#Was not expecting a comedy out of this book tbh

[talesofwhimsy]

I'm 100 pages into Moby Dick and they just got on the goddamn boat

This book actually kinda fucks hard it's great?

[multi-kpop-fanfics]

the kraken's girl

pairing: alien!Seungcheol x fem!reader

genre: smut, mild fluff and mild comedy. minors dni.

warnings: monsterfucking, tentacles, manhandling, unprotected sex (pls stay safe), double penetration, male masturbation, oral sex (f rec), dirty talk, multiple creampies, brat!reader, switch!cheol, exhibitionism

word count: 3.4k

summary: neither you nor seungcheol expected to blow up twitter after your sex-nanigans. but that didn't stop you from meeting up again.

Author's note: happy halloween beloveds! this is the next installment of Vodka Slime. major thanks to @gyuwoncheol and @smileysuh for proofreading and screaming in my draft loves🥰

disclaimer: the twitter usernames used in the fic were randomly picked, any resemblance with real twitter usernames is 100% coincidental.

©multi-kpop-fanfics, 2023. No reposting allowed. No translations allowed without permission.

Fifty thousand followers. Fifty fucking thousand new people followed your Twitter account within a single night, all thanks to the two minute clip you uploaded before falling asleep. 

Your head is spinning with shock and excitement, arousal coursing through your body as you read the retweets one by one.

“GIRL WHO IS THIS”

“monster cock at its FINEST”

“me when me when me WHEN”

“eating a brick wall as we speak”

“i’ve never felt more submissive and breedable in my life before”

You giggle every time you scroll down, biting your thumbnail and kicking your feet like a kid who did something naughty. Although you’re not a kid anymore, your tendencies are definitely on the naughty side.

As if on cue, you receive a message from Seungcheol, who also retweeted your post on his account.

cherry_csc: we really caused a ruckus huh

You rapidly type back.

prettylilfreak: ikr ppl were STOKED

You receive another message from him.

cherry_csc: we can always make another one yk? 

cherry_csc: if you’re down i’m down too

You rub your thighs at the thought of fucking Seungcheol (and his tentacles) again, but this time, you’re not 100% sure about filming it.

prettylilfreak: why don’t we discuss it over brunch? i know a place that makes mean choco waffles

prettylilfreak: unless aliens are allergic to waffles or smth

cherry_csc: if i told you i have never eaten waffles before would you believe me?

prettylilfreak: i’ve seen worse from you tbh

cherry_csc: ok fair point

cherry_csc: send me the address and the date, i’ll be there

prettylilfreak: cool, see you soon <3

You search for the restaurant and book a table for two, sending the info of the reservation to Seungcheol a few seconds later. You close your phone and let it plop down next to your pillow. You lay flat on your bed with a stupid grin on your face, your insides still squelching with need.

You turn your head towards your nightstand and open the last drawer where you keep all of your toys. 

Just a quick one won’t hurt, you think and grab the tentacle-shaped dildo, licking your lips.

If only it was as good as the real thing.

“Damn, these waffles are really amazing.” Seungcheol gulps down a hefty bite of his choco waffles.

“I told you so! They are delicious.” You mirror his actions.

“Although I think you taste better than the waffles.” He sends you a wink and you nearly choke on your food.

“Damn, no need to die from waffles!” He passes you a glass of water and you drink it all in one go.

“And there was no need to spit out stuff like that without warning!” You try to clear your throat.

“Sorry, that wasn’t my intention.” He rubs his neck awkwardly.

“Waffles and choking aside, I think we should pick up the conversation from where we left it off.”

“You mean the Twitter DMs? Sure, I’m all ears.” Seungcheol wipes his lips with a paper towel.

“So, about that….I must admit that I had one hell of a time with you that night, and…”

“And?”

“And I definitely wouldn’t mind if we repeated it.”

Seungcheol licks his bottom lip seductively.

“But I have a condition.” 

“Name it.”

“I don’t want to film anything for my account.”

Seungcheol’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Oh. I certainly didn’t expect that.”

“Are you disappointed?” You toy with your fingers.

“What? No, of course not! It’s your account after all, you’re calling the shots in the end.” He reassures you. “Can I ask why though?”

“Let’s just say that I want to….experiment with you.” You rest your face between your palms.

“Experiment? What are you, a NASA researcher?”

“No, but you left some unanswered questions and I want answers.”

“Oh, so that’s what it is about.”

You smack your lips. “I’m glad you catch on quickly, it saves me a lot of talking.” 

“You need to clarify some things first, sweetheart.”

“I’m not so sure about that, Seungcheol.”

“I beg to differ, doll.” He purrs the petname on purpose and you feel a chill running down your spine.

You stuff your mouth with more waffles, chomping on them like a starved animal to avoid answering to Seungcheol.

“You’re so stubborn, but I guess that’s part of your charm.” He plays with his bottom lip as he watches the cutlery in your hands move with light speed.

“Eat as much as you can, doll. You’re gonna need a lot of energy for later.”

The fork and knife fall from your hands and clack on the plate as you try your best to swallow the bite in your mouth.

“You….need to be restrained.” You point your finger towards his face in a menacing way.

“Hmm, I can think of a way.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!”

“You can always fuck around and find out.”

You stare at the smirking man in front of you, contemplating his indirect proposal.

“You motherfucker.”

“How the fuck do you afford an apartment like this?!” You yell as soon as you enter Seungcheol’s home.

“I might be an alien, but I’ve been on Earth for over a decade. I think it’s enough time to learn how to make money.” He replies as he takes off his shoes and jacket.

“I don’t think I want to indulge my curiosity about your personal life right now…” You mutter.

“I know you don’t, Y/N.” He grips your thighs and puts your legs around his waist, carrying you like this all the way to the bedroom. 

“I guess your tentacles and cock aren’t the only strong parts of your body.” You grip his shoulders as he carefully lays you down on the double-sized bed.

“Not to brag, but I spend a lot of hours at the gym to keep myself in that shape.” He grins and rolls his hips against your crotch.

 You suck a harsh breath through your teeth. “If you do this one more time, I swear to God I won’t be able to hold back.”

“That’s okay, doll. That’s why I’m here -  To keep you in check.”

Seungcheol frees himself from the iron grip of your legs and straightens his back. You feel slightly intimidated by his muscular build, but the intimidation molds into heady arousal when he discards his clothes one by one, until he’s utterly naked.

“Your turn, baby. Take them off.”

“And what if I don’t want to?” You taunt him.

His voice grows stern. “Take off your clothes or I will rip them to shreds.” 

You swallow thickly and take off your t-shirt, followed by your jeans. Your hands shyly creep behind your back and they toy with the clasp of your bra.

“There’s no need to be shy with me, Y/N.” Seungcheol kneels on the bed and cages your legs with his muscular thighs. “Now, take off the bra like a good girl.”

You exhale shakily and unclasp your bra, you slide the straps off your shoulders and remove it from your body, your nipples perking up.

“Perfect. So fucking perfect.” Seungcheol mutters before he pushes you towards the headboard and climbs on top of you.

“Don’t you want me to take off my panties?” You ask.

“Not yet, sweetheart.”

“Don’t you want to slide your big, mean cock inside my pussy, Cheol?” You pout your lips on purpose and roll your clothed pussy against his naked shaft.

“I don’t think it’s going to happen today, doll.”

“What? Are you kidding me? Then why the f-”

Seungcheol shushes you with his finger on your lips. “I’ll make it all worth it, I promise. Now, I want you to sit across the headboard. Can you do that for me?”

“You better keep your promise, otherwise I’ll block you from my socials!” You crawl on the other edge of the bed with a grumpy look on your face.

Seungcheol gets comfortable against the headboard. “This is barely our second time together, but I don’t plan on dumping you, Y/N.”

You roll your eyes. “The way I’ve heard the last part so many times from other men.”

“First of all, I am not a feeble human, even if I have human appearance. And most importantly…” His tentacles appear from his back and slide around his thighs.

“No man would ever do the things I’m about to show you.”

“That sounds pretty ambitious to me, Cheol.”

“I am ambitious, doll. And meeting like-minded people strengthens my own ambitions.”

You flash a sultry smirk. "Good to know we're on the same page."

The tentacles keep gliding over Seungcheol's body, leaving a slimy trail on his skin.

"Remember when you asked me about my tentacles spitting stuff?"

"I do. And what about it?"

"Watch and you'll find out, doll."

You nearly gasp when two thick tentacles wrap around Seungcheol's thighs and hold them apart, exactly the same way your thighs were spread. 

But he doesn't stop there.

Another tentacle binds his wrists above his head, rendering him completely helpless and exposed.

"Sheesh, didn't know you had an exhibitionism kink going on, Cheol." You rub your thighs together.

"I've never done this before, so consider yourself lucky." 

"You've never jerked yourself before?"

"More like I've never used additional help to jerk off before."

Two more tentacles appear in front of him, one morphing into a literal fleshlight and the other approaching his rim dangerously.

"Are you sure you wanna do this, Cheol?"

"One fucking hundred percent, doll."

The fleshlight engulfs Seungcheol's cock completely and the other tentacle slides into his hole simultaneously, making him cry out in pleasure.

"H-Hah, ah, f-fuh…."

"Shit, Cheol, that's-"

"Nothing I cannot handle, s-sweetheart."

He bites his bottom lip when the fleshlight starts sucking his cock and the other appendage thrusts in his ass rather strongly.

You never expected him to pull off this stunt and truth be told, it has you soaking through your panties and clenching around emptiness.

He's struggling to keep his eyes open from how good his own tentacles are making him feel - sweat has started to form on his forehead and neck, his skin turning glossy.

"Does it feel that good?" You ask him, rubbing your thighs together.

"Stop pretending to be sympathetic, I know you enjoy w-watching me like this." Seungcheol groans as he digs his nails into his palms. "But yeah, it f-feels good." His thighs jolt with each thrust and suck delivered by the tentacles occupying his sensitive spots.

You're certain the fabric of your panties has turned into second skin from how much you've soaked them and you haven't even been touched yet. This is the first time you're affected by a man to this degree and you almost feel embarrassed. Almost.

"Fuuuuck, that shit is so good." Seungcheol leans his head back and his puffy lips fall apart, deep moans filling the room with the same speed his tentacle is filling up his hole. The fleshlight picks up the pace and starts sucking his cock harder and his hips buck up, but the slimy restraints keep him down effectively.

"A-Are you cumming, Cheol?" You ask him, "Because I might do so, untouched."

"Don't you fucking dare." He growls at you for a split second, but his expression forms into one of pure bliss as he finally reaches his climax, loads of cum being milked from his cock.

You fist the sheets beside you and bite your bottom lip to suppress your whines as you watch Seungcheol lose control thanks to his own tentacles, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he tries to calm down from his intense orgasm. The tentacle that was torturing his hole retracts slowly and your eyes fixate on the slimy residues all over his cock and ass. The restraints on his wrists and thighs disappear as well and his arms drop down on his sides with a loud groan.

Blond hair streaks are stuck on his forehead, sweat is dripping down his chest and his breaths are ragged and heavy. 

But his gaze still lingers on you.

"That was….fucking insane."

"I take it you…. enjoyed the show, doll?" 

You spread your legs and show him your drenched panties, a low whistle blowing from his lips. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I don’t want to sound greedy or anything but… I’m kind of suffering here.” You point towards your pussy and he gives you a lopsided smirk.

“I know you are. But worry not, the real fun starts now, Y/N.”

Seungcheol snaps his fingers and two tentacles attach themselves around your ankles, dragging you directly in front of him. You yelp when he puts his hands on your waist and he flips you over with little effort, propping your ass up and pushing your waist down.

He runs his hand from your waist to the curve of your ass. “Mmm, that’s a pretty arch you have, baby.” 

He squeezes your flesh and gives it a sharp smack, a gasp echoing in the room. You wince away from him, but his hand on your waist keeps you in your place.

“Stop teasing me and fuck me already!” You whine in defeat.

“How do you want me to fuck you?”

“I don’t care! I just want you to fill me up until I can’t think straight anymore!” You shake your ass in an attempt to entice him.

“I can definitely do that, doll.” Seungcheol uses both hands to rip your panties apart and throw them on the floor. He pries your lips apart with his thumbs and hisses when your slick runs down from your entrance and glides on your clit.

“But I might have to get a taste of that pussy before fucking it.”

He catches your honey with the tip of his tongue right before it falls on the sheets and moans at the taste of it. He slowly rolls the tip around your bundle of nerves and you bite the sheets to muffle your noises. 

“I want to hear your voice, Y/N. It’s unfair to hear it only through your twitter posts and not directly from you.” He actually begs you and it has you keeling over.

“What’s unfair is you trying to beg me to moan, when you know I can’t resist your pleas, Seungcheol.” You grumble, yet you push your ass closer to his face. “Now, I would like you to use your pretty mouth to- AH!”

Seungcheol grips your ass and smothers his face in your drenched cunt, his tongue rubbing your clit and his nose nudges your hole. You can feel the curves of his lips savoring your juices and you can hear the sloppy noises they create - pure music to your ears.

“So, mmfh, fucking delicious…” He purrs against your pussy, “Makes me wanna - umffh- keep you by my side forever.”

Your walls clench harder than before and so does your heart - but you choose to shove that piece of information in the back of your head. It’s a bit early for that, you think.

You let out a particularly whiny moan when he circles his tongue around your hole and he laughs when more of your slick gushes out, but this time, he lets it drip down on his lap.

“I don’t know what’s messier, my tentacles or your pussy?”

“S-Shut up!”

He slaps your ass. “Don’t talk back to me, doll.”

“Or what? You’re gonna rail me until I pass out?”

Seungcheol clicks his tongue in annoyance and musters the strength he has left in his thighs to climb on top of your body, as if he’s about to mount you. Your breath hitches in your throat when he plants one hand next to your head and uses the other to pull your head back.

“That is actually a wonderful idea, sweetheart.” His lips barely touch the shell of your ear, but his voice is enough to make your spine shudder.

You open your mouth to give him a snarky reply, but the oxygen is knocked out of your lungs when two of his tentacles fill up your ass and pussy without warning, fitting tighter than a glove. He lets go of your hair and cages your wrists with his hands, rendering you immovable.

“See what happens when you talk back to me, doll?”

“F-Fuck, s-so f-full….”

“Yeah? You have no idea how full you’re gonna be after I’m done with you.” 

You can feel his cock resting on your ass and twitching with need.

"Remember when you asked me if my tentacles can spit stuff?"

"Y-Yeah?" You try to keep your brain intact, but the tentacles thrusting in your holes make it hard for you.

Seungcheol presses his lips right behind your ear and sucks on your earlobe. His voice has dropped to a mere whisper.

"They do and it's all mine."

Your eyes start fluttering when you feel his thick cock slide between your cheeks and fuck them as if he was really fucking your pussy - even if he somehow does it.

The tentacles ram you almost violently, the little suckers gliding against your walls. You're at Seungcheol's mercy, unable to move, unable to think and unable to form coherent sentences - just a pretty little toy for a hot alien and his slimy tentacles.

And you fucking love every single second of it. 

"C-Cheollie, I wanna cum! Please!" You cry out, hands fisting the bedsheets.

"Yeah? You're close, sweetheart?" 

"Fuck, I am!"

"Go on then, let go for me." He kisses your temple and fucks your asscheeks harder.

You finally cum and it hits you like a raging waterfall, your entire body shaking and trembling like an autumn leaf trying to stay on the tree before it's blown away. 

"Hang in there, doll, we're almost t-there." Seungcheol's ragged breath fans over your cheekbone, his hands letting go of your wrists to grip your waist.

His tentacles come to a halt and throb inside you, pumping your holes full of his cum, until a few drops start slipping out.

Fresh tears run down your cheeks when the tentacles detach from your holes, wincing when the sticky mess flows out of you. Your moans are growing louder every time Seungcheol's pelvis slaps against the curve of your ass, his nails digging in your skin.

"Such a great fucking ass, all mine to fuck, ugh!" He throws his head back as he cums, splashing his load all over your back and ass, painting it white. He pumps his cock with his hand a few times before smacking the tip over your ass.

"Cheol…..I can't move…" You pout your lips tiredly.

"I know, baby, I know." He gets up and pats your head before disappearing from the room.

A few minutes later, he comes back with a clean towel and the feeling of the soft cotton wiping you clean from the sticky mess covering your back and private parts almost puts you to sleep.

"Hey, don't fall asleep yet, I need to actually wash you." Seungcheol gently rubs the towel over your spent holes.

"Will you carry me to the bathroom?"

He lets out a chuckle. "Well, it's not like I have any other choice, since you technically can't walk."

"I wonder whose fault is that, huh." You mumble against the mattress.

"I'm sorry, doll." Seungcheol swipes your hair away from your face, "Although I did enjoy fucking you dumb."

You support your upper half on your arms. "To be completely honest, I really enjoyed it - hell, I asked for it."

He catches your lips in a short yet gentle and sweet kiss, melting into his pillowy lips.

"We can always-"

"Repeat it?"

"No," Seungcheol picks you up in bridal style and carries you to the bathroom. "I mean, I would love to, but I would prefer to take you out on a proper date first."

"Oh? I didn't know aliens had romantic tendencies." You joke.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Y/N. And I'm pretty sure there are lots of things I don't know about you."

"Are you saying you actually want to get to know me better?" 

"Yes. To put it with your words, I'd like to experiment with you."

You look away purposefully. "I might be a tough formula to crack." 

He carefully puts you in the bathtub and kneels in front of you, his eyes meeting yours.

"Consider this challenge accepted, doll."

[moodyseal]

Tell us more abt your hyacinthus winter soldier au 👀👀

HELLO thank you for giving me an excuse to talk your ear off about it, you will probably regret it <3

To be completely honest I still haven't planned anything that's worth of an actual fic (who do you take me for? An organized person? HA) but I would lie if I said that I didn't think about it a lot, so

As you know, somehow in this AU Hyacinthus came back to life and started working for the emperors

The dynamics of how, exactly, it all happened are pretty undefined as of now, but that's secondary information and it's not really important. (Maybe.)

What you need to know though is that Commodus is the one who takes him in, because of course he does. Hyacinthus is the perfect revenge against Apollo, after all, both because he's known to be his greatest love, and seeing him side against him would hurt Apollo a lot, and because, whatever happened, Commodus would always have leverage against Apollo, in a "You don't want to do what I tell you? Well look what I can do to your precious little flower" sort of way

He also uses this as an excuse to get back at Hyacinthus himself, too—something that is a direct result his festering inferiority complex and the can of worms that are, again, his feelings upon seeing the one man Apollo's name is always associated with

Hyacinthus is a better man and fighter than him even when he's brainwashed and he just CAN'T stand it

It all worsens once he sees how much Lester is still attached to Hyacinthus, and how hard he tries to get him to snap back. He never cared that much for him after all, did he?

On Hyacinthus' end this all borders less on the side of drama and more on the side of comedy LMAO

While not being able to discern right from wrong atm, as he's been coerced into absolute obedience through very shady means, he has this unexplainable feeling inside him that he really, really doesn't like Commodus (which intensifies every time Commodus starts another one of his long rants about how bad and evil and selfish Apollo is and about how he'll absolutely get his revenge) and he expresses that through little jabs he makes in his direction that Commodus can't really do anything about because they are worded in a way that makes them seem innocuous

On the other hand, he's on civil terms with the rest of the "staff", so to speak, and some even respect him because of how skilled he is (specifically Lityerses) so he does have some allies there

They don't actually know who he is though since, while he works for the emperors, Hyacinthus is never referred to by his own name, but always by some sort of epithet

(This is why Meg never made the connection either, despite knowing the myth well enough to inform Grover that Hyacinthus was Apollo's boyfriend)

It's mostly a measure they take so Hyacinthus doesn't remember his past before they're actually done using him

As for Apollo and Hyacinthus' relationship in this, it's a bit complicated, because Apollo changes his stance and tries to get him on his side the moment Hyacinthus' disguise drops, while Hyacinthus doesn't remember him. At all. So his efforts don't really work

Which results in a lot of frustration and hurt feelings

Despite this, Hyacinthus' unexplainable feelings persist. And he's very confused :)

I'm still not sure when this would be set—I wanted to either limit this to The Dark Prophecy or make it a "he appears occasionally as a spy or something until they find out who he is" thing that spans over the five books (without actually retelling the whole story though because holy shit that would be exhausting) but that's something that can be figured out later oof

Anyway, keep in mind that this is all just a result of my daydreaming, so if I actually write something concrete about this, some plot points might change!! And also the dynamics!! And the vibes in general!!! My brain is just a dumpster fire tbh so expect a lot of mental U-turns here

[starryriize]

what i associate with | xikers

a/n: this is a repost and tbh i think i might do this for all the groups i write for🫶🏼

minjae • puzzles, four leaf clovers, abstract art, waking up at 3am, old maps, stargazing while sitting in the trunk of a car, eating ice cream, watching movie marathons, bold colors, soft covers, kissing your lover at sunrise, making music with random objects, eating home cooked meals, the first day of spring

junmin • crisp suits, laughter that lasts too long to be a normal laugh, just dance battles, random acts of service, chinese checkers, watching cherry blossoms fall, going to shopping malls, dancing while cleaning the house, sushi conveyor belt dates, going to the zoo, playing ball with dogs, watching classic disney movies

sumin • watercolors, rain, pretty hairstyles, dark chocolate, kissing your shoulders, late night swims, skylights, city nightlife, comfortably wrapped in many blankets while watching reality shows, drinking milk out of a wine glass, wearing sunglasses to every occasion, playing music from a gramophone

jinsik • going for boba dates, water gun fights, pillow forts, karaoke that goes on for hours, spontaneous parties, celebrating every little accomplishment, color-coordinated outfits, playing genshin until there’s no more resin and quests to finish, staying up late and pulling an all nighter

hyunwoo • laying in an empty field, snowball fights, playing the piano while singing to you, running in the rain and laughing at how drenched you both are, watching vintage james bond films, going shopping for flower bouquets, walking through bookstores, arcade nights that last longer than expected from “friends”, sleepovers, going to the zoo to solely watch sharks

junghoon • dance dance revolution, watching tangled in the middle of the night, road trips to the nearest beach, nerves before competitions, classical concerts and seeing orchestras, slow dancing with your lover in an empty parking lot at night, spilling coffee on his shirt and giggling about it, dad jokes all the time, wanting to leave the party early to relax in bed, hot cocoa, stacks of books that have yet to be finished

seeun • teasing others out of love, going out for boba at noon and coffee at night, tripping over shoelaces, making comedy, watching the powerpuff girls, going to concerts, lego sets, evergreen trees, christmas lights that go on for miles, festival cotton candy, strawberry lemonade, waffle cone ice cream, relaxing baths after long days

yujun • watching cheesy romance shows, swimming when no one is there, buffets at expensive hotels, rewatching harry potter out of boredom, working out when no one is around except for friends, playing monopoly competitively, karaoke while drinking chocolate milk

hunter • teaching you how to make traditional thai dishes, going shopping together, picking flowers, iced coffees even in winter, afternoon tea, classical music, playing, silk pillowcases, go karting, playing video games until dinnertime, going for long walks, golfing in posh suits, m&m yogurt

yechan • laser tag, classic iced coke with ramen, playing many instruments for fun, watching detective shows, concerts in the shower, relaxing jazz, warm chai tea, falling leaves, beach balls, melting ice cream, silent giggles in a very serious situation, ferris wheel rides, chocolate dipped strawberries

[muninnhuginn]

for the ask game, spy x family 🕶💣

Sorry for the delay! I got ambushed by rl and then ambushed myself for several more days and-- anyway, I had to put this under the cut because it got long. Thanks for asking!

my favorite female character

yor yor yor. I like her for a few reasons, but I think the main thing is just generally her main emotional arc thus far. how she wants to 'belong' but how she also needs to 'fit in' and how it also circles around the idea of normality. she thinks she wants to be normal when what she wants is to be accepted. and she knows she needs to be *seen* as normal for safety reasons (sth sth societal commentary even outside of the cold war backdrop) but she doesn't understand *how*. what does it mean to be a mother and to be a wife and what aspects of that does she want to fulfill for herself and which is she just doing because it's part of her cover.

she has all these needs and wants and hasn't yet figured out how to even begin untangling them. and despite that, she's still one of the most emotionally intelligent characters in the series.

my favorite male character

loid. he's the obvious option but still. I always tend to appreciate the anxious types and whilst technically all of the main three have their own little anxiety spirals, loid's way of overcomplicating things is my favourite. he's a very intriguing mix of anxiety, denial, and competence.

I am very much enjoying the length of time it's taking to wear him down. we only got full confirmation he's actively compromised as of the mole arc which is super recent but for me the pacing is just right. he has to earn that character development and be dragged through kicking and screaming.

my favorite book/season/etc

volume 10 (starts with [redacted] arc and has some good handler moments (though I *think* my favourite handler chapter is later on))

my favorite episode (if its a tv show)

genuinely not sure. I do think the very first episode has a really good mix of comedy and earnestness with a hint of the underlying tragedy in growing up during wartime. it spells out everything to expect down the line in a very nicely balanced way

my favorite cast member

I... don't know? I think for Yor's VA this is my favourite role of hers whilst Anya's VA I prefer most as Frieren but like. IDK tbh. Can I skip?

my favorite ship

Not super into shipping in this fandom, but overall, I'd say twiyor. the fact that it's a 'fake' relationship but they enter into it on honest enough terms that they actually make something really healthy for both of them out of it. they each mutually get something out of it too.

yor wants to be useful. she's grown up providing for yuri and now he's gone all she has left is her job, but this 'relationship' and her new family give her the opportunity to *do* something. to defend and protect her people. and to give her someone to confide in, where she's never had that before.

for twilight, he's always been planning and preparing for all possibilities. always acting, never letting anyone see what's beneath, until he had forgotten even himself. one of my fave twiyor moments was in the recent chapter where twilight gets home and immediately his legs give out, because he feels *safe*. he's let his guard down with yor and even if he's worried about being compromised, he let it down because he trusts in her character. the remedy for someone so full of masks is someone devoid of them, and for all that yor is the thorn princess, she has never faked *who* she is.

and tying back to what I was saying about yor and normality before. the fact that loid knows what it's like to pretend means that he's in the position to tell yor that she's good as she is. she doesn't *need* to fake her whole personality to fit in. sure, they both have their covers, but for the large part, what's beneath is genuine.

a character I’d die defending

I think nightfall's character may not be as developed as most people would like at this stage, but the way she's written is very deliberate. she's a compare/contrast with yuri (and also to some extent, with twilight) and she shows how love and obsession intertwine. how *obsession* can be dangerous. the mole arc to me is waving a big red flag above nightfall's head and saying that if she doesn't change something, if she keeps metaphorically diving headfirst in front of twilight, then she's going to end up the one riddled with bullets.

a character I just can’t sympathize with

not that we're likely supposed to but donovan desmond

a character I grew to love

handler! it's not that I ever disliked her as such, but for a long time she just seemed a kind of girlboss-esque character with a neat character design. she had her moments (bond arc speech and also propaganda chapter my beloved), but it wasn't until we had her focus chapter where we followed her day that I was like "oh." Like, I knew that she'd lost her family, but I was falling for the facade that she was on top of everything. And the realisation that she wasn't? That she was deep in depression, but you know who might dig her out of it? Her pet dog and a little girl. Definitely got to me.

my anti otp

anti otp is a bit strong a feeling for it, but I think the way I read damianya differs from a decent chunk of the fandom. I tend to see it as one-sided and am perfectly happy for it to stay that way or for them to just end up becoming better friends down the line, but I know what I'm against here so I'm not going to place any bets.

[danhowellz]

ok heres my two cents on tour and the cancelled dates. imo its been a real mixture of everything as to why dates haven't sold out/been cancelled. I think they (dan and his promoter team) booked venues that were just too big. majority of the venues have been 1-2k capacity and dan just doesn't have that kind of audience anymore, not on his own anyway. this goes hand in hand with dan perhaps not promoting the tour as much as he could have. now i love him so much but u can't expect people to go and see u if you ain't doing anything online ??? i know he's said countless times that he's a perfectionist when it comes to what he uploads. whether that be a tweet or an instagram post and he's said he struggles knowing what he wants to upload, especially with his videos. unfortunately this doesn't go hand in hand with wanting to go on a world tour and have actual real life people come and watch you. like if he's not giving us anything online what incentive is there to see him irl?

i also think back to what he said about the pre show q&a only being in the uk/america/canada bc the other venues didn't know how well it would work and didn't wanna risk adding it (which makes no sense tbh bc people have already bought tickets so they'll wanna see a q&a??) i think some of these setbacks have been due to the fact he's still seen as "just a youtuber" and like dnp have mentioned before when talking about tatinof/ii, venues were so reluctant to host their show bc they aren't mainstream celebrities/comedians. it makes me wonder if dan has ever thought about dipping his toes into traditional stand up comedy and building up an audience via actual gigs and shows as well as creating content online.

i really like what @yonpote said here that he should have done the tour in stages rather than announce a full world tour at the start. he could have seen how well it did in the uk and then planned better for venues in the usa/aus/nz/europe. but hey i guess thats the beauty of hindsight and maybe if he did another tour he'd do it differently (or just not work with these promoters tbh they've been a mess from the start. remember the oxford/cambridge chaos?)

all of this to say we'll never know any of the answers bc dan certainly isn't gonna tell us (most likely bc contractually he can't lol) i do hope he talks about the iceland show though and communicates with us as an audience (something i dont think either of them are great at but thats another post lol) and i just hope all of these cancellations havent like stressed him out too much

[kiss2012]

ok rwrb thoughts under the cut <3

tbh i had to watch most of this movie with one hand over my eye and i was not. even going to reread the book because i don’t actually care about it much anymore but about twenty or so minutes into the movie? i literally stopped it and skimmed half the book finished the movie and then finished the book. so it’s possible that this influenced my whole experience of the movie but i remembered the book super well anyway and either way i think the thing i would have been most mad about is HOW COULD THEY LEAVE OUT JUNE and who tf is miguel omg. imagine deciding to combine two women into one character just because they “play the same role in alex’s life” and then not even doing it that well. nora isn’t even IN this movie she doesn’t even have a CHARACTER they just shoehorn her and pez together and give them five min of screentime. bea doesnt even have much of a character either i also thought maybe she and nora were going to be friends but no that disappeared after the first 15min. and because june doesn’t exist and because rafael luna doesn’t exist and because nora barely exists (all of whom are the main poc characters in the book btw) alex’s character is not half as nuanced as it could be. his arc about realising he’s bi is totally missing which is great…also his actor’s enunciation was very puzzling at times but i forgive him because of all the times i got distracted staring at his eyelashes and he was good at times tho henry’s actor is probably the best actor in the movie (not a tall bar btw but he’s way better than uma thurman GIRL WHAT WERE YOU DOING WITH THAT ACCENT) and it’s not that they don’t have chemistry or fun sweet romcom moments it’s just that i’m missing so much. romance. im tired of modern romance novels and movies having their leads get together super fast without spending much time on characterization and without even having much capital R-romance in the first place. where is the e-mo-tion in the immortal words of miss carly rae jepsen…like why did they leave out so much of the emails i cannot believe i watched so many random voice-overs and they couldn’t include the emails. also the small random change that bothered me the most is that they changed their first meeting being rio at the olympics to the climate melbourne conference (?????) and made their whole relationship pre-movie a lot less interesting. umm they did good with the interview and their interactions pre and post the cake but then they abandoned all of that half an hour in. do think the physical comedy is always way more fun to watch in a visual medium like that cake scene was hilarious they were just worse at the emotional beats. guys they used bad reputation 😭😭😭😭 i had to pause at that point…i had to pause and recover for ages. the get low scene contained a lot of Choices. the Choices were all very interesting and im not sure what more can be said about them. the beginning was fairly solid then everything sort of went downhill felt like i was watching a train wreck. mildly entertaining and occasionally moving train wreck but regardless a train wreck. btw let no one claim the political commentary in the novel is good but at least it slightly exists. the politics in the movie are completely spineless and extremely confused. yes it’s an amazon prime royalty romcom so what can u expect but they just hovered on the threshold of criticism. when they didn’t actually show a crowd of people supporting them or w/e but just showed the reflection of them in the window i almost started laughing. alex’s speech at the end lacked any subtlety at all and made no sense (why tf would he make a speech coming out + explaining his relationship with henry Before he talked to henry or the royal family???) the script is like constantly having characters say really obvious things. shoutout to stephen fry’s line delivery at least. there was a perfume genius cover of can’t help falling in love (it was supposed to be your song that played there anyway???). what more can be said.

[actuallylorelaigilmore]

2023 Movie Journey #1: A Man Called Otto

a man called otto. i am so deeply conflicted about this movie. i watched it back in january and i’m still not sure what i think, because i both think that it was a good movie and that i never want to see it again. 

this is gonna be spoiler filled, just fyi. i cannot explain my feelings on this one without laying out why the plot was the problem for me--and if you only saw a trailer, you may be as unaware of the plot as i was going in. (i know it’s also a book, but i’ve never read it.) 

basically, the trailer shows us grumpy otto, who misses his wife and hates people, and some new neighbors who move in and change everything. there is also a cat lurking around him. that part was especially noted by me, a person who has unofficially adopted a half-dozen neighborhood cats in the last few years. the trailer portrays his story as a hopeful one, the kind of curmudgeon-forced-into-happiness movie i would expect from tom hanks.

and some parts of what i assumed from the trailer turned out to be true. they’re not lying, exactly, in what they choose to show. but the trailer (at least the one i saw) is really selective in what it shows--so carefully leaving out other things that for me, just because the scenes in the trailer are IN the movie, doesn’t mean the movie i saw was the one they advertised.

i mean, this is a tom hanks movie, so it has an uplifting message. otto becomes less grumpy, he lets people back in his life, he starts to live despite his wife being dead. those parts are accurate. but they leave out a lot, for good and for bad.

tw for nonspecific mentions of suicide attempts and death.

grumpy otto, we learn as the movie opens, doesn’t just miss his wife. he is determined to join her. he starts the movie by failing at suicide. then he meets his new neighbors, and the movie turns into what feels like it’s supposed to be a dark sort of comedy, where he keeps trying to kill himself in different ways, and is constantly interrupted/postponed by his new neighbors, who have no idea he’s suicidal and are just accidentally always annoying him. until he slowly, eventually opens up. 

that part of the plot is pretty predictable, but juxtaposed with the constant ‘tom hanks trying to die’ that i was NOT prepared for, i was really freaked out. it made it impossible for me to totally enjoy the parts that were meant to be heartwarming. 

the movie didn’t win me over until otto’s first real emotional breakthrough of treating someone decently comes with a young man who had known and loved otto’s late wife when she was his teacher. he’s trans, and comes to otto when his family kicks him out, and the movie’s touching moments didn’t make me cry until that character showed up. he is the real start of otto building a new found family, and i loved that. 

there’s also a storyline that’s rewarding in the end, about a man otto was friends with before his life fell apart--that actor did a great job with the small space he was given, genuinely stole my heart. and the mom who is the driving force in the family that won’t let otto get away, otto’s relationship with her is great too, especially as it develops later. him teaching her to drive and giving her the most loving angry lecture i’ve ever heard made me genuinely wish somebody like that had scolded me into driving when i needed it, too. 

throughout the movie, we learn about otto’s life before we met him, in flashbacks where young otto is played by tom hank’s actual son. that part was cool. it allows us to know his wife, and what they went through together, and tbh does a decent job of filling out the picture when that can often fall flat as a method. and rita wilson sings the song that’s a major theme in the movie, which is neat.

but then, at the end of the movie, once we know all about otto and he’s happy and loved...HE FREAKING DIES. i do not need to see tom hanks die! who ever needs to see tom hanks die?? instead of being an uplifting movie about a man rebuilding his life, it’s a bittersweet movie about a man who brings his life to a close and passes on what he has to his new loved ones. 

and i can understand how maybe that is an uplifting movie for other people, somehow. i wondered as i came home that day if maybe it was a movie meant for those otto’s age, if maybe being in a place where you think more about death would make the movie more relatable than it was for me--there were certainly a number of jokes my packed theater of primarily older folks laughed at that just left me going ‘huh?’ (about car brands, or The Youngsters And Their Technology). maybe i was just oversensitive watching it.

but it also left me wondering how tom hanks and rita wilson are doing since they had covid--what they went through individually and as a couple, as parents of grown children, as older people...if that experience had them thinking about when one of them goes first, or about the end of their lives in general. about their future. 

so i’m really left with mixed feelings on this one, because it was not bad at all, for what it was. but i wish i had been warned going in that it was essentially one long movie about death--the mourning of it, the wishing for it, the attempting it, the dealing with it. it was so comedic and so not funny at all, all at once, and it just ended so sadly. again, i know it was meant to be uplifting in its way and thus more bittersweet than depressing, but i cried so hard when he died, i just didn’t enjoy that. 

also, when it comes to things i did not enjoy, there’s a jumpscare gunshot i really could’ve done without, and a supposedly-funny scene that felt like cat abuse and another where the cat looks dead but is ‘just’ frozen and later revived. plus the fact that otto dies and his cat is just...silently right there with him, until he’s found the next day, breaks my whole fucking heart. 

anyway, yeah. i don’t know if i recommend this one. ymmv. maybe everybody else loved it! maybe if you haven’t seen it yet and watch it, you’ll love it. (at least if you read this, you’ll be more prepared than i was. and there are good parts.) but it left me feeling sad and weird and like yeah okay death is inevitable but i didn’t need a movie about it quite like this. so i don’t think i’ll ever watch it again.

[jackoshadows]

@whitedragonwolf4961 in response to the two asks you send me:

1. I don’t think that how the books turn out is going to change anything with Jonsa shippers/Sansa fans in the same way that having pictures from space and scientific proof of the earth being round does not change the opinions of flat earthers. We have 5 books now. Do you think the absurd metas and rewriting of the story and characters we get from these stans have anything to do with those books?

These are the fools who came up with ‘political!Jon’ because they are cinematography experts who analyzed the light coming through a window on the boat when Jon and Dany were talking!!

These are the fools who continue using the TV show and especially show Sansa’s arc on the TV to speculate on her book story despite GRRM repeatedly disavowing that plot specifically in all his interviews and saying that the show and the books are two different and separate canon.

They don’t care!! Even if in TWoW we get Jon and Arya reuniting and there’s lots of mussing of hair and tears and love, they will just replace Arya with Sansa in their essays and talk about how it’s foreshadowing for Jonsa happening in A Dream of Spring.

Even if we get more hints of Jon and Dany being aligned in thought and purpose and of a future alliance between them in TWoW, they will still continue with how Jon is going to murder Dany for his true love Sansa in the last book because the colour red popped up in some corner of his room.

And if Arya becomes the Lady of Winterfell instead of Sansa? I expect lots of essays from bnfs and feminism experts about GRRM being sexist and what not. 100 % sure of this. After all they have been banging on and on about Sansa being the ‘embodiment of hope for the future’, the best politician on the planet, ‘Sansa Smart’, expert on food and diplomacy unlike political noob Jon Snow and violent killer Arya. How to deal with it? Oh no, we did not realize that GRRM is a woman hater who didn’t grasp the awesomeness of a character like Sansa.

2. Regarding Kit Harington and Jon Snow. I tend to not blame the actors for characters they play on TV shows tbh. I put the blame on ultimate hacks, Benioff and Weiss for failing upwards as rich, white men and turning in an horrendous script, full of one-dimensional characters, no plot, no themes and dripping with their sexism, toxic masculinity and femininity. There was really not much Harington could do when the script gave him literally nothing! Book Jon Snow is a rich, complex character with several layers of plot and story telling piled on him over 42 POV chapters. All they gave show Jon Snow was fighting in battles.

I know Sophie Turner gets a lot of hate and she just comes across as the typical rich, white teen when giving interviews. She honestly sounds like the stereotypical Sansa stan on tumblr. And yet the blame lies on Benioff and Weiss for taking tips on writing Sansa/Arya from teenagers reading tumblr metas rather than actually adapting the book you know? Turner was only spouting off what these hacks were putting out there on their TV show. And from everything Emilia Clarke is saying about how she was being pressurized in terms of nudity and sex scenes, the behind the scenes of this show is clearly a very toxic mess.

I think Kit Harington is a decent actor - he does good in comedy and I liked his take on a sleazy character accused of rape in season 2 of Criminal UK. Jon Snow is a hard character to play given how much of his POV is internal and yet Benioff and Weiss did not even attempt to faithfully adapt the book version just like they did not with Arya Stark and instead reduced these characters to tropes.

I honestly can’t say if another actor would have been better in the role of Jon Snow given the material on the show for the character is so poor. Would it have made a difference if they had an Olivier award winner in the role? All this award winner would do is swing a sword around and play supporting prop to other characters.

Actors will also defend the characters they play. We love these characters so much as readers of these books. These actors have spend ten years of their life inhabiting these characters and love them just as much as we do. Of course Kit is going to defend show Jon Snow just like Emilia defends Daenerys and Dinklage defends Tyrion.

I am just going to reserve my ire for

- Benioff and Weiss who seem to not even like fantasy, did not care for themes, characters and the story of the books, did not hire a writer’s room, had only male writers/directors and were petty in firing actors (by killing off their characters) if they criticized the show and

- GRRM, who even after seeing the utter mess D&D have made of his story has failed to finish a book in 12 years including a pandemic where we were all shut up inside our homes for close to 18 months.

GRRM is the reason for why the only ending we will have for this story started almost 30 years ago is the garbage that is the TV show. I am not entirely happy with the adaptation of the Wheel of Time tv show and I can see the showrunner taking hints from D&D in terms of how and what gets adapted for viewership numbers. And yet I am not all that bothered by this because we will always have the books and the book characters. We know how the story ends for these characters. Sadly with ASoIaF we will never have that while GRRM is busy consulting on the umpteenth spin off.

So yeah, don’t really blame the actors. They are only playing characters on a TV show and that depended on the script they got.

[bourbon-ontherocks]

so, 305. I hate that there were so many lovable things about it. like the ducks around morgane’s house (bathroom, living room) keeping up with the theme--reminded me of those pictures books where you had to find the duckling hidden on every page! (speaking of; timothée il a un peu une tête d’Où est Charlie nan ? he’s got the stripes + glasses + hair) or the fact that morgane is randomly wearing floaties at the swimming pool 😂 (… maintenant que j’y pense, elle comptait peut-être les piquer pour chloé mdrr)

et les combines de serge. céline giving up on educating morgane on procedure, ptdr. l’employée de l’ehpad qui a un vague air de mylène farmer. [gros canard] still holds the title of HPI’s mr. worldwide. daphné being daphné. ("gilles..? 🤨 euh, oui. GILLES !") gilles STILL being way too good a friend (j’espère que sa psy lui dit), but also how close he was to morgane during the investigation, that was cute!

par contre, 2 trucs qui me hantent : 1) why does [gros canard] seem mesmerized by morgane’s neck while she goes on and on about the kid’s drawing?? 2) morgane’s lack of empathy at the pool. I didn’t expect her to joke about moms murdering each other right in front of the bereft husband 😧

Oh my gosh anon, I'm just so sad that this episode was so tainted and ruined for you 😭 It breaks my heart a little, and also it makes me dread for you, knowing what's coming ahead, but... one shitty plotline at a time, amirite?

Soooooo *cracks knuckles* let's get started 😈

"I hate that there were so many lovable things about it" -> literally me after watching the finale tbh 😂😭

I must say I didn't notice the ducks thingy but thank you for pointing it out, it really is reminiscent of those child books and was a very nice touch (the way this show can switch from absolutely shitty and unsubtle to actually brilliant and clever in the bat of an eye will never cease to baffle me) 😍 The duck jokes at the crime scene were excessively funny too, and the moment Bonnemain enters the game too with a joke that's not even funny?? Peak comedy! And Adam's reaction "Mais vous allez pas vous y mettre vous aussi ?!" -> 200% Artur vibes 😂

100% agreed that Timothée is a human waldo and was intended to be lol (also on en parle de Timothée qui offre le même polo à Théa ?? Who does that? 😂 It's like he asked for her to put it in the mopping supplies... And her general passive-aggressive animosity towards him was SO entertaining!)

And OMG I didn't even notice Morgane had floaties on at the swimming pool, this is hysterical 🤣 And re her lack of compassion, I must say Morgane's relationship with empathy has been a mystery for me since day one, sometimes we get to see her really sympathizing with the victims' families (the daughter in the pilot for instance, or the mall's widow in 201, or even the actual bledigirl), but also sometimes not ("ah bah ça tombe bien puisqu'elle est morte" with the victim's sister in 201), so this scene didn't strike me as particularly ooc, but her characterization regarding this specific personality trait is unclear. I'd say perhaps she tends to lose her compassionate skills when she gets excited about figuring out some stuff?

Serge's cancer kid scam was very fun to watch ("coucou c'est la maman du petit Eliott, bon bah il est mort" 😂), and also I wouldn't have noticed the ehpad employee's similarity with Mylène Farmer but now that you're pointing it out...

Somehow it warms my heart a bit to see you calling Adam [gros canard] this episode, I guess it shows you're on your way to forgive him? But maybe it's just my own wishful thinking lol! Anyway, yes, he also speaks Russian (and not to spoil, but Mehdi Nebbou is gonna keep on bragging in later eps 👅), and remember when I told you that your dream about escaping from Putin was foreshadowing? Well I was talking about this KGB bit haha 😆

No idea why he seems to stare at Morgane's neck in the hospital, perhaps he just can't look her in the eyes nor in the boobs (in his defense, she just talked to him about nipples) so he's stuck in between lol 😅 Or maybe Mehdi just forgot he was acting for a bit and was thinking about dinner or something idk... But there is indeed room for interpretation and I'll go with the most probable option which is that he's just mesmerized by her in general, especially in that episode where he's discovering that he can't stand seeing her with someone else (let's be real, everyone saw that coming but him 😂), so he's probably just staring at her while thinking "what the fuck is wrong with me?"

Daphné and Gilles were the heart and soul of this episode I swear!! I love Daphné's completely clueless but supportive ass, Gilles being so torn between friendships he's gonna break, the fact that he kept the charade going on for TWO MONTHS, the fact that apparently he talks about Morgane to his therapist 🤣, him trying to hide Morgane's presence from Adam at David's (he's the definition of the no-questions-asked friend who'll support you no matter what, we all need a Gilles in our lives 🥰) Daphné being ready to get any disabled but homophobic employee fired (worst idea ever to give her that workplace inclusion responsibility mais je l'a-dore), and also her blind anger towards Morgane, misunderstanding of the CENTURY 🤩🤩🤩

Also, did you notice that Gilles shaved, this ep? The man is such an Adam fangirl he's now cosplaying as him istg 🤣🤣🤣

[EDIT] OMG I JUST FIGURED OUT WHY YOU CALL HIM GROS CANARD ANON YOU ARE A GENIUS IN DISGUISE OK BYYYYYE

[witchcraftingboop]

Would you please recommend mangas?

I'm not gonna lie to you, baby, my tastes are trash. You can call me the garbage man because bish I'm swimming in that shit, scooping it all up and dragging it back to my lil apt-- or maybe the Grinch... oh well!

Anywhoville, here are the mangas I've read physical copies of since this all started back on April 13th:

Fangs by Billy B-something - BL - I like their take on modern vampires. Could do without the crazy dude randomly (coincidentally) escaping from jail

Kaiju Girl Caramelize by someone - Straight, Romcom (wtvr that is in manga genres), takes place in a high school - hilarious and I love it

SpyxFamily also by someone - Idk what genre this is honestly but it's funny and good and I love it

Sleepy Princess In The Demon Castle - I have all 20 volumes because it is just a cute lil fun lil read

So I'm A Spider, So What - Okay, does the mc grind like crazy to level up? Yes but it's also hilarious and a lovely lil isekai about how a high schooler is reborn as a weak bb spider and becomes super op and challenges gods and demon lords ... 10/10, have every volume out rn and love it

Heaven Official's Blessing (light novels) - BL, Danmei - Listen. I love these lil fucks and I love how these are written -> Currently on book 2/5 in my lil shelf, six comes out in Sept I think

Given - BL - It's an okay series. I read it all (that's out), and it is amusing while reading, but ultimately probably won't read again

Fruits Basket - grew up on it, love it

Chobits - unfortunately grew up on it (why do I not remember how sexual this shit was like jfc did that throw me for a Loop lmao)

Savior's Book Cafe Story In Another World - Isekai (of a 30yo, not a teen for once), romance -- I adore this lil series. It's a cozy lil hug in a book

Uzumaki by Junji Ito - Horror - classic, love his art style and story telling, I don't find horror manga or anime scary though so I read it more like comedy tbh

I Want To Eat Your Pancreas - Tragedy(?), Romance(?), set in high school - I went into this expecting and knowing nothing and I enjoyed it a lot

A list of BL I read and enjoyed: I Didn't Mean to Fall in Love, There Are Things I Can't Tell You(💜), Sotus vol 1, Killing Stalking (??? is it BL idk,, it's B), Midnight Rain, The Flower That Seems To Truly Dance, Loved Circus, The Snake Who Loved A Sparrow (look out for anatomy oddities), Sasaki & Miyano, Secret XXX, Therapy Game

The Witch & The Beast

A Silent Voice

Fire Force, omnibus 1 (dunno about later ones cause this is the only series I didn't just buy complete)

My next reads are gonna be the series I just bought, so Demon Slayer, Ouran Host Club (again, childhood fave), Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Ghoul Re, & Choujin X.

After that, the next batch'll likely be: Bofuri, Arifureta, & Overlord (all isekai - or in Bofuri's case video game life). Which I can recommend watching in the anime forms as well.

But yeah those are pretty much all the series I like that I can name off the top of my hear rn. There are definitely quite a bunch I'm forgetting, but I cannot be bothered because this lil answer has already gone on for a long time and been interrupted 4+ times by my Boss' after hours inquiries into his own goddamn schedule I'm going to beat this man with a sandal

But yeah that's it, anon, pillage through my wares as you please!

[boozles]

Boozle's Top Ten Movies 2023

So, this was another list in my 2023 review that was super difficult to put together. According to my Letterboxd 2023 list, I watched 178 new movies this year. (Looking at all the dramas and movies I've watched, I honestly do not know where I found the time to consume so much content?! Working from home has its plus side, I guess?)

So, it's been a bit difficult to narrow my list of favourites down, but this is what I ended up with...

(i) Barabarian (2022, Dir. Zch Cregger) This film was NOTHING like what I thought it was going to be. Split into three tales that merge together to tell the story of one house and it's history, this movie managed to surprise me and be unpredictable at each turn.

(ii) The Outlaws (2017, Dir. Kang Yun-sung) This is the first movie in The Roundup series (the fourth movie is due out in 2024) and I have to say this is my favourite Korean action franchise. Ma Dong Seok is perfect, and the action sequences are mind blowing. It has the perfect balance of crime, action and comedy, and is a definite recommendation if you're looking for a good Asian crime movie.

(iii) Evil Dead Rise (2023, Dir. Lee Cronin) I absolutely love the Evil Dead franchise, and I had initially been a little wary at this sequel due to the fact they were taking the deadite insanity into an apartment block instead of the usual little cottage in the woods. I am so glad I was wrong, because this movie was probably the best horror to come out of 2023. The cast were amazing (Morgan Davies was a stand out) and it managed to feel like an Evil Dead film but with a fresh perspective.

(iv) Dark Harvest (2023, Dir. David Slade) Okay, I couldn't find a gif from the movie so y'all will have to make do with this still image. Now, I fully expected Dark Harvest to be a lame b-movie with terrible effects and a lame storyline, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! It managed to keep me captivated, and it was extremely aesthetically pleasing. I'd love a sequel with Emily returning to town.

(v) Five Nights at Freddy's (2023, Dir. Emma Tammi) Gosh, I was so happy when I enjoyed this! I am a huge FNAF fan (though for a while I kept it on the downlow due to Cawthon's support of Trump/the Republican party) and I adore the lore, as wild and complicated as it is. The movie really managed to keep me captivated, and kept me guessing, whilst still staying true to the original canon. I cannot wait for the second installment.

(vi) Guns Akimbo (2019, Dir. Jason Lei Howden) This was a wild and fantastic film. I love watching Daniel Radcliffe get further and further away from the HP movies and prove that he's a great actor. Also, I just love Samara Weaving.

(vii) The Meg 2: The Trench (2023, Ben Wheatley) Yeah, I'm surprised to see this on my list, too. This movie was just so much fun. That's all. The effects were great, the acting was pretty good, and I just like watching sharks take out humans. IF YOU DON'T WANT EATEN BY A SEA CREATURE, STAY OUT OF THE SEA.

(viii) Ichi the Killer (2001, Dir. Takashi Miike) I don't know why it took me over 20 years to finally watch this classic, but I ended up thoroughly enjoying it! The acting was insane, the story was batshit crazy, and the effects were fantastic. I'd expect nothing less from Takashi Miike, tbh.

(ix) Salo, or 120 Days of Sodom (1975, Dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini) Okay, hear me out - was this one of my favourite movies of the year? No, it really wasn't. However, it's the movie that has probably left the biggest scar on my mental psyche of the year, therefore I had to include it. I've been fascinated by Marquis De Sade ever since I saw Quills years ago, but I never watched this movie because I knew it would do something to my brain. If you've seen the movie (or even read the book), I'm sure you understand what I mean when I saw one chapter in particular REALLY fucked me up to the point I couldn't eat chocolate for quite some time afterwards, and I struggle to not throw up when cleaning my cat's litter box these days. It takes a lot for a movie to scar me in a way that makes it pop into my mind every now and then, and this movie did that. However, I'd like to add that the point of the film isn't just to shock, but I am terrible at witing coherent analysis. If you haven't seen this movie, I would suggest doing a little research before watching, just to make sure you can handle it; it is full of triggers that I don't even want to mention because I'll probably get blacklisted. But yes. Whilst it may not be a favourite of the year, it sure left a huge impact on me.

(x) Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022, Dir. Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan) I think everyone loves this movie, but I was surprised at how much I loved it! The whole message of the movie is just so brutal and honest, and whilst I know that it's probably people of Asian heritage that can relate to it the most, I feel like we all can find something in the relationships that we can relate to. The cast were fantastic and I'm so glad to see Ke Huy Quan on screen again! Heartwarming, sad, and absolutely hilarious.

Honorary Mentions: (i) Midnight (2021, Dir. Kwon Oh-seung) (ii) Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018, Dir. Jung Bum-shik) (iii) Glass Onion (2022, Dir. Rian Johnson) (iv) The Night House (2020, Dir. David Bruckner) (v) I Saw the Devil (2010, Dir. Kim Jee-woon)

[horse-girl-anthy]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks..

tbh this is extremely hard to answer because I have many interests. I’m sure I’ll feel bad when I remember the hundred other characters that should have made the list. I’m not putting any Ikuhara characters because it’d been too hard to pick and honestly I’d have to go through each work individually. 

1. Tenma from Naoki Urasawa’s Monster. I don’t claim to be a complicated person, alright. I just think he’s nice. every time I read Monster I get more attached to him like a little baby duck, which is what all the other characters in that story do as well so I’m valid. trying to put it into words is hard--he’s just an alluring combo of pathetic, ridiculous, cool, strong, and kind. plus he kinda becomes a religious figure by the end and I’m a sucker for that shit.

2. Xie Lian from TGCF/Heaven Official’s Blessing. I read the novels this summer after watching the donghua. I was just expecting a decent BL, but what I got was epic historical supernatural fiction (and BL). Xie Lian is such an impressively written character. his story helped me deal with my own fall from grace, as it were, and was overall cathartic and engaging. plus he’s my type. step aside Hua Cheng, I’d die for him first. 

3. Orel from Moral Orel. I love this show a lot because of its focus on the cruelty and hypocrisy of WASP America, and Orel is relatable for struggling to understand the bulltshit answers he gets to all his questions. he’s a lot more innocent than I was as a kid, but I think his kind of purity plays well against the satirical, dark edge of the show. 

4. Reki from Haibane Renmei. most of the reasons I love her aren’t revealed until the very end of the show. I’ll say that I love her because she’s the ultimate manifestation of the story’s themes of guilt and redemption.

5. Ishida from Koe no Katachi. I just finished rereading this manga recently. if you want a character who does wrong, suffers, tries to change himself, but finds it isn’t that easy, Ishida is your man. he’s such a funny, well-written teen boy, but also someone I think anyone from any background can see themselves in--the good and the bad. 

6. Naruto from... you know. Naruto was the first anime I became really obsessed with, when I was in middle school, and Naruto himself is the first character I can remember becoming attached to in an intense, lasting way. I loved him so much and I still have that attachment to him. he’s so, so cute, and so, so lovable. when I’m done with my first round of Ikuhara vids, I’m going to download Naruto so I can make my friend a Sasuke fancam and I’m also gonna make a Naruto edit just for me :)

7. Miyuki from Naoki Urasawa’s Happy! I’ve read everything by Urasawa except for Yawara, and I’m one of the only people who seems to have read Happy! I gotta say, would I pick it as one of his best works? no. I love everything he’s done, but something like 20th Century Boys or Billy Bat is clearly a more serious, meaningful story than Happy!, which comes out of his transition phase between writing romantic comedy sports manga and his later thrillers. however... Happy! is one of those works which makes me lose my mind regardless of quality. and Miyuki, the main character, is just so damn adorable. I find her a very appealing, sweet character. beyond that, kind of like Monster, the entire story is about people trying to break her down, but she refuses to ever give up and I love that sort of thing when played right. 

8. Ged from Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series. I am still digging into Le Guin’s body of work but I’ve read most of her novels and short story collections. I could absolutely make a top ten list with just characters from her books. however, I managed to narrow it down to just three from this list, all from the Earthsea books. Ged is the only character who appears in all six books, and the reader gets to experience close the entire course of his life. he starts as an arrogant, careless boy and grows into a wise man. Le Guin decided not to leave him after he does his final great act, and his story continues after he loses his power. Tehanu, the fourth book in the series, is probably my favorite book I’ve ever read, I’ve thought about writing an analysis comparing it with RGU, and one of its main themes is life after loss and trauma. his story interwines with the next two characters on this list.

9. Tenar from Earthsea. like Ged, we get to see most of her life throughout the books. book 2 contains her coming of age story, while Tehanu features her as a widow, struggling between the life of an ordinary woman and her status in the mythology of Earthsea. she brings so much fire, mirth, and strength to the series. she’s someone I wish I had in my life, and if you really pressed me, she’s my favorite character Le Guin ever wrote. 

10. Tehanu from Earthsea. this character is a strange one to try to write about. I’ve seen people criticize her writing by saying there’s nothing to her, she’s just a vessel for the story. but I can’t agree. as someone who’s known people who went through severe childhood trauma, I think that Tehanu is written with thought and care. I love how unnerving and unknowable she is, but also how she is written like she’s any other child. the ending of her story in the final book made me sob and sob and sob. 

sources for the last three images because they’re fanart: 1, 2, 3

[wikiangela]

she hulk finale!!! 😍 it was awesome and I loved it and here are some comments I made while watching (kinda long post sns)

spoilers under the cut!

the opening was fantastic, so funny lol

oh shit and Bruce is still in space huh 😳

and she can't turn, just like Blonsky? I mean, from the perspective of the witnesses... understandable

aw I feel so bad for her, she doesn't deserve all that 😭

oh no she's moving 😭 like, I get it, but I love her apartment, it's so cute lol

"by any and all means" I fucking love Nikki 😂😂 where do I find a bestie like her lol

Dennis what the fuck 🤦🏻‍♀️ tbh I genuinely forgot this guy existed lmao "dated for a significant about of time" HA, you fucking wish 😂 you wish you could pull anyone even remotely as awesome as Jen lmao

we're gonna see Blonsky again??? yaaay!

"I'm not running from my problems, it's a mental health break" ain't that a mood lol

Nikki's a genius 👑

"deep haikus" by Emil Blonsky - I fucking need this book in my life 😂😂😂

I love Pug, I wish we could've seen more of him in this series lol

"I would have the exact same criticism if she was a man" OMG but this is exactly what males say on the internet 😂😂😂

fucking Todd 😂 for a second there i was afraid Pug's cover was blown lol

Pug is doing so good and I'm loving how uncomfy he is about all that 😂

TODD is HulkKing???! I mean, there were theories after he called her a specimen and all, but I honestly didn't expect that, because I was sure it had to be someone smarter 😂😂😂

I still don't trust the wrecking crew guy 👀

wait, is Blonsky with inteligencia?????! WHAT? obvi he wasn't suddenly good but like... why - also, how can he suddenly transform without alerting his parole officer now????

seeing Blonsky's voice come out of the Abomination is so silly oh my god 😂😂

fucking Todd 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

oh, and Titania's here! "does that bitch ever use a door" seriously 😂😂

oh, so Emil protected Jen - so he really does do it for profit huh - still doesn't make it okay hah

BRUCE IS HERE!!!! OH MY GOD?? I thought he was in space???

noo, Bruce, wrong guy to fight 😂😂😂

"what is even happening here" 😂😂 it's so chaotic and I'm loving every second 😂😂😂

oh my god for a second I panicked when it switched to the Disney plus menu 😂😂 this is so funny

so she broke the inhibitor and jumped into marvel assembled - aka the real world???! this episode is completely unhinged and insane and I love it 😂😂😂

is she going to complain about the storylines 🤣 this is so meta and that whole thing was unexpected but it's so good???

Kevin 😂 or, K.E.V.I.N. 😂😂 so funny

"you are very expensive" I cannot stop laughing 😂😂😂

THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF META JOKES I LOVE 😂😂😂

okay, I fucking love this episode 😂 😂

making fun of the usual overdone formula? I'm all here for it 😂

no, but seriously, I kinda love that she's like: the stakes were high enough for me personally, I don't need to have to save the world or anything, it was supposed to be a fun legal comedy with me coming to terms with my superpowers - because I genuinely loved the show and this brand new thing they're trying and I love that for once the stakes don't have to be threatening to everyone around

"save it for the movie" YES - as much as I loved seeing Bruce again, it is kinda like: a man has to come to the rescue because she wouldn't be able to do it without him 😅 he's getting his own project, we don't need to know now (even tho I'm curious haha)

"when are we getting the x-men" wait I need to finish the movies 😂😂😂

"I smash fourth walls and bad endings" AS YOU SHOULD 💪😂😂 I can't believe we finally got marvel saying "yeah, it's been repetitive, let's change it up" 😂😂

"and sometimes Matt Murdock" YAS, get it girl 😏😂

MATT IS BACK????!!!!! FUCK YEAH!! (but seriously, get him the red suit back, the yellow looks so bad 🤢)

he met the fam? 👀 so they're a thing? I'm so here for it, pls let them be together forever lol

And Bruce is back the right way lol

wait what, a son??? I am so confused 😂

Wong breaking Emil out again 😂😂😂

so

oh my god I loved it!!!! so good!!! honestly this might be my fave finale of marvel shows so far because it was SO unexpected and different and just completely chaotic and unhinged and I'm here for all of it 😂😂

the meta jokes and comments were absolutely hilarious and I laughed my ass off

I love how the ending was finally something different and more grounded I guess (as much as it can be in a hulk show lol) with no nonsense about Todd getting powers and all that

and I think everyone got what they deserved, with Todd being sued (it is a lawyer show lol) and Blonsky going back to prison - tho obvi he's not there anymore lol

despite being a superhero show, it dealt more with Jen and her life and coming to terms with herself, balancing her life as she hulk and Jen, and it was a legal comedy (could've used more legal stuff but those were 20 minute episodes so I get it lol) and I'm glad it all ended the way it ended rather than have the usual everyone shows up completely out of the blue for the last big fight that the hero's gonna win anyway

(and Matt!! god I hope they're dating lol I can't wait to see him again in born again!)

I fucking loved the show and this ending completely subverted expectations and made this show even better

so good, I hope we'll get s2 and I really hope to see her on the big screen one day (also, Bruce has a son wtf, when is his movie or whatever coming out lol)

[seavoice]

this is from the anon who said they were convinced to read tsats...I had some out-of-context lb thoughts, but they were getting too long--I finished the book... I just can't lmao, I had great fun, but in all fairness, I was never invested in nico's and will's relationship (don't really care for romantic relationships and especially "soulmate" kind that rr tends to go for), so I didn't expect anything, and was not disappointed. I have alot of thoughts, but I think the thing about this book (1/2)

that gets me is that (1) it didn't have to be full-book, this arc could have been done a short story (like the Bob was introduced in) instead of forcing the nonexistent stakes (2) there are some really interesting threads in this book (nemesis??, all the dreams/horror fucked hard??, the storytelling non-linear framing of first part?) if the book cared about executing them (3) the writing, like, it's almost self-sabotaging, and clear who wrote what, in summary, it should make the whole (2/3)

I'm glad you had fun! I was worried I'd pushed you into reading a joyless tiresome book 😭😭 But glad it wasn't all bad.

Yeah, I think having no expectations is the best way to go into this one. I didn't have any concrete expectations whatsoever apart from a few cameos (and that I could maybe count on writing not being godawful...but WELP) and I still was like "hmm 🤨 I'm vaguely disappointed". So I really dread to think what it would be like if i had high hopes, because yeah of course it's not going to be Pulitzer worthy writing🙄, yeah it's middle grade, yeah it's always had slapstick humor, yeah the genre has always been adventure comedy etc etc, but PJO is still excellent along those parameters and this just...wasn't, for me!

I totally agree with you on it not having to be a full length book--we didn't even get to Tartarus till midway, and a lot of it was just extraneous and it suffered from both that and the very careless writing. The interesting plot threads that DID get picked up were just discarded almost immediately and it felt like there were no real stakes. (Midway through I thought the myth of Zagreus would be important--and I wasn't really gunning for it personally, but I think i would have found it a better story than what we did get in the end lol). Tbh, a book about willingly jumping into a place built up as this unsurvivable hellscape was always going to shatter the stakes--of not just this book but retroactively the whole series--in a deeply unsatisfying way, but sometimes you got to see it to believe it. Sigh.

[unohanadaydreams]

@tealcat001

As far as official translation, you can buy the e-book version on the SJ app and they have the physical copies for sale in bookstores and Amazon and really most everywhere books are sold.

As far as unofficial translations go, I know there was at least one person on tumblr who posted their translation before VIZ came out with theirs, but I can’t remember their @ . If anyone does, pls let me know.

@mulberrynukacola

LMAO I didn’t even make the connect that he made Baccano! but I too love that animanga. One of the few anime I have the DVD set of.

Makes sense why the character interactions are generally well done since he’s obviously comfortable with a large cast.

But, yeah the battle scenes so far feel more like script writing for a manga/anime scene instead of an actual scene in a book, you know? It’s written in short hand. But to be fair, Shonen style battles benefit a lot from being in a visual medium.

Maybe it’s just because I’m thankful it ended, but I think after we get out of Hueco Mundo the first novel improves a lot. I know there needs to be build up but the Human World and Hueco Mundo portions (the battle portions) are just so bland and could’ve been cut out tbh and we wouldn’t lose anything and would’ve gained intrigue.

I’m sure it’s hard because he’s writing for an established property and he can’t just dive right into the story—he has to constantly walk a balancing act of giving info that happened in the manga but also not going too far in because he doesn’t want a bunch of exposition dump.

Also, who knows what gets lost in translation when there is only 1 translator, who I’m sure is also expected to do the editing considering lack of editing credits and the number of repeat words and typos.

But, yeah!! Bad battle scenes and most of the bad Bleach comedy relief is there with them but there’s definitely some good stuff when they’re over.