#also this goes so far beyond ML

[pruneunfair]

The Remarried empress fandom is practically a cult.

If it isn't the very pro-monarchy storyline that gets me, its the fans and how they idolize its protagonist and everyone else who supports her, this normally wouldn't be an issue if it didn't reach the point of condoning literal slavery.

The way the fans of this comic act is straight up disturbing, part of me thinks remarried empress might even be propaganda to push imperialism and monarchies. The characters you're supposed to root for are all horrible people such as a slave owner who is regarded as a cute fangirl, the ML who is a king with an annoying uwu persona that also steals from mages and kills innocent people, a grand duke is so obsessed with Navier he becomes a creep who goes around passing date-rape love potions like candy, and a brother who violates another woman's autonomy by slipping her abortion drugs but they never face consequences and if they do, its portrayed as something unfair caused by the evil women who get in Navier's way.

speaking of which lets talk about how any other woman in this story who is powerful and above Navier in some way is immediately villainized. the mistress Rashta is a former slave who was sold by her father, abused by her masters, one of them sexually assaults her as well (the narrative tries to say Rashta consented even though a slave can't say no to someone who owns them) and ends up severely traumatized after her baby is taken away and replaced with a dead one. Already off to a rough start for someone we are supposed to see as a one dimensional villain.

in the beginning chapters, Navier's ladies in waiting are already ridiculing Rashta before she even did anything all for being a slave who dared to become the Emperors mistress and hurt the feelings of their perfect empress, how could that slave not worship our empress!? What a wench!. later the narrative justifies making a slave the ultimate evil by making her into someone who "seduced" the Emperor and is ultimately written as a evil moron who is the true villain using her body to charm the poor little noblemen. (Ugh..) In the end her character is basically to be a punching bag for Navier to girl boss back into place and she dies alone in a prison cell as the most evil empress in history.

Then there's Krista, a queen dowager who didn't really like Navier but never went as far beyond snubbing her and letting rumors spread, bad but nothing too horrible, and when she sends a gift one of Navier's ladies in waiting gets all upset and asks if she can toss the gift out, its played off as a joke but it becomes clear it's supposed to tell readers that Krista is a mean mean woman for not adoring the MC.

Then when Krista is becoming too independent for the authors liking they begin to ruin her character by having pine after Heinrey, weird as hell but it could've worked if she was actually utilized as a villain and not a bug that needs to be squashed, she then gets blamed for letting Heinrey rest on her lap even though Kaufman was the one who drugged Heinrey while Krista didn't know, she's disgraced and later killed off while Heinrey proceeds to make the rest of her family suffer in the long run as well. And yet fans practically celebrated her death.

The comments are honestly the worst part, nothing but "Trashta has nothing on our queen! 😍" and "Navier is such a true girlboss! go away Trashta! 🤢" there are chapters where characters like Heinrey literally say that he'll torture people who don't like Navier and the comments are all just "Awww he's such an upgrade from Sovieshit, what a soft boy he is!" ffs it honestly feels like a cult where Navier is the god and all her supporters are her apostles.

The message is clear: you MUST like Navier! If you don't then it makes you a bad guy worthy of death row, and it doesn't take much either, all you need to do if talk a little shit about Navier and boom, her hubby has your mouth with rocks and sewn shut (yes this actually happened and it's never talked about again) if Rashta did something like that she'd be getting flamed, I'm even willing to bet if it was Heinrey who mutilated Delice the comments would either be full of cheap excuses for him or they just would give him a slap on the wrist.

I really wanted to like Remarried empress but I honestly can't anymore with the hypocrisy. Navier isn't even very likeable anymore since all she does now is react to everything and either condone what people do in her name or just not caring, so much for an empress who loves her subjects.

[danmeiconfession]

No. I think Shen Yuan never really see these people as people even at the ends of the book. My dude really condemned Shen Jiu a modern man really gave no shit or felt any sorrow towards his enslavement and abuse. I read a fully grown man with modern sensibilities and values watch a child being horrifically abused. A child that was ENSLAVED, restrained, beaten, TORTURED by another man, an OWNER. And I read SY's thoughts on the matter. Read him condemning the child and feeling no horror or disgust at the act of child abuse. He felt nothing regarding the immorality and cruelty of slavery. Hell, When ZZL murdered GYX who was only ever just, kind, and helpful in all his interactions and to SY himself, I was upset SY seemed to feel nothing and felt no censure towards ZZL or sadness or guilt towards GYX who was trying to save him. But I excused it as him having other things to do because maybe for SY, it's easier for him to just push aside feelings over someone's death to focus on other things (though I was unnerved that he never seemed to think of it again or care).

SY intentionally condoned the murder of dozens of individuals to save his own skin, and never wrestled with his conscience over it. While SJ's self-hatred is detrimental to himself and those around him, at least he struggles emotionally and morally with his decisions. He still does them, but at least he doesn't excuse them or not even feel guilt or shame. SY however is completely shameless in doing whatever it takes to live. I honestly find characters like this interesting, but I found SY's character to be lacking because the author wanted him to be a self-centered survivalist while also a sweet, holy mother/mentor figure to LBH. That's a BL trope I usually find tedious and boring, especially because authors never have said overly kind, overly forgiving characters be kind to anyone accept a handful of characters who are plot relevant (sometimes even only the ML or villain) while they treat every other character as air or cardboard.

I was so convinced of SY's point of view on the original characters and novel, that I kept making excuses as SVSS unfolded. When he recounted the scheming and murdering of Sha Hauling in PIDW while fanboying over how excited he was to see her, I excused it as him not realizing the gravity of her crimes when they're committed against living people. And once he decided she wasn't that great and LBH deserved better, I was assured, even though he seemed to only do so because she was rude to himself. When he celebrated O!LBH's torture and mutilation of SJ for bullying him in his teen years and even called for SJ's castration, I excused it because who doesn't want to see an evil pedophile get what they deserve, and fans can get overly enthusiastic sometimes, even if calling for slow, multi-year mutilation and torture is a bit extreme even if LBH is your favorite characte

It seems a lot SJ haters like to excuse LBH's behavior the way they claim SJ fans excuse SJ's. LBH was the poor kid and bullied by kids in the neighborhood, then singled out and bullied at his school, before being treated to the abyss where he utilized the training he received at CQ and his innate demon heritage to establish himself. In PIDW, he proceeds to commit large scale mass murder, borderline genocide, destroy the human realms sects and defenses against spiritual and demonic threats, all why gruesomely maiming, torturing, dismembering, disemboweling, and feeding alive anyone he disliked. Uhhhh... disproportionate, much. Bitch slap and shame people if you want, but O!LBH is a monstrous, self-centered, sadistic freak show. He goes far beyond a victim of abuse reacting with anger and defensiveness. He controls the lives and wellbeing of all the people in the realms, and repeatedly makes time to find enjoyment in the torture, pain, and suffering of others on a scale he had never experienced himself. Meanwhile, SVSS!LBH still decided to start widespread violent capture of cultivators to date Xin Mo while SY was out of the picture only sparing CQ because he knew once SY was brought back, SY would be upset with him if he did. He shows no care for anyone else, human or demon, in the world of SVSS besides SY. His only regards for others are as useful allies and subordinates, enemies, and people he knows SY would lightly scold and admonish him for killing. LBH is fucked up in every universe, whether he gets bullied at school, or his teacher turns him into a live in homemaker.

At best, I could excuse this as SY not seeing other people as actual people. Maybe because he read about them as fictional characters first, he can't fully perceive them as humans, just characters, not as real people like him and SQH. Maybe he made an exception for LBH because LBH is his favorite character. But that care and regard clearly don't extend to anyone else.

I have no idea where people get the idea he sees them as real he doesn't. I couldn't care about a protagonist who didn't react with shock or horror or even just resigned sadness to child slavery. I couldn't give a shit about his romance anymore. I stopped reading. To be clear, I don't hate SY, or even his type of character. I'm just disappointed because I went into SVSS thinking I'd be getting a cute, sweet, slightly stupid, modern nerd flailing though a comedic romance full of ridiculous misunderstandings and pitfalls. It turned out, I got a self-centered, apathetic fanboy simultaneously stalking while trying to avoid and stay on the good side of his mentally unstable, over powered idol. Which I've actually read before too, but at least the author wasn't forcing every other character to remark on how sweet, kind, and good the fanboy who cared about nothing but his favorite character was.

Clearly, his anti-abuse philosophy only extended to LBH and no other child. He felt nothing regarding the immorality and cruelty of slavery." The hypocrisy displayed by SY is astonishing. It's fascinating how SY condemns child abuse, expressing concern for Binghe's mistreatment, yet dismisses Binghe's daily killings over five years to control Xin Mo as a consequence of past abuse. There's an apparent double standard. Moreover, in the same breath, witnessing SJ's appalling abuse, SY downplays its impact, suggesting that SJ's mistreatment doesn't excuse his transformation into a reprehensible individual. SY seems to overlook the scumbag-like behavior, focusing instead on SJ's skills, status, beauty, hard work, and wealth.

Why do people like this character lol?

.

[red-balloon12]

Everybody Hates Lila (And Why It’s Concerning Sometimes)

Lila Rossi is not a stranger in the Miraculous fandom. In fact I’d argue she’s more infamous than Gabriel in some cases. She’s despised by nearly everyone and while some reasons are more justifiable than others, she’s all around not a good person and a mid at best character.

But here’s my deal with it. The fandom hates this girl to I’d like to say an….unhealthy degree. Like the amount of salt this character gets is unmatched. And I feel like the causation of all of this salt doesn’t really live up to the response.

Lila is a liar who causes characters to act out of character very often. And not only that but she also is Marinette’s main rival now and is a jerk to her. She’s underutilized and her lies aren’t that convincing and yet the story wants to convince us she’s more important than she really is pre butterfly miraculous.

This is Lila’s character summed up. At the most I’d expect is frustration mixed in with mild dislike. Reasonable but not over the top. Instead though, I see SEVERAL people make so many salt fics and talk so much shit about her that I just have to sit down and say….y’all need to chill. You all seriously need to chill.

The fandom talks about this character like she’s the spawn of Satan, something we’ve been criticizing Astruc for doing with Chloe, all because she doesn’t have as many redeeming traits as her. Did we forget that they’re BOTH kids? Both of them still have room to improve on themselves.

And I’ll admit it, I was one of those people who kept on saying “Why demonize Chloe when we have Lila” but thinking on it now, neither of them deserves to have that fate. If we REALLY need a character to do the whole “people don’t change” thing, why not Gabriel?

It’s so much better to have this lesson taught to adults to not be like Gabriel, to accept change and loss and to be better. To teach how heavy the impact of a lost love can be and how old age isn’t an excuse to be “stuck in your ways”.

Plus the lesson works better for someone who’s older than for teenagers who’s literally at the stage of their lives where change is everything. And I’m not saying Lila needs to be redeemed or she isn’t allowed to be a villain. What I’m saying is that the over salting on her character, a character that can be easily fixed and patched up, is kinda dumb and kinda annoying to see…especially when some people do like Lila.

SPEAKING OF WHICH, don’t think I’ve forgotten what happened years ago with that one fan that claimed that they loved Lila. That’s what happens when you take salting on a character WAY too far. And I can say that it’s only gotten a little better.

I just don’t understand why people can’t spend their energy talking about how to make a character better instead of salting on them 24/7 and this goes for all of the characters in ML.

I’m gonna be in the minority when I say this but Lila doesn’t deserve to be salted in as much as she does. She deserves reevaluation and a true villain arc. The constant bashing and insulting her at any chance ain’t it.

But you wanna know the thing that frustrates me the most about the Lila salt? How she started getting salted on in the first place. Aka, her being another barrier to Adrienette.

If y’all don’t know already, I don’t like the lovesquare and even back then I didn’t like it. And when I started seeing people hate Lila for this reason, I got very annoyed. It’s the same reason as to why people hated Kagami and it’s a stupid reason (imo). At least the other reasons why she’s hated had some foundation and sense.

TLDR: Lila is a mess but she’s not a mess that’s beyond repair but the constant salting on her and her character isn’t going to do anything. (If you really wanna salt on someone, salt on the writers for making her writing so subpar)

[blu3b3rrin]

this week's what i read!! again uh. mainly skip beat cuz i binged a whole arc

this week was ch39 to 105

OKAY SO. the suddenly a love story arc. ITS SO GOOD?? so tight, so dramatic, no chapter where i felt like 'ugh what filler im soooo bored' and tbh, not even one PAGE where i wasnt hooked. i get why this is 300chs and going now. its just that good.

i loved the way shos relationship w kyoko was portrayed!! they know too much ab each other and this is one of the ones where i GET bystanders wondering whats going on between them cuz sho is actually causing misunderstandings by appearing on set every ten minutes to see some b-list actor. also kyoko is an acting prodigy i LOVE LOVE LOOOOOVE her shes so cool.... never badmouth my girl shes the best char here

sry for low quality images ^^"

and yeah tsuruga whatever. i didnt like how he made kyoko's attempted assault thing all about himself. sho doing it made sense cuz hes a prick and of course he would but i expected better from tsuruga. he didnt even ask if shes okay afterwards and she made her apologize (iirc)!! stupid ml.

my faves r probably director ogata and yashiro theyre the best chars after kyogoat

my photodump from this section <33

other than that, i didn't read much this week rip. (lie!! i read a lot but nothing super good. anyways heres my recs)

trapped in an instant: oneshot

i think the main characters development in one chapter is okay, i read mostly for the plot. basically a high school boy gets the power to stop time and does pretty much all that youd expect, cheating in school and sports, reading manga in class, and stopping time so he's never late for school. he cheats off the chronically bullied class #1, who, when he's going to school, he spots mid-suicide attempt. the entire oneshot is him figuring out whether or not to continue time, knowing she's about to die, and that now, it would in part be his fault, since he could've stopped it. pretty good 8/10 its like a 25min read at most so. go for it!!

without the male lead, my grades are doomed!!

33 chapters out so far, and i really enjoyed it!! somewhat stupid fl but i think in this case it's ACTUALLY endearing and not just 'ugh why is she like this'. jiseo's world is almost exactly like that of a manhwa she reads, except that she's failing all her exams whilst manhwa-version jiseo has been 2nd place after the male lead (yiwon) since first year. she makes a wish on the moon to be more like that jiseo, to forever follow behind yiwon (and of course, truck-kun grants that latter wish).

some aspects of why yiwon trusts jiseo are. convoluted. i think his backstory is great, i dont get why he trusts jiseo even after hearing about the award thing. the early-on stolen wallet plot is also pretty stupid but i think chapter like. 15 ish? onwards are pretty good. will see how it goes since she IS doing the typical 'i need to stick to the plot!!' thing a bit but as of literally ch32 it became 'i need to stick to (the larger strokes of) the plot (excluding when my friends (anyone) gets hurt bc i love them)' which is. still not awesome.

ml is a total loser in love if thats what ur into ^_^ fl. does her best adrien agreste impression ever she JUST noticed maybe he likes her in c33 and even then goes 'nah hes just a friend' which might make me mad if it keeps going but i have my fingers CROSSED that it wont.

img quality found dead in the bronx

art is. very similar to 'my life as a webnovel' tbh. including character design.

final rec is fall in love, you false angels

i think everyone into shoujo should read this, if they haven't already. its beyond beautiful, both the art and the characters. im tired so ill rant later but the latest few chapters after the rejected confession have been straight peak bc yeah it really IS that awkward lol

[stellar2luna]

Novel: Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Novel: Where Petals of Vengeance Bloom

Status: Complete

Chapter: 528

Free link: https://findnovel.net/book/where-petals-of-vengeance-bloom

Plot: [Dark Family Saga + Fake Heiress + Ruthless Revenge + Emotional Payback] Claire Linwood, an orphan struggling to survive, is suddenly claimed by the wealthy Linwood family as their long-lost biological daughter. For a brief moment, she dares to hope for love and belonging—until she meets Vanessa Linwood, the cherished "fake heiress" who stole her life. Her parents dote on Vanessa while treating Claire like an unwanted shadow. Her own brother fabricates evidence to frame her for a crime she didn’t commit. Even her childhood sweetheart testifies against her in court, sealing her fate. Five years in prison. Abandoned. Beaten. Forgotten. But when Claire emerges, she is no longer the broken girl they betrayed. Now, the Linwoods crawl back—begging for forgiveness they don’t deserve: Her parents sob at her feet: "Claire, we were wrong… Come home." Her CEO brother, pale with guilt, pleads: "Claire, forgive me." Her childhood friend kneels at her door, desperate: "Take my kidney, just give me your heart again." Too late. Five years in hell burned away every shred of love she once had for them. Now, Claire is unstoppable—building an empire, gaining power, and finding a man who worships her unconditionally. And those who destroyed her? They can only watch from afar… because the girl they threw away now reigns far beyond their reach.

Warning: Lots of abuse

Review: The first 100 chapters are so heart rending. The next 300 Chapters are so infuriating and satisfying but also tear jerking. I have never read something that made me want to summon truck kun and isekai there to implement my 3378 murder plots. Every one is a soul rotting** lots of curses* except for ML, his family, FL's nanny's family rather all are so good to her. Even ML subordinates are like touch her and we'll make sure even your grave is nonexistent. I love it when ML and Mandy goes all psycho for FL but I hated their ending. And I have to mention Irene, yes she also tormented FL but she was still a child and she tried to prevent FL death. When she was in coma, she forced herself woke up only to clear FL name. And finally, after 400 chapters of revenge, there came the reborn arc🎉🎉🎉. FL finally got the happy family she deserves. Mommy Tempest is a baddie💋💋💋. You can read it if you like tear jerkers and have a lot of patience.

Thank you!

[myechoecho]

First episode of Second Shot at Love and I am cautious about it. It is really going to depend on how they balance the humour with the seriousness of the topic of alcoholism. So far the humour has fallen a bit flat for me.

While Geum Ju did not actually pick alcohol over her fiancee (he cheated and got someone pregnant), she, at the bare minimum has a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol. However, I am leaning more towards that she is a functioning alcoholic. It could be that it's now impacting her work since she was replaced while she was on leave.

If she is an alcoholic, I do hope they treat her decision to stop drinking seriously and recognize that it is not advisable to go cold turkey (I'm looking at you the Atypical Family). You can die from severe alcohol withdrawal. Detox should be medically supervised. The ML is a doctor and one who seemingly has done work with alcoholism so maybe there is some hope there. Or maybe I am overthinking it.

One thing is for sure, Geum Ju's father is kinda awful. He very obviously was the "fun" parent, who left the actually parenting to Geum Ju's mom. There is very much a Geum Ju, her sister and her dad VS the mom vibe. They don't take her mom seriously. They don't even respect her enough for the basic ask of having no alcohol in the house (they also have a not great relationship with alcohol). The fact that Geum Ju says she broke off her engagement because she wouldn't stop drinking is a bit of a red flag but they don't see it. Nope, it's just her mom being her mom. It's no wonder her mom is frustrated and angry beyond belief. So while I don't necessarily agree with her approach, she is the only one taking this seriously and even sought medical help that she was trying to follow.

I do like Sooyoung, so for now I will continue to watch and see where it goes.

[cantalooprat]

Don’t Pick Up Boyfriends from the Trash Bin (re-read, worlds 8-10 + extras + final thoughts)

250226 - 250308 / the domineering general & charming military advisor

ohh this arc i dont really remember it bc this was the point where i started mtl-ing but i remember the ending being particularly romantic for the world's couple even through mtl. it's honestly funner not remembering it bc the lord god's intervention makes a mystery out of the worldline story and also the despairing shou's Real male lead.

lol ngl i initially wanted shi tingyun to end up with yan yuanzhao bc i liked his trope better but then in the flashback when yyz died first and yan yuanheng was the last one to find shi tingyun and confessed before he killed sty i knew he was the ml. tbf he's really sweet, just... a little naive, a little confused, but overall a well-meaning guy. like it's really obvious he was the ml when yyz got married and yyh was revealed to have never even touched his enlightening maid like lmao the gong gotta be pure and untouched too.

i love how ly gets braver and braver after he realizes that he's cxc's lou-ge like in the first half of the worlds he's usually still in ambiguous positions and cxc clearly also draws a line between them but now he's all but flirting openly and even the other people in the world think that there's something ambiguous between them. and hehe the way cxc calls him xiansheng in this world which means teacher but also husband like yeah call him husband it's one of my favorite tropes in danmei.

i feel like the further i go the less i have to say, which is kind of expected bc i did yap a lot in the beginning and now most of the mysteries have been uncovered, there are just a few loose ends left, like lou ying's memories. so it's a pretty interesting turn to take to delve deeper into cxc's psyche, how his "love" for lou ying is equal parts romantic but also really unhealthy. how he's seen several psychologists but all of them have essentially given up on him, and cxc himself knows he's beyond saving---he knows he's "sick" but actively chooses to be sick. he doesn't ever want to get better. he functions okay in society, gets by with a glib tongue and wits so quick he can't be outran. but deep in his heart he's lonely, having lost the one person he's loved even before he knew what love was, and even admitted that he's happy to not have lost anything else or even met anyone else important to him. it's kind of crazy to think that he's basically depressed and could have been suicidal if it isn't for lou ying's memory being his only tether to this transient world. even so, he's still righteous, somewhat, fighting for the happiness for the hosts whose bodies he inhabited, giving them a second chance, the second chance he didn't think he could have. he loves lou ying but hates the chi xiaochi he's grown to become. lou ying himself knows this---that he's become some sort of unattainable god in chi xiaochi's mind, but he doesn't want to become just some sort of ideal, and knows that he isn't. he's still human, with desires and flaws of his own, and he loves chi xiaochi still, even falls in love with him all over again and goes so far as to become jealous of this lou ying even though it's himself... tbh lou ying is lowkey just as unhinged as chi xiaochi. like when chi xiaochi shed a tear and lou ying converts it into data and keeps it in his heart in data form. it's incredibly romantic yes but also lowkey hella unhinged. it's kind of like in zifeiyu where the shou is super unhinged but the gong is even more unhinged for wholeheartedly loving the shou and even thinking of how he could silence someone who found out how messed up the shou is. but that's fine too. chi xiaochi and lou ying's circumstances are extraordinary, and people who can survive the QT worlds probably need to have a few screws loose anyway.

also rip ly for having to rub one out... again... this is like the second time he's had to jerk off poor guy

and yeah the world's ending really is romantic: "if we are fortunate to be recorded in historical books together, that'll be proof of our marriage." then when yyh sends a letter to sty and the wind causes the flag outside sty's tent to flutter, "...if there is wind blowing the flag, it means that i am thinking of you".

it's the sort of bittersweet poetic vibe that happens only in historicals or cultivations sigh i do wish they'd be happy forever

250308 - 250309 / battle royale

i was initially kind of eh abt this arc bc im not too into the ship (selfcest?? selfcest!!) but damn the plot is so interesting lol i love the superhuman hunger games setting and the aoe emotional damage it inflicts on cxc. i know he's an op mc who seemingly breezes through every world and i also don't want him to be even more in pain than he already is, but like. as a reader. it's nice to see the protags overcome challenges. also in hindsight, the reason why cxc's entropy levels are always so low... isn't it because he's basically already so numb that barely anything can faze him? basically the only thing that can shake his resolve his lou ying, and no number of fake lous in each world can sway cxc. so to see his entropy level in this world to be high is... damn lord god is evil for making him feel that way. that really is some serious aoe emotional damage.

fun things abt this arc: lou ying joking when he said that his name is "chi zhongwu" which i think means "things inside a lake" which is... my mind just went to unseemly places there. but it's cute that he's taking on the chi last name while in the unlimited flow world it's chi xiaochi who called himself lou xiaochi. "my name is chi jiangyu and my ability is that i really like you." "i am no longer the brother next door who would help you with your homework and assignments and help you copy formulas, i want to..." i love that ly is so straightforward and he just bulldozes his way into cxc's fleeing heart. he said he will chase cxc and damn if he doesn't. then when wei sixteen asked if they're a couple and ly said yes and cxc said no right after they both had a moment of tacit understanding lmao they didn't get their scripts in order and ly just straight up admits he's courting cxc hngggg how cxc can just openly call ly his ge now. they're using cousins as a cover but like it's kind of weird bc they "told" wei sixteen that ly was pursuing cxc but i guess to everyone else they're just cousins??? and no one questioned anything???

the aoe emotional damage: chi xiaochi's risky plan when cxc told ly about his plan that would put ly at risk but cxc had to deceive the entire world, including himself, that it was foolproof, all to assure himself that he wouldn't lose ly again if he failed. ly's reply to him: "as long as you want me to. ......as long as i can do it." bro is willing to go through the fiery pits of hell to be with cxc no matter what, we stan a devoted male lead.

250309 / perfect new world

250309 / extras

final thoughts

writing final thoughts first before detailing worlds 9, 10, extras because i need to refer back to the text for them and that'll take time... time i don't have right now because there's work tomorrow...

i blitzed through two arcs and the extras in two days partially bc it's really quite long but also it's exciting but also i want to read and do other things but also i've held this webnovel so closely to my heart that i want to see if after more than two years, it still holds the throne for the position of my favorite danmei, and now i can say with certainty that it does. part of it is nostalgia speaking, and some sort of early read bias because this is one of the few long danmei i've read back when i was still exploring and figuring out what i like best and the tropes i crave, and yet there really is some sort of special draw to louchi that still leaves them, and trashbin boyfriends as a whole, as something special even after i've read more than a hundred over stories. that's still rookie numbers, but it certainly says something that trashbin boyfriends still stands atop them all. i can't objectively say that it's the "best" danmei because best is a subjective valuation and i'm sure someone out there thinks trashbin boyfriends is overrated. it's the top-selling QT in jjwxc after all, it's got tons of fans, and deservedly so. i'm saying it like this because i'm biased.

regarding louchi... i've yapped about them enough in my reread posts, i think saying a lot more would just be redundant. although i really could yap more about them. "when two lonely people meet, they become each other's 'one and only'"... this quote from the hunter's gonna lay low applies to a lot of couples, and louchi is one of them. even through myriad worlds, they're still each other's "only". and that's part of why i love their love story so much---the sweet childhood friends to lovers, how their relationship grows from neighbors to friends to eventually lovers after years of separation, how it should have been a mundane love story except due to extenuating circumstances, it's become anything but. how chi xiaochi realizes it's love when the person he loves is gone and lou ying realizes it's love when he's long gone. how both of them have been walking different paths for years but still holding onto the thought of each other (looking at it positively, it's the ultimate form of long distance relationship...?). the yearning and the faithfulness is crazy lmao i feel like it also hits harder because ultimately chi xiaochi is a normal person who comes from a modern world and like... it's a very idealized sort of love. he was fourteen when he lost lou ying, he still had decades in his life, but none of it mattered to chi xiaochi without his lou-ge by his side. the world had lost its colors, life no longer held any meaning, the only thing keeping him going was the thought that he could never let lou ying be forgotten. it's actually incredibly unhealthy and i like that the story addressed it too, even though it's ultimately kind of glossed over as something chi xiaochi chose knowingly despite being aware that it's not good for him. chi xiaochi self-proclaims himself to be a "happy quack doctor". he knows he's attained success at a young age, the sort of achievement that many others would envy. he's climbed out of misery into a world of glitz and glamor. on the surface, objectively, he should be living happily, and people probably think he's happy to be inciting chaos in the entertainment world seemingly with nary a care. and it's probably true. deep inside, he doesn't care about any of it---he needs money only to preserve the old apartment building where he used to live with lou ying, the fame is but an afterthought. material possessions were of no use to him because he knows that nothing is forever. he doesn't build strong relationships, doesn't let anyone in, maybe because of trauma or guilt or fear of getting attached again. it's unhealthy, he knows he's unwell, but he doesn't want to ever forget. his world ended the day he lost lou ying. he hates the person he's become but from a reader's (and lou ying's) standpoint, he's lovable. he cares for each of the hosts whose body inhabited, he wants to give them a second chance with the best possible conditions. and lou ying---lou ying loves all of him. his gentleness and care, his cunning ideas and unorthodox methods, everything.

i also feel like their dynamic is somehow very unusual, like the way the usual setup goes, lou ying would prob be the shou and chi xiaochi the gong? they basically check all the classic younger gong tropes like gentle gege next door, the younger one getting really attached, the older gege "leaving" due to unexpected circumstances, the younger one staying devoted and waiting for years and years. but the author kind of turns it over and even for an omegaverse she's said that alpha cxc would be bottoming for omega ly and that's… certainly something. they certainly play very well if the extras are anything to go by. good for them! they deserve all the happiness in all the worlds.

there are actually so many things i have to say about trashbin boyfriends. i love that the author repeatedly uses the theming of "world" to show louchi's relationship, and how it's especially tongue-in-cheek because they're world-hopping. how chi xiaochi starts off saying that he'd never stay in any world other than his own because that's the world where his lou-ge was, and how he ends with being able to consider any world as his, as long as lou ying is by his side. even lou ying says it, how he's willing to go as low as chi xiaochi wants, how any world is fine as long as they're together.

then also how the author basically makes a commentary on scum gong and wife-chasing crematoriums through all the worlds louchi visited. it's pretty interesting to think about that the only gong who managed to redeem himself is the yandere. everyone else either got their just desserts or just barely hanging on in the periphery of the then-shou's life (zhan yanchao). for everyone else it's either they move on with the person whom have always loved them or they got a new love interest or just stay couple-less or... the selfcest option, which is. certainly also something. love yourself takes on a whole new meaning there i guess. the point i love most about it is that chi xiaochi himself knows what it feels like to be loved so sincerely and tenderly, as if he was carefully held on the palm of someone's hand like a fragile treasure, knows the pain of losing that certain someone, and knows the pain of being the victim that no one believes. it's quite literally the power of love that helps chi xiaochi forge a path onwards. so it's also fitting that he's the one who helps the original hosts and takes them to a point where they can grasp their own happy endings with their own hands. he's an actor, so it's his job to take on any role seriously. he knows their pain, so he can emphatize and use his strength to carve out a path for their happiness. he knows what it feels like to be loved, so he doesn't want these hosts to be wronged with such an impure "love". chi xiaochi might hate himself, due to survivor's guilt and the coldbloodedness he's shown after, but lou ying sees the gentle soul that he hides under a mask of frivolity and caprice and loves all of him anyway.

to conclude: what i love most about trashbin boyfriends is the juxtaposition of the fantastical and the mundane. despite its grand story setting, the multitude of worlds they traverse, at its core, it's really just a simple story about two people who mean the world to each other.

lastly, just for fun, songs i personally associate with louchi:

ref:rain/aimer (the lyrics are very cxc >> ly)

星の消えた夜に/aimer (the lyrics are very 061 >> cxc)

フィナーレ。/eill (tbf i associate other ships with this song too, it suits a lot of danmei ships. for louchi specifically it's the part about lighting up fireworks in a world where only they exist and "no matter what kind of love i'll encounter, i'm sure we'll never meet/i'll never be able to forget")

find you/monsta x

[gloriousloverunknown]

Garden Uses For Vinegar - Tips For Using Vinegar In Gardens

Many of us have heard about the benefits of using vinegar in gardens, mainly as an herbicide. But how effective is vinegar and what else can it be used for? Let's find out more about how to use vinegar in the garden.

Using Vinegar in Gardens

It has been said that one of the benefits of vinegar in the garden is as a fertilizing agent. Nope. Acetic acid only contains carbon hydrogen and oxygen -- stuff the plant can get from the air. Vinegar has been recommended for use to up the pH levels in your soil. Apparently not so. The effects are temporary and require large amounts of vinegar in the garden before anything noteworthy occurs. The last, but most commonly suggested use for vinegar in the garden is as an herbicide. Household white vinegar, at its 5 percent acetic acid level, does indeed burn the tops of the weed. It does not, however, have any effect on the roots of the weed and will toast the foliage of any other plants it comes in contact with.

Vinegar as Herbicide

Woo hoo! Vinegar as herbicide: a safe, easily found (often in the kitchen cabinet) and inexpensive product to use in the control of weeds. The use of vinegar in the garden to retard weed growth has long been recommended by your neighbor, your neighbor's grandmother, and your own mother, but does it work? Vinegar contains acetic acid (about 5 percent), which as the nomenclature suggests, burns upon contact. Actually, for any of you who have inhaled a whiff of vinegar, it also affects the mucus membranes and causes a swift reaction. Due to its burning effects, using vinegar in the garden has been touted as a cure-all for a number of garden afflictions, most notably weed control. The acetic acid of vinegar dissolves the cell membranes resulting in desiccation of tissues and death of the plant. While this sounds like a splendid outcome for the plague of weeds invading your yard, I suspect you wouldn't be quite as thrilled if vinegar as herbicide were to damage your perennials or garden veggies. A higher acetic acid (20 percent) product can be purchased, but this has the same potentially damaging results as utilizing vinegar as a herbicide. At these higher concentrations of acetic acid, some weed control has been shown to be established (80 to 100 percent of smaller weeds), but be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. Also, be aware of its caustic effects on your nasal passages, eyes, and skin, not to mention garden plants, and take the appropriate precautions. Despite the longstanding proponents for using vinegar in gardens, little beneficial information has been proven. It seems that research conducted by the USDA with solutions containing 5 percent vinegar has not been shown to be reliable weed control. Higher concentrations of this acid (10 to 20 percent) found in retail products may retard the growth of some annual weeds and will indeed kill the foliage of perennial weeds such as Canada thistle, but without killing the roots; thereby, resulting in regeneration. In summary, vinegar used as herbicide may be slightly effective on small annual weeds during the lawn's dormancy and prior to garden planting, but as long-term weed control, it's probably better to stick with the old standby—hand pulling or digging.

Additional Garden Uses for Vinegar

Don't be alarmed if the benefits of vinegar aren't what you thought they would be. There are other garden uses for vinegar that can be just as good, if not better. Using vinegar in gardens goes far beyond weed control. Here are more options for how to use vinegar in the garden:

Freshen up cut flowers. Add 2 tablespoons (30 mL.) vinegar and 1 teaspoon (5 mL.) sugar for each quart of water.

Deter ants by spraying vinegar around door and window frames, and along other known ant trails.

Eliminate calcium buildup on brick or on limestone with half vinegar and half water. Spray on and then just let it set.

Clean rust from garden tools and spigots by soaking in undiluted vinegar overnight.

And finally, don't forget the animals. For instance, you can remove skunk odor from a dog by rubbing down the fur with full-strength vinegar and then rinsing clean. Keep cats away from garden or play areas (especially sandboxes). Just sprinkle vinegar in these areas. Cats hate the smell.

[bacdmessung]

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Cloud-Based Building Automation Systems

AI is a household name today – revolutionizing businesses, coding, art, marketing and making its mark in every sector imaginable. But Artificial Intelligence has been around for far longer than Chatgpt came under the public eye. What if greener smarter buildings were scalable and flexible at the same time? The solution is not far off. With AI, building automation is reaching its next stage of evolution. AI advances monitoring and control, connecting your energy management system, utility, HVAC, and security with smart innovative technologies. How does AI connect people and integrate into systems for better efficiency? In this article, we will delve into the role of Artificial Intelligence in Cloud-Based Building Automation Systems.

AI and smart buildings 

Machine Learning powered by Artificial Intelligence is a key player in building automation systems. Smart buildings can predict user needs and respond intuitively. Predicting environmental changes, they can reboot their systems so that users can enjoy comfort automatically without having to alter the settings. We are already aware of connected systems that can respond instantly to our commands. But now your building system will respond even before you have commanded them to, anticipating your need and automatically meeting them without being prompted.

Predictive algorithms enable the systems to learn from behavioural patterns and adapt themselves to respond to user needs. For example, if a particular user turns down the air conditioner at night, the AI-powered building system will teach itself to automatically turn up the regulator when the temperature falls below a certain degree. This dynamic flexibility ensures comfort, health and safety for building occupants while minimizing manual labour and maintaining optimum energy consumption. 

Advantages of AI 

AI transforms building automation systems introducing new and dynamic intelligent solutions. Some advantages that AI poses to BAS are as follows:

Predictive analysis: 

As we saw earlier, predictive data can be extremely helpful to offer intuitive experience for building occupants. Let’s take another example that goes beyond comfort to security concerns. With the help of AI, industries can analyse the information of industrial operations. Churning extensive data day over day makes it possible for the system to detect anomalies and out-of-ordinary outcomes. Hence, errors and failures can be recognized early and issues prevented on time and eventually before they can even occur. Troubleshooting and accelerated resolutions can enhance the overall efficiency and allow swift diagnosis, saving cost and time in the process.

Remote access

Integrating Cloud to building management means connecting the system to the internet. This means users can access systems from anywhere. AI-powered analytics open up ways for managers and users to work on complex processes completely online without the need to be present at the location. When handling multiple buildings at once and coordinating with various systems, remote access becomes a boon. It reduces time wastage and allows multiple resources to work on projects and contribute to ticket resolutions or any requirements that may arise. Decisions can be made promptly and issues resolved immediately without the liability of travel and on-site arrangements. 

Personalization

As systems become more intelligent, customized solutions have gone to the past. Technologies are no longer segmented and customized for specific requirements. Customers can now input their personal needs and receive a tailor-made system that responds to their particular arrangement, needs and also change as per circumstances. Historical data, user interaction, behavioural patterns are also taken into consideration by the AI/ML systems to learn, adapt and change the way it functions, allowing for optimized performance. With the right technology, your building system can evolve into the perfect infrastructure your business needs.

With Artificial Intelligence integrated into building systems, there are many innovations users can enjoy. Elevating comfort, saving energy and connecting systems are only a handful of the varied benefits that AI can bring to BAS. Messung India is ahead of the competition in the BAS market. And with good reason. Our commitment to reliability and continuous innovation enables businesses to take care of production and maintain smooth operations while we maintain their building systems spic and span. We promise economy, comfort and efficiency and our extensive work with a variety of industries stands testimony to our exemplary services. From commercial architecture, hotels, malls, pharmaceutical organizations, businesses rely on Messung for all their building needs. Discover the power of connected buildings in taking your business ahead with Messung.

[jsvjbmh]

Transmigrated as the Cannon Fodder Abandoned by the Movie Star

We're back at it again with the long titles that I will probably not remember. I can barely remember the names of the MC and ML... Scrap that, I think I don't even remember them this time.. Gu something and T... something... Let me check real quick. *queue some elevator music* Gu Qingchi and Xie Luyu... Not sure where I got that T from.. Oh well.

Anyways, I'm at chapter 21. Enjoying it so far. Feels always a bit weird when I say that I enjoy a story when the MC has depression. But let's talk about the story so far. We have our lovely MC who transmigrated into a book, but he is not the MC from that book, but some random character that no ones remembers. But this danmei is not about that book. The danmei is about when that book ends (from what I understand). The book takes 2 years(?) but in those two years, MC is not able to leave an impression of himself. When he tries to post on social media or something, it just fails. He also was married to the MC of that book (if I remember correctly) but it was like a contract marriage or something like that.. Anyways, he could message him, but he never looked at it. And lady and gentleman the name of that character is none other than Xie Luyu, our ML (I believe).

Sounds like a decent start, right? Not really. After those two years, they divorced, Xie Luyu doesn't even know who he was married to. Gu Qinchi does tho (somehow they never saw each other). But Gu Qingchi is able to show himself. However, Gu Qingchi was isolated for two years and that's not great for someone's mental health.

Now this post is starting to get long, so I'll explain the rest a bit quick. Gu Qingchi has a cat, the cat got sick and needs medicine each month. Medicine is expensive, Gu Qingchi is not rich. But he has a handsome face so he's able to enter the showbiz. A certain someone is taking a fancy to Gu Qingchi. However, Gu Qingchi is not taking a fancy to him and the other feels that, but he doesn't know the reason (just read the divorce paper you dipsht). Don't know what goes beyond that, I ain't that far.

So far, the ML is nice and I like how he's taking care for MC. But it is also a bit said that he is the ML.. In my opinion so far, it is not the fault of the ML, but the writer of that book... Oh well, I'll continue reading

[toughtink]

the miraculous subs vs dubs debate

this time last year i picked up french on duolingo as a pandemic hobby and went for around three month before falling off the wagon. i picked it up again recently, and with the miraculous ladybug fan resurgence decided to start rewatching it from the beginning in french (with french subtitles which btw DON’T MATCH?? what they’re saying in french??? wtf netflix? idk whatever it’s fine). i’ve listened to bits and pieces of ML in various languages over the years, though mostly the english dub, but having been privy to the whole “subs vs dubs” convo for so many years i gotta say... anyone claiming that the english is awful and the french is just amazing, perfect, absolutely magnifique is just being pretentious.

the truth is that the localization teams have done a great job!! the timbre of each character’s voice matches really well between languages. the fact that i can tell who's talking without even looking at the screen is a testament to how well they’ve cast both the english and french voices. there’s some little changes, like i feel like marinette & adrien’s voices are slightly more differentiated from their superhero personas in english, though that might just be because i’m more familiar with it. chat noir sounds a bit more flirty in french, though maybe that’s just a side effect of ~everything is more romantic en français~!, while cat noir in english is a bit more adventurous sounding. the only characters that don’t really sound the same at all are some of the adult side characters, which french has cast to sound waaaay goofier (i get it, it’s a kid’s show, and they certainly act pretty goofy sometimes), and the kwamis. specifically, i very much prefer the english dub’s version of plagg with a raspier, chaos gremlin style voice. french plagg sounds sort of like an old butler? that’s fine, but i prefer the chaos gremlin to capture the element of destruction. maybe that’s the american in me.

of course, some things just don’t always translate as well so it’s nice to see the story in the language it was conceptualized in, especially because it’s what makes sense for the setting. so if that’s what you’re after definitely go for the french dub! that said, the animation is actually synced with the english voice and it shows. french is a beautiful language that also uses a lot of long phrases which, at least in the first season, occasionally run over the allotted time for mouth flaps. if you’re used to that from other shows, that won’t be much of a problem, but i’d be lying if i said it didn’t irk me a little.

translation & localization are tough jobs! you have to determine when it’s appropriate to translate literally and when it’s better to get the idea of the phrase across. it’s especially difficult in a show filled with so much humor as puns rarely translate well. voice acting is also a tough job, especially voice over for dubs which means you have to fit your acting to something already animated instead of the other way around. different countries’ teams have to make decisions based on what will work best for their own market & culture, so please keep that in mind when talking about the whole subs vs dubs debate. it really comes down to preference, but that’s no reason to be disrespectful.

[ozzo-the-wozzo]

Ok but more on that trailer….. I am so excited to see Kagami and Luka interact but probably not in the way that everyone else is.

It’s not even in a “ooooo Lukagami potential in the canon 👁👁” way or in a “the exes are finally meeting/teaming up” way, although those are still both very enticing.

No, it’s in a “I really really REALLY want to see how Kagami reacts to Luka’s weirdness” kinda way.

Like, picture it ok. Adrienette are being the clowns they are and Kagami says something like “damn those two are being annoying” and Luka responds with “I know right, the conflict of their inner melodies is very displeasing to the ear, especially when knowing that with their feelings for eachother, it can be so easy for their melodies to be made peaceful and intertwine into a smooth sounding love sympathy akin to that made by a violinist after finding the perfect violin, you know? If only they would open their eyes…” or something. And then Kagami is like “…what.”

But WAIT. We also cannot ignore the very real possibility that Kagami I-need-to-see-your-true-self-to-properly-draw-you Tsuguri may just let herself be influenced by Luka in the worst way possible and this ends in them speaking at each other in the worst artistic metaphors you will ever hear.

*after Adrien says I’m in love* “wow, their conflict in finding their love for each other is like an artist finding their style, no matter where they may look or what they might experiment with, they will eventually find what is was always meant to be theirs in the end” and then Luka is like tearing up because someone is speaking his language and everyone else should be in fear because oh no now there are two of them.

In short, I suck at making Luka-like metaphors but also like get me in the writers room because the comedic potential here with these two goes far beyond their reactions to adrienette clownery (affectionate) and I need to see it explored in the show or I will combust.

(Also psa the last paragraph is not ml critical so don’t think I’m salting and salt in the notes y’all !!)

[chatonnoir]

Nah because you are absolutely right and you should say it. And it really maddens me because one time these people are complaining about Marinette's arc being "only about her love interests" and then when she takes a role in the major storyline of the show (the Agreste one) they say that "ThE StOrYlInE Is BeIng DeStRoYed FoR GiRlBoSsIng"

It's almost as if female protagonists can't exist in any other shows other than "women empowerment" shows (which also have to be done in the "correct" way without being what these people consider "cheap" 🙄

(Referring to this)

THERE IT IS THANK YOU Literally I don't know how to explain to these so-called "feminists" that female characters can just, like, exist. In roles. And be people with human flaws. And do the same things their male counterparts do. And that's one of the most important things in representation. Instead they hold her to this rigid standard and rapidly flip between saying her storyline is "not feminist enough" and simultaneously "too girlboss 🙄." I can't even begin with how idiotic the latter complaint is, especially because you know it's not actually about Marinette being "too girlboss" at all, it's just about the Adrien bias and how they want less Marinette and think her "gIrLbOsSiNg" is taking away from Adrien. And you know they wouldn't have the same complaints about her role in the story if everything stayed the same but Marinette was a male character, they'd just be simping 🤧. This rigid arbitrary standard they've set for how to "correctly" have her be a female hero without being "TOO girlboss" is not the woke take they think it is.

Nevermind the fact that her story DOES go beyond her love interests. To get in to the idiotic complaint that ML is failing as a """GiRL pOwEr ShOw""""" because it [checks notes] has Marinette's conflict against Hawkmoth who is a Man and is Adrien's father which therefore makes her superhero story arc about her love interests too, apparently, because I guess we're just ignoring the fact that Adrien has nothing to do with her motivations for being Ladybug and fighting Hawkmoth. Her struggle against Hawkmoth goes far beyond Adrien. She's a girl who felt powerless and useless but always had a strong sense of justice and wanted to stand up to evil, who refuses to be a bystander, who acts against injustice even if it has nothing to do with her. She wants to protect her city and the people she loves. She's the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, but as a biracial asian girl. It's almost like they've never actually heard of superheroes (or they have, but again, they can't just let female characters exist and simply Be Superheroes the way they let male characters exist and simply Be Superheroes). They're OBSESSED with labelling ML as a "Girl Power Show" and criticizing every moment of Marinette being a Normal Teenage Girl as proof that ML is failing as a "gIRL pOwEr sHoW" while simultaneously taking every moment of Marinette literally doing standard superhero things and complaining that its "GiRLbOsSiNg" and that's the whole fucking problem. The fact that they can't let ML just be a show with a girl superhero as the main character and instead automatically criticize it as a GiRL pOwEr ShOw simply because the protag is a girl superhero is why they're the fucking problem.

For good representation we need other groups in all the diverse types of roles that white males have been allowed to star in. We need characters of color in roles other than Comic Relief Racial Stereotype Sidekick or Exotic Love Interest To White Male or simply The Token Person Of Color Whose Character Entirely Revolves Around Their Race. We need them as heroes, as villains, as fantasy characters, as Ordinary People, etc. We need POC as leads in media that isn't literally just ....... about racism. We need women & girls as leads in media that isn't just ....... about sexism/gIrL pOwEr. Marinette is doing amazing because she is a biracial asian girl playing the part of the Friendly Neighborhood Superhero who lives a double life as an awkward teenager, a role that has traditionally been cast as a white american boy, and her role is not ABOUT her being asian or being a girl and "being a hero against the odds!!1!1" She simply IS an asian girl superhero. Y'all desperately need to rethink the way you view this show/female leads and stop calling Marinette literally doing standard superhero things "gIrLbOsSiNg," it's not a good look. Let it just BE a show with an asian girl superhero.

anyway Can You Believe Spider-Man Was The One Who Fought Green Goblin When It Should Have Just Been Harry Osborn Getting The Shit Beat Out Of Him By His Own Father??????? Seriously like we get it Spider-man is a SpiderPower show!!!!!!!!!!!!! And why is he always so obsessed with getting Mary Jane's attention???? I thought this was supposed to be a SpiderPower show???? Then why does his story spend so much time on his love interest, a non-spider???? And why did they have to force Peter in to Green Goblin's death scene when it should've just been about Harry??¿¿ uGh PeTeR pArKeR SPIdeRbOsSeD hIs WaY iN tO tHe OsBoRn sToRyLiNe!!!11!1!!!!!!

[parismystere]

Do you know the timeline of the production of miraculous? When zag got involved, I think Toei was going to originally animate it back in the 2D days but I'm not sure. I'm very curious since it seems Astruc has been working on it for a very long time and likely pitched it to many studios.

so from what i know, zag became involved in 2010, the good ol' gorgeous nathan from the gym club days :') bizarrely enough, in 2010 ml was going to be a movie, not a show, but that never came to fruition.

the actual idea came to astruc in 2005 or 2006. some versions say that he had a co-worker on totally spies who came with a ladybug shirt and he had an eureka moment that he hasn't seen a ladybug-themed superhero. BUT, he has said that the girl marinette was based on is his ex-girlfriend who loved ladybugs, was french-chinese and was named sabine (yes; tom and sabine are thomas astruc and that sabine, and marinette is his 'virtual daughter' with his ex, real quote).

there were many different versions - it started as a comic idea (mini menace, marietta, whose father got murdered and left her a ladybug necklace... yes, marinette had actual plot relevance beyond being a superhero once upon a time); then for a short while there was a ladybug and chat noir wheel-of-fortune online game, called super lady luck:

that was back in the quantic kids era - ladybug was supposed to be aided by a superhero team, but the executives didn't like the idea and they got scrapped; some of them appeared in the new york special, some of them will be in other zag shows (i presume this is why we have to suffer through a fucking superhero team of SEVENTEEN holders :))

i haven't read anything about why toei wasn't involved in the 3d (perhaps my pv mutuals can help?), but it isn't too far-fetched - 1) i don't even know if they do 3d; 2) even if they do 3d, that doesn't mean they'd want to take on ml. even samg have limited themselves to 6 episodes per season now, because animation takes a long time, they are a small studio and their work is top-notch. they wouldn't want to half-ass it because they have a reputation, you know?

but the animation wasn't the only thing that changed - pv was almost an entirely different story, starting with the fact that felix was the typical angsty anime boy. here is a post that contains some interesting info about the pv. [nota bene: it isn't clear if hawk moth was felix's father; i was also told that the kwamis were still being developed and that also even the villains had their own kwamis; also astruc wanted to make ml for an older audience and address political issues and sociological issues, but no one would fund him, i do not know if this is the pv or something else]

a few years ago zag released a book in south korea about the history of ml that had a lot of pv material. unfortunately, it is still not available in english. there is also this 2014 video that goes behind the scenes.

also, because i am an adrien stan, goddamn it, here is a post about the timeline of ladybug's love interest.

[whatdoesshedotothem]

Saturday 1 [Saturday 29 February] 1840

8

2 40/..

Long in washing etc. R12 ½° on my table at 10 a.m. breakfast over at 11 – Reading Schnitzler vol. 2 p. 684 et seq. government of Saratoff [Saratov] – had our landlord up – no steppe on this side the Volga – no eaux minérales here – they are at the Caucasus –

to go to Orenburg, must return to Simbirsk – 500v. from here to Uralsk

the éboulement – there was one in 1827 – one 3 years ago 2v. from here – a brandy distillery slipped away – only a brewery left there – the village is removed – belongs to government –

the slip last summer was at Féodorfka 250v. from here on the great road to Astrakhan no lives lost – 50 or 60 cottages slipped away –

Mr. Stalepine has no verrerie here

no Tartar mosques or schools here – the Botanic garden on the hill that we passed yesterday at 1st supposing it a vineyard – mulberry trees there – these were what we took for vines in the distance but on nearing them (never very near) they looked like orchid trees –

about 30,000 inhabitants – trade in fish and caviar – had just written so far at 12 55/.. – out at 1 ½ A- and I in a traineau and pair (good horses as at Kazan) along our street Rue de Moscou, some distance – then turned right, along the street where the post office is, and then into the great Astrakhan road for some way, and then left this and drove another road by which also one goes to A- in summer, and then to the Botanic garden! – a quiz upon Botanic gardens if this be one – the serres that Schnitzler mentions are a small wooden erection heated [entirely] but only for a few hydrangeas oleanders geraniums and 1 or 2 pair of viburnum huddled together on the floor – there were also a few bulbs or onions, - and in the lower part lettuces just come up – there must be some other botanic garden but the German colonist living there and inspector of the silk thread manufactory a little building near declared there was no other garden belonging to la ville – he shewed us a specimen of the silk thread – yellow and white – pretty good? good road here a day or 2 ago – now snowed up – our horses lunged sank deep (several times) and we had to get as we could up to the house – returned past the prison a large building full of people for Siberia – our barrier that we entered by close by – we kept outside and drove along the old town – the rue de tartars down upon the Volga close to the great ravine which parts the town in 2 and in the bot[tom] of which several brick-ovens and sheds – but saw nothing of the old rampart that Geo. Dictionary speaks of – on getting upon the river drove northwards to see the mountain slip of last summer – it is a little beyond (north) of the 4 lines of magasins à sel – the Sokolof [Sokolov] mountains aboutissent, and a bit of the end of this sandy range slipped off its marly [?] bed in the great heat of August last (said our driver) – and just beyond this (north) was the larger slip in 1827 – a mere Isle of Wright landship – no lives lost – then at 3 ½ drove across (5v.) to the Pokrofsky [Pokrovsky] slobode in ½ hour – drove to the salt warehouses (near our one of the 3 good churches in this village of peasants belonging to government) – a crowd of [?] – busy loading with the salt – sells here at 1/40 per

SH:7/ML/E/24/00029

pood and at the lake itself the people gather the salt then [?] and pay ./80 per pood for it – all broken pretty small – in very coarse grain – looked like a coarse dusky gravel – but good salt (tasted it) and in this state the peasants use it; but if they want fine salt, each can easily refine for himself by means of alum – then drove about the village – went in to the one of the little Isbas – apparently one of the worse – very small – always 2 rooms however small or they could not keep their living place warm enough the entrance room or vestibule is a sort of receptacle for everything – the inner room entered by a little low door that we had to creep in at, has the oven stove and shelf over it the bench and a table – a white calf lay by the stove – the man of the house on the bench in his dark coloured shirt, and a young girl or 2 on the stove – just room for all these people to turn themselves and not much more – the wife was not at home – the man put on his shube, and came out with wondering why we should trouble ourselves to peep into such a place – he looked pale – how could he do otherwise – the heat and smell of the little hot place were intolerable – but this man at his ease – 3 cows – a horse – some sheep, geese, pigs and poultry and a couple of telegas, and a willow wattled round farmyard like all the rest of the people – not a cottage without the like appurtenances – the village had a striking appearance thus full of wattled enclosures a great out-buildings for the cattle and many many of the huts of this sort of wicker work mud-plastered over – passed near to each of the 3 good churches and went into one of them – vespers – full of shubed people – the service well chaunted – beautiful singing – I could have staid longer but A- was cold and anxious to be off – we had put R on the now few minutes before (at 4 ½) and it stood at only -7 1/2° - but there was a cold wind – the church all painted in fresco was even handsome seemed spacious for a Greek church the nave from the belfry and the great dome being all church – the prestole in the Apsis behind the dome – square tower clocher, nave, Dome, apsis – such is the style of church here and all along since Kazan – the 5 dome churches are rare hereabouts, and the little domes where they exist are mere reminiscences – little things like 4 chimneys – very cold wind in our faces as we returned, and the snow blown up and driven about us – returned up our street (the main street – Rue de Moscou), but turned left to see the large cathedral planted round at a little distance with trees (young) along a nice walk here is the senate house – the large handsome house of Ivanof the [?] chez que the emperor stays when he comes – the clocher (at a little distance) is only about ½ built – the church is finished and has been finished did the man say 12 years – a largeish square finished in an inscribed circle

of 2 grades from the highest of which springs the large handsome dome – towards the clocher (west?) there is a hexastyle? and pediment – opposite (last?) is an apsis – the other 2 sides have each a hexastyle with architrave and cornice without pediment – this church standing on high ground is seen from far the most massive building in the town – as strikingly huge and massive here, as the new town hall is at Birmingham – came in at 5 ½ M. and Madame Stalapine had called – disappointed not to find us at home – had invited us to dinner tomorrow at 12 – at noon! the courier and Gross declared it was so – and they would send their carriage but had promised it yesterday to some friends – a great ball of the noblesse tomorrow night – ordered 2 horses to be put to our own kibitka – had the courier and George – from here to Astrakhan the posting sans pour boire = 280/. – to give the courier [100/.] tomorrow – he is to inquire if there is a road from here to Uralsk – the distance – road from thence to Orenburg and distance – from where to turn off to the Calmuck [Kalmyk] Encampment etc. etc. dinner at 6 ½ - a bottle of red Donskoi 1/. sweetish and pleasant and a bottle of white champagne-like Donskoi 3/. as yesterday – we finished the bottle as yesterday and sat over it till 8 – then lay down for a few minutes – could not be more than 8 ½ when Madame Stalepine called and staid till 10 – talked very agreeably – there is a better Inn than this – the hotel de Petersburg – I said the courier managed all these things – to dine at 4 p.m. tomorrow and the carriage to be sent for us – Mr. S- has 4000 peasants – one village = 1000 – [?] in sheep – has made a contract for 10 years with a Mr. Cowley fermier from not far from London who pays ½ expense and .:. takes ½ profits – M. S-  finding (I conclude) the pasturage – has 60,000 arpens of land – Mr. Cowley has sent over an English shepherd who brought his young wife with him – arrived at St. P- in June last and here in September – the sheep by water to St. P- and ditto from there here – Mr. and Mrs. Cowley were here 2 or 3 months last summer he delighted with the place and would have been glad to remain here – the terre where the sheep are is 10v. from the next station from here on the Simbirsk road – not far .: from Volsk [Vol’sk] – we at our last station were 10v. from our compatriot shepherd and our English long fine wool sheep – one ram cost 600/. and one Ewe 200/. Mr. S- had 400 from England and several others of the Russian nobility of St. P- and elsewhere had sheep of the same kind so that a large flock must have come – Madame S- has 3 children the oldest aet. 5 – 2 girls and a boy – looks young – and prettyish – very civil – tea after she went away – then reading Dictionary geography till 1 and then till 2 10/.. wrote all but the first 13 lines of today – fine day but cold wind and cold this afternoon after between 2 and 3 p.m.

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Artificial Intelligence and the Quality and Observability of Data

To truly understand the way data quality and data observability integrates with artificial intelligence, you’ve got to realize these blanket terms for what they are. The quality and observability of data are crucial to the integrity of how a business operates, and you can’t move forward and beat the competition without it.

Poor data can affect your business in a very negative manner, particularly from a financial perspective. Data is at the core of business decisions, so the ability to collect and observe it, preferably with the help of artificial intelligence, is essential to avoid missed opportunities.

What is Data Quality?

Data quality measures the condition of company data based on specific factors such as completeness, currency, reliability, consistency, and accuracy. Measuring your data quality levels will help you identify errors in your data that need resolution and assess if the data in your IT systems serves its purpose.

Emphasizing data quality in business continues to increase as it’s linked to business operations. Data quality management is a vital element of the data management process as a whole, ensuring that organizations format and consistently use data correctly within an organization.

The Importance of Data Quality

Insufficient data can absolutely have significant consequences for businesses. It’s common for low-quality data to be the source of operational issues and incorrect analytics that lead to poorly planned and executed business strategies.

For example, poor data quality can add unnecessary expenses to shipping costs or lose sales due to incomplete customer records. Insufficient data is often responsible for fines that come from improper compliance reporting. IBM estimates that the annual cost of poor-quality data issues in the U.S. is in the trillions.

The bottom line here is that insufficient data loses revenue and causes an overall lack of trust in data reporting across company departments.

What is Data Observability?

Data quality differs from data observability, resulting in happier customers and smoother operational workflows. Data observability is the ability of your organization to fully understand the health of the data that exists in your systems.

Data observability eliminates data downtime and utilizes automated monitoring, triaging, and alerting to identify and then evaluate data immediately. Data observability leads to more productive teams, healthier pipelines, and happier consumers.

Overall, data observability should prevent issues from happening in the first place. It exposes rich information about your data assets so changes and modifications can occur proactively and responsibly.

The Role of AI in Data Quality

We live in a digitally advanced era that relies more on information technology and communication every day. While artificial intelligence brings opportunities, it also presents challenges.

AI and Machine Learning (ML) are the future of data. Data observability will not be effective without data strategies to prevent inaccurate data entry or remove already existing inaccurate data from databases. AI and ML help us to develop these strategies.

How AI Can Help

Every business values the importance of collecting data and the potential contribution it can make to success. In the era of cloud computing and AI, the relevance of data goes far beyond its volume or how we use it. For example, if a company has insufficient quality data, its actions based on analytics will not make a difference, and it might even make things worse.

AI and ML can work together to improve accuracy, consistency, and data manageability. AI enhances the quality of data in many ways. Let’s take a closer look.

Automatic Data Capture

Organizations can lose a lot of money due to poor data capture. AI helps to improve data quality by automating the process of data entry and the implementation of intelligent data capture. This automation ensures that companies can capture all necessary information without system gaps.

Artificial intelligence and ML engineering can help businesses grab data without manual input. When critical data details are captured automatically, employees can forget about administrative work and focus on the customer.

Duplicate Record Identification

Duplicate data entries can lead to outdated records and insufficient data quality. Companies can use AI to eliminate duplicate records, which is nearly impossible to do manually or at least takes extensive time and resources. Contacts, leads and business accounts should be free of duplicate entries, and AI makes it happen.

Detect Abnormalities

One small human error can significantly affect the quality of your company data, and AI systems can remove defects and improve data quality.

Third-Party Data Inclusions

AI can maintain the integrity of data and add to the quality. Third-party organizations can add value to management systems by presenting complete data, contributing to the ability to make decisions precisely.

Artificial intelligence will suggest what components to pull from a specific data set and build connections. When companies have clean and detailed data in one place, they can better make decisions.

AI and Data Observability

AI and data observability have become essential to managing modern IT environments. There is no question that intelligent and automated observability can transform how we work. Regardless of your industry or business niche, your success depends on digital transformation and driving new revenue streams.

AI helps to manage customer relationships and keep your employees productive. Organizations that invest in AI, multi-cloud platforms and cloud-native technologies maximize the benefits of AI and ML investments by increasingly looking to automated observability. AI-powered insights paired with human thought can innovate faster and deliver better overall results.

Streamlining Data Quality and Observability

Your team should not waste time doing manual tasks that you can automate. AI assistance is the leading solution to streamlining data quality and observability, which (in the long run) will be critical to the ability your team has to cope with ever-increasing workloads while continuing to deliver value.

Leaping forward means embracing AI operations, adopting cloud-native architecture and consistently searching for better ways to observe, collect, and analyze data. AI can prioritize issues based on the amount of impact any given problem could have on the company, saving developers time and ensuring that your teams can understand and resolve issues before real impact happens.

AI processes have revolutionized the world of data observability and quality, reducing application delivery times and fueling growth. It’s becoming apparent that we will, at some point, depend on the benefits that artificial intelligence has to offer regarding the collection of data for business purposes, especially marketing and the consumer journey.

Leaning into Automation

Companies have to lean into automation to succeed. There is no more denying that implementing AI within data processes, primarily management components like quality and observability will be crucial to the way companies operate. AI gives us the tools to make decisions that positively impact our businesses, decreasing human error and saving money.

Today, most companies are working toward a digital transformation of sorts, albeit at very different levels. Market demand and consumer needs are constantly shifting, causing a strain on businesses that fall behind digitally. Delivering high-value experiences is essential, and automating data observation and quality management is vital.

Manual efforts no longer scale and continue to hold back innovation. Using AI to modernize your data approach allows you to build applications, optimize performance, and provide automatic analysis of your collected data.