#and I was so delighted that then we watched that scene for 10 minutes

[itspileofgoodthings]

Sweet things from an otherwise brutal week:

—ran into a parent who saw me and said “Macbeth right now, right? My son is so excited about it” and when I say I would never have ever guessed that. Except that as soon as he said it I was like oh yeah, he’s been volunteering to read more than usual and looks the smallest bit more awake

—I was doing some basics of writing review with my sophomores and touched on the ‘don’t use first person pronouns’ rule and we were talking about why and then Jane Eyre popped into my head so I told them that first person pronouns could be used to great effect in fiction and quoted the “reader I married him” line and two girls GASPED in wonder and delight. It was the CUTEST

—I passed two 7th graders in the hallway and they were talking about chicken nuggets and I said “I LOVE chicken nuggets” and they started to laugh and as I left I heard one of them say ‘I love Miss K.’

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - I'm Late, I know

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

Feb 2024 Wk 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

The Sign (Sat YT) ep 12fin - we waiting 2 weeks I guess? Bah.

Pit Babe (Fri iQIYI) ep 13fin - I wasn't impressed by the last ep at all. Trash watch happened here.

My final thoughts:

Based on alittlebixth's omegaverse novel #พิษเบ๊บ’ set in the world of car racing omegaverse. Thailand brought us the world's first omegaverse BL but then failed to lean into the courage of its a/b/o convictions by not emphasizing the difference between our world & theirs, adding & subtracting characters & allegiances + a weak ending. With earnest performances, enthusiastic sex scenes, a fantastic side couple, and some delightful scenery chewing - the actors tried… poor things. It's just the story failed both them and their parent genre. Frankly? I just wanted it to be more outrageous and trashy, since I never expected it to be good. Instead, it was just… meh. 7/10

(Imma remind all the newbies that this is not unprecedented from me with hugely popular BL.)

Cooking Crush (Sun YT) ep 10 of 12 - I like it but there’s a high % of this show that doesn’t interest me. Anything to do with the side couple, or the friend group, or the cooking competition drives me into a comatose state of UGH. That means that in this episode, I paid attention to about 5 minutes worth. 

For Him (Thurs iQIYI) ep 11 of 12 - I'm ready for this to be done. I think they were trying to be this year's Big Dragon, but they just aren't good enough. I really didn’t need a third couple.

City of Stars (Fri iQIYI) ep 2 of 12 - I'm warming up to FueangKrom a bit. It’s cute. I am finding the pacing interesting. That pacing might be bad, but right now it’s simply different. 

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Love For Love's Sake (Korea Weds iQIYI) 5-6 of 8 - I still love this show a lot, but this 2 ep installment felt a little disjointed. I’m not sure if that’s the narrative structure or the subs. The captions are shockingly bad for a KBL and I don’t have enough Korean to make up for their clear failings. 

Although I Love You and You AKA Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (Japan Thurs Gaga) ep 5 of 10 - Oh the return of the manic pixie dream ex. This is all very high school drama for purportedly grown-up adults. But them both being jealous and then kissing was sweet.  

AntiReset (Taiwan Fri Viki/Gaga) ep 3 of 10 - They remain adorable and the sunshine robot is very sweet. But it is a little slow. 

Perfect Propose (Japan Fri Gaga) ep 3 of 6 - I prefer the episodes when we get more of them onscreen together. But this was fine. 

Happy Ending (Korea Tues YT) 3fin - The ending disappointed me (are you surprised?). What can I say, not Strongberry's best as far as I’m concerned. High school besties that many could be sweethearts. I don’t like an ending that’s left up in the air. 6/10

It's Done but...

What Did You Eat Yesterday Season 2 AKA Kinou Nani Tabeta? Season 2 (Japan Gaga) 10 eps - will binge when I have any spare time. 2024 is crazy busy for me so far.

The Servant and the Young Master - from Vietnam, it's on YouTube. I will give it a try when I have a window of time.

Began Beginning (Myanmar YouTube) - A Burmese BL? @heretherebedork vouched for it, so I will give it a watch.

It's Airing But...

[NO INTERNATIONAL] Cherry Magic (Sat YouTube) ep 3 of 12 - yeah Japan put the smack down on our boys. Sadness. You can use a VPN if you like. Read all about it here.

Ossans Love Season 2 (Japan Gaga) - 5 years later, will anything have changed? This is Japan so… probubly not. I won't be watching this. I disliked Season one and actively hated the follow ups. No thank you.

Playboyy (Thurs Gaga) 14 eps - Dear Playboyy, it's not you, it’s me… I hate you. You’re about as deep (and as palatable) as a shot glass of cum. While I'm sure you’re someone’s kink, you're my weakest link. Goodbye. I DNFed this at ep 5. Frankly I'm impressed with myself for getting that far.

7 Days Before Valentine (Weds WeTV) 12 eps - Gave me Luminous Solution vibes. It finished, is it worth it?

Dead Friend Forever (Thai Sat iQIYI) 12 eps - finished, horror, supposed to be very philosophical, I think I'll give it a go.

Time the series (Tue Gaga/YT) 10 eps - dropped it at ep 4.

Next Week Looks Like This:

Starting Up

2/16 My Strawberry Film (Japan Gaga) - not quite sure how much BL this one is, because... Japan, but we shall see.

2/17 A Secretly Love (Thai WeTV) - Khonprot, a third-year head hazer of the engineering faculty, has a secret crush on Pluem, a tsundere fourth-year head hazer. Over the years, he's seen Pluem cycle through many girlfriends. Recently, after a public breakup, however, Khonprot thinks maybe a boy has a chance. Unless this is really good I probably won't I hate the WeTV interface...

Still Coming in Feb

2/24 Unknown (Taiwan Youku) 12 eps - Older brother tough guy criminal breadwinner looks after his sister and defacto adopted little brother. Little bother falls in love with him and is sent away after a stolen kiss. But when he comes back…

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

We gotta talk about LFLS this week. Look at Korea go!

Talking about a dead fish kiss, how meta! This will end up on one of my best of the year moments. I could not have been more gobsmacked.

Also something rarely directly addressed, particularly for same-sex firsts.

And then, a claiming trope, a personal favorite of mine.

Thank you Korea!

I just love them. (Pit Babe)

(Last week)

[aleksanderscult]

Part 1 of Aleksander Morozova being a jealous bitch

Here's a long ass meta (I awaited for this moment for so long) where I'll post and comment each scene where the Darkling gets jealous. 'Cause let's be real, we love to see it.

Cut below since it's too long (he seriously gets jealous even five minutes in every scene he appears🤦)

(Part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 and the bonus content btw🖤)

Let's dive in!

"A grim smile playing on his lips."

Yeah it's grim 'cause he forces himself to smile in order to hide the pain and hurt from just seeing the girl he unintentionally fell in love with have a romantic scene with a deserter tracker, but still be doesn't succeed in putting a good i-dont-give-a-fuck show so now we have this failed effort.

Next!

Translation: "Are you so loyal to her? Willing to do anything for her? LIKE I WAS??"

The low-key spite and snide that comes out here is *CHEF'S KISS*.

Aside from the jealousy matter, the Darkling here tries to manipulate Mal by using fear. With the threat of death. He's testing to see his bravery, courage and how far he's willing to go for Alina. Clever.

THE PETTINESS HERE DJDJSKJSJS

Okay he obviously wants to lower their confidence, strength and break apart the bond that Mal and Alina had re-created the past few days. Again clever.

BUT!

No one can tell me that he also wasn't bitter and vengeful. He was like: "Aww they have rekindled their romance! How sweet! Now watch me destroy it🥰🥰"

"That was a very touching scene we witnessed".

Translation: "I'm disgusted. I'm in pain."

Actually, this is how I imagine the Darkling being when Mal and Alina kissed 😭:

Also, his (famous) sexual innuendos. He knew that Alina would never say to Mal what truly happened between them. So he's "spitting" it on Mal's face with such pleasure and satisfaction (like "she willingly gave herself to ME, boy. Did she tell you that? No. I don't think so"). And even though they obviously didn't have sex he implies it 'cause he's petty like that.

You know. For being famous for his acting skills, he really lets his mask slip easily lots of times.

Aside from anger, he must have felt hurt. This is the first time that Alina recoils from his touch and it bothers him.

The Darkling here being like:

He's acting like they were a couple and had a break up LMAO. The way he doesn't even look at her. Such a dramatic bitch.😔

The Darkling: "Lord, give me patience not to obliterate a bitch (Mal)".

His patience runs out. The fact that the first thing Alina asks him about is Mal makes him want to lash out. He be like: "I'll be so glad when I'll feed his ass to the volcra."

The moment he instructs her what to do, he demands answers about her thoughts for Mal. He's genuinely curious about what she sees in him. And how can she have hopes about being with him, an otkazat'sya, a mortal man that is beneath her? When the only person, according to him, that would understand her and accept her completely is himself (Dude we get it, you're superior 😭).

Also, he's trying to save her from a future disappointment. He has walked this path before and doesn't want Alina to do the same. He has seen this play and didn't like the ending.

So! This is part 1 of my long meta since I can't put more than 10 pictures in a post *shakes fist at Tumblr*. But don't worry. I'll continue this delightful meta in the next few days.😊😊

[purplehanfu]

The Snow Moon: Episode 1

notes: Spoilers! Hey, I know that guy! Master list of all recaps

Fox demons- they do get around don't they? In this 10 minute per episode drama, we learn that a fox demon has managed the ultimate promotion- to emperor. Did he do it for the power? The glory? The sweet wardrobe? Or did he do it so he could scour the country for the mysterious woman in a painting he's obsessed with? I won't keep you in suspense, it's that last one!

Fox Demon, Emperor, this year's winner of the Scorpion King Excellence in Eyeliner Award: Bo Qiu.

But let's start this tale from the beginning:

We begin by meeting our female lead Su Xiao Huan, who is grifting a group of townsfolk by first spinning outrageous tales of the dastardly doings of the fox demon emperor and then claiming that she can eliminate him (for a fee).

5 minutes later...

The townspeople see through her scam and leave in disgust. But handsome newcomer Lord Qiansui (and his personal assistant and/or assassin-on-call) is delighted to have found an old friend, even if she doesn't recognize him.

Su Xiao Huan is happy to leave with him, but less than happy to hear about his plan to entrap the fox demon.

He wants to send her to the palace to serve him- not like a servant or even in a creepy concubine way- more like in a To Serve Man way. Yes, he wants to offer her up as a snack. Su Xiao Huan has bitten off more than she can chew and finds herself entering the palace.

Once there, she meets Bo Qiu, the Fox Demon Emperor. Bo Qui realizes Su Xiao Huan is the woman from the painting, but she doesn't remember him at all.

Su Xiao Huan, for her part, is more concerned with not being consumed.

Threats like this will become a wellspring of flirtation in subsequent episodes (example below)

Finally we get what I thought was going to be a montage of their shared past, but just turned out to be the ending theme because these episodes are short! (I do think some of these scenes are flashbacks though)

When there was only one set of footprints, it was the fox demon emperor lugging your ass through the snowy landscape while the outro music played.

The Good

I love the low cut, slightly slutty way Bo Qiu is wearing his robes

Su Xiao Huan has a cute pet hedgehog

The Bad

you can't fuel a drama on hotness alone (but you can coast on the fumes of hotness until you reach the gas station of a better drama)

the hedgewiggle exhibits more acting ability than some of the cast

Hedgehog seen here giving us classic second male lead syndrome.

Final Thoughts

Imma keep watching it.

Master list of all recaps

[lelitachay]

Frozen fanfiction: Søsken

Summary: An accident in the North Mountain forces Elsa to spend several weeks in her brother’s apartment under Anna’s care. During that time, Anna realises there is more to Elsa than meets the eye. The truth about Elsa’s past comes to light after an unexpected family reunion, and both girls’ lives begin to fall apart when they realise Elsa wasn’t the only one with a big secret and a turbulent past.

Anna/Kristoff - Elsa - Family - Family drama - hurt/comfort - Modern AU - Elsa & Kristoff are adoptive brother and sister - Ice bros - Found family - Serious injuries - Mental health issues - Health issues - Frohana

Links:

Fanfiction.net - HERE AO3 - HERE

Tumblr -

Chapters 1 to 10 - Here Chapters 11 to 20 - Here Chapters 21 to 30 - Here Chapters 31 to 40 - Here Chapter 41 - Here Chapter 42 - Here Chapter 43 -Here Chapter 44- Here Chapter 45 - Here Chapter 46 - Here Chapter 47 - Here Chapter 48 - Here

-

It don't matter to the sun

“My family and I will find a way to pay you back.”

For the first time in the last twenty four hours, Anna felt something akin to optimism growing inside of her as she watched her father and Kai coming to an agreement. Even if it was only a small glimmer of hope, she was delighted to know her sister could count on their father when she most needed it.

She felt proud her father had given her his undivided attention the previous day, when she had asked to talk to him in private. Anna then explained Elsa needed his help and, following Kristoff’s suggestion, she kept all the small details for him to discuss with Kai. It had only taken a few minutes to convince her father that the clinic needed a down payment to continue with Elsa’s treatment —given her delicate health condition. And to her good luck, Agdar hadn't asked too many questions, promising to go talk to Kai as soon as he informed the board about the family emergency and got a partial approval. True to his word, the next day he was at the clinic in the early afternoon, discussing Elsa’s health with Kai and coming to what she believed was a favourable agreement. He’d pay for Elsa’s treatment, taking the load off Kai and Gerda’s shoulders.

“No need to give anything back,” Agdar said with a small tight smile. Regardless of their agreement and knowing he could finally start helping his daughter, he knew there was nothing to be truly happy about. Elsa was still unresponsive.

“It’s a lot of money…” reminded Kai, uncomfortable about the enormous favour he was asking.

“We'll have to delay a few projects and make some cuts,” Agdar explained. “ArenCo will manage nonetheless. It's nothing we haven't done in the past.” Placing his hand on Kai’s shoulder, he reassured him the money was Elsa’s, no need to pay it back. “I've denied my daughter the help she needs for far too long. Don't worry about the money.”

Smiling in return, Kai nodded with a faint, “Thank you.”

Smiling at the scene unfolding in front of her, Anna hoped Elsa could see them at that moment as well. Sure, her sister still had her reservations about her biological parents —about their father in particular— but thankfully he was proving how much he did care.

“There's only one thing I don’t understand,” Agdar said, pulling Anna back to their conversation. “Why is the payment so urgent? Anna insisted it couldn’t wait.” Looking over his shoulder, her father found her gaze expecting her to confirm what he was saying.

Anna opened her mouth to explain the situation better, but Kai beat her to it.

“It's a delicate matter. I was hoping we could discuss it in private. With Dr Nielsen, as well as Kristoff and Anna.” Kai then turned to Idunn who had been standing by Anna’s side in silence ever since the two families had met. “You’re welcome to join us too, Idunn.”

Idunn glanced up and took a second to think about his offer. “Umm… Kai, I was hoping–” She looked down, wringing her hands, unsure of what to say. “Anna has told me they’re being quite restrictive with the visits but… Would it be possible for me to see her?”

From the moment Elsa had been admitted to the hospital, Idunn had been dying to get the chance to see her. Always asking Anna if there existed the possibility of her being allowed inside the ICU. All she wanted was to sit by Elsa’s side and talk to her at least once. Finally getting the chance to say everything she had ever wanted, even when Elsa couldn’t hear her. The idea of waking up one day, only to realise it was too late to make amends terrified her mother. And with every passing day, Anna knew she was becoming more and more afraid of never getting one that last chance. So, the moment Anna saw her mother walk into the clinic that day, she knew it was only a matter of time until she asked Kai or Nielsen to see Elsa. Yet, now that she had the chance, Anna could see the doubt and uncertainty consuming her.

“We'll need to ask Nielsen,” Kai said. “Perhaps he’ll allow you to.”

Idunn nodded as she anxiously tried to smooth the invisible wrinkles of her dress. “Is she all alone in there?”

“No.” A small smile formed on Kai’s lips as he paid a quick look to the door that led to the wards. “My wife’s been by her side from the very beginning.”

A watery smile drew on Idunn’s face. “I’m glad.”

Turning his attention back to their main conversation, Kai addressed Agdar once again. “Anna mentioned something about a good legal team working for you, is that correct?”

“There's one working for us at the company, yes.” Her father’s seriousness told Anna he was more than willing to ask the legal team to start working on anything that was needed. “What’s going on, Kai?”

“Dr Nielsen will be here any minute now. He's checking on Elsa as we speak. I'll explain everything as soon as we can discuss things with him.”

Her father agreed, and she knew there wasn’t much to do than wait for Nielsen after that. Deciding it was best to go for a short stroll before their meeting, Anna walked to where Kristoff was sitting and gently informed him she was going out to get some fresh air. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t have minded staying. She would have talked to her mother or found excuses for both families to bond. But this time, the situation was anything but normal and staying still only made her more anxious.

Looking up in concern, he asked, “Is everything okay?”

She smiled and nodded. “I just need to move my legs.” She kissed his cheek reassuringly and left the room in silence.

---

Truth be told, she could barely tolerate being inside the small room. It was where they had stayed after receiving the news about Elsa a week before, and the place they had awaited every medical report they’ve got ever since. It was more comfortable than the hall leading straight to the unit, but it didn’t mean Anna liked it any better. More than once they had shared the room with other families, who just like them, were sleep deprived and hoping for positive medical reports. The only thing she saw inside that damn room were long faces and hopelessness. Not wanting to think about that anymore, she hurried down the hallway and into the main waiting room.

“No, you listen to me.”

Anna heard an angry man say as she walked into the now crowded place. The voice was coming from Andrea’s desk, and Anna didn’t need to see the face of the man to know it was no other than Marshall. She had gotten used to his frustrated tone of voice by now, and she was certain the receptionist had too. This time, however, he sounded hostile and more aggressive than he had in the last week. Wanting to make sure things didn’t spiral out of control, she decided to go see what was going on.

“I've been coming here for the past week, day after day, asking time and time again to see her. You can't tell me no when I clearly saw the two of them walk in.” Marshall had both hands on the receptionist’s desk, leaning forward and making the poor receptionist deeply uncomfortable. Andrea tried in vain to put some distance between them and Anna knew it was only a matter of time until she called security to escort Marshall out.

Anna was curious as to what had finally driven him over the edge, though it was best to put a stop to it and then ask than to see a disaster unfold in front of her. Grabbing Marshall’s good arm, Anna forced him away from the desk.

“Marshall, what do you think you're doing?” Glancing in Andrea’s direction, she offered her an apologetic smile. “Excuse him, Andrea.”

Frowning at her for a split second, Marshall tried to pull his arm from Anna’s grasp. “Get away, Anna.”

She was able to hold his wrist firmly and called his name again. When he didn’t pay attention, she tried once more, this time, appealing to his emotional side. “Marshmallow, please.”

“Don’t– Don’t call me that,” he said, clearly displeased.

Anna took a step back, startled by his reaction, letting go of his arm. This seemed to bring Marshall back to his senses, finally taking a step back and turning in Anna’s direction.

“They keep telling me I can't see her.” He was trying to stay calm, but Anna could see he was failing miserably, making the people around them uncomfortable. “Always the same excuse!”

“I know you're frustrated,” Anna said in a lower tone of voice, expecting him to listen and understand they could discuss whatever was going on more quietly. “But this isn’t the receptionist's fault. Only family members are allowed inside. You know that.”

Part of her was confident he’d calm down once he was reminded of that fact. She had been expecting him to say he already knew, like he had done a few times before. However, what she hadn’t been expecting was for him to look daggers at her as she was the one to blame.

“I saw your parents walk in.” He spat, surprising Anna.

Anna gaped at him unsure of what to say. She couldn’t really understand why her parents being there was reason enough for him to get so mad. “They're family,” she muttered.

“No, Anna,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “They are not.”

The way he towered over her, glowering, made Anna realise how truly intimidating he could be. But she wouldn’t let that stop her from talking some sense into him. “I thought Elsa told you about us. My family is—”

“She did,” he said, interrupting her. “I know the two of you are related. I know you're sisters. That doesn't mean your parents are part of her family.”

Not understanding the logic behind his words, Anna couldn't help but crack a smile. “That's exactly what it means. They're family.”

“No, that's what you want them to be.” He took a step closer and Anna couldn’t stop herself from taking one backwards. “Your parents have no right to call themselves family all of a sudden.”

The way he kept glaring at her gave Anna the impression that no matter what she said, he wouldn’t change his mind. Her best bet was trying to show him she understood what he was going through. “Marshall, look, I know you've been coming here everyday. Trust me, I know how frustrating it is, but—”

Marshall groaned, exasperated. “Elsa wouldn't want them visiting.”

“You don't know that.” Now Anna was getting irritated. Marshall was entitled to his own opinion, it didn’t mean it was the right one.

“Yes, I do,” he said, lowering his voice. Anna guessed he had finally noticed the rest of the people in the waiting room, all staring at them. “She doesn't trust your parents.” He took another step closer and poked her shoulder. “The only reason she ever gave them a chance is you.” 

Anna glared back and slapped his hand away. “My parents are helping her right now. They've got the right to see her.”

“She's told them time and time again she doesn't want to see them,” Marshall scoffed. “As soon as she's unconscious they walk all over her wishes, I see.”

“Marshall—”

“I can't believe Kai and Gerda agreed to this,” he continued, ignoring what she had to say. “I can't believe you agreed to this. Elsa trusts you!”

“I— You’re getting it all wrong.” Anna was at loss for words. What he was saying was getting to her, and she wasn’t sure how to explain everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. “You talk as if I'm doing something terrible to her.”

“It baffles me you don’t see it!” Marshall shouted, startling Anna and everyone around.

Unable to hold his gaze, she looked around. A man, a couple of years older than her father, wouldn't take his eyes off Marshall, ready to intervene in case it was needed. Anna then noticed Andrea had already stood up from her desk and she was holding a phone’s headset to her ear. It was a matter of time until someone came to walk them both out of the building and Anna couldn't let that happen. She knew he was probably just taking his frustration out on her and he would regret being blacklisted.

“The least you could do now is respect her wishes,” Marshall kept talking, ignoring everything that was going on around them. “She loves you so much she chose to ignore the pain your parents have caused her just to make you happy. But that wasn’t enough for you, was it?”

She felt a sudden pang of guilt and she tried to speak up, but no words came out as she felt her throat tightening. Was he truly talking out of frustration, or was he finally speaking his mind? ‘Or Elsa's mind?’  she wondered, the uncertainty making her shudder.

Marshall took her silence as an answer and a new wave of anger ripped through him. “You kept pushing. And pushing. And pushing. All you wanted was for Elsa to forgive them, to make your family happy, even when you knew she was miserable.”

Anna’s eyes brimmed with unshed tears and she instinctively took another step back.

“I know Elsa’s never been truly happy,” he admitted with bitter sadness. “I’m not going to pretend that’s the case. But she wasn’t this miserable until your parents walked into her life.”

“She said that?” Anna managed to ask in a quavering voice.

“I may not have known about her po—” Marshall stopped abruptly, finally aware they were surrounded by strangers. Most of whom were paying close attention to their conversation and whatever he chose to do next. He looked around and after making up his mind, he took one more step and leaned in closer to Anna, whispering, “I may not have known about her powers, but it doesn't mean I don't know her.”

By the time he finished speaking, the man who had previously been staring stood up and gently asked Marshall to give Anna some space. To Anna’s surprise, Marshall did take a few steps back, even when he glared at the meddling man. Only a moment later, a man wearing a white shirt with the clinic's emblem approached them as well. He ignored Marshall and made sure Anna was okay before he asked if she needed him to escort Marshall outside.

Ignoring the staff-member and the old man, Marshall found her gaze once again and said, “You and your parents are crossing the line, Anna.”

Anna ignored the men as well. She didn’t need them to stand up for her. All she needed was for Marshall to listen and perhaps talk things through in a less crowded place. “Marshall, you don't understand—”

“No.” He shook his head, stopping whatever she had to say. “You don't understand. It's sickening to think I've been in Elsa's life far longer than her biological parents have ever had; yet, somehow, I'm the one who’s not allowed to see her. Not allowed to say goodbye.”

Although he mumbled the last part, Anna and the men standing between them heard him clearly. What he said, combined with the raw pain in his eyes, finally helped Anna understand his anger and resentment. Marshall was not only mad at her family and the rules in place. He was afraid. He was starting to lose hope and Anna couldn’t take it. Anna’s stomach was in knots and, once again, try as she might, there was nothing she could say to lessen his heartache as the anxiety and fear for her sister’s life consumed her.

Placing a comforting hand on Marshall’s shoulder, the man in the white shirt said, “Sir, perhaps it’d be better for you to get some fresh air.” His cautious look now morphing into a compassionate one.

“Let go— “ Marshall said, annoyed at the man, moving his arm away from him. Anna knew he couldn't stand the pity look the men were giving him, making him over react once again.

Just as the staff-member was about to talk, a familiar voice called their names. “Is there a problem?” Kristoff said as he approached them.

“No, there isn't,” Marshall said loud enough for everyone who had been interested in the scene to hear.

Anna watched him walk away, and once again the pang of guilt constricted her throat, barely allowing her to breathe. Before she realised, the tears she'd been holding back began streaming down her face.

“Hey,” Kristoff said, engulfing her in his arms. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” She nodded against his chest and in vain tried to dry her tears. “Don't worry.”

Kristoff took a hard look at her, then the people around them and finally at the door through which Marshall had disappeared. “Whenever I think he's finally learning how to behave around people, he shows the kind of moron he is. I don't understand what Elsa sees in him.”

“He loves her,” Anna mumbled, as she hugged Kristoff tight, feeling thankful for his presence.

“So do you and I,” he said with contempt.

Anna nodded, but didn't say anything. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t completely agree with Kristoff this time. Marshall had successfully planted the seed of doubt in Anna, and she couldn’t help but feel as if she was in fact breaking Elsa's trust.

Kristoff thanked the men for stepping in, and then apologised to Andrea for the inconvenience. To Anna's surprise, instead of blaming Marshall like he'd have done in the past, Kristoff explained the last few days were finally catching up with all of them and begged Andrea not to kick Marshall out next time.

With things calmer around them, Kristoff walked Anna outside and asked her about their argument. Anna shook her head, not wanting to discuss it with anyone. The last thing she needed was for Kristoff to find reason behind Marshall's words like she did, and for him to realise they were making a terrible mistake. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does. I’ll talk to him if you need me to.”

“No, Kristoff. It doesn’t matter.” Before he could insist, Anna decided it was best to change the topic. “Has Nielsen met our parents?” 

Kristoff stayed silent for a short moment, debating what to do. After a minute, he breathed out and nodded. “Kai told me to get you and wait for them at the café. They don’t want to discuss things in the hospital.”

---

The door leading to the ICU closed behind Idunn and only then she breathed out with relief. Until then, she had been afraid the medical staff would suddenly change their mind and she wouldn’t be allowed to see Elsa after all.

She had been told to wait for a nurse to come get her and she didn’t plan to move from that spot until they did. The last thing she needed was entering a room or area she wasn’t supposed to, when Nielsen had been clear about the staff making an expectation for her to visit — given the circumstances.

As she waited, she wondered what she’d find once she walked into Elsa's room. The last time she had seen her daughter, Elsa looked thin and fragile. Like she hadn’t been taking proper care of herself. It made Idunn wonder how many things she had been dealing with, only for Agdar and herself to make things worse the day they met. No matter how hard she tried, Idunn couldn’t get rid of Elsa’s words during their last conversation. Elsa had not only admitted needing her mother more than anything, she had also confessed suffering more than they could imagine. Her words were on repeat in Idunn’s mind. Taunting her and showing her she was responsible for everything that had ever gone wrong in Elsa’s life.

Even this, she realised regretfully. If she had only stopped Agdar on time. If she had only taken Elsa to the ER instead of trying to get Elsa to like her; then, perhaps, her daughter wouldn’t be on the brink of death now.

She was so absorbed in her own thoughts, it took a moment for Idunn to realise a nurse had been standing in front of her for half a minute, waiting for a reply. She apologised and nodded her head when the young woman checked her name on the clipboard in her hands. When everything was set, they began walking down the hall at a faster pace than Idunn would have liked. There were so many questions she wanted to ask about her daughter and so little time. But as they moved past the doors in the unit, Idunn became more afraid of the answers she could get, desisting finally of her idea. The nurse continued walking until they got to the end of the hall.

The last room in the unit. Away from everyone else. Forgotten.

The thought alone made Idunn’s chest feel heavy and she had a hard time trying to understand what the young woman was explaining.

The young woman explained she was only allowed to remain inside the room during visiting hours and she was to leave the room if a family member requested her to do so. Idunn nodded in agreement, hiding the pain of not being allowed to see her daughter for as long as she wanted. But then again, she had lost the privilege years before.

When the nurse left, Idunn drew in one more deep shaky breath, gathering her thoughts before she grabbed the handle. Slowly, trying to bother the people inside, she opened the door just a crack. The first thing she saw was Gerda, sitting by Elsa's bedside. Eyes closed, the older woman rested her forehead on her clasped hands which were holding onto Elsa's. Opening the door a bit wider, Elsa's face came into view and only then she realised it didn’t matter how long she had to wrap her mind around the idea. Finally seeing Elsa’s pale form, connected to more machines and wires than she had imagined, made her stomach turn. Her heart constricted painfully and for a moment she couldn’t breath nor move.

Gerda raised her head slowly, opening her eyes and looking at Elsa, unaware of Idunn’s presence. She caressed Elsa’s hand with her thumb and a sad smile drew on her face.

“You know, there'll still be a tomorrow even if you choose to leave.” Gerda’s voice, barely over a whisper, got Idunn’s attention. “It ain’t gonna stop the world… but I think it'll be the end of mine.”

The sorrow in Gerda's voice made the situation too painful, too real. And for the first time since that night, when she abandoned Elsa, Idunn felt as if someone was ripping her heart out. She imagined she’d never feel the way she felt back then, until now.

“I know it’s unfair —selfish of me— to ask you this, but…” Gerda said, as one of her hands let go of Elsa’s to dry a lonesome tear running down her cheek. “Please, dear. Don't go.” The hand returned to its original position and she held Elsa’s hand a bit tighter. “I know you're tired and I understand why it'd be easier to just let yourself go. But I need you. I'm not as strong as you are. I—” She breathed out, tiredly. “What would I say to Kristoff?”

Unable to deal with the aching pain in her chest, Idunn tried to hold back a sob and close the door, hoping to give Gerda some privacy, but the sudden movement caught the old woman’s attention and she turned to look at the door, their gazes finally meeting.

“I didn't mean to interrupt,” Idunn blurted out as best as she could. “It's— I didn't know what to do. I'm sorry.”

“It's okay,” Gerda murmured. “Kai told me your husband or you might stop by.” She let go of Elsa’s hand and looked at her watch, surprised to see it was already time for visiting hours. She tried in vain to blink away the tears and stood up. “Is Agdar waiting outside?”

“No.” Idunn shook her head and silently hoped Gerda didn’t feel pressured to leave. “He's in a meeting with Kai and Elsa's doctor… Uhm—”

“Nielsen.”

“Yes.” She regretted not paying more attention to the names of the people who were doing everything to help Elsa.

“What about Anna and Kristoff?” Gerda asked, sitting once again by Elsa’s side, unsure of what else to do.

“They're with them as well. I don't understand what's going on, but it seemed urgent.”

Gerda nodded. “I don't have all the details yet. They said it’d be best for me to look after Elsa instead of worrying about it. Come in,” she offered at last, inviting Idunn into the room with a hand gesture.

Idunn did as told and she walked until she was standing at the foot of the bed, keeping her distance from the machines. “She looks so pale,” she murmured, unable to keep her voice from shaking.

Both women stayed quiet for several minutes after that. The heavy silence that fell between them was only interrupted by the beeping noises of the machines. The minutes stretched and Idunn felt as if they were running out of air inside the small room.

After twenty minutes, which felt like an hour, Idunn decided it was best to break the silence. The only thing Gerda had done during that time was hold onto Elsa’s hand, and something told her she’d like a distraction or the opportunity to move her legs.

“Please don't take this the wrong way, Gerda.” Idunn said, hoping she wouldn’t be overstepping. “I could stay with her for the next hour if you need. You look awfully tired.”

“I'm not leaving her,” Gerda answered with a frown.

Only then, Idunn realised how stupid what she had just said truly was. The woman had been looking after Elsa for over a week. It was more than obvious she already knew how she looked and how tired she was. But even then, Idunn felt bad and wished she would take a moment. Breathe some fresh air at least.

“I don't think she'd mind you taking a short break.”

“I can't selfishly beg her to stay.” Tired eyes looking up to meet Idunn’s gaze. “Only to leave her alone a moment after, Idunn.”

Choosing it was best to drop the subject, Idunn looked at Elsa’s left hand. It was slightly raised and covered in bandages. It seemed surreal that that small injury could be the cause of her current state. “Her hand's getting better from what I heard.” Kai had told her so before Nielsen met them in the waiting room. “Why isn't she recovering?”

“Her body is fighting more than just her hand’s infection. She has a hard time breathing and now her kidneys are failing. Her blood pressure needs to go up before we can even think of pulling her out of the coma.”

“Will she have permanent damage?” Idunn was terrified of the answer. Elsa had struggled her whole life with her powers getting in the way. Dealing with physical or mental damage on top of that would certainly be more than she could handle.

“Only time can tell,” Gerda said, her eyes filling up with tears. “It all depends on her.”

“She's strong,” Idunn said with conviction. “She'll make it.”

As Gerda shook her head, Idunn felt her throat constricting. “I fear she might see no reason to keep fighting…”

“What do you mean?”

“Elsa's soul is older than mine. She's endured too much and…” Taking a deep breath, Gerda tried to make up her mind. “Lately she's been losing—” She stopped again, unsure if it was right to share what she was about to say with Idunn. “She’s started to wonder if it's all worth it.”

---

As soon as the words left her mouth, Gerda realised trusting Idunn with the way Elsa felt about life had been a mistake. From the moment Idunn had walked into the room, Gerda could tell it was hard for her to face the truth of what was happening to Elsa. Gerda couldn’t blame her for it, everyone in the family had had a difficult time coming to terms with it, but she did wonder why she’d put herself through it when she could barely look at the girl in the bed. It was no surprise then, that with every new piece of information she began to crumble until the weight of it all was too much for her to handle. Idunn was nothing but a crying mess now that she knew the truth and despite the way she felt about the Arendelles, Gerda considered it was necessary for her to do or say something that could help the younger woman. Though, before she could make up her mind on what to say, Idunn surprised her by suddenly pulling herself together.

“I wanted to thank you for loving and caring for Elsa the way you do.” Idun’s voice cracked and she pressed the heel of her hands to her eyes to stop her tears. “I understand seeing her like this must be as difficult for you as it is for me, still you manage to stay strong. I don’t know how you do it.”

“No,” she said firmly. “You may think it’s the same, but no.” Gerda tried to focus on the good side, the positive thing Idunn was trying to say; but try as she may, she couldn’t do it.

Idunn blinked a few times, unsure of what she meant, and once again Gerda tried to make an effort to remain calm, hoping to find the right words before she spoke. “Seeing Elsa like this is not—” She took a deep breath, and started over. “When I see Elsa, all I see is the malnourished little girl I met over ten years ago. The little girl who somehow found comfort in my arms and begged me to stay… who still to this day begs me to. I see the daughter life once took from me, and the one I fear will be taken from me again. So, no, Idunn, I don’t think it is.”

Idunn’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened, unsure of what to say.

“I’m not saying you feel no pain,” Gerda clarified. The fact she was feeling heartbroken didn’t erase whatever Idunn was feeling. “I’m sure the guilt and regret must be eating you up alive in moments like this, but when night comes and the day is done, you go back home and I’m the one who stays to try and put back together what's left of her.”

Just as Gerda finished speaking, Frida, one of the nurses who worked in Elsa’s recovery, opened the door, calling their attention. “Gerda, I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said with an apologetic smile. “Mr Bjorgman and Dr Nielsen are asking for you.”

“Tell Kai I’ll meet them later,” Gerda said, not turning to look at her. Her eyes fixed on nothing but Elsa.

“They said it’s urgent,” the nurse insisted, knowing Nielsen would send her back to get her if Gerda didn’t come out.

“More urgent than Elsa?” Gerda scoffed, not believing there was something more important at that moment. She was aware how serious their current situation was. She couldn’t blame her husband for needing her to meet them. After all, they were discussing the next step to take. But her role was to look after Elsa, make sure she didn’t become a test subject to those bastards in charge.

“I– I don’t know what to say,” said Frida. “They just asked me to—”

Gerda knew the girl wouldn’t stop insisting. She had worked under Nielsen’s instructions during her time at the hospital, and she knew he could be a pain when things didn’t go his way.

“This better be important,” she murmured and stood up with a weary sigh. She looked at her daughter and then where Idunn was still standing. The woman’s head was hanging low and she didn’t seem to be aware of the nurse’s presence. “I know now doesn’t seem like the right time to ask you a favour,” Gerda said, calling her attention. “But… Could you stay with her until visiting hours are over, please? I promised I wouldn't leave her alone.”

“Of course,” Idunn said, her voice barely over a whisper.

With a heavy feeling in her stomach, Gerda brushed a few strands away from Elsa’s face. “I’ll be back soon, dear.” She smiled sadly at her and gave her a short kiss on her forehead before she followed the nurse out of the room.

---

Gerda’s words and the chapter’s title were inspired by the homonymous song: It don’t matter to the sun by Rosie Thomas.

I want to apologise for not answering your reviews sooner. I’ve read them all and I loved each one of them, but I didn’t have too much time in my hands to reply. Now that the new chapter is out, I’ll take the time to get back to all of you. Rest assured I really appreciate every word, comment and reaction you guys have sent my way.

Originally, this chapter was going to have two (or three) scenes more. I changed my mind yesterday when I realised that would push the update for at least another week. I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!

Take care. --

Do you guys still want to be tagged? Let me know, please. I don’t want to bother people who are no longer following the story. Also, do tags even work?

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[study-with-aura]

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

I was surprised to see someone wanted to see more of my handwriting but delighted too, so feel free to check out that earlier post. It is merely close ups of these notes and some from past but recent notes. It was another long day again, but I was happy to have a review day for geometry. I looked over all the combinatorics and probability stuff again mostly since that seems to be my current struggle. As of tomorrow, I am going into straight cumulative study from what it looks like. To think that I will be finished in just a little over 20 week days is crazy! However, I am also ready for my summer break because I am so excited for my summer trip and camp and the summer variations intensive. There is so much to look forward to!

Tasks Completed:

Geometry - Review day!

Lit and Comp II - Reviewed Unit 24 vocabulary + read Act 3 Scenes 4-5 of Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare + read modern translation of same scenes + typed up a page about Beatrice for a 10 minute writing challenge + completed first draft of my literary analysis for Emma (due Friday) + began editing first draft

Spanish 2 - Reviewed vocabulary + watched lecture video on the future tense + practice activity

Bible I - Read 1 Samuel 20

World History - Reviewed World War II Terms + answered five question sets dealing with World War II

Biology with Lab - Read through virus vocabulary + copied microorganism vocabulary terms that I have to know for a coming up quiz

Foundations - Read the definition of tolerance + completed next quiz on Read Theory + took notes on how an outline of a persuasive speech should be written + read Winston Churchill's "We shall fight them on the beaches" speech

Piano - Practiced for two hours in one hour split sessions

Khan Academy - Completed World History Unit 6: Lesson 10 (parts 6-9)

CLEP - None today

Streaming - Watched Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War episode 1

Duolingo - Studied for 15 minutes (Spanish, French, Chinese) + completed daily quests

Reading - Read pages 260-293 of Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Chores - None today

Activities of the Day:

Personal Bible Study (John 14)

Ballet

Variations

Journal/Mindfulness

What I’m Grateful for Today:

I am grateful that we still had good weather today because tomorrow, we are not supposed to.

Quote of the Day:

Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.

-Winston Churchill, (but apparently falsely attributed to him)

🎧Drei Romanzen (Three Romances) Op. 21 - Clara Wieck-Schumann

[jadedbirch]

As my lovely wife @zoi-no-miko said "We must feed the source of our marriage!"

And so, I bring you my sacrifice and review of the OTHER 2023 The Three Musketeers movie, compliments of the UK. And this one has a Black d'Artagnan! Unfortunately it also has a 1.8/10 IMDB rating 🤣

Ramblings and review under the cut!

Having watched this 94 minute "masterpiece" I must start by saying, this is not an adaptation of the Dumas novel, it's an adaptation of the 1993 Disney version of The Three Musketeers. So, all the best parts are lifted straight out of the Disney movie, including direct lines of dialogue, and the best action sequences. Le sigh.

The plot is also quite similar. The Cardinal plots to have the young king assassinated, and to accomplish this, he has an elaborate plot to disband the musketeers and implicate them in the murder. A one eyed Rochefort and a comely Indian Milady are his co-cosprators.

Richelieu, who I must keep reminding everyone was in his late 30s during this time historically, now looks like this:

And the musketeers, delightful assholes that they are, look like this:

That's right. They are so poor, they can't even afford pants! Just kidding, but for Reasons, they spend a fairly long scene pantless, and require the help of "Madam Chevreuse" (an homage to Marie de Rohan) and "Madam Coquenard" (an homage to Porthos' wife), who were a delightful little invention that I rather appreciated. Especially since Porthos had to sleep with them both in exchange for their help 🤭👌🏻.

Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is fairly Meh. Unlike The Fourth Musketeer, which took place entirely indoors, this one does its low budget business entirely in some "forest" which looks a lot like a local park. There are also about 11 extras who have to cover their faces in every scene so that they can be killed over and over again. The dialogue is really stilted, d'Artagnan is as breathtakingly dumb as the one in The Fourth Musketeer, and the pacing is completely off, causing surprisingly dull periods to pass that make the movie feel a lot longer than it is.

In a plot device that is truly inspiring in its stupidity, people go around saying things like "Have you seen this symbol ⚜️? Take a good look at it ⚜️⚜️" as if all of France isn't literally covered in ⚜️⚜️⚜️, including the embellishments around d'Artagnan's own neck. At least they use proper French currency in this one.

I think the biggest problem the movie has is that it fails to commit to a genre, going from slapstick comedy to taking itself way too seriously within minutes.

So, in summary, this fails spectacularly as both an adaptation of the book AND as an adaptation of the Disney movie. The casting of the 3 assholes was actually pretty good and it did have some fun moments, but all of them were plagiarized so I can't really give them points for it. It's really disappointing that with all the juicy goodness that both sources of material have to offer, the result is this lackluster and forgettable experience.

Grade: I have to give it an F for originality, and as an adaptation of the Disney movie it gets a C+.

[technicolorfamiliar]

Technicolor Familiar Watches Too Many Conrad Veidt Movies Part 5 of ?

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

Contraband (Blackout), 1940 Dir. Michael Powell ⭐4/5 Watched Dec 18, Archive.org Uncle Erik: Your Captain, he is a beautiful man! From the first moment, I loved him! Me: Hard same. So much fun. By far my favorite of the Connie Spy Thrillers I've seen so far. Valerie Hobson is so slick, and the rest of the ensemble is pretty good for a change, especially the guys at the Danish restaurant. The bondage scene (not really, but... yeah, it is) lives up to the hype. The screenwriters really went off on this one, didn't they? I mean, this movie gave us Conrad Very-Serious-Actor Veidt whispering lovely things in the dark like "good girl" and "do you trust me?" The scene with the music box in the pocket watch? Too much, can't handle it. Connie's dry humor is a delight and all the sexy, flirtatious fun he's having in this role is like a precious balm for my tortured soul.

Above Suspicion, 1943 Dir. Richard Thorpe ⭐3/5 Watched Jan 3, Vudu Oh, filmmakers. Bless you for having Fred MacMurray get strangled in greeting by Conrad Veidt. A great film it is not, but it's definitely cute. And while it's a semi-tough watch as Connie's last film, I'm so glad it was this one where he's clearly having a ball -- whether on the dance floor (does Hassert always go out in the middle of the day to tango with mature, voluptuous women?), getting stepped on by Joan Crawford, sticking his fingers in bowls of cake batter, or climbing down trellises with his knees all out in the wind. He's very obviously living his best life and I love that for him. The movie is riddled with very silly, eyeroll-worthy one-liners, but the plot is enjoyable. Joan Crawford looks like she's having a good time too, and Fred MacMurray is pretty tolerable. I haven't seen Basil Rathbone in a lot of other movies, but I wish he got to be nastier and that he and Connie got to have some scenes together. Connie's physicality is so subtly funny, I really wish he had gotten to do more intentionally comedic films/roles.

Lucrezia Borgia, 1922 Dir. Richard Oswald ⭐3/5 Watched Jan 10, Archive.org I've been trying to watch at least one silent every once in a while. And while I have to lodge my typical complaint of these older films being a bit too long, this film is clearly a feat of production for the year it was made. The huge, open sets and beautiful costume details were incredible. As always, Connie 100% steals the show. He's delightfully wicked and nasty, slimy and pathetic. I wish he had better scene partners to receive and react to his intense performance as Cesare Borgia. But it's ok, it's like a Game of Thrones episode without the dragons or misogynist nudity.

Nazi Agent, 1942 Dir. Jules Dassin ⭐4/5 Watched Jan 14, Youtube I admit I chose to watch this one because I was charmed by the idea of Double Connies. But not even five minutes in and Otto had won my heart. I didn’t know anything about the movie itself going in, but was completely prepared for it to be cringey and mediocre. So I was pleasantly surprised that it was actually decent. Maybe I'm rating this one higher than it really deserves, but really those four stars all belong to Connie's performance/s. Daggers in my heart. So many moments in this little movie affected me more than I expected: Otto's line to Richten about being only one of however many million citizens willing to rise up against fascism; his look toward the Statue of Liberty at the end; the little glittering tears in his eyes when Fritz says, "We do what we're told because we must…"; his gentleness and deeply tragic sense of loss that permeates the film. And, perhaps most of all, how cute he was with his pet canary. Cue the waterworks. I have so many more thoughts about this and about his time in Hollywood in the 40s in general, but I'll save that for another time.

Kreuzzug des Weibes, 1926 Dir. Martin Berger ⭐3.5/5 Watched Jan 20, Snowgrouse's masterpost This movie was made nearly 100 years ago and we're still having the same conversations about reproductive rights today, especially now in the US after Roe v Wade was overturned in 2022. It's pretty disturbing how much of the script could be lifted from a dozen different arguments between contemporary conservative lawmakers and the people trying to better advocate for and provide safe reproductive healthcare. It's a pretty bare bones film, the story and performances clearly more important, appropriately so, than cinematic bells and whistles. Thought it was an interesting choice to have the lawyer's office so stately and huge, like the patriarchal systems he's operating in -- overbearing, empty and impersonal. The movie does feel like a public service announcement (which I guess it was), but that didn't really bother me. What bothered me was the ending, because OF COURSE the woman has to comfort the man even though she's the one who went through a major trauma. But the way Connie's character broke after the doctor told him what happened to his fiancée? I've never seen anything like that. He went fully offline. His whole nervous system got unplugged and rewired. P.S.: The extra half star in my rating is for all the monocle twirling.

[zonaenthusiast]

One Piece Live Action

EPISODE 1: ROMANCE DAWN - review

Here is the first of my reviews on what I liked and didn't like about the first episode of the live action. I have been writing as I watched the episode for the second time, so it is written in chronological order with references to future episodes.

To begin with, I was very happy with Roger's execution scene. I have to admit that, as soon as Garp appeared giving the previous speech, I doubted if it was like that in the manga. I had to look it up and I'm still hesitating, but I couldn't find anything about Garp being present that day. It's a pretty cool addition, it makes a lot of sense: Roger originated the great age of piracy while Garp is a very proud marine who works every day to erradicate it, his face when Roger says his last words is magnificent. And for those who watch the live action without knowing the original story it means nothing, but for those of us who do know what Garp and Roger really are to each other it was great.

From the beginning you start to notice that the characters are slightly different (I think the Luffy in the manga wouldn't know what mutiny means) but Oda was right when he said that there are things that maybe his Luffy wouldn't say, but it looks good because the words are spoken by Iñaki. Luffy for me is the one who behaves the most different from his original version and I'm not sure he convinces me all the time, but I think our Luffy would be very difficult to translate to the screen by a real actor without being unbearable. Luffy's case is more obvious but it will happen with Nami and Sanji as well, their personalities are very intense and for a live action it was necessary to tone them down.

Alvida is wonderful from the first minute, the actress is a 10/10 in all her scenes (Ilia, please call me, I am free on weekends), confident and menacing and sometimes ridiculous. Perfect. Koby more of the same, Morgan Davies has done a great job playing the scared Koby from the beginning. I loved the first scene of Luffy and Koby together.

What I didn't like so much is the battle against Alvida, the action is one of the weakest points of the series and they have been smart to reduce it just to the necessary because most of them are just barely good enough.

However, one of my favorite things about the live action is how they've connected the characters from the different arcs, especially the villains, it gives it a greater scale that in the manga we didn't see until much later. In the Marineford saga especially, we started to see that many characters know each other because of x or y, because they have a common past, because they did business together, whatever. I thought it was smart to add something like that already. In this chapter, for example, we have Morgan mentioning that he was the one who arrested Kuro.

I say this because adding the fun fact that Zoro killed the previous Mr 7, something that in the manga is only mentioned in passing a whole saga later and has no importance and using it to justify his presence in Shells Town, is brilliant to me. The my favorite is number 1 thing? Foreshadowing at its best if we have a second season.

I'm also of the opinion that while Luffy has the worst action scenes because in the end seeing the fruit is weird at times, Zoro has the best ones. Fellow Zoro stans, I don't know if you feel the same way I do but they are a delight to watch for me. Mackenyu, you are glorious.

Shanks... I liked him but my god, the hair. What is that, is that a wig? is that his hair with a bad dye? I don't know but it looks terrible, the whole wig thing in live action is a complaint I have. The series has opted for an artificial look on purpose and you can tell, similar to the series A Series of Unfortunate Events (and it was a good idea because the gyojins probably would not have worked otherwise), but the hair department doesn't convince me. Also, Makino seemed a bit weird to me, if she hadn't been characterized at the beginning I wouldn't have thought it was her, but then she has a scene with Luffy (small Luffy, you did great too!) in which I did appreciate her personality better.

Another thing about this live action… is that it's not subtle at all, Oda is a master of show don't tell and the difference starts to show soon. Luffy doesn't go around asking people what their dreams are in the manga (he does it only in very few occasions) and I think they could have worked on the script a little more to see how Luffy, without asking directly, inspires people to tell him those things.

We move on to the bar, the moment when Luffy, Zoro and Nami see each other for the first time (kind of, because Luffy and Nami notice Zoro but he doesn't notice them and Luffy and Nami don't seem to notice each other either). Very well done too, I loved it and it's one of my favorite scenes in the whole live action. Luffy eating with Coby, Zoro picking a fight (my god, he is FINE) and Nami taking advantage of the chaos to get what she needs. The stuff with Zoro, Rika, Helmeppo and the rice balls, even if it's different, makes me infinitely happy that it was kept because it's important to understand that Zoro is much less of a dick than he appears to be.

Luffy, tell Sanji about the rice balls, this fandom is begging you.

I also found it curious that they have chosen to insist a lot on Zoro being a bounty hunter, we see Zoro emphasizing several times throughout the live action on the money they provide him, and it's striking because it's not like that at all in the manga. It gives him less of a sucker vibe and that makes me a little sad because I really like that Zoro became a bounty hunter because he needed to eat and he didn't know how to get back to his village. I like my men dumb as a rock. I assume they did it that way because they wanted to tell us what he is but what he doesn't want to be, just like it happened with Coby and it's going to happen with all the mugiwara, so Luffy can ask him the question about what his real goal is.

Anywat, both the first time Luffy and Zoro talk and Luffy and Nami talk inside the navy base are perfect, you can see the differences in their personalities from the first moment. I will always defend that meeting Luffy changes the lives of all the mugiwaras but the most obvious changes are in Zoro and Nami (maybe Robin), they owe Luffy their literal personalities.

I think Zoro breaking into Helmeppo's room while the latter is naked and acting cool with the Wado Ichimonji is cinema, I'm glad they included it. The haircut was a great touch.

Luffy and Nami's shenanigans inside the navy base, from the safe robbery to the fight in the courtyard where they are joined by Zoro... I really like that. The part where Zoro is about to leave but decides to turn around and fight them fits his personality from the beginning very well but it's actually pretty Nami coded too, she has a scene like that in Orange Town in the manga where she almost leaves but in the end feels bad for leaving them to their fate and comes back. Zoro and Nami are very similar and this live action highlights it a lot, we'll see that (episode 5, my beloved).

The battle against Morgan is short and concise, and I repeat: I think they did very well not to drag the action out longer than necessary. The part of Zoro carrying the safe and leaving Nami speechless before such a display of brute force I personally liked it a lot, it's a clear reference to the scene of Luffy and the cage in Orange Town in the manga.

The Shells Town escape also is a great idea. I already wrote a post about why I don't agree at all that Zoro's loyalty to Luffy is immediate and Nami certainly isn't loyal from the start. That they don't say yes to Luffy, but that it's more of a we have to get out of here and right now these other two people are the only allies I have works very well with them because it's exactly how they started in the manga as well.

To finish with this first review, I want to mention a last point in favor of the live action: increasing Garp's presence in the saga and making him the big antagonist present in all the arcs, I will go deeper into this in other chapters. It's very important to see how his relationship with Koby develops (and to think that this was written before the recent events in the manga, good lord).

And Buggy has the best first appearance of all. My king.

ko-fi

[half-deadfic]

Q&A with Darth Frodo

Hey, everyone! Two years ago, this project started as a way to reach out to authors who had left some beloved projects unfinished, mostly to reach out to them and see how they were doing, show them appreciation, and see if they needed any support in case they wanted to finish their projects or just wanted to have fun sharing behind the scenes information and tips through a Q&A.

As a part of bringing this project half-back to life, I would like to present the first Q&A of this project, in this case with the one and only @darthfrodophantom, who returned after almost 10 years to the phandom to share the ending for "A Secret Uncovered".

Special thanks to @dp-marvel94 for the questions submitted!

If you want to find out other amazing authors participating, make sure to check out this recommendation list for the project!

❇️ About Darth Frodo ❇️

[AO3] [FFN] A multi-fandom writer who has also written for Danny Phantom since the show was still on air, Darth Frodo joined the phandom classics early in the Fanfiction.Net era with beloved works such as "Tortured Truth" (2006) and "A Secret Uncovered" (First published on 2006). The latter was left on standby as life happened, but Darth's desire to finish the story was always close to her heart.

Her love for identity shenanigans and the philosophical analysis behind characters also took her to explore other ideas and stories back in the day, but also recently as she returned to the phandom for events such as Ectoberhaunt or the DP Reality Trip AU Zine, for which she published delightful new adventures.

Now that she has rewritten all of her first vision for "A Secret Uncovered" and added an incredible ending and epilogue, we reached out to Darth with a few questions...

❇️ Q&A ❇️

Q: What inspired you to write your story ("A Secret Uncovered")?

Darth: Not sure if you’ve caught on to this based on pretty much everything I write, but I love identity reveal fics. I love the awkward tension that happens right before, during, and after the reveal. I love the moment where you just don’t know how it’s going to turn out. And I love watching the aftermath of the characters struggling to adjust. I really wanted to write an identity reveal fic on a huge level that involved everyone finding out, and it kinda went from there.

Q: Who is your favorite character to write and why?

Darth: I feel like I have to say Danny because he’s pretty much my POV of choice. His internal monologues are so fun to dive into because he’s witty and snarky, but he can also be so clueless sometimes. I love putting him into different scenarios and watching him struggle through them. But if I had to pick a character outside of Danny, I’d have to go with Jazz. I just feel like I get her. She’s the mom friend and the big sister who ‘s an overachiever, and I love that. Jazz can connect pretty obscure dots, be the emotional comfort, and a voice of reason, which are so helpful.

Q. Are there any characters or types of scenes (action, dialogue, ect) that you struggle to write?

Darth: I feel like I struggle the most with transitions. How do we move from one scene to the next and conveying what happened in the downtime we don’t cover? How do we give the readers a sense of the emotional or logistical events that happened without actually having to spell it all out, but also not make it too exposition heavy? I want to include the details, but I don’t want to bog people down with exposition and passive tenses. It’s contrary to that “show don’t tell” tenet of writing, but it’s also acknowledging that from an editing perspective, you can’t show every minute. (Of course this is now all you're going to pay attention to when reading my writing lol)

Q. This one is based on a screenshot I saw on tumblr of a tweet saying "writing a fic consists of having one scene you want to write and scrambling to come up with an entire plot just so you can write one scene." If this applies to your story, what is THAT SCENE for your fic?

Darth: I actually did! I literally pictured the scene where Danny walks into school that first day after his secret has been revealed and everyone stares at him and whispers about him and crowds around him. When I first thought of doing an “everyone finds out” identity reveal, this was the first scene that popped into my head, and everything else spun from that concept.

Thank you so much Darth for the time to reply to these questions.

To anyone reading, we'll bring back the Q&A part of this project before we reach the 20th Danny Phantom Anniversary, as a way to hear from beloved writers and celebrate our phandom.

Stay tuned!

[shannankle]

My Running Thoughts on DFF (Episodes 1-4)

Just started and caught up with DFF, thoughts from my watch for episodes 1-4 are below

Episode 1

Okay but people not hearing from someone is kind of the definition of disappeared

"Don't over think it he probably just moved" lol very comforting

Okay why are you smoking with asthma--I assume this will be related to how he dies, you better keep your inhaler on you at all times when the horrors start

Hmmm some relationship red flags from this guy

Lol our killer getting a bit handsy lol, but what are the actual logistics of that?

Throws cigarette over the railing, starts a fire, end of show--it's all a PSA: only YOU can prevent forest fires

Lol did he just bite his dick to make a point 😂 That's right stand your ground, bite his dick!

Okay so is this a real person or supernatural? Cause the hand and now only one person is hearing weird things. I wonder if there will be a trend of the newbies not hearing or seeing things for a while

Owww. Well the murder got right to the point--the stick kind

I don't know anatomy that well but why is there blood in his mouth? I mean I'll let it slide since it's a trope but I'm still wondering

I think we should split up 😅

Poor guy hasn't even started lessons yet and now he has to deal with tree impalement. Oh good, yeah he's right don't pull it out

Some good delegation from Phee (? still learning names)

Okay that's so not where you're going to find jumper cables ...Okay I was wrong but it certainly wouldn't be where I'd look

Maybe one of you just take the motorcycle? Seems like less of a waste of time, cause it'll take at least 10 minutes to jump that truck...

Oh good, but they should've done that before wasting time finding cables

Oh walkie talkies or radio smart

Who keeps a saw in their kitchen?

Team bike is not doing well lol

Wait so the murderer did try something, enough to cut his arms, crazy that they figured that out just like that though

Okay so it is supernatural maybe cause they aren't seeing it at the same time. I guess it could be hallucinations but it's so consistent

Oh brave to try and bring the bike back still

Wait are they holding off on what they saw in the video till next week or did I just miss it, I'm very good at missing more subtle jump scares but then jumping at stuff that wasn't supposed to be scary

Oh wow they actually used a busted bike for shooting, love that, truly delightful

Love that they give us these behind the scenes it's a nice reprieve from the spooky spooky. It reminds me of something I read on tumblr about how blooper reels serve a similar role to curtain calls for tragedies, they let us know that the actors are okay after all and it's all a show. I will now take all horror with bloopers please! sincerely, a resident scaredy cat

Alright I enjoyed that even if I won't sleep tonight, that mask is so well done and I'm starting to get a feel for the characters

Episode 2

Wait does iqiyi only have this tagged as romance 😳

Ah yes separate from the group that's smart

This is why you don't go off on your own in a horror show, and your even one of the ones convinced it's supernatural man

The masked man: Can you give me directions please, I seem to be lost

Oh wait I'm bad at faces it's the other guy, but also still stupidly alone

I know you're alone but maybe try and fight back

So will the axe be gone and no one believes him or will someone find it later in horror?

Lol he's seeking revenge cause he's upset you tried to film a sequel, don't mess with a writer 🤣

"Thai ghosts can do anything"...Oh interesting that they're making that explicit distinction. If my understanding is right, thai phee can be physical and there's less of a distinction between corporeal vs incorporeal, ghost vs monster. So they're setting the possible stakes and genre. This is a western style slasher but if it is supernatural we'll likely be operating on thai rules for that not western ghost stories. Heck it might mean that this is both physical and supernatural.

Guys, I don't think getting rid of evidence is going to make a ghost move on from its attachments

Ooof that's more than a little rash ouch. Oh not real. So if they're hallucinating it's not just the old group

Interesting to phrase it as "beat him"--so was it self defense in the past or maybe they see it as justified?

Ouch is right my poor ears

Okay physical knife but hallucinated choking. I like that they're playing with whether this is a person or supernatural. It totally fits with the emphasis on this potentially being a thai ghost. Cause it's hard not to waver back and forth.

Is it still not noon yet? Like I assume that'll fall through anyway but still, will the plot all happen in like two days? Interesting if so

All he said was he heard a sound, why are you asking if he saw someone? Suspicious me thinks

Ah really un-suspicious doc

Okay but 2 guys there were also around 3 years ago, you just gave your plan to find the drive first away...

I'm confused why Jin doesn't want it destroyed

Oooh punchout, fight fight fight

Well I knew the uncle wouldn't make it but goodness gracious 🤣

Okay I know it's supposed to be scary but I laughed when he was still handing them the bags

Wow seriously just abandon everyone including your boyfriend, you're on my shit list now

Also you didn't check that you were past the wire when you rode off

Okay Top, but you and Tee literally have encountered the thing before why are you acting like Tee is ridiculous for saying he saw and heard someone

Oh good job you do care a little even if you're going to lie your ass off about it--you're still on my shit list, Tee

Ghosts don't use wire, but like Thai ones could technically, but I guess that's a lot of extra work when you could do anything else as a ghost. I'm really liking how it's playing that line. Is this supernatural? Is it a slasher? What type of horror is this? We don't know yet, the characters certainly don't either.

Did the uncle's body just move?

The end song is very pretty, not what I'd choose for a horror show but it is a nice safe wind down from the scary

Episode 3

Really liking Ta's acting here, it's obviously a bigger role but he's standing out way more to me than in KinnPorsche

Okay I know we are upset about trust issues, but saying Top shouldn't go alone is smart actually you dumb asses

Sure you can set up the walkie talkies to communicate but then anyone can listen in if they know what channel you tune it to, so watch out

Oh yes let White go get the other walkie talkie alone

Ummm shouldn't you still have it tuned to the outside and try it as you drive out to see if you can reach anyone

I feel bad for the guys who are new. Unless they're in on it. Tan is pretty persistent

I do like that we as the audience are as curious as the newbies about what the heck happened in the past, it's a nice way to draw us in and give that past stakes beyond just a motivation reveal

Okay thank you, no touching or concealing bodies thank you. But good point about attracting animals

Okay yeah his body did move

I don't know why that attack felt so cartoonish, not in a bad way just visually it read that way to my brain

Oh Top is gone...dramatic!

Nice that they want to go after him but also how do they expect to catch up with a bike

Wait weren't they leaving, how'd he get back so fast?

Okay so only Top saw it, so is it supernatural or are more people in on it. Tan, I have my eye on you

Lol that's a big temple to just be hiding, spooky though

I want to know more about this Janta. Is it supposed to be a buddhist sect or older practices? Feels like it fits a trend I've noticed of older folk practices being framed as spooky in thai horror but my sample size is small and my context still pretty limited

Duuude great doctor over here, trying to shut up the dying guy. Have you killed before Fluke? Huh?

Interesting how their desire to hide the past keeps making them go against what would be best for survival, like telling white to go somewhere else

Yay white being smart and polite to the deceased! He best live

I think this is the first time I've seen them carrying weapons/defense of any kind. Hope they use it

Oh God how bad is this going to be? That is a lot of blood

Well he's not on the ceiling. After watching both Shutter and Nang Nak the possibility is totally there

I wonder what the writing says

Wait was that a statue or a mummy

Lol aware of the genre now, let's not split up, a little late, but good job guys

Wait one of them is named Phee, I'm guessing it's intonated differently but still an interesting choice

Ah here comes smoking with asthma, still betting that fucks him over when his inhaler is stolen or something

Wait who asked about the smell, cause White doesn't seem to be sniffing or anything

White being a little princess and the pea over here, good for him, I'm putting my bet on him for final girl. White for final girl 2024!

Oh boy what they absolutely don't need is a gun in this situation, I see it helping for defense but also being ripe for so much to go wrong

Lol the sudden flash back scared me more than the axe throwing scare earlier. My ability to miss jump scares but jump at random shit instead prevails

Okay good hide that sucker, no one needs to know you have a gun until the pivotal moment you use it to save yourself

Okay it was the dudes at the shrine who asked about the smell

Wow these guys are so unobservant pffff, let's all pay no attention while the axe guy just walks right up to us

Okay they all see it this time, so unless it's Top in there the rest are accounted for I think

Glad they're fighting back physically this time

I mean maybe try a few more swings before running, 4 on 1 you could maybe get the mask off

Maybe wait on opening the drive, White, cause I feel like doc is going to come looking for you soon

Oh doc is scary, hope White hid that in time

I don't feel like hiding in a confined axeable space is the smartest choice

Ah saved by another idiot

Locked in a casket by your own stupidity. I think they should kiss about it.

Oh did he already sew the wound? Not sure the logistics on that when it's a stab wound

Okay these two are stupid, like there was so much time to run while axe guy just slowly walks

Okay but axe guy on the motor bike is such a funny image...WEEEEEEE

Interesting, so does axe guy not want the disk shown or is he after doc now

So not abandoning White this time, how gallant

No but White is right you best sterilize things

Doc is losing it

And the gun comes out at the worst time

Okay so mask reveal, interesting

Will we actually get to know so early?! It's got to be a twist. Cause if it's Top under there then there's definitely more to it

Episode 4

Fluke's lost it

Is he going to force white to do the sewing?!

Boy you better sanitize that needle

Oof did not want to see the stitching, but at least doc did it himself

He's bleeding in his abdominal cavity AND you just used unsanitized equipment so he's probably going to get a nasty infection

Ah the romance of being locked in a box. I think the oxygen problem could be resolved by kissing actually

Again? Did he dislocated his arm in the past or something

Not going to try and snap it back in, probably smart I guess

What ghost or human could lift a person like that, well it's got to be one or the other guys

Wait I'm pretty sure those were the pants Top was wearing

Yeah okay kind of suspected but how does that work?

And does that mean he's headed to help or harm White

Oh now a ghost? And not in a mask so a real spirit this time, unless it's hallucinations? So I'm guessing multiple things are happening at once in terms of the attackers.

Again only one person seeing it

Omg did this fool just pull a "I'm not lost the woods are just cursed" 😂 going to pull that one out next time I don't want to admit I'm lost. Not all who wander are lost, some are just stuck in cursed woods where they shot a horror film and are now being hunted down for real.

They literally went a foot before spotting the house

I see they brought the supplies the uncle bled all over inside

Why is a random newspaper with tee's uncle sitting there, seems very planted. Did Fluke put it there?

Oh God is that foreshadowing is there something in his stomach

Did Top poison himself or was he forced?

He probably shouldn't become a doctor if he's complaining over two patients

Looks like some clay can but that's cursory search. Oh he learned it from detective conan how cute if this wasn't life or death

Bleeding eyes seems to be a thing

Why are they using a hair dryer on the clay and not like the oven

Hmmm maybe try the oven before waiting till the sun comes out!

Dun dun dun

Possession? Or has Top just lost it?

Oh no! Friend on friend violence! We're one man down now

Okay but why now? Por has been dying just fine until now. And the killer seems pretty well planned. So I don't think Top is the actual one behind anything. I mean I guess he could've faked the poisoning but again why kill him now? Cause wouldn't it be better to go after White who saw the tape?

I mean no one checked it was loaded so I guess it makes sense it wouldn't be shooting bullets

I'm not convinced it's just Top being a maniac, I still think there's a supernatural component or at least more going on

Ruh roh it is loaded after all what did I say about bad things happening if you throw a gun into the mix

White love you bud but you are being super unhelpful right now

It looked more like he was trying to shoot himself

Good job White atta boy!

Oh fluke looks so sad...

And then there were 7 (or 8 I guess if we have an extra person running around after all)

I do like that because this is a show and not a film we get their moment of grief and that's given space 😔

Now doc has no patients (too soon?)

Ahhh poor doc, that's a lot before you've even had your training, wouldn't blame him if he switched majors (allowing he stays alive and all)

Yes for goodness sake tie him up, though I'm guessing he'll be back to normal and it's not the end, that or he's gone already

How'd these idiots get locked in the shrine, you were outside before, go around

Wait who was on the walkie?

Dude I think getting out is way more important than your resume, though I guess if you think it's over

The comparison and contrast between Top losing it supernaturally (or hallucinating idk) and fluke losing it cause of the past and his anxiety over the future

Ah the joys of youth, friendship, and threatening each other with a gun in a cabin

Dang dude

Once again fear of the past is making them choose to screw themselves over, mostly Fluke here, but yeah

Dude you have alibis and CCTV footage, you'll be fine (i mean you won't cause it's definitely not over but yeah)

Top making a hilariously dramatic re-entrance

And then there were 6? 7 I guess if we still assume there's an extra person. If the shot actually landed. Maybe doc just got himself a new patient instead

Oh looking forward to seeing Non and a non-passed-out Por next week!

[thethirdromana]

Some thoughts on the Star Beast:

New intro is lovely. Look at her go!

The BBC review complains about Murray Gold's "blunderingly obvious" music but it turns out I like my music blunderingly obvious.

Love the location shots to show that for once we are actually in London, not Cardiff pretending to be London.

In other signs of money being spent, the Meep looks amazing. And adorable. I assume the BBC has a range of Beep the Meep cuddly toys ready to go.

Speedy bit of UNIT backstory that I suspect will make no sense at all to someone who isn't already reasonably familiar with what UNIT is. Oh well, hope the 8-year-olds watching the show for the first time will catch up.

I love the Wrarth. Maybe they will have light-up eyes with the Meep-and-Wrarth toy boxset.

The storyline with Donna and Sylvia trying to figure out how best to support Rose is lovely.

Yasmin Finney is utterly brilliant. I don't know if we see more of Rose in the later specials? I hope we do, she feels a bit under-used here.

That said, I would have preferred the Doctor asking for the Meep's pronouns himself rather than it being at Rose's prompting. It doesn't feel like a very Doctorish thing to get wrong.

The courtroom scene is a delight. David Tennant is really very good at this.

I wish they had put slightly less gloop in his hair though.

I assume the twist means that they will simply have double the cuddly toys to sell: friendly Meep and evil Meep.

Magically un-burning London is a bit annoying, but I'll get over it, it's not really the point after all.

Grr RTD, you know that gender essentialism is bad even when it's purporting to be trans-inclusive, right? Right?

(I know everyone has pointed that out already, I'm behind).

David Tennant and Catherine Tate have incredible chemistry. It's unfortunate that Donna and Shaun don't, because otherwise I think that could have been a lovely depiction of a warm and unjealous relationship.

New TARDIS interior! The console is lovely, the rest is... weirdly big? Why is it so big? I predict that this will bother me until about 10 minutes into the next episode and then all other TARDIS interiors will feel too small.

What's with the... singing? on the end credits theme? I'm not sold.

Loved that overall though! Can't wait for the next one!

[shadowsong26x]

So over this past weekend, I watched a 1978 TV movie version of Les Miserables, because it is my current brainrot.

Overall, I liked it. It's a movie/adaptation that very much knows what it wants to be about. Admittedly, (at least based on AO3 stats) I don't know if it would super appeal to the majority of the modern fandom, but it definitely appealed to me.

(I say this because...well, the entire 1832 sequence is condensed to the last 35ish minutes; a solid chunk of that is Cosette and Marius making googly eyes at each other (also dedicating a couple minutes to including his grandfather because sure); the only one of the boys who is named, let alone Identifiable, is Enjolras and he's...frankly kind of underwhelming.)

But basically, this movie knows it wants to be about Valjean and Javert first and foremost, and since the two of them (and their [actual or potential] dynamic(s) with Cosette) are what I'm here for, I'm good with that. For example, we spend a solid 15-20 minutes in Toulon with the two of them and it is Great.

In terms of marks against it, I will say that I think Fantine in particular gets kind of shortchanged in this adaptation; also Thenardier never resurfaces in Paris, he's only in the one scene where Valjean acquires Cosette--like I said, the 1832 sequence is relatively short compared to most other adaptations I'm familiar with, so a lot of stuff gets cut out. The movie also ends with Marius and Cosette's wedding, which feels a little abrupt (like...it goes sewers -> Javert's death -> wedding -> roll credits). There are also a few bits of staging that didn't age super well and some facial hair that is. Very Seventies, but those are fairly minor things.

Again, overall, I liked it. It knows what it wants to be; what it wants to be appeals to me, personally, very much. There are some Good bits and some Eh bits, overall it's solid.

So with all of that, now I get to the reason why I'm making this post, and why I think you should watch it anyway, and that is Anthony Perkins as Javert. Because he is just. Fucking incredible.

Like. Cannot overstate how well this man understood the assignment.

A lot of it comes down to pretty subtle things--facial expressions; the way he looks at Valjean at different points in the storyline; the way (apart from two scenes) he's always pretty collected on the surface, even in moments when he's Clearly either Seething or Breaking underneath. (The final conversation in the sewer is just. His Entire Face.) (Also the moment where he first spots Valjean again in 1832; doesn't recognize him at first; the wheels are Visibly turning in his head and then he goes oh my god what the fuck. It's a Delight.) (And of course, the 'I fucked up and denounced you unfairly, you should punish me' scene is. Again, holding himself together on the surface but Breaking underneath and. Especially in contrast to the next scene/the confrontation at Fantine's deathbed which is one of the two scenes where he is Not particularly collected.) (And then there's that one Really Awkward Carriage Ride shortly after.)

I was going to get screencaps of some of these and. It doesn't. It doesn't really convey the full effect if he's not in motion, alas.

Essentially, the movie is fully leaning into him as a deuteragonist and I am Here For It.

(Full disclosure, I do ship them, and. This movie supports that. There's. There's a lot of staring. One might even say Gazing.)

Anyway, the whole thing is on YouTube and I highly recommend watching it, if only for Anthony Perkins as Javert.

((I have also discovered that the 2012 film of the musical is available on Netflix; so that's probably what I'm going to do next weekend after I move. I haven't seen it since it was in theatres, and my recollection is that, while there were definitely some Choices that didn't work out, overall it got a lot more flak than it deserved. We'll see if I feel the same way now, 10 and a half years later, lol.))

((I am not currently planning to watch the 1998 film, even if I can find it, because...look, I want to want to watch it, but I remember how it ends and I have Serious Issues With That. And I feel like, if the movie so fundamentally misunderstands its protagonist at that point, I don't have super high hopes for the rest. Which is a Shame, because, like...it's Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush; Uma Thurman and Claire Danes; like. You Cannot Go Wrong With This Cast And Yet.))

[ginger-snap-talkin-nonsense]

🔥 for each Star Wars trilogy

Originals:

Pros:

-Fantastic aesthetic

-Really well paced

-A majority of the characters are fantastic

-Lando

-Han being gay

-Fun story

-Decently Funny

Cons:

-The second movie drags in too many places

-Han and Leia are the worlds most annoying couple and they kill the fun whenever they stop the film to bicker for 15 minutes straight

-Han isn’t gayer

-Yoda doesn’t get to do much cool stuff

-Catholic rage

Overall: 7/10 Good watch would watch Bi-Yearly like I do with Twilight

Prequels:

Pros:

-ANAKIN AT ANY AGE IS A DELIGHT ON SCREEN

-Some of the best chemistry the franchise ever writes is between Obi-Wan and Anakin

-They really make you feel compelled despite knowing the ending

-Mace Windu

-Yoda gets to do cool shit

-I was very rarely bored

-Funny as shit

-Great marketing

-Genuinely moved me to tears

-Padme kicking ass in the second movie is baller as hell and beats anything Leia got to do because Han wasn’t there so there was no boomer sqwuaking.

-Fantastic fight scenes

-Great locations

Cons:

-Jar Jar doesn’t do much love or hate him he feels unobtrusive in a way that says “we had more for him but y’all were mad”

-Padme and Anakin is bland. Not unbearable, but not as much chemistry as I would’ve liked from the people writing Ani and Obi.

-Decent amount of “no one can communicate for shit” fuckery to force the plot along

-The scenes at the garden planet where Ani and Padme get married go on too long

-I don’t care that much about the Fetts

-Catholic rage

Overall: 9/10 I love them so fucking much holy shit oh my god why the fuck is everyone stupid these are clearly the best ones

Sequels:

-Haven’t seen them all. Was not impressed by what I heard.

Overall: Don’t Care/10

[an-honest-puck]

a collection of viewing notes and highlights from Back to the Tutor because I don’t have the time to liveblog while watching but I do have thoughts

(seems fitting that today's viewing notes and highlights are from a women-led MMNI cast!!! 🙌🏽 Happy International Women's Day, babes!!! <;3)

ah yes, Back to the Tutor a.k.a. Dave's audition tape to be the next James Bond XD

jokes, what I mean is: ytg (yeah the girls) baybeeeee!!!!!!!!

ayo big ups to the cast on this one!!!!!! I was shocked to see so few people in the cast compared to other nights (pandemic times, amiright) but hot damn what a brilliant story they weaved together!!!!

listen, I am all for Laura Kirman and Lauren Shearing romcom supremacy my dudes (gender neutral)

their love story was so friggin sweet!!! their scene on the mini-golf course and the awkwardness afterwards was so accurate and so endearing!!

Laura seems like such a load of fun - her grandiose entrance and that note she hit??????? queen shit!!!!!! excited to see more of her shenanigans!!!

and Lauren plays endearing characters so well how can you not love her????? but she's also equally loveable when she's being cheeky and causing mischief lololol

Ellie trying to be mean was so funny to watch lolol

like, she really went from 0 to 100 when she insinuated that her character pushed a grandma down the stairs XDD

Anna (Laura): You're a nasty, nasty woman!

Louise (Ellie): *desperately trying to wrap up her story arc because it's almost the end of the movie* And I'm not gonna learn my lesson! :D

Dave is in absolutely fine form and yes, I mean that in all definitions XD Dave really said as the token male of the cast tonight, I will be playing the boytoy to be ogled at, and you all have full permission to address me as such lmaoooo we appreciate your sacrifice, sir o7 /half-joking

no but for real, the man has range!!!!!!!! we love to see it!!!!!

hypermasculine James Bond to flamboyant best friend/sidekick character???? that's ✨range✨ baby

Bryony does what she does best: play an elderly person XD if I had a dollar for every elderly person I've seen her play, I'd have two dollars. it's not much, but it is odd that it's happened twice lololol

an absolute cracker of a character!!! such sassy lines and brutal advice!!! 😂 her scenes with Hen (yes, a wild Henry Lewis appeared via Zoom!!!!! it was delightful!!!! he's bloody brilliant!!!!) were so friggin sweet too omg!!!! <3

and oh my days her character ending!!!!! 😭 also, she had so many good scenes??????? but like, all of them did!!!!!!!

actually, this whole movie hit all the emotional beats incredibly well, it was magic!!!!!!!

perhaps somewhat to the detriment of the cast, with Oscar/Jono breaking character twice as he keeps an eye on them 😅 (which, mind you, was very sweet to see)

we love that moment when everyone's trying to figure out what the scene should be, so no one's actually on stage XD

Bryony: *starts to run on stage as the camera cuts away*

Oscar: Pause! Pause! Pause! *head in hands*

*cut to Bryony, sprawled on the floor as if she's fallen down the 2 steps of the stage and Dave midway through entering the scene*

*cut back to Oscar*

Oscar/Jon, somewhat nervously as he cranes his head around to look at the stage: Are you ok, Bry?

*a beat*

Bryony, offstage and cool as you like: Yes.

Oscar: Ok, good! Yes, yes, we carry on the movie- we carry on the movie- I really worried then! I really thought that we got two minutes in- gotta change the cast, got another one down- but no! It's fine! It's fine!

there is one big downside to this movie, and that is the smoke machine- terrible scene partner, never expected in the scene, always coming in too strong, 0/10 performance lmaooo

Oscar: Pause. And I think we have enough time for a final moment of performance from Bertie, who's desperately trying to work out how to signal that he wants to speak.

Hen really said "I got this, fam" and proceeded to straight up just tell Bryony to leave the room LMAO

ayo also huge kudos to Yshani and Richard for sneaking Bond music in whenever Dave- sorry, James Bond was in the scene XD

Marcus (Dave): Sorry, gals, but I'm back, and I'm pretty tired now! Alright, here we go! *proceeds to lead everyone through a ridiculously Zumba/aerobics-esque high energy dance while still looking like the most energetic person in the room*

Oscar, laughing: Pause! What I love is that obviously, when there's a song, there's a really clear moment when the song ends and we know that the movie's over. But with a dance, it's much harder to find that moment! But they do find that moment, before- because Dave does look very tired!

Marcus, voice breaking halfway through the sentence: Don't you worry, gals, I've got plenty in the tank!

*cue the music getting faster and the dancing getting faster*

and then Dave does a freaking cartwheel on the spot XD (ngl, I rated it - perhaps not in technique but geez the man has springs in his limbs lol)

[mangotalkies]

i have complicated thoughts on this season. being a bridge between the first book and the second book that neil gaiman and terry pratchett originally planned out, i get that its purpose was to explain the situations coming in season 3 and make the transition between the two plots smoother.

at times, the season evidently feels like a collection of filler episodes that focus a little too much on pleasing one part of the fandom, but i think the ever-growing, layered dynamic between aziraphale and crowley and tennant's and sheen's devotion to their characters makes up for it.

the last 10 minutes wrecked me but i feel like it'll make their reunion in the next season that much sweeter. i understand aziraphale's perspective at the end, but i think he has a lot of character development to go through (i doubt he was entirely clear-headed at the end but it's not entirely out of character for him to make that choice).

spoilers and unpopular opinions ahead -

when i watched season 1, i was delighted that crowley and aziraphale were portrayed as 'obviously together but not exactly in a traditionally human sense'. i was really hoping that it would continue.

them repeating the notion of 'our car', 'our bookshop', 'carving out a precious, peaceful, fragile existence for us', 'we could've been us' and their loud micro-expressions during the alpha centauri conversation, or when crowley finally tries to communicate with aziraphale was more than enough to portray how much they need and love each other's existence.

the kiss, personally, was underwhelming and slightly unreal. i didn't need it, but i'm not necessarily complaining about it. their body language during the scene also helped amplify the angst of their situation. i highly doubt the kiss would've happened if everything was well and good, so i'm not complaining.

watching aziraphale and crowley watch gabriel and beelzebub get their happy ending was an excellent touch of heartache.

all in all, crowley continues to be one of the most unmatched characters i've ever seen and good omens (minus the last 10 mins of s2) will continue to be my comfort show for a long time.