#and i can't wait to see how his dynamic with everyone is gonna develop

[invinciblerodent]

what, you mean to tell me that I have to actually play him to get more screenshots? nonsense. many excellent Tristans upon ye.

[lethby]

What's wrong with lesson 16 (everything)

A list by yours truly, who is about to collapse if she doesn't vent about it (TW: opinion lmao)

⍣ ೋ The time-travel shit

LITERALLY WHY

It creates so many problems and plot holes that could easily be avoided for no reason.

We leave everyone behind and it's never even addressed?? THEY'RE WAITING FOR US???

Barbatos, supposedly the one that cares about balance and timelines, just goes "well you're stuck here and I literally erased the other MC, good ending :D"

He told her "don't run into anyone" and she decides FIRST THING to head where all the noise is coming from, not trying to hide at all

⍣ ೋ No consequences whatsoever

It's awesome to know no one cared about MC dying

Sure, she's "alive" now, but everyone moved on so quickly??? Even Mammon, who was in the verge of a meltdown.

And it's all because we're Lilith's descendant how convenient

Even Belphie, our murderer who has hated humans for MILLENNIA, had a major switch up at this

Also, the brothers begin to completely disregard MC by treating her like Lilith

Look I understand, it's your dead sister and you miss her, BUT MC IS NOT HER. SHE IS HER OWN GODDAMN PERSON

But the worst part is... MC IS SO DAMN CHILL ABOUT IT

Even if she technically isn't the one who died, you'd expect some kind of uneasiness coming from her, SPECIALLY AROUND BELPHIE

Words can't express how much I hate it

⍣ ೋ Solution

I'm gonna make the devs a favor and fix their game

REVIVAL

MC JUST REVIVES FOR WHATEVER REASON (Lilith's will, the last remnants of her powers, Barbatos' precautions...)

Now you don't have to worry about too many plot holes, focusing on just one timeline

Also this allows her to remember her death, making her trauma more intense and veridical

I know it sounds crazy but if they could pull off lesson 16, they can pull this off

Make the brothers indecisive

They got their little brother back, but at what cost?

Everything is fine now, right? But it's not. MC is not "fine"

Make them conflicted between taking MC's side and comforting her but also welcoming Belphie and make up

MAKE MC UNCOMFORTABLE

I can't stress enough how important this part is

Give her TIME to evolve, develop as a character, and understand her feelings

She wouldn't want to be around Belphie, at all

She might not even wanna be around the others, seeing as they treat her like nothing happened

Make her upset, confused, feel like she doesn't belong, ANYTHING

MAKE HER GO THROUGH THE STAGES OF GRIEF

In fact, if you want to make her relationship with Belphie nourish, you can do that too by not just hey lol I killed you but I'm good now

Make her have nightmares

That's it

Make Belphie notice the dark circles under her eyes and the way she avoids him, then discover she has nightmares

The "now" Belphie could feel guilty

He might try to comfort her, only for her to shy away in response

Seeing as his apologies don't work this early into the trauma, he could enter her dreams and chase those nightmares away, every night, sacrificing his own sleep

THAT is a dynamic I want to see, personally

This could have been done with or without the time-travel, btw

In the time-travel, though, I was also missing some grieving from MC

Remember when I said to make the brothers conflicted? Make MC suffer more too

She wants to go back to her time, her universe, her family. They're waiting for her

But she also doesn't want to leave behind these demons, which have just found peace and happiness after a long time

Here's the catch, No matter what she chooses, she's forced to live her life regretting whatever decision she makes, since she can't make everyone happy and one side must suffer inevitably

An MC going through a heavy trauma and eventually (and slowly) overcoming it would just click with so many players

⍣ ೋ Conclusion

To me, the game didn't fully explore the feelings that going through that experience would bring for everyone, even if the idea itself was interesting. No, more like it didn't WANT to. Making MC go through all that would mean a lot of character development for a big amount of characters and little romance, which is what the game is about.

However, if you can't make that sacrifice, don't settle your game in a world rich in lore. And honestly, with all the explanations and back stories, I don't think obey me! is lacking on that. More so that, even if they were fully capable, they didn't want to go through all the trouble. Remember we're coming from an already fucked up scenario that took a lot of chapters.

Finally, this is just my opinion based on my experience. Of course, you don't have to agree with me in any way.

I have to say, that was relaxing lmaoo

Anyways, since I really like this idea and I've seen several people do it, I'm gonna make my own fanfic exploring how I think lesson 16 would have turned out realistically, hope you stay tuned!

Lethby ༊*·˚

[rainysofsunshineao3]

12 DAYS GUYS

And today, instead of anylysing another Yasmina and Sammy scene, we're analyzing THESE TWO BAMFs!!!

OMFG, these two I can't with these two I love them so dearly my lord. One of my favourite brother/sister relationships of all time. Their so supportive of each other and have a "sorry I just threw you down a mountain, it's how I show affection :)" relationship it's the best dynamic ISTG.

Like, I think Ben is the only other person Yaz voluntarily hugs (Not counting all the time's with Brooklyn cause those were kinda out of like "I protec u").

Like, Yaz didn't really have a strong relationship with Ben before he became "Island Ben", but when she sees him, instead of standing in shock like Brook and Kenji, she just throws herself at him (In a very "Sammy-like" manner, if I do say so myself lol). She obviously cares for this boy, even in when he was "Scared-Ben" and before their relationship really took off.

And she CONTINUES holding on to him like a lifeline for a good 7 seconds (Trust, I counted lol) AND THEN SHE FUCKING-

She pulls him in AGAIN. And Ben isn't like, akward about it at all. He just hugs her back instantly, which to me screams that there were never any romantic interest between them (Sorry to those who ship these two) and honestly shows need more of this. Like, these two are the only ones in this series...

ok I take it back, no one has shipped Ben and Brooklyn or Darius and Sammy as far as I'm concerned, but they have such limited screentime together I can see why.

They're the only well-developed and HEALTHY non-romantic duo in this series.

But like, Brook, Kenji, and Darius all had this really...weird and unexplained love triangle going on. Like I swear I wasn't the only one picking up on Brooklyn and Darius in Season 1 and 2, but then it shifts to Kenji for no real reason. Then obviously Yaz and Sammy were hinted at since the very first episode lol, but these two.

They're not even really as sibling-coded as Darius and Kenji (Yet another ship that I hope no one wanted to sail because...ew. their brothers yall. BROTHERS). They're just...different. I really don't know how to explain it. Honestly the best way I can explain it is with these two vvv

Yaz would definitely call Ben "Dingus" and make a "You Rule | You Suck" board I will die on this hill.

And Yaz obviously trusts this boy with her life. Like, when they were hiding from the robo-dogs (Oh my god, the demodogs and demogorgons of JWCC, the BRADS and BRAD-Xs) she's leaning into him.

And then they think their gonna die and this snipped right here actually breaks and heals my heart at the same time 🥹

Yaz just clings to him and hides her face in his shoulder and Ben doesn't waste a single goddamn moment before he tries to shield her as best he can.

*Raine pauses and watches again for science*

Screaming, crying, sobbing over them.

Can't find the GIF for it, but in season 5 when Ben sees Bumpy on get off the boat and makes a run for it, Yaz is the first one who notices Ben is gone. She's looking around for him before everyone else and she's the one who asks "Where's Ben". It's the little details in their relationship.

There's a whole other post I might make tomorrow on the amazing wingmanship between these two with Sammy and Ben's hilarious misunderstanding of Yaz being Kenji's wingman (Still not over that).

I love these two so much, my babies :))) There's so many moments between them that I caught on my rewatch.

Can't wait for JWCT, I miss the children so muchhhh

Toodles!

[splinterofpandora]

How do you do a good tribute to a deceased person in a children's show? Just use a soul.

This day...March 28, 2014...Lorenzo Semple Jr. passed away. He was the chief developer and head scriptwriter of the Batman'66 show. The legacy of this ambitious project continues to live on in our hearts. The very image of West's Batman is still one of the leading ones in the perception of not all, but many - by the way, not the oldest - fans.

So it wasn't surprising to see him back in animation or comics. It's not so important whether we're talking about cameos in the third volume or projects of his own universe.

But they're just easter eggs. We see other Knights there. Keaton, Bale, sometimes even the writers. Good cameos have long been normal even outside of comics. It's tradition.

The difference is that when you're talking about a first-person role, it's a full-fledged tribute. But Adam is dead. You're not gonna play with his voice like you used to. In BTAS (Gray Ghost) or The Batman 2004(Mayor) for example. Not to mention Proto(TBATB)...

I know, I always drag out the intro. But I want to give you a sense of the power of what they did. Because it's not just a cameo!

A.D.A.M. (short for Awesomely Dynamic Auto Mobile) in the Batwheels uses modified archived audio of Adam's voice. They let the deceased actor “play the part,” thereby elevating to an absolute the possibility of actor to live on even after death.

They knew it would sound strange to the modern generation that Bam epitomizes. And it's become not only a good joke, but one of the ways the show gives the message. All generations are good. We are different, but there is our strength in these approaches. Sometimes it's hard for us to understand each other, but that doesn't mean we should strive for it. Adam was about it too. So, the creators gave a good idea. What about the realization? I'm in love!

The dynamic between ADAM and Bam is constantly evolving. At first they just argue, but soon you realize that even here the old tricks are active. I mean, seriously, we can't have random cameos like in the original. What are you gonna do with that window?

Arrow is suddenly in Gotham and he's making Santa jokes. You just don't expect it. It works at the expense of surprise. It's simple and brilliant! Oh, think about this one!

They made the Batmobile...before the Batmobile. Admit it, you're doing it. I'm doing it. We're always shocked when we find out there was a guy before. Oh, you know Lewis Wilson? Pre-Crisis Comics? Wait, you're talking about the first appearance at 19...no way! So obvious, that's why you understand Bam. What I'm trying to say...

You don't need to be louder or brighter than everyone else to work. It's just a kids' show. We don't talk about death in places like this. We talk about life. It has to be simple. They'll never know what it's about right away. But they'll grow up and see it. Then something will explode in their minds. That will be love.

Oh, no, my red phone is ringing! Hurry, open your screen! You gotta watch Batwheels now, chum! The fate of Gotham depends on it!

Batwheels! Watch them turn on a dime! Batwheels! They look great in black! Batwheels! Hop in the back!

[normallosers]

One of my favorites (is my number 1 actually) plave combos is nyangnyangz, they're so chaotic that somehow brings me comfort and so much joy it's unbearable lol.

Honestly of all the dynamics inside plave, it's my favorite cause it's really notorious the difference in the ages, and despite Haminie being done with Noah at times, you can see the endearment in the interactions they have.

Noah is such a tease, he likes to mock him, he's always like 👀, waiting for the perfect moment to say something funny "attacking" Hamin (and anyone actually), cause he's the comedy kind, if I have to call that someway, but being honest, that is his love language, I can bet on that.

And I find really cute Hamin's reactions, sometime he's ready to respond. Sometimes he's just perplexed, and I'm sure Noah and I love that, but what i love the most is seeing him mad, is so funny, cause he can't actually be angry for long and he ends up laughing about the ridiculous situation lol.

And the cleverness of Noah to gaslight him, is just- He thinks too fast. Well... Probably because he just believe what he is saying idk, he gaslights himself too I guess, and since he's "always right ", it's fine for him lol.

Moving on, Thanks to Noah we have Hamin, and they said it was really easy for them to feel comfortable with each other, and it was a bond they made that felt really special. For Hamin it was really something like meaningful, he trust him enough for joining and give another go to his dream, like he said that time when they read the letters they wrote for they're future selfs, he thought for sometime that he has to quit his dream, but Noah give him a new chance, so he's always thankful.

And Noah has said that for him, it was easy to take a liking of Hamin and get fond of him. He was always around, following him and being cute, we all know how adorable he can be, and ofc since then, they became even closer, the development of their friendship is quite notorious.

Hamin knows what makes Noah laugh, sometimes nonsense or his more complex jokes, just by looking at each other they know if they're lying, the dynamic can seem to be made off teasing, and find something funny bout the other, but actually that's too shallow.

Its foundation actually consists in support, trust, been there for each other and the understanding that the actions of the other are more a part of a personality trait than an action with an specific intention (a bad one i mean). It's more like laughing together, singing, dancing, give in for the sake of the content lol, matching each other freak, give side eyes, and asking for compliments.

Something I really love is that dynamic Hamin did on kakaotalk of telling the members he was kinda feeling down, just to see reactions, how they would manage the situation, and why not, if they are an emotional support. And even when Noah's answer was the last response, to me was really meaningful, maybe he didn't say too much but it was something that showed concern and wanted him to know that he was supported.

(For obvious reasons I'm not gonna talk bout Yejunie's one, but his message was what everyone deserves to hear in that situation, he's an angel, I love that man so much, but this is not about him lol)

Now, on that message, trying to remembering correctly... He said to Hamin that he didn't have to go through that alone, he could tell him, cause he will be by his side always and since the moment they were Plave they became a family. I'm sobbing, sorry 🥹

So yeah, I love both of them separately, but as nyangnyangz is just a different vibe 🙂‍↕️❤️, together they just give me that cute vibes of feeling super comfortable with someone, that you can be you, the situation when, you know them too well and you kinda need to throw shady comments even when you love them for what they do to you hahaha, or out them for the content sake idk, to me they're too precious cause they're dummies 😂

I'm stopping now cause I could be here forever, but neither of us would want that lol, so yeah. Thanks Noah, for bringing Hamin to Plave, thanks Hamin for befriend Noah Lol 🙂‍↕️

[otakween]

Digimon Data Squad (Savers) - Episode 48

Omg. That ending was actually kinda unhinged 😂 It started out extremely predictable but then they pulled that twist at the end and made things interesting. Appreciate that they tried something different!

This series was decent. At the end of the day I'm disappointed in how one note all of the characters became. It feels like Tohma was the only one who got significant development and the digimon-human relationships were hit or miss. I definitely prefer it to Frontier, but I'd rank it lower than the first 3 seasons.

And, Yoshi said it for me this time:

Notes:

Generic Digimon ending: The digimon have to go home, oh no!

Me:

It catches me off guard every time for some reason and then I go "oh yeah, obviously."

It was a cool idea to have the lesser digivolutions in the final battle, if not just to see them again. Of course the child form is the one we're most attached to anyways.

The whole episode was like the opposite of that "facts don't care about your feelings" saying. It was all emotion over probability lol (or as an 80s ballad would say THE POWER OF LOVE!). It was cool to see a buncha side characters (and randos) awaken their digisouls. What does this mean lore-wise? No clue. It didn't happen for everyone I noticed...

So in total, Yggdrasill had like 5 forms. I want more context for that weird blue one that looks like an icicle. Was that piloting the spaceship looking form? Weird.

Yggdrasill's final form kinda looked like Millenniummon from the games. Also kinda looked like a delicious Gusher lmao

Of course Suguru is fine ("Yggdrasill brought me back to life") but wait, what about BanchouLeomon?? Screw him, I guess lol. (Or maybe they showed him and I blinked and missed it...)

I really liked the digimon standing up for themselves and their need to return home. I feel like that gave them more agency. It was interesting that they acknowledged the confusion of losing a God (like damn, that would be messed up). Masaru calling Agumon selfish for wanting to go home was pretty out of pocket, but I understand he didn't really mean it. (And Agumon did good sticking to his guns).

Gaomon wagging his tail and blushing when he served Tohma tea 😭 Too precious.

Yoshi and Lalamon never got enough screentime so I didn't really feel anything when they had their last hangout. Police!Yoshi was kinda cute.

Ikuto and Chika looked so adorable in their school uniforms 😭 Glad to see they became good friends.

Okay, THAT ENDING. It wasn't really the fact that Masaru goes to live in the digiworld, it was the fact that there was ZERO pushback whatsoever and Suguru immediately encouraged it loooool 😂 He could just be gone...forever!? There's a fine line between supportive and neglectful here. Just, amazing.

I like how Falcomon was like "Ikuto, you can't go back to the Digital World, your family was just reunited!" Meanwhile Masaru's family was literally just reunited too but oh well. (Different dynamic, I know).

Anyways, I think it's hilarious that this is the direction they took and I'm very happy for Masaru and Agumon. Let's hope Masaru becomes a legend and not terrorized by an angry God like his dad. (If I overthink things like food, shelter, and human socialization I'm gonna spiral so I won't).

[descendant-of-truth]

The thought recently crossed me but since it seems that in everyone's mind, Boruto and Kawaki have switched places, I'm imagining Mitsuki sadly wondering why his sun has suddenly started acting so cold and distant towards him :(

I don't know if you've read the newest chapter or not so I'll put the extra spoilery details and images under a cut, but this is something the manga is already starting to address! They don't say it out loud, but Mitsuki definitely seems to notice a change in his attitude.

My guess is that everyone's working under the impression that Kawaki changed so drastically because his parents were killed, which would be a hard justification for Sarada and Sumire to argue with. I also imagine it makes Kawaki's job a lot easier; he doesn't have to worry about acting like Boruto to keep up the ruse, because he already has a convenient excuse to be out of character.

Going into more detail, though, I really like how they've chosen to highlight the difference between Kawaki and Boruto's dynamic with Mitsuki. People tend to joke about it a bit, but it's true that Mitsuki tends to follow Boruto around wherever he goes - it's a known trait of his.

It's a tad concerning on Mitsuki's end, in my opinion, because it's representative of how he struggles to form his own identity outside of other people... but "creepy" is overselling it. He never forces himself onto Boruto, and just as importantly, Boruto doesn't have a problem with him tagging along everywhere.

I haven't read the manga in its entirety yet so I can only draw examples from the anime, but I feel like it's worth noting that even when he does find Mitsuki's behavior weird, he never actually insults him or tells him to back off.

The most uncomfortable I remember him getting is in this scene on the train, and even then, he kind of just. turns away for a while like he's embarrassed, but keeps talking to Mitsuki like normal.

Which is why Kawaki calling him a creep and a pain is such a huge contrast. Even if he was grieving and vengeful, would Boruto ever be that harsh towards Mitsuki? One of his best friends? Over something that he was never even bothered by before??

I have a feeling that Mitsuki's going to gradually feel more like something's wrong with Kawaki, but the only thing I can see making him believe Sarada about the memory swap is Boruto doing something unmistakably kind for him, like. I dunno, taking a blow for him in battle or something, and having that directly contrasted with Kawaki... not doing that

Because if Boruto, the guy he's trying to kill, is going out of his way to protect him while his "actual" friend is leaving him in the dust, well. that's gonna get some gears turning, don't you think?

There's a lot of ways it could go down at this point, of course, but I for one am really enjoying the setup we've got so far! Can't wait to see how it all develops in future chapters

[odukora-lore]

I find it hard to assume stuff on your stories since there aren't many gaps to fill, so uhhh

* POE's climax is very different from TEF, not being as much of a Big Final Battle

* speaking of TEF's final fight, like. Atch has got to be a main player there, right? He is for sure the strongest character that's going to go against Cygnus so I feel like he's definitely going to play a major role lmao

* CS at one point involves social media scandals because someone took a picture of Angie holding Hydrangea's hand or something

* TSIAS has a Big Climactic Moment involving Skyble figuring out how stars work (aka finishing their theses) and another one when they actually present their hypothesis together

* one of the magical girls in TOI uses a gun (<- lowkey this is just due to G&G and Madoka lmao)

LMAOOO these are such good ones

Actually yeah POE finale reeks more of a peaceful closure instead of the final face down of the big bad ngl, at least that's the vibes in my head, esp considering Thorn is someone that actually gets redeemed (though he never ends up being forgiven by the cast understandably lmao mf has done enough atrocities, he basically ends up in the empyrean and is collectively "adopted/tamed" by the guardians in a way lol but that's a whole other thing for another day, even this plot point alone is very bare bones and not as thought out as the TEF finale that's been in my mind for at least two years now (the og vibes of TEF finale has been a thing since at least 2020 though a lot has been tweaked since then), cuz POE wasn't rlly my story before winning the custody war lmaoooo and I've only changed shit around last year so there rlly isn't much going, one thing that I do know is that the true finale takes place at the tree graves through, but that's more so the resolution instead of the true climax lol, but beforeeeee the climax there is the coolest scene ever™ in the empyrean that I can't wait to draw someday

YES ATCH IS A MAIN PLAYER SINCE THE 2020 VER LMAO that's the shit, I've talked abt this somewhatttt before but there's a reason that while he was banished for millenia everyone in Cloud Cliffs eventually has to go *oh the shitty guy that ruined everything saved the world somehow so we kinda have to respect him now that's lame but tolerable ig* lol, a lot of it has to do w him being a wielder of the soul crystal rlly, post Jingle drown is when he started rlly questioning his motifs seeing how far Cygnus is willing to go w this entire ordeal and around S5 he starts somewhat helping out the main gang by guiding them to the portal to Cloud Cliffs to stop Cygnus basically lol, it's sorta a set up for his supposed redemption arc, though ofc not everyone forgives him immediately lmao, Homecoming becomes a great excuse to explore the follow up aftermath in detail

Her name is Azalea lmaoooooo dw though I never talk abt them much, but yeah LMAOOO one of the fun points of CS is def the social media aspect, one of my main reasons for developing it is literally to have an excuse to explore allll the Naru social media equivalents that never rlly get utilized in the other adventure heavy stories, there's gonna be Quacker drama™, there's also a new char (or two??? Three???) that I haven't ever spilled for CS anywhere that's gonna add some spice to the existing blorbo dynamics, tldr lesbian gay solidarity you'll see

You see it's interesting cuz before I settled on constellations being a POE lore it was actually gonna be explored via TSIAS, so the climatic scene in TSIAS looks very similar in POE in my head though there's def some differences having tweaked it a bit, but yeah it's def the relevation of them figuring out how stars work lol and again it looks cool as fuck™ and is something I also rlly wanna draw someday, presenting their hypothesis together is literally something I've never thought of in my head even if it's the obvious conclusion lmaoo I'm stealing that

Ngl I haven't rlly planned all the glowlin weapons but Lune def reeks of a gun user so it's very likely that she actually does use a gun lmaooooo, she basically blasts all the horrors out of her way and calls it a day

[twistedhoneycomb]

AS PROMISED: MY THOUGHTS ON F&C SO FAR!! just a big ramble basically. I'll do 1 & 2 for this post and then 3 & 4 in another (ofc, spoilers ahead if u haven't seen it yet!!!)

Ep 1. (Fionna Campbell)

I LOVED this episode. it feels like a perfect introduction to fionna's world and the characters in it!! all the nerdy little references to the original show made me SO happy I absolutely loved those …

of course seeing marshall lee again made me absolutely jump for joy MY HUSBAND IS BACK!!! AND BETTER THAN EVER!!! his human design is perfect idc what anyone says he looks stunning. I also love that LSP's human name is ELLIS P. it's so creative and so not at the same time LMAO

it also took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that one character is supposed to be a genderbend huntress wizard. uh.

I also love how they're already sorta setting up gumlee by having marshall really like gary's cookies. that is the cutest thing ever I CAN NOT wait to see them develop more UUGHHH. I also just love gary with all my heart even if I kinda wish he had a better name

not to mention the opening song was so cute. it's so upbeat but so … depressing. 

I don't have a whole ton to say abt this episode but honestly?? I give it a 10/10 I adored it

Ep 2. (Simon Petrikov)

my poor babygirl. god I love simon… I feel so bad for my little guy… my man is basically an alcoholic (see ep 4)... he just misses Betty so much and I WANT TO GIVE HIM A HUG AAAUUGH!!!! 

I love him & finn's dynamic!! sensing a little repressed grief/trauma from finn though. like… just go on adventures all the time so you don't think about bad stuff? ouch my guy… ouch… EVERYONE IS SO DEPRESSED IN THIS EPISODE 

tbh… I was genuinely more surprised to see blood than I was to hear the characters swear. but let's be honest it's about time adventure time showed some serious gore & guts like THIS IS A SHOW PARTLY ABT FIGHTING MONSTERS. I think it suits the show, same with the mild swearing tbh, I was REALLY worried it would ruin it but it flows really naturally 

I can already see why Tom Kenny said this show was the most emotional thing he'd ever acted for… I can't imagine how the rest is gonna be (i can't wait)

I give the ep an 8.5/10 i think!! the first is my fav but this one is really really awesome too

I'll write about 3 & 4 later but YEAH!! thanks if u read all this

[sophiesbookishthings]

June Reads 🌈

Hi! I've got a little preface before this month's list. Every June I like to try to exclusively read books with LGBTQ+ rep. I do tend to kind of do that throughout the year anyway since I'm queer (biromantic asexual and nonbinary) and that's just the type of books I naturally seek out. But in June I make a point of it and try to read books where they are specifically the main character. It's also preferable if the author is also LGBTQ+ in some way. I believe representation in the media is extremely important and I like to support that whenever I can. Anyway, buckle up, this one is gonna be long.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

This book has 3(!) asian bisexual polyamorous main characters by an asian nonbinary queer author. This book was like if ancient China met Pacific Rim, then make it queer and feminist. I was not in love with the first part of this book. The main character was (understandably) out for revenge but didn't seem to really think through her plans well. She was also really mean. It did make sense for the character at the time, though and it made sense, since she really didn't think she would live long enough to have further plans or for it to matter that she was mean. It was just a bit frustrating to read. She did have character development throughout the book and did ultimately turn her anger specifically back toward the oppressive government. I loved watching each dynamic of the romance develop throughout the book. I think it was really well done, and the three characters fit really well together. It was also a great contrast to the harrowing dark nature of the rest of the plot. Then the ending! The ending was such a great payoff from the rest of the book. The twist was foreshadowed so well, and I did pick up on it a bit. I knew something was up with the "aliens." The second book is supposed to be out later this year, I believe, and I can't wait to read it.

4.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

Leather and Lark by Brynn Weaver

Okay, this one isn't lgbt. Oops. I had it preordered and had to read it immediately. I do think I liked the first book in the series a bit more, but this one was still fun. It was kinda enemies to lovers and had a marriage of convenience. The fmc basically did arts and crafts with her victims (who were typically child abusers/molesters), and the mmc was a professional crime coverer. I really liked how hard the mmc worked throughout the book to be forgiven for things that happened when the 2 mcs first met and the gradual reveal of why it was so bad for the fmc in the first place. I'm excited to read the next book because I feel like the two main characters are going to be super interesting.

4.25/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

Edgedancer by Brandon Sanderson

.....Okay, I did another non-lgbt one. But it's Sanderson, and it's a novella okay. I don't really have much to say about this one except that Wyndle deserves financial compensation or something. That poor spren is going through it. I'm really intrigued to see how Lift is going to deal with being a Radiant and interacting with the others in Oathbringer after this book, though. I think she's gonna add a lot more chaos, and it's gonna be fun. Oh, and I still love Szeth, and someone needs to help him. I know he's a notorious assassin, but he is the saddest, wettest, most pathetic guy, and he's having a whole existential crisis.

4.25/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

This one was really good. I've had it on my shelf for a while. I get why everyone was talking about it a few years ago (when I should've read it lol oops). The main character is a gay transgender Latino (same as the author) boy whose family can summon spirits and heal. Powers which are unfortunately traditionally gender based. Through the book, he tries to prove to his family that he belongs with the men of the family while also helping a spirit he kinda accidentally raised. I really loved Julian, and the eventual relationship between him and Yadriel was really sweet. I listened to this one on audio, and I have to mention that I loved Avi Roque as the narrator. They did a great job. Then there were two twists at the end, one I saw coming, and one I didn't. The one I didn't see coming was really neat and made a lot of sense considering there is supposed to be a sequel.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loveless by Alice Oseman

I tried to read this book at least twice before I finally got through the whole thing. I had to get it in audiobook cause that is my trick to getting through books that are hard for me to get through for whatever reason. And it absolutely wasn't because I didn't like it. It was the exact opposite. Alice Oseman never fails to make me cry when she writes aro/ace characters. She herself is aro/ace, I believe, and the way she writes her aro/ace characters is the closest I think I've ever read/seen in media to my own experience. This book felt too much like looking into a mirror, and that made me have A Lot of Feelings. Even trying to read it this time was tough, and it took me a while. Georgia's experience navigating through the transition between college and high school felt a lot like mine. Though, her college experience ultimately went significantly better. Her desire for connections felt a lot like mine. Though she did achieve that in a way, I very much did not. I loved the various representation in this book. Sunil was a particular favorite of mine. And i loved that they were Shakespeare theatre kids. Very much like me lol. Ultimately, I really loved the conclusion that friendships can be just as important and fulfilling as romantic or sexual relationships.

4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I liked this book a lot. I love a good morally gray woman who won't apologize for her questionable choices. I also love a good queer period piece. And this book is mostly set in old Hollywood which fascinates me because of the contrast of how glamorous it looks versus how much of a nightmare it actually was for anyone who wasn't a straight cis white male in a position of power. There was also a really sweet found family element in this book, and I'm always a sucker for that. It also had an interesting narrative structure, which I enjoyed, because it was framed as an interview. So this book really checked a lot of boxes for me.

4.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

I really liked the premise of this book. Two men meet in ancient China, fall in love, and meet over and over again throughout various lifetimes. The endless palace concept intrigued me as well. Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. I wanted this to be a love story, and I think it was supposed to be, but it felt like more of a lust story. And there's nothing wrong with that, but it felt weird to me when it was framed as a love story and then barely delivered. It didn't feel like the two protagonists actually got time to get to know each other and fall in love before they were declaring that they were in love, especially in the lives they live after the first. And this declaration happened later in the book as well. There was very little romantic development. It would have been more interesting to me if they had to make the effort to fall in love in each life, but it never seemed like they did. Even in the first lifetime, it seemed like their love was orchestrated. It also never explained why they were reincarnating. I think the jade thing was supposed to be the reason, but it wasn't explained well at all. And, considering the title, I thought the endless palace would come into play a bit more. It didn't. It was mentioned briefly that the palace was seemingly endless, and that was about it. Ultimately, the ending failed to pull the whole story together like I hoped it would. I basically got 0 emotional effect from this. I felt like basically nothing happened and that there were so many loose ends that were just left unexplained. And if you do choose to read this tw for sexual assault/coercion.

The First Bright Thing by J. R. Dawson

2.5/5 ⭐️⭐️✨️

When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill

This book was weird. But I kinda loved it, I think. The two girls the story centers on, Marie Antoine and Sadie Arnett, are based on Marie Antoinette and the Marquis de Sade (which is directly referenced in the book and it made me laugh). It follows them through years of both their friendship and rivalry and how Maire's privilege and Sadie's libertinism impact their relationship (both platonic and romantic). It has very heavy themes of 19th-century feminism which can seem very harsh at times when read through a lense of modern feminism, but I do think it was ultimately executed well. It also had themes of classism and the privileges that come with being in the highest upper class and how that can affect ones beliefs. It's also very queer. I was a little worried about the way it was queer at first because it seemed pretty heavy on hating men but i think that was very much due to the time period and the extreme amount of priveledge men had in the lives these women were living in. This book also had a few twists that, even though I picked up on a little early, still made me gasp when it was revealed. And every character in this book is flawed and kinda awful in some way, which was part of what made it such a fascinating book to me. Like I said, I love morally questionable women.

5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I kept seeing and almost picking this book up at the bookstore until I finally just got it on audio from the library. This book had found family and a magic circus. But it also had a pretty prevalent theme of the effects of an abusive relationship that kinda caught me off guard because that wasn't necessarily stated in the description of this book. It was actually one of the strongest elements of this book, I thought, so it seems odd to me that it wasn't one of the main points of the description. Then there is a plot point in which they try to stop WWII. I think this book could have been just as good or even better if that had been excluded because it didn't really seem to go anywhere. But also upon reflection, I believe the point of it was to show that even though terrible things may happen in the future you can't necessarily change them and have to live in and make the most of the present. And I kind of love that as a concept. I really liked the relationship between the ringmaster and her wife. They were really sweet and another one of the strongest parts of the book as well as the friendship between them and their other friend who helps them run the circus. I think I still have more thoughts about this book, but this is already long, and I'm not coherent enough to articulate them lol

3.75/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

[crystalninjaphoenix]

I think I am genuinely sick about Your Fantasy Masks au.

i've read great fics before (hell, pnpt and Septic heros are some of my top fics ever) but i am so not normal about FM.

Unfortanetly It's not possible for me to convey how much I love a 200k word fic (and still going!!!) by discussing each chapter, but GOD. This fic rocks.

The dynamics you build between the characters and the interactions they have are just fantasitc. I like how (in all your fics but especially FM) you give time for bonding scenes and let the reader see how the characters bond together.

Marvin, Jackie and Henrik are awesome. I adore their backstory and just the 3 of them together are so fun to read. Jackie and Marvin teasing Henrik over Vsevna is wonderful (!!!!They're courting!! <- is that the right word?)

Side note: One of my favourite scenes (or scene that has stuck with me) Is Jackie and Marvin apologising to each other. He did a shit job at it but I'm glad that they forgave each other

Jameson!! I like how he joined the main cast by being yoinked by Chase. I feel bad for him -being trapped by the king could not of been a fun experience. But! I like how you've developed his character. In the beginning he was very scared (rightfully so) and doubted he could do anything. Now in latter chapters, he's learning how to be his own person again after being stuck with the king + starting to be brave (my mind immediately goes to hiding the masks under the floor and trying to shield his mind from The king).

And Chase!! He's such a good character I love him. First: Him and his family <333 We don't see much of them but I love them (also Stacia!! She very cool. Can't wait to see Chase (hopefully) reunite with them after they've stopped being enchanted the the enchanter. And Amy and Quinten!! Can't wait to see more of them). I also like how Chase just knows a lot of stories (that end up being relevant to figuring stuff out). I just think it's really cool.

And the king/Jack??? Oh no he's locked in a well. So the king is being possesed?? thats so cool. I can't wait to see how the plot progresses and if Jameson's oracle about Chase will come true.

On a final note, I just really love the masks. Your world building for this Au is insane but I just really like the masks. I like how everyone gets to choose an animal and the symbols that represent the roles.

Okay that's only the main(ish) characters but I need to finish this ask off otherwise I might just start screaming and stop making any sense.

I've been constantly rotating this fic my head these past 3 days as I've read it, so thank you for writing it. It's fantastic and I love it a lot :D Not sure which fic of yours I'll read next, probably Horror Septics or Switch Au.

Yayyy I’m so glad you’re liking it! :D You do have an uncanny ability to send me asks when I’m busy XD but I’ll try to address everything you said. I’m so happy that you’re liking the characters! The scene with Jackie and Marvin making up was one of my favorites to write. It’s not often that you see something like “person messes up an apology at first” in writing so I wanted to include that. And yes, the others teasing Henrik for courting Vsevna is one of my favorite running jokes. I also love Jameson’s slow character development and Chase’s love for others. And yep, Jack is the true King but he’s being possessed—the spirit has been the villain of the story the whole time! Anyway, I’m happy you’re enjoying my stuff ^-^ If you’re gonna read more I’d be delighted :D

[seiwas]

your boyfriend is your highschool sweetheart??? sel that is so cute im 😿😿😿what was your first date like!!! what did you do!!!

I WANNA talk about my boy best friend bc i love him sm 🥹🥹🥹we met during our freshman year of high school and we went to a small nerd school,, we both happened to be the only freshmen in the sophomore math honors class bc we both tested into it and i first i saw him as an enemy bc i thought i was supposed to be the only freshman!!! i wanted to be special!!! also i was kinda mean and he never took anything super seriously so we had that very joking dynamic and we never payed attention in class (me and another guy would always draw dicks and weed leaves over his notes and programmed an automatic dick-drawing graph on his calculator and that was the entire year)

but we became really good friends because we were the only freshmen and we bonded over that, but we started to get really close around junior year bc we finally started developing actual personalities and stuff, and the only class we had together was physics but he made it so fun and so comfortable, he brought his own lunch every day but he always walked me and stood with me in the lunch line so we could spend more time together 🥹

and during senior year his classes ended early but he'd wait until my classes were over so we could get a quick lunch before my lab every week! i had really strict parents so we couldn't hang out super often outside of school, he even switched his schedule around for me for our second semester so we could actually have a class together (we were definitely super loud in class i feel like everyone definitely were either annoyed at us or really enjoyed listening into our conversations) and now that we're in college we see each other less but we're trying to find more ways to hang out together

and when we were signing each other's yearbooks he wrote like four paragraphs about how much he appreciated me and i was just like 🥹 'cause he's a guy and he doesn't talk about his feelings that much and i just felt so loved and he definitely wrote the most in my yearbook out of everybody

BLIKE usually boys (esp in high school) don't really become friends with girls unless they have ulterior motives in my state but IDK i've never clicked with a guy as much as i've clicked with him, he's made it so clear that he'd never want anything romantic from me which i really appreciate bc a lot of guy friends that i've had usually end up confessing and im like 🧍‍♀️we don't talk about a ton of personal stuff a lot of the time but he's always super understanding when i need to talk to someone and super supportive like he's just SO easy to be with, when people say girls and guys can't be friends 'cause one usually wants something more with the other it's just not true !!

he's been dating this really nice girl for a couple months now (which lowkey caused so much tea in our friend group it's such a long story) so i try not to hang out with him alone a ton of the time, but we're gonna hang out this week and go to a research get-together thing!! it's been a little bit less than two weeks since i've last saw him so i'm super excited

also chanyeol looks so good in his teaser!!! i kinda wish it was an album or something but :((

-alexis (@kissxcore)

alexis!!! so happy to see you here!!!! 🥺 welcome to the sleepover!!! ✨

let's have a sleepover!! 💗 send me any questions/stories you wanna share!!!

and yes omg jsksksbz my bf is technically my hs sweetheart 😭 and oh gosh our first date? hmm we used to hang out a lot one-one before we got together so what constitutes as a date has always been a bit blurred for us 😭 (i think our dynamic is very best friend-y!) but!!! the first time we went out for dinner after getting together was this one night after we both went to different parties!

we met up after and found this small ramen place along the street and ate there until like 12mn or smth 🥹 that was it!! nothing too fancy 😭 ever since, i think i can count on my one hand the number of times we’ve been on actual ‘dates’ just bc we hang out so much and prefer to chill at home more than anything 😭

but your story omg 🥺 your boy best friend!!! that is so cute alexis 🥺 your dynamic sounds so funny aksnsj and not you hating his ass at the start bc of that rivalry 😭✋🏼 that automated dick drawing on his calculator is so real too 😭 the best high school friendships are truly the ones that get u in trouble for talking too much in class 😭

‘bc we finally started developing personalities’ HELP & he sounds like such a sweet person alexis omg 🥺 how he’d bring lunch but still walk you to get yours lIKE ?!?!?! so you could spend more time together!! and how his classes ended earlier than yours but he’d still wait for you WTHEK 🥺 AND!!! how he switched schedules around with you omg??? + that fact that you feel comfortable and safe w him!!! a friendship to treasure!!! 🥺💗

and your yearbook oh gosh four paragraphs!! that’s so sweet alexis 🥺 i super get what you mean aisnsj not a lot of boys tend to write/express themselves a lot so that must feel really special 🥺

and you’re so right abt boys in high school and ulterior motives!! & i’m glad that you both have been clear w each other that it isn’t like that at all!! i think feeling at ease and supported in any type of relationship is so important 🥺 so happy you found that with him!! and tbh i agree!! how it isn’t true that guys and girls can’t just be friends 😭 i super get what you mean!! i have a lot of friends who are guys 😭

and omg i'm so glad he found a really nice girl!! 🥺 he deserves it with how sweet he is!! are you good friends with her too? how does she feel about you being close to him? (and omg the tea in the friend group 😭 what happened....) & AAAAH i'm so excited you're going to be reunited!! nothing beats the feeling of being with your best friend after a long, long time 🥺

i think i can kind of relate!! bc while my bf is technically my best friend, some of my other closest friends are guys too!! (who are also really close to him, they're in his hs friend group!! now we have a small subgroup of me, my bf, my bf's best friend, and one of his good childhood friends) it's funny & cool bc i had formed individual friendships with them at first, not knowing that they were all good friends with eachother until we all just started hanging out together 😭 oh!! i even have the same birthday as my bf's best friend 😭

we have very sibling dynamics i think 😭 one as my little brother and the other as one my age 😭 the one i see as a little brother was a bit of a troublemaker back in high school, we all found out on the day of his graduation that he'd be walking and i think almost burst into tears omg 😭 & even up until college, i was always getting phone calls late at night abt him being wasted af somewhere, so i'd worry and make arrangements for him to get home safely 😭 he also had a super toxic ex gf who was jealous of me omfg 😭 (but it's so weird bc she was my friend for literal yEARS before they got together) (thats why i ask about if you're good friends with your bestfriends current girlfriend!! bc that's all i could ever want omg... for me to be close to my friends's gf's too 🥺)

all this to say that!! i think my heart expands every time i think of them and our lil friend group! bc! a part of me feels like, those are My Boys, y'know? they're both so nice and thoughtful 🥺 i always have these one-on-one brunch/coffee-chat updates with them about life every now and then, and they always offer to be my ride if we're going somewhere with our friends!! when i was ldr with my bf, they were really there to keep me company too 🥺

this got so long i'm sorry i love gushing abt my friends hsdbajs omg but thank you so much for sharing alexis bb 🥺 i hope your day with your bestfriend is good!! 💗

[frostbite-the-bat]

OK random FROSTBITE THE BAT (CHARACTER) TOONTOWN RAMBLES

thinking abt frost and their development with them hiding their identity as a cog - it's always been basically a big joke, after all this lore and 'au' with them isn't very serious and is very jokes (though some of the more personal or detailed things mean a lot to me, especially the allan/cathal/frost/spam/hr/freakson goofy family dynamic)

but I just think it's so funny how they went from careless but still careful to realizing nobody cares as a case of convenient plot armor. like oh no wait we can't do that the toons will know we're cogs. We (spam + frost) gotta be careful though the cogs don't know we're toons. we're in this middle ground where we're FUCKED OVER

but they find toons and cogs they love who love them back and frost just had their whole careless development and they just. Don't care now like all the oil stains and only ever talking to cogs that they were worried about in the past it seems to be a joke to them too. as long as like the resistance doesn't know, they're fine

And if they were to be sorta harassed away from presenting as toons and being around toons they have a massive safety net with the cogs. canonically this would never make sense but it's a self insert au for myself and my friend group, so like whatever we want to happen can happen it's goofy it's cheesy it's nice it's very seperate from canon but it's FUN like I'm aware and like. they barely do shit thats like bad bad theyre just silly goofy frost max bites you then does a prank they dont do evile. they dont even got normal job)

Plus frost especially doesn't have to worry about cogs seeing them as a toon and getting attacked either this fucking thing is a menace with maybe a slightly oversized ego even if they get fucked up in a battle they're probably gonna pretend it didn't happen (while everyone else laughs) boy they scare any flunky with those teeth

like it's very unrealistic but it's so goofy and fun just watching this just. goofy loud motherfucker do whatever they want and do pranks and be a menace. it's fun to just have a character to mess with around non seriously but goooood the more private dynamic stuff is so good I mention it in doodles

them mirroring allan with showing off son everywhere and being very proud of him. their dynamic with spam of kinda being the lead sibling getting into trouble and being loud with empty threats with spam just being like 'uh huh yeah' about it because frost wouldn't do it. frost is a very fail character but in a swag way. their whole 'this weird fucking thing that perplexes me I need to know more about them now we got something fruity going on that isn't ever disclosed because it's entertaining on stage but also frost never says shit' with hr (they're the Fucking Thing), them being able to keep cathal company in some times lifting his mood and motivation up whenever he's too dismotivated or. like just depressed for stuff. more reason to do things when you got goofy siblings to do things with. Especially frost being the opposite energy like they have energy levels equal to graham like those two constantly babble!!

Another dynamic!! The rivalry with Graham but like. there's still some slight care bc mole pace flint is canon here. That's their boss and the guy dating their clubs leader and one of their closest friends also like. but also they will be tryna fight each other in small goofy ways and try to one up each other like 💀💀💀 the girls r fighting. OK see u next week same time for me beat you up!!!!!

It's all so goofy but I LOVE IT I LOVE MY SILLY GUYS I LOAVE TOONTOWM EVEN IF ITS MY OWN PERCIEVED SELF INSERT VERSION OF MYSELF. MY TOONTOWN FRIENDS AND REAL FRIENDS ARE ALL IN IT!! WE'RE ALL HERE!! AND MY GOOFY BAT IS IN THE CENTER OF IT ALL!!

[rainy19days]

This isn't really an analysis or anything deep, only my small attempt at predicting what can happen next. Also some rambling, manifesting, wishful thinking or whatever.

Considering how much Old Xian loves references to earlier chapters/scenes/panels I wonder if it's possible that we'll see a parallel to the time He Tian asked Mo about the future and gifted him the black studs.

We all love comparing similar panels and usually the conclusion is one - there's a shift, there's progress. Therefore, it isn't completely unreasonable of me to imagine that now, as we witnessed huge character development of both He Tian and Mo, Old Xian would maybe like to reuse the scene to match their current dynamic.

Through various hints and foreshadowing we already kind of know what we can anticipate. First of all, Mo wants to ask He Tian which high school he's going to attend, which inevitably leads to them talking about the future. Second of all, they plan to pierce Mo's ear, so that could happen too (I don't want to elaborate on that here, though). Finally, we can see in the future chapters that Mo wears black studs, but since the ones He Tian gave him before are broken we can assume that He Tian is going to give him new ones. All of this matches the scene perfectly.

Just imagine them both sitting on the floor at He Tian's place again. This time it would be Mo asking He Tian what he wants to do in the future ( I know he already once asked He Tian if he thinks about the future at all but this was vague, now he's genuinely interested and wants to ask specific questions as opposed to all the times he said he doesn't care about anything that involves He Tian).

He Tian would take out the small box and give it to Mo.

Last time Mo said the studs were so-so. I imagine that this time he'd be speechless and teary eyed, remembering what happened to the original pair, what happened to him, what happened and changed between them. He'd be moved at He Tian's thoughtfulness. Happy how they both cherish this symbol of He Tian's protection and Mo's trust in him.

Maybe He Tian would say that whatever happens they'll figure it out. That whatever happens this is their promise to each other to keep believing in each other and support each other. If He Tian tells Mo he's going away, and they cry and mourn their upcoming separation, he might then tell Mo he's gonna do everything to keep in touch, that he'll be back for him. Asking Mo to wait for him. Or saying he can't ask him that but he wishes he would.

Mo wouldn't run to the bathroom to put on the studs himself. He would let He Tian do it.

And I can only wish that similar to the part where He Tian pushes Mo to the floor, there'd be a different angle of him doing it again. We'd be looking at them from behind the bed. This time He Tian would be leaning in gently, closing the distance between them and Mo letting him as they slowly lay down with Mo's hands wrapped around He Tian's back...

Just some additional thoughts...

While the thought of Mo being left behind is painful and everyone knows how hurt he's gonna be, I can't stop thinking about what He Tian must be going through. He knew about the transfer forever, and then he met Mo and fell in love and even though his feelings only grew stronger he also knew that eventually he'd be forced to move somewhere he doesn't want to go and part with the person he cares about the most.

He Tian has probably been heartbroken ever since he realized his feelings for Mo. This one fact in itself is tragic. Whatever happens next it's going to be so devastating for the both of them.

[feralyrica]

I am MELTING ON THE FLOOR over how much i love the entire Horizons cast a;dslfjk like losing ash is still. very bittersweet. but every single character in the new series is like engineered to appeal to me and it's Very Rude

(gonna go off about everyone below the cut bc i need to scream into the void for a bit)

so first off Liko?? little anxious baby, freezes up from overthinking, a DRASTIC change from past characters and a very bold choice for the like main protagonist but one that feels necessary to really differentiate this new series from the old,, then her (over)willingness to sacrifice herself (please, sweetheart, please get over that i am begging you nobody wants to see you get captured)??? and then her dynamics with all of the other characters are PERFECT, especially Nyaoha and Roy (even though they've. just met) and i can't wait to see how they develop!!

then ROY. Baby. Baby boy. Pure sunshine. I think he may be the single purest character in the entire franchise. Him and Hogator are SO CUTE (if you haven't seen the new episode yet PLEASE watch it i cried from the cuteness) and i can't wait to see how he officially joins the gang (i have. theories. but we shall see) and again, the dynamic with Liko is. absolutely beautiful a;sdflj

then FRIEDE. man. man is cocky, a bit of a himbo ("What? didn't I mention that?" SIR excuse me that was important,,,) but also intelligent enough to be a professor, i am FROTHING AT THE MOUTH for more backstory. (...plus he's pretty ok). Also i don't feel right giving him his own section in this but shout out to Cap. The power. The STANCE in that chair. The cockiness that he shares with Friede (who is? his trainer? I guess? despite deferring to him in most matters involving the ship) and that is tbh very well deserved. also i love that they gave him a distinctly different battling style to Ash's pikachu!! well done making him feel like his own unique character

the rest of the Rising Volt Tacklers (who can share a section just bc they. have not had much screentime yet) are also just. fantastic. Murdock with his cute little puppy being the biggest softest man around (and completely failing his section in the ED a;dfsjk i'm so glad they made him Incapable of Being Cool), and then Orla being just. so tired half the time (mood) and also HELLA cool, just based on vibes, and MOLLIE (and oh, I do love the theories about her being a Joy. i beg of you, GIVE ME THE BACKSTORY, POKEMON) with her smirks and glares and her angry chansey jacket just generally being a boss and the opposite of what you'd expect from a healer,,, and Ludlow who... I don't have much to say about other than that I'm side-eyeing his beard. I don't believe it's real. where is his FACE. but i'm interested to learn more about what the hell he's doing with this group a;sdfkj

and then there's THE EXPLORERS!! who are apparently notorious, for reasons that will hopefully be elaborated on. i usually love villain characters so no surprises here but I LOVE THEM,,, they're already significantly more ruthless than most past villains so that is. very very fun. Conia is very very funny with her feelings on nyaoha as;kdflj and then Zir is a little bit less developed thus far but so far he seems to be kind of the more serious of the two and i'm really excited to see how he goes from here on out!! and then AMETHIO. i may have missed something in my initial watch but i honestly assumed he was a rather short adult from his speaking style and how the others deferred to him,, but I'm now thinking meant to be like older teens? definitely older than Liko but now i'm SO CURIOUS as to how he ended up in his position here. and he is also!! so pretty!! top tier design a;sldkfj i'm just in love with the trio's dynamics and i NEED to know their goals and what they plan to do with Liko and the pendant (and. if i'm right about how the next episode is gonna go. very soon Roy and his ball will be added to that list) i am DYING of anticipation

(also that's all for the main main charas but shout out to Anne, best gremlin, Liko deserves such a chaotic friend it'll be good for her and i'm so glad they're staying in touch!!)

idk i'm just like. i'm still sad over ash and idk if that'll go away anytime soon but this new series is really, really good so far, and i'm SO glad, because if it hadn't started off strong then i am absolutely certain that people would've completely trashed it, but it's vibrant and exciting in a totally different but just as engaging way as Ash's story was and i'm just. idk i'm really happy ;w; and will probably spend too much money on merch but that's just how it goes a;lsdkfj

[otakween]

Head Start at Birth - Ch. 21-30

The mediocrity continues! I feel like I've read newspaper funnies with higher stakes than this plot. Nothing bad ever really happens to the main characters and they always look/act pristine. The character writing is giving Mary Sue/Gary Stu vibes. I wonder if I would like this back in middle school or if I'd have enough brain cells to recognize its blandness?

Ch. 21

Lilia figures out a way to use magic without any magic energy (thanks to Toma). So now she's fulfilled her goal of allowing Elrich to use magic.

I'm not really emotionally invested at all at this point btw. Everything is so bland (especially Elrich who is just like "perfect boyfriend") that how could I be?

Ch. 22

It feels kind of lazy that the bird gets a cool human form and the dragon just gets to be blue!Lilia :/

More random plot happenings...this time the King is under attack and they're asking Lilia to help. Again with the "chosen one" BS.

Ch. 23

I feel like they totally ripped off the "butler attacks with steak knives" thing from Black Butler. Can't get nothin' past a veteran weeb!

Weirdly I feel like this manga could benefit from more characters. Yeslar and Reslar (Lilia's dragon and bird companions) get way too much screentime. They're so boring lol

Ch. 24

Just when I complain about Lilia's spirits they introduce...even more spirits! Why did they just reveal that Toma had spirits outta nowhere like that?

Reslar freaking out at the faerie seemed a little overblown and out of character (what little character Reslar has). I think Lilia and Elrich should have scolded her instead of just distracting her :/

Ch. 25

I gotta admit, the Sage title is pretty badass. And it looks like she gets access to some fancy library/archive? Hell yeah.

I had the though of "instead of pursuing the invention of the camera via magic why doesn't she just try recreating the non-magical engineering it takes to develop a camera?" But then I was like...wait...I have no idea how a camera works. Also, she was just an otaku in her previous life so she wouldn't have that knowledge either.

Elrich seemed low key jealous that his fiance is more impressive than him. Hopefully those feelings don't turn ugly. (Who am I kidding? This manga has no stakes whatsoever).

Lilia's new ribbons are suuuper cute. As I've said before, this manga at least has eye candy if nothing else.

Ch. 26

Can't decide if this chapter was wholesome or creepy. All these old men freaking out over Lilia with grandfatherly love. I guess it's just not a dynamic you see very often lol

Again we have the whole "MC is the super special chosen one who is smarter than everyone in their new world" vibes 😑

While I relate to Lilia being somewhat introverted, I do think she could have been a little nicer to the sages after they invited her so many times. It also felt weird to me that she didn't have the "wait, maybe this could further my research" revelation sooner.

Ch. 27

The age gap relationship stuff combined with the ultra girly aesthetic is kinda giving me UsagixMamoru from Sailor Moon. Not saying that makes it okay, just that this is pretty common with shoujo I guess.

"I like to carry you" is creepy (AKA she's so young you can carry her, dude >:/) but also...I wish I could be carried places lol. Seems really nice.

Lilia's "I should rely on others more" revelation is good, especially since it goes against the aforementioned "OP MC is better than everyone" vibes. I much rather her see her working with the community than just dominating everyone.

Ch. 28

Woah this one was so short? (Yet it cost the same amount, go figure -_-)

I almost thought there was another time skip since Isaac looked so mature, but nope! Zac is a cool nickname for the name Isaac

Suuuuper contrived miscommunication cliche -sigh- weak

Ch. 29

Okay, not gonna lie, that was pretty romantic. She's still too young to be smooching him though lol. (The "become my family" line got me. I'm a sucker for that sort of thing 😭)

Lilia unlocks some kind of new teleport power and they make it all ominous for whatever reason?

King is sus. I wonder if he's going to try and swoop in and have someone else marry Lilia?

Ch. 30

I was completely wrong about the king, they just keep doing these ominous cliff hangers that amount to nothing. It's pretty frustrating.

Lol back to this manga being absolutely zero stakes. They threatened to take Elrich away but were then like "sike, he doesn't have to go!" This is very "makes it easy" story telling.

They had a "The End" fake out...wish it was real.

The writing keeps pointing out how young Lilia is and how it's weird she's engaged to be married (actually married as of this chapter). If you think it's so weird, why did you write it!? No one is forcing you to write about a married 9 year old! -sigh-