#but it's my number one artist this year so what the hell did I expect

[goth-automaton]

17, 49, 73, 92?

Hello! 💜

[anpanham]

Hazbin Hotel character thoughts / impressions (Episodes 1 & 2)

1/12/24

UM. what a weird first actual post for my blog for this year... this is long, and i miss making ACTUAL blog posts instead of small threads... And i've explained on my twitter my thoughts on Hazbin / Helluva from a critical standpoint and artist from art separation, yadda yadda yadda---

ANYWAY... Episodes 1 and 2 of Hazbin are (Officially) out now, and i have some thoughts on the characters i wrote down after watching (In bullet points, because most of these are fresh-from-the-brain thoughts i wrote on my tablet from my bed)

(Spoiler alert, Sir Pentious isn't ruined and I AM SO GLAD. my snake babygirl... ilu)

Read on, if you wanna, spoiler warning btw!!!!!

CHARLIE NOTES

-Charlie is good., Charlie is cute, but i fear for her safety, not everyone can new redeemed. she's like steven universe at points i stg 😭 (not a jab but i think it's funny)

-i like how they gave Charlie bags under her eyes a lot, she is a tired princess just like all of us

-She gives off elementary school teacher vibes but in a wholesome way

-Charlie's hair is SO CUTE MESSY..

-PERFECT voice /gen

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VAGGIE NOTES

-GIRLBOSS (still, but more)

-Vaggie is still cool, she just loves her gf and is sick of everyone's bs but is still supportive...

-If she doesn't get into a bloody death match with Alastor (and win) i will be disappointed /hj

She doesn't seem to have as much of a temper as she did in the pilot, but seems more dead inside

-Good voice!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANGEL DUST NOTES

-Angel... hm. Angel. he's Angel, for sure. Hi, Angel!

Insecure about a lot, but also YOU CAN BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT!!!!! if vox doesn't kill val angel should. please and thank u.

Also his voice is alright, just need to get used to it a little more

Also i hope he's not too bratty jealous of sirpent / whoever else charlie praises because again, it's ON HIM TO COOPERATE WITH HER CAUSE MORE??? ignoring his other stress sources (Val)

-Waiting for him and Husk to kiss. I know it's coming

-Just fucking block Val's number and rip up the contract (YES i know it goes deeper than that...)

-NUGGS. I SCREECHED IRL /POS

THEY GAVE HIM A HEART ON HIS BUTT!!!!! S TIER REDESIGN

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

ALASTOR NOTES

-At first i was kinda Eh about his voice but it's grown on me, the radio filter is a little more subtle than the pilot but it's still there which i'm glad for

Delightfully passive aggressive

-Weird magic still, there doesn't seem to be any limits to it... we need to know what his weakness is...!!!!! please (maybe that will come later??) ....... i theorize he has underworld contact (Shadow-world, because of the shadow imagery?) , the underworld might be different from Hell maybe? (Where do those fucking tentacles come from, also weird monochrome demons)

-Interesting he was gone for 7 years. 7 is an angelic number. HMMMMMM (sealed away by angels somehow??)

-Punchable (Vaggie please)

-Weirdly enjoyable and not genuinely hateable like some of the other characters, but i also want to see his demise, maybe his sadism is rubbing off on me, but i want to see it badly...

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

SIR PENTIOUS NOTES

-Sir Pentious... u are so good.. probably has some of the best writing so far, maybe... he's my favorite so. hhHHmm

his voice is different but at the same time it's what you'd expect, i like it a lot... so silly, i pat him and his silly hat

-Pathetic old man. You win my heart (50x as much)

-Only one egg spoke so far, i wonder if they'll all have unique voices this time (the Japanese dub of the pilot did that lol)

-Genuinely a joy every moment he was onscreen (Too fucking cute... GRRRR)

-How did he get into contact with Vox? Why would Vox want anything to do with him if he thinks he's a loser? (I guess easy access into the Hotel) ...Fuck em either way (DON'T BE MEAN TO SNAKE MAN)

-Cool temporary stunning hypnosis, maybe we'll see him coil and bite next, the snake attack traits are fun

-His autism vibes grow stronger and it's canon in my heart

-We LOVE a redemption song. please stay in the hotel with everyone, don't fuck it up!!! you're a good noodle.... 😭 The song was genuinely so cute... it's probably going to be the highlight of EVERYTHING for me, besides Nuggs..

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

HUSK NOTES

-i luv u kitty

-His voice is different but captures "Grumpy old alcoholic" perfectly

-His heart needs to be melted...

-Him holding the script in front of the camera was great

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NIFFTY NOTES

-Niffty is a BIG COWARD. you can still love a "Bad boy" who's a redeemed bad boy!!!! just because he's not morally bad doesn't Not make him a Bad Boy. fuck u (i still like you)

-Her voice is really cute, also her nightgown.. though finding out she doesn't have dark bug limbs but is just wearing gloves and stockings surprised me more than it should've... put them back

-Also autism vibes, love it

-She still frightens me a bit

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

V TRIO NOTES

VOX -----

-Seems to carry the team, voice has grown on me

-I can't stop looking at his weird finger claws, they almost look like

he's just wearing things over his fingers, i dig it

-Interesting hypnosis power, i assume Alastor is immune

-Why can't Alastor and Vox just compromise and create a podcast?

-Hates Val (sorry shippers) ,,... kind of expected it since in old official sources it's been shown that he's been abused by Val too

-This isn't a note but everytime Alastor said "THE TV IS BUFFERING~" in their duet, the player kept fucking up 😭

-Decent song, I like seeing him and Al argue

-I surprisingly don't hate him! i'm glad. i wanted to like him (though, it's only been 2 episodes so far...)

------

VALENTINO ---------

-More manchild vibes than i expected tbh

-Voice is alright but his accent is weirdly inconsistent for some reason???? interesting direction

-His manipulation is shown well in the voicemail scene with Angel, he's literally got the "Nice Guy" energy

-Surprisingly didn't order Vox around as much as i thought he would

-Why does he have girl Fizzy bots...

-Die?

------

VELVETTE

-Fashion design isn't something i expected, but then again i didn't know that much about her prior other than she's obsessed with social media

-British is also not what i expected but cool

-Uh. she didn't really stick out to me that much...sorry..... she's fine tho

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ADAM & LUTE NOTES

-Personally do not like how these angels look so menacing, i get that they're technically bad, but... make them look more angelic besides halos and wings??? they could easily be mistaken for hell residents. Also again, i feel like angels should swear less and drop swears in critical / good timed moments, it would be funnier... subtlety is not a thing i guess

-Adam's guitar solo was good tho, not really feeling his character tho, he's just an asshole but that's the point

-Adam looks like the fucking dress meme. I can't unsee it

-Lute is pretty...

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

KATIE KILLJOY & TOM TRENCH NOTES

-Brandon Rodgers

-They sure were there for a second!

-i luv tom

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

All in all...

Episode 1: 6-7/10

Episode 2: 8.5/10

[redclercs]

DELICATE✰ CHARLES LECLERC.

iii. one for the money, two for the show.

— the one where you were never ready, so you watched him go.

warnings: war flashbacks to the miami gp, more insight into y/n (look i have to give a lot of context for my own sanity), not really proofread sorry, 2.4k words.

masterlist ✢ next

FROM “WHAT’S NEXT FOR AIDAN KIM?” POSTED IN THE US WEEKLY YOUTUBE CHANNEL MAY 2023

You are looking at the top comments.

aidanbabes nooo my baby😭 he looks so sad!

flowerbedkim I swear to god y/n better count her fucking days

halleyc don’t come at me but this sounds like he proposed

ynbby why is he talking about this though? y/n has been super private and he’s telling US WEEKLY THIS?

ynaidan i hate being a child of divorce😭

Miami, Florida May 6th

GRAND Prix number two with Elix, attempt number two by Mr. Stuart Schafer to get into your pants. Can it get any worse?

Yes, yes it can. Because as long as you have “a job” you don’t have to come to these sponsor events. Which sucks for you, not having an acting job for the moment has never felt more like a punishment from the universe.

Artists, from actors to singers are here promoting their gigs while all you do, again, is take pictures with men in jeans and loafers and try not to barf every time you consume Elix.

You’re watching your career crumble in front of your eyes and you can’t do anything to save it from burning when it hits the floor. Mildred has called you several times during the course of the weekend to inform you of canceled interviews, revoked invitations and “sorry we’re just looking for something else” calls from casting agents.

Part of you is in disbelief that a five minute interview from your ex-boyfriend is feeding the fire, part of you expected it all the same. Women are the preferred villain in the narrative, and if it means putting a man above them, the media has had the choice made for a while.

Did you really have it coming, though? There have been endless comments about how it was about time people realized the type of person you are.

But what are you? Who are you really?

You’re a coward. You tell that to yourself in the mirror first thing in the morning.

Many people have the luxury to say they can’t pinpoint the exact moment where they went wrong. You can’t afford the pleasure of such obliviousness, because the exact moment everything went wrong was when Aidan got down on one knee.

And when the question that left his lips went from "Will you marry me?" to "Why won't you?" You knew there was no turning back.

Marriage wasn’t a foreign concept to you, but while it is generally seen as a milestone, for you it was just another stepping stone. The roles of The Wife and The Mother were something you might eventually grow into, but on the night of your third anniversary, you realized you weren't even ready for that of The Fiancée.

Was it genuinely a surprise for Aidan that you had to close the velvet box he was holding in front of you, hiding the diamond ring from your sight, before he dropped his other knee to the ground and whispered 'Why?'

Never, in the three years you'd been together, had you seriously talked about marriage. It was another bridge you would cross once you got there, and in your mistaken calculations, you thought it would be around the time your relationship turned five. That's the limit for romantic relationships without a ring involved according to most women's magazines, and your own mom. At least neither know the ring was the cause of the breakup.

It's a little pathetic how lucky you consider yourself that the tabloids don't know you rejected an engagement. They're cruel enough as it is, things can only go further downhill, straight to hell.

"You good?"

Your best friend in the world, Victoria Presley, is able to join you in the VIP area of the Paddock thanks to a couple pictures on instagram where she tagged Elix. God bless the era of influencers. Or, family connections. Being the daughter of Sony Music executive Luke Presley and celebrity life coach Claire Walker can open many doors. Well it isn't Vic's fault being born into a rich and influential family, at least she's doing her own thing with her beauty products.

"Yes, I am," you shrug. Q3 is going on right now and although you try your best to keep your focus on the two red cars around the circuit, you find it hard to get out of your head. Plus it's so hot in here you feel sticky and gross.

"I lost you for a moment there," she insists, sipping her glass of champagne, the eyebrow raise she gives you after means she needs more info into what was going through your head just seconds ago.

"Not getting any call backs right now," you sigh, taking the flute from her although all it would take for you to get your own is a few steps. "I'm kind of frustrated."

"I'm sorry babe," Vic rubs your back, unbothered by your stealing. "You'll get something soon."

"And E! cancelled my interview, AND—"

Tires screech and an 'ooooh' goes through the grand stands before the screens show a red car embedded in the barriers. A groan of "It's Leclerc!" passes through the people around you in the VIP Lounge.

You grimace, focused on the circuit again as Charles leaves his car, shaking his arms before hitting the halo several times, frustrated.

"See everyone has bad streaks," Vic has gotten her own champagne again and is pointing to the screen, where the Ferrari driver is being followed on his way out. "It's his second crash, no?"

Other people's disgrace doesn't soothe your own, so you give Vic a stern look, causing her to shrug.

Q3 is done and Ferrari has mixed feelings about their two drivers' results. As for you, the faster you can get back to your hotel, the better.

─────────

Vic drags you to dinner with a couple of her influencer friends. Everyone and their mother is in attendance at Miami, and they’re here to have fun.

"They're here!" the girl to Vic's left whisper-yells, stretching her neck to look over at the entrance of the restaurant.

The place has been completely full the whole time you've been here, which has been a while, you're done with your dinner and have a few drinks on you, yet Vic has begged you twice to stay 'just a little longer'.

Of course Vic is having the time of her life, talking about promotion agreements and posting schedules, and although you hang out with lots of influencers and social media stars on your daily life, you're not clicking with any of them tonight. Have you become bitter? No, of course not.

"y/n knows them, she can just introduce us," another one giggles, and she cheers with her tequila sunrise to your own half-empty drink that's resting on the table.

"Hmm, what?" you chuckle, unsure of how you missed the part where you entered the story.

"The Ferrari Drivers," the first girl answers in that 'obviously' tone you hate when people use with you. "You're with Ferrari all the time lately, aren't you?"

"I'm with Elix," you clear up, best as you can as they're not really paying attention, their eyes following the group of men that are being escorted by a hostess to their table. "So you know, it's not really—"

"But you've met them,"

"Well, yes but..."

Yes but, you've seen them in scattered moments where they nod and smile at you passing by and the three times you've had to take pictures drinking Elix. You don't even get to the coworker level of knowing them.

"Well let's go!"

"Hold on Holly," Vic speaks up for the first time, "I mean, they literally just got here."

"Which is why we came here," Holly can't seem to get rid of that know-it-all tone, and it's frankly starting to annoy you even if she has a different target now.

It's time to use the angry eyes with Vic, again,in less than 24 hours. That's why she kept asking you to wait just a little longer.

"How did you know they'd be here?" you question, although you already know what a cleveage can do to get any information you want. Can't blame a girl for using her tools.

“I have my ways,” Holly says, and does in fact, fix her cleavage. Fair enough.

"Vic..." you whisper, as the rest of them regather in their own conversation. "What's happening?"

"I just– they said they really wanted to meet the Ferrari guys, y/n," Vic half whines. She's doing the most to impress the other girls, which is a very Vic thing to do, but still you don't like it. "And since you work with them, well it would be easier to approach them, right?"

Wrong.

"I- Vic, I don't work with these guys. We don't even work for the same people, and... it would be weird to approach them while they're trying to have dinner peacefully."

You are not a big fan of interruptions because you've heard enough of your coworkers talk about how annoying it is. As for yourself, sometimes you mind, sometimes you don't. It all depends.

You can barely distinguish their table with all the movement around the restaurant, but you manage a peek at Carlos' hair. Both of them are there, surrounded by a bunch of other Ferrari guys.

"So? Let's go," Holly is speaking again, downing the rest of her alcoholic Shirley Temple.

"I have to use the bathroom," you announce, dropping the napkin that covered your lap on the table.

"Right now?" the other girl—you feel guilty for not remembering her name— groans.

You refrain from replying, and try not to stomp to the bathroom like a toddler throwing a tantrum. If there’s anything that you hate is feeling used, and it hurts a lot more when it comes from Victoria.

It’s something else when she uses her doe-eyed stare and says “please, please, please” to get her way even with you, rather than set you up to impress her other friends.

You take your time to reapply lipstick in the bathroom and soothe your annoyance. You have told Vic before that she needs to ask for things, not just push you into awkward situations. At least she didn’t follow you to the restroom.

Taking a deep breath, you step out of the bathroom, wondering how to go on about this. It’s very likely that things get twisted and it is you who’ll look like she wants to brag about knowing the Ferrari guys, which you’re sure they’re used to—being bragged about. But you don’t want that.

There are many clichés that you have experienced, both as a character in RomComs where the biggest makeover that is done to your character is to apply a little mascara and remove the glasses (you hate that, what’s wrong with wearing glasses?). And in real life, with big romantic gestures like receiving a bouquet with a hundred roses and one is artificial… Blah blah.

This cliché is a little more ridiculous, though, as you crash into Charles Leclerc while leaving the restroom.

“Oh, sorry,” you half-smile back at him, he’s already smiling, showing dimples and everything. You see his appeal no matter how much you don’t want to notice it. Tall, green-blue eyes and those stupid dimples. Not to mention the fact that you suddenly find accents charming. Again, stupid.

“Hey y/n,” he says still smiling, “Did you just get here?”

“Uh, no actually we’re leaving in a few minutes,” you move out of the way of a lady that wants to get into the restroom, she eyes you both for a moment before continuing on her way.

“Are you here with your friends? Or is it with Elix?”

“My friends. Thank God I get to be away from Elix for a few hours.”

Charles chuckles and the moment runs long enough to become awkward. You’re still outside of the bathrooms and another guy has too given you an off look as he made his way inside.

"Let me walk you back to your table," Charles offers as a way of breaking the silence and you shake your head no.

"You don't have to, my friends are probably on the way out already, anyway."

Are you being selfish by keeping Vic's friends away from him? It doesn't matter to you, not really. But really a small part of you doesn't want things to go their way.

Charles doesn't listen to your refusal anyway, and asks you to lead the way with a gesture.

"I didn't see you at the Ferrari Suite after Quali," he mentions as he follows you a step behind.

"I was in the VIP Lounge with a friend," you explain, "I'll be at the Suite tomorrow, though."

You stop at your table, where the three girls are still doing their best to ogle at the Ferrari guys.

"Hey," you get their attention back and not one in the three of them even attempt to hide the pleasant surprise that Charles' presence gives them. "Are you ready to go?"

It's Vic's turn to give you a look. One that tells you to not be unfair, things have just started to go as they planned.

While you return the pointed look to Vic, Holly strikes a conversation with Charles. Lightning quick.

"Let's go," you repeat, "Gotta be up early tomorrow."

"Can we get a picture, though?" the other girl—lord, if you could remember her name you'd feel a little better —adds quickly.

"Do you mind?" you ask Charles before he can reply. You don't want to make a fuss and have half the restaurant acknowledging his presence and his disposition to take pictures and sign autographs while he's trying to have dinner.

"Not at all," he shakes his head and waits patiently for everyone to be camera-ready while you stare. "Aren't you getting in the picture?"

"I'll take it," you hold your hand out for an iPhone, and get Holly's bedazzled one. Charles frowns but you just say 'okay, ready?' before pointing the camera at them.

No one else argues the fact that you're not in the picture.

A chorus of 'thank you's' passes quickly as you return the iPhone and the three influencers start checking the picture. They're probably better photographers than you, you can accept that.

"So I'll see you tomorrow, y/n," Charles leans towards you, leaving the group to their own thing after he pleased their request. "Right?"

"I'll be the one drinking Elix," you joke, half-whining.

"I'll be the one in the red car," Charles jokes back, a wide smile spreading on his face.

You laugh, fighting against the sudden shyness caused by the familiarity.

"Goodnight," he calls quietly, and the girls wish him a goodnight and good luck for the race before he snakes through tables back to his friends.

Not another thank you is directed at you as your group leaves the restaurant to wait for the Uber back to the hotel.

─── team principal radio: ❝hello! thank you for reading! I'm really grateful for everyone who has interacted with this story, I hope you're enjoying it so far ♡❞

[profoundbondfanfic]

Dunno if y’all take requests but I’d love a list of vintage destiel reccs, like canon or canon divergent season 4/season 5.

We do take requests! I'm sorry it took a while to come up with this list but here are a few of our favorites from early seasons.

A Different Kind of Falling by Lyrial [Explicit, 72k words]

“I will do it then,” Castiel said with confidence that he did not truly possess. “I will pretend to be a hunter and gain the trust of Dean Winchester so that we may locate Michael’s grace and restore him. I might not be as familiar with humanity as Balthazar is, but I am still a master tactician. I am certain that deceiving a few humans will be well within my capabilities.” As the humans would say, famous last words. (Dean is the fallen archangel Michael. Castiel is sent on a mission to restore him to his angelic self. Things get complicated, however, when Castiel finds himself falling for Dean.)

A Different Kind of Monster by roadtonowhere (lastoryx), xfancyfranart [Explicit, 89k words]

Something in Bodie, California is luring truckers to their deaths and Dean’s on his way to take it out. It’s the first time Bobby’s given him a case and, with Sam at Stanford and his dad off chasing demons, he's finally hunting monsters on his own. When an accidental encounter puts an as-of-yet-unknown monster in the passenger seat of his car, Dean decides to ice him, taking his dad's old adage to heart: a monster is always a monster. Unfortunately, Dean can’t seem to figure out what kind of monster "Castiel" is and he certainly can’t shake him.

Faith Healer by punkascas (earlwyn) [Explicit, 75k words]

Dean hates faith healers. Scam artists and power-hungry dicks, all of them. But with Sam nearing the end of his rope and desperate for a way to keep their father’s last words from being true, Dean has no choice but to turn to the enigmatic and irascible Castiel, more tattooed junkie than spiritual leader, in hopes of finding a way to cure Sam. Yet Castiel hides dangerous secrets, and Dean soon learns they have more to worry about than just Yellow Eyes and Sam’s growing demonic abilities. War is coming. Canon divergent after 2.10.

Good One's Gonna Be by remmyme [Explicit, 37k words]

Castiel Novak receives a rather alarming text message from an unknown number, and what started as a simple misdial quickly turns into the greatest friendship Castiel has ever known. But Dean has many secrets, dangerous truths about the life he lives, and would like to tell Castiel exactly none of them. A (slightly) AU, (mostly) text fic, S3 fix-it romance (of sorts).

Holy!Dean verse by bunnymaccool [Explicit, 120k words]

Dean Winchester has grown used to God dicking around in his life the last couple years. But this crap? This takes the CAKE ... or pie, rather. Now he's been thrown a whole new curve-ball. The kind that has ended the Civil War in Heaven ... but resulted in Raphael taking over, and hunting for Dean's ass on a silver platter. Not to mention dealing with Balthazar acting like a self-righteous prick, Sam having some big damn epiphany on his big brother's sexuality, and Cas eying him up like he's the world's juiciest cheeseburger. All that mixed with the chance to fix it all and set everything to rights ... but only if Dean is willing to sacrifice himself. Again. Seriously, if he ever meets that bastard God he's gonna- ... oh hey, Chuck! What are you doing here?

On Falling by kettleknight [Mature, 34k words]

After saving Dean from Hell, Castiel is tasked with convincing him to say "yes" to Michael should the apocalypse come to pass. But the time to complete this mission is quickly running out, and his superiors are expecting an answer soon. Desperate for a solution, Castiel asks his vessel for help and is forced to make a decision: help the apocalypse follow through, or crash head-first into humanity and damn the consequences.

Profoundly Different by amireal, tiamatv [Explicit, 190k words]

"Castiel?" Sam calls out, carefully. Both of them lower their guns but don’t put them away, yet: there’s no sign of a struggle, but the guy did just break out of an insane asylum by squishing an orderly. With a bureau that he shouldn't have been able to move. "We're not gonna hurt you. We're here to help. My name is Sam. This is my brother, Dean." There's a loud silence. Dean can hear the wind rustling through the structure. A deep voice suddenly speaks up. It’s coarse and raspy and sounds like it hurts coming out; he’s never heard anything like it. It sends shivers down Dean's spine. "Dean?” the man asks. “Dean Winchester?" (A Season 4 AU: what if the fallen angel Dean and Sam ran into was Castiel, not Anna?)

See the World in Green and Blue by parenthetical [Explicit, 8k words]

Castiel spends a day learning what it's like to be human.

So Says The Sword by komodobits [Explicit, 85k words]

The briefing was simple: ‘Stand guard over the Michael Sword until the battle is ready to commence. Await further instructions.’ Castiel doesn’t mind working security duty; he was briefed shortly after the initial salvation of the Sword from the pit, and again before taking up his position. He knows what to do. However, it’s easy to forget that the green room isn’t real. Time moves differently there, the space ever-changing to make a prison of mountains, cathedrals, salt flats, orchards, and whatever Castiel was led to believe about Heaven’s greatest weapon—Dean Winchester is something entirely unexpected.

Strandlines by aeli_kindara [Explicit, 40k words]

It’s September 18, 2008. Castiel is being deployed to rescue Dean Winchester from Hell. He lands in Dean Winchester’s motel room in 2003. Things go from there.

The Girlfriend Experience by rageprufrock [Explicit, 15k words]

While it's not like Dean hasn't had a couple of truly regrettable hit-and-runs in his sexual history, this is probably the saddest fucking thing that has ever happened to him.

Thursday’s Child by strangeandcharm [Explicit, 114k words]

Thursday's child has far to go.

You can also check our time travel tag. We've reviewed some fics that play around with them going back in time. Here are a few:

a turn of the earth by microcomets [Mature, 95k words]

adam bites the apple by sicsempertyrannis [Teen, 11k words]

Crazy Diamonds by pantheon_of_discord [Explicit, 25k words]

Face to Face with the Skies by quiddative [Explicit,42k words]

Like a Comet in the Sky, I'll Follow You Across the Universe by super_skam310 [Explicit, 107k words]

the weight of water by eddiegirl [Explicit, 46k words]

[likeadevils]

Interlude

In between the 1989 timeline and the reputation timeline, I'd like to take a brief moment to chronicle all the things Taylor said about her plans (or lack thereof) for her next album in 2015 and early 2016.

February 3 & 4, 2015: Taylor is photographed at Catchlight Studios. I can not find any record of them producing any song for any artist ever and Google calls the a portrait studio, but the Mirror did call them a recording studio when Taylor was seen at it.

February 13, 2015: Taylor's interview with Vogue is published (likely conducted on January 14/15).

"I don’t worry that I haven’t started the next record yet. I don’t worry that I don’t know what it’s going to be. I’m not worried that I have absolutely no timetable as to when it needs to be done. It could be two years from now; it could be three, it could be four. Or it could be one. You get these bursts of inspiration right at the moment you’re not expecting to. You just have to live your life, and hopefully you’ll take the right risks."

March 2, 2015: Taylor is photographed leaving a studio. (Note: I can not find a place that specifies if this is a recording studio, dance, photography, radio, or television studio).

May 20, 2015: Taylor's interview with Marie Claire is published (likely conducted two months beforehand).

Taylor is not even sure she'll have made another album by the time 2020 rolls around (Author's Note: Taylor nearly doubled her discography between 1989 and the end of 2020). "I'm not going to put out an album until I've made one that's better than this one and that's going to be really hard," she says. And how might her music evolve if she does find love? "If that does happen, I think I could find complexity in happiness," she says. "I don't think anything's ever simple. Just because you're happy in a relationship doesn't mean there aren't moments of confusion or frustration or loneliness or sadness. Hopefully, if I ever find some sort of meaningful relationship, I'll be able to still find inspiration, just through everyday ups and downs."

October 7, 2015: Taylor is photographed leaving a recording studio in New York.

November 13, 2015: Taylor's interview with Vogue Australia is published (likely conducted two months beforehand).

Every two years since 2006 she has released an album, followed by a tour, then moved onto the next one. But her latest album, 1989, might change plans a bit. “This album has produced more number ones than any album in the past, so we’re just going to go with it,” she says, going on to explain how the usual album cycle could be extended. “Then I’ll feel like I’ll need to give people a breather from me because at a certain point they’re going to get a little sick of hearing about me, so I’ll need to go away for a while then, depending on my gauge on how sick of me they are, I’ll decide when to put out the next album.” [...]  “I’ve been learning every single day what the right amount of sharing [of her personal life] is, and lately it’s been not natural because this album is such a snapshot of my life – it was so vivid, direct and honest.”

April 20, 2016: Taylor interview with Vogue is published (conducted in February).

So what the hell are you going to do with the rest of your life, Taylor Swift? “I have no idea,” she says, with a sigh that’s more blissful than anxious. “This is the first time in ten years that I haven’t known. I just decided that after the past year, with all of the unbelievable things that happened . . . I decided I was going to live my life a little bit without the pressure on myself to create something.” Do not freak: Swift is not abandoning making music. Those who know her know this is chemically impossible. (“Her not being creative is one of the last things I’d ever worry about,” the musician and producer Jack Antonoff tells me later.) “I’m always going to be writing songs,” Swift says. “The thing is, with me, I could very well come up with three things in the next two weeks and then jump back into the studio, and all of a sudden the next record is started. That’s an option, too.” But probably not for the moment. “I would really like to take a little time to learn things,” Swift says. “I have lots of short-term goals.”

[myonmukyuu]

Back from Supanova Melb and had a great time 🥳🥳 Thank you to everyone who visited my humble little booth!

I'm happy to announce that I managed to sell the whole remaining stock of my SetsuPomu comic! 🎉🎉

I also feel confident enough to organise another print run in the future as well for anyone who missed the initial run!

It was my very first time tabling at a con so I didn't really know what to expect? I didn't bring many goods. Just those shikishis that I've been working on over the year and some of my remaining books that were spares. I could only bring a small number of books because they're really heavy and I'm weak and pathetic 😔

I didn't think the low book stock would be a problem going in because I kinda assumed they wouldn't sell? Love Live Nijigasaki doesn't have a huge presence locally so my expectations weren't set high. I would've been happy to sell a single copy honestly 😅

So when I did sell that first copy I was super surprised! I'm so sorry to the one who bought that first book! I was acting a bit weird bc I was just in disbelief that someone wanted to buy the comic ahahhah

I was like "Huh??? You want to buy it???? Huh???? For real???"

I seriously didn't think I'd sell the rest of the remaining stock. Sure I only had like 10-15 books leftover from the online sales but I only brought 5 books on the first day!!! I ended up leaving the con early and scurrying home to pick up more. And that commute was about 2 hours so it was super exhausting (esp since my day began at 6am 😅)

I'm still super surprised that people actually bought my book! Like ???? All sorts of people too. Both fans of Love Live! and people who had no context of the series. Different demographics too! Again, I'm so thankful for the support!

It was nice seeing that there were still LL fans in Melbourne as well. Love Live! is a bit rare to see in artist alleys these days, so a lot of people stopped by to mention they were Love Live fans 😊

Most people were Muse or Aqours fans and didn't make any purchases but I was still happy to meet them. Again, it's nice knowing there are other LL fans around!

I'm also pleased to announce that there are at least 5 Setsuna Yuki fans in Melbourne...! (Including me...) As well as Nijigasaki fans 🎉🎉

One person was wearing a Dive! long sleeve and I was like !!!! I have the exact same top at home 😭😭😭 I respect it!!! I also know that it's expensive as hell to export so I doubly respect it 🥲

I definitely want to keep representing Nijigaku at cons 💪!!

It's also worth noting that this con was a general pop culture con. So the audience is more mixed with Western pop culture. It made finding those LL fans extra surprising!

During the day I had a lot of time to burn. While I'm happy with the outcome of the con, it's not like I made tons of sales. My store only has a small amount of stock for a niche (compared to having a million prints and little knick knacks) so it's pretty expected. But yes, I was just idling for a lot of it.

I did end up drawing some quick shikishi on the spot.

I ended up selling Rathalos and Yu! (Mizuki is looking for a home still.) I was also asked if I was taking shikishi commissions which feeds my ego, but I did end up rejecting bc I didn't feel confident enough with these quick ones to take commissions just yet. (In general I reject commissions anyways bc I'm not great at them...)

A neat thing is that taking the hour do draw that one Rathalos drew some Monster Hunter fans to the table! I managed to have a few little conversations about the game bc of that. I think I'll make more MH shikishi in the future since it's fun to draw. It's also funny to think about my booth becoming LL x MH since the communities are pretty different 😂😂

Overall, I think the con was a success! I have a bunch of cute stories to tell but I think I'll leave it for another post. Financially, I did end up making back all of my expenses! So that's a success in that front as well.

I'd like to do more cons in the future! But honestly it's a little hard for me to be accepted as I tend to make really little content. (Just a few books and shikishi). I think I can only really do half tables...

But I'll do my best!

Once again, thanks to everyone who visited!

Stay tuned for my shop updating to include all the spare goodies. Now that this con is over I can sell them online 🥳

[because-she-goes]

the garden

warnings: some swearing & angry nora. Enjoy!

Nora walked out of the grey, new york sky scraper and was immediately hit by the chill in the air, but blinded by the sun. A freezing cold March morning in Manhattan. However, Nora was acting like it was August. Positively beaming and walking down the busy sidewalk with a bounce in her step, she couldn’t wait to call Matty with the news. Nora, being the incredible woman she is, had just sold one of her more intricate pieces to a buyer from The Whitney Museum for just under $85,000. An absolutely ridiculous number for Nora to wrap her head around, but a minuscule number in comparison to the art world where her colleagues have sold pieces for $30 million before even having their morning coffee.

The Whitney being a place Nora has revered for years, making it a life-goal in college to have a piece in their modern art section one day. A true pinch me moment. The piece she had sold was quite bold and brash, which the buyer liked about it - needing something to stick out among their hundreds of dazzling works. She had painted it after Matty had told her about the band being invited to play SNL. She had been inspired by the longevity of the television program and the art it produced, New York and artists like Rothko, Pollack, Kline. Remembering her teachers using the term “Abstract Expressionism” to describe what she was going for. However, she remembered halfway through that abstract expressionism was more 50s-60s than the time period she was interested in. Leaning more into postmodernism (a word she taught Matty), she looked to the works of Baldessari where dots were placed on people’s face in photographs. She took the idea of the dots and ran with it, using her thickest brush and dipping it into contrasting colors, she placed huge dots in sections of the piece - covering some spots and leaving others blank or revealing the splatters underneath. An ode to the New York art scene with a dash of California. It had taken her weeks to figure everything out and research it all.

The work had been sitting in her studio, waiting to find a home for months. At this point, she was just waiting for the wire transfer to go through and be confirmed by her bank - then she’d celebrate and officially tell Matty the news, not wanting to get ahead of herself incase the deal fell through. Walking down W 15th and turning onto 10th, she makes her way to the Starbucks Reserve to get an 11am pick me up, she orders the hazelnut latte and gets Matty one of their specials, a whiskey-barrel aged coldbrew. Taking the two coffees to go and hailing a cab, she makes her way back uptown to her apartment in Hell’s Kitchen. One of the greatest financial decisions she has ever made was taking the money from her first sale and putting it towards buying a New York apartment back in 2016, before the price for everything sky rocketed. Not having to worry about rent anymore was a blessing in and of itself.

Swiping in to her building and saying hi to her doorman Bennie, she makes her way up to her home. Opening the door, she sees Matty at their kitchen table with his headphones blaring a demo George had sent him, she remembers that at this point its 6pm in London. Kissing the crown of his head and handing him the cold brew, she goes to check her bank account not expecting anything just yet. To her shock, there it is already. Talk about a new york minute! She excitedly runs out to Matty and rips the headphones off his head like a child wanting their parent’s attention immediately.

“Hey, I was working on something?-“

“And now you’re not! Guess what, baby!”

“What?” He asks almost begrudgingly.

“I sold that painting today! The SNL one I made way back in December is going to the Whitney, they just wired me the money!!” She is practically screaming at this point, not caring which of her neighbors hear her.

“Wait, baby you did? Oh my god thats fantastic, Muffin! I am so proud of you!” Exclaiming as he remembers when he first heard about her art from Adam at a party. He had shown up late to Carly’s birthday party after going out for drinks with Nora. Adam jokingly asked if he was on a date, Matty proudly said yes. Carly and Adam asked for her name and they nearly dropped dead when he said it. Adam had been a massive fan of Nora’s since way before she met Matty, astonished he was able to land someone like her - someone who may as well be his twin they were so alike.

“Thank You, Handsome! And guess what team is in town…”

“Oh brother, not the Knicks and Lakers again…”

“You are too good sometimes, ya know that?”

“Unfortunately.” He remarks blandly, he hates basketball. He never understood what was so interesting about guys running up and down a court putting a ball in a hoop, but he watched the Knicks since Nora loved them. She could rattle off any piece of their history without even hesitating. She had been to the garden more times than Matty could even count. Her father is a huge Knicks fan and when he found out he was having a daughter, he put a little pink Knicks ball in her nursery.

Quickly saving half her earnings and setting it aside before she forgot, she logged into her MSG account and got her usual. Floor seats, next to the home bench, in the corner. Best seats in the house. Matty still looking like someone had spilled hot soup on him, Nora decides to cheer him up a bit. She has a single connection at the garden and knows that Matty has always wanted to go in through the VIP entrance, not the performers one or the general admission lines. 5 hours until tip off, plenty of time to text Marco and see what strings he could pull.

“Baby, I’m gonna shower….” she says over her shoulder while walking to their en suite bathroom.

At that, Matty’s mood is totally turned around and the man is falling over himself to get to her before she shuts the door. “Right behind you, gorgeous!”

— 2 hours later —

In her Brunson jersey and a pair of Matty’s baggy jeans, she steps out of their bedroom. Taking a last look at her makeup, she applies a final coat of mascara and a swoosh of blush. Checking her teeth for lipstick and deciding she is ok, she waits for Matty.

In his Randle jersey she bought for him last year and sweatpants, he steps out. Fixing his hair and spraying on the cologne Nora loves. Lavender, mint and a little hint of smoke fills the air around him. She inhales and sighs, relaxing at just his scent.

“Ready to go, Handsome?” She asks, grabbing their house keys, her wallet and phone from the tray at the door.

“I guess, do you want me to drive?”

“Sure.” They walk down to the parking deck hand in hand, her body buzzing like a live wire with anticipation of tip off.

She gets a text from Marco, “All set, Boss. Just wave your ID when you get there and I’ll walk you guys in.” She sends back the little smile emoji.

New York was surprisingly pretty empty tonight, everyone must be home watching she thinks. Matty pulls up the artists entrance without issue.

“Keep going, we are going a different way.” She instructs, pointing towards the next entrance by the corner - more secluded and less opportunity for paparazzi to get their picture.

“What have you done now, Gorgeous?”

“Me? Oh nothing, just nothing at all!” She can’t even look him in the eye, he’d know whats going on right away.

He pulls into the private area and shows security his and Nora’s ID, both having to provide birth date confirmation.

“April the 8th, 1989”

“June 16th, 1992”

They get the okay to enter, see Marco and they’re escorted up to the floor seats. Matty looking like a child seeing Disney for the first time. This entrance has a full bar, private club and even a small portrait gallery of all the celebrities who have been to the garden over the decades.

Tip off and the first quarter happens before Matty can even process everything. Nora however is on her feet, yelling and berating the Knicks bench to get a move on and “pass the damn ball!” He laughs, how could someone so sweet and unassuming as her be the person in front of him - geminis man! He shakes his head lightly.

Half time is a blur and before they can even scarf down their hot dogs and fries, it is the 4th quarter. Knicks are up by 5 with 6 minutes left. Matty and Nora now both being the most obnoxious ridiculous sports fans in the building, yelling and high-fiving people around them whenever another point is scored. Nora can’t believe the sight before her, thee Matty Healy yelling at RJ Barrett to get his shit together while his mouth is full of concession stand food and cracker jack. She has never loved him more, she thinks.

4 minutes left, tie game. They are fuming. Nora is practically in a trance watching the game, refusing to acknowledge anyone around her. Matty not even paying attention to the score, just fully enjoying seeing her so worked up over a silly basketball game.

He then gets an idea….

“Hey Sunflower… I’m a little thirsty. Do you mind grabbing me a Fanta?” He yells in her direction, eyes still glued to the game.

“What? Now? Theres not even 5 minutes left, Handsome, this’ll be over any second!” She promises, trying to appease him and get him to just be patient.

“Yeah, I want one before they close - for the ride home ya know? My throat feels like razors from all the salty food you Americans eat!”

“Oh for fucks sake, Matty! Fine, I’ll go!” Running up the stairs as quick as she can and bolting to the concession stand closest to her spot.

“One Fanta, ASAP pronto hurry!” She rushes out to the poor teenager working. Eyes watching the monitor above him.

Randle hits a 3, the Knicks up again!

She rejoices, still waiting impatiently for the damn soda. I mean my god how long does it take to hold a squirt gun to a cup!!

“That’ll be $2.75 ma’am…” the teenager turns back around to her holding the precious soda. She throws a $5 at the kid and sprints back to Matty.

“Here you go, honey!” She shoves it towards him. He takes one sip, looks at her and says one of the most enraging things she has ever heard…

“It’s Diet! Who orders a diet Fanta, this is vile holy shit!” He proclaims.

Smoke comes out of her ears. She grabs the cup roughly and marches back to the kid.

“Fucking diet Fanta, you moron! Who would want a diet Fanta!!” The poor kid looks at her and shrugs, grabbing another cup and different squirt gun filling the vessel with soda at a snail’s pace.

Nora checks the monitor again. 1 minute left. Tied. Brunson steals, goes towards the basket and just as he scores, the kid hands her the new soda. Forgetting to pay she turns to the seats and out rushes the crowd hooting and hollering. Defeated, she her shoulders and head drop. She sees Matty emerge, hands him the soda and they go back to the car in complete, deafening silence.

Trying to get back into her good graces, he pulls out a stuffed Knicks bear from behind him. It is adorable, impossibly cute. Softening, Nora wipes a tear inching down her cheek at his thoughtfulness and wraps her arms around his neck. Holding him tightly to her and never wanting to let go.

“Congratulations on the sale again, baby. Tomorrow we celebrate for real… fancy dinner, shopping, art museum the whole nine yards. Pulling out all the stops for you, my little artiste!” He says into her ear, voice dripping in pride.

She kisses his cheek in agreement and thanks, settling back in her seat with a rosy flush to her cheeks. Holding onto the bear, she doesn’t imagine another place where she’d rather be than with Matty celebrating.

[butmakeitgayblog]

Do you have any advice for fan fiction writers who aren't getting many readers etc? I feel like giving up some days but I love writing and find fan fiction my personal therapy if that makes sense. I'd love any advice you can give or any suggestions. 💕

Well, honestly I'm not any kind of authority so take whatever I say with a grain of salt. Because honestly, I never really thought I'd get any kind of following to begin with 😕 this surprised me, and still does to this day, more than anyone. When I started posting my first fic (very nervously and through the feeling like I was going to throw up) I thought "well, I'll just write a few chapters and probably no one will ever read it and I'll get bored and it'll be out of my system." And now here we are, and I have no idea how that happened 😳

What advice I can give is, you can't write for the sake of other people. I know that sounds cheap as hell because the whole point of sharing fic is to get feedback and interact with others in the fandom, but really at the heart of it you have to just write stories that you like and you want to read above everything else. Keep writing. Keep growing. Keep refining your work and your style so no matter what the view count is, you know you're becoming a better writer regardless. And truth be told, you never know what idea or fic will hit with readers and what won't. You may write something and think oh no one is gonna gaf about this and then out of nowhere, that's what people love. It happens more than you know.

Another thing is - and this is going to sound harsh at first but bear with me please - in this day and age sadly you have to manage your expectations. Not because you don't deserve more readers or comments or because your work isn't good, but because the culture of fandom and fanfic/fanart is changing, and not for the better. There's dozens of posts that make the rounds on here passively warning people about how a lot of writers and artists are getting burned out and fed up with the lack of reciprocal community from their audience. Tiktok and IG and all that shit has kind of ruined the landscape of fandom because now everything is seen as just consumption based. More and more people read a fic and move on, binge a show and move on, burn through a fandom's entire AO3 content in 3 months and move on, and it sucks. I mean when you look at fandoms of old, the days of Xena and Buffy for example, a lot of those fans are still around and still participating and still creating work even though the show/fandom/ships are long gone. You don't really see that loyalty much anymore, and it becomes a cycle of the fandom shrinking and then the feedback and comments and support grinds to a halt, and then creators stop feeling like wasting hours of their life to pour themselves into work that gets maybe a handful of comments even though they see hundreds or thousands of people have read it. It just sucks all around. So expecting to see the numbers that a fic did even 3-5 years ago, sadly, just isn't going to happen.

BUT

I do also know this, the Clexa fandom has been one of the best fandoms I've ever been in, both as just a fan on the outskirts and someone who tries to contribute. I've found Clexas to be funny and welcoming and we have a core group of fucking awesome and loyal, supportive readers, but the thing is you have to keep going. Sometimes building an audience and a regular group of readers takes time. Name recognition matters. Yes there are writers out there that are just synonymous with the fandom, but there's other writers (hi yes hello me, I mean me lol) who came late to the party and it's taken some time to get people to see their work. Tagging things and reblogging, talking in tags, reaching out to other people in the fandom and making friends who want to help you with your work because you help support theirs. All that stuff. It makes a difference. Damn near every week or so I get a new reader saying "wow idk how I hadn't heard of you before/read your stuff before but I'm glad I found it, keep going!" And that 100% will never have even the possibility of happening if you stop writing!

In the end, you just have to decide what's best for you. If this feels incredibly unhelpful I truly am sorry, I wish I had better advice to give you but I'm as clueless to this all as you are. But 2 things I do know for sure without a doubt? One, there is a place for you in any fandom, and your work does matter. There is an audience out there who want to read what you have to write and they'll love it. And two, in the end just be kind to yourself. Love yourself and be proud of yourself for trying, and for being creative and growing your work. Fanfic is supposed to be fun, writing about your favorite blorbos is meant to be fun, even if more often than not it feels like the equivalent of just dancing alone in your kitchen. Ya get what I mean?

[solarwynd]

seeing the pattern for the english trilogy and last year, hybe definitely sees summer as the primetime slot so whoever they think will do best will get that june-august slot. It would make sense for it to be jin since he’s the only to promote physically, but the timing’s too tight, it would be august at best and that if he’s barely involved in the prep or had songs ready before enlisting. I could see Jimin getting the primetime spot since realistically it will likely perform the best, but its always some fuckery w hybe. nj needs to drop that album/project (which i suspect is also a visual album 🤣) already bc I fear the “hype” he’s building is not proportional to the reception it will get.

whoever goes first will set the expectations for armys and respective solos on how album releases go without them present so that will be interesting to see.

“bc I fear the “hype” he’s building is not proportional to the reception it will get.”

(I mean I don’t disagree but let’s give him a chance at least 😭 ) I don’t think any artist goes in thinking “I should tame down the hype because I might not get good commercial results” it’s just the hope that they could alongside just wanting to get their art out there. Will say though if his album does end up being a visual, that’ll be 2/2 for hybe having the capacity to give bts members one while denying jimin his and I’m just gonna have to see bang in hell for that.

A summertime release doesn’t guarantee success but it’s a coveted spot because everybody wants a summer hit. Hybe’s objective is to not have jimin do super well. The last thing they’d want is for him to have a genuine summer hit with legs like Like Crazy. But I also don’t think they care when pjm2 releases because worst case scenario they screw with him regardless. And since he’s not here, chances are they’re gonna have a deciding factor one when the album will drop anyway (if it wasn’t already agreed on beforehand)

They could give that slot to jin. I feel like hybe knows that with him returning armys would try to give him the best results they could while also not being a threat to the structure. But since he’s coming back around festa, I could see another fan song drop too. Not really too tuned in for either, because my priority is jimin not to get sanwhiched, or sabotaged above anything else. I have no clue what gonna happen with promo considering that jimin’s not here. I’m sure he recorded things, but that’s still ultimately gonna be in the hands of hybe as well.

“whoever goes first will set the expectations for armys and respective solos on how album releases go without them present so that will be interesting to see. “

Absolutely, but armys have ever needed the members being present as incentive to do better for them though. It’s 25% out of love for that member and the other 75% because they’re chart obsessed. This will be the first time with none of bts being around so it could be different. I do believe that if joon does go first, they’ll try to give him better results than indigo, but they’ve never been as dedicated with rapline as maknae line. So longevity is already looking iffy. If he gets lucky like yoongi did in going right after jimin I could maybe see those numbers increasing a tad. Especially considering armys go into overdrive with that condition, but I’m still very much rebuking it lmao.

[cheapsweets]

Eurovision 2023

Trying to process my thoughts about last night in the form of a tumblr post...

Firstly, which songs are stuck in my head today? Well, Cha Cha Cha by Käärijä (Finland), natch, but also Promise by Voyager (Australia), and Who the hell is Edgar? by Teya and Selena (Austria)

Positives

Croatia's Let 3 made it to the left of the board! Yesss!

I'd normally be the first person to criticise the BBC, but I actually feel they did a good job considering. Admittedly my expectations going into this were kinda low, but they didn't make it too, erm, BBC 😅

Also, Hannah Waddingham. New favourite Eurovision presenter. Clearly feeling very protective of Julia Sanina. Presence, crowd control ("We don't boo in this house"). Queen.

Abolishing the jury vote from the semi-finals was a big success. Not all of my favourites got through (sorry Iceland 😢 ), but we had some amazing performers reach the finals that I'm not convinced would have in previous years.

Negatives

There were a number of artists whos performances in the final were not as good as in the semis... I'm thinking particularly Serbia and Australia, which were two of my favourites coming into the final.

Why did Germany and Spain score so badly? I keep telling myself that part of the answer to that is the old thing about the way the points work, if a song is everyone's 11th favourate out of the 26 entries, it'll get zero points, but still... I feel these were objectively two of the best performances of the night, both technically and in terms of everything else. Still very annoyed by this, they were two of my favourites. At least no-one got nil points this year.

On a related note, who was voting for Israel and Poland?! I know that musical taste is a personal thing (believe me, I know :D ) but Poland's song had no energy to it, and the highlight picked for Iceland was the dance break, with no singing...

?????

I'm not sure what else I can add about the winner/second place that hasn't already been said. We love out green cha cha cha-ing blorbo. Europe loves him. The legend of Käärijä will live on!

Related, I felt that Loreen's performance in the reprise was much better than during the main part of the competition... what happened?

Norway put in a very technical performance, and I really want to like it, but as I've been saying all week, there wasn't enough texture, not enough light and shade to the song as it was peformed. We were also missing the growl in Alessandra's vocals from the semi.

Where was the audience interaction? I get that the focus is always going to be getting votes from home, so a lot of the staging will focus on that, but it's still a live music event, and it was disappointing to only notice Belgium and Germany playing to the crowd.

I've yet to listen to the recorded versions of the songs yet (that's my lunch time listening this week), but from what I hear from @itseverydaybear some of the songs that didn't make a great impression in the semis sound much better. I suspect there will be some sleeper hits in there...

Anyhow, catch you later, just going to listen to The HARDKISS and Jann (Poland televoter's choice to represent them this year - once again for those at the back, time to abolish juries...!)

As a bonus, here's Lord of the Lost covering Queen of Kings (they have even more covers on their youtube chanel, it's worth a look!)

[audio-luddite]

I did a browse of Tumblr "Audiophile".

OK weird.

Much of the stuff is photos of old stuff from brochures and magazines (like paper OMG). I guess some people kept all that stuff. Grandpa was a hoarder of audio mags? I see lovely ads for crap product. It was crap 60 years ago and still is today (like the BOSE 901). There are some bits showing good stuff but not much. And there are the confused people who don't understand obsession with vacuum tubes and LP records.

There are links to very artistic audio themed soft-core porn. Some are adds for console stereos draped with girls in lingerie. A good stereo will bring the girls in for sure. At least that was thought in the 60s? And there are people posing as golden ears. Some experts might be expert, but you gotta pay the bills no matter the crap information they put out. Number ten in this guy's top ten turntable list is pure crap now and forever.

I have even seen totally phony photo-shopped systems that I know could never exist. You know a turntable has to be at least a bit more than 12" across to fit an LP which is 12 inches in diameter. So that picture just don't scale right.

I guess in summary it is not much fun to look at that tag as there is so much dross.

If you are an audiophile then you probably know good from bad or want to. If you are just interested or new to this then there is a problem. There is a hell of a lot of misinformation conspiracy and noise.

First problem is the term audiophile. It means literally you love sound. The presumption is you appreciate the quality of sound. That is different than liking music in general, or some specific type of music. That would be a musicophile. All it takes is adding -phile to the end of a word.

So if you like music as opposed to just the sound of steam locomotives passing by and care for good clean sound then you are bumping up against this other -phile thing. Do not be intimidated. I assure you that listening to a favorite artist with all the sounds fully resolved and blasting away in your home is a good thing.

It is strange to me that people will spend a small fortune on a sound system for their car and far less in their home. Though I suppose if you live in an apartment loud music will make no friends, but being a big bass thumper in traffic is OK and even expected. Hey if you love that sound well sorry to tell you... yup audiophile.

Now to cost. There can be a lot of money spent. Some people will spend six figures restoring a car from when they were young. It is a hobby where it is possible to spend gobs of money. And there are many people, and companies who will help you spend your money.

You can spend much less and get good results. My equipment has only two relatively new things in it. One Phono Cartridge, and one vacuum tube. All the rest of the electronics are decades old. My speakers are a few years old but I built those as I know best. The cost has been interesting. By selling off older even collectable stuff I have spent effectively no money over the past 7 or 8 years. Yes I bought that stuff once long ago, but economically it was sunk money.

I have the advantage of experience and know the good stuff from the less good. I know what brands to look for. I also know which products have cults around them that blur the flaws. I call myself a "cheap audiophile" as I will not spend more than low four figures on anything. The most expensive thing I ever bought was under 2k bucks. Most was far less than that.

One of the links the tag search brought up was guy who did not understand why anyone would buy Vinyl Records. The equipment is expensive and the media is less available than digital streams. There was one reply about the tangible nature of an album and actually owning a thing rather than just being allowed to access it. I will go further.

I have avoided high end streaming because of cost and complexity. To get good sound out of numbers you need several lumps and most are expensive. You need a computer or a server that is logged into a provider like "tidal" or "qobuz" or "apple music". Then you need a device that can store the bits on a drive either an SSD or even a spinning magnetic disc to avoid drop outs that can be the music server, but not the computer. Then you need a DAC to convert the particular stream to analog sound which is finally fed into your audio system proper. Aside from the subscription (I have apple music) you need three lumps that each cost more than a good turntable if you want audiophile sound.

In order to add a high end streaming line to my system would cost more than the replacement cost of my system as it is right now. So I have a low end solution. I plug my Iphone into my CD player with a nice-ish DAC in it. It is OK sound. But I swear if I play an LP of the same music after hearing it off my iphone to CD quality there is no comparison the LP is better.

And yes when it comes to vacuum tubes I vacillate. They are expensive and wear out. They sound nice. They have more distortion and artifacts than solid state, but it is nice sounding distortion. A big part of this hobby skews preferences to nice sounding distortion. Vacuum tubes and moving coil phono cartridges are prime examples.

My most recent experience was going from a full vacuum tube preamplifer to a hybrid with only one tube. The sound was rich and deep and involving before. Yummy like a good sticky baklava dripping with honey. Now it is detailed and frankly palpable. I can hear a singer part their lips before a phrase. You have to hear that to appreciate it.

I have been recently been tempted with two vacuum tube unicorn amplifiers for a very good price for that type of device. That price is double what a competitive solid state amplifier would be. And like I say at the local pub after my fourth beer, I want another but I don't need another. I am seriously tempted. I have a nascent love for the sound I know is in them. They have a voice and it is good. Actually this is a key aspect of the hobby. It is an emotional response to something. It is irrational.

Welcome to the irrational!

[songsforthepierce]

Odd Tracks: They’re Coming to Take Me Away Ha! Haa!... - Napoleon XIV

So this is a song I haven’t thought about in YEARS. when I was looking through what music I had I saw this and went “...oh yeah, this song.”

I debated about doing this but content warning for light discussions on ableism and institutionalization. I didn’t really expect doing that on this fucking song but here we are.

So I found this song in a video that was similar to AMV Hell back in...maaaybe 2007 or 2008? Hard to remember. But anyway, I remember buying the song, listening to it from time to time and then just moved on. Now that I came back to this song I realized this only could have been used during the big AMV Hell era of the time. I cannot imagine this being used today. Well I say that when as I am typing this maybe someone will use it in a TikTok or something.

I looked into this song and learned some things. First off is that the artist goes under Napoleon XIV which I know isn’t interesting but to me the only reason that stands out is because when I got it on itunes at the time they label him under “Napoleon’s Ghost”. Why? I don’t know. Moving on from that the artist’s real name is Jerry Samuels and he is from America. Secondly the song was released in 1966 and was a chart hit reaching number 1 on U.S. Cash Box Top 100, number 3 on US Billboard Top 100, number 4 in UK Singles Chart, number 2 on Canada RPM Top Singles, and number 40 on Australia’s Kent Music Report. I am actually surprised it topped that high in the US, Canada, and UK during the time period (find it funny it was lower in Australia though). You know, I can 100% believe this being a one hit wonder. Novelty songs getting that status isn’t new (i.e. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer). However, this being high within most of the charts is what baffles me. It being number 40? more believable. But it being within the top 4? That is just confusing for me. Was there nothing else going on in 1966 for this to happen? I guess so. Hell, the guy was awarded a gold disc. Well with all of that said what is this song about? What made this such a hit?

The song is about a man, or in this case Napoleon XIV (this was Jerry’s character or something), being taken away to a mental institution. Why? Because his girlfriend broke up with him which is what is causing his insanity. Actually wait, no, it was because he lost his dog. Haha...funny...okay look, I get it is one of those “Oh tee hee look how CRAZY this character is. Oh isn’t it funny they went insane and are being institutionalized! Oh how quirky!” songs which are not uncommon. I am not gonna say it is the worse song or even the worse song about this type of thing. But I will say it did not really age well and it is very much partially a product of the culture. Well I say partially because Samuels did point out he felt like this song would come off like it was making fun of the mentally ill but that him throwing in the line at the end about the dog would somehow make this okay. You know, how wikipedia worded what he said is weirdly better than what he actually said at the time. The whole “Sickies” line is not great. I know I could talk about how a song like this technically makes light about mental illness and institutionalization especially since the abuse that goes on in places as such has gotten more attention over the years. However, I think we all know this and I already stated my general feelings on the song. Plus the guy was 28 at the time which does explain his attitude at the time. Nowadays I actually don’t know what he does and frankly I really don’t care.Though, I would I have ended this all here but I found more info on the song.

The song you may noticed uses snare drum, bass drum, tambourine, and hand clap rhythm throughout. Samuels’ vocals are not sung melodically but instead spoken rhythmically while the pitch of his vocals rises and falls at key points which creates an odd glissando effect. This is increased by the wailing sirens that were added in the song as well. Now this made me look up what a glissando is which is described as “a glide to one pitch to another”. Though what was interesting to me was the fact that Samuels was able to do the vocal pitch shifts by basically doing a variation on what the creator of Alvin and the Chipmunks did. Samuels at the time was working as a record engineer at the time which does explain all the sound stuff he was able to do on the track. A lot of it is talked about in Who Wrote a Book About Love? which I actually recommend reading the parts where he talks about all the technical stuff he did for the song. To be honest how he made the more technical aspects of the song is way more interesting than the song itself. I would have also ended all this here but then I found out this song as sequels.

Okay yeah, this song has sequels which I do not understand. Yes, this was a popular song which got banned by some stations because of the subject matter but were there people who REALLY wanted a sequel to this? Though I guess before I talk about that I should start will saying this song has a B-side. So the B-side is the same song but it is played in reverse. This fucking sounds like a song people would try to make theories about subliminal messages being inserted in. That or something out of a bad creepypasta. The most notable thing about this song is that rock critic, Dave Marsh, in his book Book of Rock Lists said the B-side is the “most obnoxious song ever to appear in a jukebox” which he claims this song cleared out a diner of forty people two minutes flat. I don’t know why but that made me remember that whole What’s New Pussy Cat meme from years back. Anyway, the fact this B-side was on a jukebox in a diner is just baffling to me. Why would someone put that on there unless they really wanted to annoy everyone in the restaurant? I would leave too if that came on. Now that I got the B-side out of the way now I can talk about the multiple sequels. The first one is I'm Happy They Took You Away, Ha-Haaa! and it’s just the same fucking song. The instrumentals sound like a bootleg of the original. The only difference is that this is about the woman happy she sent the guy away. The only notable things about this song was this was recorded Bryna Raeburn of CBS Radio Mystery Theater under Josephine XV. The second sequel is They Took You Away, I'm Glad, I'm Glad  which is I guess recorded by Josephine which appeared on These Are the Hits, You Silly Savages by Teddy & Darrel. The video of someone playing it on a promotional CD is all I could really find. I think there was one other video with the song but I guess this wasn’t popular. I am not shocked though because it is just the same song, again. I am not going to count the variation of the original song where Samuels says, “THEY'RE TRYING TO DRIVE ME SANE!!! HA HA“ different at the end as a sequel but I guess I should mention it for completion sake. “Emperor Bob” Hudson made a song called I’m Normal which is about the brother of the main character with the claims that no one will get him because he is so normal. The concept on paper sounded more funny to interesting for me because it just makes me think of all of those “I’m so normal memes”. Sadly when I listened to the song it sucked. How many times are they going to make the same song but slightly alter the tune of the song? Well, I guess they only did this four times because the forth and final sequel was made by Sameuls himself in 1988. All the other sequels were made in 1966, the same year as the original, which kind of makes sense with the fact that would be at the height of the popularity of the original. But 1988 feels like it is late to the party. Anyway, the last sequel is called They're Coming To Get Me Again, Ha Haaa! where Napoleon XIV has been released from institutionalization but alas that doesn’t last long as his fear of going back leads him being taken in. My opinion on all of these songs is lower than the original mainly because they really don’t really do much from the original concept. All of them just sound like bootlegs of one another but not even an enjoyable bootleg.

I was originally going to look into the covers of this song (yes this song had covers) but I just don’t care anymore. I already spent more time on this song than I originally intended. So yeah, this song exists and I won’t be listening to it or any of it’s variants again.

[maeglinthebold]

AO3 Wrapped

From this ask game.

How many words have you written this year?

438,169 posted to AO3, and though this is artificially inflated by a good portion of it being RP and continued works from 2021, I also wrote way more than that besides (isolated scenes, pure wank material, stuff that will never see the light of day, etc.)

I’d like to thank a new fandom getting its hooks in me (OFMD) and the ending of Roswell New Mexico being so inspiringly bad for those high numbers, up from 166k in 2021 and getting me almost up to my 2020 levels (514k). 

2. How many works did you publish this year?

69 - LMAO that was NOT on purpose.

(That's an average of 6.3k per fic.)

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

I really enjoyed writing Hell of a Night: it was angsty and dramatic, but I liked making Stede and Ed fight a literal Kraken before they could get back together.

4. What work of yours has the most hits?

World Enough and Time - OFMD, rated E, published at a sweet spot for people interested in reading Stede/Ed. I was proud of the use of contemporary poetry, though, and very proud of the goofy sex those old men got up to in that. 

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

Start Where You Are (and Change the Ending) had some great conversations in the comments I feel like, mostly about Izzy. I wanted to get the antagonist thing right and not make him cartoonish. I feel I did that, but it’s way more work than I want to put into his character in the future, as I just don't care for him personally. Anyway, good conversations were had in the comments here, and that’s what I consider to be good feedback.

6. Favorite title you used

How the Mighty Fall (They Fall in Love) I suppose!

7. If you use song lyrics, which artist's songs did you pull from the most?

I think I saved myself from being a Fall Out Boy bitch by being a Halsey bitch first and foremost. Am I mad I used “The Lighthouse” lyrics for RNM fics before I started writing OFMD fics? Yes. Still mad. 

8. Pairing you wrote the most for this year?

Malexa with 28, followed by Blackbonnet at 16

9. Favorite pairing you wrote for this year?

Definitely those two, Malexa and Blackbonnet. I not only can't choose between them but I'll add Kyle/Max/Liz, Michael & Liz, and Maria/Kyle as honorable mentions. 

10. What work was the quickest to write?

That’s not an entirely fair question because I have so many short works that I banged out in one sitting. Also I usually have no problem getting words down once I have an idea and I have the time: it’s why I love prompts. 

11. What work took you the longest to write?

What We've Built probably took the longest by word count ratio because I kept crying during the writing of it. 

12. How many WIP's do you have in your docs for next year?

Shhhhhh. If I don’t promise anything I don’t disappoint anyone (including myself).

13. What's your longest work of the year?

With @haloud, and also continued from 2020: I Was Just An Only Child of the Universe (And Then I Found You) (117,908 words)  

With @singerofsongs: Ask for forgiveness, never permission (41,989 words)

Solo, but also a continuation from 2021: Never Let You Go (40,800 words)

14. What's your shortest work of the year?

I had quite a few double-drabbles all coming in at 200 words (by Google Doc’s count, if not AO3’s): 

Deep

Hautdesert

Watching

Adrenaline

Aftermath

Reading

15. What WIP are you taking into next year with you?

All of them. I have 17 works marked as incomplete and I will always consider them on my to-do list. Updates could happen at any time. You don’t know.

16. What's your most common "Additional Tags" tag?

Established relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Polyamory, and Humor. 

I made an effort to add “Humor” to my tags this year because it’s something I consider myself good at and thought I should advertise. 

17. Your favorite character to write this year?

By the numbers, Maria DeLuca, and that’s as it should be lol.

As far as an interesting new challenge, I’d say Stede Bonnet: it’s hard to reconcile him sounding fancy half the time and using scientific names for moths and yet also coming up with “Mr. Wavy-Blade.”  

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Alex Manes. Missing from most of season 4. Missing in our hearts since season 1. The version in my head is cool, it just kept getting harder and harder to reconcile him with canon. 

Also Izzy Hands, for reasons mentioned above. 

19. What's one pairing you want to explore next year?

I don’t know what new ones will grab me, otherwise more of the same! 

20. Which work of yours have you reread the most?

Probably How the Mighty Fall (They Fall in Love)

21. How many kudos in total did you get this year?

5,792

22. Which work has the most comments?

I Was Just An Only Child of the Universe (And Then I Found You) but again, that one’s been going since 2020!

23. Did you do any collaborative works this year?

Yes, loads! It’s the best part about writing fic! Thanks to my rp partners: 

@haloud: Without Question, foolish men have tried, but only you have shown me how to love being alive, stranger in a strange land, Even If It's Just in Your Wildest Dreams, love and life lines, I Was Just An Only Child of the Universe (And Then I Found You), there is a lighthouse in the middle of the deep end, You Make Me a Believer, From Roswell with Love, Kiss Me Like Your Ex Is in the Room, 

@a-singer-of-songs: Ask for forgiveness, never permission, Tell me all your thoughts on God / Cause I'm on my way to see her

@lizzy-leo: Sinking in your Eyes, Chasing Golden Nights

24. Did you write any gifts this year?

Yes! In addition to my birthday ficlet gifts (Maeg's Hobbit Birthday Gift Ficlets 2022), I wrote a few other fics I gifted to people this year: 

The E-Word for @dr-lemurr

Embedded for @haloud

Oh, she's sweet but a psycho for @primalmusic

If You Really Loved Me You Would Share Him for @haloud

Drawn for @haloud

25. Did you receive any gifts this year?

Yes! I got some lovely ones this year: 

You Bring Me Hope by @tasyfa

ours by @infp-obsessing-over-everything

i sleep to dream (the trail beneath your feet) by @haloud

26. What's your most common category?

“Multi” (the tag I use to indicate a poly ship) is my top category! 

27. What do you listen to while writing?

I like to watch video game playthroughs actually. Shoutout to @nyssaismyrealname for endless hours of HZD, HFW, AND GOW:R to have on in the background while I write.

28. Favorite work you wrote this year?

Though it’s still a WIP, I’m really loving Dangerous. Miluca Witch/Werewolf who have caught Hunter Alex and will probably fall in love with him knowing me. Turned Alex into a bunny rabbit so what’s not to love?

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

“And a stake to the heart kills you?” [Michael asked.]

“Doesn’t it kill everybody?” Alex chuckled. 

“Yes,” Maria said. “Though I don’t know about—what the limits are of blood healing us? Haven't had much opportunity to test it, luckily. But I’ve definitely killed a vampire with wood through the heart.” 

“Any kind of wood?” 

“Heh,” Alex interjected. 

“This isn’t Supernatural, Michael. It doesn’t need to be a holly branch or something.” 

“Wow, you…” Michael grinned. “You had that right there, didn’t you? For someone who claims her life is nothing like hit CW series Supernatural.” 

“Shut up.” 

Michael grinned. “Okay. Okay, how about garlic?” 

“No worse than any other human food.” 

Michael nodded thoughtfully. He would really miss eating if he became a vampire. Not like these Civil War vets who could only miss hard tack and gruel. “If I drop a bag of marbles…”

“I would be pissed that you dropped a tripping hazard in front of a disabled veteran,” Alex said sternly, but Maria laughed before Michael had a chance to worry he was serious. Alex smiled. “No counting compulsion.”

(From “Drawn.” It made me laugh.)

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

I had no idea I wrote quite that much! 🙃 Probably a cry for help.

[usahanna]

An Analysis And My Opinion on My YouTube Recap: because apparently i have nothing better to do

cw: cringe

Lovejoy as my #5 Artist: I was kinda confused at first since i don't rlly listen to Lovejoy on my own but i do put their EPs whenever we are in the car so, yeah that's fair

MARINA as my #4 Artist: MOTHERFUCKER ARE YOU TELLING ME LISTENING TO 4 SONGS GOT ME HERE??????? BROTHER WHAT THE HELL

Ok I'm not complaining complaining but. did i really. listen to them that much .

Yuki Kajiura as my #3 Artist: Ok at first glance i was confused at who she was but i looked up her name on youtube and. y yeah. yeah that makes sense (she is the composer of the PMMM soundtrack)

Gorillaz as my #2 Artist: Mhm yeah tbh i was also going to be surprised if Gorillaz didn't appear at some point haha. all i'm going to say is: one hyperfixated tumblr user has the power of 1,000,000 ads

Glass Animals as my #1 Artist: Yeah! i was expecting this one, i listened to all three of their albums daily at one point, so i was going to be surprised if they didn't appear. The Other Side of Paradise Red Rocks Live appeared on the recap too and i thought that was funny

now...

#5 Direct Lounge by sleepCircle: Ahh i'm pleasantly surprised with seeing this here! I forgot i used to play this one in loop, it's so vibey. I think i'm going to listen to this daily again, i recommend it a lot! It's really good

#4 Poems n' Thorns by Saruky: Heheh this is one of my favorite FNF Mod songs. Nothing else to add, i understand why it's here and i just like it a lot :>

#3 Enemy by Imagine Dragons: I'm... confused? I don't remember listening to this song this much. I had it in a playlist that i would listen to a lot so that's probably why this one is here. I ain't complaining tho, this song fucks, also!! you should watch Arcane!!! right NOW!!!!!!! ⚡⚡⚡

#2 World Is Mine (by supercell) Live: Surprised to see this one here! I got into listening Vocaloid music again and i didn't know i was listening to this video in particular so much haha (and yes it's one of my favorites)

#1 Challeng-EDD (END MIX) by Philiplol: i am crying. i am sobbing. iam on the floor. i audibly screamed when i saw this as my number one. youtube called me out on my fixation with Eddsworld earlier this year and i am in hell

but despite everything, it still goes hard.

TLDR: idk man my music taste is weird as fuck

[thisaintascenereviews]

Everything I Thought It Was Until A Week Ago: A Follow-Up

It’s been around a week since the new Justin Timberlake album was released. Entitled Everything I Thought It Was, this is his first album in six years, and it seems like this album is doing okay, but JT isn’t the powerhouse star he once was. That’s to be expected, as a lot of the pop stars of the 90s and 00s are getting older and there are newer stars that are taking the spotlight, but people are acting like this album is tanking. I literally read an article that said that, and when I looked, it debuted at number four on the Billboard Top Albums chart. I wanted to talk about how I feel about the album after a week of its release, because the album is still my favorite album I’ve heard this year, but I wanted to see if my high praise that I gave the album would hold up over a week (technically a week and a half after posting this).

Honestly, it does, at least for the most part, because this album has a few small issues that don’t prevent me from really loving it, but they’re noticeable. The biggest one is that this album is way too long. I noticed that the more I listened to it, but it’s not the album is boring, or anything is bad, it’s more so that the last few songs throw off the momentum of the album. The last few tracks on this record are slower, so the album takes a bit of slower approach when it ends. They’re not bad songs, but they’re not as energetic or groovy as the rest of the album. Hell, one of those last songs includes *NSYNC, and it’s really cool. It just feels like a few songs could have been cut. This record is 77 minutes long, and that makes it his longest album (without bonus tracks). Even some of the energetic tracks could have been cut, but for the most part, the album is a lot of fun and breezes by up until the last few songs.

The other major issue I have with this album is the lyrics. They’re not horrible, but JT made this album out to be like this would be mature, introspective, and reflective of his career. In some respects, it is, especially within the music itself. This is an album that showcases what he does best, and goes back to that sound, but the lyrics of this project are nothing different than what he’s always done. They��re very surface level, whether it’s about love, sex, heartbreak, and that’s it. There are two songs that are a bit more introspective, but they bookend the album. It’s just these lyrics, while not bad, just feel very generic and dated coming from him. JT doesn’t need to be talking about this stuff anymore, at least in such a bland way, because songs like that are fine, but he’s 43. These songs sound like they did when he was 23, and he put out his debut solo album. The lyrics are just very surface level, and while I enjoy most of them, some of the lyrics on this things aren’t very good. I don’t usually listen to a JT album for its lyrics, though, as I go his albums for his voice, the grooves, and the experience.

I’ve been a diehard JT fan since The 20/20 Experience dropped, and I’ve been pretty forgiving compared to a lot of people, especially with Man Of The Woods. I like that album, even with its issues, and I feel the same here. Everything I Thought It Was doesn’t have as many issues, but I can see people writing this off as generic, bland, and dated, which parts of it are, but at the same time, I feel like people put too high of expectations on older artists. Not that JT is super old, but he’s an established artist that has been around for the last 30 years in various forms. It’s cool he’s making music still, especially when he can retire today and be just fine for the rest of his life, so I see it as he’s making music because he enjoys it, and he doesn’t have anything to prove.

With this album, I think he wants to showcase he’s still got it, but people are delusional if they think he’s going to sell millions of copies of this new album, considering people hardly buy physical copies anymore. People act as though an album flops it doesn’t sell millions of copies, or if it isn’t immediately number one, but success is measured differently these days, thanks to the Internet. JT is also part of the old guard, as he’s a veteran at this point. I don’t think he’s concerned with super popular, considering he already is. He’s got his diehard fanbase already, myself included, so he doesn’t have anything left. This album is a bit long, and it’s not an album that I listen to more than once or twice a day, because of how long it is, but I still have a great time when I do listen to it. That’s all I need with a JT album in 2024 — a solid pop and R&B record with great vocals and grooves.

[kaoarika]

Wanted to share these pics of some of the things I recently purchased and received, which are this Ikuemi Ryo's artbook ("The Best of Ryo Ikuemi [1990-1994]") and this very old-school pamphlet from the Di Gi Charat Concert in Yokohama Arena (2001) and, uhm... I didn't expect the pamphlet to be THIS big?

The Ikuemi's artbook is pretty nice, ngl. I didn't know this existed until I saw it listed on Yahoo! Auctions and Mercari, which basically covers art pieces that Ikuemi Ryo did during this time period of her career (around 30-smth years ago!). I obviously don't think it covers everything she did in the early 90s... but I appreciate it all together. Now, I wish there were more books like this that cover the late 90s, the 2000s, 2010s... I STILL suppose "Works" (2009) and sorta "Smile" (2019) cover something... Works, especially, since I WOULD UNDERSTAND IT... but Smile feels more like an anthology made by fellow artist friends and contemporaries... and I guess there's also that collaborative art exhibition she was part of some years ago... (it does have an exhibition art book... but it was over my budget, lmao).

Now, the DGC pamphlet... Let's say I was possessed when I bought it (obvs, I wasn't, lol), because I still feel tied to this particular DGC concert (I remember watching clips of this one uploaded in Nico Video a decade or so ago...), featuring a musical number with a certain someone that rarely does this (besides the few Tenifestas he went to).

It's a piece of old-school seiyuu events that double as concerts, I guess. I am not sure if Broccoli was the first that initiated this "seiyuu events + concerts" trend (but surely they were one of those that popularized it, since DUP and PKO were HUGE in the early 2000s), so I was expecting something more in line with WHAT I know these days (ie the Tenifesta pamphlets), maybe much more simpler... but not smth THIS big (how in hell did ppl carry these during the concert??? it's not A4 sized!) and CERTAINLY wasn't expecting it to double... as an artbook of sorts???

I mean... YEAH. Definitely not as the seiyuu event pamphlets I have known for years (which are covered with seiyuu's pics and small interviews or messages given the chance) and it is just a taste of what other official DGC art books (like Cioccola?) may offer (I also have one of the few DGC anthologies brought to the west by Broccoli USA that I bought a few years ago, so...) including some art from that dating sim? game that was released around the time the Yokohama Arena concert happened.

...It also includes a franchise timeline????

Still fascinating and definitely not something I was expecting (but I was previously suspecting from the pics provided by the seller, because of the way the pages looked like from the borders, there were the obvious "these definitely look like the pictures from the cast... these others are... what?")