#It's not in my top 3 but if it gets a solid remake it just might be

[minas-linkverse]

Feelings on Minish Cap?

Minish cap is a stellar game. Very much underappreciated and my top wish for what should get remade in HD. The soundtrack is marvelous and I wish I could listen to it all day but the ~bits~ of the good old gameboy just don't work well with my migraine prone head. I truly hope newer fans get to experience the game in all it's glory sooner than later and it get the attention it deserves!!

I think Minish cap has a very unique identity. It has a lot of familiar things yet many totally new and unexpected sights! It almost feels like a fan game, but in like the best way possible. It's got that indie pixel vibe of something made with love.

...asfjggsjkf sorry this is another love letter ramble. Minish cap has a special place in my heart. It was the first Zelda game I ever played, although at the time I didn't know any english and would just run around the few areas that are open before the first dungeon, and I'd slap grass for fun. I was easy to entertain back then.

Years later I found my old gameboy colour and finally actually played the game. It's a real solid entry in the top-down zelda game world, although it could be just a LITTLE bit tighter in gameplay. Link's awakening and Oracle of Ages just really keep you on the move in a way modern games don't seem to.

Also Minish cap just has the most iconic official art in the franchise.

Basically Minish cap to me is an image of childhood. We're currently in an era for the franchise that's openly pointing out the horror of it's lore. I think it's high time we remember the joy and whimsy of the series too. The games that bring back that feeling of being a kid in the backyard playing heroes! The hero trope exists as a tragedy, but also to inspire us.

PS. to clarify I think the game is incredibly solid as it exists right now and the reason I want it remade is not because the current version needs an overhaul, but because I know a remake would give more people easier access to a game that's marvelous and also I'd cry. If you have a way to play it right now like... Do it, yo. No need to wait for an imaginary product I invented in my brain.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Cameos & Familiar Faces

Entirely subjective yadda yadda. Organized by favs in each category. No numbered lists anymore, tumblr be buggn'.

End of Aug Start Sept 2023

Ongoing Series - Thai

Laws of Attraction (Sat iQIYI) 8fin - Oh the DRAMA. Why does the insane ex (my true love) remind me of the cartel leader from Romancing the Stone? Even the sides got HEA! It was fucking great!!!!! Charn remains a bonkers spoiled evil murderous brat with a cruel smile beloved by his one true paladin. Also: post it love note trope! Been a long while my old friend. NO SINGING!!!!! I do love that wedding jacket frock coat cape thing Charn wore. 

In conclusion: This is a great gay suspense thriller with several solid couples, fun plot, killer characters, queer rep, and a happy ending. Charn may be my favorite lead character of 2023. However, this show is not entirely BL, more on the fringe, like Manner of Death. Add that to several "singing incidents" and pairs being a little weak in the chemistry arena, and this lands safely in 9/10 territory. It’s tons of fun tho: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. 

I Feel You Linger in the Air (Sat grey) ep 3 of 12 - This show is getting more and more lakorn each ep. Apparently the straights are having a class divide arranged marriage crisis. Who cares? Our boy is ALWAYS in trouble. Crazy that he has to save the people who betrayed him in a previous life - but I guess he chose revenge! That's unexpected.

Had to switch to grey and couldn’t find a working rip. It was frustrating and I wouldn’t have bothered except I like this show so much. Still, it means no screen caps because the rez is naff.

Dangerous Romance (Fri YT) ep 3 of 12 - Uh oh. Kang wants to save Sailom and be his hero. The fact that K’s Pa puts no pressure on him whatsoever, makes me wonder if K's Ma committed suicide or something? It’s definitely the opposite parental dynamic we normally see in BL. I have to say, the pacing is great in the show. And the acting is on point. It’s really great. 

Hidden Agenda (Sun YT) ep 8 of 12 - these two just kiss well. I mean not "rip your clothes off Taiwan-style," but sweet young boyfriends-esk. Joke wants to be claimed so bad. It’s great. I enjoyed this ep, unfortunately it looks like we have a manufactured angst drama drop in the next episode. Is this a 10 episode arc? I thought it was 12. It’s odd to have doom happening next episode already.

Only Friends (Sat YT) ep 4 of 10 - Back story time! Ray and Mew are HARD to watch. Incestuous friend group gay is the worst. Omg I got such QAF vibes from this ep. Nick Boston Sand chats = very throw back 90s gay soaps. 

Location game moment: Top's hotel room is also Chan’s apartment in Laws Of Attraction. 

Naughty Babe (Sat YT) ep 1 of 8 - Ooo. Est is back! Hi handsome. Head of security suits you. Please lead out the new Waterboyy remake? You’re perfect for the role. (If it must happen.) Yi’s Pa is GREAT. Please give daddy a nice boy? Could that be our secondary couple for this series? 

Meanwhile, with the leads (sorry I was distracted by daddy) we got us an arranged marriage, run away bride, and an amnesia trope. Put in a secret baby and it's squarely 1980's Harlequin. Will there be Vikings? Sex herbs? Pirates? Dub con?

Be Mine Super Star (Mon Viki) ep 9 of 12 - Again with lovely sex scenes, it’s just the plot stringing them together is frayed. Also don’t fuck in an onsen. Both yech and ouch.

That goes for all y’all.  

Wedding Plan (Wed YT & iQIYI) ep 7fin - Trash watch here! Honestly this was an okay ending, I’m not mad at it. If you can tolerate Mame and liars (kinda the same thing) you’ll be fine with this show.

Summation: An innocent wedding planner falls haplessly and hopelessly in love with a groom who relentlessly pursued him, even though he’s about to marry someone else. A somewhat lackluster mame offering with less of the usual stellar chemistry, but all of the usual lies and manipulation. 7/10

Love in Translation (Sat iQIYI) ep 3 of 10 - I skip everything to do with Tammy and it’s fine. There’s only about 20 minutes of fine but that’s more than enough. On the bright side. So far. No singing.

My Universe (Sun iQIYI) ep 2 of 24 eps - Cassanova Begins Part 2. Aw. It was sad. Another variation on the “my ghost boyfriend” trope (usually sad). 2/10 I don't do sad BL.

Next up is Merry Go Round featuring the pair from Destiny Seeker (we likey) who want to marry each other, but end up fake engaged to the same woman. Beard squared? Looks silly.

Crazy Handsome Rich (Sun Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - There are 2 things I like about this. I bet you can guess what they are.

Lee Long Shi

The whipping boy trope

There wasn’t enough of either in this first ep. ALSO the captions, sound effects, and voice over are truly next level bad. Utterly atrocious.

The 2 leads fucking around in the end credits was the funniest part of the whole show. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Jun & Jun (Korea Thur Viki) ep 7 of 8 - I am confused and frustrated about what the communication delay is between the two Juns. It feels artificial and narratively manufactured. But since this is a short form KBL and I know it will be resolved quickly, I’m not as annoyed as I would be if this were Thai BL. Still it feels audience manipulative. I also feel sorry for Simon. BUT it looks like it’ll be a sweet boyfriends final episode.

Stay By My Side (Taiwan Fri Gaga) ep 10fin - Omg they’re so cute!!! Taiwan the purveyors of ultimate sappy gay domesticity. I am going to miss having these to nonsencing all over my dash.

This show was an interesting take on the "ghost boyfriend" trope. About a boy who is tormented by hearing the dead, except when he is around one other boy - desperation+proximity = love. Unfortunately, the story was erratic and waffled about. While the leads turned in solid performances and the sappy domesticity was off the charts, it never really had the strength of the narrative convictions such a strong concept should have supplied. Highly rewatchable and enjoyable for that sappy domesticity but not a whole lot more. Still I always give extra credit for the diabetes-inducing sugar content and rewatch capacity. 8/10 

Kisseki: Dear to Me (Taiwan Tues Viki & iQIYI) eps 3 of 13(?) - I love the punching thing - there is a lot of violent flirting in this show. I’m not mad about it. Ugh, poor thing has real abandonment issues. And now trust issues. I see why we’re getting 12-14 eps. This gonna be MESSY.

Meanwhile, does EVERYONE have a guest cameo? Not that I’m complaining. Hi BLIHID boys! Now I need to rewatch that show. 

Love Class Season 2 (Korea Fri Viki) eps 7-8 of 10 - Oh my God the next morning w/ couple 2 was so darn cute. They are all such terrible flirts with each other. Honestly, this show makes me laugh more than any other BL currently airing. I’m not sure it is meant to be as funny as I find it. While couple 3 (the mature characters) is by far my favorite, I actually think they don’t work with the other two pairs, they feel superfluous to the show. I like the show better because they’re in it, but it feels like two different BL‘s stuck together. KBL certainly can’t handle more than two couple threads at the same time. 

Why R U? (Korea Wed iQIYI) eps 3-4 of 8 - Ugh. I am such a sucker for the FighterTutor dynamic. Why so good? Uh oh. Real kiss! KBL you're spoiling us. But, isn’t sad-seme-hyung dating some chick? Argh. Poor Sunwoo. This show is even worse at repping Fighter's character sympathetically. Who knew that was possible?

My Personal Weatherman AKA Taikan Yoho (Japan Sat Gaga) ep 3 of 8 - The date episode! Even Japan is doing it now. And these two who have been living/fucking together for ages still dance around each other like junior high kids. I gotta say, I watch this one twice because Vicki has different subs from Gaga. I feel like it’s easier to understand if I watch two different translations of the same script. But it’s still quite a taciturn piece. 

Minato's Laundromat Season 2 AKA Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2 (Japan Thu Gaga) ep 8 of 12 - Sides are great. It was mostly a cute ep with tiny bits of Progress and a proper Confession. I miss Shin’s siblings. And then… the much loathed amnesia trope. Really?

Everyone say it with me: Must you, Japan? 

Stay Still (Hong Kong Tues YouTube) ep 5fin - It ended happier than I was expecting. Optimistic for one couple, and most likely optimistic for the other.

Summation: What to say about this offering from Hong Kong? It’s different, a mix of early CBL, Taiwanese shorts, and Pinoy visuals. It felt like the story was 2 independent shorts that had been lengthen and then stuck together, and I wish they'd been approached as separate and tighter entities. Nevertheless, this was a complex little piece,  interesting in a sweaty grungy way, with a certain aura of queer authenticity that made it simultaneously tense, unpredictable, and refreshing. I’m not sure I would necessarily call it BL, but any county’s early foray into the genre usually starts out this way, so perhaps nascent BL? Worth watching, especially if you enjoy stuff from the Philippines and Taiwan. 7/10

In case you missed it

Dinosaur Love ended its run but the final 2 eps are behind a paywall. Word on the street is they aren't good anyway (shocker) so I'm marking it as DNF and moving on with my life. If I can find em grey I'll watch 'em merely so I can give it a rating, but I can't imagine it will get more than 5/10. Seriously, do not bother.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Coming September

9/15 You Are Mine (Taiwan Gaga) Secretary has to deal with grumpy boss.

9/15 Bump Up Business AKA Bump Up Project (Korea movie) suspected cinema release? I don't know much about what's going on. Last status update. Love story between a trainee who is about to debut and a celebrity from the same agency. Kpop boy group OnlyOneOf has signed up to star in this idol-based BL (based on a webtoon). They’ve been auditioning for this since Libido IMHO. You can watch me chronicle their BL MV series in this post. It’s from Idol Romance who will do sad but can do good kisses (Wish You, Nobleman Ryu, Once Again, Kissable Lips, Poongduck 304, Tasty Florida, Tinted With You).

9/26 I Cannot Reach You AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai (Japan ????) - Adapted from the manga, childhood best friends: The cool, smart one who’s good at everything, and his average, dorky friend who struggles. Always by the other’s side, but not together in the way they truly want to be. No matter how hard they try, their hearts cannot reach each other.

9/27 Absolute Zero (Thai iQIYI) - from 2021, Studio Wabi Sabi and New Siwaj finally bring us this “time loop to prevent tragedy” romance. We don’t always get HEAs from them, so I'm on my guard.

9/? Venus in the Sky (Thai iQIYI) 10 eps

9/? Mr Cinderella 2 (Vietnam YouTube?)

2023 forthcoming BL master post (see comments, some are inaccurate, NOT KEPT UPDATED).

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Hidden Agenda hitting us up with a hug + lap + kiss. Very nice.

I think these two might be GMMTV's best cuddlers.

Boys, I think your JoongDunk is showing.

(Last week) 

[milesluna]

My Favorite Games of 2023.

Hi. Hello. Thanks ever so much for clicking on this page. Happy to have you.

First thing's first: I'm a little freak when it comes to video games. I don't feel the need to beat most games I play. From Software is one of my favorite studios in the industry and I've never finished a single one of their games. This means, fortunately, that I get to play a LOT more games than the average bear.

I've written up some blurbs about my top ten favorite games from 2023, but before that here's the list of every game I remember playing this year that left any sort of lasting impact on me (in no particular order):

Dead Space Remake Resident Evil 4 Remake F-Zero 99 Humanity Dredge Metroid Prime Remastered Anemoiaplois Alan Wake 2 Baldur’s Gate 3 LoZ Tears of the Kingdom Counter Strike 2 Hunt Showdown El Paso Elsewhere Jusant Slay the Princess| Remnant II The Finals Street FIghter 6 Lethal Company BattleBit Remastered Don’t Scream Homebody The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog Pizza Tower World of Horror Super Mario Wonder Mr. Sun’s Hatbox Fifa 23 Sea of Stars (Demo) Half-Life (25th Anniversary Update)

And the games I played that were NOT released in 2023:

Unpacking Persona 4 Golden Picross 7 The Order 1886 Shovel Knight Dig Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Spider-Man: Miles Morales Pac-Man Championship Edition DX Project Zomboid Quake LoZ The Minish Cap Drill Dozer Wario Land 4 Pokemon Pinball Resident Evil Revelations Summer of ‘58 Trackmania TwinCop We Were Here Visage Cursed Halo CE Half-Life 2 (I probably play this once per year) Witch Hunt Red Dead Redemption 2 Cyberpunk 2077 Borderlands 3 Brutal Legend Cultic Slay the Spire PUBG Rez Infinite Batman Arkham City Alan Wake Alan Wake: American Nightmare Max Payne LoZ: Majora’s Mask 3DS Metroid Prime Metroid Prime 2 Tunic Everhood Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VII Remake GOODBYE WORLD Yakuza: Like a Dragon Critters for Sale Dome Keeper Phasmophobia Hades Nintendo Switch Sports

Now that you understand the kind of freak you're dealing with…

Let's dive into my top ten favorite games from this objectively fucked up year.

10. El Paso Elsewhere Developed by Texas indie studio Strange Scaffold, El Paso Elsewhere is a Max Payne-clone with vampires, an opinionated narrator, and lots and lots of bullet time. As a small studio punching well above their weight class, Strange Scaffold leans into abstract, PlayStation 1 minimalism when it comes to visuals and pairs them with a soundtrack that will make your hands sweat. The vibes are here and they're ready for the end of the world. I'm personally also a big fan of everything this studio stands for.

9. Mr. Sun's Hatbox I want you to imagine Metal Gear Solid V. Now I want you to imagine that game as a 2D, level-based, slapstick platformer you can play with up to three friends. If you think that sounds stupid, you'd be right. And it's beautiful. As you build up a secret army of soldiers with various skills (and disorders), you'll start to develop *favorites*. This game constantly asks if you're willing to send those favorites on a harrowing mission and risk losing them forever… or if you'd rather send an idiot you recently captured who blinks constantly and can't kill anyone without fainting.

8. Dredge Every year I feel like I find one game that falls into the “just one more round” category, and baby… Dredge was it for 2023. As a weary fisherman in strange waters, you'll make the most out of your 12 measly hours of sunlight only for your daily voyages to inevitably pull you into the darkness of night, and night is when things get weird. Rocks emerge from the fog that you swear weren't there before, your equipment malfunctions, and you're pretty sure you just saw something in the water… something big. Despite only containing a small collection of islands, the world of Dredge manages to feel vast - perhaps vast enough to swallow you whole.

7. Resident Evil 4 Remake I was curious to see what sort of changes would be made to the timeless classic and father of modern 3rd person shooters, Resident Evil 4. I wasn't let down. RE4 Remake takes all the things that didn't age well about the original, tossed them out, and replaced them with only good things. And MORE things! It's campy, fun, and better than a game of bingo.

6. Jusant I really feel like this one didn't get the recognition it deserves. Jusant is a rock climbing game that combines the quiet contemplation of Journey with the mechanical specificity of Death Stranding. Unlike Death Standing, though, there is very little story to interrupt your flow. There are plenty of collectible bits to find for those curious to learn more about what happened before the events of the game, but the environmental storytelling does most of the heavy lifting. For me, the joy of the game comes from how it feels. Right trigger controls your right hand grip, and left trigger controls left hand grip. Plan your route, manage your stamina, and climb high above the clouds in search of answers.

5. F-Zero 99 This. Shit. Slaps. I've never been a big F-Zero guy, but this MADE me one. The “battle royale”, 99 player format is the perfect fit for the ruthless, high octane world of the game. Races last about three minutes, and friend, they are the most intense, white-knuckled three minutes of your life. The decision to make your boost meter the same as your health meter started in F-Zero 64 (I believe), and it is so much more HARROWING in this game when another player could side-swipe you mere meters from the finish line and blow you to bits. Sadly it's only playable via Switch Online, but it made me cheer, laugh, and scream enough this year to earn a spot in my top 5.

4. Alan Wake 2 Remedy makes weird games that also manage to exist in the AAA space and for that I will forever love them. Although Alan Wake 2 resembles a 3rd person shooter survival horror, I'd honestly say it's more of a narrative game than anything else. There's sidequests, there's puzzles, there's upgradeable skills, but at the end of the day the characters, world, and story are what kept me playing. If you haven't checked them out recently, you should definitely watch a story recap of the original games before diving into this sequel, but the wild swings for the fences this game takes are well worth that small price of admission. There's a god damn musical number, for Christ's sake.

3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom I've really got nothing to say about this game that most people don't already know. It's incredible. The fact that Nintendo made a game that redefined an entire genre and then made a SEQUEL to it that ups the ante is remarkable. To be honest, I've only cleared the Rito, Zora, and Goron cities. I got a bit tired of exploring the depths and guiding Koroks to their friends, but I can't deny the sheer level of complexity and polish on display here. I saw someone on TikTok build a functioning Mecha Godzilla in this game. Good God. I've heard that the ending of this game is one of the best in the franchise, and if I'd seen it this year then it may have wound up higher on my list, but for the time being I'll continue picking up this masterpiece from time to time, chipping away at it until the day comes that I can finally smack the tits off thicc Ganondorf.

2. Half-Life (25th Anniversary Update) I know I'm gonna get shit for this, but I don't care. This year was the 25th anniversary of Half-Life and Valve released an update that made playing it (and it's online Death Match) much more accessible. I threw it on my Steam Deck out of curiosity, expecting to play for 20 minutes. I could not put it down. It is unbelievable how modern this game still feels. I simply had so much fun sprinting through the corridors of Black Mesa with a dozen weapons strapped to my back, blasting aliens and military Spec-Op chumps as a 24(?!) year old theoretical physicist.

1. Baldur's Gate III This game is fucked up, man. The sheer amount of writing in this game scares me. We can all talk about how BIG this game is, it deserves it, but the thing BG3 does better than any other role playing game I have ever experienced is actually encourage roleplaying. I've played through Act I four times now, with four different groups of friends, and it has felt fresh every time. I have seen the same events play out in so many different ways that it boggles the mind, but in every one of those play sessions I see players asking themselves “What would my lil guy do here?” rather than "what is the best thing to do here?" The game rewards players constantly for just trying shit and the D&D 5e rule set means playing like the character you said you were from the start leads to frequent Points of Inspiration. Maybe one day I'll see the end of this story (probably not), but I don't have to in order to feel a connection with BG3's world, characters, and most impressively, the characters I made myself.

Honorable Mentions for 2023

5. Dave the Diver 4. Homebody 3. Sea of Stars 2. Humanity 1. Super Mario Wonder

Top 5 Favorites NOT from 2023

5. Metroid Prime 4. Final Fantasy VII Remake 3. Cursed Halo (Halo CE Mod) 2. Red Dead Redemption 2 1. Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (3DS)

Games I didn't have a chance to play from 2023 but still want to when I find more time...

Viewfinder Venba Chants of Sennaar Thirsty Suitors Hi-Fi Rush Moonring Armored Core VI Laika Aged Through Blood Bomb Rush Cyberfunk

OKAY THANKS BYE!

[fallenpetalau]

i got a little distracted with making these little gems and backstories that go with them 😭 I'm back on the comic! I promise!

I kept the circus/clown theme i felt our Spinel had, so Yellow is a Sword Swallower, Blue is a Juggler and White is a Pierrot. All of these Spinels are part of troupes - having at least 10-20 of their same gems alongside them while our Pink Spinel is a one-of-a-kind.

Yellow Spinel snaps just like in canon. Except she attacks the colony where her Olivine resides and destroys stuff. Blue Spinel runs away and lets herself corrupt and disappears in the wilderness of a planet near a colony. And White Spinel gets shattered the instant that the fun moment is over. She gets harvested and recycled into remaking new White Spinels

ETA Image Description

[Image Description: Three pictures, each depicting a different circus themed character in the style of Steven Universe.

Image 1 is of a Yellow Spinel proudly holding a sword. She has twin vertical pigtails tied at the end, a yellow court jester themed outfit and a large white Ruff collar that leads to pants that poof out with diamonds on her thigh and solid color to her shoes. Surrounding her is different depictions of herself in various poses, bowing, a size comparison to her diamond, Yellow, and on of her in a state of anger, large black drops overtake much of her outfit and her collar is tattered and stained. Instead of her usual outfit, her goofy pants were replaced with a too-tall alternative that rose past her stomach and only ended at the start of her shirt. Her hair is messed up and her gem is upside down.

Image 2 is of a cat themed Blue Spinel, she acts as a juggler and is noticeably taller than a regular Spinel. Her two-pointed hat moves to her emotions like it were actually a cat's ears. Her arms are made of bicolor streams of ribbon, blue and white alternating and look like baggy sleeves but can be used outside of being as an arm. She has a black upper lip and white lower lip with white upside down drops on her eyelid acting as face makeup. The collar of her outfit and the decoration around her hip is sharper looking than Yellow Spinel's, jutting out and up in multiple points. Also surrounding her is other depictions of her, one holding her juggling pins, one of her crying due to Blue Diamond's oppressive power and three of her corrupted form as a Panther-like creature. It's blue with dark blue teeth, white under the eyes and like a tiger- has two fake eyes imaged on the fur of the back of its ears- it has two sets of ears and two extra limbs on it's shoulders that act similar to the destructive claws of the Mantis Shrimp and is aggressively solitary.

Image 3 is of a White Spinel , much smaller than the other two, both in gem size and in body size and almost completely white in front of a slightly-lit black background. Her gem is the size of a pupil and lacks pigmentation - being almost solid white itself. Her gem is in place of her pupil on her eyeball and she would be only half of Steven's height if lined up next to him with her hat making up the difference. She is an old-fashioned mime themed with a tall cap with black pompoms, a soft two-layered Ruff draping around her neck and a baggy jumper with a simple cord tying the loose fabric close to her form. There are triangles on top and bottom lid that fit together to make black diamonds on her face and each have a small black dot at the outer point of it. ]

I've never written an image description for my art before, I hope it's understandable haha😄

[heraldofcrow]

10, 18, 23, 44, 49 forrr Sephiroth!

(Me and you share some love for white-haired main villain who has a very special circumstance of birth and is trying to stand up against his destiny, take control over the planet and end up fighting blonde protagonist who is their completely opposite but they are so similar… But mine is from FF9 xD)

FAREEHA YOU INDULGE ME TOO MUCH, THANK YOU!! You know I am holding back so much from writing essays on my beloved, loll. I need to stay CALMMM <3

Also, are you talking about Kuja?? Omg, I actually kinda know him! They did a FF9 crossover on the FF7 Ever Crisis game recently and they made a reference to him via Sephiroth actually. A very toned down reference though, haha. Sephiroth is still good and just a kid in Ever Crisis.

Anyway, if you want some of these asks on YOUR blorbo, just say the word!

Now for my incoherent ramblings!

~

10: Best moment on screen (or in the book)

This is so hard to say because he has so many. He can just show up and everybody gets awe-struck, but I suppose I would have to choose Nibelheim because it’s just the most iconic and establishes his villain role in the story going forward.

I mean, it’s THE scene…the scene where we see this famous war hero that everyone looked up to and loved completely lose his mind and set everything on fire lol.

I love it because I just get the ultimate “Fuck humanity” vibe from his downfall. It’s pure rage exploding from one person and the one person that really should NOT have snapped because of how dangerous he is. It’s terrifying and sad and perfect. I love this moment. I love villains that turn against mankind in general because of a horrific experience with humans. It’s very…human…hmmm…

This could only maybe be topped if the full remake version of him ascending into a seraphim-like, Biblically accurate angel looks as cool as I imagine it will. Can’t wait to see him wipe out the solar system in 4k <3

18: What they’d go to see a therapist about

EVERYTHING LMAO.

Ok, let’s just say somehow Seph didn’t snap in Nibelheim and lose his mind, instead being strangely calm and reasonable, thus deciding to go to fucking therapy. 💀

He’d have to go for his entire existence for one. His problems started from the moment he was conceived and even before, because um…his birth was an extremely twisted and violating experiment even as a concept. He’d have to come to terms with the fact that his own parents injected him with the cells of some fucking eldritch alien abomination while he was still in the womb so that he could serve some higher purpose after his birth. So yeah. He’d probably want to talk about that.

Then he’d have to deal with everything else like: serious mommy issues, Hojo, his mom, Hojo, Shinra in general, Jenova, Hojo, being raised as a child soldier, not knowing what it was like to have a hometown or normal life, not knowing what having fun was or how to socialize at all until he was like…14, Hojo’s A+ parenting, Shinra’s A+ childrearing, fucked up brainwashing and conditioning, war PTSD from when he was like…literally still a kid, Hojo being his dad, whatever happened with Gast, lifelong dehumanization via propaganda and military rearing, lifelong lack of autonomy, whatever terrible thing that is definitely going to happen in The First Solider, being sent to commit genocide as a kid, possible bloodguilt, severe psychological trauma, his only two friends bailing on him, Angeal’s death, his entire relationship with Genesis and what happened with them (I love my bois but their communication skills need some serious work xD), Hojo, human experimentation, the fact that he was the weaponized pawn of a cold, industrial, genocidal, tyrannical, warmongering organization his entire life without fully realizing it because they were really good at lying and manipulation, and finally….mommy issues and Hojo.

This is just all the canon stuff I can think of. If any more of the fan speculation gets proven right, it’s gonna get worse lmao.

23: If they were a scented candle, what would they smell like?

and also probably

sdfghjuikfghsj sorry lmao.

That would probably be post-insanity Sephiroth. Sane Sephiroth is just a melancholy sweetheart, so probably something like sage and vanilla because errrr…something-something sweet + slightly bitter + herbal symbolism my beloved + green and silver-white.

(CRIME BRULÈE LMAOOO I NEED THAT CANDLE)

44: Their happiest memory

Aww ;-;

I am trying to answer these all according to canon or at least what seems implied within canon, so I think it’s technically being with Angeal and Genesis.

This playful spar scene is very important, and it’s one of the only times Seph seems genuinely really happy pre-insanity. Later, when he and Zack are on a mission, he literally just stops randomly to talk about it all cheerfully. I mean, having fun with friends was a pretty foreign concept to him, it seems—so actually having the opportunity with his buddies looked like it meant a lot.

49: Favorite toy as a child

I’m sorry to say, but I remember seeing in one of the game guides that Sephiroth was in battle or at least training for it from before he was ten years old, and considering that he was raised to be a soldier, I don’t think he had any other toys besides weapons, hehe. I mean, in Ever Crisis, he is a young teen and has a scene where he experiences “having fun” for the first time. It’s a big moment for him, so I don’t think playing or toys were concepts he knew or understood as a kid. Maybe he had a few favorite swords though!

Had he been a normal kid….hmmm….well he is part alien and has a black wing…maybe he’d like a stuffed birb toy…ONE WITH BLACK WINGS. HA!

No, that’s just my crow propaganda smh, I’ll shush—

Ok, wow I really need to shut up dghsjk—THANK YOU FOR SPOILING ME FAREEHA! <3

[mk-wizard]

Top 15 Games that SHOULD get a 100% Reboot/Restart

Hi. I felt like doing something positive especially after my last post, so as a follow up, here is a list of games that I think should get the reboot treatment. And when I say reboot, I don’t just mean remake with fancier graphics and bonus features. I mean restart altogether with fresh new storylines that go their own way though in some specific cases, all they need is a new look. Note that this is my subjective opinion and nobody here has to agree with it. It’s just a fun suggestion.

1- Metal Gear - I don’t mean Metal Gear Solid, I mean Metal Gear in general. In fact, I think the “Solid” should be retconned entirely because it not only stopped being about Solid Snake who is the hero, he was done dirty with a pathetic ending and the only sequels we get now are prequels. Not to mention the constant drama and tragedy became nauseating. My advice is to restart from the beginning by rebooting the games that date back to the NES as are with better writing and then after that, only do a half-reboot of Metal Gear Solid and then go its own way while respecting Snake as a main character. Solid Snake is a staple in war themed games and set the standard of how we create them. He should REMAIN the main character and have his endings always remain open with him still standing with dignity.

2- Dino Crisis - I don’t think I need to say much here. Everyone is dying to see this game get remade and it’s not hard to see why. With the exception of the third game and the spin off, Dino Crisis 1 and 2 are amazing. They are dinosaur themed games that actually feel like survivor horror games and not like shooter games with the dinosaur gimmick. This series deserved a reboot and a third game that gives it proper closure.

3- Parasite Eve - Like Metal Gear, this series did dirty to its main character (Aya Brea) in such a way that they wrote themselves into a corner. Only the first game feels unique and special while the second and third instalments have an identity crisis, a confusing weapons and spell system, and a tank control that never belonged. Only the first game should stay as is with a simple remake and then, its sequels should actually be true sequels that keep the battle, spell and control system as are. Let’s just forget that PE2 and The Third Birthday ever happened.

4- Silent Hill - Let’s be honest. Harry Mason is the most underrated male protagonist in survivor horror because unlike all the others, he is not a man of action, not a badass and very relatable for it. He is a widower, a writer, a pacifist and one heck of a dad who literally jumped into the underworld to save his daughter. Now, while I like a lot of the sequels, this series lost its way. With the exception of Silent Hill 2, I think Harry and his daughter should have remained the main protagonists of the series. Harry is proof that real men come in all flavors and having one like him is different while still showing the best attributes of masculinity.

PS: I know Silent Hill 1 got a reboot, but it was bad. Period.

5- Turok - Before there was Dino Crisis (and I’m not discrediting it), there was Turok. The titular hero who might I also add is aboriginal which is a very underrepresented group in fiction period who literally kills dinosaurs with his bare hands. He is a badass and he while he has gotten reboots before, none of them hit the mark yet, but creators should not give up on him. He is worth the effort and if they keep trying, they will strike gold.

6- Castlevania - This series is ICONIC and nobody ever gets tired of it. It should make a comeback and it is one of the few series where being 3D would make it better. And considering that medieval settings in video games is all the rage now, it would be great to see Simon Belmont back in action. Heck, I would even be open to seeing a Belmont fighting evil in our modern times in 3D.

7- The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time - Now, I stand by that this series doesn’t need a reboot, I think this game specifically should get a remake because it is a great game that reshaped the series into how we know and love it now, but it was very buggy and the graphics were not that great even for their time. Everything else about it is great, but it does need a facelift.

8- Prototype - A forgotten gem if there ever was one. This series is unique in that it is the one game where you play as the monster who is also an anti-hero. Yet again, its series did its main character (Alex Mercer) dirty though on top of that, left too many questions unanswered. This series needs a reboot with a much better storyline. If you haven’t seen it, play the first game and you’ll see my point.

9- Tomb Raider - Now, we can all agree that this series has lost its way. While I am all for origin stories and I admit it makes sense for Lara Croft to not be hardened or toughened up from the start. Keeping her as a weak frightened girl doesn’t make her realistic nor does it make her a likeable heroine. And I am woman enough to admit that being athletic, confident, daring and badass is a part of Lara Croft’s character. I don’t want her to be realistic. I want her to be cool and fun to play. This series needs to go back to its roots when it was fun and Lara was allowed to shamelessly be herself.

10- Dead Rising - Another case of a game losing its way and its main protagonist becomes someone they’re not. The second instalment was the only game that felt true to what the series is supposed to be and even then, it felt like a spinoff not a part of the main story because Dead Rising is Frank West’s story. Another thing that also stood out about this game is that unlike most zombie themed games, the main character is not only not a fighter, he’s a total lover in all the great ways. Frank is (or rather, was) compassionate, honest and it isn’t for nothing that you only got the best ending when you would save everyone. Heck, he would save people who tried to kill him. This series should get a total reboot and a total rewrite after game 1. And can we please not give Frank a heart of stone? Him being loving is what made him great.

11- ObsCure - Another lost gem with a unique premise and group of protagonists. This game plays up our childhood fear of the dark because the monsters in this game literally are allergic to the light and the setting is in a highschool. It feels like Scream meets the Blair Witch Project making it a lot of fun, and the monsters are so delightfully creepy. Plus, the story was compelling. Sadly this series only got one sequel which was actually great, but never got that third instalment that would wrap everything up. I say we give this series a reboot, so it can finally finish what it started.

12- Resident Evil Outbreak - I know this is a spinoff series, but it’s one of the best in the series. It fills in a lot of gaps in the main storyline and any game that allows you to have your own tyrant fighting alongside you is awesome. It also has a multiple ending system which was well done and very rewarding when you get the best ending. I think this should get the reboot treatment and even have a third game that expands the aftermath further.

13- Resident Evil Dead Aim - Another one of the best spinoffs in the RE series because it expands the story specifically in how tyrants are made and how the variants work. And to be honest, I even liked the characters. I would love see new life breathed into this compelling game even if it just remains the only one of its kind.

14- Days Gone - I don’t care what anyone says. Any game that allows to play a biker with the spirit of an honourable warrior is badass. Also, can we talk about how this is one of the few games where the main protagonist is married and remains loyal to his wife even long after?! He may be white, male, straight and Christian, but he is still pretty progressive and embodies the BEST part of masculinity. The parts that drive a man to be romantic, noble and heroic. This game with extremely misjudged to the point of bigotry and it deserves a proper reintroduction because it was going places.

15- Half-Life - This series helped Valve get its jump start and it had the most unique and most iffy type of protagonist in an action/sci-fi game possible yet worked: a scientist. After all, who expect the skinny nerd with the big thick glasses to save the day? Yet, it worked and this game has tons of monsters that became iconic in video game lore. What’s really sad is that a third game was in works, but never saw the light of day. I say we reboot this series and give it the chance to honour its promise to give that third game at long last.

Bonus - Other honourable mentions here are Left 4 Dead because Back 4 Blood stinks, Alone in the Dark though I hear a reboot is in the works, Doom, Devil May Cry and the right way please, Bloody Roar, The Suffering, Fatal Frame, The Evil Within and any other fantastic game series that either went bad due to bad sequels or never got the chance to keep going.

[hotwaterandmilk]

Paripi Koumei/Ya Boy Kongming drama eps 2-3

After proving himself worthy of being Eiko's strategist, Kongming helps her not only out-perform event rivals Jet Jacket, but quickly works at finding a rapper to elevate her appeal.

Plot-wise the gist of these episodes is the same as the arcs in the manga (and anime) with Kongming using his tactics to outsmart Jet Jacket while still offering them an olive branch at the end of the day. KABEtaijin is then introduced as a rapper struggling to find his confidence after having succumb to stagnation following an on-stage incident.

What makes the drama stand out while covering the same ground as previous incarnations of the story is how it recognises in its 44-minute episode length it has time to play around with the setting and characters.

So instead of having a scene in the back office of BB Lounge involve Kobayashi, Kongming and Eiko just standing around talking we have Kobayashi riding the faux horse we spotted last episode for the majority of the scene. It is ridiculous and exactly what a TV show needs to break up moments that work well in a manga but could potentially drag in live action.

Rather than being a shot-for-shot remake of the manga, the drama leans into comedy with us actually following Kongming around properly as he surveils his targets in episodes 2 and 3. The absurdity of this man dressed as he is while trying to be subtle and also film on a smartphone is genuinely funny. However, the show never fails to underscore the lead's lighthearted ways by showing his past actions as fragments of a bold historical melodrama and it really, really works.

But Kongming isn't the only character to benefit from the way the drama embraces its unique perspective. We get to see a bit more of RYO from Jet Jacket and get a greater feel for his motivations. We get some genuinely hilarious doco segments with Maezono Keiji that establish his ego and single-mindedness long before (I assume) we get to meet him properly.

Even the moments that ARE straight out of the manga are translated to screen well, like KABEtaijin's encounter with Kongming at the laundromat. You can completely understand why KABEtaijin freaks out, but it's hard to ignore just how utterly silly it all is.

The third episode ends just before Kongming forces KABEtaijin's hand and begins their rap battle. And yes, before you ask, Kongming did ride in on something OTT (like he did in the manga):

Perhaps not as OTT as his ride in the manga, but I can't fault this show for how it has spent its budget. Not only does everything look top notch, the amount of care that has been spent on producing the performers in the show is amazing. For example, their releases are featured on all major streaming platforms and Jet Jacket got a proper MV for 'MID DAY'. They didn't have to go to this much effort but they did and that really adds another layer to the drama. It features the same characters and story we already know, but it still manages to hit different.

Things I didn't like

I still feel like Eiko is the weakest part of the drama. Kamishiraishi Moka isn't a bad actor and her singing as EIKO is solid, there's just a real low-energy feel to this version of Eiko that I had hoped would go away after the first episode. It's a shame, as I mentioned in my post about the first drama ep, I love Eiko in the anime and manga so I was fully expecting to love her in the drama too but she is still falling flat for me idk.

The throat-healing concoction that Kongming shares with Jet Jacket has a whole preparation scene that felt really unnecessary? Like oooh look at him brewing this ancient, weird, stinky broth. The drink has the same effect as the manga/anime versions but the whole prep scene didn't work for me.

I won't say it was bad, because I liked the idea of it being adapted for the drama but Kongming house hunting alone didn't work nearly as well as the manga version with Eiko did. Without her there to sort of balance him out or even to help add a bit of context (suggesting he stop living at BB Lounge with Kobayashi) means I'm not sure if the ultimate punchline (his staying put after driving the real estate agent batshit) will work as well. I'm willing to see where this goes though, if they decide to continue it as a minor plot thread or just decide to have him never leave BB. Either way, I think the manga got it right the first time with this.

Stuff I did like

I thought the official Twitter account was exaggerating when they said we'd see a more gentle side to Kobayashi in the drama, but they really have made an effort to humanise the guy a bit more and I'm absolutely here for it. While the manga acknowledges that Kobayashi is a decent guy, a lot of his character there remains tied up in explaining and reacting to the revelation of Kongming's tactics.

The drama doesn't opt for Kobayashi holding a stray rabbit during the Jet Jacket performance per the manga, but it does have a few little things he does which help add depth to his relationship with other characters. When Eiko is lamenting he gently punches her head, he looks up at Kongming for approval with his Three Kingdoms asides more than once, and I did really like this exchange between the two when Kongming admits his past mistakes as they drink together.

Overall these were two more great episodes in a drama series that is shaping up to be a more than adequate take on the source material. Bring on the rest of the eps!

[lucidpantone]

Wtfock had the talented actors, the talented crew, the fandom even Julie and NKR by their side and they fuck them all up honestly, they clearly couldn't get up after Kato season because this season is a whole mess also funny how the "best part" yet was Bente hahaha like wtFOCK is this remake?!

This ask is like 2 years old (am cleaning my ask box) and the thing that is cracking me up is everything still applies. Replace Bente with Caroline and it's the same old thing. Honestly for me it's just the writing and I feel like we been here for several seasons. I would love a more diverse writing team that isn't so heavy handed. Like Bram is always overdoing it and it's getting a bit exhausting. S3 with the hate crime, s4 with all the racism, s5 with everyone turning on Yasmina even tho she took shit from everyone for years and finally reacted. Ada season literally being a complete snooze fest and like if your gonna do a spin on OG s1 do something interesting. Ada wasn't interesting because the consequences were so meh. So she breaks up with her high school bf...... okay. This season isn't terrible but my god it's dragging we could have had some many other scenes to develop Anais that didn't involve bobbie but we just keep going in circles and am tired. I still think this season hits top 3 for me. Its no zoenne or sobbe but its solid its just doesn't go anywhere like lets move on already......also why the fuck did we randomly throw in an SA plot?!?!? Like am getting tried of Bram's shit.

[alln64games]

Star Fox 64 / Lylat Wars

JP release: 27th April 1997

NA release: 30th June 1997

PAL release: 4th October 1997

Developer: Nintendo

Publisher: Nintendo

N64 Magazine Score: 91%

Star Fox 64 (or Lylat Wars as I knew it as a kid) is a fast-paced on-rails shooter made by Nintendo. The gameplay is extremely solid. Fox’s Awring has lasers that you can charge up for a lock-on, along with limited bombs. Movement is fast and precise and you can perform loops and barrel rolls – the latter reflects bullets.

If you complete levels normally, you’ll go through a really fun route through the game. On top of the on-rails levels, you’ll also encounter “all range mode” where you can fly in 3D. These typically aren’t as “cinematic” as the on-rails levels, but still a lot of fun.

Slippy will get attacked by one of the bosses and will crash land on a planet, here you get to use the Landmaster, a tank that is also really fun to use. You can hover temporally and barrel rolls will now move you across most of the screen.

To get to the credits for the first time, Star Fox 64 is a very short game, but that’s because it’s made to be replayed for a high score, and because it’s so much fun, you don’t mind doing so, trying to get a higher score than last time – but that’s not all of it.

Most missions in the game has a secret objective, complete this and you’ll get “Mission Accomplished” and to a different mission, the “hard route” will take you across some more challenging missions, although personally this is my least favourite route of the games – while all missions but one of the missions in Star Fox 64 are good, I do think these are some of the weaker ones, plus the one bad mission is in this route.

The underwater level. It’s slow, plodding and is rather boring. The bombs are replaced with infinite torpedoes which also light up the way, because the level is also dark and dreary. This is easily the worst part of the game, but at least it’s just the one mission.

Some of my favourite missions are in the middle, including the best all-range mission as you fight an Independence Day-style UFO and the second Landmaster tank mission as you chase a train.

Once you’ve played all the levels, there are also gold medals to unlock, which are extremely difficult. A level select at this point would be nice so you wouldn’t have to work through previous levels, but it does provide something to work towards.

Star Fox 64 is a incredibly fun game, and one you can just have a quick blast through every now and then.

It’s action packed. It’s technically eye-boggling. It works on a number of levels, being easy enough to be fun but with taxing bits if you search for them. It’s got exciting music. It’s unpredictable. It’s imaginative. It’s got massive explosions. It builds up steadily to a spectacular ending. It’s got everything, in other words, that you look for in a good movie – but in a game. It’s brilliant.

- Jonathan Davies, N64 Magazine #3

Remake or Remaster?

A new console remaster would be great – have options to toggle between N64 and 3DS graphics, music and voices (using the higher quality original recordings for the N64 version), some level select options, (perhaps with separate leaderboards for doing induvial levels), widescreen and things like that.

Official ways to get the game

There is no way to buy a new copy of Star Fox 64, the only official way to play is to rent it via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pak.

Other Versions

Star Fox 64 3D

The 3DS got a remake of Star Fox 64, with various enhancements. I personally think the graphic lack the charm of the original (especially the water on Corneria), and the new voice acting and music aren’t quite the same.

Re-releases

2003: iQue

2007: Wii Virtual Console

2016: Wii U Virtual Console

2011: Star Fox 64 3D (remake, 3DS)

2021: Nintendo Switch Online (subscription only)

[amamozarte]

i really like dmc2's vibes and aesthetics, i love lucia's devil trigger design a lot (maybe my favorite in the whole series) and i think i actually prefer majin devil trigger to sdt in 5 design wise. i honestly didn't even mind the gameplay much either until getting to some of the late game bosses that just suck to fight, specifically that one that's like three faces floating around in a void or something? but it also gets more props for having a clearer sense of direction than the first game or even 3 sometimes. i still think it's a pretty bad dmc game but it has some good qualities ppl don't really talk about besides dante's outfit (which IS the best one tho)

UES YES YES DMC2 POSITIVITY IN MY ASK BOOOOOOOOX

I think a lot of the issues (weird story telling/shoddy gameplay and boss design) can be summed up to the fact that the game was basically finished in 3 months. I think dmc2’s main concept and design is some of my favorite, and I honestly loved the ruins/cityscapes and thought the idea of parkour ing through towers is rad as hell. Additionally Lucia is one of my fave dmc characters (I’m talking top 5) and she has my fave devil trigger design in the whole damn series (closely followed by Nero’s dmc5 dt ;P). I think Dante’s characterization in the game is more spot on than people give it credit for, since for some reason he just doesn’t talk in the games opening levels? Overall, above all else, I think dmc2 just needs a remake. Since there’s a big surge in game remakes with re4r and metal gear solid triangle, it’s the perfect year to start producing a dmc2 remake- and I think a lot of people would be open to it! It’s not a game that’s doomed by its very concept and mechanics- and I think modern controls will really help the game shine like it deserves to :)

[bonesandthebees]

Hi!! I just reread starman waiting in the sky last night and I forgot how good it was, honestly the way you write crimeboys is fucking epic, I admire a lot of your writing lol, it actually inspired me to write as a hobbie :D thanks for that :))

Anyway I saw you've watched at least a couple animes and I was wondering if you have any suggestions? Trying to get into it but so far I've only really watched a couple studio Ghibli movies, some of bleach and weathering with you +your name

-🐦‍⬛ anon if that isn't already taken :D

aww thank you so much!! man it always means so much to hear that I inspire people to write. seriously that's wild to me, writing is something I've loved ever since I was a little kid so giving someone else the drive to try it out is just aaaaa ty <3

oooo okay I definitely haven't watched a ton of anime or anything but I definitely have a solid amount of shows ticked off my list

(this got long surprise surprise so I'm putting it under a read more)

so based on what you said you've watched so far, you mostly seem to be into anime that's more of a mix of slice of life with vague fantastical elements. the only thing off the top of my head I can think of that fits that vibe is fruits basket, which I'll be honest I only got a couple episodes into but didn't end up completing. that's not because it was bad or anything, I actually really liked the characters, it just didn't grab me. but I've heard amazing things about it! also, when I'm talking about it I'm referring to the more recent remake from 2019 as I've heard that's the better one (?) but also I've never watched the og version (which is like from 2001) so I can't say that for sure that's just what I've heard people say

now onto recommendations of things I've actually watched

I haven't seen bleach but from what I know it's a shōnen manga, so if you like action/adventure kind of stuff the best anime I have ever watched (and tbh one of the best pieces of media I've ever seen hands down) is the anime Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. like, it's widely considered one of the greatest of all time and for good reason. the series is so well-written. all of the characters are so interesting and well-formed, their relationships are nuanced, the story itself deals with a lot of very heavy topics very skillfully while still keeping a lot of moments for humor. and also if you like my crimeboys fics, the center point relationship in fullmetal alchemist is between two brothers who love each other so fucking much just aaaaaa Ed and Al my BOYS. seriously I would not have the crimeboys brothers brainrot today if I hadn't been obsessed with fmab as a teenager. now fullmetal alchemist: brotherhood is on the longer side (like 5 seasons I think) but it's so so worth it I promise. also, if you do watch it make sure you're watching Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. like with the aforementioned fruits basket, there's an older version of the series that was made in 2003 (just called Fullmetal Alchemist) and the plot of it deviated from the manga, and from what I've heard it isn't considered to be as good as FMA: Brotherhood. Brotherhood was made in 2009 and follows the manga completely, and while I haven't watched the 2003 version and can't say for sure if it's worse, the general consensus is Brotherhood is the far superior version.

okay that's my one long ramble the rest of the recs I'll give quicker blurbs for

Death Note (yes I know I'm basic but I love it ok): great if you like watching two guys play mental 4D chess. one guy basically has the power of a god to kill people with so he decides to execute criminals with it, the other is the investigator trying to find out who the dude with magic powers killing people is. very fun on the mind games front

Ouran High School Host Club: COMPLETELY different tone to the rec above. Ouran is very goofy and silly with a surprisingly nuanced take on gender for being made in 2006. it's genuinely such a funny show but the characters also have real heart and you really do love watching the relationships that form. it's such a classic I'm pretty sure most people who like anime have watched it. just trust me on this.

Madoka Magica: magical girl anime except, uh, it's not all fun and sparkles. saying anything more will ruin the twist so I won't tell you too much, but I will say this show has very fascinating relationships and GORGEOUS animation like holy shit. if you like my fic starman I feel like you'll enjoy this. if you do decide to watch it try to finish at least up to ep 3 before deciding if you'll continue with it or not, bc that's when the show 'properly' starts imo

okay that's all I'll say for now! hope you find something you like out of these!

[phoenixwatchesmovies]

What I'm Watching 2023: February

And here we go... I hit the image limit this month! 😅

The Neverending Story

This movie traumatized me back when Disney Channel would play it every other weekend, and it continues to do so. It was good to come back to it after too many years.

Vertical Limit

I'm actually surprised I could find gifs for this, tbh, as I didn't think anyone remembered this movie. I liveblogged this one, with some commentary and observations. It was fun.

The Mountain Between Us

Different enough from the book to keep it feeling fresh, though it felt like something was missing. Don't get me wrong, it's good, it's just that so much of the book was internal, and that doesn't translate well to screen.

Along Came Polly

Another rewatch. Nice to know this one still makes me laugh.

Wolf Creek

Hoo boy, this was something else. It owes a lot to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and it was most certainly made in the mid 2000's, right at the start of the torture porn era of horror. Not to say it's terribly gory, just that it's graphic and very, VERY mean-spirited. A tough watch, but I'd watch it again before, say, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Scream 2

A near perfect sequel, if you ask me. I'm planning on ranting about the franchise in general once I'm finished with it, so that's all I'm saying for now.

The Lost Boys

Yep, rewatch. At this point, it doesn't take much before I'm waxing poetic about allegories and how this is a tragedy in disguise as a coming of age story, and I'm probably going to have a look at the sequels, so expect more about this later.

Evil Dead (2013)

HOLY FORKING SHIRT BALLS, THIS IS AWESOME. At first, I wasn't too sure I wanted to give this a shot, since remakes generally suck and I wasn't too keen on the level of gore I'd heard about. Thank the Dead Meat channel on YouTube for finally talking me into this, because this was one of the most fun viewing experiences I've had in a hot minute. Again, expect a franchise rant!

Scream 3

Can't poor Sidney catch a break?

The Princess Bride

Everybody knows this movie, and if they don't, they should. This is the greatest movie ever made, and I will hear no arguments to the contrary.

It (2017)

HELL FUCKIN YEAH, I ACTUALLY WATCHED IT, AND I'M STILL MAD ABOUT HOW MUCH I LIKED IT! AND I'M PROBABLY GOING TO WATCH IT AGAIN SOMETIME!

Scream 4

What am I going to do with myself when I'm caught up with this franchise?

The Black Phone

Second time around, and I made Sis watch with me. (This would actually make a really good double feature with It Chapter One, tbh...) Solid all around, and I've enjoyed Scott Derrickson's work before, but Finney and Gwen are easily the strongest elements of the movie. I'd take bullets for these kids.

Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

By happy accident, I finally stumbled across the extended version! Which means I got a whole extra hour to cry about everything!

The Evil Dead

I'll save most of my thoughts for a franchise rant, but I'm fairly certain this one is somewhere on my top ten horror list.

And because I can't help myself, our rewatch rewatches this month are:

Labyrinth

The Shining

A Nightmare On Elm Street

###

Now, maybe I'll get around to The Last Of Us sometime in March...

[seriouslycromulent]

So I finally got around to watching The Librarians ...

After I finished the second half of the latest season of Leverage (aka Leverage: Redemption), I felt the urge to watch something else with the same energy. And what has the same energy of Leverage? Well, The Librarians ... duh.

Now, to be fair. I've tried to get into The Librarians in the past, but I could never make it past the first 3 episodes. Seriously, I've tried to start this series no less than 3 times, and I just kept giving up on it.

Why? Because I found most of the characters too annoying to enjoy it. Mainly Ezekiel, Cassandra and Flynn. And although I know that it takes time for actors to settle into their characters, and begin the journey of growth and change that comes with a solid character arc, I couldn't bring myself to keep watching.

So what changed my mind this time?

Easy. I didn't bother watching the first 3 episodes. 😉 Since I already knew who the characters were, and vaguely recalled how everyone got together, I thought I would just dive in and see how it would go from there.

And it worked! Most of the cast still got on my nerves for the first half of the first season, but it wasn't too long before they started to grow on me -- especially Jenkins.

In true "me" fashion, my favorite character easily became Jenkins / Sir Galahad, and most of my favorite scenes and episodes involve him. But more on him later.

Anyway, that's not to say their aren't plenty of other things I love about the show now. I'm not sure if there is common denominator among my favorite episodes, but here they are and a wee reason about why they're one of my favorite episodes:

... And the Fatal Separation (s3, ep9) Why? -- Three words: Ernie. Reyes. Jr. That's it. That's the reason this episode is on my list. And it's enough. Granted, I don't believe that Christian Kane could last more than 10 seconds in a real fight with Ernie, but the fact that he was the main guest star and was clearly having a great time made me really love this episode. Plus, how hot were Cassandra and Ezekiel posing as black market traders? Their hair and clothes made me want to see them in those roles again in the future.

... And the Reunion of Evil (s3, ep3) Why? -- I pretty much loved this entire episode from start to finish. I loved the conflict, the "creatures of the week," and the development it gave for Jake and Cassie's relationship. It did a wonderful job of balancing humor and drama, and of course, it was just really well executed because ... Jonathan Frakes directed it.

... And the Silver Screen (s4, ep4) Why? -- I know we're meant to love the whole film noir schtick involving Flynn and Baird, but I actually adored this episode for 2 reasons: 1) the rest of the team moving from film genre to film genre in order to help their teammates was funny as hell, and 2) Jenkins working with guest star Gloria Reuben to solve the real mystery on their end. I thought they had great chemistry together, and it made me want to see them interact with each other again in the future. I know that's not possible, but John Larroquette is just so great at creating chemistry with pretty much anyone.

... And the Christmas Thief (s4, ep3) Why? -- Wait. We get Ezekiel backstory *and* Steven Weber as an over-the-top villain of the week? Of course this episode is making my list of favorites! Granted, I'm not a big fan of the Christmas holiday personally, so it also gelled with me in that respect (aka steering clear of how "great" the holiday is), but more so I'm a huge fan of Steven Weber and I think he's an incredibly under-appreciated actor. (Plus, have you ever heard him sing? Check out the remake/spoof of Reefer Madness with Kristen Bell when you get a chance. You will not be disappointed.) And that speech that Ezekiel delivers to his mother about why he stole and how he's an artist, so he didn't care about keeping any of the stuff he stole. ::chef's kiss::

... And the Hidden Sanctuary (s4, ep8) Why? -- I think what I love most about this episode is the idea of Cassandra working alongside the little boy to solve the mystery as to why the town never has any accidents and seems so perfect. Usually it's Cassandra who would be the first to notice something is off, but it took the little boy to bring it to her attention. Which in a way reveals how the curiosity of youth is still as valuable as any other form of intelligence. Adding to that, a part of me wanted the town's councilman to get what was coming to him for trapping a fae. If you know absolutely nothing about the occult, witchcraft or ancient faiths, know one thing: Don't f*ck with the fae. I was ready for her to get her revenge, and I can't say that I blamed her at all. Seriously, kids. DFWTF.

... And the Happily Ever Afters (s2, ep9) Why? -- OK. I don't know what I love about this one. It's the precursor to the season finale, but I kind of wish they had stayed in this alternate reality for a little while longer. It was just so cute to see how each team member was living their idealized lives, but also working together as a team without even questioning it. Yeah, yeah, I wanted them to stop Prospero too, but I also wanted to see them go about these AU lives for a little while longer. Plus, I really liked David S. Lee's Moriarty. So much so that I was actually rooting for him and "Duchess" to stay together instead of her being in a relationship with Flynn. I thought Rebecca and David had more chemistry than Rebecca and Noah, frankly. But either way, I really liked this episode for pretty shallow reasons. I thought the resolution was a little too cheesy (the part about claiming your other/real life to the totem pole), but overall, it didn't take away from what I liked the most. Also, Christian Kane runs kinda funny. :-P

... And Some Dude Named Jeff (s4, ep10) Why? -- This is my absolute favorite episode of the entire series, and it bugs me that it's the 3rd to last episode of the entire series. It's like the writers gave me what I wanted most -- a Jenkins-focused episode -- and then said, "That's a wrap!" Sure, all good things must ... you know the rest. Then, I found out that Lindy Booth directed this episode, and now I love it even more. It really was perfection from start to finish, and we got to see John Larroquette do what he does best: Steal. The. Mother. F*ckin'. Show. He was hilarious at just the right moments; angsty and forlorn in just the right measure; and sincere and charming in just the right way. Granted, the villain seemed more scary in absentia than he did when he finally appeared on screen, but who cares? This was all about Jenkins ... and some dude named Jeff.

OK. I think that's all I have for this post. It's already hella-long. I thought I was going to share my top 10 favorite episodes, but it turns out the other 3 were really just ones I liked in terms of quality and execution, but I don't think I'll re-watch them over and over again like I would these 7 episodes I listed above. That, or I really just like those other 3 faves because of the scenes with Jenkins.

Alright, I'll leave dear readers be. But don't be surprised if I suddenly start reblogging a lot of old memes and posts about the show, especially ones that focused on Jenkins/Sir Galahad.

And probably an entire post gushing over Jenkins and John Larroquette in general. So yeah, watch this space.

[iguessitsjustme]

Okay I just saw your “Top Non-BL Asian TV Shows” list bc I was looking through the Love O2O tag (as one does) and I need to know if you have one for top BL Asian shows bc I’m obsessed.

Hello my dear anon! Sorry it took a few days to get to this. My brain has not been braining BUT I have a list for you! Before I get started though, I did make a list of my top BL from 2022 and there is definitely going to be some overlap there.

Anyway. This is in no way a comprehensive list and it's just gonna be in alphabetical order. I also couldn't limit myself to ten this time, so you're going to get 15. This got really long so it's going under a cut:

A Tale of 1000 Stars - This show is one of my all time favorite BLs. The story was so well told and the acting was phenomenal. Genuinely, this show almost made me cry (in a good way). I got real close and if you know me, that's impressive. This show is pretty close to flawless for me and it is the show I used to introduce my mom to BL and now she's seen a whole lot and loves it like I do. So this show will always have a special place in my heart.

2. Bed Friend - I went into this show expecting to mostly enjoy it but I was fully expecting it to be a trash watch. What I didn't expect was a beautifully told story about trauma and how that can impact relationships and how patience and kindness and support, genuine support, is a fundamental piece of loving someone. Truly astonishing. Blew me out of the water.

3. Cherry Magic - This show is so incredibly wholesome and cute. I love the premise and I always appreciate when we get shows about adults. Adachi and Kurosawa are so precious and adorable and truly the only people deserving of each other. No one else could possibly deserve the love and light of those two. Plus I love our aroace girlie. She deserves the world. I know Thailand is doing a remake of this show and I'm skeptical but hopeful. We'll see.

4. DNA Says Love You - I'm not sure if I actually classify this as BL but it is very queer and the friendships are solid. One of the best friend groups and such a compelling story. It took me a minute to get into it cause the first few episodes aren't the best, but once the story starts taking off it's so, so good.

5. Ghost Host, Ghost House - This show came at the right time for me. It was so heartbreakingly beautiful. Our main couple gets a happy ending but the journey to get there is hard and honestly I was going through a lot when this was released and watching it was very cathartic for me. It helped give me an outlet to process grief I was going through.

6. Light on Me - The only good love triangle I have ever seen. Daon is my baby forever and always. I truly believe this show did so much for Korean BL and opened the doors for longer form BL out of Korea. The real selling point to this show for me is the characters. The story is cute, if basic, but the characters and their relationships and how the interact with each other is truly wonderful. The acting is phenomenal and everything about it is just so pretty.

7. Moonlight Chicken - This show has so much of what I look for in older, more serious shows. This show was perfect in its imperfectness. We got two generations of queer men in a family and we got to see how each reacted to the world and to their own queerness. We got deaf representation and a character learning sign language specifically to communicate. Heart's story with his parents was honestly beautiful and I think it was handled really well.

8. My School President - So cute. Just incredibly adorable. FourthGemini are honestly ridiculously talented for their age. I'm very excited to see what they do next. My only issue with this one was the sheer amount of singing, but at least it made sense with the plot and it was built in singing. Watching Tinn and Gun's story play out was a treat every week. There was not a single episode that was not enjoyable.

9. Old Fashion Cupcake - This is it for me. Absolute perfection. This is flawless episodes. I have no notes. I love this show. This is my top BL of all time. Everything about this is excellent. I don't even know how to properly discuss this because I love it so much.

10. Our Dating Sim - I'm not normally a fan of reunion stories but this one is fantastic. One of Korea's best. There's not a minute of wasted time.

11. Our Dining Table - This is the cutest, the most wholesome, the most darling, the most precious show ever created. I could not be mad watching this show. Even if certain people pissed me off, if I went home and turned on this show, my rage was calmed and I was happy again. I bought the first volume of the manga for this and I'm planning on buying the rest whenever I'm able.

12. Seven Days - This is probably the most underrated BL out there. It's cute, it's wholesome, the characters are amazing. Watching these two fall for each other is one of the best treats you can give yourself. I'm about to make my mom watch these two movies in the next few weeks and I cannot wait.

13. Sing My Crush - I loved this show oh so very much. I'm pretty sure I stayed up until like 2 one night binging it. It scratched a particular itch for me in the pining childhood friends to lovers. I just love them so much. The villain was a bit too...evil...for my taste but it worked. Plus, I genuinely didn't mind the singing here.

14. The Eighth Sense - This is just good. I'm not sure I classify it as BL but definitely queer. I tend to prefer shows that deal with trauma of some sort and this show does that and does it well. How many shows do we have where a character is actually seeing a therapist? Plus the patience and love that Ji Hyun had to Jae Won was just heartwarming. This show isn't just one of my favorite queer shows. It's one of my top 5 shows of all time.

15. Until We Meet Again - To me, this is THE BL. I cried multiple times. It's tough to get me to cry once let alone multiple times. I had already gotten into BL when I started watching this but I'd say this show was probably my full blow decent into madness. I think I watched all 17 episodes in the span of 3 days while working full-time. Overtime at that. I didn't sleep. One of the most beautiful stories ever written. I'm a sucker for reincarnation stories and this just..is so incredibly beautiful. It got me in my feels.

There ya have it. That's a list. Definitely not all, but I'd be listing forever and getting my executive to function enough to write this was hard enough. ps if you like Love O2O, the ML, Yang Yang is the main character in King's Avatar which was another show I put on my top non-BL shows but I rewatched it recently and I don't know what I was smoking when I wrote that list but that show is so incredibly gay. There's no canon romance but it's still very gay

[thecodeveronica]

Okay so nobody will care about this but me, but I'm gonna ramble about what I would do if I was in charge of coordinating another Resident Evil chapter for Dead by Daylight, if I could do whatever I wanted with it

New Map: Spencer Mansion Iconic, and not visually like anything else already in DBD. I love RPD as a map and location in general, but I was one of those people who really wanted Spencer Mansion to be the map when RE got added to DBD, so yeah. It'd obviously be a two-floor map, and I'm sure people would unfairly whine about it being confusing just like they did RPD, but to be fair, Spencer Mansion doesn't exist in HD for them to just straight up reuse like RPD was, so surely it'd be scaled a little more appropriately for a game like Dead by Daylight... maybe

New Killer: Alexia Ashford Power: uhhh idk honestly lmao, but something involving insects since that's one of the defining aspects of her and her boss fight. Maybe involve fire somehow too since she also used that. I'll be honest, I don't have a solid gameplay idea here, but Alexia would be my top Killer pick since another female killer is cool to add, her design is cool, and nobody else uses bugs in the Killer roster.

New Survivors: Billy Coen and Steve Burnside Yes, I know, nobody gives a shit about Steve but me lol. But a) this is my fantasy post and b) it'd be weird to have a Code: Veronica Killer but no accompanying Survivor from that game and Claire was already added as a legendary skin (which I'm kinda mad about still because it means I'll never have OG RE2 or Code: Veronica cosmetics for her, grrr). Honestly, I'd give him at least one meme-y type of perk for people to be goofy with because good lord does Steve do some dumb shit in CV (/affectionate), and some kind of perk related to the spoiler thing that happens to him later in the game (if you know, you know).

Billy is there also because he's one of my faves, he rounds out the other previous RE Survivors in DBD having their partner characters (Rebecca doesn't have anyone unless you count Chris, I... guess?), and he's pretty much the only other major "old-style" RE protagonist left not in the game already, and I like to focus on those games more than the later stuff. He could also have some perks related to things memorable from RE0, like the goofy item dropping mechanic; maybe a perk that relates to that or chests somehow. And a teamwork perk (like the Thalita/Renato ones) to tie into the way you played as Billy and Rebecca together.

New Survivor Legendary Skins: Ashley Graham and Luis Serra Navarro Ashley would be a legendary skin for Rebecca, and Luis for Leon. They would obviously be their superior RE4 remake versions. Honestly, I could easily make a case for a whole RE4-centric chapter too (and that would be way more marketable lol), but if not that, then I'd love to see these two as legendaries.

New Killer Legendary Skins: Alfred Ashford and Mr. X Alfred would be a legendary skin for Alexia, and Mr. X for Nemesis. The fact that Mr. X isn't in DBD as a skin yet is nuts to me. Yeah yeah, he doesn't use the tentacle like Nemesis, but nobody really cares so long as they are playing as Mr. X. Meanwhile, Alfred doesn't really fit power-wise for an Alexia skin either, but I just think he's neat :)

New Cosmetics: RE4 Remake sweater dress for Ada RE4 Remake pinstripe suit for Leon RE4 Remake "romantic" outfit for Ashley RE0 leather outfit for Rebecca RE0 suit (the yakuza-looking one) for Billy RE4 (original) look for Luis (for the weirdos who like his old design better lmao)

This would be a larger level change, but I'd also let players toggle Legendary skins to show up on the character select screen. Like, you could set Carlos to show up instead of Leon's portrait if you have him. And as an even bigger change, I'd change how Legendary skins work to let them have their own skins too, so then I could get a Code: Veronica outfit Claire and a Christmas sweater for Carlos :3

[lord-radish]

When the Metal Gear Solid collection got announced for Switch I legit SCREAMED. This is like Life is Strange all over again, knowing it's confined to another platform and then getting slapped in the face with a Switch reveal.

This reveal has layers, both personally, regarding Nintendo and for the greater MGS history.

First of all? Like straight-up, I just wanted it. The Switch is my main thing until I get a good computer, so being able to have the first five Metal Gear games on the Switch is so good. Right out of the gate, we're already off to a great start.

Secondly, it's significant that this collection is coming to the Switch because despite Metal Gear being known predominantly as a Sony franchise, Nintendo has the longest history with Metal Gear out of all the major publishers:

Konami's subpar NES port of Metal Gear 1 was the only worldwide release, and they released a subpar sequel on the same console that Kojima not only wasn't involved in, but wasn't even aware of. The only reason Metal Gear 2 on the MSX2 exists at all is because Kojima wanted to show what he could do with what was ostensibly his franchise. That directly led into the first Metal Gear Solid game, which was a massive trailblazer.

Nintendo has two major exclusive Metal Gear games. The first one is a top-down 2D game in the style of the original duology called Ghost Babel - it's non-canon. The second one is a 6th gen remake of the first Metal Gear Solid game on the GameCube, which has never been ported to anything else.

The only other Metal Gear game on a Nintendo platform, to my knowledge, is a port of Metal Gear Solid 3 to the 3DS in the early 2010's. Not counting spinoffs, the only (canon) Metal Gear games on Nintendo consoles are a shitty port of the first game, a remake of the first 3D game and an underpowered port of the third 3D game.

As such? The Master Collection will be the first time that Metal Gear 2 and Metal Gear Solid 2 will be playable on a Nintendo console.

Third, and lastly - the version of Metal Gear Solid 1 they're using.

Metal Gear Solid 1 is a PlayStation 1 game, and as such it has been notoriously hard to access beyond the PlayStation 1 release. There was an obscure PC port that apparently isn't great, but besides that, MGS1 only exists as a digital download on the PS3 and beyond. Even the Legacy Collection, which has EVERY MAINLINE GAME from 1987 to 2012, only had a download code for Metal Gear Solid; everything else was on-disc.

Before the PS3-exclusive Legacy Collection, there was a HD Collection released for the PS3 and Xbox 360. The only games on it were Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3, which may have to do with the general congruity of those two PS2 titles, but which could also be because of MGS1's nature as a PlayStation exclusive causing its exclusion.

That exclusivity, along with MGS4 being a PS3 exclusive, means that the PlayStation 3 is the only games console on Earth capable of playing every single Metal Gear game, from the original MSX2 game to Metal Gear Solid 5.

The Master Collection that's releasing on the Switch uses the PS1 version.

This is the first fucking time that Metal Gear Solid 1 has natively been available on anything outside the PS1, excluding that PC port no-one seems to like. It has been locked up on the same platform, excluding emulation, for over 20 years. And what's more - they didn't substitute the original release with the GameCube remake, which is notable because if they were gonna keep the visual style of the three games congruous, they could have opted to port that remake instead.

The reason they're going with the PS1 version is because it's almost universally beloved for its voice-acting and music. The remake re-recorded everything, including script changes from Kojima who disliked the looser feel of the localised dialogue, and the score for the first game is iconic and unique before Harry Gregson-Williams took over composing duties for the second game onwards - including writing a whole new OST for the MGS1 remake, which doesn't hit quite as hard.

That last part is whatever since Xbox is getting it too, but I'm so excited for this collection for all of the above stated reasons. There's so much about this announcement that caught me completely off-guard.