#I'm here to play with virtual versions of my favorite characters :)

[yanderes-for-everyone]

Hi! I love GL and I LOVE yanderes! I’ve read happy sugar life and I love Amy, are there any more recs that you would give for yandere yuri?

Hello! That’s a great question. Unfortunately, yandere’s are much harder to find in yuri than in hetero works or BL. Because yandere yuri is (comparatively) rare, it might be hard for me to give you recs that fit your exact taste, but here I go…

Games: (All of these are free on Ichio)

It Gets So Lonely Here by Ebi-hime

This game does such a good job of creating an atmosphere. The characters and background have such an old fairytale/folklore vibe. I love it.

Model Employee by nth circle

I LOVE THIS GAME. The yandere is so hot; she’s like a spider weaving her web around the MC. I will say that this game isn't explicitly a Yuri game (but you can choose a feminine or masculine appearance for the mc). If that doesn’t bother you, HIGHLY recommend it.

Crimson Devotion by Ghost Leif

This game has a similar concept to Pocket Lover if you’ve played that, EXCEPT the virtual yandere is a vampire. Adds an extra level of hotness if you ask me. It’s pretty short though (only 4k words) because it was made for a game jam

To My Darling by ixkyu

I had a lot of fun playing this. In this game, we play as the main yandere. 

Heartburn by Kathinka

You're on a date with your favorite streamer…what could possibly go wrong? Art style is adorable + both characters are hot.

Comics: Light Spoilers

I’ve found that most Yuri Yandere characters are similar to female Yanderes in hetero comics; They’re all super intense and aren’t really romanticized. 

Barefoot Nina:

I liked it. The main yandere wants to be with the mc all the time. She at one point wants the mc to drop out of school so that they can be together 24-7.

I’m More Dangerous Than You:

Whooo…this one’s pretty crazy. The Yandere is pretty much willing to do anything to be with the MC…including kidnapping her.

Love/Death:

This is the gay version of Stalker X Stalker if you’ve read that. Both characters are Yanderes. If you wanted something more lighthearted/comedic, I’d go with this one. Though, it only has 7 chapters ( it’s completed.) 

White Angel has no Wings:

TW: Sexual assault and Incest. The Yandere is a really horrible person. However, the mc and her have an interesting dynamic. I have a hate-love relationship with this one.

Your Fretters:

I’ve heard people compare it to White Angel Has No Wings. It’s shorter (with 24 episodes) and in my opinion, is less disturbing. Yandere is super obsessive and isolating.

Getting to Know Grace:

Has a maid/mistress dynamic. We gotta love historical Yuri!

Manipulate My heart

This is similar to I'm More Dangerous Than You. In fact, I think that it's by the same creator.

Toxic Yuri:

Here are some comics where I wouldn’t label the love interest as a “yandere”, but are super toxic/clingy and still might satisfy your yandere cravings:

Maho Ineko to Ibarahime

This one is just a one-shot. Has a love interest who is obsessed with the mc, but there’s no real isolation or killing.

Let’s Kill Your Husband:

This one’s really good. The mc, as the title suggests, helps kill the love interest's husband (who’s abusing her.)

Talk Dirty to Me:

The mc is a dom and the possessive character is the submissive. There are some pretty good smutty scenes, in my opinion. The only thing is that the art style is…mehhh. The two mc’s have Dorito chins. It doesn’t really bother me, but I thought I should let you know.

Living Will:

The mc kills people for a living. Then she meets the love interest.

The Yandere Sister Just Wants me to Bully Her:

I had really high hopes for this one. There are just not enough isekai yuri in the world. Unfortunately, the plot is kinda all over the place. But the art is so pretty and both characters are so hot. As of right now, the love interest has acted somewhat possessive, but nothing I would label as “yandere behavior.” However, that might change considering the title.

That’s all I have for right now. I’ll continue to update this blog with other Yuri comics/games/fan-fics/novels that have a Yandere love interest. Hope this helped.

[gryficowa]

It's depressing that people stop boycotting a company when their favorite thing comes out…

Yes, I'm speaking as a GF fan and I understand that Bill's book brings back those emotions from years ago, but remember, Disney will get the money and it sucks, especially when Disney boasted about financial support for Israel and publicly

Marvel Owns Disney (And Has Zionist Propaganda, Yes, It Has a Character Symbolizing Israel)

Broadway is also being boycotted because it financially supported Israel (I speak as a fan of musical theater, although I live in Poland, so I don't have the option of watching it live… In fact, financially even more so, but yes, no matter how much I want to listen, I struggle with myself, because I know it's not worth it)

And the Olympics allowed Israel to take part in the competition, so we are boycotting it too (Just like Harry Potter, not only because of transphobia, Rowling also showed that she is not in favor of a free Palestine)

In addition, Talor Swift and Lady Gaga are silent about Gaza, so we are boycotting them too

And Sonic? I don't know, I have nothing to say because I've never played it (Apart from the browser versions, I mostly played Mario, lol)

And fuck Harris, as well as Biden and Trump

And since I have your attention:

I know there aren't as many links as before :/

It's depressing that many collections cannot reach everyone (And you often have to write to ask people to share, otherwise they don't do it, which sucks, because collections should be shared to reach people who can help, I understand, I I can't make payments, currency, I don't work and I don't have a bank account, and if I wanted to donate to collections, unfortunately I would have to do it virtually, I don't have a bank account because I don't work, because I have a second degree of disability and it makes it impossible for me to find a job)

Unfortunately, this is the only way to reach other people, because recently interest in Gaza has decreased (the same in Sudan and Congo), and when tags are in trends, it is only because something bad is happening, as if the reason for their interest was only that something bad is happening, unfortunately, the downside is that when posts are in the news, all collections disappear in the mass of new posts, so yes, it's a big problem (which I noticed), because often collections stop at a certain amount and do not want to move further

It sucks that you have to go out of your way to reach people (Palestinians themselves often add tags unrelated to the post, unfortunately the risk is that tumblr will consider it spam and delete the post)

It also doesn't help that the tumblr is run by transphobic Zionists, which sucks (Unfortunately, in the era of capitalism, it is impossible to live ethically, especially if you want to spread information about what is happening in Gaza, Sudan and Congo, the same way you share fundraisers, Google bought many platforms, and unfortunately, only they are full of people, without people nothing will succeed)

In addition, there are no alternatives to graphics cards (If you have a notebook, it uses Intel, and Intel companies are on lands stolen from the Palestinians), or for the operating system (Because they are expensive, unfortunately, you have to buy a system with Microsoft)

These are the biggest drawbacks of what is happening, because if you can boycott Disney and many companies (Especially the nestles known for always having moral boundaries somewhere), unfortunately with technology and the Internet it is not that simple

Greetings to those who made it to the end, especially those who shared or donated some amount to one of the collections (You are heroes, even if you don't see yourself as such)

[mood2you]

Marapets had more grace

2015 : A cute, rounded Fasoro. They gave something back to upset fans.

2009 : Crosseyed, bullfooted, dumb smile thing. They had seriously ruined everything.

pre-2009 : Admittedly, there are flaws with this but the pose was more interestingits looking up at you like a real fox would, and stabding its ground or waiting to lead you further sown the path, and it's so shiny and sleek and wellgroomed and the face is evokitive, it looks so mischeivous... Like a fox! Not a pet, a fantasy.

Water had its head inclined, but the new water is prettier, there is more to look at, the mane is stupid but the tail is exciting. Also, it is a special pose, that it's running like a river to the sea.

Sometimes you can't help but what to see what artistic resources you have and stop looking at the past. This is a different character, though, and to many that's the problem.

Now... I joined Marapets late. I missed the old Bolimo. This is the new Bolimo

It must be 2005 or something, 2003. You're scared to see how dumb this looks compared to the old one? I don't even think I have the old one.

Wait... I forgot...

They Dreamworks-ified the Bolimo?!?!!!! It does look like a Neopet with the fat legs. The mane looks dumb. NO HELMET?! Marapets does not have more grace!

"They gave something back" they've got tyranical!

Aw I'm really sad, I can't find it, but I was going to show you the old candy shop owner, the black Bolimo holding lolly pops out in its mouth. It was the only surviving early Bolimo.

The Bolimo just used to be even more slender, and a velvet fur texture. I really can't find it. I really don't remember. I think I did make an OC but I ended up using Houndour, not that I ever caught one. But when you're playing a virtual pets game, you have to catch something, and Early Fasoro was my favorite character, but when the Crindol came out I stanned it.

I don't really like this redesign either, it really seems like they wanted to turn everything into Tantua

Yeah, okay, so, they took away the free color, no more red at all it's all monochromatic. I used to be perfectly happy with a Yellow Crindol, perfectly happy. I think they also took away the human hair, that's a Santa Claus type of creature if I ever saw one!

Oh, "I am old Chirs Crindol" probably intentional. I think as a kid I called it the Cindrol. Gryphons are medeival, right, like Cinderella? The legs on the Crindol are nice too in the old one, you look at a real dog it has tiny back legs, when sitting, but cartoon dogs have huge ones, like frog legs, when sitting, and it happened to the Crindol a little, huh?

The Tantua. Real cute! Tiny.

There was definately an older version that was even taller and even sexier, but here's another free color pet. The best example is the Wockey.

You know what I do is sell that as "Cotton Candy" for 1,000,000 NP. Peaches and Cream (yellow) Valentines (red) and so on. Slap it in there.

"...and me!"

[merakiui]

Here is one for you!

⚡️Lightning - Have you ever spontaneously added something to your story that you wouldn't have added normally? If so, what made you do it?

And a surprise addition! Are there any WIP you have unfinished that you aren't sure you will even come back to? If so, why?

(ask game)

⚡️Lightning - Have you ever spontaneously added something to your story that you wouldn't have added normally? If so, what made you do it?

I have! When I first started writing DRU last summer, I wasn't sure how to begin the story. Riddle and Cater weren't planned to be in the fic, as it was mainly a story focused on the trio and the reader. In the early version of the story, Idia was intended to play a role in the plot. I had very basic ideas in mind, but none of them were satisfying enough.

In the midst of my agonizing over where to start, I found an unfinished wip titled "Mimicry," in which you're stalked while you work at an old-fashioned diner with Riddle and Cater. The very first diner scene you read in DRU is actually taken from that wip! I was reading it again and I liked the aesthetic of The Devil's Delight so much that I thought to add it into DRU along with Riddle and Cater. I'm very happy I did because from there the story took such a lively shape!

As for the surprise question, there are quite a few unfinished twst wips I have that I'm not sure if I'll ever return to. There aren't any reasons for why they're unfinished. Although maybe it's because I'm not sure if anyone would find these plots interesting. >_< I'll list some of them below.

the devil and his halo -> it was a story in which you escape an abusive relationship only to meet Jade, and he offers you stay with him in the meantime. He's so creepy and you think he's living a double life of some sort, and after a week you think anywhere would be better than here. But Jade won't let you leave.

npc syndrome -> a story in which Idia traps you in a virtual world and you have to find a way out within a certain timeframe otherwise you'll be his forever.

grim reaping -> less of a yandere story and more of a romantic comedy, in which Grim Reaper Idia is summoning for his favorite character in a game just as you appear before him without warning and meaning. Sadly, he loses his 50/50 in the game and now he's stuck with you, a recently deceased mortal who is begging for a second chance at life. Idia tells you that second chances aren't freely given; they're earned. In order to do that, you have to accumulate enough soul points to be worthy of reincarnation. This is done by doing good deeds to ease the weight of the burdens from your previous life on your soul, which have followed you into the afterlife and have made it impossible for you to settle. Idia hates to be bothered with work and wants nothing more than to be rid of you, so he agrees to take you under his wing and help you get the amount of points needed so you can have your second chance...and so he can return to being a gamer.

monops's reflection -> I wrote half of it and stopped because I hit a writing block for that story. Looking back, I realize the concept of "Jade wanting what Floyd has" is similar to The Most Dangerous Game and so I don't think that story will ever be posted because it follows a similar concept. ^^;;;

moray pit -> this was somewhat of an obscure horror concept I had in which a small pool appears in a shallow cove one day. It looks shallow from the surface, but it goes rather deep and is a tight space that the average human can't quite venture in without getting stuck. People in your small town have started referring to it as a wishing well because if you bring an offering to the pool and drop it in it's said that what you desire most will appear. However, you must never stick your hands into the pool and try to pull up what dwells within. The last person who did that was dragged in and never seen again. But that's just a myth meant to scare people away. Or so you think until the area is roped off and put under investigation after too many souls have disappeared. Foolishly, you accept the dare from a few of your friends and stick your hand into the tiny pool, disobeying all the posted warnings. Some say your fingers will grasp seaweed, others claim the smooth weathering of gold coins. Maybe you'll feel skeletal fingers reaching for yours or a smooth tentacle curling around your wrist in greeting. In your case, you put your hand down there, feel a face that is not quite human, and for a moment all is calm. Until your finger is bitten clean off. :) that should have driven you away for good, but oddly enough you can't ignore the alluring tug the moray pit has on you.

[the-cameo-blog]

Hiiii!! <3

I'm Laska, and I've decided to make a blog together with the 2 most important people in my life: my girlfriend Azari and my best friend Valen!! Introductions will be under the cut.

For some reason, tumblr keeps glitching and showing 2 other people's posts on this account too, but ignore that.

Can't wait to get to know people!!

Soo, here's a pic of me, Laska!! She/her, btw. I'm currently studying to become a nurse. And, in case you couldn't tell, I love the others on this blog very much <3

I'll be tagging my posts with #the loveless flame, after my favorite Death Omen song!!

I'm Valerien Sartorius, pleasure to meet you. I'm afraid I won't be very active on this account, as I have more important things to take care of, like my job. I'm an accountant, for those who wish to know. My pronouns are he and him.

Apparently I need to choose a "tag"... Fine, it will be #vines without roots.

Hey freaks of the internet! Call me Azari. She/they or I'll find out where you live and I'll cover every inch of your home in bright red paint. Now that that's out of the way, who wants to hang out tonight?

Oh, and I've decided my tag will be #because I can #I've been ghosting. Wha- hey! Why can't I change it back? What the actual fuck...

[Error 888: connected from new device]

My name is Narcisse, I go by they/ve/she, and I have plans for these three. Just sit back and watch the story unfold...

You'll recognize me by my tag #ascensionisms.

Hey! I'm Pat, and I'm just happy to be here. Technically a mailman, but my other job is much more important, to me at least. It's honestly the best job I could ever imagine. Also I'm slowly rotting from the inside out lol, don't mind that. Please use he/him unless you're Narcisse!

My tag will be #the loyal acolyte, if I ever get to make a post.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OOC:

Hello, @crowfromfoggyforest here! Tackling a big project with this one - aka a tma au of 2 fantasy-ish projects of mine mashed together. So yeah, unlike on my other rp blogs, there will actually be a plot! Whohoo!

The blog is called the cameo blog because i originally only wanted these characters to appear as cameos on another blog, and also because i might play around with tma versions of other ocs here sooner or later. And also just because cameo is a neat word.

Half of the tags (and also the blog title) are song/lyric references, whoever gets all of them gets a virtual forehead kiss ^-^

Do send asks and interact with my dumb children! ^-^

[raywritesthings]

For the character meme if you're still doing it...

MASH: Trapper, BJ, Hawkeye

DW: Ninth doctor, tenth doctor

FMA: Alphonse Elric

Sorry this took so long! Have family in atm so I've only been using mobile lately. Here goes--

MASH:

Trapper

First impression: I saw MASH out of order, starting with season 4 (not because of any particular bias, my dad just wanted to introduce us kids to the show and saw the season 4 DVD boxset first at the store), so my first impression of Trapper was the whole "Trapper's gone" sequence between Radar and Hawkeye. I think kid me didn't really fully understand that there were prior seasons of MASH, so I didn't think about Trapper all that much given there's virtually no mentions of him after that episode. Ironically, I probably pictured him in my head looking more like the Elliot Gould version than Wayne Rogers, idk why because as far as I was concerned he was just an entirely offscreen presence.

Impression now: Definitely glad I ended up going back to watch the earlier seasons once I realized they did, in fact, exist because Trapper's easily become a fave. Most of it is just down to Wayne's performance more than anything, plus his chemistry with Alan Alda's Hawkeye is unmatched. I know some people wish that Wayne had stuck around for the later seasons, and in a sense I get that desire in terms of wanting more time with his character, but I also just like what we got with him and kind of worry how the later seasons might've tried to "deconstruct" his character or give him and Hawkeye more conflict or something that would've felt OOC to who we know him as.

Favorite moment: Man, this is hard, but I think I might choose the second-to-last scene of "Dr. Pierce and Mr. Hyde" where up until the general arrives and goes into the latrine, Trapper's been trying to stop Hawkeye's sleep-deprived shenanigans, but as soon as the general goes in he just steps back and watches it all play out even as Radar's still desperately trying to avert disaster. Trapper's laugh is just so joyful as he watches Hawkeye tow the latrine away with Clayton inside, and I think in some ways it's a moment that says a lot about who Trapper is without necessarily intending to be a statement piece on his character.

Idea for a story: I lowkey want to write an AU where, after the events of "Preventative Medicine", Hawkeye pens a sort of pretend letter to Trapper expressing how alone he sort of feels in his defiance of the army these days with no intent of ever sending it (sort of like Sidney's pretend letter to Freud), only for it to end up getting picked up by Radar or Klinger by accident and sent out. Receiving the letter prompts Trapper to write back, they reconnect... I don't have much of an idea of what happens after that or even if it really works, but it's something I've had turning around in my brain after reading some of @marley-manson's posts on the episode in question.

Unpopular opinion: I guess my unpopular opinion was probably expressed above, which is that I'm not sure Trapper's character would've survived intact with the shift in perspective of the later seasons. It's not that I think Wayne wouldn't have turned in a good performance, I just don't know that it could have been recognizably "Trapper" in a way.

Favorite relationship: I mean if anyone answers anything besides Hawkeye, I'd be shocked. Like I like some of his dynamics with the other characters for sure and wouldn't have minded seeing them explored more, but as far as what's on the screen his relationship with Hawkeye is just kind of the whole point.

Favorite headcanon: I definitely like the ex-Catholic headcanon I think you and some others have, as I especially think it adds an interesting layer to any of his interactions with Mulcahy. I also enjoy the headcanon that he and Charles somehow end up working at the same hospital after the war and realize they know some of the same people (and then Charles' anguish if Hawkeye ever comes for a visit to realize that "Oh God, there's two of them").

BJ

First impression: Given I started with s4 and it was all I had access to for a number of years, my impression of BJ was fairly positive. He's kind of just a Good Dude that season, and to a kid he worked well enough as someone for Hawkeye to bounce jokes off of. I sympathized with his being separated from his daughter, and I thought moments like where he tells Radar it's okay to cry were very sweet. I still think those things, actually.

Impression now: Nowadays, I find BJ a very fascinating character to look at from the lens of deconstruction (unlike Trapper). How war peels back the layers of Mr. Right to find a very flawed, very human man underneath, with all the good and ill that entails. It's funny because as I said when I first watched, I thought his and Hawk's double act worked fine, but I feel a little bad for him and Mike Farrell after having watched the early seasons because it just does not compare to the Piercintyre duo. Whereas I could easily see an AU where Hawkeye and Trapper met outside the war and became friends, I don't get that vibe with Hawk and Beej; their relationship exists purely because of the war. I can't say I necessarily like the person BJ became over time at the 4077th, but I still sympathize with what he went through and find him interesting to examine.

Favorite moment: I'm really not sure, honestly, because the later moments that I find interesting about his character aren't necessarily BJ at his best. Honestly, I think it might be that scene with Radar I mentioned above, because I think it shows that he is much more emotionally aware than the popular tumblr depiction of him.

Idea for a story: I floated this thought in the tags of a post I made about him and Frank recently, but I kind of want to know what effect there would be on the characters and relationships had BJ arrived in Korea without the Hawkeye Welcome Wagon there to meet him (like say Hawkeye doesn't arrive back in camp until that night rather than in the morning before Radar leaves to drive to Kimpo). How does this impact BJ's impressions of everybody else, and how long does it take him and Hawkeye to become friends, plus what's that one week under Frank's command look like in this version?

Unpopular opinion: I'm not really sure what counts as an unpopular opinion because the Beejgirls seem to take it as a badge of honor that he can be kind of a bad friend sometimes, but I guess what I'll say is that while Hawkeye was essential to helping BJ make it through the war, I kinda think the opposite is true in reverse. I don't think BJ needed to be some kind of yes man to Hawkeye, but man he really does love to just not be emotionally available for his best friend in the whole world and also gets his jollies out of playing mind games on him semi-regularly. And unlike writer/director Alan Alda, I don't really think Hawk deserved it most of the time.

Favorite relationship: That's a tough one, because I know it's not Hawkeye for me, but I also don't know who it is.

Favorite headcanon: I think he had one of the hardest times readjusting to life back home because he'd built it up so much in his head that any little deviation from the fantasy would be a let-down. I think he'd eventually get over this, but it would be a pretty serious stumbling block.

Hawkeye

First impression: the whole sequence with him riding up in the rickshaw and defying Frank's military precision was very funny to child me, and then the scene in the showers immediately shows you that this guy isn't just about the laughs. He has things and people he cares about, and he can be hurt, and he can work really hard to try and get the things he wants. If he doesn't succeed, then he'll just keep working hard to make everything better for the people around him. A+ character introduction, I was hooked, +1 role model and Guy I Like To Project Onto acquired.

Impression now: Honestly? Largely hasn't changed. He's still a great character, and I still aspire to have his quick and sharp wit. Obviously there's a lot to it that child me overlooked, and there's certainly moments where I don't like something he says or does, but that's part of what makes him 3-dimensional, and it's also unavoidable in a show that old.

Favorite moment: This is a frankly impossible question for this character. I can't even pick out a favorite speech. I guess I'll just say the Yankee Doodle Doctor film for managing to capture both extremes of his character in a few short minutes.

Idea for a story: My ideas for Trapper and BJ are also just ideas for Hawkeye, because that's just kind of how MASH works. Even when it's about someone else, it's about Hawkeye.

Unpopular opinion: I prefer the earlier seasons when Hawkeye's rebellions worked and achieved even little victories here and there, where his character was certainly critiqued but it wasn't like a half-hour of self-flagellation, and while the camp could at times find him irritating they also worked with him to pull off the hijinks. They're just more fun (and the satire more biting), and MASH is best when it's a comedy.

Favorite relationship: Early seasons? Trapper. Later seasons? Margaret.

Favorite headcanon: 70s Middle-Aged Vietnam War Protester Hawkeye, My Beloved

DW

Ninth Doctor

First impression: I also watched DW out of order, so I just kind of was vaguely aware of Nine as the guy the new episodes were started with. He seemed kind of broody, wasn't really sure what else to think of him because I had almost no information. The post-series 1 RTD Era kind of almost does their best to make you forget he even was there? Like why does the Doctor-obsessed fan club in series 2 only have photos of Ten?

Impression now: He's a great Doctor, and I really should get around to finishing his series instead of picking and choosing episodes to check out (I'm just struggling to work myself up to watching the farting aliens one, I'm sorry). From what I can tell, Christopher Eccleston was going through a rough patch while making the series and had additional disagreements with the producers that contributed to him leaving early, so while I understand a lot of people wish he'd gotten more time, I also wouldn't have wanted him to keep making it while he was miserable. I'm glad he's getting to do new stories for Big Finish and seemingly enjoying it.

Favorite moment: I mean for me it has to be "Just this once, everybody lives!", Eccleston's joy there is so pure and palpable.

Idea for a story: Honestly don't really have one.

Unpopular opinion: He was the right Doctor for Rose and she the right companion for him, and it all went downhill for that duo after he regenerated. Although idk if that's actually an unpopular opinion amongst Nine fans. Oh, here's an unpopular opinion for those who like Nine: the way he treated Mickey was cruel and there was no real reason for it, and he should have apologized.

Favorite relationship: It kind of has to be Rose by default, right? Although I'm to this day fascinated by whatever he and Jack had going on...

Favorite headcanon: I don't really have one of these, either. Unless we're talking about the AU in my head where everything's the same except he and Rose aren't awful to Mickey for literally no reason...

Tenth Doctor

First impression: Again, because I watched out of order, Ten was my second Doctor (after watching series 5 and 6 with Eleven), but the friend who introduced me to the show did not really care for Rose and had me start on "The Runaway Bride" instead. I then chose to skip to the rest of Donna's episodes since I was aware she became a full-time companion later and had a great time. He was kind of a bit too broody at times for my taste, but Donna was there to keep it from dragging out. He could be hypocritical, but it was an interesting and expected flaw for a character that old and varied, and I'd already grown to expect the Doctor to be deep in the moral ambiguity. He was never my favorite, but I found series 4 enjoyable (until the end, anyway).

Impression now: Hoo boy, is this one a doozy. Well, first off, I still really enjoy Ten and Donna's episodes. But it's all kind of downhill from there. After finishing Donna's episodes and the specials, I went back to series 3 with Martha. And because I love Martha... I can't really stand Ten for that entire series. It's the Mickey problem x3000. And because I knew what an awful person he was going to be to Martha, I couldn't ever get into enjoying him and Rose in series 2 when I went back to watch that knowing what it all was leading to. And also because they were both treating Mickey like crap still during it. I think that Ten is a fascinating character with a lot of depth and darkness to him that the narrative is sorta aware of but doesn't want to explore meaningfully enough until basically the last minute in the specials. There's a lot of cut moments and storylines that could have made this better and at least left me appreciating what RTD was trying to do, but... they're cut. So what we're left with is a guy who's mean to like half of his friends for very little cause (and when that half is made up of two Black characters and one queer character while the other half are all white and straight), and who causes most of his own problems (his and Rose's attitudes leading to Queen Victoria forming Torchwood -> Torchwood finds the breach at Canary Wharf and makes it bigger -> the Doctor and Rose have to intervene and get separated VS. the Doctor deposes Harriet Jones -> the Master steps into the power vacuum caused by Ten changing the timeline -> The Year That Never Was happens and puts Martha, her family, and Jack all through hell Fight!), and who very rarely gets called out on most of this in a way that sticks.

Favorite moment: Can't think of a specific one right now, but it probably involves Donna somehow.

Idea for a story: I wrote a ton of Ten/Donna stories a number of years back and kind of burned myself out on it (plus the general negativity of RTD fans towards the newer eras killed some of my enjoyment of that era in reverse), but maybe I'll get around to writing more for them someday. Or maybe just something where Martha gets to be awesome instead.

Unpopular opinion: He and "Fourteen" are the same guy, and RTD will never convince me otherwise.

Favorite relationship: Donna's the only person I can really tolerate him with, her and Wilf really, so that seems to be my answer. Good thing they're in the upcoming specials! All joking aside, whether you see it as platonic or romantic, he and Donna just had the best dynamic, and in RTD's own words it was the most "equal" partnership the Tenth Doctor had. Which just makes me feel bad for Rose and Martha, honestly, but... it definitely comes across that way in the show to me.

Favorite headcanon: I think he often knows his behavior is in the wrong but is one of those people who refuses to apologize for anything and instead just withdraws from the people he hurt to punish himself... which is again sorta an interesting character choice but unaddressed or uncritiqued just makes me think he kind of deserves to be alone, yeah.

FMA

Alphonse

First impression: First read this series in high school, so it was probably "Wow, this guy and his brother are so cool, but their story's so sad! I hope they get their bodies back!"

Impression now: Wow, this guy and his brother are so cool, and they've gone through some really sad stuff! I'm so glad they got their bodies (mostly) back!" For Al specifically, he's so great. Both the nicest but the sassiest mf you will ever meet. His and Ed's brotherhood is Best of All Time, even and especially when he's being a little shit to his big bro.

Favorite moment: Nothing makes me laugh harder when the Elric Bros are telling Mustang to leave the forest where Gluttony is, because you expect it from Ed but Al's just so mean to Roy there, it's hysterical.

Idea for a story: Nothing comes to mind at the moment because I just love the original story so much it's hard to know what I'd add!

Unpopular opinion: I don't like Al/Mei and kinda find Mei's reasons for switching her crush from one brother to the other to be extremely shallow. I'd prefer if they got to know each other better as they grew up but just remained friends.

Favorite relationship: If the answer to this is anything but Ed (and vice versa) it's Wrong.

Favorite headcanon: I think Al both loves and resents Ed for trying to take on so much as the older brother.

So yeah, this one is probably a bit all over the place, and I'm fairly certain we won't see eye-to-eye on everything here, but I hope you find my answers interesting at least!

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

How do you feel about video games? Do you have a favourite? But more importantly do you have a least favourite? If you do please attach an image of it

I don't have a favorite, but I think my favorite is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I think it has a great atmosphere, which is often not something I appreciate in games, and the way it does it is interesting (in its own unique way). There is a lot of interesting worldbuilding in the game; the characters are written well and the voice actors do an amazing job making their characters unique. I like how there are always multiple solutions to puzzles. I like how the game is open-ended and you never have to do everything you've just discovered (though that's kind of a big problem too, because it means my completionist side will not shut up). I just think the game did a really good job of building its world.

I don't think I have a favorite game, though, and that's because I don't think I have any favorite video games as a genre. That is, I'm very fond of video games that have their own distinctive way of doing things, games that take the form of a story or a story-like thing where there's clearly something more happening than just a game mechanic. But that is not a genre. (I'm also not a huge fan of most of the major open-world titles like Skyrim or The Witcher 3.)

Some of the most recent titles I like are:

Fire Emblem: Three Houses -- this is an open-world title, and a different sort of one, but it has a very specific, coherent "feeling" I like in a way that isn't easily describable -- the best way to think of it is to imagine the feeling you get when playing a dating sim, but with an overarching plot to it all.

Papers Please -- I like Papers Please in the same way as I like video essays, where the fact that I agree with the author's views is often as important as the fact that I agree with anything at all. (I'm not going to talk about it here though because I'm not actually a good reader for these things, since I don't see the point in them unless I get something out of them.)

Soma -- a kind of a "what-if"? kind of game. "What if people could have a physical interface with the computer and change its programs to do whatever they wanted, and that interface was something you could manipulate in real time?" In other words, a "video game that isn't about video games." It's more a "virtual reality" thing than a "game" thing -- it's about the experience of controlling "what your body is doing" and "what is going on in your brain" at the same time, rather than the game aspects.

Slay the Spire -- also a "what-if" -- except this time a "what-if" with a science fiction angle. You are a "beacon of consciousness," and the other people in the game have "beacons of consciousness" that they control. You are the one who can change the "rules" of the game, both within and without the game itself (the "program," if you will). The experience is like being in a virtual reality simulator in the Matrix sense rather than the VR sense. The gameplay is still relatively conventional, but it is also a game about the game.

Baba Is You -- it's kind of like a video game-focused version of the VR simulation in Soma. Basically, you are an "unconscious" person whose body is being controlled by a program -- and there are different people who are inside the program and are able to take control of it and change its rules. You have the power to make yourself fall asleep and wake yourself up, because you can put yourself in the "sleep" state and control how long you've been in it, and then make it so that other people who control the program are asleep too. The experience is kind of like being inside a lucid dreaming state while inside a virtual reality simulator. It is meant to be a kind of "experimental" VR game, with many unusual things like "no gravity" etc.

I've also played a few other open-world games with distinct things happening in them beyond just "game mechanics" (e.g. Myst):

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess -- this is the best Legend of Zelda game ever (so far). A good example of what I'm talking about, in that it has interesting, unique worldbuilding, characters that work well, and some elements of RPG mechanics that are genuinely compelling and fun.

The Stanley Parable -- this one is basically just about puzzle-solving, except it's a game in which you are given very limited control over the mechanics of the world (the protagonist is a very literal being who exists entirely within a room, with the only way to change the "rules" of the world being by moving objects around on a grid). The puzzles are fun because they're clever and because they are also fun to "solve."

Braid -- this is a "story" game about solving puzzles. That's all I really want to say about it, except that I don't think it's very "good" except in an "I enjoyed playing this" kind of way, which is not an "I recommend this" kind of way.

There are several other kinds of games I like to play or that are good examples of what I'm trying to talk about -- I'm just not a huge fan of many of the games that exemplify what I like. For instance, Minecraft (in all its versions) is a good example, if you want something a bit more action-oriented.

Also, this is an odd thing I have to admit about me: I am much more into game design than I am into any other kind of design. I think I like game design a lot for the same reason that I like reading design and music reviews a lot -- it's very fun to think about, and also often the most enjoyable part, when something is actually good, if not necessarily in a conventional sense. I have a hard time with "genre" as the metric here -- I feel like most people don't like to think about game design enough to form an opinion about it.

(Incidentally, the "least favorite" I have for some genres is fantasy. It's kind of interesting to look at this from a game design perspective, so I'll do so now)

Fantasy games are generally kind of formulaic and repetitive (e.g. you usually get a bunch of fighting scenes with unique monsters per level, as well as a few "quest for the [magic/weapon/etc.]" bits per level), and the quests tend to be kind of generic and there are a lot of options for them, all of which end up being the same as the other options. There are a few good fantasy series (e.g. the Wheel of Time) but I think they tend to share these problems.

In general, I'm not a big fan of fantasy unless it has a specific, unique design. (The "uniqueness" doesn't have to be very unique -- the "Tale of the Two Towers," the first volume of The Lord of the Rings for instance, is pretty generic -- but it should be clear from the fact that I'm listing the main series titles of a trilogy.) A major reason this is

[captainaikus]

ahem I am back with a review. *clears throat*

OKAY FIRST OF ALL OW???? THE HECK??? I WAS SNIFFLING AS SOON AS THEY STARTED ACTING DIFFERENT. This is why I get hurt so often I’m too sensitive 💀. Seriously, this pulled my heartstrings so hard. It was great. If angst is the only way for me to feel things now then so be it. Also I simultaneously cannot wait and am dreading reading for my favorite character in this series, like pls I’m going to perish when I read his version. As always I send many virtual hugs!! Also question who’s your favorite character in blue lock?

- ✨ anon

as soon as I saw that the next edition of a bucket-of-angst was out I was like ohohoho look what we have here even less emotional stability I’ll give an update after I’m done reading and crying 😌 - ✨ anon

✨ anon !! Hi lovely ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ

Ngl i love this reaction cause yk you did angst right when someone cries and the faime playlist playing when I wrote this was so worth it

I really had to rack my brain for this one ngl; imagine writing for one particular theme 4 or 5 editions straight cause there are so many well liked characters... it is a challenge cause I don't want to repeat the lines and scenarios so I thought through really hard for this one and ended up with this and the result was totally worth it (ˊᗜˋ)

Now that i'm done with edition 3; I will say that it is the reader's turn now and they are not gonna make it easy for the boys. As if I'd let them get away with that kind of behavior after they hurt you

Ooooh which one is your fav character?

I love all my boys everyone is a whole meal cause ngl my gallery looks like a mess Oliver Aiku .

Seriously though i can't stick to one character cause I literally have A LOT of pictures of Sei, Sae, Rin, Yoichi, Oliver and Rensuke (among many others). Yes I am a hoe but can you blame me? You have 11 men in one team and if you have over say 6 teams with 2 very hot coaches (Noel Noa and Lavinho) then mon ange, you have to buy the whole bakery. my ass would be broke in 10 seconds

[letsplayzelda]

Hey Listen!

This is my Zelda sideblog to word vomit about my fav lil guys throughout the series. Here I go by Twilight and use they/them pronouns. I'm currently playing through Tears of the Kingdom rn and may post spoilers about it.

Anyways, here's a list of which games I've played (thoughts and word vomit included):

The Legend of Zelda: I've beaten the first quest! Did not 100% it bc this game was too hard for me to manage that. This forced me to have quicker reactions in games and I'm greatful lmao

Adventures of Link: I cannot for the life of me progress. I'm definitely overleveled for where I need to be, but Death Mountain simply bests me every time. I'm still trying tho.

A Link to the Past: I've played the opening, but that's about it.

Link's Awakening: Finished the Switch version! I wanna play the DX version at some point, but that probably won't happen until I play all the other games in the series at least once. I get a little depressed every time I think about Marin...

Ocarina of Time: I have played this game like three times. First on GameCube, then the 3D remake on 3DS, and then the N64 multiplayer mod. I plan on 100%ing it at some point, but I just dread doing heart containers and skulltulas. I wanna play Master Quest at some point too. Agh Link at the end of this game just makes me wanna sob.

Majora's Mask: Similar situation to OoT (I have the Collector's Edition for GC), except I never finished the original version. I've only beat the 3DS version. Recently started the multiplayer mod, but we've only done like 2 cycles.

Oracle of Seasons: I have the 3DS Virtual Console version, but I haven't played it yet.

Oracle of Ages: I played a little bit of this game, but it's been so long that I'll probably restart it when I plan to finish it.

Four Swords: I literally bought a used dsi to get this damn game. I've beat this game, but I've yet to 100% it. Kinda hard to bc it's not as fun playing it single player.

Wind Waker: Playing this game was such a treat. I played the GC version so sailing took literal ages but besides that, I rly enjoyed Tetra <3 tho Nintendo did her dirty. On the trend of beating games, I haven't 100% this one either. There's so many side quests that I simply cannot invest my time in. Like the Goron one? No clue what's going on there.

Four Swords Adventures: Ik there's a sub-fandom that rly loves this game but that's literally the most ik about it. I've yet to play it but I'll have to hunt down a copy at some point.

Minish Cap: oooo I fucking love this game. I haven't finished it yet, but that's because I got sidetracked by so many different things. I've wasted so much time trying to get all the figures it's insane. Plus this game is gorgeous <3

Twilight Princess: I played the Wii version of this game and honestly, I wished I didn't. Not bc I don't like this game, but because I did not like the motion controls. And this was the first time Link was right handed which is kinda lame. So I'll probably play one of the other versions of this game at some point. BUT, I adore the story in this game. Love Wolf Link and Midna. I literally cried at the end of this game, it was absolutely devastating.

Phantom Hourglass: I'm like halfway through this game I think. I'm not a big fan of it's controls or graphics, but I enjoy the follow up to WW. Also Linebeck's character development is very sweet.

Spirit Tracks: Once I finish PH, I'll play this one. Ik I probably don't need to, but I like following timeline stuff.

Skyward Sword: I played the Switch version and it's probably the only way I would've been able to get through it. I mainly played with motion controls but would switch to button controls for certain fights bc I was sick of struggling. Link and Zelda's relationship in this game is very cute. I also rly enjoyed the dungeons and getting more of Hyrule's history.

A Link Between Worlds: My second Zelda game ever, and I still consider it one of my favorites. Ravio and Hilda are some of the best characters ever. I can't remember if I 100% this game, but ik I got very close if I hadn't. If ALttP is as good as this game, I will probably love that game as well.

Tri Force Heroes: I've played some of this game, but I feel it suffers from a lot of the same issues as FS since no one ik has this fucking game. Have I finished it? No. Will I? If I can find two people to suffer through this game with me. I enjoy that the game doesn't take itself too seriously and has a bunch of fun outfits, but that's all I can rly say about it.

Breath of the Wild: My first Zelda game!! I've spent almost 500 hours in this game and still haven't 100% it. I'm at like 86% with just 150ish koroks left but now that TotK is out, it will be a while before I touch the game again. I fucking adore this game (although I hated it at first) and the relationship between Zelda and Link is just. Mwah. Mipha, Sidon, and Urbosa are my favs from this one <3

Tears of the Kingdom: I've been playing this since release day and have been loving it! It definitely fixes a lot of the weird quirks BotW had, but I'm finding I have more issues with this game so far. I'm at around 130 hours with 3 dungeons done so far, but I'll likely dive deeper into my thoughts once I finish the game.

[buradeeznuts]

I'm not to late Happy birthday kirb I Shin or Redgrave or at this point to just call me this "†" will give you some good music

Jamiroquai  - Virtual Insanity , Canned Heat, Space Cowboy, (Don't) Give Hate a Chance, really good but underrated

Good Bye Almond Eyes you would never guess where this song comes from

The Clay's A Calling I sadden by how underrated this song is

Убивать I found this song unintentionally but I like it and i guess this goes for any other song by Гражданская оборона · Егор Летов

I Can't Decide You might have heard this once before so here it is

Biting Elbows — Shorten The Longing there this movie called hardcore henry it's awesome and so cool and that's how I found this amazing album and there one other song because I feel like it also needs a spot here

Showdown - Nahu Pyrope I don't like the fact this isn't more popular

most of ANDREW WK music- Ready To Die, It's Time To Party, Party Party Party, Party Hard, I Get Wet Blame hellsing for this

Pendulum  familiar? much much Fasten Your Seatbelts, Witchcraft, not as well known but I still like it Showdown... I'm going to be honest with you I haven't played any of the SOMA games because I keep listening to all of pendulum albums

Cash Cash - Overtime everyone heard it so hear it again

Ken Ashcorp - Absolute Territory it does sound like an anime opening now that think about it, Dunkmaster Yi This Is why i want to learn Guitar and playing WoW or LoL

mafumafu I like how it sounds - SNOBBISM i like it , Role-Playing Game i hear this songs in memes alot, Sacrifice, more clockpunk if you wanted it,

FAKE TYPE - Princess♂ they look like timekeeper, Nightmare Parade 2020s why do so many characters in suits have sharp teeth, Devils Wedding I had a dream about this song where I was forced to fight 100 7 year old's and sans by string gummy cookie,

MF DOOM god this guy was amazing rest in piece man

Spacejam This is going to either give you a slap in the face with how this guitar rift goes or slap you in the face with nostalgia

King Crimson - The Court Of The Crimson King, the whole album could be here but just this one for now

Louis Jordan & His Tympani 5 - Keep A-knockin any time I want to relax I play this because God I love jazz

Lou Reed - Perfect Day, wonderful

there's a lot of video game music I can put here but just this one for now NO MORE HEROES - K-ENT

same goes for siivagunner but for now this, Konga Conga Kappa (King Conga) (Unused Version), Try This

Justice - Cross this is one of my favorite albums ever made not only did it change internet and video game music as a whole but also changed the whole music industry and maybe even more it's to the point I'm sure you heard them before so here's it names so what else to do but D.A.N.C.E.

I started to feel better in myself and more motivated to do things like better myself as a person and get out of old bad habit's, who knowns maybe I will return to drawing, or even make music, but above all I owe it to you, for listen to my vent so again, thank you for just reading and listening to me share my feelings it meant a lot to me so thank you so much.

and most importantly HAPPY BRITHDAY KIRBY and to another year of happiness and fun ;)

that’s really touching to me, thank you!!! i’m glad you’re feeling much better about things, and i wish you the best of luck in all your future creative endeavours, shall you choose to pursue them once again - you have the utmost of my support.

thank you so much!! 🧡🧡🧡

[z-saint-box]

My Opinion on Lolirock Characters

(a request from SaraDarkees?)

So a friend of mine wants to know my opinion on Lolirock characters, so she provided this meme to me, and I am here to present it to her, as well as anyone else who is curious. I probably put too much thought into this, but at the same time, it's been over a year since I saw a Lolirock episode. It was when I did the episode reviews for season two. I also wanted to avoid duplicates; i.e. putting the same character for more than one category. Because there is no English version of it, so I will explain what each section means, starting from the top row, left to right.

Favorite character - Carissa's biggest flaw is not her character itself. Instead, it is how rarely she appears throughout the show. She appears in two episodes of season one and about five or six more times in season two. Because of this, I sometimes forget about her and end up replacing her spot (character ranking) with Praxina. Anyways, she raw energy that I find endearing, if not adorable. It's the reason why I appreciate the episode "Amaru-niverse." She also has a unique character design, with red hair, but blue eyes. More importantly, she has a youthful, passionate determination in becoming a stronger warrior, which causes her to irresponsibly sneak into the magic library and split Amaru into three different versions. She however, instantly regrets it and rectifies her mistake. If Carissa had appeared more often, I guarantee that more people will like her like I do. Also, read my fanfic on her if you want more action from her.

Character that everyone else likes, except me - My main issue with Lev is how the season one finale hints that he will play a larger role in the next season. Come season two, he only appears for two episodes. I'm surprised he has a fanbase, especially when he has less appearances than Lyna, someone that fans generally pair him with. Don't be surprised if he pops up again for season three, because it will be surprising if he doesn't.

Character that I did not like at first - Perhaps this will be my second-most controversial opinion, but I think his second episode does him some justice, which is why I wrote a positive review for it, and why this section is specifically meant for him. His debut episode set such a terrible first impression that even the writers/creators don't like it; but "Rex" did a better job of pairing someone with Talia, perhaps even better than I did.

Character that I would like to learn more about - Lyna has two major episodes in season two, and the first one doesn't really count. She might be cute as a doll, but we have virtually no info on who she is. This may be the reason why I wrote "Gareth and Leslie."

A character that I dislike - Amaru looks suspiciously similar to Kiko from Winx Club. Putting this aside, I just don't care about him. I'm sure that other Lolirock fans do, but he does not contribute all that much to the show, except for summon the arena. Even then, I have also criticized the arena.

A character with good character design, but poor personality - This one is easy. Iris is physically attractive, but terribly boring as a protagonist. Her predominant character trait is being friendly and helpful. This is all there is to her, and her very own catchphrase is the intro quotes for my reviews of season one and season two. I literally don't know anything else about Iris, and she is a Mary Su. She is the most powerful character of the show despite having less experience with magic than every single one of her friends, who have used magic for much longer than she has. While Raf from Angel's Friends might be horribly nasty as a character, she has more personality than Iris. And while people dislike Rose from Regal Academy, I guarantee you that even Rose's critics will admit she is better as a character than Iris.

A character with good personality, but bad character design - The text you see is the Russian word for "what?" I don't think any character from Lolirock  is designed badly. I was going to put Aunt Ellen in this section, but I don't think it's fair. Because she functions as Iris' legal guardian, she was purposely designed to look maternal, as in, bigger than her. Even then, despite being old, she is still cute.

A character I am similar to - Another easy choice. I have constantly been described as intelligent, much like how others describe Talia. I also share Iris' helpfulness and friendliness

A pairing (or ship) that I love - Stick around for this one. I will reveal this later in the form of an image

A pairing that I do not love - How Talisto became the most popular ship in the fandom is still a mystery. I speculate it's due to how their personalities are direct opposites; Talia is mature and smart, and Mephisto needs her to balance out his wacky, immature self. That being said, any moment they have on the show is seldom, and hostile.

A character I would be friends with in real-life - There are too many characters that I could place here, so I decided to pick the one I think would be easiest to befriend. As much as I don't think Debra should become an official member of Lolirock (as some fans have done), she is still my favorite secondary character. Aside from an eye-catching character design, she is also an artist, and I assume a decent one at that. She must also be lonely in the mansion, so I don't think she would mind teaching me how to paint. And fun fact, people like to steal her underwear, and her grandfather is dating her.

A character I would not be friends with in real-life - This is also a no-brainer, because Missy is specifically designed to be the girl bully of the show, someone who takes pleasure in mocking, taunting, and deriding others for her own amusement. Is there anything else I have to say?

[victorluvsalice]

With both main goals fulfilled, the two just hung out for a bit longer in the Magic Realm, practicing magic a bit more and making some friends (hi Elizabeth -- I like your flower crown!) before heading home to eat, upgrade the bed, get a little frisky in the garden. . .

And then get a lot frisky inside. XD To be fair, Nikal actually wanted not just to woohoo, but to try for a baby with Emmett, so I decided to indulge her. This particular attempt didn’t end in success, but you know what? I’m going to keep trying. Two of my other three married couples have kids -- maybe it’s about time Emmett and Nikal joined that group. I can always remodel that gym into a kid’s bedroom. And I have enough money for some basement expansion too. . .

But that’s for next time. Next up -- first day of winter! What will I do to fill the time then?

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Manga Review — I'm in Love with the Villainess Vol. 1 (Manga)

A New Look on a Compelling and Innovative Series

A manga adaptation of one of the best and queerest Yuri light novels I have ever seen, what is not to love! As a massive proponent of the light novels, I eagerly followed I'm in Love with the Villainess began serialization in Comic Yuri Hime last year. I am thrilled to get my hands on the first English volume, and now that it is finally out (digitally at the time of writing), I am equally delighted to read over the start of Rae and Claire's journey once again. Getting to see my favorite isekai protagonist and her bratty noble crush in full illustrations is terrific. However, it does not make for a completely flawless work.

I'm in Love with the Villainess follows Rei Ohashi, an avid otome gamer who dies and is reincarnated as Rae Taylor in her favorite game, "Revolution." Rather than chase any of the game's handsome bachelors, all students at the Royal Academy in the European-inspired fantasy world, Rae heads straight for her favorite character, the game's villainess! Rae begins to relentlessly tease the bratty and elitist Claire, much to the latter's frustration. Soon a rivalry forms between the two girls, but despite Claire's taunts and coldness, Rae is determined to stay by her side and protect her.

The increased focus provided to Claire and Rae's early relationship will be noticeable to light novel readers. While Inori's writing focuses mainly on world-building in the first several chapters, the manga makes the wise choice to condense much of this information for the sake of reading. Blocks of exposition work poorly in the manga compared to prose. However, establishing a setting is not completely thrown out the window. There are several small conversations and explanations of key aspects of the world. After quickly setting the story, the characters are left with room to explore.

Claire and Rae are the most enjoyable part of this manga. Rae is eager and doting, with a touch of masochistic. On the other hand, Claire is more arrogant, often looking down on peasants like Rae, and is continuously infuriated by her affection. A hilarious rivalry starts to spring up between the two, with Claire pranking or mocking Rae and then getting outraged when she revels in the attention and teases Claire by expressing her undying affection.

These interactions also further the story. They establish the dynamic between our two heroines and add more detail to the political situation and tensions between the commoners and nobility, the series’ main plotline. Interestingly, while Claire may believe commoners inferior, she also sees it as her responsibility to protect and instruct them in her very elitist way. Noticeably none of the torments she subjects Rea could ever cause permanent harm or damage. It is a fascinating insight into this character's mental state, and even in the first volume seeing her start to change and become more aware slowly is fascinating.

Much of the rivalry is comedy and often plays out as such. However, some readers may find it slightly off-putting and understandably see the dynamic as Rae sexually harassing Claire. I strongly encourage you to give this series a chance. This book will undoubtedly be the worst volume of an incredible series. Once I'm in Love with the Villainess breaks into its stride of exploring queer and socioeconomic issues, some point in the next volume based on reading the serialized chapters, I promise it will become a quick favorite. If you know you may not be able to overlook its immediate faults during the wait, consider holding off on the mage until after the second book is out and get them together.

Much of the previously mentioned content is the same or strongly similar to the light novels, perhaps a touch more emphasis on Claire's early hostilities; however, there are some significant points unique to the manga to consider. For one, Aonoshimo's artwork is fantastic! The characters and backgrounds are distinct, with only slight adjustments for the more comedic or dramatic stylistic choices. No matter the panel's tone, though, it is always easy to read without oversimplification. Aonoshimo also relies on very standard square or rectangle panels during most of the manga, but occasionally produces more dynamic boundaries and layouts for action and service scenes. Lastly, all the characters are on full display. It suddenly becomes a lot easier for light novel readers to picture their favorite moments. It is a lovely treat for returning readers as the visuals aid the characters, allowing us to clearly see Rod as the strong-willed if slightly aloof prince and understand how Maximillion Pegasus-cosplayer Thane is the most unpopular character in the fictional otome game when they are displayed visually.

There are some other vital factors to consider when reading the manga. For one, every character's personality was dialed up a few points, with Rae being a touch more physically affectionate and masochistic and Claire more easily exacerbated. However, the manga and the English translation takes many quirks and exaggerates them further, reducing the series’ performance. For example, while Claire's actions show the complicated relationship to commoners described above, her dialogue contains a surprising amount of vitriol and vulgarity that stands out notably.

Additionally, while Rod is usually the perfect if slightly detached prince acting as the occasional voice of reason in early chapters, his dialogue here appears laughable indifferent and meanspirited. As I'm in Love with the Villainess is one of a very few series that I follow the monthly serializations of in magazines, I was surprised to see this dialogue, as it did not stand out to me in the Japanese version (admittedly, the manga did overblow everyone's personality to some extent for comedic effect). I feel it changes the characters for the worse — do not get me wrong here, calls for "literal translation" are as unfavorable as they are uninformed. Still, the work feels careless at times.

Finally, there is the service. While the first volume contains virtually no romantic caresses or sweeping panels of scenery we associate with Yuri, there is a fair amount of salacious content. Of course, there are Rae's desperate and overblown expressions of admiration for Claire and her slight case of masochism. However, towards the end of the volume, Aonoshimo shows some skin. In one scene, Rae helps Claire get dressed and very openly admires her body, accompanied by some close-up panels of her back, stomach, and butt. There is also a very exposed bathing scene, although light covers the most explicate bits. It is obviously garish, though it tonally fits with Inori and Aonoshimo's more comedic manga interpritation and even includes some wholesome interactions with Claire and Rae alongside the sexualized comedy. Reader's millage will vary here, but I enjoyed it.

This first outing of Aonoshimo's I'm in Love with the Villainess manga adaptation is very likely to be the weakest entry in a phenomenal series to follow. The manga does a fantastic job of bringing the original light novels to life in a new visual format. The artwork is excellent, and the story condensed with a slightly different focus that maintains the feel of the original while providing manga audiences with entertainment that does not feel constrained or lacking. However, the gradual pacing of the plot and the main characters' relationship means that the volume leaves off before showcasing the meat of the series and most of its best features. There is a little bit of the stumble out of the gate, and both the publisher and the manga will likely have to course correct in future volumes or else risk destroying the development and voice of the series remarkable characters. I still recommend the series, but unless you are a diehard fan of the original like you, you might wait a year or so until we have the second volume and can enjoy a more complete vision of Inori's intricate and groundbreaking story.

Ratings: Story – 8 Characters – 7 Art – 9 LGBTQ – 9 Sexual Content – 6 Final – 8

Check out I'm in Love with the Villainess (Manga) Vol. 1 today: https://amzn.to/3wTSJ9R

Thanks to Joshua Hardy, Courtney Williams, Peter Adrian Behravesh, and the rest of the team at Seven Seas for their hard work.

Help support future Yuri news and reviews, and get access to exclusive content by subscribing to the YuriMother Patreon

[bbq-hawks-wings]

Ahh I'm watching a video on atla and the shithole that was the film adaptation and he keeps bringing up lotr and how those films adapt the books and I'm !!! AHAAA My favourite films being brought up as "THIS IS GOOD" ;))) Yes it is, it's my favourite. Ahh now I miss zuko

OO V relavent to bnha. The single worse thing you can do to critic someones writing "[if the critic tries] to make your story into one they would write, rather than a better version of the story you want to write" GOD IF THAT ISN'T HALF THE BNHA FANDOM

I think these are the same person. My apologies if they aren't!

I try not to remember the "film adaptation" of AtLA exists. I went to see that in theaters and I have never before or since actually wanted my money back it was so bad, I could even tell as a younger teen. They got virtually nothing that mattered correct and completely missed the spirit of the series. Really hoping the Netflix adaptation doesn't flop, either, but we might not have Netflix in our house by the time that happens so... 🤷‍♀️

It does crack me up, though, that the Ember Island Players still have the best worst adaptation of the story so far. Part of me is hoping the streak continues just for the meme.

The LoTR is legitimately a slow-moving set of movies, but it's well loved for a reason. It takes its time and sets up the world and confrontations and lets them play out with the timing those worlds and characters demand with a core theme in the middle the author has meticulously and lovingly crafted and wants to talk about. For Tolkien, it was how the ravages of war and time erode away hope and history, but hope and love can be found in those willing to leave their comforts to come alongside and protect their friends in the face of uncertainty and fear and never be the same, if they ever even return.

That's one of the reasons I've really enjoyed BNHA up to this point. When I say I'm a veteran Hawks stan, I mean I've been here from BEFORE day 1 some three years ago when Shinsou was my #1 favorite (he's still high up there, I'm so excited to see my boy again in the anime). I watched the long, drawn-out plot it took to get to this point and strictly sticking to the story itself and none of the fandom drama, it's been amazing! But I have also had to wait for it.

Horikoshi knows the story he wants to tell, and his style is to meticulously set up interactions and details long ahead of time which does mean a lot of waiting as the audience, but the payoff has just about always been worth it. He's been better at some things than others, but even just taking Bakugo and Deku's complicated, building relationship as an example has been so satisfying and engaging to watch as they naturally work through the complicated mess in themselves first and then with each other, adding on the complexities of new developments they pick up along the way and integrating those new struggles in so well.

Sure, there are things I want to see in canon, but at this point I think most of those are rooted in the story he's already in the process of telling. Things like Thief Takami I kind of knew we weren't going to get despite the hype and how much I loved the AU, but I was ultimately much more satisfied with where Horikoshi chose to put the focus on Tomie instead of Takami and what that meant for Hawks' character. Not only did it break conventions within the series as this legacy of children paying for their fathers' sins, but it felt like it was so uniquely Hawks' history with just how much sense it made that it would stay with him for so long and fit with the pieces of information we knew had more to it but we didn't know what.

I only have difficulty waiting for this story because it's so good and I want more. I love the discussions that try to pick apart and figure out what happens next, but I haven't found the attitude of, "This MUST become canon!" to be very productive or satisfying in the long run simply because of when I'm pleasantly surprised like that.

[jaynaneeya]

Comparing Rides that are at Both Disneyland and Disney World

Disclaimer: I've taken over 20 trips to Disneyland, starting with one when I was 4, and just took my first trip to Disney World a few weeks ago. Also I haven't ridden Jungle Cruise at Disney World, so that's not on this list. Here goes

Astro Orbitor: This ride sucks at both parks (it's basically a super uncomfortable version of Dumbo), but at least at Disney World it's up higher so you get a better view. Disneyland just needs to get rid of it.

Autopia/Tomorrowland Speedway: This ride also sucks at both parks, and it smells terrible, but at least Disneyland's is off by itself, and you get a more scenic tour, and from what I recall the cars work better, so Disneyland wins.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Awesome at both parks, but different. Disney World's does this rocking back and forth thing that makes it feel more like a runaway train, but Disneyland has a more epic climax with exploding dynamite. I'm calling it a tie.

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters/Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin: WAAAAAAY better at Disneyland. Disney World's shooters are attached to the car, making it impossible to aim, while Disneyland's detach. Also Disneyland's light up when you hit something; I could not for the life of me figure out what I was doing at Disney World. This could just be lack of experience on my part, but I'm virtually positive it's because that version of the ride is vastly inferior.

Disneyland/Walt Disney World Railroad: Disneyland's has four stops to Disney World's three, but what really pushes Disneyland over the edge is the Grand Canyon thing. Disney World's has no equivalent diorama. Come on, what's the Railroad without an epic fight between a T-rex and a stegosaurus?

Dumbo the Flying Elephant: The ride's pretty much the same at both, except Disney World has two carousels and Disneyland only has one, so I'm giving this one to Orlando.

Haunted Mansion: This one pains me because I freaking LOVE Disneyland's version of this ride, but Disney World has some extra stuff at the beginning that's pretty cool. Although only Disneyland's has the Hatbox Ghost, and it just makes me happy to know that you're walking underneath the railroad without knowing it (which is not the case in Disney World). So Disney World wins, but narrowly.

it's a small world: Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of the way Disneyland awkwardly incorporated some of the Disney characters into this ride. Like, it works for a few, but they tried too hard. Disney World doesn't have this, so Disney World wins.

The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure/Under the Sea - Journey of The Little Mermaid: Apart from its name, this ride is almost exactly the same. I didn't see the cameo of The Incredible Mr. Limpet at Disney World (if it's there, it's not in the same place as the Disneyland one), but I think they might play more of the song Under the Sea at Disney World, so this is another tie.

Mad Tea Party: The theming is different, but the basic ride concept is the same. I feel like the location makes a lot more sense at Disneyland though; it's next to another Alice in Wonderland attraction, instead of the Tomorrowland Speedway. So I'm giving this one to Disneyland.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: This one's a little tough. I really like how at Disneyland you're rocking for pretty much the whole ride, instead of only part of it at Disney World. The scenes are in a different order, and I think the story makes a bit more sense at Disney World. Also the queue at Disney World is freaking awesome. So Disney World takes it.

Peter Pan's Flight: The rides are a little different, but I don't feel like one is clearly superior to the other. I'm giving it to Disney World for the interactive queue.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The entire bayou scene, including the restaurant, is absent from Disney World (makes sense, as Disney World doesn't have New Orleans Square), so only Disneyland has the part where you get to wave at people eating and watch the old guy snoring in the rocking chair and wonder who's playing the banjo. Disneyland has two drops to Disney World's one. After the drop(s), the rides are pretty much exactly the same until the end. Disneyland has an extra scene where drunk pirates are shooting at each other, including my very favorite pirate in the entire ride (the guy riding the cannon and trying to sing along who doesn't really know the words). I was livid to find that they'd eliminated him from the Disney World version. Disneyland wins HANDS DOWN.

Soarin' Around the World: This is the same in both parks now, but the California version was better. So past Disneyland wins this one.

Space Mountain: Disneyland's is way more comfortable because you're sitting next to someone, instead of single file, basically straddling the person in front of you like at Disney World. Disney World's does have astronauts, but that's pretty much the only thing to recommend it. Disneyland's is a much smoother ride, and it's also darker; at Disney World you can kind of see the track, which ruins the illusion of flying through space for me. But all of this is nothing compared to the music. Disneyland's Space Mountain music plays from speakers right next to you, is perfectly timed to fit the ride, and makes the whole experience about 1000 times more epic. At Disney World there is some music playing from speakers in the ride, but you can barely hear it. Mostly you just hear roller coaster noises and other people screaming. Disneyland wins BY FAR.

Splash Mountain: The opposite of Space Mountain. At Disneyland you sit single file uncomfortably, and at Disney World you sit next to someone. Also Disney World has an additional drop, and the story is easier to follow. Best of all, the front of the log comes up higher, so instead of your socks getting soaked like at Disneyland, it's mostly your top half that gets splashed, which is usually what you want. At Disneyland, I generally get the most splashed at the Slippin Falls at the beginning, which means I'm shivering for most of the ride. At Disney World, I always got the most splashed at the final drop, which is as it should be. Disney World wins by a landslide.

Star Tours: Almost exactly the same. A tie.

Tower of Terror: Yes, I know, I know, Disneyland technically doesn't have this anymore because it's the Guardians of the Galaxy ride now, but I'm doing it anyway. Disney World's is more interesting than Disneyland's used to be, since there's some horizontal movement to get to the elevator shaft, while Disneyland's loads you directly in the shaft. Also Disney World's has a randomized series of drops, while Disneyland's was the same every time. So I would say Disney World's is better than Disneyland's old version, but Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout is better than either. I do hate to admit it, because I really loved the old Tower of Terror at California Adventure. But there it is. So for the purposes of this contest, Disney World wins.

Toy Story [Midway] Mania: Essentially the same ride. The theming is different, and I think the queue is a little more interesting at Disney World, but for all intents and purposes, it's a tie.

Final Score: Disney World - 8, Disneyland - 7, Tie - 4

See? I'm not THAT biased.

[irisbleufic]

You've discussed over time on this blog the two Hamlet productions you saw in 2005, and both sound like they were mind-blowing on the Hamlet/Horatio front. Would you be able to list ALL the Hamlet productions you've seen over time so that I can look up reviews? I'm curious if they all influenced the way you write Hamlet fic, or if it was just those two slashy ones?

Hello, anon!  I’d be more than happy to do that, absolutely.  

Here’s the run-down of productions (minus the four or five very minor amateur or community ones I’ve seen at Ren faires and local theater festivals) I’ve seen, and I’ll try to include a brief commentary on what I found most striking (and most useful, at least from the perspective of writing What You Don’t See / At This Chance ‘Verse) in each one:

1) Boston Shakespeare On the Common, July/August 2005 (Jeffrey Donovan as Hamlet; Pedro Pascal as Horatio)

This is the first live production of Hamlet I ever saw.  It was rendered as a modern police-state setting with a ‘90s feel.  I got to see it twice before the run ended; the reason I went back a second time was, honestly, because it reflected back at me the exact thing I saw in the text when I first read it as an eleventh-grader (short version of that story: I read the ending of the play during a free-reading period of English class and ended up sobbing into my book by the time I hit “and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest”; Mrs. Piper was very, very shocked, but she brought me the box of tissues from her desk, and this is why I always make sure to offer virtual tissues to readers who tell me in their comments that they’re crying).  Whether the decision to have Hamlet and Horatio constantly touching and clinging to each other in crucial moments of high emotion was down to Donovan and Pascal or to the director, I am not sure, but these actors had such stunning chemistry in the way they spun the subtext that the effect on me was about the same as reading that ending for the first time.  This was one of the few productions I’ve ever seen that had Hamlet's “tables” as a literal Moleskine notebook he carried around perpetually in his inner jacket pocket, and it tore me apart to see Horatio attempt to bodily prevent him from dueling Laertes.  In that moment, Hamlet removed his jacket and shoved his tables at Horatio even as Horatio had him by the shoulders, shoved them against his chest, over his heart, this is my story; it is yours, it is ours.  This production used “our philosophy,” and I was still an undergraduate at the time.  I didn’t know that textual variant existed, because every printed edition I had ever read had featured “your philosophy,“ and I had not yet made a study of the various surviving early versions of the plays.  Pascal’s Horatio is still the most heartbroken (and heartbreaking) I have ever seen during the death scene.  So close they could have kissed, looked like maybe the tension was meant to convey the significance of its absence; gut-wrenching tears, lips pressed to Hamlet’s forehead.  My inner eleventh-grader was relieved to know such a reading was valid enough to stage, because she was at the time still quite deep in the closet.  This production also had one of the two most canny, strong-willed Ophelias I have ever seen.  She drowned upstage in an actual pool, and there was one scene between set-switches, after someone pulled her body from the water, where she walked across the stage with slow, eerie dripping-wet majesty.  This is where my ghost!Ophelia comes from.

2) English Touring Theatre, November 2005 (Ed Stoppard as Hamlet; Sam Hazeldine as Horatio)

I was in my first term of graduate school in York, UK when the production came to town.  Still high on the Boston Common production, which I’d seen only a few months before, I snagged the first student-price ticket I could get my hands on.  It was staged in spare blackbox style with only a few tables, chairs, and other items as props, but the costuming was firmly 16th-century.  Before the production, the director spoke to us about their decision to speed up line-delivery to as close to normal day-to-day conversational speech as possible, and he also spoke of how they felt that, at its core, Hamlet is really a story of two families (Gertrude, Old Hamlet / Claudius, Hamlet; Polonius, Laertes, Ophelia), their relationships to each other over time, and a series of stunning failures of communication between them.  I was excited about this, as I have a lot to say on the subject of Hamlet, Ophelia, and Laertes growing up together in a context where they might as well have been siblings (and how Gertrude’s and the King’s expectations regarding Hamlet and Ophelia would surely have pushed him to court her even if his heart wasn’t in it, which it clearly isn’t; I maintain that most of Hamlet’s actions surrounding Ophelia are driven by the perceptions and expectations of others, and I truly hate that, because Ophelia deserved so much better).  When “our philosophy” passed Stoppard’s lips instead of “your philosophy,” it’s pretty much a wonder I didn’t choke right there in the theater.  Stoppard’s Hamlet and Hazeldine’s Horatio had a level of intimacy and easy physical contact that, if not matched, certainly came close to the one I’d seen between Donovan and Pascal in Boston.  Stoppard’s Hamlet is the closest I’ve ever seen to the Hamlet in my head, in both physical appearance and mannerisms (dark hair, very pale eyes, a kind of self-deprecating, wry cleverness that lacked the disturbing, aggressive flashes of temper I’ve seen in a number of other interpretations of the role).  Hazeldine’s appearance and mannerisms as Horatio, therefore, fell neatly in line; this is why I tend to portray Horatio as a ginger.  The death scene, too, was just about on par with what I’d seen in the Boston production.  As you can imagine, I went back to see this one a second time, too.  The period aesthetic of this one, as well as the physical appearance and mannerisms of the actors, spliced neatly with the elements of the Boston production I’d already adopted.  When I write about these characters, the SOTC and ETS productions have had the most significant influence.  I even discuss this in the header notes on AO3, because when I run Google searches on these two productions?  It turns out that WYS/ATC ‘Verse is one of the top three search results!

3) Wyndham’s Theatre, June 2009 (Jude Law as Hamlet; Matt Ryan as Horatio)

While this production had the most beautiful sets and overall production values I’ve ever seen in a single rendering, Law’s Hamlet was too aggressive (read: borderline physically abusive) for my taste, and Ryan’s Horatio was a bit flat and uninteresting (although he had long hair and was costumed more or less as a bad-ass biker dude with a dagger on his belt; he was eye candy, if nothing else).  Sadly, these two had zero chemistry.  The two highlights of the production were, without a doubt, Law’s delivery of “To be, or not to be” while trudging barefoot into the castle from a snowstorm (seriously, it was one of the most visually arresting pieces of effect and staging I have ever seen) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s electrifying Ophelia (seriously, she’s the best Ophelia I’ve ever seen; she was as canny in her madness as the Boston Ophelia, and I appreciated that to no end).  Otherwise, this production has little bearing on the way I write about these characters and the world they inhabit.

4) National Theatre, October 2010 (Rory Kinnear as Hamlet; Giles Terera as Horatio)

This production was rather terrible, and I would like to forget most of it.  The performances by and large felt phoned-in, Hamlet and Horatio had almost zero chemistry (I was lucky I could even read them as friends, let alone dear ones), and the whole Hamlet-spraypainting-smiley-faces-all-over-everything really got on my nerves.  That is not how you use ubiquitous graffiti, my friend.  This Hamlet had some fascinating manic moments, but there was a whiff of the aforementioned (needless, IMHO) violence from which I instinctively shy.

5) National Theatre, August 2015 (Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet; Leo Bill as Horatio)

This production had sets and staging choices to rival the Wyndham’s production; I especially loved the convincing quality of Elsinore’s great hall being partially reduced to bleak rubble by the end.  I enjoyed Cumberbatch’s portrayal, but not as much as you would think; when all was said and done, he didn’t hold a candle to Donovan or Stoppard.  He delivered the role with a tenderness and whimsy in some moments that I feel many actors miss, but that doesn’t surprise me.  He wasn’t a violent Hamlet, and I appreciated that.  What really, really shone for me here was Horatio.  Leo Bill might be my second favorite Horatio as far as delivery; Pedro Pascal comes in first, and Sam Hazeldine comes in third.  My heart was on high alert during this production because he reached and reached and reached out to his friend, but Hamlet was too fraught to see or understand what was being offered.  It’s the first time I ever saw an edge of unrequited love between these two characters, and it led to me giving @neverwhere and incredibly gesture-filled and emotional account back at our con hotel room later that night.  Hats off to you, Mr. Bill!