#YAK'S PROGRESS

[retrocgads]

UK 1987

[sonicrainbooms]

the clash of clans "searching for opponent" music is stuck in my head again

[bengiyo]

Wandee Goodday Ep 3 Stray Thoughts

Last week, Wandee wasn't feeling great after he was forced to call out Ter for trying to gaslight him about his feelings. Yoryak happened to see that and later rescued Wandee from Rain's (LITA) kidnapper and taking him home. Yoryak is managing his own sting at being rejected by Taem, but learned from her perspective to help Wandee. Our leads began their FWB arrangement and got to have fun with costumes (and some help from Kao) and rimming jokes. They set some rules that I expect Wandee to violate immediately. Cher and Oyei continued to be a great team.

Finally, after ten years of this, we finally acknowledge the most reliable act that two gay men can engage in with each other. They were having fun and joking with it! My Stand In, have several seats.

Curious about Yoryak's parents. Seems like there's a tragedy there.

Love that all the friends clocked the necklace on both ends and immediately called it out. Yoryak got roasted by his brother and not-in-law and I laughed so hard.

Kao does not believe the lies Wandee is telling himself.

Why are we spending time on hetero nonsense?

Not these two dancing around how much they're into each other.

I really love the team that Oyei and Cher have become before we met them. I love that Cher is helping Oyei balance these burdens he's taken on and is able to navigate his pride.

I think it's really important that the show gave us time with Wandee doing total care for a sick child and his mom, giving both of them what they needed in a serious situation.

Truly, someone please explain to these. Headed that Ter ain't gonna fuck them either!

Kao! Lie better! It really be your own hoes letting you down.

I'm interested in this boxing-based homophobia Yak has to manage and I wonder if Oyei being with Cher is the reason we haven't seen their dad.

I really love the way Oyei respects the physical limits of his boxers while being real with them about the obstacles they're facing and why they're pushing.

The fact that Yoryak hasn't taken the necklace back even though he's frustrated with Wandee says a lot. The show is using that detail well.

See, this is good writing. We used the seriousness of Oyei and Cher's relationship and their real worries about the gym to make this play from Wandee land properly. They also know that Wandee is the guy he's seeing so they're probably less concerned since they can supervise.

I'm so amped about this fight. I had hoped we'd have an excuse for Yoryak and Oyei to fight. We even get Cher holding his phone in the gayest way possible.

Oyei said he was not letting Cher go home and kicked his brother's ass.

Look at Wandee playing these fucking games. I am obsessed.

I love the no kiss rule and how badly Yoryak wants to break it. In another show I might be feeling things about the closet, but the fact that Yak has wanted to kiss for two episodes makes me trust the show.

I appreciate that despite how desperate he is, Wandee stopped when he reached a hard no.

Wandee completely misunderstood that Yoryak is a simp. All he had to do was be genuinely pathetic and he folded instantly. That's worked in literally episode.

I really hope Wandee appreciates that Yoryak is coming out to help him.

Thinking about that pasta they made in I Only Want to See You.

"You already experienced a bigger bite."

Okay, I love them ending on some soft affection before they fuck off screen.

Cannot overstate how important it is to me that we ended the last episode on Wandee telling Yoryak he needed to pay more attention to his dick and then opening on an enthusiastic 69. This episode was excellent, and I loved how well all of the moments worked with the major issue of the episode. I really love when episodic media feels episodic and I am eating good with this show. I love that for three episodes these two progress any time Wandee is sober and honest with Yoryak.

[guardevoir]

Fiber arts update! Featuring handspun and pin loom shenanigans!

Remember this stuff?

Left-to-right: 6-ply 50/50 silk/polwarth, 3-ply 60/20/20 polwarth/silk/yak, 4-ply silk/polwarth (same stuff as the 6-ply) and 4-ply 70/30 merino/silk. Made a scarf out of it.

And, well, I ended up with some leftovers! A very awkward amount of leftovers, not quite enough for anything, but too much to just leave lying about, especially because this is the good stuff.

So I figured I'd weave a bunch of pin loom squares, see if it's enough for something. Picked out a cowl to make halfway through.

I then promptly realized that I was gonna come up short by a decent amount of squares because I didn't have as much blue left as I thought... but I did have the same fiber in a similar colorway on my spindle!

(old photo, I had about 13g of fiber on that thing by that point)

I thusly guesstimated that I must've spun up about half of it, and quickly got the other half done on my wheel. Two-plied it, then cabled it, expecting that to be a pretty decent match to the other 50/50 4-ply silk mix.

It was not a decent match. The other blue shit is somewhere between sport and dk.

But thankfully I'm resourceful:

Most of the white squares have 4-ply warp and 6-ply weft for some texture and a denser weave; I did two of the blue ones with the 4-ply white stuff too to stretch the blue a little further, and for the more purple-ish ones, I ended up doubling the yarn for the weft, which means they had a 4-ply warp and an 8-ply weft. We're not even gonna talk about that gray/white square.

(4-ply/6-ply square in progress):

Sewed it up and felted it a fair bit, for more sturdiness and a more cohesive fabric:

And here's the finished thing, modelled by the resident giant owl plushie:

If you're wondering, the colors are laid out like that because I wanted the softer yak hair mix in the back, where it'd be touching my nape, because I'm super super sensitive to textures there and the merino/silk mix is a bit rougher. In the meantime, this also lets me have all the fun colors at the front. Win/win!

Anyway, this was fun. I always feel kinda dodgy just whipstitching the loops together because it never seems to quite fully come together... but I really enjoyed the process here, the end product is wonderful, and I am eager for more.

[iguessitsjustme]

I want to throw in my two cents to the conversation I've seen happening regarding Yak asking for a reward from Dee after Ter literally assaults him. And I want to be clear that this is my interpretation and if yours is different, I fully respect it, and I see where many of you are coming from. I just personally see the situation differently.

Yak didn't ask for a reward for saving Dee. He asked for a reward for showing up. And he wasn't being like "I deserve a reward for this." Those are just the words he uses when he wants Dee to kiss him and he's giving Dee a way to separate kissing him from his actual feelings because he knows Dee isn't necessarily ready for that yet. He's saying "I want to kiss you but you have full power to say no." Which is different than "I saved you from your assaulter so I deserve what you wouldn't give him."

Yak is completely different from Ter. He constantly pauses before kissing Dee. He will lean in and get slowly and slowly closer, but Dee always has room to move out of the way. Yak asks things from Dee before doing them. He doesn't need a reward for saving Dee from Ter. He just wants to be close to Dee and that is his way of expressing it while his relationship with Dee is in limbo. Looking at it just as Yak coming and and saving Dee and then asking for a reward of a kiss, yeah, it looks bad. But looking at it in the context of the show and who Yak is and who he has been this whole time, there's a lot more behind it.

I can see how the situation would be upsetting for people. I genuinely and truly do. I just think it's also important to remember that we have had these characters for 9 episodes now and they haven't done anything to break our trust in them. This isn't even Yak's first time asking Dee for a reward. That's just who he is and how he communicates.

Anyway, fuck Ter all the way to hell. He also should have been led away by the cops. I am glad even Kwan has had enough of him. Yak should punch him more. I do think the show should have had Ter face harsher consequences for attempting to kiss Dee without his consent, but the show is not over and I do think Ter will have to face more struggles later (or I hope he does). I am hesitantly going to trust this show and I don't want to do it a disservice by assuming the worst when it has been so consistently good with its messaging. If it falls of the rails later, I will not regret giving it my trust now. Because then the show will have betrayed my trust not the other way around. And with a show that is as progressive and queer as Wandee Goodday, I think it's important that we look at the whole context for scenes and moments like that before jumping down it's throat. I, for one, am going to trust the 9 episodes we've been given so far. I am going to trust Yak and Dee and Yei and Cher and Kao and all of the other characters that have made this show so special.

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Currently Watching - June

aka The Masterlist

Because I love a good little list - in alphabetical order! 😊

Regularly updated during the month, latest update 30.06.2024

A little link to my favorite bl-tropes-collection 💙

gif-requests are currently closed🌼

Here you can find all of my gifs.

At the end you can have a look at what we can expect in April with a MDL link and a link for a trailer (if avaible).

This is guaranteed to contain spoilers!

1. Blue Boys Part 2 🇰🇷 (1/4)

They are back and they made up 🥰 There is going to be a little bit drama, at least I hope just a little bit and not another break up or cheating -.- But they talked and I really liked it! And I loved that this stupid bitch got dumbed! Now I wait for the next parts.

2. Hidamari ga Kikoeru 🇯🇵 (1/12)

And with this first scene I fell in love. I was totally absorbed! And I got my giffing joy back. I don't know what happend, but I adore these two. And I can't wait to whitness their story to be told! Because they're in balance right now. One is loud and one is silent. One is hiding and one is seeking. And both are happy to see the other one happy.

3. His Man Season 3 🇰🇷 (4/?)

I love this format! I enjoyed the first two seasons to the max and the third one is something else too. There are so many different people with different personalities and thinkings. As always there is some kind of tension and love triangles, but there are some really wholesome moments too. I really hope people keep in mind that these people have their own feelings and not a script to act on.

4. My Love Mix-Up! 🇹🇭 (4/12)

I see so many posts from people not liking this one and I am sitting here enjoying this story. I don't compare it to anything. i just enjoy some awkward fluff. And I think the casting is quite good. I don't have the strongest feeling for the japanese original. I really enjoyed it and it is a great series, but I think the thai one is entertaining too and the chemistry between those two is still there.

5. My Stand-In 🇹🇭 (10/12)

I loved this scene! The way Ming caressed Joe and the way he fucked him, finally facing him. Thank you! Tong is a stupid shitface. He is such a bad fucker. I have some strong feelings here. And yes, I liked the progress of Ming's and Joe's relationship. I don't like the ending, but I liked seeing them happy together. Perhaps mostly because I want to see Joe happy. The ending was cruel and next week comes episode 11 so... yay...

6. Wandee Goodday 🇹🇭 (9/12)

Do I like it when they kiss? Hell yeah! Do I like the back and forth with the kisses? Hell no! At this point I don't know where they are going with the story. It is quite repetitive. Yak wants a kiss, Dee plays shy. Yak smiles and kisses him on the cheek and they live happily like boyfriends, but they aren't boyfriends, even though they both like each other! At least Yak finally understood his feelings. Now please let Dee work on his problems. There are three more episodes to go. Let them be happy and work on their problems together! It gets a little bit boring...

7. Word of Honor 🇨🇳 (20/36)

Those two flirt a lot and are a married couple. Everyone knows that. And I love and enjoy that! Overall this is such a fun watch and the different sects and intrigues are sometimes a little bit confusing, but interesting. I love this world of martial arts and I love how protective Wen Kexing is over Zhou Zishu. I haven't felt like watching this lately. I wasn't in the right mood.

Finished in June

Series

Taxi Driver 🇰🇷

I looooved the first episodes, when we got our weekly revenge stories. But around episode 12 there was so much going on with the police and the illegal organ-trafficing-ring and it got kind of boring. And yes, Kim Do-gi is some kind of super human. He can take punch after punch and still beat 30 men in a row. That is a little bit unrealistic, but it was fun watching him. I don't know if I'll watch season 2. Perhaps I start and watch the first episodes with joy before some big shit happens and it gets boring again... But overall still a 7,5 out of 10 for me.

25 Ju, Akasaka de 🇯🇵

They finally talked! Thank god! They finally spoke to each other! And now they are happy and Japan delivered, I must say. The misunderstanding trope was well done, but a little bit drawn out in the end. But I really liked this not so slow burning slow burn. The story was well rounded with the background story, the characters had depth and there was Nagumo Shoma in this soooo... I liked it. A good 9 out of 10 for me.

Cityboy_Log 🇰🇷

Volume 3 came to an end, I guess. I don't know when it will continue. I really hated this "season". It was confusing and the time jumps were disturbing and I really hated the character development. The lying and the cheating and the escalations and the make ups - they lost the characters and their growth on the way. It can be to be attracted to some one else, that is humane, but you don't have to act on it. This "season" really pissed me off. I am still mad! I won't rate it, jsut because the format is confusing for me 😂

Only Boo 🇹🇭

This was a dancy ride with the last part missing the beat. I loved the fluff and Moo was such a delightful character and Kang is such a sweetheart. I loved these two together! And I loved that Moo had to fight a little bit to get Kang. What I didn't like was the fact, that in the end it all felt too rushed and too easy? I like that they got together again and that Moo still could fullfill his dream, but it would be nice if we could have seen him starting a little revolution and the fans rooting for him and Kang and finally changing something. But that didn't happen. But over all this one was such a sweet wholesome watch! So in the end it is a 8,5 out of 10 for me.

Short Film

Movie

Double Mints 🇯🇵

Can I say I am a little bit disappointed? Don't get me wrong. This is a good movie, but it is always depicted as this fucked up, dark movie you should be warned to watch and named in one breath with Dangerous Dr*gs of S*x or The Shortest Distance Is Round. And yes, it is brutal and dark and their relationship is interesting but kind of messed up, but it did not meet my expectations. Nevertheless I really liked it and from all those dark movies and series I watched so far, this is one of the better ones. I really like the devotion and enjoyed watching the D/s relationship. The ending was very much fitting for this kind of movie and kind of romantic. Yes, this sounds fucked up, but I guess both of them were very much on the edge and this is the only solution for them to be together forever and become one again. They found each other and that is all they needed. Guess I liked this movie more than I first thought. So for me it gets a good 8,5 out of 10.

Dropped in June

Looking forward to in June

My Love Mix-Up - Trailer (June 7th)

Love Sea - Trailer (June 9th)

Aki wa Haru to Gohan wo Tabetai 2 Haime! (June 14th in cinemas)

SunsetxVibes - Pilot (June 15th)

His Man Season 3 (June 21st)

I Hear the Sunspot (June 26th)

The Rebound - Trailer (June 26th)

The Trainee - Trailer (June 30th)

Blue Boys Part 2 - Trailer (June 18th)

Born to be Y - Teaser (allegedly in June)

[shortpplfedup]

I'm not totally sure where Wandee Goodday is taking the Ter character, though I definitely have my suspicions, but they have been super clear in this ep that whatever his damage is does not excuse or justify his behaviour. Because this...

...is what is commonly referred to as 'a clue'. They might put a lot of nuance into whatever Ter is going through or struggling with, but they want us to remember that he is not on the side of the angels here. I'm always team 'intentions matter' and Ter's intentions are not good.

From what I can see so far, Ter may be meant to play foil, parallel and mirror to both Yak and Dee in this story, in different ways. Already both of them are comparing each other to Ter, both consciously and openly (Yak asking who exactly is the schemer) and subconsciously and quietly (Dee reacting to seeing them both interact with the women they are interested in). Depending on how the story plays out, I may have more to say on that as the show progresses.

I like this show very much so far, everything about it, especially the character writing which is honestly giving me the fizzies. I can't wait to see where it goes, because I genuinely think it's going to surprise me. Honestly, it's putting me a little bit in my Bad Buddy brainrot feels, and that's not a comparison I'd ever make lightly. I hope it holds up!

[aggro-my-beloved]

The Grey Area (GuyxHoney)

note: welcome to day three! if you’re wondering why this is so short and unedited, my stomach issues have gotten the better of me this week. 1 reblog and silly lil comment = 1 get well soon wish for me <3

summary: *everybody views the world as black and white until soulmates meet/lock eyes and see colors for the first time* [what’s more depressing than witnessing an amusement park in black and white? realizing it may be the last time you visit one, is probably what guy would answer, as he dangles upside down on Wonderworld’s “Surge” coaster. the pretty stranger next to him isn’t the worst company, though.]

pairings: GuyxHoney (romantic)

word count: 1.1k

estimated reading time: 5-6 mins

taglist: @ther3alsweetheart @darlin-collins @professionallyyappinabtangst @elles-roses bloop

GUY DRAWS IN DEEP, LABORED BREATHS alongside the other coaster passengers, inhaling the savory stench of sweat and cotton-candy coated air. In any other instance–preferably one where he isn’t tilted one hundred and eighty degrees on his head and about to suffer a deadly impact onto the fairgrounds–he’d be less green in his gills. His stomach would be rumbling requests for another sopping chili dog, or warm pretzel glistening with yellow mustard to tide him over for the night. However, the mass of citizens gathering beneath him with frightened eyes and murmured concerns is beckoning him to yak up what could be his last meal. No, no, maybe it’s word vomit.

“Crazy, huh? How one second your friends are wagering how many corn dogs you can eat before taking a spin on Wonderworld’s Surge, and the next you’re bracing to be a splat on the ground, remembered as nothing more than a crime scene photo–a crumb of a tragedy–”

“Please stop talking.” A meek voice belonging to the passenger beside him introduces itself. Due to their stiff pose and shut eyes (and seat dividers), Guy has no vantage point to any recognizable characteristics other than dirty sneakers and tremor in their voice. Their hands keep the lap bar restraints in an unyielding choke, and for good reason. If Guy were to shift as much as a millimeter, the minecart of a coaster seat would resound with an unpleasant creak.

“My bad. Talking to myself keeps me relaxed.”

“You find narrating your final moments relaxing?” Another tremor shakes their body, but Guy credits it to the anxious laughter bubbling from their lips. It offers little comfort for either of them, but he’ll take whatever distraction he can get from the looming thought of this night being their last. The respite is short-lived, as Guy and his passenger peer down to see one of the maintenance men (who’d been tackling the coaster’s sudden malfunctions for the past fifteen minutes) wave up at them with wide, swooping arms.

“Don’t worry, help is on the way!” The wind carries his voice unevenly, making it sound warbled to Guy’s ears. What may also be to blame is the unnatural amount of blood rushing past his ears and to his head. As the night progresses, a prominent chill grows stronger each second they are suspended thousands of feet above ground. He perks up at the relieved mutter from the passenger beside him.

“Thank goodness, there’s still hope.” Guy wiggles his toes, but cannot feel them. He chooses not to mention it.

“Now look at who's talking to themselves.” His voice quakes through the tease. The lurching in Guy’s stomach persists, and he ponders if it's another threat from his gut to expel its contents, or the beautiful stranger giving him their undivided attention. Usually, nobody pays him any mind unless he is adorning his work uniform and offering samples of Max’s award winning garlic knots to passersby.

“You may be onto something about the relaxing aspect.” They try for a deep breath, and Guy notices them strain to pull the air in their lungs. He’s sure they feel the lurch now too, but for different reasons.

“So, what’s your name?” The stranger snorts, before answering.

“I like that name. I’m Guy…how old are you?” Again, they reply. A humored snort follows.

“You gonna ask me for three fun facts about myself next?” Guy smirks, and cranes his neck to view the fairgrounds. The crowd of witnesses has grown, and their cell phone flashlights are blending in with the warm bulbs of the distant Ferris wheel. No sirens. No search and rescue. Not yet.

He looks back up to take in their profile. Closed eyes. Scrunched nose. Tight lips.

“Yeah, why the hell not? Seems like we got time.”

_________________________

“Okay, is it my turn?” Asks Guy, who holds up three remaining fingers. He’s become more impressed by this stranger with each hypothetical they toss for him to mull over, and ultimately concede to as he curls another digit to meet his fist.

“No, it’s mine. Never have I ever put pineapple on my pizza.” A disgusted groan falls past Guy’s lips as he tosses his head back, or attempts to. The seat he is strapped against stops him.

“I shouldn’t have mentioned where I worked, had I known it’d be vital to your victory.” He mutters through clenched teeth, and drops another finger. Of course, he had to try all of the controversial toppings—even anchovies, though he wasn’t completely sober when the slice peppered with them went down his gullet.

“C’mon, Guy. Dig deep!” They encourage contagious titters. The amount of blood pooling in their upper body is the culprit, Guy knows, but for now he’ll wish it’s his undeniable charm and wit upholding the conversation.

“Okay.” The man gnaws on his bottom lip. Would it be uncouth to ask after just meeting? How vulnerable can a person be staring into the eyes of death and accepting their fate? They’re strangers…but could be bound by the wicked force of trauma if they manage to walk away unscathed from tonight’s events. “Uh…”

Screw it.

“Never have I ever seen colors.” For a moment, Guy swears he feels their sharp breath inflate his lungs, because the inhalations are synced.

“You mean, you’ve never met your soulmate?” They gander, to which Guy shakes his head.

“Nope. Probably never will, by the looks of it…kinda hoped my last moments wouldn’t be all black and white. Or when the time came where my life flashed before my eyes like in the movies, it would be more…lively.” The stranger beside him blinks theirs open, and keeps them afixed on the array of stars peering down.

“I’ll never even know what color my eyes are.” They scoffed, much to Guy���s surprise. It seems every beautiful stranger he crosses paths with gives him a motivational phrase to keep his eyes peeled for his other half, which is how he knows they’ve jumped the hurdle of finding theirs. “I always ask my family and friends not to tell me, so I can find out for myself.”

Guy grows tired of winking at constellations and phone cameras. He much prefers the profile of the one sitting beside him. “I’m sure whatever color they are is gorgeous.”

Whiskey or bile coats his throat—he’s too far past delusional to tell—as they turn to fully face him. And then their eyes meet.

The whooping sirens reverberate like violins and complement the symphony of cheers from the crowd below awaiting to grasp and tug their loved ones into grateful embraces. The red engines and blue cotton candy clouds perched below them—even the neon painted cart Guy is sitting in means nothing beside the revelation that his life is not flashing before his eyes. They’re sitting right in front of him, letting him study their melanin, and wind blown straggles of hair, and undoubtedly gorgeous irises.

Suddenly, the pair could stay in this spot forever.

soulmate september schedule | main masterlist | abt author

[avaylee]

Progress update!

I started the Reyna Shawl Pattern by Noora Backlund last week. Using an Island Fibers sock yarn (Merino, silk, yak). I can already tell this is going to block up sooo nice.

This is absolutely lush. It's going to someone on the spouse's side of the family. Not sure who yet. But if I can get a Solstice gift done before the end of September, I'll be in good shape!

[retrocgads]

UK 1985

[myrandomobsessionmix]

It’s been a minute since I posted but my god is the BL world keeping me well fed.

Starting with…

1. My Stand-In, my highest rank in the my current watch list.

Ep 10 gave me everything I needed to be there from the books and more. Thank god they made show Ming so much more endearing or is it just Up Poompat’s duality showing through?

What I love most about show Ming is that he is really laying all his cards and putting his heart on display for Joe to nitpick or ruin as he please. He is displaying his remorse for the past him so well that although one might argue he’s being pushy, I think the current maturity he has is a good work in progress.

He’s learning people, you can’t expect someone to change their whole nature like whiplash.

Also, we all are in favor of tossing Tong in the bonfire for fuel yes?

2. Only Boo!

A shocker I know. This recently ended so I’ll put this here okay? It’s a simple show, and tbh I didn’t have any expectations for this show at all.

I don’t know about you guys but this kind of shows are usually not my cup of tea, I need a mature show, angst, drama, action. Light hearted and coming of age? Urm, not on my roster? But somehow this show manages to hit a soft spot in me.

For their first rodeo in acting, SeaKeen did really well. A lot of awkwardness and it was obvious it was their first time, but somehow it fit to their storyline?

Plus their emotional actings was really good for their first time, props where it’s due 👍🏻

And ok, all the cast are endearing except for the two I’m pissed off with

*cough* Mom&Shone*cough*.

Overall though, it was a nice feel good show that hit the right marks (admittedly not all) but they wrapped it up well and I hope to see the two couples again SeaKeen & AunAshi in the future ☺️

3. Wandee Goodday

Hmm believe it or not, if you asked me 2 episodes back, I would have put this show as a tie with My Stand-In, but the recent ones have been annoying me to no end.

I still love this show, the quirkiness is there, the second couple is wholesome yet naughty,

but my god, YakDee is starting to get on my nerves.

Dee, honey, I get that you had a crush on that man for 8 years, but really how could you not immediately push him away when he tried kissing you twice? After he is blatantly showing you signs that he is using you?

This seriously made the kiss scene with Yak lose some of spark that I was hoping for.

Also, although the guy didn’t say I love you at first, he did say he was yours, so honey, you better have a big trauma or sth hanging over you to really be in that much denial.

The only saving grace right now for this show for me is that Yak finally directly confessed.

So let’s get a move on, ok people?

And that’s enough ranting for now. 🤭

[scrumptiousstuffs]

Wandee Goodday Episode 4

I love this episode.

We learn more about Yak's past (and I didn't expect to be hit as soon as the episode started. But the way Dee comforted Yak during sleep reminded me so much of AkkAye in The Eclipse, so I'm not complaining). However, it does explain Yak's determination to graduate from university (and also shaped how Yak live his life. And I'm not sure whether other viewers noticed this, but I thought Yak has some innocence with the way he view relationship/life, which is such a juxtaposition with his more physical/aggressive job as a boxer)

I really like the progression of Yak and Dee's relationship. These 2 started of with such a good friendship and as they learn more about each other, their bond continues to go stronger. And it is interesting that these 2 are insisting they like other people when their friends and family saw how much gone they are for each other (even Taemrak, who Yak supposedly has a crush clocked on Dee wearing Yak's necklace!). Also, I will agree with Dr Kao (who is my pick for MVP this episode) that these 2 has gone beyond fake boyfriend.

Speaking of which, I absolutely adore Dr Kao. He = us (viewers) when he voiced out his thoughts to Dee. And the way he bluntly schooled Dr Ter when the latter can't keep his nose out of Dee's business (and his relationship with Yak) is amazing to watch!

Dr Ter continues to be jerk. And I may be reading this wrongly, but does it seems he is leading Dr Khawn? And he is perhaps in the closet himself? Anyway, it will be interesting to see what his angle may be - is he truly feeling jealous of YakDee relationship? Or feeling the sense of loss because Dee no longer worships him and he misses having someone boosting his ego?

On a plus side, I enjoy all the scenes involving YeiCher. It's clear they are super supportive for Yai and their family unit (it is a small unit but strong and full of love). More of them please!!!!

To close an almost perfect episode, the show top it off with a PSA regarding vaccination and safe sex practice (for that, this episode gets ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating from me!)

Bring on Episode 5! - I am hoping it will be about Dee's past (we got a hint of it previously and this episode focuses more on Yei and Yak's mom! But I am wondering what happened with the dad?)

[lazzarella]

I'd have to rewatch to be more confident, and also wait until the end, but right now, Yak and Dee's love story feels like it's been written as a spiral to me. So, it's not a line from point A (FWB) to point B (boyfriends). And while they do keep coming back to the same issues and themes, it's not a circle either (at least not yet, and I don't think it will be). In a circular narrative, the protagonists end where they start. In a spiral, like I said, they come back to the same things more than once, but each time they've moved further along the spiral, so when they come back to the same point, it's with new experiences or perspectives or whatever. And that’s what I see here, and why I’m enjoying all the mirrored scenes, etc.

And, while I know many people don't see any progress being made, I definitely do. They're kissing now, for one, and the Dee of a few episodes ago wouldn't have made that speech in front of Ter, not to mention Yak no longer has lingering doubts about Taem vs Dee and has said that he loves Dee. 

So, yeah. I could be wrong about the spiral thing, but that's how I'm seeing it right now, and I’m very much enjoying it

[torra-and-the-toons]

The whole thing is still a WIP (hence the CSP lines still in the screenshot lol) but I'm really happy with how anime Yak turned out so far, so I took screenshots of the progress :)

[lilbittymonster]

holds up a very tired peace sign

Final roundup thoughts are that Dawntrail was a nice expansion. It wasn't amazing. It wasn't awful. I won't be up at night thinking about it. I won't be calling it the worst expansion ever. It was just....nice.

It told the story it wanted to tell very neatly. The writing has really bounced back from the nightmare of pacing issues that Endwalker had. The stakes were raised in a gradual and believable way. All it's loose threads were woven together neatly by the end. Wuk Lamat had a strong positive character arc without sacrificing her core personality. Koana had the necessary growth to realise that innovation and progress are not at odds with tradition. I think they compliment each other's weak points well.

Most of my nitpicking about the expansion lies in how the writers seemed to be trying to make a WoL x Wuk Lamat....thing happen, and I very much did not care for it At All. It's the same problem that I have with how the Exarch is written in ShB where we cannot say 'no' to him at any point. And frankly, being able to say 'no' is not something that would make the story come to a screeching halt. That's just lazy writing. I would have preferred if we were given dialogue options that gave us more agency in how we interacted with Wuk Lamat. Because the whole forced "we're family now :) you can call me Lamaty'i :)" was REALLY rubbing me the wrong way because, again, there was no way out! I could not at any point say "no, Wuk Lamat, I do not see you as family, you are assuming a level of relation here that just doesn't exist." Kitali wouold have flat out told her "no I'm not calling you that, we aren't family" and no amount of sad wet kitty eyes from Wuk Lamat could make her budge.

Kitali did not want to be here in the first place. She didn't sign on to be a participant in yet another political struggle. She was here with her husband on vacation and to keep an eye on the twins. That's it. And that's what she does for most of the early succession arc. She only gets called into the MSQ when the kidnapping happens, and she and Thancred are off doing their rogue shit together. She and Aymeric stick with the group until the end of the Valigarmanda trial, and after that she goes back to ignoring the political machinations.

It was Aymeric who dragged them along to Yak T'el, and Kitali wound up spending more time with the vipers than anything else. I haven't been bothered to actually level the job, but it's yet another dual wielding job to add to her repertoire, she'll be fine at viper day camp while the MSQ happens. And making sure Aymeric doesn't die of spice while they're there. He's gotten better but he is still very Ishgardian. Kitali would have been more interested in exploring the Ja Tiika forest and wallowing in her nostalgia for Rak'tika than anything else. They aren't there for the blessed siblings lore dump, but they tag along for the Skydeep Cenote dungeon as backup.

There is not nearly enough Estinien in this expansion for my tastes but at least I know what he's doing once he leaves Sunperch, so that makes my job easier.

I'm sure I'll waffle back and forth a bit on it by the time I actually get around to replaying it and writing out fic for it, and by the pace I'm going at it'll be several years from now, but it makes the most sense to me for Aymeric to remain behind in Tuliyollal following the attack. He isn't there for a lot of the Solution 9/Heritage Found stuff and they wouldn't see each other again til the final zone. He and Estinien would be sharing guard duty at the gate waiting for Kitali to come back through.

I kind of enjoyed not having Kitali be the main character of the expansion the same way she wasn't the main character in Stormblood. I really don't feel like it had to be the Warrior of Light with Wuk Lamat for the trials of succession arc. It just needed to be a strong adventurer. And even once the plot twists kicked up, we still weren't the main character, but being the WoL and our past experiences did end up being important enough to necessitate our presence. Compared to the previous two expansions, it was such a weight off Kitali's shoulders. Still, again with the "the whole world depends on me to save it" exhaustion, but lighter in comparison.

And Wuk Lamat ended up being the one to actually save it with the power of friendship. Love that for her. I'm glad that they kept her characterisation solid throughout the whole expansion.

I don't have any true investment in the expansion. I enjoyed it, but I'm more interested in the little bits and pieces about the future of interdimentional travel that they've been poking at since ShB ended. And if I'm being honest I think I'm starting to burn out on the game entirely. I've been meaning to replay some other games for a while now, and I think I need to take the time to do that and recharge.

I'll end this post with the best screenshot of the game.

He's gonna be a great dad some day.

[vergess]

sorry if this is an odd ask to send out of nowhere but i thought your mlp post was really interesting! could you go further into detail about what you think the show does wrong in later seasons? you don't have to, i'm just curious since i really like the show and it's been one of my hyperfixations for a very long time & you have really interesting takes/meta on things in general

thank you for your time!! :3

It very much gets "less about girls" as it progresses. People's background friends/family are suddenly almost always male, for example, with Fluttershy getting a brother, Rainbow Dash's other school friends being male, her dad being more prominently played than her mom, things like that.

This isn't even a bad thing!

While I would argue, and have before, that a show almost exclusively about women is an important thing for the media landscape compared to the glut of All About Men shows?

The reality is that any artistic lens that focuses exclusively on a single gender is going to be worse for it, if for no reason other than where are the trans people.

A truly "gender neutral gaze" would be the ideal, but to be honest I don't even know what that might look like. I can at least conceptualize the female gaze out from existing, limited examples of female led production for a female audience.

But in terms of, IDK, a trans-led production for a genderqueer/neutral audience, I don't even know it that kind of thing exists. It must, because well, trans people are everywhere in the indie arts, but I have never seen it.

Certainly I've never seen it around a kid's show. And one of the things that makes kid media so easy to analyze is, the "allowed" topics are fairly limited. When sex is off the table, you can devote that time to deepening friendships. When men are off the table, you can spend that time deepening female characterization. etc etc.

So anyway, while I would say a female gaze is preferable to a male one in this male dominated society, both have their deep shortcomings. The way MLP handled male characters in S1 by either not having them, or having them be kind of the butt of the joke (Spike) isn't actually a good thing, just a very different one than is common. And there are plenty of ways that the show mistreated Spike particularly for Being A Boy that would make me hesitate to suggest season 1 to, say, trans masc viewers.

But then there are some ways that I can safely say later seasons are just worse.

The fat jokes, for example, were Not A Thing in S1 and as a fat viewer that was a huge relief at first, which became a sharp slap in the face as characters began making fun of heavy eating or using obese background ponies as gross out gags, etc.

On the other hand, the racism very much was present from the beginning, as evidenced by Over A Barrel's portrayal of native americans as literally another species. And that's before we get into the sheer racism of pony colonialism in the first place. Also Zecora the Zebra's... situation. Which was okay as a one off bit in S1, trying if not succeeding at the message of "different=/=bad."

But, like many of these early flaws, the later seasons magnify the problem, especially when the show tries to approach real world issues. Just off the top:

Zecora becomes the magical negro whose mystic knowledge transcends that of the pony gods.

Gryphons become antisemitic stereotypes, obsessed with cash hoarding and isolationism.

Yaks live in technologically inferior wastelands of Yakyakistan, where they are loud, rowdy, and even dangerous.

Dragons are... just... really fucking bad, like by nature, with rare "good ones" going to live among ponies to become civilized.

The fucking saddle arabians apparently just Not Having Perfomance Art and needing to be taught by Trixie.

The kirin being very literally silent to show how zen they are, needing Westerners to give them back their voices.

The sheer audacity to bring Little Strongheart back in the fucking finale and "assign" her as Applejack's token buffalo friend (not even RD???) after AJ and her family nearly wiped the buffalo out and fully never fucking apologized

There's definitely more. Basically every single non-pony species shown to be sapient ends up some kind of a racist mess. At least cows are just like... white people from wisconsin so there's less racism inherent to their depiction but even then...

There are also ways in which the attempts to cater to a male audience weaken the show's overall presentation. Ponies with adult men's human meme images as cutie marks started popping up, for example, which is again not a bad thing, but weakens the overall fantastical world building.

Likewise, the attempts to modernize the setting are... um. Let's go with uneven.

In S1 technology is firmly pre-industrial Euro-Fantasy. I'd put it around 1770-1800 in the human western world.

By S2 there is an electrical grid even in "small" towns like ponyville, something which in the human world didn't take place until about150 years later, with another 50 years to roll out things like video games, which also start appearing.

But only for ponies.

Never for the other species.

I get why they did that. It's a "have your cake and eat it too" scenario where they can keep the pre-industrial fantasy tech level sometimes, but use a modern tech level at other times. It opens up more storytelling options. And it's not like the magical horse universe needs to obey our physics and timelines.

But then why only ponies.

All that does is deepen the racial division between ponies and other species. Which the later seasons LOVe to do. Deepen racial divieds.

After all, in S1 most other species (cows, gryphons, etc) were shown to live in equestria too. But in later seasons, are revealed to live in cloistered ethnostates nominally self ruling but in practical terms subservient to the equestrian state if they want basic rights like the fucking sun.

Which acts to retcon Spike's hatching and adoption from something very heartwarming into something very horrific.

Honestly, the "male gaze" is not the issue I have with late seasons of MLPFIM. It very much comes down to "this show got SO fucking racist SO fucking fast what the FUCK."

And that probably would have happened with all female writers and directors, too, if they were mostly white.

This all makes me sound like I hate MLP, but I promise you, all of this criticism comes from a place of utmost love. This show is really, REALLY good. It is charming, beautifully animated, excellently directed, with passion poured into every aspect of the visuals, the audio, the stories, the characters...

That's what makes these constant missteps so painful to encounter.

Because the highs are so high!

I mean, the movie easily constitutes the best 2D animation out of the western world in DECADES and every track on the album is a banger, and that's just the movie. Cartoon movies aren't exactly noted for their stunning quality, but MLPFIM sure as fuck stuns.

And when the highs are that high, oh man, the lows look lower by comparison.