#Staff knows that there's critique to be had about their story. they don't need every single person to tell them.

[citrinebumblebee-fr]

Whatever y'all do, do not let this go from "hey here's a critique on this short story, y'all may have accidentally fallen into some harmful tropes" to dogpiling staff, calling them racist, turning this from a critique into a mob clamoring for them to make it perfect immediately and reading into the existing version in bad faith.

I can see why the resolution of the short story would trip alarm bells and could use another draft, but the Tumblr Post Going Around digs way too deep in some places and I think we all gotta tone it down a little bit before this becomes a game of drama telephone that ends in a massive overreaction

(In games of internet telephone like this there's the compulsion to join in the discussion just so you can pre-emptively let people know what side you're on in case it ever does become an argument with distinct sides. Which it shouldn't. But it feels like it could give way to internet fisticuffs and staff accusations if we're not careful)

[mauesartetc]

Thoughts on Helluva Boss 205 ("Unhappy Campers")

Wow, this... This one may actually be worse than Murder Family. That's impressive.

Is anyone else noticing a pattern of Helluva Boss episodes going absolutely nowhere? Each one ends without affecting the larger plot in any meaningful way. Season 1's structure was fairly episodic as well, but at least back then there was some sense of progression.

I usually include separate lists of pros and cons in these critiques, but in this case, I have so few compliments to give this thing it's not worth it. I tried my best to find more to like about this episode, but it gave me bupkis to work with. So I'll just present all my notes in chronological order.

Let's get this over with.

-Looks like the rehab facility where Barb used to live is located in Sloth (on account of the floating islands and all the pink in the environment), just like the hospital in this season's previous episode. We've never seen care centers in any other ring, so... Does Hell society's opinion of sick people dictate that they're just lazy? Some clarification on that might be nice.

-"She's got a job now. A life. Don't fuck it up by findin' her." Holy shit, the nurse is the most mature, sympathetic character in this entire episode. Tasing Blitzo in the butthole earns her bonus points in my book. Nurse Pussyface, you are way too good for this show.

-Why is Blitzo even trying to visit his sister if he's been kicked out of the facility several times and knows she hates him? What's the impetus? "Look, I know you hate my guts, but Dad's dead, and he named you in the will." Or maybe he had an experience that reminded him of her and figured he'd drop by to see how she was? Y'know, something.

-By the way, Helluva's animation is usually a highlight, but here there's not much to say about it. It wasn't especially memorable or ambitious; just kinda... passable. Even the climactic fight scene (which I'll get to later) didn't have much to write home about.

-How the hell didn't the client notice the holes in his boat before he rowed it out into deep water? Because I'm pretty sure it would leak when it was still in the shallow end of the lake, unless this is a unique real-life boating phenomenon I'm not aware of. Also, you'd think this guy was a bit too gung-ho to get out on the lake for someone who can't swim. Did someone have a gun to your head, dude?

Fun fact: Did y'all know I was on staff at a summer camp once? We had a pond, canoes, and a boathouse just like the camp in this episode. One thing we had that this camp apparently doesn't, however, is this important rule: No one gets in a canoe without a life jacket. EVER. But, well... We see later that the adults at this camp don't care much about safety, so I guess that's fair enough. (Though I'm curious how they manage to stay open, or what the client's loved ones have to say about his mysterious disappearance.)

-What did the client do to get sent to Hell after he died? Mrs. Mayberry murdered someone, so that's why she's here, but this kid seems pretty chill-? (And don't even try to explain this on Twitter, writers. If it's not in the story itself, it ain't canon.) I also can't help but notice that his design reflects the way he died, but every other sinner's appearance is just random. Consistency? Who needs it!

-Some unintentional hilarity for ya: Here's Millie's face after the client recounted his death.

And she holds this pose for the remainder of the scene. Was there NO direction on how to animate Millie here?! This is a grim situation and she's smiling?! I get that she's a demon, but damn that is cold. It's never been clearer that half her role in this story is just smiling and looking cute, to the point the animators don't know what else to do with her.

-Richard Horvitz's valley girl voice was kinda funny. I dug it. Not sure why Moxxie and Millie had to dress in drag for anything other than cheap laughs, though.

-I know Millie's hurtin' for more development, but this story's conflict would have made SO much more sense from a character standpoint if Moxxie were getting all the praise from the campers. Think about it: He's the one Blitzo always shits on and doesn't believe in. He's the one whose father doesn't love him. He's the one who never gets positive attention from anyone except his wife. Suddenly the conflict is much more compelling: Now that he has approval from these humans, maybe he doesn't need it from Blitzo anymore (not sure why he needed his approval in the first place, but whatever). Maybe he'd realize what he's been missing, and how shitty Blitzo's treatment has been in comparison. Could this be the breaking point that finally gets him to muster some self-respect and quit IMP? We'll never know, because the episode has miscalculated where the most interesting dilemma actually lies.

As far as we can tell, Millie's had zero reason to doubt herself, and we never see her being mistreated like Moxxie has.

Take these lines of dialogue: "And for once I feel like... Like I'm important! Like I'm somebody to be proud of!"

Wouldn't they fit so much better if they came out of Moxxie's mouth?

-I kinda liked how the lyrics of Millie's song were humble while Moxxie's lyrics were egotistical, showing that being down to earth will win you friends while being self-centered will turn people off. But is that really the kind of message we need in an adult show? It's a useful lesson for children, but after you hit the age of this series' target demographic, most people will have the social skills to know better than to pull what Moxxie did at the campfire.

-Speaking of Moxxie being super immature, why does he weep when a bunch of preteens ignores him? They're...They're kids, Mox. They aren't your peers. Literally who cares. This behavior makes no sense outside of (once again) cheap humor. I could understand being bummed out that you're not good with kids if you wanted to have your own someday, but even that doesn't warrant actual tears. And this makes him look like a massive hypocrite later on when he asks Millie why it matters what "these yokels" feel about her. I mean... You seemed to care a lot about how they saw you, Moxxie...

-Moxxie's excuse for why it's so hard for him to get information on the case is that everyone's too busy "swooning over" Millie. Here's a thought: Why doesn't Millie get the info? She's the one everyone likes, so it should be a snap, right? Well, once again, the characters get railroaded because the writers can't entertain any other plot ideas. And of course Moxxie ends up getting blamed for everything as if he's the only one who fucked up here.

-Why the hell would a summer camp show so much favoritism toward a single camper that they set up a friggin' concert for this camper and this camper only? Yeah yeah, "viral sensation" and everything, but 1) The news crew can wait another day or so for camp to end in order to conduct an interview (y'know, something that wouldn't require a huge-ass stage and pyrotechnics that'd cost the camp boatloads of money), and 2) The camp staff thinks Millie is a child. How fucking irresponsible can you get to lavish this much attention on a kid? Think it'll go to her head or something? Psssh nah. Also, you're telling me none of the other campers are the tiniest bit jealous? How do you think they feel, seeing this one kid get treated like a god while they're left in the dust?

Okay, plot-wise, the writers decided they wanted Millie to sing a song so she's occupied during the final showdown with the killer. Easy solution: Camp talent show. That way, the adults treat all the campers equally, and Millie gets her (more believable) moment in the spotlight.

-Oh hey, we finally see Asmodean crystals in action. And of course the first one we see is a butt plug.

SuCh a MAturE shOw, GUys! (Sorry, I'm still laughing my head off at that.)

So, a bit of backstory for those who aren't familiar: We first learned of Asmodean crystals in the Season 2 premiere, when Stolas opened the grimoire to reveal Norse runes on its pages. Someone on the internet was kind enough to translate:

Now here's the deal: Blitzo tells the lust demon to open the portal with his crystal (even threatening him at gunpoint), leading me to believe only non-imps could use Asmodean crystals and that's why he needed the grimoire to get to the human world.

But guess what happens later:

Blitzo's sister Barb, another imp, uses a crystal on her bracelet to open a portal back to Hell. So what exactly was the point of stealing the grimoire from Stolas??

BLITZO. YOU. DENSE. MOTHERFUCKER.

Okay, maybe I'll be generous and acknowledge that there might be another explanation, like Blitzo getting banned from using Asmodean crystals because he's misused them in the past. (Maybe there's a spell that causes the crystals to burn him every time he tries to hold one. Something of that nature.) But at this point I don't trust these writers to fill in their plot holes. Or plot portals, as the case may be.

-The portals themselves are kinda pretty, though. I can appreciate that they look different from the portals created by the grimoire.

-Moxxie calls Blitzo "sir" in this episode despite Blitzo telling him to use his first name in Truth Seekers. Moxxie then uses it in "Ozzie's" (if I remember correctly), but now he's back to "sir" for unexplained reasons-? Coupled with how their relationship has reverted back to square one with Blitzo learning nothing (as well as no one bringing up the agents or what they can do to stop them leaking the proof that demons exist), do the writers just want us to forget that episode or what?

-Blitzo chastises Moxxie for dragging the case out for a week, but it took him a week to track down Barb. This hypocrisy is never addressed.

-At the boathouse, Blitzo tells Moxxie he's looking for his sister, then kicks down the door, revealing Barb inside. Moxxie asks, "Do you know her?" "Do I know her? That's my sister, fuckface!" That's... oddly repetitive, writers. I get that Moxxie wouldn't immediately make the connection since Barb's disguised as a human, but there's a more graceful way to handle that in the dialogue. Something like, "Is this her?" "Oh, now you're on the ball!"

-In an earlier post I expressed concern that these writers wouldn't handle Barb's addiction well, and I'm somewhat relieved they didn't go into it. But I also predicted she'd amount to a genderbent Blitzo instead of having her own personality, and... well...

Overindulges in addictive substances? Check. Runs a business that requires travel to the human world? Check. Pottymouth? Check. Uses sexuality as leverage? Check.

It would've been nice to at least get a hint about what Blitzo did to make her hate him so much (and perhaps confronting that would make him rethink how he treats Moxxie-?), but I guess we'll have to find out when she comes back in seven episodes or so. Yaaaaay.

-Barb says she picked this particular human as her supplier because teenagers are easy to manipulate, but she really had no way to accomplish that other than flashing her panties at him? Assuming Barb and Blitzo are the same age, she's in her 30s, and... it's just a tad creepy and uncalled for, even if this kid's legal. That's a pretty big age (and power) gap regardless. This is one of those times when it looks a lot more predatory when you switch the genders, but, importantly, women can be predators too. Bad optics, y'all.

-The climactic fight scenes in prior episodes were snappy and exciting, but this one's pacing felt really sluggish. I get that the song in the background had a slower tempo than we're used to in these action scenes, but would it have been so hard to double-time the animation? Also, previous fight scenes were notable for their creative choreography, but Barb wrapped her tail around Moxxie twice in a row. Having trouble coming up with new fight moves, guys? Like damn, she's an acrobat. She could do so much more.

-In another edition of "characters being idiots because plot", Moxxie and Millie make out in front of everyone who thinks they're related. They couldn't have run off to somewhere more private?? Apparently no; this needed to happen so Millie's internet fame would be dashed... or, here's another option: Show how the internet popularity cycle is so damn short that everyone's already moved on to the next sensation. You could have made that funny if you actually put in some effort. Like... The faux-incest was just so unnecessary.

-Much like Murder Family, another unfunny ending where Moxxie's dreams are crushed. Blitzo gets his hopes up only to call him a "fuckin' disgrace". But remember, guys: He'S HArd oN hiM BEcauSE hE CAreS! (Fuck it, I think I'll just edit a supercut of every time Blitzo has berated Moxxie, pre- and post-Truth Seekers.)

Oh and look, Millie's glaring at Blitzo, which is totally the same as opening her mouth to tell him off like he deserves, right?

She'll take on a whole gang of mobsters out of love for Moxxie, but standing up to Blitzo? Whoa, that's a step too far. Y'know, because he's the writers' favorite and he shouldn't have to experience any complications from his behavior. Same old story as it's been for a season and a half.

This ending would've been a million times better if it left off on a cliffhanger. Maybe this could have been Moxxie's final breaking point. After Blitzo calls him a disgrace, Moxxie could take a deep breath and...

MOXXIE: (flatly) I quit.

Then he walks out of the room. Everyone looks after him, stunned. When he closes the door, the screen cuts to black and the credits roll.

Oh shit, what's going to happen next? How will Blitzo deal with this? How will it affect Moxxie and Millie's home life? What kind of new job will Moxxie find to keep food on the table? Will he ever come back to IMP, or will Blitzo find a replacement? I know these writers aren't too interested in serialization or any sense of continuity outside of the stupid romance subplot (or hell, inside it), but good god, it would give viewers some exciting possibilities to look forward to.

This episode had so much potential and followed through on none of it. "Unhappy Campers" turned out to be a more fitting title than expected, as that's exactly what I was while watching this.

(Also this show needs a continuity coordinator like yesterday.)

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

Watched LSRF's documentary and I guess I have some thoughts and a headache I need to distract myself from.

Overall, the doc was nothing special. Episode 1 was ridiculous. They filmed LSRF like they were the Beatles - incredibly dramatic music and a classic, heavy documentary style for a two! year old group. Thankfully, they toned it down a lot for the other episodes. I thought the last episode would never end... It stopped being interesting after Kkura's amazing and relatable reflection about happiness. After a lot of tears, they tried to make the last episode more about their bond and great story, but it was boring. This "review" has no structure, so bear with me. Episode 2 was about Eunchae, Kazuha, and Yunjin, while episode 3 was about Sakura and Chaewon - except they spent 20 minutes on Sakura and 5 minutes on Chaewon... as if there was nothing worth showing about Chaewon since she isn't regularly criticized for anything. She had a bigger spotlight in episode 4 due to her small break from activities, which caused by something she couldn't control - a flu. Clearly if no one is crying or feeling unwell, why have them on screen?

The biggest goal of this doc was to make LSRF look sympathetic and show how much they suffer and how hard they work. It's what you see in every idol documentary, so there's nothing outstanding about it - no offense. What was very noticeable to me was that in the first LSRF doc their staff looked like assholes, while in this one they were endlessly understanding and encouraging. Obviously, this is also a publicity stunt for Source Music. While the doc made a good job of showing the highs and lows of the girls lives, it was often less about showing their true selves and more about addressing every single critique they get.

Watching all 5 parts, I don't understand why stans were so shocked on Reddit. Compassionate? Yes. Shocked? No. Anxiety, frustration, exhaustion, fame/a dream not living up to expectations, etc. are all famous people 101. It's always the same regardless if they're Western stars, idols, or athletes. Many aspects of these people's lives are crap, due to pressure, lack of privacy, lack of time for themselves, facing public judgment, expectations vs. reality, bad contracts, competitive and perfectionist personalities, etc. But the doc didn't show anything you couldn't have seen in a random Netflix special. Also, not being happy or knowing what happiness is is pretty common at their age.

I'm not saying this to be unsympathetic or because I didn't feel for them, but I don't care about them enough to cry about it, and kpop stans need a reality check. This doc didn't really show the dark side of kpop, as much as the dark side of fame and success.

I was a bit shocked by how often Sakura broke down in tears though. She's very insecure and unhappy with her performance. She's also a perfectionist. Eunchae was the same, but she's too young to be in this industry. Her panic attack was the most concerning incident, but the dance teacher said it sometimes happened when she struggled for breath? Does she suffer from panic attacks or asthma? I don't understand if she actually panicked or just had shortness of breath.

Most of my thoughts while watching the documentary were about how stupid Source Music is as well as the industry in general. It's all terrible inefficient. Working hard isn't enough to get good results. They debuted a minor Eunchae who can't sing well, struggles with confidence, and looks scared or empty on stage most of the time. They debuted Sakura who can't sing and doesn't seem to ever have learned the basics. They debuted Kazuha who barely had time to learn to dance or sing... If they can't do the basics, it doesn't matter how much they practice, especially when they are fatigued and have no time to focus on honing their skills. Kazuha improved a lot, but Sakura and Eunchae haven't as much. They also have to pull off these tiring choreos and practice all day but it doesn't help that they seem to be too weak. If the company insisted on them working out and bulking up a bit, surely their moves would have more power and their endurance would improve? But maybe they would be "less attractive". And why waste time and tire the girls out shooting Easy for VEVO 8 times when the differences between takes were probably minimal?? I never saw the members happy about dancing and performing. It was all about perfection and reaching greater heights, but where was the drive to make music, dance, and perform? I didn't see a lot if it - only some excitement for the tour (and Yunjin who loves writing music). It kind of reminds me of BTS, who genuinely love performing and music, but at some point the pressure took some of the fun out it. I'm not sure LSFR love performing as much, which makes happiness harder for them. No wonder they have to work so much on their facial expressions. Every idol does, but when you really love performing it's a lot more natural. Kpop is just stupid. You can fake less than stellar singing in the studio and less than stellar dancing in MVs, but when idols are performing live, you can't fake anything. Most of them have 0 stage presence, poor singing skills, and so-so dancing. Why give idols choreos where all they do is jump around and there's no room for the idols to sing and the fans to appreciate the choreo? I was watching EN's new MV and the choreo practice and performance videos, and I can't remember a second of it. Most of their choreos are them jumping around like mad men in a rotating move while making sexy facial expressions (except in the cute choreos where they make cute facial expressions). None of it is memorable, appealing, genuine, unique, or interesting to watch. If companies were smarter, they'd give groups dynamic choreos, with hard-hitting moves as well as softer ones, with moments for idols to sing and engage the audience, and they would let the idols show individuality instead of perfect, boring synchronization. They would also invest more in talent and training. This is why there is no next BTS, and why SKZ and Ateez are the most popular and impactful boy groups right now. I don't get why companies don't get this. But it's easy for me to say, obviously.

This is just a rant. Thanks if you read all of it.