagonist

 I adore Aqua.  She’s a mature, beautiful, talented, brave, and loyal female character in Kingdom Hearts.  My favorite play through of BBS is playing through her storyline and I wish there was more worlds for her to explore.  I enjoyed the scene when she insisted on trying on the glass slipper in Cinderalla’s world to buy time for Jaq to free Cinderella.  When she went to Olympus Coliseum she was flirted with by both Zack and Phil.  

The interactions with other World characters would be far more interesting when the protagonist is a capable young woman and not a ragamuffin boy who gets slotted as the new kid and friends.  

What Aqua has that Sora doesn’t, is that she has more of an edge in her backstory.  She spent ten frickin’ years in the Realm of Darkness!  That has got to carry some scars for our blue haired warrior maiden and it could have even corrupted her.  The experience could have given her PTSD, (GASP!  A female character with PTSD that isn’t the result of sexual assualt?).  She could go on a journey to other worlds to find a way to remove the corruption or to find Sora who has disappeared at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3.   

By extension, Aqua need not go it alone . . .

4. A New All Female Trio

Again, assuming they go with Aqua (or a female protagonist), instead of iconic Disney characters like Goofy and Donald accompanying the lead, let’s have female characters go on the journey instead.  Of course, your first thought would be Minnie and Daisy, but they wouldn’t be well suited as Aqua’s companions.  

For starters, both characters are female version on their love interests.  Hell, they were originally created so Donald and Mickey could have girlfriends.  Besides, both of them are rooted in the Disneyland world with their respected paramours.  The more suitable companions would be Disney women who don’t have love interests tying them down and would make for excellent comrades in battle.

Merida from Brave could offer range attacks and support.  She has a bold spirit with an impetuous nature that could offset the other women and sometimes get them into trouble.  I can see her hopping on a Gummi ship just for the adventure of traveling to other worlds.  

Elsa would be the ‘mage’ of the group with Ice magic.  She would bring diplomacy and calm that could clash with Merida’s fiery personality.  You’d have to convince her to leave Arendelle behind for advantage, since she’s the first Disney Queen who isn’t the mother of a princess nor evil.  

We need more positive female friendships for young girls to emulate.  Setting aside Disney characters, the bromance in Kingdom Hearts has been done to death with Riku/Sora, Riku/Mickey, Sora/Donald/Goofy, and many many others.  Very rarely so we see the female characters together in the same room and hold a positive conversation with each other.  Yes, we know, guys can be the best of friends to each other and girls, but how about we see girls being besties with each other.

5. Maturer Storylines that aren’t so Heart centric       

That being said, let me explain.  As I mentioned before, watching Sora interact with Disney characters has been like eating raw sugar.  It’s sweet, but sometimes it was terribly too sweet.  

When I say mature, I don’t mean Adult Situation, Sexual Content, or Gore and Violence.  I mean a story that deals with darker themes than just the power of friendship.  Just as dealing with loss, betrayal, self-doubt, trauma, and conflicted feelings.  

Aqua could go from world to world to experience an array of emotional problems and come from it a stronger woman, mentally and emotionally, with the support of her companions.  It would give her the strength to overcome her past traumas from her time in the Realm of Darkness.  

We keep getting hit over the head  about Hearts connecting people, which is a powerful message, but good grief, it gets old after a while.  I get it, it’s in the title Kingdom Hearts, but can’t we focus on something other Hearts?  Connection between people is important, but there are other connections other than friendships.  Brotherly or sisterly love, parent/child, rivals, enemies, lovers, comrades, coworkers, etc.   

6. Let the Protagonist have more Influence in the Worlds

In Kingdom Hearts 3, the worlds I enjoyed most were the ones that didn’t follow the central plot in their respective films.  These are all popular movies most people have already seen prior to playing the game and I found myself becoming a little bored when I see the same scenes replay themselves in the game.  

On a side note, I really appreciate the care and detail that Square Enix put into recreating these iconic scenes.  I REALLY REALLY DO!!!  Especially with Pirates of the Carribean.  But I wanted to see more interaction between Sora, Donald, and Goofy and not have them be observers to the story.  In some worlds, they were outsiders looking in, especially in the Frozen world or tag alongs as they were in Tangle and Pirates.  

The best worlds were Monster Inc, Big Hero Six, and Toy Story which didn’t follow the movie plots, but had their own stories for the game.  Sora and gang has better interaction with these groups of characters.  Buzz was suspicious of them, they were practically adopted by the Big Hero Six, and helped Sully and Mike protect Boo and save the company. 

Best moments for me was when Sully and Mike threw Vanitas through the doors and Jack Sparrow’s bad breath sent Luxford overboard.  

  6. World Wishlist

Assuming that I get my dream team of Aqua/Merida/Elsa, these are the worlds I would love for them to explore.

Tron Uprising - it’s still considered canon, though it lasted one season.  I can see Aqua wearing blue circuits, Merida green, and Elsa with yellow. 

Zootopia -  A world with a transformation magic. Aqua is a blue bird, Merida a bear, and Elsa as a snow leopard.  

Star Wars - Team up with Ahsoka Tano to take down Separatist droids and/or Sith. 

Marvel Universe - Meeting the Avengers

Gravity Falls - I can see the DreamTeam aiding the twins in an investigation of a new mystery of the town.

Wreck -It - Ralph - Let’s have video game characters meet iconic video game characters.  

DuckTales (2017 Reboot) - Aqua has already met Scrooge McDuck, I can see him enlisting her to help in a quest.

Mulan - Always a plus to see strong women teaming up with others.  

Gummi Bears - This old gem deserves some love.

Last - Let this Journey be more about Self-Growth

Heroes save worlds and people, but the hero’s journey is about discovering what one is capable of.  Discovering and drawing lines, overcoming challenges and fears, and finding inner strength.  

Let’s see a protagonist learn a lesson from each world she visits and take that lesson into her core and reaches the end of her journey as a stronger person.  Let this journey be one of self-discovery and not just to oppose a growing threat, though it would be alright if there was one lingering in the background.

Aqua’s journey could be to conquer her own darkness, much like Riku had in his own journey.

That’s all I have for this wishlist.  Or maybe I just outlined a Kingdom Hearts fanfic.  *shrugs*   

[gchoate17]

I barely watched television as an adult at all until last year when I was limited in the activities I could participate in with a sleeping baby on my chest. But now it seems I will also spend my free time watching television. This year I watched 33 seasons of television shows, one season more than last year. I found them all on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video. I ranked those seasons and made a few comments about them, should you care to know what influenced the season’s place on the list.

I also rank books and movies, but for whatever reason, I am much more critical of those mediums. With television, I found something to love in everything I watched. I even liked watching the show at the bottom of my list–a show that basically stars genital warts and lopsided breasts.

Patriot: Season 1 – Smart, subtle humor. Great writing, great cast, great aesthetic, great control of the balance between all the emotions.

The Vietnam War: Season 1 – One of my greatest memories of TV is of watching with my parents Ken Burns’s The Civil War as it aired on PBS. The Vietnam War made me nostalgic for that time, but it is also an eye-opening look into the bullshit politics and egos that cause war. In-depth and well done, and as with any Vietnam-centric film, the soundtrack was stellar.

Vikings: Season 4a  – The characters have flaws and weakness in a way that hurts, but makes them better characters. They are actually changing over time in the way humans do. The strategy of primitive war is still central to the story, and still fascinating.

The Man in the High Castle: Season 1 – A look at what would have happened had we lost WWII. The characters are conflicted, the fascination of life inside the Reich, the beauty of the period. I haven’t read the book the show is based on, but there are hints of some kind of time travel element and that will ruin things for me. I have my fingers crossed.

The Man in the High Castle: Season 3 – The “other worldliness” factor came to full fruition, but they faced it head-on—something they probably should have done in Season 2. Good character development and plot progression.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 1 – A lot to love about this show—above all its fast pace keeps me on my toes. So much chaos all the time. The long cuts that feature the entire ensemble on screen are particularly impressive, and I appreciate how well defined and consistent the characters are. Abe is fantastic.

Jack Ryan: Season 1 – The Jack Ryan movies always did it for me when I was a kid. They’ve always done a good job of pulling in current events to make everything feel like something real is happening. It was strange to see John Krasinski all buff and kicking ass, but he was also believable in the role.

Suits: Season 1 – Beautiful people pretending to be high-powered, nearly invincible attorneys with quick wits.

Vikings: Season 3 – Storylines continue to improve and the final three episodes—the attacks on Paris—were the best of the show so far.

Ozark: Season 2 – Better than the first season.

The Man in the High Castle: Season 2 – It feels like they aren’t sure how to explain the traveling between other worlds yet and that detracts from the storylines. Or maybe they aren’t sure of the rules of traveling between the worlds yet. They need to figure it out. But still, the whole concept—the Axis powers winning the war—is so intriguing that the show remains fascinating.

Wild Wild Country: Season 1 – A fascinating, in-depth look at the rise and fall of a cult that made national news through its controversial interactions with the rest of society.

Vikings: Season 2 – It’s like they realized non-stop violence wasn’t sustainable and so they focused more on creating storylines. Good move.

Vikings: Season 1 – I think I could watch a show where Vikings just sail around for an hour per episode. Some of the events of the show seem implausible in that if they behaved in the depicted manner, their colony would die out, but because it’s produced by the History Channel, I give them the benefit of the doubt.

All or Nothing: Season 1 (Michigan) – I understand they had time constraints to deal with and it would have been a lot to focus on more players, but I felt like there were some key components to the team that should have been obvious characters to follow from the beginning. There were also some seemingly large gaps in the season/games. All that said, it was nice to get to know some of these players and coaches and have a better idea of what’s going on behind the scenes in a top tier college football program.

Vikings: Season 4b – Still a dynamic show with dynamic characters, but the loss of a protagonist is tough to recover from.

GLOW: Season 2 – Bash and Sheila became the best characters, even though Maron was still solid. 

The Wire: Season 3 – I miss season one. The political angle isn’t doing it for me.

The Wire: Season 4 – The kids felt fake in the beginning. The back half of the season was better, but the finale seems to be focusing on setting up for next season more than it cares about bringing any sort of satisfactory closure.

The Wire: Season 5 – I liked the newspaper angle, but the police department seemed too far out of control for even the writers. Tying everything up happened too quickly.

Suits: Season 2 – This season was a little cheesy in a TBS way, but Louis has become my favorite character, surprisingly.

Vikings: Season 5a – I didn’t buy the lack of loyalty between the characters.

Sneaky Pete: Season 2 – Most of the season tried to give the characters some much-needed depth, but it finished in that terribly predictable “and yet another twist!” fashion.

Sneaky Pete: Season 1 – Fun, but a little too cutesy. Most of the plot twists were predictable.

Seven Seconds: Season 1 – Characters were clichéd and the overarching messages were ridiculously overt, but the drama and Michael Mosley pulled it through to the end.

Evil Genius: Season 1 – Started out fascinating. Ended with a fizzle.

Suits: Season 6 – The prison and the legal clinic give the show a more dynamic backdrop that it needed. I feel like Louis became a good character in Season 2, so they decided to focus on him in Season 3, but then he lost his charm. Creating “The Donna” is having the same effect on Donna.

Suits: Season 5 – Finally, they show some vulnerability in their professional abilities.

Homecoming: Season 1 – Artistically/aesthetically pleasing, but the narrative left me wanting. Take away all the gimmicky storytelling and the story itself just isn’t that impressive.

Suits: Season 3 – They’re running out of unique legal maneuvers to write about, and every poker game that happens in the show—which is a lot—feels like it was written by someone who has never played the game.

Suits: Season 7 – The characters are starting to feel more and more disconnected from each other, and every scene starts with someone saying, “[Name], whatever it is, I don’t have time for it right now.” But then of course the thing is so important that they do have time for it. Every single time.

Suits: Season 4 – Mike leaving the firm and then facing off against his former boss and his girlfriend? I feel like we’re headed toward the deep end. The only thing that holds the show together at this point is the witty banter and the beautiful people.

Embarrassing Bodies: Season 1 – This show is ridiculous, but I’m also fascinated by it. It’s amazing to me that they have these people on TV and willing to show the world what has to be some of the most embarrassing moments of their lives.

See last year’s list here.

[mini-min-yoongi]

November AO3 Yoonmin readings:

Hey guys! Here I bring you this past month’s readings. Even though they are mainly yoonmin, this month there are a couple of OT7 fics of which I hadn’t read much until now. There is also some namjin, vhope and taekook as side pairings in some of them. I hope everyone can find something that peaks their interest so… enjoy! :)

1) Boyfriend Tag

“Normally I post dance routines and the occasional tag or challenge video and I know I haven’t posted in a while so I am here to make it up to you all. Yoongi lost a bet sooooo we are here with the highly requested, boyfriend tag!!” Jimin yelled making Yoongi wince and lean away from him. “Are you ready?” Jimin asked bringing his attention to Yoongi. “You better not get a thing wrong,” He warned pointing a finger at Yoongi.

Jimin is a youtuber and he gets his boyfriend Yoongi to film a video for his channel.

2) I’m your guilty pleasure (You can’t get out. Never) (contains smut)

Yoongi has just discovered his neighbor that he thinks is too damn loud is actually an internet camboy.

Chaos ensues when they start seeing each other. Things get hard–literally.

3) Crazy is most definitely genetic (work in progress; Pairings: Namjoon/Seokjin, Yoongi/Jimin, Hoseok/Taehyung, + Baby Kookie)

Family!au where Jimin’s just trying to survive high school, Taehyung keeps weirding everyone out, Namjoon is an embarrassing dad, Jin is supermom, and Jungkookie’s just along for the ride.

Very cute and funny!

4) Trolling ARMY (OT7, brotp, no pairings, BTS universe)

“The boys play a game where they compete to see who can get the most "shippy” comments of the week.“ Yoongi watched from an armchair on the other side of the room, trying not to chuckle. Ever since he’d learned the term shipping, he’d watched his brothers with a different eye. None of them were gay–though Namjoon had once drunkenly pontificated at length about his distaste for labels–or interested in one another. But they were all a little…handsy.

5) TRB in NYC (OT7, brotp, no pairings, BTS universe)

"What happened?” Namjoon asked, his voice tight. They had been skirting around him all day. As if he didn’t know. He found it darkly funny. His English was better than all of them combined, even their manager. He’d read the tweets, the posts, the threats. He’d tried to keep the other members from it as much as he could, but everyone had an inkling things had escalated past normal fan stuff.

“We’ve had a credible threat.”

Based on the threats that they received when they performed at New York. BTS hurting and comforting each other.

6) 7 minutes in heaven (*)

“It’s a fusion game. The person who spins the bottle gets to ask the person it landed on truth or dare, and if that person doesn’t want to answer or do the dare then they either take a shot or take off an article of clothing,” Jin says like he’s proud of improvising such a fantastic game.

“I’m not playing that,” Yoongi says. “Hyung, don’t be a party pooper, are you scared we’ll learn your secrets?” Hoseok asks and Namjoon ah’s dramatically. Yoongi shakes his head and puts his tongue in his cheek before he smiles at their antics, pushing Namjoon over closer to Jin so that he can sit down. “Please, hyung, it sounds like fun!” Jungkook says. “It’s my birthday.” 

I’m a simple girl. I love seeing a devoted and whipped Yoongi for Jimin even before they start dating. I love an innocent and kind Jimin crushing on his firend’s older brother who is kinda a bad boy and very cool. And I love BTS getting together, spitting embarrassing secrets and playing spin the bottle. This fic has all these elements and that’s why it’s one of my favorite readings of the month.

7) #mindreading Series

It’s my first time reading a fic in which someone has a gift because I’m more into stories that aren’t too fictional, but apart from Yoongi being able to read people’s minds, it doesn’t have any other “supernatural” elements so I decided to give it a try and I really enjoyed it. It was super cute reading about Jimin’s thoughts about Yoongi and I liked how the author developed their relationship and Jimin’s reaction towards Yoongi’s gift.

7.1) #mindreading #ad

Yoongi can read minds and Jimin is instagram famous.

7.2) Steady Hum (contains smut)

The one where Yoongi can read minds and Jimin is instagram famous PART 2.

8) Error: Words Not Found (*)

Soulmate AU where your soulmate’s first words to you will appear as a tattoo on your wrist at birth.

•×××××××××ו

In a world where most people’s lives revolved around finding their soulmates, Yoongi was different, not because he didn’t care-he cared a lot, he wanted someone to be The One for him too-but because he was convinced he didn’t have one.

It had been twenty-two years and still his wrist remained blank and unblemished.

As you may know by now I’M A SUCKER FOR SOULMATE AUS. So... yeah. I read another one and LOVED IT. I live for this kind of angst and I’d love to give a more thorough review but I don’t want to spoil it so go read it because it’s sadly just two chapters but full of good shit.

9)  You don’t have to say I love you (to say I love you)

yoongi’s so painfully and obviously in love with jimin, it sort of hurts the other members sometimes.

BTS universe.

10) Gotta Be Fate (If We’re Under the Covers) (contains smut) (*)

Jimin is excited to just sleep for a day and maybe catch up on some tv shows at the hotel.

That is, until they get to the new hotel they’re staying at, and he gets handed a room key that’s the same as Yoongi’s. Meaning, he and Yoongi will share a room and worse, he and Yoongi will have to share a bed.

“Why do I have to share with Yoongi-hyung?” Jimin complains. He’s managed to avoid it this whole trip which is really in his best interest if he wants to keep his raging heart boner for him hidden.

AKA my response to Yoonmin sharing a bed, 8 years too late.

BTS universe. I liked this whole idea. Just... just go read it *blushes and hides*

11) The Songbird and the Sea (*)

(pirate au, contains smut, Yoongi/Jimin + Jungkook/Taehyung, Namjoon/Seokjin)

In a world where dominance of the sea is an endless battle between pirates and mariners, Park Jimin is content living in his little village on a small, uninteresting island by the eastern mainland. He wants nothing to do with the bloodshed of good and evil, the heartless killing of both innocents and condemned, the constant establishment and disruption of order. What he wants is peace, to live his life in the same town he was born in, to spend his days in the beautiful forest, and to use the powers of his Blessed Rune to nurture the home he loves so dearly.

But when his island is attacked by pirates, Jimin will have no other choice than to do as they command and leave all thoughts of peace behind in favor of boarding the Agust, a pirate ship captained by the infamous Min Yoongi, Black Fox of the East.

GO READ THIS MASTERPIECE OH MY GOD. I’ve never been interested in fiction heavy aus like pirates, superheroes, etc. but I’d heard such great things about this story, the author is lovely and this is the Yoonmin fic with the most kudos on AO3, so I decided to give it a try and BEST DECISION I’VE MADE THIS MONTH. It’s made me feel so many emotions. I’ve cried, laughed, screamed, blushed and became a mess. The author also gives music recommendations to listen to while reading the chapters and it gives the story that extra something (I actually created playlists for each chapter and I like them so much that I listen to them even when I’m going somewhere lol). Seriously, I’m obsessed with this story, the characters are freaking fantastic, the development is everything and what’s best is that this story is far from over. She’s planning on turning it into a series and I cannot wait to see how the story develops. Also, the author has a schedule so there’s a new chapter every week which is something that I appreciate a lot, especially when starting to read a work in progress (it’s almost finished, next week she’ll upload the epilogue and it’ll be complete). GO READ IT AND COME SCREAM AND CRY ABOUT IT WITH ME.

12) 흰 여름 (’White Summer’) (*)

“Diversity,” Namjoon had said when he had explained the concept to them, “Learning to love yourself, no matter what.” “We already did that,” Yoongi had pointed out, “Literally the same title.” But Namjoon, when he looked at him, had seemed strangely bright and somber at the same time. “Not like this,” he had said.

Or, Jimin and Yoongi have to kiss for an MV. And deal with the fallout.

BTS universe. F**k, this is good! I don’t know what to say but that as you may know I really like fics that are kinda canon compliant and this one is SO GOOD. The group is working on a new album and it’s kinda like love myself but riskier in the sense that it is a controversial topic in south korea. I just love it when people also write about the korean music industry (even if it may not be 100% accurate, but let’s be honest, only the people working in it knows what’s up really) because I find it so interesting and not many people talk about it in depth. Of course, I can’t finish without saying that I really enjoyed the development of Jimin and Yoongi’s relationship, how Yoongi wasn’t aware of Jimin’s sexual orientation. A good fic right here!

Special mention:

~Too Much to Admit (Taehyung centric, OT7 Relationship)

The first time it happens, Taehyung doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t know how.

To start, I would like to say that this fic deals with a very serious and triggering topic for some so if you are not in a good mental place or you could be triggered by it please do not read it. This fic doesn’t have any pairings and it’s a BTS universe fic. It’s complete and I really enjoyed the different ways in which each member deals with what’s happening. In my opinion, the author did an excellent job at portraying each character and the way in which they would behave in such a difficult situation. I’m especially really liking her take on Jungkook because you can clearly see that he’s the youngest one, his confusion and anger clearly shows how much he cares about the well-being of all his hyungs. I don’t know, it’s such a heavy fic, but I really liked it.

(*) My favourite ones.

[nothingneverforever]

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Okay I avoided watching this for the longest time because I knew I’d hate it but also I just couldn’t find it in me to give a damn about an off-the-grid bearded man and his unsocialized children but then a friend asked me to watch it so okay fineeee challenge accepted or something I suppose

The first point I want to make about the film is also my main and most likely my only point: MALES. Literally – Captain Fantastic is only ever about males and nothing more. Middle-aged dad, elder granddad, adolescent boy, late-teens / young adult boy, fuck, we hear more about Noam Chomsky than we do about ANY female character. Males males MALES MALES MALES and that’s about it tbh

Hang on, sorry, the film is meant to be about the mom right? She’s the actual plot mover right? It’s meant to tell the story of how Viggo Mortensen’s wife dies, leaving things in disarray, it’s meant to be about her funeral and burial and subsequent excavation and cremation right? Funny that, cos the only time we EVER see her is in the few highly romanticized flashback scenes here and there, shown purely from her husband’s pov… hmm okay nvm

Oh wait, shit, the guy has three daughters too? Oh okay, hmm lets see, younger sister can climb roofs and stuff and older sister uhh says maybe 5 words during the whole film and youngest baby sis is obsessed with knives and likes to shank things I guess ? Ohh yea I just remembered - middle sis ROLLS AND TUMBLES AND FALLS OFF A FUCKING HOME ROOF and smashes down hard on the pavement driveway and just about nearly fuckin dies, but does it do anything for HER character arc? Does it add a single millimeter of depth to her personhood? Haha of course not!!!!!! Of course it’s a plot point that serves only to induce pathetically ego-centric reflection within her dumbass dad!!

Meanwhile, older son gets intimate shots and elaborate scenes where he confronts his burgeoning sexual desires and gets to scream at his dad to tell him that he does in fact want to go to college even if his dad thinks it’s a crap idea and we get to see him moved by the experience of his first kiss, get to se him passionate about his dreams for this life. Younger son too gets his screen time and we see how he wants to be free to yell at video games and eat sugared cereal and do everything a dumb little kid should have the privilege to do, and we see this conflict grow in him until it explodes and we are right there with him through it all. Each son gets their various “raw” conversations with their father, and in turn their grandfather gets involved BECAUSE HEY GUYS DID YALL KNOW, THIS ENTIRE FILM IS ABOUT MEN AND BOYS?!?!?!!?!???

Oh yea there’s a grandma character but it’s like she was literally created by screenwriters who sat together and said yo let’s throw out every single grandma stereotype we can think of, 3, 2, 1, okay go – gives good hugs, cries, loves her daughter, knows her husband is pigheaded but doesn’t really have the power to do anything differently, wants nothing more in this world than to be with her grandchildren cos she has absolutely zero fucking life or character or identity of her own… k done! Grandma character sorted, best movie ever.

By the way, I’m not saying any of these things because I feel compelled to or because I think society should have moved beyond giving so much of a fuck about a story written by men for men about men. These two points are accurate, but I’m saying these things because I genuinely could not find anything in this dumb film to emote or relate to, because I genuinely felt annoyed each time we heard about something from a male character’s perspective yet again, and because I could tell that it had no awareness that it was doing any of this at all –  “wait, you mean our female characters got close to zero screen time and zero dialogue and zero character growth or exploration? Huh, I literally hadn’t noticed.”

I suppose to most people, this is a normal story. In fact, it’s not a normal story – it’s a cool one. It’s an epic one, it’s a unique one, it’s an inspiring one.  It’s normal that we see a dead wife through her dumb husband’s eyes; it’s normal that daughters are stoic and predictable and unwavering in their loyalty; it’s normal that the male characters in the form of sons and fathers and grandfathers in families are given the most challenging conflicts they have to overcome and hey we’re all supposed to relate ok!!!! It’s the story of the human experience!!!

Oh lol also, the dad character uses the word “whore” and teaches his pre-teen children to parrot it as a metaphor and yea that scene was like at the 5 min mark or something so pardon me for not being able to give him one fucking second of respect or sympathy after

Anyway, I enjoyed this whole process, in case you thought the opposite. Watching the film and smashing this er, “review”, out in like the grand total of 5 minutes it has taken me helped bring me back to some parts of my 2016/2017 self that I’ve left dormant for a long time. Reminded me of all the things I am, and why. Overly-emotional hater and proud :’)

[samsexualdeancurious]

For honesty hour...who are some of your fave fic writerd,? Some of your fave fics?

You’re a tad late for honesty hour, nonny, but that’s okay! I’m always happy to talk about my favorite/go-to people (note: these are not in any particular order, just the order I thought of them in) and my favorites from their masterlists (most of these links are for Tumblr posts, with the exception of some AO3 ones. Let me know if anything isn’t working right).

@teamfreewill-imagine​

I love everything Jamie writes (and I love Jamie herself- we have so much in common, it’s kinda scary), but here are my three faves:

I Know Your Wife (She Wouldn’t Mind) - If you haven’t read this series yet, get on that shit. It’s a Jared x Gen x Reader that fulfills all my favorite fantasies and is the perfect blend of angst, smut, and fluff. I never want it to end.

Forgive Me, Father - this fic. THIS FIC. I have no words. It’s pure smutty goodness, with Virgin!Priest!Sam who’s so cute I could cry.

Soy Un Perdedor - Stripper!Sam. Nuff said.

Some honorable mentions are: Ask For What You Want, the entire Daddy!Sam verse, and her Series Rewrite

@manawhaat

Mana is the sweetest person who can also rip your heart to shreds and I love her very much, especially when she puts up with me always asking her to beta my fics (the woman is magic, I swear. She makes everything better). Her masterlist if my go-to when I’m craving some John Winchester or some cry-into-your-pillow angst. Some highlights include:

When Your Grace is Gone - Tears. Literal tears were shed. Sam x Reader, but Cas-centric, and the feels were almost to much. Mana would know. I yelled at her about it, lol

Wild Horses - So cute and so hot. I love me some Sammy. Sammy in the backseat of the Impala is even better. There are some things Dean will never know.

Wild Bloom - This is a long one, but 100% worth it. Fuckin’ slayed me with the porn. Gotta love some John x Younger!Reader and middle-of-nowhere sex.

@ilostmyshoe-79

Kim is the first multishipper I followed and she kills me regularly with the porn (especially Porn Gif Drabble Days. They’re too good). She’s got such a great variety to choose from, but I particularly enjoy her Wincest and Poly fics:

Sketches - Wincest, Voyeur!Artist!Cas, and eventual Wincestiel. Need I say more?

Cursed - If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know I thrive on Dom!Sam. I love the idea of a giant man without much control in his daily life taking complete control during sex. But this fic is just one more reason why I’m now so partial so a more submissive version of my favorite moose. The imagery of Sam begging for Dean is too much to handle.

Both - This fic is the poly ship I didn’t know I needed. The idea of Dean getting both of the people he loves it so satisfying.

Release and Relief - I was trying to limit this to three fics per author, but this one cannot be left out. I’ve been shipping Sam/Rowena for a while, but Dean/Rowena is just so good and I’m always a slut for a sub!Dean. Read all the parts. You will not regret it.

@kittenofdoomage

Kitten’s fics were kinda my gateway into the world of smut and reader-inserts, and she definitely inspired me to start this blog! Kitten never ceases to amaze me. I adore everything she writes, so it was really hard to pick just a few fics:

Spin Cycle - It’s hard to chose just one of Kitten’s John x Reader fics, but this is definitely in my top three. It’s got all the good stuff- a damsel in distress, Handyman!John to the rescue, cheesy flirting, and filthy smut.

Substitution - If you have a thing for sex worker!Dean and jealous!Sam (like me), this is the Wincest fic for you. Kitten doesn’t usually (read: ever) write bottom!Dean, but she did such a good job and I still love it (clearly).

Come as You Are - Fluff and smut and enough angst to have you yelling at your phone screen cos WHY WON’T THEY JUST TALK. Also, tattooed!punk!Dean. What more do you need?

Breakdown - Sometimes Kitten’s premises read like the beginning of a porno and this is definitely one of those, and i absolutely love every word of it. Makes me wish my car would break down in the middle of nowhere just so I could run into a tall, gorgeous farmer names Sam. Please and thank you.

Honorable mentions are the Magic and Mark serieses (Strippers and smut. That’s all you need to know), and, of course, Left Behind.

@justanothersaltandburn

Dean introduced me to the wonderful world that is poly ships and interesting kinks I never knew I had. I thought picking fics from Kitten’s masterlist was hard, but picking from Dean’s was nearly impossible:

Tails of a Demi-Demon and His Doms - I was a little hesitant going into this fic, but I’m not entirely sure why? Cos it’s got everything I love- Wincestiel, sub!Dean, some lovely kinks I’d forgotten I have. It’s a little on the longer side, but well worth the time.

Four’s Company - I’m a sucker for a good fix-it and while I did enjoy Season 12, I was bummed to see so many amazing characters go in the finale. Luckily, when I get sad, I can just reread this amazing series and pretend Dean got banged in the Bunker bathroom by Ketch and everyone is still alive.

The Scars We Leave - Speaking of kinks I didn’t know I had and pairings I didn’t know I shipped. This fic is not for the faint of heart, but if you like Demon!Dean x Crowley, Sub!Dean, predicament bondage (specifically my favorite kind and a position I’ve put Dean in before, because he’s so much fun to torture), and some pain kink, this is the fic for you. It’s filthy and dark and oh so good.

@floweryhanzo (you might know him as @beekeepercain)

If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you probably know of my adoration for anything Leo writes. His depth of understanding of the characters and the way he can paint a picture with his words just never ceases to blow my mind. I highly recommend reading everything on his AO3, but here are a few of my favorites (and they’re not all SPN fics!):

Soft: A Story - This fics is so sweet and cute, but also angsty and deep and thought-provoking. It was written for Nanowrimo, so it’s really long, but it’s honestly just amazing. Little Dean is so stinkin’ cute and Sam’s trying to hard to be a good big brother after being the little brother his whole life, and I just love every moment of it.

A Bark With A Bow - this fic was actually written for me, for a Christmas exchange in 2016, and it’s perfection. I’ve always said Sam needs a dog, particularly a therapy dog, and Leo delivered in the most splendid fashion, complete with brothers being cute brothers. It’s a Christmas fic, but I read it all year round.

Gibralter - I DON’T EVEN PLAY THIS DAMN GAME. All I’ve done is watch some of the videos and read this fic. Multiple times. It’s so damn good. Forever long, but so intriguing. I’m a sucker for brother dynamics (have you seen my favorite show??), and this has all of that, with a fantastic blend of lack-of-communication, beautifully written trauma, bottled up emotions, and some action to spice things up a little. I love it so much.

[mousedetective]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Sherlock (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper Characters: Sherlock Holmes, Molly Hooper Additional Tags: The Final Problem, Eventual Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, Sherlock-centric, POV Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Feels, Mycroft plays matchmaker, Awkward Conversations, Conversations, Cupcakes, BAMF Molly Hooper, Sherlock Doesn't Feel Worthy Summary:

Sherlock has been avoiding Molly ever since his sister forced his hand, forced him to admit what he had felt deep down for a long time, because he has felt unworthy of her. His brother, on the other hand, has other ideas.

I’m cheating slightly because my hands are killing me, but this is the post-”I Love You” scene fic I wrote for @greenskyoverme and @chitarra10 for the former’s commission prompt and the latter’s Sherlolly claim (A12). I do hope you all enjoy.

He had done it. He had played his sister’s twisted game and gone too far. Not once but twice he had said the words that he knew Molly had wanted to hear for so long, the words that she was demanding he say first. The first time he said them to get her to reply, to save her life, to get her out of harm’s way because he knew if she died, he would never forgive himself.

And then in a second, he knew better. No. If she died, not only would he never forgive himself, he would lose a chief reason for living because he loved her. He did, he truly did, in every and all senses of the phrase. As a friend, as a partner in the romantic sense, he loved Molly Hooper more than he had time to tell her as the countdown continued.

So he said it again and hoped and prayed she realized he was sincere, that he meant it.

And then, like she was giving him a secret from the bottom of her heart, something that she had promised to keep buried and hidden deep in the recesses of her heart and never tell a single soul in the world, she said those three words back, and her life was spared. The connection was cut, her face gone from the screen.

But he could tell he had hurt her. Pulling those words from the depth for him, it had caused damage between them, and he feared it was irreparable.

La douleur exquise. The pain of still caring for someone that you know you can never have. She had to have felt it for...he didn’t know how long. He knew she had fancied him for years, carried a torch for him, but he didn’t know how long ago she had resigned herself to never having him return those feelings. And now, it seemed, the positions were reversed. He did not deserve her, he knew that. Even though the time for games was behind him and the time for patching up things and moving forward was upon him, he couldn’t bring himself to go to her, to tell her it was true, he had meant it, meant those three words. That he was willing to take her decision as to what to do with them and move on from there, whether they acted upon them or left them in the past.

He should have expected she would come to him. Molly had a backbone of steel now; if she was hurt, she would not allow herself to be hurt without recompense for long.

It had seemed prudent somehow to stay with his brother for a bit. Their relationship was different now, and it was taking some delicate navigating, better done if they were not actively trying to avoid each other. Some days were easier than others, the days they didn’t fall into old habits and bring up old hurts, and this morning had been pleasant enough so he was in a good mood. He hadn’t been expecting visitors, but when he saw Molly on the security feed he knew he couldn’t turn her away. He went to the door and opened it, looking at her with what he knew must constitute a nervous expression. “Molly,” he said softly.

“Your brother sent me this with a note to bring them here and make sure they’re gone before he arrives home tonight,” she said, holding up a tray of cupcakes. There were half a dozen, and he recognized them as coming from the bakery that Mycroft would go to for his indulgences. “No temptations that way, the note said.”

“Then I suppose you should come in,” Sherlock said, moving out of the way and for once not entirely wanting to strangle his brother for his urge to meddle.

Molly lowered the cupcakes and came in, looking around. He was well aware Mycroft lived with a means he himself would never attain, so he let her look for a moment before he led the way to the parlour. Mycroft’s kitchen was still depressingly cave-like even though it actually had food now, so better to keep it hidden. Besides, the parlour was surprisingly bright and sunny and not as garish as the rest of the fortress, as he called it. He indicated one of the chairs and Molly sat in it, setting the cupcakes on the table between her chair and another. Sherlock sat in the other chair. “I’m surprised to see you not in a suit,” she said.

He looked down at the pyjamas and dressing gown he was wearing. “I’m on break from cases. A well-deserved vacation, I suppose.” He watched her take the lid off the tray. He could see now the cupcakes were a white cake with butter cream frosting. Very plain, he supposed. Not Mycroft’s typical style.

“Not a permanent vacation, I hope?” she asked, taking a cupcake from the tray. She did not hand it to him, instead peeling back the paper, and so he took one for himself.

“Perhaps,” he said. She stopped mid-motion. “A lot has happened. I may be needed...elsewhere, for a time.”

“With your sister?” she asked before beginning to take a bite. He gave her a quizzical look but she took her time to enjoy the bite of cupcake she had eaten. “Mmm. Honey cupcake with cherry filling.”

He set his cupcake on the table. “How did you know about Eurus?” he asked.

“You may have been avoiding me, Sherlock, but I still do go see my goddaughter and I talk to her father. I got some of the story.” She licked a bit of frosting off her hand. “Tell me the rest.”

He didn’t wait to find out what she knew, instead starting from the beginning, telling her everything he knew, about Eurus and her disguises, about her association with Moriarty, about her connection to the ‘Miss Me?’ video, about the night he spent out with her and his blackout, about the night she had them kidnapped, about what she did as a child, about how it all ended...he told her everything, only pausing to ask if she needed clarification and waiting for a nod or a shake of the head before continuing. By the time he was done the tray of cupcakes was empty and the only one left was the one had taken. “And now we are here, with my brother and I waiting to tell our parents that Eurus is still alive and the fallout from that, and trying to mend our relationship. And...then there’s us.”

“And then there’s us,” Molly said quietly. She picked up one of the cupcake wrappers and folded it in half, then folded it in half again. “You do love me, but are you in love with me?” she asked, not looking at him.

“I can’t think of you not being in my life,” he said. “I want to have you close. I need you to be...something.”

“A lover?” she asked gently. “A friend? A companion? A partner?”

“Yes,” he said. “All of it. I just know I need you, but I don’t deserve you. I’ve never deserved you.” He took the wrapper out of her hands and then took one in his. “You have, in many respects, made me a better man, but I am not the best man I can be. Not yet.”

“Well then,” she said, readjusting her hand in his until their fingers were linked, and when he looked at her face he saw she was looking at him with a small smile on her face, “I suppose I need to stick around while you keep working towards that goal, shouldn’t I?”

“I think I would like that very much,” he said.

Her smile grew bigger, and she squeezed his hand before letting go. “You should eat that cupcake before your brother comes home. I gorged on five of them. It’s only fair you get one.”

“I’m thinking lunch might be better, if you’ll give me time to change?” he asked.

“Well, I suppose, but that cupcake might not be here when you get back. Fair warning,” she said.

“As long as you’re still here, I can live with its loss,” he said, giving her a small grin back.

“Oh, I’m not going anywhere, Sherlock. Don’t worry about that.”

And surprisingly? He didn’t.

[uniformbravo]

ok here are some of my Actual s2 thoughts (voltron spoilers below)

so back when i first watched s1 i guess i wasn’t totally 100% into it?? i dont remember if i ever really talked abt it on here but i remember being a little confused and trying to figure out why it was so popular bc i honestly didn’t think it was that great but idk i must’ve warmed up to it at some point between then and now bc i was way more into it this time around aaaaa

i rly did like s2 better than s1 tho??? idk maybe it’s just bc it’s new so it’s the hype of new content & everything but dang overall i do feel like i enjoyed it more

i rly like the art style and especially the animation style like this is probably just me coming to this show straight from lolirock but like... while lolirock has a really appealing art style im honestly not a fan of the type of animation they use so it felt really nice to come back to like. hand-drawn stuff idk just! voltron is a v visually appealing show in all aspects god bless

everyone is still super trans wow i can’t believe every character is trans

tbh i love shiro? but it’s weird bc i actually think he’s rly boring when it comes to his “leadership” kind of characteristics but like also he suffers a lot and gets a lot of the plot-heavy development and normally i might be annoyed by that but im just...... so weak

also speakin of shiro there was a lot of shiro/keith this season and like..... ok im gonna be honest i dont rly ship them or anything like at all im not too keen on the two of them that way but this person i follow has this au where they’re brothers and imagining them that way made me enjoy their scenes like 100% more so like Good Shit (but tbh keith saying “you’re like a brother to me” or was it maybe “father” i can’t remember but either way that line killed me pls i want them to have a rly strong platonic bond i want shiro to feel rly protective of keith and i want keith to feel safer around shiro aaaaa i love it so much)

pidge starting to adopt altean terms and phrases fucking killed me dude like with the time vocabulary n shit, even the others started picking it up a little bit it’s So Fucking Good im so happy aaaaaAA

i still love keith and lance i hope they never calm down w/ each other and keep fighting forever bye (like rewatching s1 when lance is like “yOU AGAIN” and keith is like “who are u” hfhdgd gOD that was so GOOD)

a lot of the character development was rly good but tbh im a little disappointed by the lack thereof when it came to lance and hunk like ?? at this point they’re still treated like the Joke Characters for the most part, i mean lance did have his one little moment of glory in that one episode but i would really love to see like. an actual full character arc w/ him. and i know hunk did have some stuff in s1 w/ like the balmerans & shae but this season it felt like he was just kinda pushed aside and i mean the same could be said of pidge, who did have a lot of story in s1 but barely anything in s2, so maybe i’m just being a little impatient lol i mean. if u take a step back and lay it all out, s1 focused on shiro, pidge, allura, and a little bit of hunk, and then s2 focused on shiro and keith, so maybe s3 (idk if it’s even confirmed yet but like hypothetically) will focus on lance and hunk more? and probably shiro again tbh  i mean it doesn’t really feel like anything’s been set up to go into a lance or hunk arc, but at the same time there wasn’t really any setup for keith’s whole s2 thing in s1 either, so there’s still the possibility that it could all happen in s3 but like. with the way s2 went and the unanswered questions it left about keith i can see s3 being very keith-centric, not to mention all the reminders we got about pidge’s whole family issue this season, so s3 will probably focus on that a lot too idk i mean at the end of the day they are pretty short seasons, it makes sense that they can only focus on a select few characters at a time, so i feel like at this point it makes sense to just sit back and wait to see what happens, & then if hunk and lance are still kind of shoved aside w/ nary even a mere setup then wtf actually

not to keep running w/ the negativity & criticisms but honestly what i really love in a show is complex characters written realistically and w/ voltron i feel like it /almost/ delivers but not really? like, not to bring up lolirock again but that show has fairly one-dimensional characters who are written relying more on their character type than anything with a ton of depth; the protagonists are Good and the antagonists are Evil; auriana is the goofball, talia is the responsible one, iris is the main character or the “pure good” one, mephisto is the clumsy villain, praxina is the irritable villain- like it’s all just very straightforward (most of the time). i feel like voltron is a little more complex with its characters than lolirock, but in the end it still kind of sticks to the same method of characterization; it’s definitely not as cookie-cutter, but each character does have one or two characteristics that blatantly stick out and make them.... i dont know, really predictable? like you Know that every time a girl shows up lance is gonna hit on her, and every time there’s some cool technology pidge is gonna fawn over it and every time there’s food hunk is gonna say some shit about being hungry, and keith and lance argue a lot and shiro gets the team’s shit together because he’s the Leader and it’s just like basically, with voltron it feels very “telling” rather than “showing” with most things, and besides manifesting in the story it shows in the way the characters are written, too. in most situations, the characters’ reactions are written based more on those few main characteristics they’ve been given than more realistic reactions to their current situation, and maybe that’s a little confusing but i’ll try to clarify actually im sorry but i just completely lost my train of thought and i can’t get it back, it’s currently coming up on 1am and im incredibly tired right now so i’m gonna have to cut this short but like. basically, the characters in voltron kind of have their main characteristics and it’s fine to have things like that bc it helps define characters but the way the writers use them feels a lot like those hogwarts house sorting quizzes that are like “what’s your favorite animal? a) lion b) snake c) raven d) badger” like it tends to be relatively straightforward and predictable in a bad way, and a lot of that execution has to do with the storytelling style the show has overall

ok ANYWAY let’s say something more positive now: the soundtrack to this show is absolutely phenomenal tbh i remember thinking this last time too, just the general sound it has, it feels like an homage to the older series and acts as a subtle way to bring that kind of aesthetic into it and i rly like it (i mean i’ve never seen the old show so idk what kind of aesthetic it has but u know what i mean. the kind of “old video tape sound” kind of thing. u know the game oxenfree, which has a similar music aesthetic. god idk how to explain this i hope u know what i’m trying to say. i rly like voltron’s soundtrack)

like i didnt mean to go on this big rant all “here’s everything i didn’t like abt voltron what a Bad Show” bc i actually really like it a lot!! the fact that im picking it apart like this is actually a good sign that i like it bc if i dont care abt something i won’t put in the effort, u know? if i don’t like it then i won’t be all “here’s what i hope to see from this show in the future” right

anyway it’s fuckin 1am bye, i love voltron goodnight

[thegamefulguru]

Gameful Guru Review: Final Fantasy XV (PS4, XBONE, Square Enix)

Genre: Action RPG

Difficulty: Moderate (Story) Moderate to High (Sidequests)

Plays Like: Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii), Kingdom Hearts (various)

Gameful Skills Built: Independent Decision Making, Curiosity

“A Final Fantasy for Fans and First-Timers.”

These words spread across the screen in front of me as I prepare, after ten years of waiting, to embark upon my latest adventure in the Final Fantasy series. I am a fan, to be sure. Despite not playing many of them to completion, I’ve explored many a Fantasy in my time as a gamer, and have often been enamored with their characters, their holistic design, their worlds. When I was not quite a teenager, I fell in love with Final Fantasy X’s Spira, its tale of hope, despair and sacrifice, and the way its creators brought that world, and that story to life. Final Fantasy 9, though I have yet to completely finish it, captured my heart and compelled me thoroughly with its humor, pathos and sense of wonder. Final Fantasy XIII, for all its flaws, gripped me with its beauty and its willingness to approach hard emotional territory. My love for RPGs has never wavered, though my devotion to Final Fantasy has waned over the years.

Final Fantasy XV will cause me to fall in love again. I just don’t know it yet.

~

Despite being conceived more than ten years ago, Final Fantasy XV feels very much on the cutting edge of what Japanese RPGs are and are becoming. In the decade since the story of Prince Noctis was first teased, under the title Final Fantasy Versus XIII, RPGs from both sides of the pond strayed from their roots in intriguing ways. Being a JRPG fan, I have paid more attention to the way that Japanese developers have looked to the games being produced by western companies for inspiration, and have created fresh, fabulous games accordingly. We saw Japanese developers embrace open world gameplay with Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii), to great critical acclaim. We have also seen companies like Mistwalker, headed up by ex-Final Fantasy director Hironobu Sakaguchi, create linear but ambitiously designed games like The Last Story and Lost Odyssey, to similar reception.

All the while, Square Enix remained, undeniably alive but docile, a drowsy Titan of the gaming industry. They released a trilogy of Final Fantasy XIII games, two versions of Final Fantasy XIV, and numerous Kingdom Hearts spin-offs and prequels–and many of these releases were met warmly. But there’s been a creeping fear among diehard fans that Final Fantasy, in the face of a broadening RPG landscape, might be losing its footing, its seat at the JRPG throne.

Final Fantasy XV may not be perfect, but for me, at least, it does a lot to assuage these fears.

There are a lot of things to love about this game, not the least of which is the excellent ensemble cast and the myriad ways that the game, with great success, gets you to care about them. There’s an ongoing debate among RPG fans–and Final Fantasy fans in particular–about which kinds of stories make for the best games. Many people engaged in this debate focus on the tension between a story being “character-centric” or “plot-centric.” Most games are a mix of both, and Final Fantasy XV is no exception, but as we know from the way Final Fantasy XII’s overtly political narrative was received, when a game veers too far toward one end of the spectrum, fans opinions tend to polarize.

The delicate balance of developing characters while progressing the plot forward in interesting ways is not one that Final Fantasy XV always nails, but for the most part, no matter how the plot threads have tangled and frayed, the player has an anchor in the core four protagonists: Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum and his retainers, Gladiolus Amicitia, Ignis Scientia and Prompto Argentum. We meet this band of brothers pushing their broken down, but still luxurious car down the road of an as-yet unknown countryside, and immediately dynamics reveal themselves. This is not a ragtag bunch of strangers pulled together by fate. The familiarity and the increasingly familial bond these characters show does much to endear the player to them, and consequently, the game’s greater world and plot concerns. As the game progresses, we see them fight, laugh, eat, grow and even cry together. By the end, if you’ve truly taken your time with the game’s adventure, the player is left with a sense of having known, having lived with these characters, even if not many of the game’s supporting players get as much time in the spotlight.

There are many great reasons to take your time with Final Fantasy XV, not the least of which is the fact that its world map is huge and rich with rewarding sidequests and secrets. Apart from the quest line that makes up the game’s main story, there are countless mini-games, optional dungeons, monster hunts and other diversions to keep you busy, and although some of them feel like tedious fetch quests, the game finds ways to curb this sense of tedium.

A lot of these ways involve the skills that each of your party members develop simply by engaging with the world. From Gladio’s Survival skills, which develop the more you explore the world on foot and can net you some pretty sweet free items from battles, to Ignis’ Cooking, which enables you to create stat-boosting meals whenever you camp outside, to Prompto’s Photography, which chronicles your adventure and gives you something to reflect on at the end of each in-game day, there’s ample reason to tromp around on foot and go searching for trouble. I was surprised to find Noctis’ Fishing skill to be particularly rewarding to build, as the fishing mini-game has plenty of depth and can be a relaxing break from monster hunting and loot finding, as well as a source of valuable cooking ingredients for Ignis’ gourmet seafood dishes.

Much of your travel across the sprawling map of Lucis takes place with the help of the Regalia, the group’s trusty steed which just happens to take the form of a sleek luxury vehicle. Without the Regalia, traveling from outpost to outpost and quest to quest would eventually grow to be an unbearable slog. Luckily, the Regalia can serve as a waypoint and a means of fast traveling to and from far off locations (for a nominal fee of gil) once you’ve been there before. If you want to explore new locations, however–and you will–you will spend some time traversing the countryside in real time, either in the Regalia, on foot or, after completing one of the game’s more memorable side missions, on the backs of chocobos. On long car rides you can listen to a selection of songs from various Final Fantasies past, purchased at various outposts across the map, and while riding chocobo-back you are treated to the latest variant of the chocobo theme music that is as ubiquitous in the series as Phoenix Downs and guys named Cid.

On foot, and in battle, however, Final Fantasy XV’s musical score truly shines. Yoko Shimomura, already revered by fans for her work on the Kingdom Hearts series, has truly created a masterwork of modern video game music. Exploration themes evoke feelings of tranquility and adventurous mystique, while battle themes lend gravitas and nervous tension to even the most minor of enemy mobs, especially in dungeons, where enemies often appear out of nowhere. Battling and exploring aren’t the only places where Shimomura’s talents are on display. True to Final Fantasy tradition, and fitting given Final Fantasy XV’s dual engagement with the epic and intimate, some of the most memorable tracks are reserved for key moments in the game’s story. There may not be an iconic answer to Final Fantasy VII’s Aerith’s Theme, but there are several songs that in my playthrough, I wanted to just stop everything and listen to.

Of course, this was not always possible, as the battle system in Final Fantasy XV rewards aggression and quick tactical moves. A departure from turn-based and active-time battle systems of games past, gameplay in Final Fantasy XV feels much more like Kingdom Hearts than Final Fantasy proper. Though it lacks much of the nuance and challenge that has made Kingdom Hearts, over time, grow to be one of the more beloved action RPG series, slaying daemons with Noctis and company is often satisfying and only occasionally frustrating. The game attempts to add depth to the combat through various abilities unlocked and refined through the game’s growth system, but I found myself using many of the same tactics and techniques I used in the game’s early chapters well into the late game.

Final Fantasy is a series known for being a leader in cinematic storytelling in games, with nearly all of them challenging the graphical limitations of the systems they reside on, so no one should be surprised that this game is visually gorgeous. But in a gaming landscape where nearly every major game company has a handle on creating hyper realistic graphics, Final Fantasy XV stands out. The game’s world is well-realized and believable, and though it never reaches the grandiose scale of Skyrim, this is not a bad thing. Even after 45 hours of non-stop exploration and questing, there were still corners of the game’s world I hadn’t seen, and as a gamer who often is intimidated by non-linearity, I was excited to get a little lost in the game’s weeds.

The main trouble with Final Fantasy XV’s story–and the game as a whole–arrives in the latter third of the game’s story chapters, which for me accounted for a very small fraction of my overall playtime. Although you are given opportunities to return to your earlier questing grounds, retaining all current equipment and abilities, you do so risking ruining the narrative tension being built by the game’s final act. As far as final acts go, Noctis’ tale has its flaws, to be sure: large events take place between chapters and are quickly recapped in passing or through newspaper clippings found on train car seats, and the joys of exploration experienced in the first chunk of the game are traded in for drab corridor strolls peppered with light stealth and puzzle sequences. The game’s story builds to a satisfying conclusion, but the path to the end feels much less fleshed out than the earlier chapters, and much of how one experiences the finale of the game relies on how one spent time in its beginnings.

In many ways, Final Fantasy XV is more of a response to Final Fantasy XIII’s reception than even that game’s sequels. By beginning the game with giving players agency and freedom to explore (within certain limits) Square Enix bucked the potential critique that they cared more about their story’s transmission than about making a gameplay experience that each player could make their own, and so, too, avoided accusations often cast at Japanese RPGs: that they’re too linear, unchallenging and don’t give players much of a say in how they play out. It doesn’t completely avoid these criticisms–I only had one Game Over in my entire playthrough and it happened largely due to some screwy camera in a timed mission–but this is a Final Fantasy unlike any I’ve played before. The game tries to have its cake and eat it too, by narrowing the focus of its latter chapters, while also giving players the option of removing themselves from the game’s plot for a while to return to the side quest grind. The problem is, the most fun parts of the game have little to do with the plot and much more to do with spending time with the game’s main characters and exploring the game’s world. Even if you are fully invested in the game’s main story progression, it’s an odd feeling to reach the final boss of the game and feel over-prepared.

Fortunately, there is a truly robust amount of content that becomes available to you after you complete the main story, including more challenging bosses, sidequests and a few dungeons that have to be experienced to be believed. Square plans to release DLC and free patches to the game in the coming months, adding story and gameplay content, and this intention is heartening to say the least. After such a long development cycle, one is led to wonder what content was left on the editing room floor, and what of that content we might one day get to have our hands on.

Until that DLC starts rolling in, gamers have access to New Game+, where they can replay the game retaining certain achievements and with the addition of items such as the Nixperience Band, which prevents you from leveling up when you rest, that can offer some much needed challenge to completing the game’s main story. The hope seems to be that Final Fantasy XV will be an entry that will keep gamers playing for months, even years to come. I, for one, am excited to see what Square comes up with to fulfill that hope.

~

The game has reached its close, and I am at a loss for words. Even knowing there is more adventuring to be had, I am in awe of what I have already experienced and more than a little heartbroken that, to a certain extent, the tale that I began tens of hours ago is over. Maybe it happened when I reassured Prompto about his worth to me, or when Gladio challenged me to a footrace in the sand at dawn, or when Ignis invited me to help him prepare breakfast, but I fell in love with this game. I have so many people I want to thank for this experience, and more than that, there are so many emotions I have to process. I take a few days to collect myself, leaving Lucis to explore other worlds. But then I return, determined to carry on loving and living in this virtual world, if only for hours at a time. I am pleased to find I am welcomed with open arms.

There is word of earthquakes taking place near Hammerhead. I begin my journey anew.