#a top notch ep all around

[hurricanejane]

The scene in 13x20 Unfinished Business where Sam's getting choked while Dean's getting whipped by a twink. That's good scenes.

[nmakii]

i saw u were taking requests! uhmmm, i had this thought just recently; you know how in the v first ep of hh where alastor kinda runs his fingers up his staff thingie? well, That but him doing it to reader instead teehee 🤭

YOUR SWEET RADIO DEMON!

— on a date with alastor, he gets unusually possessive and jealous

— I SAW THIS ANDIMMIDEITYYL HAD TO WRITE IT

as infamously known by hotel residents and staff, alastor loves to invade others’ personal space; pulling them uncomfortably close, touching their faces— it’s the sheer entertainment to see them writhe uncomfortably under his harsh touch, knowing that he could make them disappear right now if he wanted to.

but, he especially likes to touch you, his dear. your puffy baby cheeks, your big eyes, your resting pout on those pretty lips; you’re simply just adorable, he could eat you up!

he has to admit, you’re also divinely gorgeous, what if other overlords try to steal you away from him? of course, no one would even compare to him, much less dare to… but, he must be cautious in case some egotistical sinner thinks that they’d be able to court you.

he’d thought about marking you, perhaps on the neck, but doing that would include unsightly deeds that he wouldn’t want to indulge in…

so then, he decided to do the next best thing; have you accompany him as a companion through his day. keeping you with him as he does his overlord duties, an arm safely around your waist. and, in return, he spoils you with lovely gifts of top-notch quality.

of course, there are better solutions to satiate his possessive behavior… but, this is the one that both of you find most enjoyable.

on one of these days, alastor followed you inside as the two of you went on a date to lu-lu world, taking you on all of the thrilling rollercoasters. to be quite honest, he had a fun time, albeit all the tacky circus decor throughout the place.

while at one of the game booths, you threw the bean bag, hoping to score some points. alastor used his shadow to pull it into the hole, making absolute sure you win.

the gamemaker’s jaw fell in awe, never usually having anyone beat the game. “lovely game, my dear! i believe there is a prize that was won?” alastor looked at the demon gamemaker who hurriedly brought a large lamb-like plushie, styled after charlie’s bodyguard, dazzle.

after all of that, the red skies of hell grew dark as nightfall came. you and alastor walked to the exit before you ran into a specific man.

“oh..! what are you doing here?” lucifer asked, slightly pointing his staff towards you, his face contorting to annoyance as he looked at alastor.

“alastor and i are on… um…” you wandered off, a little embarrassed to explain. “we’re on a date, of course!” alastor announced as he pulled closer to him by your shoulder, his fingers moving behind you to dance on your skin.

your posture straightened, subconsciously trying to move away from the ticklish feeling moving itself up on your spine. “i’d say the better question is what is a man such as yourself doing here alone, hm?” alastor glared down at him.

“well, for one— i own the place.” lucifer frowned back at alastor. “very well, then. we’ll see you around, i suppose!” alastor sighed, pulling you immediately away from lucifer and not even giving him the chance to bid farewell.

as alastor pulled you away, you saw his smile getting strained. “are you ok? why were you—“ “what was that about, my love? why did you not tell him yourself that we were on a date?” you asked before alastor interrupted, the radio static over his voice getting louder the more irritated he got.

your eyes avoided his as you searched your mind for an answer. “ah… well…” you bit your lip, stalling yourself as you came up with a reason.

“is it because you’d rather go on a date with him instead?” he snarled, his eyes clearly frustrated. “would you rather be with that lonely man? all he ever does is make rubber ducks!” he sighed, his jealousy ruining his composure.

“what?!” you frowned. “no… it’s just that… it’s a little embarrassing to explain things to other people. i also got a little flustered because i didn’t expect to see him here… i love you, alastor, promise…” you pouted, leaning your head on his chest

he sighed, satisfied with your response as he put a hand on your head. “good. because you’re mine, dear. don’t ever forget that. and, if you do…” alastor started before his hand once again moved to your spine, two fingers tickling your skin as they danced their way to the nape of your neck.

“agh, stop that!” you whined. “that tickles… don’t worry, i’m all yours.” you shook your head, baffled by the extent of his jealousy. “very good… i love you too, my dear.”

[matan4il]

Buddie 617 meta

I’m gonna be honest here, this was one of the funniest 911 eps to me. I loved how this ep showed us both Buck and Eddie completely sucking at dating. It was very obvious in Buck’s case, what with each attempt to have quality time with Natalia being ruined by one of his past decisions, but then when he called out Eddie for also sucking at it, Buck wasn’t wrong. Eddie’s attempts seem half-hearted at best. First off, if he really wanted to date, then Tia Pepa’s help and dating apps are actually not that awful as options. Magic might happen there as well. The right person could even stand out more against a sea of not so great choices, turning the dreary experience into a colorful, magical one. But even when Eddie tries on his own, his attempts are LAME. Seriously, there are pastime activities that offer way more potential to start a conversation, and maybe a romance, than the ones Eddie chose. Not only that, these are not his actual hobbies, where he knows he’ll find someone who likes the same thing he does (the way he shares so much with one tall firefighter that we’re all thinking of right now. Eddie’s also being dumb about wanting it to “just happen” as if that’s not exactly what he got with buck. Also, just a friendly reminder that Buddie have been dating for almost 5 years, and they are GREAT at it when it’s with each other).

On top of that, we for real got a guy checking Eddie out (hi, hello, should I start a collection of him checking and being checked out by guys?) as well as him witnessing a woman he was looking at being embraced by another one. Why the hints at being surrounded by queer people? Your guess is as good as mine, but I’m here for it no matter what. ;D Now, I’ve talked before about the ongoing theme of Buddie’s dating life being intertwined in terms of when they start dating someone, or of why they break up, but now in addition to them dating at the same time, we also see them simultaneously sucking at it? Yeah, that takes the connectedness of their dating life up a notch. ~~

Which brings me to one line that grabbed my attention in this ep. THE line that offers the explicit resolution for the most important romantic plot here is the one from Gina, the insurance lady, to Chimney, about not regretting the attempt. Yes, even when the result is bad. That’s what Madney will embrace. One of the biggest obstacles to Buck and Eddie, besides their obliviousness, is the fear of ruining the good thing they have by attempting to take it to the next level. But here we have Chimney being reminded by Gina that it’s worth it, to try. Because the good thing you can have, if it works out? Is worth it. And you never have to live with the “what if” of it all. Now look at Buck and Eddie being once more adorable morons together on the job! Imagine the moment when they stop running around and let themselves try taking it to the next level, because they realize no matter what the result will be, they would never regret the attempt. ~~

Speaking of Buddie paralleling one of the canon couples on the show who were acting lovey dovey in this ep, the way Bobby described what made him and Athena happen reminded me of Buddie connecting. In both cases, there’s an intense and upsetting call, after which one of our first responders turns to find support (Buddie promising to have each other’s back) and comfort (Eddie wants to go grab something to eat together) in the other one. ~~

I did not miss Taylor Kelly, and true to form, she was back because she’s advancing her career by exploiting her personal connection to Buck and the exposure to the 118 it provided her. I’m pretty sure this basically buries any option of any showrunner ever trying to re-set these two as a romance, since it echoed and reinforced Buck’s decision to break up with her. It WAS funny to see her and Lucy cockblock Buck (I do think Lucy’s tone with which she spoke of their past also closes the door on anyone ever trying to set her and Buck up as a serious couple), but what I found to be funniest is that Buck tells Natalia he was trying to figure out the perfect place for their date, and then he took her to the bar where he kissed Lucy. A bar reminiscent of the one where he hooked up with Taylor. Possibly a spot where he hooked with other women during his Buck 1.0 stage based on how it’s THE hang out place for the 118 and we know Buck had no issues hooking up anywhere back then. Natalia, hon. This is not a good sign for your r/s with him. ~~

Speaking of which, there’s an ex who didn’t come back in this ep, but her spirit loomed large over Buck and Natalia IMO, and that is Ali. The reason why she and Buck broke up after 218 is because at the end of the day, she couldn’t accept the choices he had made in his professional life (hoping he would move on from firefighting). In the same way, Natalia revealed in this ep that she can’t accept Buck’s choices in his personal life. A small reminder the only partner we’ve ever witnessed truly seeing and accepting Buck, in every aspect of his life, has been Eddie. ~~

Another funny thing about this (911 is a comedy, y’all) is how Natalia flees the second she comes across Kameron. I mean, this is in addition to the hilarity of the death doula’s first name connecting her to birth and to all things natal, yet she flees the second that she sees a pregnant lady. Because if this is Natalia’s reaction when it comes to a bio kid that Buck explicitly said he is not going to raise, what would she do once she realizes he co-parents a fully grown kid? (and a very sassy one, too. LBR, Natalia doesn’t stand a chance in a show down with either Diaz boy) ~~

Much like Natalia doesn’t seem like the right fit for Buck based on this ep (or based on 616), neither does Marisol. Can I point out the fact that Eddie’s disapproval in the last ep of Buck dating Natalia applies here, too? They both met these women on calls. Second, Eddie wanted it to happen naturally, which is why it’s so lame he tried through all sorts of activities that he’s not ACTUALLY into and wouldn’t continue doing past the initial stage of meeting someone else. And that holds true for Marisol as well. We saw that her brother and her are very into DYI, which I guess was meant to lay the groundwork for Eddie running into her in a DYI shop. But the thing is, Eddie himself isn’t into this! Sure, he can do it, because as a single dad he’s had to, but it’s not something we’ve ever seen him being passionate about. He’s only at this store because of Christopher’s project. And then once more, just like he steps away from Pepa’s help, dating apps and chooses the wost places for a chance romantic connection, he walks away from Marisol even when the whole scene plays out as if she’s the climax of his search throughout this whole ep. This might all hint that despite initial appearances, just like the people he came across while golfing and hiking wouldn’t be the right fit, Marisol wouldn’t be either. Even more importantly, just like Ana at first appeared like she would be perfect for Eddie in 312, starting out in a “it just happened” sort of way and with supposedly being fated because she happened to guess correctly that Eddie stands for Edmundo, this thing with Marisol might look in the moment like it’s exactly what he was looking for, but it will fizzle out as well.

~~ (my weekly meta posts) (my Buddie gifs) (all of my content)

~~ My tag list will follow in the reblog, please let me know if you wanna be added/removed here.

~~ Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the incredible @whosoldherout​​, there are no words to describe how much I love your gifs and appreciate you!

~~ Thank you to anyone supporting these meta posts. I could never express enough how grateful I am and that they continue to exist thanks to you!

[becauseimanicequeen]

Up Poompat Appreciation Post

This is inspired by this post by @clairedaring which almost physically hurt me because it's so sad.

Therefore, I'm reporting for duty to gush about Up Poompat for a minute or two (or ten) because I want to and because Up is amazing and deserves all the praise I can give him.

There's just something about Up that pulls me in. I haven't previously been able to put my finger on it (I'm more of a visual person rather than a verbal one), but I think his portrayal of Ming in My Stand-In clarifies it for me the more I get to see him in it.

It's the way he portrays depth. There's something deeper, something more that goes on beneath the surface of his characters. And he does it again and again. It's most notable for me in Lovely Writer, Hoon Payon, and Step By Step, which are three very different roles.

And, on the subject of variety. This man can play a multitude of different roles and do it convincingly. It doesn't matter if it's as an introverted writer with a kind heart, an obsessive serial killer, or everything in between. He's believable in all of it. He's just that good.

To think that this loveable cutie in Lovely Writer...

Is played by the same actor as this frustrating, self-absorbed idiot in Step By Step...

Which is played by the same actor who portrays this spoiled rich brat who's always pining after what he can never have, and does so convincingly, speaks to Up's versatility.

(It took me waaaaay too long to find a gif of this particular moment, lol, but I eventually found it here.)

I personally love Up as Ming in My Stand-In (I'm not influenced by the novel, btw) because he's shown over and over again that he can portray a variety of complex characters. And the way he uses contrasts in his acting (I have no idea if there is a technical term for this because I don't know anything about professional acting), the way he has this sweet demeanor at the same time as he delivers the most poisonous line (and, sometimes you don't realize how poisonous that line was until later) is top notch. The same goes for his ability to portray a domestic life with Joe that feels genuine from Ming's side as well (which he did so well in ep 3) at the same time as we know it won't last due to Ming's jealousy (especially around Joe and Sol) and his pining for what he can't have.

Speaking of contrast, there's also the fact that Up was blessed with his angelic face, which just gives me whiplash every time his character turns out to be the complete opposite. He can literally disguise his serial killer tendencies with that angelic face and demeanor and I feel so manipulated (in a good way) when his character's true face is revealed.

And the way he uses his face to portray different emotions and shifts in emotions is amazing.

And then there's Up. As in, the person behind it all. The Up that actually lives up to his angellike face. The Up that's genuinely sweet and funny (which you can see on his YouTube channel, where he's currently posting videos with Poom but also has a lot of older ones with Kao whom he partnered up with in Lovely Writer). And the Up that sang "You are My Sunshine" in the bts of the second episode of My Stand-In. If that's not endearing as hell, I don't know what is.

This is just a fraction of all the things I love about Up (and I could spend days gushing about his chemistry with everyone he's paired up with and worked with), but since I've already spent two hours on this little post (lol), I'll save that gushing for another day.

Just know that I love Up.

[heartbreakprincewille]

God, I adore S2 for having Wille and Simon have a "teen and my crush is in my class and I Have Hormones" phase so much. And them having so much history made it even BETTER. Especially the petty side of it.

Their first meeting after Christmas break in Ep 1, the classic "oh my god my crush is talking to me ACT NORMAL ACT NORMAL *acts anything but normal*" energy between them, Wille offering to get Simon talk to Sara in an attempt to do anything to further that (awkward) interaction. That "I got a haircut". God I felt embarrassed for him AND for myself, been there done that.😭

That classroom scene in that same episode. Wille feeling all giddy that he got to sit next to Simon, Simon's purposefully avoident gaze to don't let himself stare at Wille and hurt himself, Wille not being able to keep his eyes off of Simon for a second, asking Simon for a pencil(smooth there Wille, huh?😭), THEIR HANDS TOUCHING ON THE PENCIL CASE, them trying to mask the enormity of their feelings (Wille not so much😭) but failing so bad.

God I needed that classroom scene SO MUCH. It spoke so much to my soul because, again, been there done the same thing😭

Also the petty banter. Especially the petty banter. Like in Ep 2, right before they take away Wille from the classroom. Wille's "I thought you needed space because you like it so much" and Simon's "I'm just trying to come clean with my feelings. You should try it too". Them not actually meaning those words but the spiteful words just come through because damnit I have feelings for you but you are NOT GETTING THE MEMO and it's just so frustrating. AGAIN, been there, done that. (Maybe I was a very dramatic teen for no reason. ANYWAY, MOVING ON)

THE. DODGEBALL. SCENE. When I tell you I have also chucked a dodgeball at my crush like a cannonball? 😭 I remember pausing the episode and laughing for a solid 2 minutes because I WAS FEELING THE EMBARRASSMENT IN MY BONES.

Anyhoo, this is just a (slightly) unhinged way of me telling that they not only got teenage behaviour accurate to the T, but also it was such a natural progression for their arc because in S1, everything that drove a wedge between them was either a outside circumstance or something understandable(like Wille freaking out after their first kiss). There was no reason to be petty, but Wille's denial hurt Simon pretty hard, and they both know that. And it must be so frustrating for them to be around each other, with Simon nursing his hurt and Wille's with his utter desperation to get Simon back. Pettiness was a natural progression for their arc, and I'm kinda glad that we got to see their petty sides because a) it was interesting to explore them more as characters, especially teenage characters, b) it was HILARIOUS c) it just made their character development top-notch.

[reitheist]

bucchigiri ep 10 thoughts:

shindo is doing the absolute most 💀 chill out sweetie we all know you're evil

matakara seeeeeems back to normal but he's def not. zabu is gonna catch on I think

so is ichiya taking over matakara like a full possession thing or is it a 'warped' version of matakara

more catboy storytime let's goooooo

ok since reading that one utena greek choir post about these segments I've been trying to look harder into them. basically, the customer is arajin and jasmine is matakara. arajin is figuring out he wants matakara in his life, but matakara is already too far gone off the deep end of despair and inferiority to care (ie. 'seeing other customers') also might have something to do with ichiya 'shopping around' bodies to fight senya with, witch matakara or shindo being the customer?

ahh it's still matakara he's just very emotionally fucked up i see

oh shit is marito finally gonna have something to do again?

the monster thing is backkk

my prediction is matakara is going to beat kenichiro maybe?

ichiya's smile is pretty and so evil I'd let him possess me in a heartbeat

mint chocolate chip ftw

holy shit the fight animation here is so good

arajin DO SOMETHING

the lighting in this scene is very pretty. the colors in this show are always top notch

aww marito cares in his strange way

zabu is a good friend to matakara, but matakara is letting his fear get in the way and being an asshole as a result. direct parallel to arajin and matakara's friendship fallout.

komao standing up for zabu hell yeah

does this school have any staff? besides the cat teacher, I mean

matakara's eyes are so empty it makes me sad

LMAOOO he couldn't even keep ara in class

i think this is supposed to be a little intentional character moment for arajin here. at the beginning, he wanted to have an average highschool life and rejected being absorbed into the delinquent social hierarchy for as long as he could. now, he's running from normal school responsibilities and intentionally embroiling himself in a conflict for matakara's sake

so is it mandatory that the merging mark thing has to be near/on the ass or

as sad as I am for matakara I am very excited for him fighting merged with ichiya

senya fights with punches, ichiya fights with kicks

matakara, mahoro is not gonna be on your side much longer if you keep kicking the shit out of her brother (how is mahoro going to play in the finale I wonder? if she isn't completely sidelined, that is)

senya FINALLY shows up and we don't even get to know what he's gonna say until next week ughhhh

pretty good episode, but not quite as tight as the last two felt imo. feels like this was mostly setup for our final two episodes. I expect matakara is going to face kenichiro next episode and win. senya is gonna explain the whole deal with ichiya to ara next time, as implied by him appearing at the end. (though im not sure I have a clue where he's been all this time? just hiding?) I think it'd be a good beat for senya's story to resonate with ara and lead to him resolving to help (ie. fight) matakara

edit: just saw the after credits hmmm. they're def gonna play up ken's emotional duty to protect matakara next episode as they facedown. maybe ken is going to bring up matakara's brother? interesting.

[hotwaterandmilk]

Paripi Koumei/Ya Boy Kongming drama eps 2-3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Things I didn't like

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

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

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

Stuff I did like

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

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

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

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

BLEACH: The Thousand Year Blood War Ep 15 Reactions and Thoughts

Overall reaction:

I'm late with my thoughts for this one, but I thought better to write them down now before the new episode comes out.

There's a lot to love in this one. We've got battles, we've got drama, and we've got a lot of heartbreak [if you're a Hitsugaya fan].

Highlights:

The Quincy meeting: of course, I thought of Aizen's meeting with the Espada, but this was still a good scene. I loved seeing the small glimpses of dynamics here, and Jugram's seiyu did a fantastic job in giving him presence charisma throughout the episode. Jushiro's scene: oh man, this is a sad one (when you have hindsight). I love the framing and colouring in this scene: Jugram confronts Shunsui and Nanao: damn, this scene was surprisingly atmospheric and tense! Loved this exchange, it really built up the tension for all the battles that were about to go down. Mayuri the Christmas tree: I had to squint whenever he came on. Good lord the animation team did a fantastic job with this one.

Omaeda and his sister, and Sui Feng vs BG9: yeah, I knew this one was going to hit me in the feels. I remember being shocked the first time I read this scene because I've never been a big Omaeda fan, and then these scenes happens and I feel for him and his sister. The sight with Sui Feng was great too, I loved the animation of her flash step and her actions all looked epic!

The additional Ichigo content: I'm loving this added content for Ichigo. It's also a chance to develope Ichbe too, because for all the hype Kubo made around Zero Division, it's leader didn't get much in before his confrontation with Yhwach. I'm looking forward to seeing where this all leads, but I have a theory which I'll bring up down below. Hitsugaya and Rangiku vs Bazz B: the highlight of all highlights this week! One of the fights I've been looking forward to seeing animated. So, so , so many great moments throughout, and just look at this amazing animation,it brought everything from the panels to life as I imagined it:

Of course, seeing Toshiro and Rangiku work together is the best part of this whole fight, and I am so happy with how it was adapted here. This is why I love this brotp: they have each other's backs, work together to strengthen each other, and can have a good balance of funny and serious moments. And oh my gosh, that little smile! For all of the sadness that's about to come for them, just seeing these two have a moment of victory together was heart warming.

And then...and then...When Bazz B cut through Toshiro the first time, oh man did my heart drop. I knew it was coming, of course, but it's still sad to see. I loved seeing that Toshiro sealed his wound with ice, it confirms a headcanon I've used in my fic for years! I mean, it was more or less shown in his fight against Grimmjow's fraccion, but it was so cool to see it being used here. Overall, this was a great adaption of this fight. Animation is amazing as always, the voice acting was top notch as always, and it's just great to see Toshiro and Rangiku work together.

On to the things I wanted to elaborate on. My main theory for Ichibe's 'training' is Ichigo will find out the history of the Soul King (ie how the being came to be what they are, the first war Shinigami vs Quincy war, etc) which would explain the blury flashback images we got in the trailer. Also, I can't help but wonder if Ichibe is preparing Ichigo to become the next Soul King, keeping in line with Shunsui's original plan B for Ichigo.

My only pit pick for this episode, and it's a personal preference, but I wasn't a fan of how they adapted Toshiro getting cut by Bazz B. In the manga, you see the shock Toshiro goes into and the way it's framed is super dramatic. Here, it's still sad for Hitsugaya fans, but it didn't have the same a gut punch as the manga version does. Maybe it's because I knew it was coming, but I don't know, I wish they'd stuck more to the manga for this moment in terms of framing and capturing the drama.

Also, I am NOT ready for next week. There's a good chance we're going to get to see Shinji (and Momo, COME ON!!) but also...Toshiro seeing Rangiku dying. It's gonna be a heartbreaker ;_;

[simslegacy5083]

NSB (Straud Legacy) Gen 9 Ep 3: Settling In

Now that Tess and Luigi had officially begun university life they both had to adjust to a very different living situation than what they were used to.

Luigi had hoped to reinvent himself as a friendlier and more social sim in college. He was more familiar with being around older sims than sims his own age and believed that would translate into better luck befriending his university peers than he’d had with his classmates at Copperdale.

Unfortunately, he continued to struggle. The lack of privacy in the dorms was frustrating for an only child used to all the privacy he’d ever wanted. He didn’t appreciate his dormmates blithely invading his and Tess’s room and using their stuff at will, and he wasn’t shy about giving them an earful.

---------------------------------------------

Tess did much better than Luigi at getting to know their new roomies. Chance had “birthed” her primarily to be a live-in nanny and until now she had not had much opportunity to socialize outside the bubble of her family. She was thrilled to get to meet new Sims and didn’t mind the lack of privacy.

She was quite used to having small children with poor social boundaries seek her company at all hours, and as a servo she could “chat” with Sims and machines alike, which introduced her to an incredible range of new and interesting personalities and histories, many of whom also enjoyed meeting her.

---------------------------------------------

Luigi was envious of Tess’s skill at making friends and asked for her advice, confiding his frustration at once again being a social failure.

Her suggestion that he focus on going with the flow worked out well for him and he finally made his first new friend in Bonnie. Luigi appreciated her chill energy, and her witty observations about their fellow dormmates made him smile. She seemed to find his stories equally interesting.

Finally he was getting somewhere with the whole university reinvention thing!

---------------------------------------------

The two Sims were both also getting used to living independently. Tess had never had to learn to repair herself, and that quickly became an issue.

Tess began learning to enhance herself and Luigi started spending some time at the robotics table. He didn’t have any particular interest in the skill but was required to take some courses as a part of his major and was happy to get a jump start on his learning to help his old friend.

In the meantime, Chance came by frequently to continue assisting the with tune-up and repair of his most unique “child”.

---------------------------------------------

The robotics tables were located in the student union, which had the added benefit of being far away from their nosy neighbors.

Luigi started heading there between classes instead of going back to his unnaturally crowded dorm room. Tess missed socializing with their roommates, but Chance had made it clear that Luigi was her “prime directive” now and so she stuck by him instead.

The robotics stations weren’t the only amenities the student union boasted. In addition to computer science the school had a top-notch biology program and an Olympic sized pool in the basement for their fitness students. Open to all, Luigi started most of his mornings off right with a few laps.

---------------------------------------------

Of course, Luigi was at university to learn, and he was determined to excel. He enjoyed diving into subjects he was interested in, but there was a lot of new information to digest which translated into many hours of homework and papers to write outside of class.

Isra was also busy finishing up her final year at Cooperdale, which had made it hard for the two sims to get together or even talk much since he’d been at Foxbury. Luigi saw her being friendly with lots of other guys on social bunny, which made him worry a bit about their relationship.

She would never cheat on him… would she? She didn’t seem to be flirting, but he still worried about what she might be doing with those other sims.

---------------------------------------------

Luigi had placed Jack’s urn right on his desk where he could easily see and chat with his Papa whenever he wanted. He still missed him, but the ache in his heart had begun to lessen slightly as the days went by.

He wished Jack was here to guide him either alive or as a spirit, but for now it was enough to share his stories of university life before bed each night.

College wasn’t what he’d expected, he told his Papa, but he was glad to be there showing both the world and his watcher what he could achieve.

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Want To See More? View The Full Story of My Not So Berry Challenge Here

[rinas4ki]

My top 10 favorite music projects of 2023 ૢ✧∘* ✧･ﾟ

Welcome to this list that 2 people were mildly anticipating tops, a list where I ramble about note sequences that give me a sense of enjoyment, which is essentially what this blog of mine is dedicated to. I’ve been on this site for more than a year now, I had the pleasure of interacting and chatting with my lovely mutuals who share my silly little interests, both here and on @akaneverse. At the end of last year, I simply uploaded a topster of my favorite albums and EPs, and this December, I’m taking my time to review said projects, and show them appreciation with words and expressions slightly bigger than “the production is so insane” and “BANGER”. This year has been good to me as a music enjoyer, with new releases from my longer-time faves and incredible new discoveries, some possibly becoming all-time faves, which will be mentioned in the post. Pitchfork, your bankruptcy is nearing. And yes, the GIF is a spoiler.

⑩ Ichijikikoku (EP) - Atarashii Gakko!

I can say I somewhat got into Japanese music this year and this anti-idol group with a school leader concept looking camp right in the eye were some of the first artists that caught my attention. Having accidentally come across them through snooping around a beloved mutual’s Spotify profile, the quality of their songs such as Pineapple Kryptonite, Nainainai and Freaks caught me off guard in a great way. Their discography offers various genres such as robotic chant-filled hyperpop, groovy city pop, alternative rock, hip-hop and their latest EP truly showcases their diversity and range. From Otona Blue, the funky pop song that was the push start for the girls to get their rightful recognition, to a revisit to their older rock sound, to their first club banger and more city pop hits, this EP presents what their music has to offer in a nutshell. 2023 treated the school leaders well as they both got their deserved success and delivered a well-rounded project along with other listen-worthy singles.

Favorite tracks: Otome no Bigaku and Giri Giri.

⑨ 3 of Us (EP) - FLO

After taking the Internet’s ‘00s R&B revivalists and girl group appreciators by storm with their first EP Cardboard Box in 2022, this iconic trio went on an ongoing streak to constantly deliver the best and improve their music and skills. 3 of Us serves as lunchables before the upcoming full-course meal which is their debut album, and not so surprisingly considering the consistent high quality of the group’s releases, the snack surely is fulfilling. Two of the tunes were anticipated then-unreleased songs but the title track and the later added-on Suite Life were loved by us FLOlifers as well. The four songs showcase both the group’s incredible vocals and their empowering no-nonsense attitude. The title track is an anthem that shows the world the girls have each other’s backs, through a smooth execution of a humorous scenario of a guy simultaneously trying to toy with the 3 of them. FLO are real it girls, and this mini alone is definitely convincing of that enough.

Favorite tracks: what if I said all of them?

⑧ MY World (EP) - aespa

aespa have long-ago established their cybergirl fighter Kwangya concept and a solid spot in the K-pop industry as a group with one of the strongest group identities, top-notch discographies and powerful vocals. I slowly fell in love with them in 2021 and they have been one of the very few anchors to my interest in K-pop lately. Through mismanagement and complete bs coming from their crappy record label, standing ten toes down with these girls and experiencing the comeback of the summer was 100% worth it. Though the label needs to pull themselves together a little for the creative direction of all of their groups, MY World offered aespa’s two different takes on the summer which somehow felt fresh and unique, still suiting the group and proving aespacore’s wide range. The music, however, gave the signature aespa sound we had missed because of the music drought. Reol and Slayyyter’s souls truly split into two each, possessing the four members and giving us the gritty, in-your-face EDM banger that is the lead single Spicy. Welcome to MY World, the mini’s pre-release single, on the other hand, is an orchestral, alluring alternative pop track, which is a genre I never knew I needed aespa to dip their toes into. Salty and Sweet is a package delivery for the MYs who are especially seated for aespa’s metallic hyperpop releases, while Thirsty is contemporary R&B with a bubbly aespacore twist to it and I’m Unhappy is a splendid hyperballad. No offense but had they left the basic and frankly flow-disrupting ballad ‘Til We Meet Again in the vault, the ranking of the EP would be higher on here, and this is my only criticism of the project music-wise. As I always say on aespa comeback release days: the girls did it again.

Favorite tracks: answer changes every 5 business days but right now I’m gonna go with Welcome to MY World and Spicy.

⑦ Crying in the Carwash (EP) - Lolo Zouaï

I’ve been keeping up with Lolo Zouaï on the low (pun intended, see Encore) since the release day of her sophomore album PLAYGIRL but I might have to pay closer attention to her because of her elevated excellence showcased on this mini. Besides giving her more freedom over her work and artistic direction, returning to her independent artist days allowed her to wiggle more with her own feelings and experiences directly, as opposed to the personas she conveyed the story of PLAYGIRL through. Before the unveiling of the EP, the roll-out fully hooked me in with both the singles and mesmerizing visuals. Encore was the perfect earworm-y invitation to the era, and Crying in the Carwash showed us the rainy panorama none other than Lolo’s mind with soft, melancholic jungle drums as the track’s stand-out point. The rest of the three songs, sitting prettily in the middle, give us soulful R&B blessed with the artist’s gentle vocal runs and UK garage reminiscent of e-motions by Mura Masa and Erika de Casier. All in all, I can’t be the only one who can’t wait to see what Zouaï will have to offer with her future work.

Favorite track: Crying in the Carwash.

⑥ ESFERA DE AMOR - Simona

Esfera de Amor? In “my top 10 favorite projects of the year”? More like “top 10 most slept on albums of the year”. I’m not saying this just because of my personal opinion or just by looking at the streaming numbers either. This project is worth checking out for everyone looking for ethereal, light, bubbly pop à la 4th gen K-pop girl group music. Simona took recent pop micro-trends such as the incorporation of house, UK garage, hyperpop, neo-reggaeton and baile funk, and shaped them up into her very own world of love. The record, while being a relatively easy listen and having the ability to appeal to a wider audience, keeps you attentive and never bored, with an intro that leaves the sense of time and reality behind to make room for dancing and a classy vintage-style interlude. At one stop you unwind, at the second you dance at midnight in your bedroom, and at another you’re an otherworldly romantic. Feel free to do whatever you please, because after all, you’re in a sphere of love where everything’s fine.

Favorite tracks: Adentro de Mí, Polidrama, Plush, Meloni and Llaga Verdadera.

⑤ BB/ANG3L - Tinashe

Tinashe has been an impactful figure in modern R&B for nearly a decade now, with her resumé ranging from choreography material groovy bops to heartfelt, calmer, vocal-heavy songs. BB/ANG3L, in the musician’s own words, combines her past and her present, her darker debut day sound with her faster-paced, catchier, dreamy tunes. The songwriting keeps it real and personal: we go from a dramatic reflection on a toxic relationship, to wanting to be pampered and treated with respect and class, to more reflections and slowly letting go. In the music video for Talk To Me Nice, Tinashe peels away her former self and gets purified with the dripping water, getting down to her essence. (I will further elaborate on my newly found love for water concepts/metaphors in some next entries.) Thanks to producer Machinedrum, garage and dnb rhythms (can you tell those are my weaknesses yet?) are beautifully incorporated in two of the tracks, and the production is atmospheric and tastefully bleak throughout the entire tracklist. Keeping up with Tinashe’s releases for a good while, a couple of years in my case, remains a pleasure with this project of hers.

Favorite track: answer changes often once again and this time I’m picking Tightrope.

④ Raven - Kelela

If there were courses on how to take breaks of long years after releasing a top-tier album and make an even more world-shaking, majestic comeback, Raven would be the diligently studied textbook. Though I personally can’t relate to the 6-year wait as I discovered Kelela at the beginning of this year, my commentary is unnecessary for one to know she is a legend whose impact on alternative R&B, dance music and neo-soul is not up for any questioning. While Raven has even more of a slower and sultrier side than before, the intimacy and maturity stays consistent whether we’re talking jungle, aurora-like synths or soothing orchestration. It’s a true, well-constructed and developed body of fruitful work, with seamless thought-out sequencing, an art that’s being kept alive by artists that rightfully value it. Motifs reappearing in her previous albums such as “all the way down”, “on the run”, “far away” make their returns, but in no way does anything feel repetitive or any less unique. The album cover art and the music videos for Washed Away and Enough for Love present us more water imagery that couldn’t have been any more suitable for the sultriness and haziness of the record. Raven is the deep melancholic ocean that you trust to wrap your body around, where you witness musical scenery that’s so breath-taking that you can barely tell if it’s real.

Favorite track: On the Run.

Let’s get some honorable mentions out of the way before the top 3: Heaven knows by PinkPantheress (literally 11th place, Feelings was on repeat for like a week straight), My 21st Century Blues by Raye (robbed by the Scammys), Unlock My World by fromis_9 (if I make a best ‘23 K-pop b-side list Prom Night has a high spot secured), seOul collection by OnlyOneOf (I ignore the old tracks included in the album and candy bOmb is the K-pop b-side of the year) and Bébe Yana’s singles this year bc even though they’re not a body of work they’re too good not to get a shout-out. 

③ Code Ge4ss - 4s4ki

As I was getting into Japanese music in March, I suddenly wondered whether there was a full-fledged hyperpop or experimental electronic music scene in Japan. After a quick Google search, an interesting artist popped up, with the metallic cybercore aesthetic I’ve been craving more of on the cover art of her latest album called Killer in Neverland. Interesting album name, intriguing song titles too, and as soon as I heard Log Out she took it in my eyes, there and then. Listening to Killer in Neverland as a whole took my shock to another level. Who was this and why did her music satisfy my cravings to this extent? As I went through her discography in a day or two, I fell deeper and deeper in love with her enchanting production (she’s her very own producer, mind you), crunchy autotuned vocals that somehow sound magical, her risk-taking unique concepts, something in between camp and outright beautiful visuals, precisely crafted songwriting and artistry. She manages to be the perfect amount of fun, the perfect amount of edgy, the perfect amount of bright, the perfect amount of sharp, the perfect amount of real, the perfect amount of satirical, the perfect amount of joyful, the perfect amount of sad on each and every project of hers. What didn’t hit me like a truck at first, however, is her tremendous improvement as a musician in pretty much every aspect: production, songwriting, album cohesion, creative direction, visuals. Not until her latest album Code Ge4ss finally got released in late June.

I was confused at first at the Code Geass anime collab thing, I wasn’t exactly sure of the release date and whether 4s4ki was actually releasing yet another scrumptious FULL album not too long after I got into her. The album dropped, I was tuned in right at midnight and my already high expectations were surpassed. Banging (kicking if you will) Jersey club beats, birds chirping accompanying glitchy trap instrumentals, screams followed by almost Machine Girl-level noisy circuit board sorcery, samples of characters’ speeches over electro guitar riffs, a piano interlude paired with opera runs taken from the show, pacifying ballads which are a mix of acoustic guitar and hard-hitting pots-pans and 8-bit synths, all closed by surreal orchestration with the classic electronica touches of 4s4ki and collaborator producer Kotonohouse. I’m sure I’d appreciate the Code Geass-themed lyricism on an even deeper level if I hadn’t paused watching the anime after 5 episodes like the terrible TV consumer I am. What I can be certain about is that everything about this project feels genuine and from within because it IS genuine and from within. 4s4ki couldn’t have been a more suitable choice for this collaboration, she’s been a fan of the franchise since elementary school and very few emit the weird cyber-glitchcore internet baby aesthetics the way she does. The cover art is stunning and references the series once again, and the Shirley MV leaves us with calming visuals that may remind you of Welcome to MY World by aespa, which spoke to the aespa x 4s4ki truther in me.

As I was saying, this album is what really rubbed her major progress as an artist and musician in my face. We’ve gone such a long way from the calmer EDM-pop antics of Your Dreamland, for example, not even to mention the synth-pop balladry in her debut Gender. Every era of hers sonically gets increasingly complex and intense and ethereal, and in every body of work she leaves in a bigger, more intimate piece of her. There’s just so much personality in everything she puts out and presents. She built her sonic and artistic identity from the bottom to the top and even as a fan for less than a year, continuing to witness this makes me feel pure admiration. Words aren’t enough to properly express how I feel about her art but that won’t stop me from typing up paragraphs to try to get someone to understand me on this. People have various opinions on 4s4ki’s experimentation and self-expression, however what absolutely nobody can ever deny is that she’s a true artist, visionary and one of the most skilled producers of this generation. 2023 brought her both achievements and unfortunately some hardships, and I sincerely hope 2024 is kinder and even more generous to her. (She’s not done with taking over the year yet! Stream her new single Continue and stay tuned for winter again coming Dec 15.)

Favorite track: Eleven.

② Fountain Baby - Amaarae

I touched upon my adoration for water imagery on my entries for BB/ANG3L and Raven but as you can see from the title, Fountain Baby took the theme to an entirely different level. The analogy potential of water is infinite as the fluidity, cadence, calmness, riptides, uncertainty, contradictions of water can very well be converted into the multi-faceted human emotion. The same water that you’re dependent on in order to live can poison you at an overload, the same water that rinses your body and soul can drown and choke you up when contacted with the wrong places. Fountain Baby expresses various moods and states of mind not only through concept visuals, but more importantly by sprinkling water euphemisms throughout the entire record: “fountain baby, wash her, make it wet”, “water on my neck, come make it warm”, “water from wine”, “water, it mix with the substance” being prominent examples. Amaarae chats love, sensuality, materialism and lastly, meeting your maker in a way other than passing away. She defines a “fountain baby” as “a person with endless charisma, someone that is abundant in their blessings and ultimately a blessed child of God.” The universe Fountain Baby resides in is essentially rich, delicate, cloudy and raw.

While water is a consistent element of the album, it was far from being Amaarae’s only source of inspiration. She draws on ‘00s pop staples Timbaland and Britney Spears, The Neptunes, Clipse (sampled in Counterfeit), Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott and diverse genres such as Afro-beats, classic and contemporary hip-hop, Americana punk rock and dance. The melting pot of live orchestra, harps, baile funk, tire whirring, R&B-infused shiny Afro-futurism, Japanese folk song samples, Chinese bow violins, Arabic scales, gunshot and cash register clicking sounds, mid-song switches that make you feel like the main character of a coming of age movie, glitter and sax and guitars creates a record that refuses to be boxed into one genre or label. A “clever alchemist” and “a chemist who fuses world music” are titles that are deservingly given to the artist for these reasons. The record has plenty of variety yet the sequence all comes together akin to a satisfying crossword. It’s lucrative and shimmery but has its child-like, playful side that’s a natural result of Amaarae getting in touch with her inner 8 year-old during the cultivation process. The music videos are all different but inseparable approaches to the Fountain Baby-verse. The MV for the first pre-release Reckless and Sweet is based on editorials and has a silky luxurious look, with direct hints at the album’s concept. Co-Star, the second pre-release, casts zodiac signs as racer-models and fast cars come running around in a competition, keeping the high fashion coded color grading and filming style. The music video for the lead single Wasted Eyes is heavily inspired by the film Rush Hour and pays homage to Japanese culture about as much as the song does (it’s worth to mention the song is co-written by the iconic Crystal Kay whose speech you can hear in it). The intricacy and planning of every aspect of this era is pop music at its peak. With Fountain Baby, Amaarae finds the epitome of pop perfection without special dedication to seeking it.

Favorite track: Wasted Eyes.

① Ambrosia (EP) - Namasenda

Some projects make your jaw drop from the get-go, some others grow on you with some time. Ambrosia crept up on me the longer I kept it on repeat, all the way to being my favorite project of this year. I already enjoyed Namasenda’s previous songs such as Black Ops 2, Demonic and the pre-release single maserati. As I later found more about the background of the project, how its concept came together and read the translation of the lyrics to rosa, my love for the it multiplied. Right now if I were to describe the EP in two simple words, they would be “ethereal”, “gorgeous” and “atmospheric”. These words are used with way more power than you may realize this time.

Sonically, the already unique artist stays true to herself but the execution of her vision is somehow… better than her previous work. north star and deathrow bby are unorthodox but celestial perspectives on baile funk, the former being a siren-like intro-lude that lures you in and the latter having a slightly haunting catchy Europop inspired jingle feel, serving as closer out of the 4 songs. maserati is a fresh take on polished but cutting pop, while rosa is a divine ballad that takes you to a dream realm. “Unconditionally here / I mean what I promise / When the sky is completely pink”, she sings in her home language Swedish, over the Casey MQ co-produced blissful synths. Maybe it’s executive producer Simon on the Moon’s musical genius (he’s also to be thanked for his involvement in Natural Brown Prom Queen by Sudan Archives), maybe it’s Namasenda unveiling a more authentic side of herself and therefore causing the music to be the most authentic version of itself. This authenticity drips through the production, the visuals and the lyrics. The stark contrast between Ambrosia and the jeweled, metallic, extreme meta-pop in her previous work, specifically Unlimited Ammo, opens up a conversation on the future of hyperpop.

Besides the heavy, detail-embroidered production, the focus of hyperpop was pretty much always exaggerating the artificial aspects of pop music, such as vocal manipulation, heavy bass, deafening drums, unforgettable melodies and shallow lyrics. How long could one use these funnily unrealistic musical personas before wanting to face themselves and do a deeper, more pure dive on pop? This I-D article on PC Music (the record label pioneering the hyperpop scene) shutting down concludes with “Perhaps it’s time to get off the computer and rediscover the personal.” Indeed, we can’t exactly reach a verdict on whether “hyperpop” will become just another fad or not, but moving on from simply exaggerating pop to expanding, beautifying and authenticating its sound isn’t an inaccurate prediction. 4s4ki and Namasenda (who, by the way, parted ways with PCMus before Ambrosia) are two of the artists that embody the beautiful, complex hyperpop-transcendent sound and experimental electronic pop music is in good hands thanks to artists like them.

To finish off this entry, Ambrosia manages to pinpoint exactly what I like to hear, both characteristics that I mentioned and things you can’t really put into sentences, only listen to and let them sink in. The production is some of the most stunning I’ve ever heard in my life, the EP is cohesive despite the short 9-minute run time, the visuals are simple but creative and the craft is passionate and genuine. Next time somebody asks me about the music I like, I’m sending them this EP with no further elaboration as it summarizes my tastes like no other body of work ever has.

Favorite track: rosa, it also grew on me the most drastically.

Now to end this post, every year gives me brand new outlooks on how I consume music and the details I notice, the things I pay attention to. 2023 was filled to the brim with musicians offering their own outlooks on how they create. I’m keeping my eye on the masterpieces that will come out of 2024 and I wonder how my interests will transform with me next year.

Hey @nayeonline (special thankies for indirectly fueling my writing process) and @timetravellingkitty, I wiggled my keyboard a bit 😗

[bengiyo]

Love Mate Eps 7 & 8 (Finale) Stray Thoughts

Last week, Yi Jun and Ha Ram began pre-dating in earnest. Yi Jun wanted to see if he could properly care for someone again, so they slowed things down to get to know each other more. I loved it, because some relationships, especially gay ones, start physical and then the emotional work of getting to know the other gets skipped in lieu of sex. Yi Jun changed his entire project at work in light of his new relationship, but now it seems that the team wants to hire Yi Jun's cruel ex as the spokesperson and model for their project.

Episode 7

Ah, their first big difficulty. Yi Jun is pretending he's fine, but he's clearly not.

I don't like that knowing look DK gave Seo Yi Jun.

Work wife has a name! It's Jin Eun Sun.

This DK guy thinks he's slick, using his past history to sell his involvement and simultaneously trying to convince Yi Jun that he sees what he did to him now. I don't trust him.

I'll forgive Yi Jun for retreating into himself because he's just being distant, he still let Ha Ram hug him at work, and is considering telling Ha Ram what happened.

I'm mad at these flowers DK tried to give Yi Jun, because if he knew his tastes this well, and wanted to find him for three years, why would he break up in such a cruel way. It also looks like Yi Jun hasn't moved??

I liked the different levels of anger, offense, and disgust Cho Hyun Min conveyed as Yi Jun when DK was trying to lay on the charm. I like that DK is genuinely charming and laying it on thick, because that's how Ha Ram started as well. I like when a show adds context to earlier reticence by having an ex show up and use similar behaviors.

Okay, letting Ha Ram fall behind in the frame was a clever way to highlight the growing distance between them right as they get into a small fight about this. Ha Ram is not going to reveal that he already knows, and Yi Jun is rebuilding the original walls he had.

You better come through, Writer Jin Eun Sun!! She's the only one Ha Ram could talk to, and she said you better talk to your man! Someone get her a plate!

This studio knows how to use their limited time well. Having DK try to show that he's done the emotional work on himself by detailing all the ways Yi Jun took care of him works so well. We get to feel aghast as the cruel way he ended things with all of these reveals, and it cleverly places us with Ha Ram right after when DK seemingly won't take no for an answer.

OOO, classic yaoi framing. Putting Yi Jun between the two guys pursuing him as the final shot was a great choice.

Episode 8

He's his lover! Claim it!

Choosing neither of them is in line with Yi Jun, unfortunately. The writing is top-notch on this show. He tells DK he owes him nothing, and chides Ha Ram for being rude, before dismissing both of them.

That was an incredible break up scene. These are almost never good, but Yi Jun wanting to quit because he felt embarrassed by both guys pursuing him makes so much sense. His feelings for Ha Ram are new, and I totally get him backing off after being made to feel like a damsel or prize. Cooking a relationship because you feel like you can't commit to it is the choice we say people should make sometimes, so I'm excited to see how Yi Jun turns this around for himself.

Choosing DK is probably the right choice professionally, but it comes at the cost of connection. They're making a project about love and connection, so I doubt this will work.

Oh, I'm really glad Ha Ram and Yi Jun heard DK's conversation. We don't have enough time for just Ha Ram to know. Unfortunately, Yi Jun is just going to take it.

I do like that their manager worried about Seo Yi Jun when he didn't show up to work, knowing that was unusual.

I like Ha Ram a lot. You can't fix people's problems all the time, but you can love them even when they're being a bit mean to you until they find themselves again. "If it's hard to do this alone, I'll stay with you."

When Ha Ram said, "Expressing and receiving emotions is difficult for me, too," it made me think about the aggressive use of tropes earlier. We love tropes, because they're a way for us to understand the characters and their intentions. We like the ritualistic nature of them, but they don't always work because they're not always aligned with what the characters or even the audience wants out of the story. Yet we use them still, because we understand what they're trying to convey.

I don't think either of them is awful, but I like them giving themselves permission to make mistakes with each other.

I feel like I need to ping @respectthepetty because I feel like I'm seeing something with DK wearing red in this scene after using blue and mixed black and white earlier.

Sometimes you don't need words. Sometimes you just need to throw a drink in someone's face.

He set their photo from the wedding shoot as his background. I love this man.

Yi Jun's enamored smile as Ha Ram walks down in this suit is fantastic. Good job with this crew showing a brooding character finding his sunshine again.

Let me tell you, I go feral for the second, deeper kiss after the first one every time.

Oh good we're back in the boyfriend shirts for the domestic scene.

I like not showing DK again or any of the people cast for their program. It doesn't matter if DK did his job or not. He no longer has control over Seo Yi Jun.

Final Verdict: 9.5, Highly Recommended. This is our third outing with Studio Winsome, following My Sweet Dear and Our Dating Sim, and I think they may be on to something here. @shortpplfedup teases me for being a cynic because I always love the sad gays, and SHE IS RIGHT. I always go hard on the shows where a gay character has suffered and gets the chance to find happiness. This one is a little bit headier than Our Dating Sim, so I'm taking half a point; I felt like I needed to trust them to do something with the aggressive use of tropes earlier, and I'm glad it paid off. This team, more than any other Korean team, seems to understand how to maximize their limited time. I'm deeply impressed.

[wonderlandleighleigh]

86 Thoughts while watching The OC season one episode 4: The Debut

1. I love that these early episodes really focused on the Cohens+1 as a family, and established these really deep dynamics.

2. Seth is such a shitty kid and it’s so funny in these early eps. It feels more endearing than like...shitty in later episodes.

3. Ryan getting adoptedddddddddd what a good lil math nerd.

4. Anyone who thinks Ryan is a bad boy I feel like you miss the point of the character. He has terrible luck, and a bad temper, but also, he is a MATH NERD who says whole sentences with his eyes.

5. “You steal a car? You burn down a house? You beat up the captain of the water polo team?” Let’s be real, Luke won that fight. Ryan isn’t a good fighter lol.

6. Kirsten is not a hugger.

7. Brody’s little groove walk is fun.

8. Califoniaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa here we cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmme

9. underpants!

10. Seth rolling around on Ryan’s bed like a puppy. Sir what.

11. He doesn’t have any things.

12. Poor Ryan, he does not know how to deal with this debutante thing.

13. Peggy deserved more than two episodes, she’s so salty and I love her. Where did she go???

14. Jimmy and Sandy are such strange frenemies. Like Jimmy so clearly still has a thing for Kirsten and Sandy knows. He knows, and he knows they have to play nice (for now), but he is not thrilled. He’s a friendly dude mostly, so he’s not gonna start shit just because, but like. He knows it’s bad.

15. My big quibble with this episode is that the girls’ dresses look incredibly cheap. At least for the main three girls they could have gone higher end. Or maybe it’s just that 2003 style.

16. I know Luke is like “bleh Ryan” but I can’t help thinking of it as a lil bi panic.

17. Summer trying to bang Ryan. Ryan like “I mean she’s hot but...but...but...”

18. Ryan and Summer should have banged.

19. Like not a relationship. But just. Boning.

20. I’ve warmed up to Marissa as I’ve gotten older. She’s very sweet in these early episodes.

21. That is so much wine Sandy just poured Kirsten. SO MUCH. BRUH YOUR WIFE HAS A DRINKING PROB- we’ll talk about next season.

22. I love all the comic books just lying around as set dressing.

23. Ryan’s favorite comic is Justice Society of America, and I love that for him. It’s very classic superhero, but it’s not one of the BIG ONES.

24. Poor Kirsten, finding out about Jimmy’s dumb shit.

25. Sandy is in full lawyer mode. “We have to tell everybody this dude stole from them.”

26. I wish I liked these dresses more.

27. But god the music cues are so on point. The soundtrack for the OC is just top notch, all thees years later.

28. And ask the world to stay away please....

29. Ryan is so sweet. He just can’t say no.

30. Fucking Jimmy.

31. God damn, Julie just spending every last cent. She doesn’t ask ever about their finances. She just assumes. But Jimmy let her believe they were more than fine.

32. Jimmy is such an idiot. I wish I liked him more. He’s supposed to be charming. I love Tate Donovan. But god. That character.

33. Try to enjoy this, please! I love Peggy. Justice for Peggy.

34. The dancing. Poor Ryan.

35. Who let Adam Brody out of his feral nerd cage? Whoever it was, I’m grateful.

36. Summer is such a douche in these early episodes. Her character arc is amazing through the series. Truly. one of my favorites in TV history.

37. i still don’t quite buy Ryan and Marissa’s chemistry. Part of it is that Misha Barton is so young, and she hasn’t had time to develop as an actress. I feel like if she’d been like two years older when she played Marissa it’d hit harder.

38. Annaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. God I love Anna. Again. She has such good chemistry with Seth and Ryan. Again. Ryan should have been allowed to date Anna.  The two with the most common sense in the whole bunch together? Power couple.

39. Kirsten, stop trying to save Jimmy he doesn’t deserve it.

40. Oh Holly. I would have loved for her to get a redemption arc. Like still kind of brainless, but more mature. Less shitty. She comes back in s4 and has learned nothing.

41. Ben McKenzie eye acting choices.

42. Jimmmyyyyyyyyyyyy karma said “hey hi how ya doin”

43. Barbecutionist.

44. Marissa watching Luke’s friends and feeling just so done. Girl I get it.

45. Poor Ryan. He just wants to go home and hide in his pool house and read comic books and not deal with this dumb crap.

46. Luke’s weird toxic masculinity is pretty rough. He gets a nice redemption arc later where he just turns into a golden retriever. I love that for him.

47. Yep. There’s the JSA issue.

48. Julie really wants to be a good mother, but she puts so much importance on appearance and image and perception. And dumping all of that on her very sensitive daughter is cruel.

49. I love Julie’s eye makeup.

50. Melinda Clarke is such a heavy hitter in this series. Julie Cooper, Urban Cougar was such a thing.

51. Sandy not going either. Sandy said fuck that.

52. Again, these dresses...they’re just not...great.

53. lol Sandy and Ryan just....”Nah.” “Yeah, me neither.”

54. THE BONDING. THE VIDEO GAMES. I love this dynamic so much.

55. Sandy serving truth. “They’ve all got secrets and they’re all terrified that the guy nextdoor is gonna find them out.”

56. It’s such a sweet moment, and then “You just stabbed me again.”

57. Summerrrrrrrrrrrrr.

58. lol Anna and Seth spewing comic book stuff.

59. YOU’RE A GIRL. Bitch I have been reading comic books since 1991.

60. The birth of the Summer/Seth/Anna triangle/almost thruple.

61. I just tried to liken them to Roy/Keeley/Jamie but there is no grumpy asshole.

62. But if it were Summer/Ryan/Anna, we would have a Lasso Thruple sitch.

63. But not really.

64. Sandy is the best. I swear.

65. Jimmy and karma doin that dance.

66. Luke is, in fact, an idiot.

67. “Stop hitting a dude who didn’t actually do anything to you.” “I AM LEAVING BECAUSE YOU MAKE SENSE!” Oy.

68. Anna is so charming. I love her.

69. Julie just dislikes Ryan so damn much. Christ.

70. “Confidence, Cohen!” Ugh. So cute.

71. I love Seth/Summer but Anna/Seth was also so so fun.

72. “We’re gonna go this way.” lol

73. We don’t see Summer walk by herself. I think that was a missed opportunity.

74. Peggyyyyyyyyyy! My beloved!

75. The sweetness of this scene lasts all of three seconds before Jimmy gets slugged in his face.

76. I love that they were never afraid of the fact that Marissa was just a lil taller than Ryan. the visual works so well for the show.

77. Here we go.

78.”Bad accounting.”

79. hot damn y’all this old man fight lol.

80. Julie’s shaking fingers is such a nice touch in this moment.

81. I guess Sandy figures karma has done its job on Jimmy and now he can be supportive. lol.

82. Seth and Annaaaaaaa. Jesus so cute. Even though they’re kind of the same person lol.

83. Another great music cue. To Sheila, by the Smashing Pumpkins.

84. I just. I want to like Marissa more. I’m still not sure why I can’t get there all these years later.

85. LOL Luke. With the weird sneak attack.

86. And that’s it. A last shot of Ryan alone, who should be heading home to avoid the police.

[myjollyfroggyfriend]

I know we're only at episode 2 but I'm going to say it anyway.

Last Twilight is going to be a hit. 0 doubts about that. I was never worried because in P'Aof I trust, but finishing episode 2 really cemented that belief for me.

I already can't wait for next week, but it's not in an angsty, omg/wtf, cliffhanger induced, Only Friends fashion kind of way. I already can't wait because it's GOOD. ALREADY.

For me most QLs tend to really kick off around ep 5-6, but Last Twilight already crossed that threshold.

I think we were all wondering (if not worrying a little) about the disability representation here, and so far? So fucking good. I was already impressed by Gemini's performance in Moonlight Chicken (and Aof's take on that), Sea is acing his role here. I loved the fact that the discussions around blindness in ep2 were already (for a second ep) so nuanced and interesting. Loved that Mhok thought about his 'disability' and how he is being perceived in society first, as a comparison to Day, because that's realistic. That's exactly how an able person would react.

Jimmy is absolutely killing it of course. He has this way of balancing the toughness of the character with a soft listener attitude side, which makes Mhok instantly likeable and worth rooting for. The chemistry is top notch (the fish tank scene was so well done) and I loved that the pacing seems to be a slow burn with this one.

They know they like to be around each other now. They may not know why but it feels good to them and JimmySea (+Aof) really manage to convey that through the screen.

I'm so so excited for what is to come

[clingyduoapologist]

Ok now that I’ve let wake up and it’s over grow on me time for the new official clingyduoapolagist lovejoy rankings WOOT WOOT (not the including the covers because I’ve never listens to any of them dorry)

1. As always, Sex Sells. To me this is peak lovejoy. Good memories of the first ep, very funny story behind its creation, perfect blending of music and vocals, nothing more you could ask for.

2. It’s all futile. BRO THIS SHIT BANGS SO HARD. While I prefer sex sells, I can easily see how someone could perform this one (and at the risk of sounding parasocial, the fact that Wilbur was able to turn a song from a really dark time in his life into this massive almost tongue-n-cheek album ender is really special to me :’) )

3. You’ll understand when you’re older. Man this is just such a bop, the narrative and the instrumentation are top notch.

4. Call me what you like. BARELY misses the top 3 (and being honest 3 and 4 are pretty much interchangeable for me). Man does this go hard. And the spoken word bridge into the final chorus?? Chef’s Kiss.

5. Cause for concern. This song is weird because I always forget about it but then whenever I remember to listen to it it floors me. Deserved spot all around.

6. Portrait of a blank slate. Another case of 2 completely interchangeable songs with 5 and 6, b it man the instrumentation on this song is AMAZING.

7. Concrete. Honestly this may just be bias but man this song is just such a solid bop. While I don’t hold it quite as highly as the top 5/6, I’m never upset when this song comes on.

8. Oh yeah you gonna cry. Again 7 and 8 vary based on mood but ugh I just love this songs energy. It’s like if you turned a shit eating grin into a song and I love it.

9. Warsaw. I need to listen to this more to really settle my mind on it but it’s definitely a bop.

10. Consequences. Banger but again don’t have a lot of thoughts on it.

11. Model busses. Such a sleeper pick fr. Again I forget about sometimes but it really is a bop.

12. Taunt. No strong feelings, just a nice generally okay song.

13. One Day. I like the music video and this song can shoot up depending on my mood, not really feeling it today tho.

14. Perfume. This is the hipster in me talking but like, it’s fine? Tumblr kinda overhyped it before I listened to it so that’s probably why my opinion of it suffered, but I just never got the hype for this one. Not bad at all tho, 6.8/10

15. The Fall. Yeah again this is another hipster take and I fully acknowledge that, but still not my favorite.

16. Golden Hour. Fine? Idk I might have to listen to this more.

17. Scum. Now listen, I can 100% see the appeal, but you need to understand that I am a basic bitch and this one just does not do it for me, very sorry scum fans (tho it gets points for being a cTommycore song)

Anyways YUP there it is the official rankings!!! If you disagree you’re wrong anyways bye ❤️

[mahoushoujotechsupport]

ok episode 16 time!

oh wow i forgot how jarring this episode feels after episode 15 since we just like go right back to where we left off in 14 after sophie's death and the eri reveal

also look at that, prospera got up from her desk chair but immediately sat down again. i wonder if belmeria is aware at all about prospera's mobility issues too

forgot about this line lol this makes suletta somehow getting her into hots-san pretty much a miracle

ok yea yea prospera shrug memes aside, this part of this scene is so good lol. like prospera just fucking calls belmeria out on her hypocrisy. belmeria is such a coward lmao.

i don't really have an opinion on the fact that she lived to see the end, but i feel like she doesn't get shit on enough for being complicit in all the evil shit peil gets up to. i was really excited to see prospera call her out at the beginning of this episode when i first watched lol

the news broadcast frames are always so interesting to me in this whole show lol. like it's probably the easiest and kind of laziest way to do worldbuilding, but given how few eps we got and what a mess s2 is, i guess i'll take it

also cracking up at the wording on this last screencap and focusing entirely on the spacian economy instead of you know the earthian lives being snuffed out for literally no reason

wonder if they'd been planning to be turncoats since this moment

i mentioned it before but like this little lesbian snuck cool-san around this whole time lol

also imagine how she felt the moment she turned her phone back on to find a barrage of messages from suletta

i dont think i'd ever stopped to read the messages here as secelia is scrolling through her phone, so it's interesting to see that last one asking if suletta saved everyone

the most confusing shot and line to have ever happened in this entire show lmao

how strong is chuchu that you need suletta and lilique to hold her back

jubeju gone but not forgotten to the memes

the birth of something so insane lmao i still can't get over sabinika's existence

even with magical permet minerals creating quantum entanglement internet capabilities across electronics, how are we supposed to believe guel just made his way up the space elevator with no money or identification

god i really wanted feng jun to play a bigger role in everything and then lol

best boy till

ah, here we go...

i wonder if any of the earth house kids picked up on miorine getting upset when prospera showed up. like you'd think maybe till or something wouldve noticed, right?

this scene was so satisfying after what a creep el5n has been since his introduction

love this frame composition. this entire scene is honestly one of my favorites and the voice acting throughout it is top notch

really gotta wonder about the people who were hating on miorine mid-season. like were they just not paying attention? so much of her emotions are displayed to us through her body language

and i really just love the part in this scene when suletta starts fidgeting and we SEE miorine notices this. we SEE miorine notice that suletta is deeply uncomfortable with this conversation. it's such a blink or you'll miss it moment and i just really appreciate that detail

i really wish we would have gotten miorine finding out more about the vanadis incident on-screen instead of it being part of all the things that got off-screened in the second of the show

like at some point her and suletta had to have talked about all this, yeah? suletta even has "first-hand" knowledge of sorts because of eri pummeling her with data transfer memories

i just really want to see that conversation so bad. i can't imagine how miorine feels knowing it was her kuso oyaji that started all this and destroyed elnora's family. it just adds to my headcanon that miorine has not forgiven him at the end

prince miorine

ok no lie, i was in a terrible mood yesterday and then i opened twitter on my phone and the first thing i saw was anilu's prince ferdinand miorine and i just turned into that meme and was like "MIORINE!"

*looney tunes wolf whistle gif*

yeah ok getting whiplash again with this episode right after 15. the weird jump back to 14 plot is just so strange

this is a great episode though. like it already heightens the tension and we know something is about to happen but god none of us were ready for 17 lmao

i think i watched the greenhouse conversation a million times after this ep aired and after the 17 break week. i really can't express how amazing i think the voice acting is on that part and although i honestly don't know shit about sound engineering, the softness and vulnerability in miorine's voice throughout that whole scene is just amazing

alright, definitely not watching ep 17 tonight, but gonna try and watch tomorrow

[webbymom]

Picking it back up at the bookstore...

I ranted too long to make sense of the last post's title, which referenced going to the bookstore.

Yes. The bookstore in Sunset Valley in THE SIMS 3.

I was so disillusioned by TS4's newest and brightest crap that I said to myself, "What the hell! Let's open TS3 and see what I can do there!"

Oh. My. Goodness.

Dudes. Do you know they have a COLOUR WHEEL?? For like, EVERYTHING???

And do you remember that sims can literally travel down a street and go to the bookstore WITH NO LOADING SCREENS?

And do you remember CARS???? * faints *

Seriously, while the game takes longer to load on the front end, while EA has lost the fact that I do actually own some more worlds and store stuff than what they give me credit for, and while I don't have ALL the stuff I DO still "own" turned on to keep "performance" specs up (not even sure that's needed on this machine, but what-evs)...

This. Game. Is. Fabulous.

And it's HARDER. I have a much harder time keeping ONE SIM fully up on all their needs than I do in TS4. And I LIKE that. Seriously, TS4 is so easy. It's too easy to make money, too easy to keep everyone happy all the time, too easy to advance at work...

Maybe I'm just a freakin' good player and other folks may find it harder in TS4, for whatever reason. I mean, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I've been playing "perfect lives" sims since the day TS2 came out... so there's that. ;) They don't call me "The Controller" for nuthin'!!!

But honestly, I found this more challenging. I decided to create a single sim, get them into a house they could afford at first, get them a career, and make it to the top of that career (it was a life wish to become CEO... which I did. :) ). Let's call her Rita - since that's her name. ;)

Oh, the things that broke and clogged and rotted! Oh, the horrible (but funny!) bad passes that Thornton Wolfe (the boss!) made to my poor sim! Oh, the fun in the park on days off of work, and the meetings Rita had to squish into times when she was not working and also not dying - just for that one... last... promotion...

It was fun. I even re-built Rita's house, and bought her some better stuff and let her learn handiness and a bit of fishing and painting...

I could pick an outfit - shirt with sweater-vest and belt, skirt, and shoes - and COLOUR COORDINATE them! I could make her doors match her windows and her walls coordinate with the carpet and the sheets match the bedspread...

I know it's been a few years since I've played, so I'm a bit rusty, BUT - - - I found it more challenging to keep one single sim going and really happy in TS3 than raising an entire family (mom, dad, 2 kids) in TS4. So there's that.

Sure, the sims walk around like they have sticks up their butts (a long-time pet peeve of mine re: the TS3 sims LOL) and the UI is old-fashioned and the build-mode tools are SO much less than what we have now in TS4. But to be honest, I found the UI to be direct, precise, and intuitive. While I re-built her a house and was AGHAST that I could not lower the roof more than "X" amount, I really didn't care, because it was the GAMEPLAY that was really engaging me again.

Rita made it to the top of her career (apparently, Level 8 was the top back then!) which was yesterday in my time. I'm going to start another sim off in Sunset Valley with a new goal. Maybe even make a couple! Kick it up a notch, look after TWO sims and get them to the top of their careers as fast as I can, or their lifetime wishes fulfilled or whatever. Maybe they will be Rita's neighbours! Wouldn't that be cool? Since there are no loading screens?????

Sims 5 needs to be better. With offerings coming our way like "Life by You" and "Paralives", they seriously have to up their game at EA with this genre. I'm rather doubtful that I will buy ANY more EA kits, packs, or EP's for TS4. I will dip back into my currently-working family now and then to keep them going and make a few more TS4 memories, but they have strung this thing out far too long and it's at the point where they will lose players to the boredom and mediocrity that they are currently asking money for. It's time to move on to the new and better stuff.

As for me, I'm moving back to old and better stuff and finding the joy there once again. My TS3 adventures will continue while I wait the rest out. I have pre-ordered Life by You, and I'm following the progress of Paralives. I'm dabbling pretty much daily in Disney Dreamlight Valley, and I have tons of those crazy little casual games that keep me entertained when my brain is too taxed to decide what to do next with my little sims' live. ;) Sad to say, I don't need or want TS4 to be part of my evening entertainment on a daily basis anymore.

Nothing has been as funny or quirky as TS2 since TS2. Nothing has been as open - both in world terms and in creative/pattern/colour terms - as TS3 since TS3. TS4 started on a flat note (no pools and no toddlers) and has tried to play catch-up ever since. NINE YEARS of catching up. And I'm feeling, sorry to say, that they've not actually succeeded in catching up.

Honestly, I'm just not that invested anymore. I'm hoping that new games will bring back that old TS2 "oh-my-gosh-this-is-so-cool-and-fun" thing for me, but I will wait and see. Maybe I'm just done with life simulation games. But maybe - just maybe - Rod Humble/Paradox or Alex/Paralives People will surprise me. Maybe they have something up their sleeves that will delight life sim fans all over again.

Remember that crazy gold helmet you could get in TS2 to wear when you learned stuff to make you learn faster? But if you used it too long, it could make you die?

Yeah. Quirks like that. Silly things that make no real sense, but give you a laugh - or even a game-based panic-attack where you have to quit without saving... that's the kind of thing I want. I don't need reality TV in a sims game. I need more of a "are you kidding me, you want to do WHAT right now???" kind of a game. Something that gives me a laugh, lets me be creative when I feel the urge, lets me escape from some of the harsher realities of life, and lets me control virtual little people to the Nth degree, because I can't do that in real life and doing it in virtuality is OK.😛

That's it. That's all I have to say about it for the moment. If I get the urge again, I'll be sure to post. Ha! Love to all!