#but especially me except it's trying to make a visual novel for the first time in my life

[just-a-carrot]

Helloooo!!! I was looking for inspo for my own visual novel a little while back, it's set in a ballroom so eventually the keywords lead me to discovering save the last dance (and itch.io in general im a total noob to this lmao) i dont know what it was but it just like took a vice grip around me INSTANTLYY.

So I downloaded the main game today and I am actually silently cursing you because I got nothing done all day I was just like transfixed. The artstyle grew on me alot, and oh godd the character designs... God I love the designs, espcially Genzhou's. There's just so much love (even in every gruesome death scene lol) put into this it's almost difficult not to get obssesed...

Also sidenote I found it kind of encouraging almost to see that you're (self-proclaimed) older, I found that really inspirational lol. There's something that just makes me want to create and actually sit down and learn when I play your games. I guess I've always had this feeling of having all the time in the world but recently I've been feeling almost like it's too late to learn new skills (which is kind if ridicolius since I'm like smack dab in the middle of gen z). Regardless I guess your work made me realize the artistry in visual novels, I could keep going but I tend to ramble lol

ahhhhhhhh this is so sweet!! i got very weepy reading this, especially as i'm already feeling quite soft today as it was a bit of an anxious one... 😭💕

that's fascinating that you found StLD first searching for ballroom stuff!! i am always curious how people first find out about any of my games. i'm happy you enjoyed it, especially enough to go play the main game sob. i'm incredibly touched

and i'm even more touched that you've been enjoying the main game so much 😭💕💕💕 especially all the kind words about the art!! i've grown more confident in my art more recently but especially in the beginning stages of the game i was incredibly self-conscious and worried about it because it was rather odd-looking and didn't match any other typical VN styles. so that's really sweet of you to say. this game certainly has had a lot of love put into it (and blood, sweat, tears, my entire life... etc.). it is very much a big passion project and my eyes were perhaps too big when i got started, but because it dug itself so deep into my psyche and i also made some good decisions like releasing in parts, etc., i've been able to keep working on it until the end despite it taking me like 2.5+ years so far. i'm not even sure i can put into words what this game and chars have done for me and my life and the many journeys and discoveries i've made along the way

dkjfalsdkf yes... i am a millenial, i will say that much. though i don't often feel like one. except for the fact that i often have no idea what people are talking about or referencing and tend to be awkward and confused most of the time LOL this is also why my characters are all older, as well. i sometimes feel a bit strange since i feel much older than many of the others in the VN dev sphere (well, perhaps in age only, not really in mental maturity maybe LKDJAFLKDS). if this can give inspiration to others that are also a bit older though, then i am glad 🤣 i have spent much of my life going from thing to thing and never really knowing exactly what i want to do. case in point my current job has nothing to do with my master's degree. though the one constant has always been creation of some kind, whether it's drawing or writing (and now with games, doing both of those on top of scripting and coding and a bajillion other things lol). i don't think you should ever feel "too old" to do something. or to get started doing something. or to feel like you "haven't done enough" etc. i say this so strongly because i also try to reassure myself sometimes perhaps LOL it's also ok if you don't know what you want to do so you're just trying out different ideas that you're passionate about. so many of us just wanna find something that makes us feel fulfilled and passionate, that makes our hearts ache, that fills us with joy and motivation. so if you can find something that does that for you, no matter how old you are, grab it and don't ever let go lkdajfalskd

at any rate, i'm glad i could also help you discover more about VNs in general. i hope it will be helpful as you work on your own games!!! 💕

[seerofmike]

mike 2023 year in review

whats up, this is something i started last year where i decided at the end of the year i would talk about 7 movies + 7 viddy games i enjoyed this year (the movies will be 2023 releases, the games will be all over the place). this is so i can look back on the future on the things i enjoyed this year but since im posting it publicly most of these will be written as recommendations i guess

also i did not have a lot of money to see movies this year so most of these will be IP movies :( sawi. also also 2023 was a mega good year for gaming. or so i've heard. most of the big 2023 games this year either came out on consoles i don't own (nintendo + sony releases), are next-gen only as far as xbox goes or unable to run on my dinky little laptop (AW2, the finals, re4, etc) or are just games in genres i dont really give a shit about (bg3, starfield, sea of stars). significant 2023 games i did play this year were dave the diver and dredge but not enough to be on the list. maybe next year hehe

anyways without further ado. my top 7 movies and top 7 games this year, in alternating (movie/game/move/game/etc) AND alphabetical order:

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

yeah you knew this shit was going on here. i saw this movie 8(eight) times in theaters. the first two times were because of the audio issues with the first cut but the rest was because the movie fucked babeeeeey. you don't need me to tell you how good this was

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood (2023)

ok listen before i recommend this game i have to be mean to make a point first. if you know anything about me you know i think tarot is stupid as fuck and i think witchy nonsense is. well. just that. nonsense. it makes me roll my eyes especially the particular brand of like. r/WitchesVersusPatriarchy stuff. man i just dont like any sort of spiritualism or religious stuff. with that being said this game fucks tremendously and i cannot recommend it enough

you get to design your own tarot deck and each card will be unique and have meanings based on the templates you're given. you can then use these cards to tell your friends' fortunes. except it goes way deeper than that but i dont want to spoil the twist for you. also it kind of becomes a different game midway through but i like management games so its fine. anyways good game and very repayable with all the card designs you can make and fortunes you can read. art style is also very nice.

(more under da cut)

Barbie

man i know a lot of people dont like this movie after the hype wore off because its Baby's First Feminism. and that's fine. i don't really think it was trying to achieve some uber deep commentary. but the set design and costuming was great and you could tell the actors and crew were having so much fucking fun and as someone who wants to go into movies i will always like movies where the people making them are having fun.

The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (2023)

i like the visual novel where everyone dresses in a funny costume and sonic fucking dies ok. it was so cute and had very good characterization for people i didnt think would ever be in the focus of a game again like espio ........go play the murder of sonic thee hedge

Bottoms

this one is probably my 2nd favorite movie of the year tbh. i need more absurdist gay comedies. i wish i could go on about how hilarious this movie is but i dont wanna give away all jokes but anyways go watch the lesbian incel movie and have a good time

Potionomics (2022)

if i had a nickel for every gay witch game i played this year with significant card and management mechanics and appealing art i'd have two nickels. which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.

anyways potionomics is absolutely my favorite game that i've played this year. it's not all that similar to cosmic wheel sisterhood despite the basic concept and some gameplay elements. CWS is more like a visual novel. potionomics is a fucking nightmare and i love it SO much.

you brew potions and then sell them by haggling with customers using cards. customers can haggle back and it can get VERY difficult. everything you do takes up limited time slots such as gathering ingredients and brewing potions and visiting your friends and btw you can visit your friends and all of the characters are incredibly charming and i had trouble picking which one to romance. (roxanne my beloved <3) (also the white haired character in the screenshot above is a nonbinary goblin :) ) (this game has CAT PIRATES)

the game also rewards you with befriending the characters and gives you cards the deeper your relationships become and new gameplay mechanics open themselves up to you until the last couple stretches of the game. it's very fun, very stressful, but very rewarding once you figure out how to maximize your profits and use up your time slots effectively. i had a fucking blast.

also the animation is so good. literally the best animation on this sort of stylized 3d model in a game i've ever seen. PLEASE play potionomics.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3

god man. i just love the guardians so much. tbh this is my least favorite movie of the trilogy but all three of them are easily better than nearly every other marvel movie regardless. i love nebula and rocket so much and seeing small moments between them like her choking up when she hears he's okay fucking Gets To Me. i loved me asshole mercenaries who become a found family and try to be good people.

Prey (2017)

prey is not my favorite game this year nor my favorite survival sim but the first five or so hours of this game were the most engrossed i was in a game this year. towards the middle and ending portions it starts to lose me a little bit (the game is still good!) but the beginning was absolutely the best part.

being trapped in space with aliens that can mimic items in your surroundings leaves you extremely paranoid, and combing through the station finding recordings and notes and evidence of the lives of the people who were once there, knowing that most of them are probably dead--while monsters lurk around the corner ready to fuck your shit up--was deeply engrossing. i wish i could erase my brain and experience those first hours again being terrified of everything that moved before i got a shotgun and figured out how to win fights pretty regularly lol

Killers of the Flower Moon

if you're gonna watch a 3 hour movie this year about atrocities committed in the past i'd recommend this one over The Other One tbh. i found it deeply engaging and thought lily gladstone gave a great performance that easily outshone leo. the events of the movie are deeply harrowing and i think there is definitely some discussion to be had about how the movie centers on the white men despite scorses's intentions but the technical work was great and i think it really does a good job of showing just how deep this shit went in the community as opposed to being 'just a couple of bad whites' or w/e other narrative people will try to spin.

Psycholonials (2021)

im gonna go ahead and say right now i don't really recommend this game unless you are familiar with andrew hussie and HS/their other work. i think the game was fine but tbh it probably would not have been on my list if it was made by anyone else. that's not to say it's bad, just like. nothing mind blowing.

that being said i did very much enjoy this game in the sense that, as someone who DOES know a thing or two about andrew hussie, the way they feel about their work (especially HS in the years afterward), it was interesting seeing them make a game about starting a cult by accident, with all the gender fuckery and feelings of paranoia about being cancelled and how out of control its become feeling like a little glimpse into them. watching how manic and obsessive the protag gets with several years of Hussie Context(tm) makes this way more interesting than the game itself if im being fully honest.

if the game truly sucked it wouldn't be on here but do take my word for it that you'd probably appreciate it way more if you were a HS fan LMAO

Skinamarink (2022)

ok so technically skinamarink came out in 2022 BUT it got a theatrical release in january 2023 which is when *i* saw it so i'm counting it as a 2023 movie. anyways skinamarink is simultaneously very scary and also boring as shit and i could never actually recommend this movie to anyone but the fact that it was made at all and made a PROFIT is outstanding to me and i'm obsessed with it as an aspiring filmmaker. an hour and fourty minutes of staring at a dark corner to build atmosphere. fuck yeah

Venba (2023)

this one's very short but i found it very compelling despite how short it was. it almost felt TOO short but i like it for what it is. as the son (and grandson) of mexican immigrants who often regretted migrating for cultural and language reasons this really connected with me and the cooking puzzles were fun but i really wisht here was more of them. it's less about the puzzles though and more about the narrative and i thought it was really smart to make the throughline food. very good game. buy it.

TMNT: Mutant Mayhem

look at my fucking sons. everyone say thank you spider verse for changing the animation industry. i love how the boys' VAs were just goofing off and having fun and bouncing off each other it was great

This War of Mine (2014)

this one is a survival management game where you have to scavenge for materials somewhere in war-torn eastern europe with some stealth mechanics. some of your characters die very easy and some characters have 'negative' traits like being unable to sneak out or fight or drink up all your alcohol and it's not like the best in its genre but i did spend a ton of time in it. i still need to finish like a single scenario and not a custom game LMAO

[docholligay]

House in Fata Morgana: The First Door--1603

I have never reviewed a visual novel before, but @iscahwynn made me a very generous offer and a long line of patience, knowing that we are trying something very new. To that end: Please don’t spoil me for the game at all! If you are reading this, I have only gotten through the part written above, and I don’t want to be corrected, even if I’m wrong, even if I’ve missed something, i don’t want to have anything confirmed or denied, and I don’t need any trigger warnings or extraneous explanation. Iscah would like my pure, naive experience of the game. Thank you!

Non-Spoilery: Holy shit, I don’t think I have consumed a visual novel with this kind of fervor. In fact, the only other visual novel I think of where I was like, ‘I have to keep reading what happens” was We Know the Devil, and while I would say that game whups on this one prose-wise (I can’t relate to a lot of what people love about WNTD, but holy shit was the prose some of the most beautiful game stuff I have ever read. I wished the whole time it was a short story or novella instead. Still do!) this one has a lot of plot driving through it and the writing is also very strong--I am used to a certain amount of ‘anime gotta anime’ writing styles, and there is none of that here. 

Spoilers below

I love a story that rewards patience. I could see some people saying that this moves too slowly, but I like to read a Meaty Tome, and so it doesn’t bother me to have to deal with a certain amount of setup, especially because I know this is a collection of short stories, sure, but it’s a collection of short stories taht are all driving at an ending. It might not even be fair to call them short stories so much as…episodes, maybe? I don’t know, they are connected but years apart. I guess i’m actually spitballing too much for having actually not played beyond chapter one. 

So i am 98.6% sure we are in England (please don’t tell me!) Given the references to the Thirty Years’ War, the Golden Age, and winter being a rainy season, all packed into one. Also Rhodes is a British name. I might be wrong but I would be surprised if I were. 

How do I organize this “progress reviewlet” or whatever I want to call it? Let’s just go with the flow.

Again, I love that this is unvoiced. It makes the game read so much more like a book to me, which makes me consume it voraciously, and also doesn’t take me out of the moment. Intensely aware that I am in the minority here, but when I’m reading something that I think probably takes place in late Elizabethan England, and I’m hearing Japanese, it takes me out of the immersion and it’s more like watching an anime, which is fine but doesn’t light up the same center of my brain, generally. Actually, the same would be true if it were English. I can’t mainline the story and let it play out in my mind the way it does when I read it. I read this like I do a visual novel, I barely pay attention to the art except in the “where is everyone standing” way, and that’s not even very helpful for this. So in reading it like a book, I feel like I saw Mell slap Nellie, I feel like I saw the light cross the White Haired Girl’s face as she failed to strangle Mell. It just makes the whole thing more immersive for me. 

Speaking of Nellie, what a wild ride that was. I mean, we knew something was going to be up with Nellie’s level of spoiled when we heard that they removed the thorns from the roses in the garden so she would never be pricked. In that moment, we learn something about the fact that Nellie doesn’t understand what consequences are, she never learns that the things we may want can hurt us. And so she keeps going for the exact things she wants, and she has no sense of danger or of the need for pragmatism, or anything beyond the desires and whims of a spoiled child. 

It truly says something about the quality of the writing that pretty much my most hated squick came up and all I could do was go, ‘Oh girl what happens next” and just kept clicking. I mean, the game very much tips its hand to it, it is not trying to shock you because that’s not the sort of game it is. It wants you to understand that this is who Nellie is and of course this is how she’s going to act. 

But for as monstrous as she is, you feel for her, or I do, when she says, not wrongly, that she was only ever, a “a doll for the family to play with” 

The idea of paintings being alive, of being changed as they are painted, that really stuck with me, and I know the painting was the small mystery within the bigger ones contained within the game, I can’t quite get anywhere with it, but I do agree that paintings have a quality of life to them. This is why it could be some future girl, it could be Nellie, it could be another person in another time. 

So witches. Let’s talk about this. I know that we have a lot of cross talk about the white haired girl, and if the white haired girl is the witch she takes herself to be or if she’s a hidden princess. And then we have the maid. These two are the unnamed characters within the story thus far, and I know they must be unnamed for a reason, but I didn’t really take the witch thing on its face until the rose turned in her hand. 

Oh, Doc, so you think there’s a real witch, and you think it’s the white haired girl? One, yes, I suppose I do and two, no, i suppose I don’t. Remember, the Maid is with her, and I’m also remembering the that the title of this game is The House at Fata Morgana, and I also know, being the one thing I know from the start being about fatas morgana, that they supposedly come from Morgan Le Fay, A WITCH. 

So, I’m wondering if the maid isn’t the witch, and if she isn’t creating all of this as an illusion, and IF she is creating all of this as an illusion, how much of it is the facts of that matter? Or the truth? Those are different things, but related. Is it all created of whole cloth? 

I mean, i feel like the game of the story has to clearly be about the White Haired girl and the Maid, I can look at a title card--OH SHIT AM I THE WHITE HAIRED GIRL?? (Please don’t tell me but do put a pin in it) that would make sense, we’re both the two unnamed characters, we’re on the title card. Hm. 

Is it better to know something, or to be happy? I mean, this is basically the core question and thesis of this segment, and it seems to lean heavily toward no. Everyone was happier not knowing, except, i do want to point out, Nellie. I’m not arguing she’d be happy knowing, she’s not, but I do want to say she would be UNHAPPY in either circumstance. 

I don’t agree with the maid that his error was his kindness. His kindness was not his fuckup. It was his desire, and his drive, that came outside of any thought of the family (especially rich considering how he lectures Nellie) to HAVE this girl who captured him in her own flame. She didn’t even mean to, like the candle means no harm to the moth. But kindness, no, kindness was not the issue. 

But I do love when she says that we have to follow the paths we’ve begun to trod down. He can’t change any of it, and so he has to go forward. 

In all, I liked this section, I have no idea how it will stack up against the others but I can see it laying building blocks for the future of the story. 

While being cautious of spoilers, please, if you have any questions, i’ll try to answer!

[therealnightcity]

Get to Know Me

Tagged by @vayneoc--thank you so much! 🥰💕

Favorite Color: If it's the color of a 50s appliance, chances are I really like it--cherry red, sky blue, and pale pink are three of my favorites ❤️❤️

Currently Reading: I just finished re-reading Uprooted by Naomi Novik, I needed a little bit of fantasy escapism and it's still one of my favorite fantasy novels (I just wish there was more of them, other than the companion novel). Other than that, it's been a lot of library science/archiving texts for class, which are largely quite dry, and significantly less enjoyable than the latter.

Last Song: Incredible? by Joywave--I've been studying and needed something with a good beat (and loud enough to drown out the obnoxious realtor meeting going on two tables over)

Last Movie: Murder on the Orient Express (the new one) I really liked it and wasn't sure what to expect, other than it was a murder mystery, but I ended up loving it, and am going to try to watch Death on the Nile tonight <3

Last Series: The last series I watched from start to finish was Sandman, and GOD I got hooked on it--enough that I promptly watched it again to see what I'd missed the first time. I was really, really impressed with it, and the soundtrack is going to be in my head foreverrrr.

Sweet, Spicy, Savory: All three please. If I have to pick one, sweet. I have the biggest sweet tooth, especially drinks, and I could very happily live on sweet coffee if it wouldn't be so terrible for me.

Craving: A vacation--between classes and work picking up again, I would love a week where I don't have to do anything but relax and maybe do some writing. I'm getting one soon though, so not long to wait. I have a bunch of creative things I've been sitting on, and man I just want the time to do them, and some free time to game.

Tea or Coffee: Coffee!!! I do like iced tea, but coffee is by far my favorite (hot or cold). I recently got an aeropress because I wanted something to make cold brew coffee in, and now sound like the world's most obnoxious infomercial for it (but god I am not exaggerating when I call it life changing--and it's saved me a ton on getting coffee out).

Currently Working On: I just finished a veryyyy big writing project, so I don't have anything on tap at the moment, except for a couple character asks I'm going to work on soon. In terms of visual art, I've started playing the new Cyberpunk update and would like to start doing photos again for that, once I really get a chance to sit and game for a couple hours

Tagging: @shinycorvidae, @dreamskug, @a-pirate, @wraithsoutlaws, @chevvy-yates, @imaginarycyberpunk2023, @ghostoffuturespast, @dustymagpie, @gloryride, @drunkchasind, @peaches-n-screem, @afterdark-vp (and anyone else who wants to! <3)

[ferociousconscience]

Hi! Hope its ok to ask, and sorry if its already been answered before: Do you have fav Les Mis adaption? Or a few?

Thank you for asking me!! I've not watched all of them, considering how many there are floating around out there and how many are sadly lost, but. I have spent this year hunting down and watching every adaptation I could. A special thanks to @ueinra for a lot of help in that regard. I recently made a Letterboxd account and a List just for Les Mis. I've plans to go through and review them properly, (Currently I only have Shoujo Cosette reviewed!) but I'd be happy to try to coalesce my thoughts on my absolute favorite for you, that being the four-part silent* Les Miserables (1925) under this read-more! Hiyah!

It's... Hard to grasp my feelings on LM1925, considering how special it is to me. These films really made me love the idea of cinema again. I had never seen a silent movie before, and frankly I thought they were one of those things that were a bit out of reach for me, but wow I am so so happy I watched LM1925. Not only is it a fantastic adaptation of LM, it's also just a fantastic set of movies (miniseries??) in general. The casting, the acting, the sets, the locations, the attention to detail, the quality of the visuals (which often are just frankly stunningly beautiful), the pacing, the atmosphere. Everything just works and is faithful to the feeling of reading the novel. (I will say I watched it without the accompany music at first, but have since gone back and listened to it overtop on a rewatch, and wow what a cool oddity it is. The Sims 1 soundtrack but with a surreal and often nightmarish twist.) I adore Gabriel Gabrio as Valjean. He really captures the idea that Valjean can both be noble, kind, and fearsome all in one. And Jean Toulout as scrunkly and lively Javert...!! I truly love him. I think them and Sandra Milovanoff as Fantine (less so as her playing Cosette, too, wish they would have cast another person) give absolutely amazing performances. This is also a great adaptation for the Gorbeau part of the book, ESPECIALLY Suzanne Nivette as Eponine, wow! What an Eponine! Probably my favorite Eponine. Same with Thenardier, both the Eponine and Thenardier in this one are tied with LM1972 for me. I also just like the... what I'll call "Theater Acting" performances I've seen in this and in the other early films I've watched since. The thick makeup. The funny expressions. The dramatic poses. All this would be considered overacting in the modern day, but to me it just feels alive. It reminds me of a lot of animations, I suppose, and that delights me. I also love love love that they didn't attempt to make big changes to the material at hand (Hell, they even touch on Waterloo in a way I thought was cool!). LM1925 and Shoujo Cosette made me realise that the longer a Les Mis adaptation is, typically the better it is to me. (with. One exception off the top of my head...) I think by the time I had watched all the other adaptations of both the novel and the musical, I had grown fatigued over the different ways films would try to condense things into 2 hours, and leave a lot on the cutting room floor (even if that usually means they focus more on the J vs JVJ aspect that I always have a weakness for), or when they try to cram everything into said 2 hours and turns it into a pacing nightmare. LM1925 avoids all that!

I feel I'm rambling on, so I'll rapid fire some stuff off. I love that they filmed in the actual msurm. I love that they kept things really grungy when the film calls for it. I love the scenes of the barricade, especially the scenes with the national guards spilling in. I love the subtle changes to the valvert side of things, it's truly one of the better adaptations for the shippers. I need to get on making some gifsets. If you love Les Mis, or just film in general, I think you owe it to yourself to watch LM1925. It's free! It's on the Internet Archive! There are download buttons or you can stream it! Please do! And tell me your thoughts on it!

[imjustabeanie]

yo its seras ... i decided to send one in for fun. id like a relationship matchup for someone from jjba + genshin if you could please.

any prns, cancer, intj, aro bi (im in romantic relationships so idm it. i just dont prioritize romantic gestures as they make me uncomfortable), true neutral, i have bpd + autism + bipolar + chronic pain so woo

im like 5'2, shorter hair like dirty blonde almost brown, pale also bc i dont leave the house except to go to work lol, freckles, blue eyes but they look more gray. i dont emote much at all really. i have a hard time talking about feelings / emotions / much of anything. i only talk passionately when it comes to my interests and things i really like. im very stubborn and overwork myself often. it takes me a long time to warm up to people and be trusting. i dont like touch unless ive been around you a Long time. i like people who make me feel looked out for and who won't be afraid to essentially force me to calm down / take breaks. not super pushy but like. kind pushy if that makes sense? i dont want to be smothered and need my space and would rather like parallel play. i like watching / playing games together and just enjoying time together. i also deal a lot with extreme emotions and hiding them, hence the bpd... my mood swings are a lot of the reason ppl can't handle or deal with me so someone who won't mind them so much would be nice? or someone who can rationalize and help me through emotions and things. i also need a lot of attention but not in an overwhelming suffocating way. im also hypersexual and it has a big part in my relationships and i need someone to keep up with that too. i have tendencies of being a bit manipulative but i dont. like that about myself. i dont like to go out a lot and would much rather stay at home. i dont mind going out to quieter places or just doing mundane things! i also do like going out for food + for conventions or events related to my interests. amusement parks also rock. i have special interests in animals (marine animals, cats, dogs), mythological creatures, the paranormal, cryptids, cosplay, animanga, video games (especially rpgs + visual novels + dating sims + rhythm games), old web, character analysis, horror media, and psychology.

hopefully thats enough? tysm

Trade!

Your genshin match is Wriothesley!

He's patient, funny, a great judge of character and respectful. What more could you ask for? Once you two break the ice you hit it off rather well. He's very caring as a lover without being overbearing. He's always here when you're in trouble and always looks out for you in his own way.

Wrio is definitely someone who can deal with you, he's patient after all. Especially with his lover. He knows when you're reaching your limit and he has a space in his office just for you to rest. But at the same time he's ready for you to innitiate more activities together. The most important is that you know he loves you. He shows his love through small acts and gifts. He always gives you his time and learned to convey his feelings with little gifts through the day.You always receive flowers, chocolates and a good lunch from him.

When he can, he'd love to go assist events at the surface! When he really can't he'll just order/make the foods he wants you to try. He also always gets a bunch of movies so the two of you can watch them together. As much as he enjoys physical affection, he'll always wait for you to initiate first. Once you give him the go he becomes another man.

Overall, it's a very nice relationship where you don't publicly show your love but people still know it's there. Wriothesley is patient and will always wait for you to come around. And he still gives you gentle pushes to encourage your goals.

Your JJBA match is...Kakyoin!

Not gonna lie, Bruno was a close second but Kakyoin is way more playfull and chill. Both know how to guve you space but Kakyoin knows how to have fun.

Kakyoin shows his love through acts and quality time. He likes going on dates with you to explore new places yet also takes care of you and does his best to make you more comfortable. He's not that big on physical touch either so you don't really have to worry about this. When you engages he'll just happily welcomes it.

He absolutely loves playing video games with you! The two of you spend hours at arcades and the scores are often a tie! He also loves horror movies. One of the most common things you two do is just...sit in a pleasant place and discuss a recent movie/video game you two did. He's also quite cultivated in mythology so he has nice book recommendations. Food isn't much his things so he'd rather follow your recommendations.

Overall, you two are the average high school sweethearts but on the more timid side. People just know that you're soulmates by the way he looks at you.

[magpies4nights]

huh (Dev log # I'M ON 4?!!?!?!)

Hi guys! It’s me, @magpies4days on a different blog! That’s really the only promise I kept. Whoops. That’s why I don’t do promises. Anyways, since the last time I updated y'all, I passed all my finals and everything that was important. Yep, I passed my finals, which seems miraculous, because I accidentally studied the wrong study guide for my history exam and didn't really sleep enough the night before, and I got a 90 on it, which I'll be honest, that was the lowest grade I've ever gotten on a test in that class, but it's still an A so I won't cry about it. I turned in a really shitty essay too for one of my classes, but it seems that my professor didn’t actually read it because she gave me a 100 (ain’t gonna complain about that). I also procrastinated so hard on my graphic design final that I did it in like 3 hours and finished it 2 minutes before it was late. I still turned it in 5 minutes late because my computer decided it was funny to start acting up. Oh well, I passed that class, even for honor's standards. Normally I would be happy getting a B because I'd get a C and still celebrate but unfortunately I slayed too hard that my GPA was the minimum requirement for the Honor's organization to notice me. That's the Thinker in my Myers Briggs type showing baybee (JK JK I'm an INFP (unfortunately.)). Anyways, I’m on my winter break, and as much as I love getting breaks, god I forgot how much I hate summer and winter breaks. Summer breaks make me depressed because I have nothing to do, and winter breaks make me depressed because it’s literally the worst season of the year (cold weather (I have cold urticaria), dry air, less sun, the position of the sun is weird, and d3 barely does anything).

Anyways, onto the actual dev stuff. I probably should’ve figured this out the moment I started my idea, but I found out that to export my game to Mac, I’d have to have a developer id and pay for it. Which now I understand why most indie devs never upload to Mac. Oh well. (Fun fact: Mac actually has a feature called BootCamp which lets you portion your hard drive to allow you to have a Windows driver (Be wise on your portioning though because it’s permanent). I found this out when I was 16 and trying to download Pizza Tower demos. Totally not saying that so you could play it on your “Mac,” *wink wink*).

I had to switch my dialog stuff from a script I found on the internet, to an add-on that most Godot devs use ( Dialogic). I know. I am awful. However, there is a reason to this, and it’s entirely because I am an idiot. I have experimented with how Godot exports JSONs, and as it turns out, the images nor the audio would load! The text would, but it’s just not the same, especially when the dialog box is supposed to change with the character speaking. While it could be something in my code that is causing this to happen, or I'm forgetting to export something else while checking off all the boxes, it still gives me a headache and I decided it was for the best to switch. I may not be able to code for now, but there may be a day when I can. Hopefully. I had to change the layout of the dialog stuff because Dialogic kinda makes it like a visual novel kinda thing. I decided to torture myself and make everyone have different heights. Don't worry, everyone has relatively normal heights. Except for mayyybe Sleepy Weepy. They're like 6'2 (which may mean there's some cutoff for their sprites).

Aaaaanyways, enough about me suffering about dialog again. I’ve been working on the beginning and ending cutscene so that I can first torture everyone with 5 minutes of dialog in the beginning and then at the end music with text that may give people a hard time reading the lyrics. The animation isn’t done, but the text kinda is??? I’ll have to revise it like I have the past 56 times because my future self is hard to please, and I think everyone is out of character except Xandra.

Yeahhh, that’s about it so far. I made new music while I was being harassed with finals. Take a gander, but with your ears. Or don't, forcing you is unethical.

Top 10 Sleepy Weepy of all time!!!!! (This is doesn't even make it in the honorable mentions)

[youhideastar]

🔥 choose violence ask game 🔥

1, 7, or 21?

Ooooh, anon, that is a delicious tasting menu. This is in reference to this ask game:

#1 the character everyone gets wrong

Su She, but that's not because of fandom, it's because there is no way to get him right because his portrayal in the drama is totally inconsistent. Like, it's very clearly the authorial intent of the writers that Su She... sucks. He is a shitty cultivator. You see this again and again, from his inability to ride the sword at Baling Lake to the way he gets roasted at the second siege of the Burial Mounds. Time and time again, the writers make clear that they want you to think that he's a second-rate cultivator at best. But then they also, for plot reasons, need him to do all this really badass stuff. Like in Yi City! He manages to fight frickin' Hanguang-jun to a draw for hours. Who else could do that, except Wei Wuxian in his prime? He uses a portal talisman, which our main characters later explain is really hard and requires a very high cultivation level. So yeah, everyone gets Su She wrong, but that's because the writers of the show (who I think are generally very good) have made it impossible to get him right because there's basically 2 different Su Shes.

#7 what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?

I will demur because I don't think there are any characters who fit that bill for me - for all the characters I hate in CQL/The Untamed, it is very definitely because of canon. 😂

#21 part of canon you think is overhyped

Now you're going to get me in trouble for real, anon 🤣... For me, this is the Episode 2 wrist grab - you know, where Lan Wangji takes hold of resurrected Wei Wuxian's forearm while he's playing the dizi. Don't get me wrong, this is a lovely moment, I love the way it's shot, but hot damn, some parts of fandom treat that gesture like it is the be-all-end-all of their relationship, of the show... everything.

And not only is that moment overhyped, imo, it's also just plain misinterpreted. People use it to try to import all the sexual power dynamics of the novel into the drama and... no. Just no. This ain't that. First, when you look at the way this moment is staged and shot, it's pretty clearly not intended as a possessive wrist-grab of "you're mine now"--it's meant to visually echo the last time we saw Lan Wangji with his hand around Wei Wuxian's forearm. It's a forearm grab of "this time, I won't let go."

And second, Lan Wangji grabbing Wei Wuxian's wrist is itself overhyped because Wei Wuxian grabs Lan Wangji's wrist just as often. I think it's literally one-for-one, in the drama, right down to the wrist-related bondage: Lan Wangji's forehead ribbon around Wei Wuxian's wrist, Wei Wuxian's binding talisman around Lan Wangji's. The show is punctilious about keeping it even. This is not to knock the novel dynamics - I've read many fics incorporating those dynamics and enjoyed them a lot. And if you want to read those dynamics into the drama, even though it's a different beast, hey, go for it - but so many people act like that reading is compelled by the text, especially based on this moment, and it's so, so not.

I hope you got the hot takes you were looking for, anon... 🤣 thank you for asking!

[crehador]

so earlier today i sat down to watch one or two episodes of onmyoji for asnm reasons...

...i have since finished it lol FOR MINAMOTO NO HIROMASA/ABE NO SEIMEI REAL reasons

and i enjoyed it immensely!

i would say it's not the most revolutionary or even original story, the tropes were familiar and many plot beats were rather predictable, but i don't dislike that. familiar isn't always bad to me, it can make for a nice and soothing watch

animation wasn't always the most consistent, but personally i vibed with the art; opening and ending didn't grab me in the first episode, but i came around to both (especially came to like the opening)

the pacing was exceptional, like the first half of the series was more or less episodic, and i'm a fan of episodic stuff so i was on board right from the start

but the way the monster of the week type episodes folded so neatly into the larger arc that spanned the second half of the series? chef's kiss, absolutely brilliant. pretty much all the characters, mechanics, and themes introduced in the earlier episodes are relevant later on, which just makes for a really satisfying story overall

the big payoff (ep12) was imo completely worth it, i loved it both narratively and visually

AND OF COURSE THE HIROMASA/SEIMEI DYNAMIC HOLY SHIT i was completely caught off-guard by this because i have not read the original novels or manga, and i haven't seen the movie adaptations that came out in the early 2000s

so really i thought this would just be another generic abe no seimei anime, and i guess in some ways it is, but HIROMASA ELEVATES IT i love this kind of guy who's a bit of a goof and a bit too idealistic, but is just what the more cynical one needs

yasunori and atsumi were both really interesting characters to me as well, like two examples of fostering a deep inferiority complex throughout their lives, and how that can manifest in different ways depending on... various factors (trying to keep this relatively spoiler-free lol)

doman. man. i am weak for handsome sinister women voiced by sato rina what can i say lmao

and i am SO glad tsuyuko had a rather uplifting arc, weird girl rights! i do wish we'd had more time with both her and doman, but i guess understandable that there's only so much they can do in 13 episodes

the end end did feel the tiniest bit slapdash (like ep12 was such a huge crescendo that of course it would be a bit difficult for ep13 to stay As Good) but that didn't diminish my overall enjoyment

tl;dr it's not the most mind-blowing story but i found it very enjoyable and am suddenly into heian period rpf lmao send help

[tigermousse]

Teachers: With Love And Passion

genre: otome, romance, comedy, drama, thriller

Do you remember your time at school? Have you had a hard school life? Were you an outsider? Have you had a crush on your school teacher? Were you thinking about what teachers think of you and how do they feel about their job?

In this visual novel you can go through all joys and horrors of school life again, but looking from the other side - as a new biology teacher straight out of college starting her first teaching job.

On her first day MC is anxious. Will she get along with students? What if they won't like her or something will go wrong?

She is even more anxious to meet her new colleagues, because she is shy and reserved, and other teachers all have so different personalities: some are friendly, some are flirty, some are rude and some are quiet. But they all seem to like MC and trying to help her accommodate in the new school. So maybe she will make new friends or even give love another try?

The visual novel is starting as a light otome, but the antagonist gradually unravels his personality and plot becoming more sinister, turning into psychological thriller after you open all the endings. Some people in the commentaries told that they love antagonist and can't bring themselves to hate him. For me it is the opposite. I hated him with all my heart. This is the exact kind of psychos that I would want to shake off you like a creepy beast and get rid of him as soon as possible.

At first I was glad that Love Interests in the game are more mature and the MC is 30 years old, because usually we have characters who are around 18 - and it's totally fine with me, but having something different is refreshing. [Being in my thirties I would prefer more of this, but beggars can't be choosers]

In fact when you start playing, most of characters doesn't feel so mature because in some situations they are behaving exactly like a bunch of teenagers. But that is the truth of life: a lot of people doesn't grow up, they just getting old.

This visual novel by Honey Bunny @honeybunnyvns was originally made for Otome Game Jam 2022, and I've tried it earlier, but got distracted and didn't even finish the common route, so when I've learned that they are doing an update on February 24th I've decided to wait and try. And it was definitely worth waiting! Now this is my new favorite VN.

The writing is good, the story is mostly engaging, and romance gives you a reason to smile.

The game is average length (around 10-11 hours) and have 15 endings. The number of choices for the lengths feels exactly right: not too many, not too little.

I liked the romantic part a lot. The chemistry in some routes is overwhelming, Several times I found myself giggling to Ray's flirting, teasing of Lawrence or Markus' failed attempts at flirting, and gasping at some tense moments [maybe I just need a boyfriend]

Art and character design in the game are absolutely stunning. Usually I'm more interested in story, but in case with Teachers, graphics is an eye candy and I couldn't take my eyes off some CGs.

I was wondering where are other teachers in this school, especially other female teachers. Even without giving them a role in plot we needed at least some mentioning about them in the story. Because it was pretty strange that in lounge we never meet teachers of language or literature, or science. It is strange that in school where they are teaching Civics, no one is teaching languages.

Also I don't understand why teaches should have surnames which also sound like names? Before I've finally learned everyone's full names I was pretty much confused by it.

CHARACTERS

MC Hanna Fein (name changeable)

Age: 30 y.o. Subject: Biology

MC is a typical otome protagonist, except for her age. She's self-concious, anxious and easily embarassed, hardworking and eager to help everyone. With some guys she tends to be more flirty, when with others she's more shy and reserved.

Also as usual MC is confused about her own feelings and about feelings of other characters, have a tendency to overthink things, which causes tension and misunderstanding.

We were told that in her past Hanna suffered a trauma and a loss, so she is now anxious and reserved, not willing to trust people around her. But as we see in most romantic routes Hanna is very trusting. She tends to see good in people, that's why she doesn't understand who is the antagonist in the story.

Most of the time MC doesn't do something stupid, except maybe taking too much work. But I was pretty much disappointed with her behavior in one of the routes.

Most of MC's background is revealing in different routes, and the cause of her trauma is revealing in secret route which can be unlocked after you watch all the ending.

"The reason why I can't believe anyone and am so afraid to trust myself is right in front of me."

My rating 4/5

Love Interests (MILD SPOILERS AHEAD)

The plot turns darker from character to character so the developer's suggested playing order is

Markus>Leonard>Ray>Lawrence>Edgar (>secret route)

[But my playing order in otome VNs is usually to start with my favorite character and finish with my second favorite character]

Lawrence Hanson

Age: 48 y.o. Subject: World History

Mr. Hanson (We are not familiar enough to call him Lawrence yet) is rude, straightforward, have hot temper and annoyed easily. Also he's a loner, jealous, possessive, intelligent and have unusual passion for classical romance.

of course, I LOVED HIM FROM THE START AND WILL LOVE HIM FOREVER. I've read his Romantic ending several times and spent too much time thinking whether their passion with MC will work or not in the future. (Only if Hanna would stay the good shy otome MC or if they will decide to have a child, however the fact that they are working together in their case may be a good factor)

Still I had a feeling that the developers didn't give this character enough love that he deserves. Maybe I just wanted more of his background, because of his reserved personality we still don't know much of him [A part of Lawrence's background unravels also in Ray's route] I bet he was in the army before attending university, that's why he's much older than his friends Ray and Thomas.

I really like how both characters acted in the route (their age), I love the chemistry between characters, and how Mr. Hanson is handling all the situations not only in his route, but with other routes too (as a grown man), so…

My rating 5/5 [my new favorite character!]

Leonard Flynn

Age: 35 y.o Subject: Fine Arts

On the contrary to Lawrence Hanson, Leo doesn't act his age at all. I had to double check his age with the page on itch.io (and even on vndb) to make sure that he's 35 and not 25, because he acts like he is 15. He's not even the youngest one.

This is the route in which I would like to have some nice discussions about art, but the developers have chosen more comical approach.

Of course, it is important to be yourself and find a solace, but the plot is too concentrated around dealing with Leo's insecurities than around his relationship with MC. Especially considering how self-conscious and insecure MC is herself. Leonard won't be able to give her support.

"I am biting my fingers, Leonard is shaking. We are a dysfunctional couple trying to help each other."

doesn't look like a good romantic ending to me

My rating 2/5

Markus Kent

Age: 33 y.o. Subject: P.E.

"Yeah, but you always look at me so pissed"

"That's just my face! Ugh. People always get wrong idea"

I'm not really into sports and jocks, so I was afraid that Markus will be that strong silent type who won't say more then two words in a sentence. In fact, he really isn't very good with words, but it doesn't making him boring, rather funny and cute. He turned out very sweet character, pretty real and down-to-earth, honest and quiet. I like his pure enthusiasm with sports, I empathize with his back story. Maybe he isn't very original as a character, but their relationship with MC developed nicely. They seem to have healthy relationship and I'm sure they would take good care about each other.

My rating 4,5/5

Edgar Mitchell

Age:36 y.o. Subject: Mathematics

I had a feeling that Edgar is the favorite boy of developers. He has more screen time to himself then others, he seems engaged in every other route, he plays main role in secret route. Anyway, there's a lot of Edgar Mitchell in this visual novel.

But I don't like the kind of people who enjoy teasing others even when the other person is annoyed. Edgar is constantly overstepping other's personal boundaries. I've got annoyed by him enough before the end of common route.

Maybe he isn't a bad person: he's friendly and cares about others in his own way, trying to cheer them up. But being an adult he should already learn other ways of cheering people up apart of stupid jokes, meaningless flirting or making fun of Lawrence's age and gossiping about friends behind their backs.

I wouldn't even want to keep the person like Edgar as a friend: the less personal information he would know, the less jokes and gossip he would spread.

MC is saying that Edgar makes her comfortable, I would say that it is the opposite: seems that he likes to make people uncomfortable.

He's constantly sending mixed signals to MC and she can't sort out her own feelings, so it is a mess already.

His backstory is actually fine. Things happens in life, we all make mistakes, and it is not the reason to lay down and die.

But even more than by Edgar himself, I'm annoyed by the MC in his route. If someone would belittle and badmouth a man I like - in front of me, I would never sit and listen quietly until they finish! Especially if the person is doing it exactly because of my presence.

My rating 3,5/5 [Edgar and MC are so annoying, but I've got a lot of strong negative emotions on this route]

Ray Fox

Age: 45 y.o. Occupation: Nurse

I'm glad that I've played the game later and didn't have to wait for update. Ray is so HOT, he's practically STEAMING. He is the second oldest character and my second favorite in this novel.

His route is constant flirting and teasing, but also I'm respecting very much the way this man works himself to death staying in his office till the late night. The trust that MC is putting in him is kind of ridiculous though. Honestly, in her place I would probably thought he has a drug problem or maybe sells drugs on a black market.

His story is really tragic, his constant loneliness and the feeling of guilt is breaking my heart. And his both endings are bittersweet in a different way. But his bond with MC is excellent. It is not just passion mixed with curiosity (like with Lawrence), it is also mutual respect, trust and aid. Also they have similar specialties, so they have common interests and understanding of each other's work. The ending of the romantic route tells it all: that she finally found the one who will love her right.

My rating 5/5 [he's perfect, the best choice for MC]

Overall:

Visual: 5/5

Story: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Romance: 5/5

Originality: 4/5

My Rating: 5/5

This game is free you can get it from itch.io

[true-blue-sonic]

Neat ask game:

😳🙈💡

😳 Hottest Sonic Take?

That's a tough one! I don't think I have that many very hot takes, but I can certainly try, so... I'm quite certain that I am not fond of how Silver is being handled right now, especially in IDW. To me it truly feels as if they're leaning too much into his uwu cinnamon roll side, and are not paying enough attention to the fact he's 100% down for murder and can be quite blunt and brutal. But then on the other hand, some minor gripes aside he was tackled very well in the Metal Virus arc imo. However, I am truly not feeling too certain about issues 63 and 64 and how he is going to be presented there. And I also don't like how in Team Sonic Racing they switched a much more heartfelt conversation between Sonic and Silver in Japanese towards what it became in the English version, with all the trash talk stuff going on. I truly wonder if Silver really is that naive, and if there perhaps was a way to present it better.

And I also don't like the Freedom Fighters from Archie (or Archie as a whole except for one (1) arc, really). Like, I absolutely don't hate them, but I don't want to see them come back in the games or the comics or whatever. I think that is because I didn't grow up with them, SatAM, or the Archie comics, so when I came into the franchise in 2014 there was this WHOLE universe with all sorts of oddities and weirdnesses in it that I couldn't make a lick of sense of. If I remember correctly, that was around the time of the first reboot, which added yet another layer of confusion to it all. In short, I think the roles the Freedom Fighters could potentially fill are already tackled by the canon cast and introducing them therefore would be quite redundant.

🙈 Least favorite Sonic game?

*grumbling* Mean Bean Machine thoroughly kicked my ass, if it counts.... As did Sonic Spinball... I can't be mad at Sonic Boom, as Shattered Chrystal is the first Sonic game I ever played and Fire and Ice was quite neat also, but the whole franchise around it lost my interest soon enough and I've hardly replayed those two games.

💡 Spinoff you’d like to see?

SILVER GAME I NEED A SILVER GAME

Would that count as a spinoff? Maybe? More visual novels would also be nice, The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog was so much fun!! And they'd also be allowed to revisit the Storybook games from me, because I quite like the different setting of those.

[just-a-carrot]

Hi! I never use tumblr, but I wanted to get on my mostly untouched account and ask you something!

First off though, I want to say that I absolutely ADORE Our Wonderland and Our Fantastic Wonderland. I’m not a horror person, so I saw the game on itch.io for a long time before I was brave enough to try it, thinking it would just be a horror movie plot in the form of a visual novel. But I was so, so wrong, and so pleasantly surprised. I love all of it: the characters are so vibrant and feel so alive (except for when you know, they’re no longer with us and then R.I.P.), the way you don’t pull punches with the heavy topics you cover, the fact that you never know which choice will lead to a death but that you also are merciful and send us back to the last choice rather than giving us a game over (seriously, thank you for that), oh my gosh I could go on and on. The art style grew on me too and now I love it, plus I think it fits the game perfectly; I really like how you draw everyone so expressively.

I’m super excited for the final part to be released, but don’t push yourself too hard; we’re all happy to patiently wait. Being a solo dev is crazy difficult, and the high quality product you’ve released so far is simply fantastic. Plus you added a gallery, not one but TWO new modes (censored and streaming which must have been so much work), and other cool things WHILE ALSO creating the first half of Act 5??? Like how do you get so much done?

Anyways, I’m rambling, so I’ll get back on track. I saw in one of your answers to an ask (about if you’re okay with NSFW art of Our Wonderland) that you said you’re okay with people writing (among other things) about OW so long as they’re not using it in a hateful or bigoted way (I don’t remember the exact phrase you used, but I think that’s the gist of it).

So I wanted to ask, like are fanfictions okay? I have no intention to use them in a way that is demeaning to others, or hateful, or anything unkind. I just want to make some OW fan content to sustain me until the second half of Arc 5 is released, and hopefully share my love of OW and the characters with anyone who decides to read the fanfic(s).

I would definitely give you all the credit for Our Wonderland's characters, storyline, etc. While I'm usually a quiet person on the internet, I want to send anyone who may read the fanfics to the actual visual novels you've made. I would like to clarify that I don't really have an audience as I haven't posted my writing on any websites in a hot minute, but this story has absolutely entranced me. And I want to have more people to nerd out about this story with, so if i can get some more people on board the OW train, I'd be thrilled.

If you say no, I will respect your wishes as the creator and will not write or post any fanfiction!

If you are okay with it though, I’d be thrilled to share the title and website, etc I end up posting the fanfics on so you can read them if you so desire. Regardless of your decision, I will be thrilled to replay Our Wonderland and Our Fantastic Wonderland many times and I’m super stoked for the arrival of part two of Act 5!

(Sorry it's such a long message >.<)

Oh, my gosh, this is such a long (and lovely) message lakdjafld thank you so much for sending in a question! AND THANK YOU SO MUCH??? FOR THE WONDERFUL WORDS??? You're going to make me cry over here!! 🥺💦 I'm glad you decided to try it out despite your hesitations. I definitely know horror in general isn't for everyone LOL And this game definitely gets very intense at times in terms of horrificness LOL So that just makes me even happier that you still ended up enjoying it and the story ahhhhh,,,💦

"Like how do you get so much done?" -> LMAO HONESTLY I DON'T EVEN KNOW I didn't even decide to add all the new features and stuff until the last three or so weeks before the launch which,,, probably was not the best decision as the CG gallery especially ended up taking me hours and hours LOL However, I'm really glad to have gotten it done!! And I hope the new features will be helpful to people!

"So I wanted to ask, like are fanfictions okay?" -> Yeah, that's completely fine!! I am really fine with anything people want to create, just so long as exactly like you quoted above, that it's not for anything offensive or hateful/bigoted. (A-also not that I think anyone wouldn't do this, but I hope that people would honor the chars' sexualities/orientations lkadjfad 💦) I also ask that people don't tag me with anything NSFW as it makes me a bit uncomfortable and I don't want to interact with it (I don't mind people creating stuff like that so long as they're 18+, I just don't wanna interact with it personally dlakfjsdl) 😵‍💫💦 But just normal SFW stuff I have no problem with at all, whether it's writing/fics or art!! I think it's wonderful and lovely that you feel so inspired from my story that you would want to write something yourself! 🥺💕

Thank you so much again for your message! This was really sweet and brightened my day! 🥰

[basilepesso]

Third English text narrating the nightmare that my wife and collaborator Anne Pangolin Guéno (The Soft Pangolin) has put me in since the lockdowns - and Anne, again, this is NOT against you - and you know it and react well - I’m telling it anyway by security. First part here Second there About ten logical points in French showing that I have been telling, and am telling the truth Police evidence of Anne’s disappearance (September 2 021, a few days after her disappearance)

In January 2 022, under the threats of my landlord, heavy stress caused by Anne’s disappearance, my discovery of the satanist adultery, and maybe corona that facilitates this, I had a brain stroke with blocking of an arm and vision for 15 hours approx. In March occurred what I described in the two previous English texts. I hadn’t a “NIE” (Identification Number for Foreigners), we used to function on only one, and it was Anne’s. I hadn’t a Spanish bank account, Anne having elegantly closed our shared account which was at her name, just because I used to delegate her all the administrative stuff. This card was literally unable to get in spite of all my efforts. Therefore, couldn’t I earn money legally, and my usual activities are not sure in terms of financial gain. As all our shared exhibitions, books and other partnerships with Anne were waiting or had been cancelled, the situation was totally critical. In October 2 021, I gathered ten high level visual artists among which myself for Yes We Are Gallery. A friend or supposed to be so helped me by creating the website but couldn’t finish it.

I was doing a few polls but either they were cheat or didn’t bring anything financially, or almost. I sold a few pictures, but not sufficient.

One of our partners, a shop/gallery took some of my images but no sales.

I tried to sell pictures on the street : no sales. I was trying to get translations as I’m a translator in many languages : nothing.

I went to many teaching places to give various classes and workshops (some places could make an arrangement for the identity card problem) and sent many proposals : I was put on waiting list or told that they didn’t need my services, and I didn’t have the time to be on waiting lists.

I found two collaborations with an architect/friend. I brought her two big decoration/architectural projects from people I had met, and it could bring a lot of money. But when I explained more in detail what was happening with Anne’s blogs under fake identities to one of the persons, he told me I was crazy, and stopped the proposal...the other one was actually too far away in Latin America and too hard to implement for my friend. After many researches and encounters, I found two new design shops and/or galleries who were waiting for Anne. An extremely generous friend sent me a diamond to sell. It could bring us a lot of money and I went to about 20 shops to try to sell it, but the price was not sufficient and I was waiting for way more. I started a novel in collaboration (it would publish the novel bit by bit on their website) with an organ called The Homeless Entrepreneur but the proposed money was not sufficient, and with what happened after we couldn’t start the collaboration. I tried to sell a bag that we had created with Anne (she had almost made everything) and had found two shops. We could start soon but I panicked because of one more landlord threat. Repeated panic attacks, and sudden fall in depression. Some friends helped me to pack a few things, especially our artist works and my computer, and we went to let me in a house in France where I was invited.

This invitation has actually been a nightmare and I was put on the street in one week.

By miracle, I found a shelter. In two weeks, they put me on the street after a manipulation. I went to a camping with the little money I had left. I’ll tell after what happened then... BP. P.S : and, AS USUAL, NO ONE (well, here, one brave person) reacts, except by the usual emotional and sordid unfollowings...)

P.S 2 : as already said, YWAMag Gallery is not something I can take care of for the moment, and what’s more, its webmaster has stopped speaking to me after the hospital abuse against me - and I need to be in contact with him if I decide to start the gallery, as there are still technical details for which I’d need his help.

[riagriche]

june 2022 movie reviews

i watch two movies (one live-action & one animated) a week every month: letterboxd account ★ two movies a week every month list

here are the eight movies i watched for the month of june:

**SPOILERS BELOW**

JUNE 6 - WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS

i liiiiked this. it has big 300k fanfiction energy and i’m sure there are a lot of AUs based on this specific movie. SUPER cute and hilarious! i love that they ended up falling in love with each other (which happens in most pretend relationships in media) bcs they kinda seriously did deserve each other?? somehow? through all their fights and trying to get away from each other, there was one thing that was constant: unresolved sexual tension. lol. it’s always there to bite pretend relationships in the butt 

letterboxd rating: 4.5/5

JUNE 7 - OCEAN WAVES

hmmm. i usually love studio ghibli but this was a miss for me. normally i would go well out of my way to try and justify fmc decisions, but rikako was so. FRUSTRATING. idk what gravitational pull she had on the people around her bc she was so awful to the people who wanted to help her. idk. she was so manipulative to taku the whole movie. not my taste.  in conclusion taku has awful taste in women. i know there’s a sequel to the novel this movie was based on idk anything about it but i’m hoping that they don’t end up together. 

letterboxd rating: 3.5/5

JUNE 13 - THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS

idk what to say. i’m not in any place to speak on the issues presented in this movie. what the nazis did were horrible and hateful. but this movie...this movie didn’t exactly show it very much. it was hidden from us for most of the movie - as we have bruno, our protagonist, innocent and naive to the faults of his family - so when the time came for bruno and shmuel to go inside the camp and into the gas chamber i was horrified. the way they held hands and accepted their fate.... but. i’ve read reviews that say that this movie was historically inaccurate and downplays the horrors jewish people went through during the holocaust. i’m disappointed that the movie doesn’t speak more on this. i want to educate myself more on this topic before i can speak any more about this, especially since this is a movie set in an actual historical event. one day i will rewatch this but for now i will leave it at this.

letterboxd rating: 3.5/5

JUNE 14 - CASTLE IN THE SKY

admittedly this is a rewatch since i was so disappointed in ocean waves. i thought why not watch a ghibli movie you know is good? so...castle in the sky. i actually watched this for the first time in 2017 when i visited the artscience museum in singapore. it was amazing then and it is amazing now!  i love castle in the sky. i can’t find anything bad about it (except the way those grown men were looking at sheeta 😐) it’s a movie i could rewatch over and over again and never get tired of. i love the trust between pazu and sheeta even though they’d only just met. this is a heartwarming movie that makes me smile every time i watch it.

letterboxd rating: 5/5

JUNE 20 - EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

THIS. is the best movie of 2022. this honestly kinda changed my life. everything everywhere all at once is divided into three parts: everything, everywhere, and all at once. well, pretty obvious. this movie was perfectly comedic, perfectly heartwrenching, and had perfect fight scenes. in short: IT’S A PERFECT MOVIE. nothing can top this in my book honestly. the visuals were amazing, as was the sound design, the script was fantastic as well. it’s honestly kind of mind blowing that we get to watch movies of this quality in 2022. i was bawling by the end. every loose end was tied up into a perfect little knot.

one thing though: when i watched it, the only thought in my mind was “man, i wish i could’ve watched this in a cinema,” since everything everywhere didn’t exactly have a cinema release in my country when i watched it. 

BUT.

i was checking the cinema schedules for my local movie theatres (for rise of gru 😔) and EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE WAS GOING TO START PLAYING IN MY LOCAL THEATRE STARTING JUNE 29. it was a total shock to me since i had no idea it was going to start playing anywhere near me. obviously i got tickets as soon as i could (for june 30 so technically it was the last movie i watched in june) and let me tell you rn IT’S EVEN BETTER IN THE CINEMA. i had goosebumps the whole time.

if i could give this movie a 10/5 stars on letterboxd i would. WATCH IT.

(btw stephanie hsu from bmc is in it so if that isn’t more of a reason to watch it idk what is.)

letterboxd rating: 5/5

JUNE 21 - EARWIG AND THE WITCH

i watched this on netflix which was probably a mistake since the only language option there was english dub. a lot of ppl think this movie is bad but honestly i really enjoyed it lol. i love how she got everything she wanted in the end. she’s manipulative but in a cute way (does such a thing exist?) so TAKE NOTES rikako. once again studio ghibli does no wrong (except u ocean waves)

it ended in kind of a weird spot though. i wish we had a bit more especially since her mom finally made an appearance. i love the relationship between earwig and the mandrake and i also love how bella yaga warmed up to earwig by the end. cute!

letterboxd rating: 4/5

JUNE 27 - SOMEONE GREAT

i watched this with cy (hi cy) and even before this movie ended i was already making a spotify playlist about it. the first song? dbatc. the last song? clean. did you know dbatc was actually based on this movie? ALSO did you know that this movie was based on 1989???? ISN’T THAT SO FITTING??? i love that so much. i love /this movie/ so much. although i feel like it had even more sex scenes than fleabag which was 18+ and this was only 16+

it was kinda cringey sometimes and you could clearly tell it was made for and by millenials, but the break up aspect of it was done so well that i just didn’t mind. it was heartbreaking, and soul crushing, and everything a breakup can be. i can’t wait to watch this movie when i’m going through a break up lol it would be cathartic

also: the monologue. wow.

letterboxd rating: 4.5/5

JUNE 28 - PETS UNITED

trash. it was so awkward. i do commend it for that plot twist though, i thought that the mayor turned evil after losing roger, but to have a robot impersonating him this whole time? i had no idea

i feel like if it had better animation, better voice actors, and MORE BACKGROUND MUSIC, it would be around a 4. it was so weird. not to mention the casual racism and the horrible accents. WHY DID THEY GIVE RONALDO A SIX-PACK BTW??? 

also bob reminded me of james corden so -.5 for that.

letterboxd rating: 3/5

♡

[detectivenyx]

Did you ever finish Shinrai Broken Beyond Despair? The game you streamed a couple years ago. If you did, any thoughts?

i did finish the game, i'll copy-paste my steam review because i haven't really given SHINRAI any more thoughts since going through it:

When I first bought the game and started it up, I thought my veteran experience with Danganronpa titles and the fact I completed Danganronpa v3 without a walkthrough, alongside lackluster presentation, meant that I'd be easily able to predict how the story turned out. (spoiler: i was way off)

I will start off with listing the dealkillers that might make people think twice before buying the game. The art can be pretty ugly at times, and in the case of [spoiler], incredibly graphic for the style. Like, uncomfortably so. It's not bad, but coming straight off the heels of Danganronpa (and there will be frequent comparisons to Danganronpa), and often being recommended alongside it, it can make it feel a little inferior. The storytelling, especially in the prologue and first chapter while trying to introduce everybody but still pretty rife throughout the entire thing, suffers from a severe case of tell-don't-show; what I mean is, rather than showing us certain character traits, the writing will simply list those character traits. "This character is my best friend. She has always been there for me. Blah blah blah." "This character is a pervert who studies foreign languages." (This one done after it was already SHOWN he was a pervert studying foreign languages, mind you) It doesn't weave exposition naturally into the narrative, even though I noticed several instances where it could have done so. If you're right on the heels like Danganronpa like I was, don't expect Chapter 5 to hold your hand. If you expect the game to spell everything out for you like Danganronpa does - and this is both a good and bad trait in my opinion -prepare for some bad endings. There's an achievement for saving [spoiler], but this character really doesn't provide much motive for saving them. They're really not that likeable, so there's not much incentive except for steam achievements. 

Now onto positives: The writing is pretty good when it avoids telling us things rather than showing us. Of course, that's usually when it's trying to mislead you, such as [spoiler]. It's reminiscent of old campy horror movies translated to the visual novel genre, and it provides an interesting if somewhat familiar plot. Standard horror cliches are given some chance to be reinvented and used in a way that aids the mystery part. Like I said, when it's not rattling stuff off to be exposition-y, it's actually really solid writing. The mystery itself had a surprising conclusion and I did get nearly every possible road to the Bad End before I had to go look up what the answer was. For the level of writing we were getting during exposition dumps, the fact the mystery turned out so well-written is pretty surprising, and it is getting me to think about my own mystery writing as well as the earlier Danganronpa titles.  Openly queer characters was a refresher, and in proportion to reality was excellent, too. Being LGBT+ myself, seeing characters openly admit it is always good in my books, so long as they're characters first. Thankfully, [spoiler] are. The music isn't as good or memorable as Danganronpa, but it's still pleasant to listen to. As in you won't be reaching to mute the soundtrack (though if you'd prefer to play Danganronpa music over the top, the options luckily allow you to turn down off the music without turning down the sound effects). Mika. Just Mika. Not waifu material, being 14-15 years old (can't remember which) but definitely best girl. Adorable, funny, and the only one without some connection to the events or main character. She's here for the memes and the ride and that makes her the best.

In my opinion: this game does deserve voice acting. On my channel I spent 9 hours playing this game, and I damn near wore my voice out trying to provide even lackluster casting. I'd offer my services if the game ever wants to have voice acting, but like I said, my voice acting is very lackluster.

Getting to the point: Should you buy the game?

In my opinion? Yes. There's enough here to make it well worth your while. I paid $1/hr for the experiences the game gave me, and I've spent more on experiences that don't last anywhere near as long. It is the poor man's Danganronpa, but it's not bad for the poor man's Danganronpa.

[deliriumthoughts]

Here's to inspiration, and literature.

If I had the chance to go back in time, I would go back to when I first started reading. I’d look at myself from a distance where it would be enough for me to look at myself and, in a way, telepathically tell ‘past me’ that this was going to be BIG. And it isn’t just the act of reading, it’s the storytelling that comes with it. The ability to listen and learn, see colors, and let alone imagine the construction of the things I find intriguing.

Growing up with people who don’t find reading as interesting as I do, wasn’t a challenge until I noticed our differences (yup I figured my interests on my own). Things were tough because I grew up searching, and discovering creativity alone. There’s something exceptional about finding yourself; and yet it takes a lifetime to get that set straight in the head.

Here’s to my devotion to stories. Stories that I want to have a deep connection with as I turn the pages over and over until one finds themselves going just a little insane.

Now, what I meant to write about was comics, graphic novels, whatever seems fit. I still can’t find myself shouting until the entire world knows (that I deliberately want them to know) that I love stories. Yes. I do. Many inspirations have come across my experience as a frequent comic reader (yeah I’m a visual learner).

A couple of years back (and I don’t exactly remember how and when) I decided to explore the vast world of “indie” comics. I’m going to be honest I was bored of reading the same boring genre I was enthused with at the time. Why not try a teeny bit of change right? Wouldn’t hurt anybody (oh but it did hurt me because you’re damn right I did pick the right- and painful- books to read.)

So, there was Image and Vertigo (and the power of online comics and downloadable pdfs). And this was the perfect year for me to continuously read like there’s no tomorrow. And there you have it, another obsession and recurring lack of sleep.

Vertigo had a huge impact on a lot of readers. You had the coolest, remarkable, passionate writers making themselves a name solely from the help of Karen Berger and whatever she decided on creating with Vertigo comics. Sometimes I wish I could have at least been born during that era, when iconic comic book titles were being published and during that same era, making history.

Vertigo is pretty old but it also isn’t? in a way. Well, Vertigo was rebranded in 2019 (only God knows how much I miss seeing that title on comic book covers). Once I had purchased all Y The Last Man books just because I was afraid the next ones on the shelves would be “DC Black Label” instead of Vertigo. I had to get the Vertigo prints, duh.

As for my ultimate personal favorite, one of Vertigo’s critically acclaimed (and oldest), The Sandman, will always have a special place in my heart. I’m not too young and definitely not too old, but reading Sleep of the Just, the first issue of The Sandman was not a concern to me at all and after a couple of issues, I was completely hooked. Like I said I was already mature enough to read anything… mature. The universe had sent The Sandman to me at the perfect time in my life (maybe). I had recognized Neil Gaiman’s work for pretty much half of my lifetime, and reading his magnum opus was undoubtedly the best thing that had ever happened to me in a really long time. Years.

Sure, there’s joy in reading but Vertigo changed the trajectory of my life. I mean it. And especially when you read something that doesn’t have an adaptation. You start to wonder whether that stuff’s going to get way cooler in the future once they start making tv adaptations or something. And yet here I am years later, waiting for my beloved component of literature in the history of however thousands of years old literature is, come to live action. You’re probably thinking, “come on I bet you’ve just found out about this. You’re excited about this?”, *Clears throat* I’ve been longing for this since they announced the live action series had been in progress in 2019. I was there when they gave us a first look at the set. I was there when they announced the casting, and I’m still here impatiently waiting every day for interviews, photos, and magazine articles regarding The Sandman. Just like every other real and true Sandman fan is around the globe. What’s not to love about Neil Gaiman’s work. And hello? The entirety of it is about some emo immortal god with immense relationship problems and the fact that his character develops to finding a better part of himself. It’s the change. Plus, who isn’t obsessed and able to completely relate to sibling rivalry coming from a dysfunctional family. Yeah, that’s pretty much a teeny bit of The Sandman. There’s so much more and I’ll remain obsessed with the graphic novels every time I read them. Suspense, twists, pain, fantasy, fiction, everything! Dark fantasy has always stuck with me from the beginning. I’ll always be grateful for the things I enjoy, especially ones that give me hope and reassurance. This is only a part of my story. I can’t just spill all of the tea right now, that’s insane. *walks away*