#death note 2017 review

[lilithvibeplace]

It’s been three long years but it was inevitable I’d return to watch Death Note (2017) because I love little more to succumbing the people i adore and love to the most horrendous films made this century. and with the most horrific and visual mess of spectacle that contradicts its own rules and setup, this film perfectly sits in the “so bad its not even good” and “camp but like in the worst way imaginable” categories. (As usual link is my letterboxd review.) but fuck it it’s fun to make fun of. 1/5, killing myself.

P.S. I’m so sorry Rune for making you watch this post-surgery <3

[eriellesudario]

Death Note – Is the Netflix live action good?

On August 25, Netflix released their live action film adaptation of Death Note. The film is based of the popular anime and manga series and as I was watching the film, a lot of changes can be seen in this film. I mean, it’s good if it was seen as a stand alone film but if you compare it to earlier adaptations, you can notice the mass amount of changes that have been made. According in an interview with Adam Wingard with the Verge, he states that “Death Note can be translated in different ways and still retain its core values’, stating that the anime series can be opened to multiple interpretations.

Note: I only watched up to episode 17 – 20 of the anime.

Thoughts on the film – WARNING SPOILERS

The film tries to steer away from the source material as much as possible, creating a whole take to the series itself. The film pretty much scrapped a lot of things from the source material such as the fact that Misa/Mia can’t see Ryuk even if she touched the Death Note since she’s not the owner. Another is that Ryuk hasn’t been involved as much in the film unlike past adaptations (but more to that later). There were some common aspects as well such as the agents spying on Light’s every movement, but other than that, there were not that many that seem that very significant. The film felt a bit rushed as so many things occurred in an instant unlike in the past, it took it’s time to make its way on screen.

If there is one thing that I liked about the film, it’s the ending when Ryuk says ‘You humans are very interesting’ which in my opinion, was the closest thing we got to a near copy to the original and probably a good way to end it. But the way it’s said however, the intension felt different to what he originally meant in the anime series.

There were quotes and scenes that I was hoping to make it to the live action but unfortunately, it wasn’t there. The Netflix adaptation pretty much tried it’s very best to steer away from the original source material, which is both a good and bad thing (depending on who you are).

Characters

Light in this film however, felt like he needed to be pushed in order to do something. Like he needs to be convinced to do certain actions which is good since it allows him to figure out when it’s time to stop, however, it does causes him to be caught in a lot of trouble. In the anime, Light did whatever it takes to distract/steer away attention towards him being suspected as Kira, but in the live action… not so much. I think it’s good in some degree since it allows him to be ‘less guilty’ of his actions.

Ryuk just wants someone to cause chaos since in the film, he didn’t care about the outcomes/consequences that occurred between Light and Mia. In fact, he makes things it worse. In the 2006 live action and the original anime, he was at least concerned about Light and Misa, so much so  that in the live action, he was surprised that Light would sacrifice his girlfriend for his own intensions.

Pretty much, a lot has changed, like there were a few similarities but a lot has been changed when creating of this film. As someone who watched the anime and the past live adaptation, I was slightly upset with the changes. But if you look at this as a stand alone film, without any context or knowledge of the original source material, it’s decent and gives a basic understanding on what Death Note is. I’d cut Adam Wingard some slack since he did his very best on creating a new take on the popular anime.

I give it a rating of 3.5/5. It’s a whole new interpretation to the series. Despite it being totally different and ignoring a lot of of aspects from the original source material, it’s worth a watch.

[esoteric-chaos]

Ferns - The Mundane and Magical 101

Working with my local land more has taught me to source local plants and connect with them. By properly taking care of it and working the land. That also means connecting with local plant spirits.

The Fern is one of those species of plants. This wonderful herb is abundant, protective and hold much wisdom for they are very old. With some dating back to 360 million years (or so they say). It is known some species can live up to a hundred years.

They are full of wisdom, you might just learn something from them if you actively work with them as a spirit.

Scientific Name:

Family: Pteridophyte

Parts used: For species of Fern it varies

Planet: Mercury

Element: Air

CAUTIONS: ALWAYS check with your local herbalist and doctor before consuming any medicinal medicine as they will be able to direct you on proper dosages. Some medications can also interact and so can some conditions with certain herbs.

IMPORTANT: Some Ferns are harmful (like the Pteridium genus aka Bracken Fern) to the airways and can let off spores that can harm or cause death in immunocompromised people. Always be wary of Fern species around pets as well. Source and research responsibly.

Uses in Herbalism and Healing:

Certain Fern species are used to treat different ailments. Ex. Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis) used for arthritis while Maidenhair Speenwort (Asplenium tricomanes) is used for coughs.

Always check which fern species is used as some can counteract and aren't always used for the same ailment.

On a fun note, Fiddlehead Ferns are used from a culinary standpoint and are quite delicious when prepared correctly.

Uses in Magic:

When placed in the home, it is said to hold protective properties, and when planted at the doorstep.

Dried Fern, when burned, carries exorcism properties.

Some folklore speaks that when Fern is burned outside, it causes rainfall.

When carried or worn, Fern has the power to guide to treasure.

Some Celtic and Irish legends speak of Ferns being used in from healing to magic.

A Slavic folk tale speaks of a flower on a fern that blooms for a very short time on the eve of the summer solstice. It is said it brings fortune to the person who finds it. In some tales, it allows humans to understand animals talking. It is guarded by malevolent entities. Though the one who succeeds in gathering it can receive earthly riches, that attainment has always brought unlucky energy to the poor soul, so some leave it alone.

Recipes:

A very yummy recipe using Fiddlehead ferns. Check it out!

Sources and extra reading material:

Please remember while I provide sources, some content is my own UPG from working for years intuitively with this herbal ally. What you do not see from my sources assume it is my UPG and take what information you will. Always cross-reference and research yourself. All medical knowledge will be sourced.

Medical Links:

Cao, H., Chai, T., Wang, X., B. Morais-Braga, M. F., Yang, H., Wong, C., Wang, R., Yao, H., Cao, J., Cornara, L., Burlando, B., Wang, Y., Xiao, J., & M. Coutinho, H. D. (2017). Phytochemicals from fern species: Potential for medicine applications. Phytochemistry Reviews, 16(3), 379-440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11101-016-9488-7

Spiritual:

Books:

Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by Scott Cunningham

Links:

Want to check out my other posts? Here’s the Masterpost

[concorp]

MCYT Eras Concept

For a long time, I've thought of MCYT as divided into different eras. I've finally decided to refine the idea and write it out. I feel it's a good way to define things, rather than just "old school" and "modern", as the bar for each of those have shifted drastically over time. Please do note that a lot of how I describe these eras is mostly from my own perspective, but I do think the overall divisions work well for MCYT as a whole!

Era 1 - The "OG" Era (2009 - 2011)

The beginning of Minecraft and MCYT. Much content at this point was traditional lets plays, simple tutorials and showing off early innovations in redstone.

Era 2 - The "Classic" Era (2012 - 2014)

This era encompasses what is often considered the peak of many iconic "old school" groups and series. Team Crafted, Mindcrack, the various Yogscast Tekkit series, and many, many more.

It's difficult to describe everything that made up the classic era in a succinct manner. It was the true rise of SMPs, Adventure Maps, Minecraft Animations, Parodies, Mod Reviews, MCRP, and so, so much more. Minecraft was unavoidable on YouTube back then.

Era 3 - The "Gap" Era (2015 - 2017)

The "gap" era is named for the lull in MCYT's popularity. In this period of time, it was seen more as a niche, compared to the massive popularity it saw before and after.

This era saw the "death", or at least massive dips in popularity to many formerly wildly popular groups and ccs, as viewers interests changed and moved onto other things.

Many series came and went during this era, but weren't properly appreciated until after their time.

Era 4 - The "Revival" Era (2018 - 2019)

This era, due to a combination of many factors, was MCYT's return to mainstream. Many people returned to both singleplayer series and servers. Episodic SMPs old and new such as Hermitcraft and Truly Bedrock, began experimenting more with the lines between gameplay, story and improv.

This era also saw the rise of streaming based series, such as SMPLive, SMPEarth, and Minecraft Monday.

Era 5 - The "Lockdown" Era (2020 - 2022)

Much of this era is defined by the new heights reached during covid lockdowns. This era kicked dozens if not hundreds of the careers of those who grew up watching MCYT during the OG and Classic eras.

This era is admittedly very defined by the DSMP, rocketing MCYT and specifically MCRP into a level of popularity unseen before. Second, and as just as important to this era is MCC, bringing together so many personalities from all over the MCYT sphere who otherwise would likely have never interacted on a monthly basis.

A massive innovation in this era was also the introduction of the Simple Voice Chat mod to many servers, now a staple of most multiplayer content.

Era 6 - The Current Era (2023 - Present)

Unnamed as of yet, as it is still ongoing, the current era of MCYT has so far been defined by not only the continued rise of many smaller, younger MCYTs. But largely, and undoubtedly, by the QSMP.

Not only has it redefined what an SMP can be through its gameplay. It has brought the international MCYT community is closer together now than ever, crossing language and cultural barriers previously rarely touched.

---

This concept of mine isn't fully solidified, and is up to be more refined. I would love to hear y'all's thoughts and feedback about these divisions and the idea overall!

[sheepwithspecs]

Echar Agua al Mar: Chapter 1

|| DP Coco (2017) || Rated T ||

Ao3 Link

For Imelda, trying to prevent Héctor from coming back into her life is like throwing water into the sea: pointless. With her family keen to accept the strange musician, and a challenge she can hardly refuse, she soon finds herself caught up in the continuation of a romance decades in the making. [Updates every Saturday]

Author's Note:

A lot of people wanted this one back, so I took the time to sit down and rewrite it properly. I plan on writing a proper ending, but it will be finished as-is (with no added chapters). I don't plan to write anything else for the DP-Coco fandom, so please accept this reworked fic as a celebration of my short, but meaningful time here. As roughly as it ended, I still would not trade those years for the world. I met some of the best people in that fandom, many of which I am still in contact with as friends and mutuals.

I want to take the time to thank each and every reader who has reached out over the years asking about this fic (as well as other DPC fics). The fact that you remember my work fondly means more to me than words can really describe. I wanted to finish this for you, so it's my fervent hope that you enjoy it just as much, if not more, as you enjoyed the original WIP. Please don't stop reaching out, either! In this day and age, it's rare to get reviews on fics anymore. If there's something you enjoyed, no matter how small, I promise that it would make my day to hear it!

The Rivera family was in distress.

Before the last Día de Los Muertos, they had been perfectly content with their lives—if a skeletal soul could indeed be called "living". They had a certain pride in being the best shoemakers in the Land of the Dead, and in death they worked much as they had in life: hard. But now production had slacked off unexpectedly; the twins fulfilled the quota of only one man, Julio made more mistakes in one hour than he had in nearly twenty years, Rosita polished at a tortoise's speed, and even Victoria made simple errors, growing frustrated as she was forced to thread and rethread her needle.

If Mamá Imelda saw them, she might have gloated that her ban on music was well and just. It was music—or the lack of it—that kept the family working at a plodding pace. They'd had a taste of the tunes, a bite of the proverbial apple, and now they were tempted for more. They heard rhythm in the steady ringing of the twins' hammers, in the swish-swish of Victoria's needle, in the scrubbing of Rosita's polishing brush. The Rivera harmony, so easy to recognize, to hum along to… if they weren't in the habit of suppressing those same urges.

But the family matriarch was nowhere to be found downstairs, and could not scold their behavior from the living quarters on the second floor. It was early afternoon, and so Imelda was in her bedroom, hiding… though no one would have dared suggest such a thing within earshot.

"Mamá Imelda can't blame us now," Julio murmured. "Not when she herself sang at the Sunrise Spectacular. In front of everyone, too." It was a conversation they'd repeated over and over again for three months.

"It's true," Oscar added. "She sang again, and so beautifully! But if she heard us…." He was irritated, more with himself than with his older sister. He hated working as though he were a greenhorn cobbler. If he could only finish the day's quota, he could spend the rest of the afternoon tinkering on inventions with his twin. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't stop his foot from tapping along in time with his hammer.

"Then let her hear us," Victoria huffed, squinting over the rims of her spectacles. The needle was mere inches from her eye sockets, shaking slightly as she aimed. "Maybe that will be what makes her come downstairs for a change."

"She won't." Felipe looked over his shoulder, shaking his skull at his great-niece. "Not so early in the afternoon. Not before…" he trailed off, gazing pointedly at the clock just above her elegant bun.

"And so? Why not sing?" Victoria lifted her eyes from her work, pushing the spectacles up her skull with one dainty finger. "If there's no danger of her coming down." She sighed as the twins shook their heads in unison. "Oh, if my mamá could see us now. She'd have a good laugh at us all."

"Ah, he's coming!" Rosita announced suddenly, rising from her chair at the window. She let the unfinished shoe in her hand fall to the table, the brush tossed aside as she raced for the door. Everyone paused in their work, following Felipe's eyes towards the clock.

"Right on schedule," Julio said with a smile. "By the way, what will today's excuse be? The corner store?"

"No, we used that one yesterday."

"A walk?"

"We used that one two days ago." They stared at one another with growing concern, each racking their brain for some useful idea. Finally Rosita shook her head, shrugging helplessly at Julio. He blew out a low breath, hands stuck deep into his pockets.

"You say something," Oscar muttered, elbowing his brother in the ribs.

"Why me?" Felipe gulped. "You know I can't think under pressure!"

"Neither can I!"

"I'll say something." Victoria stood as well, brushing bits of thread from her apron. The twins sighed in relief, dropping their hammers simultaneously to the workbench as everyone in the room turned towards the open door in anticipation of their daily visitor. A moment later, there was a self-conscious knock as a man stepped just past the threshold. He was dressed in ragged clothing—espantapájaros, Victoria often muttered under her breath—with his sleeve barely hanging by a thread and shoeless as the day he was born. His gold tooth glinted in the afternoon sunlight as he grinned sheepishly, his hat clutched in nervous hands.

"Hello, Héctor," the Riveras chanted in unison, the start of their new daily routine.

"Hello, everyone." The hat brim began its revolution as Héctor's anxious fingers began to twist. "I've come to… I mean: is Imelda at home today?" The twins shared a sympathetic wince. Rosita's fingers clacked against her cheekbones as she raised her hands to her face. Victoria looked around the room, adjusted her glasses, and scowled.

"This has gone on long enough!" she declared, ignoring the shocked gasps from the rest of the family. "Of course she's here! She's been here every day for as long as you've been coming."

"Ahaha… I, uh… I thought that might be the case." Héctor sighed, looking down at his bare feet. "There's only so many times someone might go to the markets, after all." He looked so pitiable, dashed hopes and guilt and shame, standing in their doorway like a beggar searching for alms. Rosita clucked and guided him to her empty chair, inviting him in properly now that Victoria had broken the routine.

Héctor had given them all of a month before showing up out of the blue, hoping to speak with his wife. Of course, they had all been under strict orders after day one to not let him inside. If he asked, they were supposed to offer some excuse as to why Imelda was not downstairs with the rest of the family. Every afternoon she avoided the workshop like the plague, waiting until he had come and gone before venturing downstairs to complete her portion of the day's work.

This left the rest of the family with no choice but to scramble and find sixty days' worth of excuses to feed him, along with their best what-can-be-done expressions. They would have much rather invited him in, treated him as one of their own, and marched him up to Imelda's room without a word of protest. But the family matriarch's orders overruled any personal attachment to Héctor. At least, it had… until today.

"So." Héctor placed his hat on the table, linking his fingers politely in his lap. "She asked you to cover for her."

"She did," Victoria answered for them, "but this is getting out of hand."

"Even though you knew we were lying, and that Imelda didn't want to see you… you still came every day?" Oscar asked curiously, running a finger over his thin mustache. Héctor managed a one-sided shrug, smiling sadly. "That's pretty stubborn of you."

"Imelda's just as stubborn as you, though," Felipe pointed out, leaning against the workbench. "She won't come downstairs. Not even if you come every day for the next century."

"Victoria?" Julio waved his hand in his daughter's face, a frown twisting his mustache. "Go upstairs and ask Mamá Imelda to come down. For your Papá Héctor's sake."

"No! No, don't bother her. If she doesn't want to see me, then…." Héctor stood quickly, scratching at his thin goatee before offering them a much happier smile. "Tell me, how much would I have to pay for a pair of genuine Rivera boots?"

"What?!" Rosita shook her head in dismay. "What on earth are you talking about? You're family, of course they'd be free—" Oscar and Felipe immediately bent, each studying one of his feet.

"Come now, I'm willing to pay something—"

"No, Héctor." Julio crossed his arms. "Rosita's right. Family doesn't pay for shoes. But, eh…." He glanced warily at Victoria. "What do you think Mamá Imelda will have to say?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. You can leave her to me-e-e—!" Héctor jerked his foot away from Oscar, the appendage flopping loosely as he hopped off-balance. "Hey, watch it! That tickles!"

"But—"

"Listen: Imelda is your mamá. Of course you will do as she says, and don't ask questions. That's the way it should be. But she's my Imelda." His eyes twinkled. "I know how to deal with her. You can leave that to me. I just thought that since I have no plans to stop visiting my family, I might as well have a proper excuse of my own." He leaned in, motioning for them to join him. They huddled around him, close enough that their heads were nearly touching.

"As far as you're concerned," he whispered, "I've given up on seeing Imelda. I've accepted that she doesn't want to see me. And if you do see us together, just… y'know." He smiled again, but this time the expression was far more playful. "She's my wife, isn't she? Act natural."

"Natural?" Oscar parroted, only to get thumped on the skull. "Oh, right! Natural!" They all chuckled, save for Victoria's modest headshake. Héctor nodded and they broke apart.

"I'm sure boots take quite a while to make, yes?" He asked in a much louder tone, directing his voice towards the stairs. "Especially custom boots for your Papá Héctor!"

"You're right!" Julio agreed just as loudly, winking at Rosita. "Custom boots take a very long time!"

"Yes! Weeks!" Rosita giggled.

"Then I'll leave you all," Héctor nearly shouted, taking his hat and waving it with a flourish, "to your work!" As he jammed the hat on his head, there was a soft sound… almost like the rustling of skirts at the head of a grand staircase.

"Come back tomorrow for a proper sizing," Victoria advised, one eye on the stairs. "That way, we won't have to second-guess ourselves once we begin."

"Understood!" He winked once more before turning, offering a little wave over his shoulder. "See you tomorrow, everyone."

"Adiós, Héctor!" The Riveras waved him out the door, looking at one another before stifling their laughter. If Héctor was volunteering to take the brunt of Imelda's anger, they were more than willing to sneak around and help them any way they could. After all, her mighty arm was often the only thing that kept them in line, and something about Héctor's goofy charm made him hard to resist. Maybe that was what she had meant, blaming him for Miguel's naughtiness on Día de Los Muertos: his mischief was catching.

"It's all right, Mamá!" Julio called at the foot of the stairs. "He's gone now." There wasn't a full thirty seconds of silence before Imelda was among them, eyeing them all suspiciously with her usual motherly intuition.

"It took longer than normal to make him leave this time…." She trailed off expectantly, waiting for someone to explain. Without batting an eye, Victoria took over.

"We ran out of excuses and had to think of something else." It was a lie by omission, but it rang enough of the truth that she felt confident staring directly into her grandmother's eyes. "He stayed because he wanted to order some boots."

"Boots?" Imelda repeated, her mouth pursing in distaste. "What sort of boots?"

"Custom boots," Rosita explained. "He's tired of walking around in his bare feet."

"And you accepted him?" For the first time, Imelda seemed unhappy about a potential sale. "Why? Now he has an excuse to come inside and—anyway, you should have turned him away," she fussed, running both hands over her immaculate hairstyle and patting it into place nervously.

"It's our fault," Oscar spoke up, hands clasped in false penitence. "Felipe and I couldn't turn him down."

"We haven't made a custom order of boots in so long. We were excited, Imelda."

"We didn't think, and he is—"

"—like a brother to us, after all."

"It's not just anyone," Rosita pointed out gently. "It's Papá Héctor. We can't refuse him."

"Papá Héctor?" Imelda groaned. "Since when is he— Never mind." She crossed her arms, staring out the open door. "I can't even blame you for it. A Rivera has never been able to turn away someone in need of shoes. Even if it's him. And it's only for a few more days."

"Maybe a week," Julio corrected her. "Or more. We have a lot of orders…."

"Ay… heaven help me."

Héctor sat at the edge of Shantytown, kicking his feet off the ledge as he thought. People passed by, shouting greetings to him from the docks, but he was far too lost in his own mind to pay much attention. As was the case lately, his thoughts were focused on one goal: Imelda.

Admittedly he was out of practice, and quite rusty when it came to the art of courtship. In the olden days, back when they were alive, it had been more a scheme of getting her to notice him at all. He had even rejected the help of his best friend, afraid that Ernesto might catch her eye before he could ever hope to. That was good: he hadn't needed him then, and certainly didn't need him now.

Most of his ideas for getting back into her good graces were the same as his former exploits: serenading by moonlight, offering her gifts, winning her over with his irresistible charm… he no longer had the dimples she so admired, by he was still quite handsome, if he said so himself.

The real question was: would she ever indulge him?

Probably not at first. He frowned, staring up at the city lights dancing above him. He'd given her a full month, slipping away after the Sunrise Spectacular and biding his time. Imelda could hold a nasty grudge—he had firsthand knowledge of that. Years of bitterness would not disappear overnight, just because they'd had one song together, one small adventure with their living progeny. Before Miguel had come, he'd given up hope of reaching her at all.

But.

That's for murdering the love of my life!

The thwap of the huarache against bone rang over and over in his head: a sound of hope. He was the love of her life! Even all these months later, he still couldn't quite believe it.

I still have a chance. I'm the love of her life.

It was that mentality that had him coming to the Rivera household day after day, standing awkwardly in the doorway and asking to see her. He could tell that the family was willing, even if the woman was not. There was pity in their expressions as they lied to his face, telling him that he'd just missed her, that she'd gone for a walk, or to get more thread, or to deliver a rush order of shoes.

Imelda was a stubborn woman, that was for sure. But he was a stubborn man. Year after year he'd gone to that dumb bridge, knowing full well that he would not be able to cross. Compared to that, romancing his own estranged wife would be a piece of cake! He planned it out in his head, days of shoemaking and nights of wooing. She'd be begging him to stay within the month. Maybe. Hopefully.

It was a foolproof plan… so long as she didn't call for Pepita.

[moroseoracle]

UNEXPLAINED APPALACHIAN PHENOMENA #1: THE REPTILE ROOM

This phenomenon refers to a series of comments and complaints, which initially were primarily sourced from Google reviews, about an alleged exhibit hall present in Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in early 2019. By all apparent evidence, this exhibit hall has never existed.

The entrance to the exhibit hall in question, referred to in witness reports as "Ripley's Reptile Room," is said to manifest in multiple locations, primarily around the midpoint and end of the aquarium's signature underwater tunnel.

This entrance has been described as a nondescript industrial push door, above which hangs a poorly-maintained electric sign, displaying the aforementioned name. In all reports, the location of the entrance and the exhibition within defy architectural logic, often jutting off in ways that would compromise the integrity of the structure above them.

Though many specifics differ between eyewitness accounts, several constants remain: The exhibit features a promotional plaque beside its entrance, using bizarre, difficult to parse turns of phrase regarding the creatures exhibited within, such as promising "titillating marine reptile viewing pleasure," and requiring attendees to have "over +21 mollusks consumed".

The contents of the exhibit itself, as described by the handful of families who experienced the anomaly, are likely the source of the complaints. The Reptile Room is described as being apparently unfinished, with exposed floor panels, wiring dangling down from the ceiling, and a lack of decoration. A consistent element between accounts is that the room is brightly lit and oddly quiet in a way that differs from the rest of the aquarium.

Upon entering the Reptile Room, the majority of witnesses leave shortly, due to its underwhelming contents and unpleasant atmosphere. The several exhibits present (a number ranging from thirty to forty depending on the referenced account) all definitely contain some kind of creature--Fortunately, the inch-thick laminated glass is far too dirty and dilapidated to make out any specifics, but the sound of shuffling movement and the dark silhouette made apparent by solar lamps within confirm the presence of some kind of animal, be it reptile or otherwise. There are no identifying name plates by the exhibits, nor signage of any kind.

The lighting, as previously mentioned, is described as harshly fluorescent, to a headache inducing degree. The one other constant detail between accounts is that the floors were apparently slick with a nauseating cleaning chemical that made walking tricky. In the distance, several halls (but not enough) away, there was the sound of a wet vac, and the heavy, frantic footfalls of work shoes, with their non-slip soles rubbed smooth from overuse.

Aquarium officials have noted that "Ripley's Reptile Room" was indeed a planned exhibit hall, but was ultimately cancelled in 2017 when an outbreak of an "unknown toxic agent" resulted in the death of the majority of display animals, with the remainder being donated to nearby AZA accredited zoos and aquariums, such as Zoo Knoxville and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga.

[oxean-et-al]

A "brief" review of Submachine: Legacy

So, Submachine: Legacy was released yesterday, and I beat it about an hour ago, after just over nine hours of playing.

Review in brief: I liked it. It was good. It feels like a fitting send-off to the Submachine series (or this first phase of it, at least), though I won't go quite so far as to call it a "definitive edition" of the games.

Of course, there's more to my thoughts than that, hence the rest of this post. This review will be spoiler-free, though given the nature of the games there's not much to spoil. I'll also be assuming you have no idea what I'm talking about, so first, a quick history lesson.

The Submachine series is a series of (initially) Flash-based puzzle games produced by the Polish game developer and artist Mateusz Skutnik, consisting of 10 games in the 'main' series, released between 2005 and 2015, as well as 3 'spin-off' games, and one 'non-game experience,' for lack of a better term; this last item was also the final Submachine-related work to be released (or, in this case, finalized), being declared finished in December of 2017.

The first game, retroactively titled Submachine 1: The Basement, was, at its core, one of many 'escape the room'-style flash games, which abounded on sites like ArmorGames, Newgrounds, and Kongregate at the time.

However, as the series went on, the barest breadcrumbs of lore in the first game grew into a great web of narrative, held together by notes from multiple different (and sometimes unreliable) authors, and the games transitioned from being mere escape rooms into a unique form of puzzle game, held aloft by Skutnik's masterful hand-drawn environments, which benefit from his training as an architect.

I mean just look at that.

With the death of Flash, the availability of the games diminished greatly, available only through purchase on Skutnik's website, or via large collections such as Flashpoint Infinity. The 'non-game experience' I mentioned earlier, Submachine Universe, remained available through itch.io as well.

But now, nearly six years later, comes Submachine: Legacy, a remaster/re-release of all prior works in the Submachine series, available on Steam.

So, with all that preamble out of the way, my thoughts.

Submachine: Legacy is, ultimately, just the original Submachine games bundled together into one program, with some graphical updates here and there. But it's not merely the same games as before; there have been some changes and additions.

On the UI side, your cursor lights up when hovering over an interactable object, which makes looking for things much easier. The cursor also indicates where you can exit a room, and (in some cases) which item to use in a given context (hammer, karma water, etc.) That's a fairly simple change which I think makes the games much better, and more fun to play.

There are short sections linking the main games, or "chapters," which are quite nice. Also very nice are the detailed landscapes now viewable through some windows and telescopes.

There are a few changes I am slightly less enthused by, though. Submachine: Legacy, to my surprise, incorporates most (possibly all) of Submachine Universe; however, presumably due to reasons of copyright, the multiple user-submitted theories that festooned the walls of every room have been replaced by architectural sketches.

Likewise, some of the puzzles have been simplified. In some cases this is perhaps warranted, such as with the rotating wheels puzzle (I'm not really sure what to call it) near the end of Submachine 2: The Lighthouse. In other cases, however, I think it makes the series lose a small amount of its charm - I am specifically thinking of how the pieces of silverware that are used in some of the earlier games as makeshift wires, bridging broken electrical connections, have been replaced by new power relay items. These are both fairly minor changes, but they did disappoint me just the smallest amount.

The only changes that I had a distinctly negative impression of were in sound design. Specifically, both the 'item picked up' sound effect and (especially) the 'electrical connection made' sound effect went on for far too long, and, in the latter case, was rather overused.

It's for these reasons that I can't quite call Submachine: Legacy a 'definitive' edition of the games, though it does come close, and I would recommend it for newcomers to the series (the price, for reference, is $25)

Submachine: Legacy also has new content for the long-time Submachine player (which, let's face it, is likely to be most of the player base), involving over a dozen monoliths scattered throughout the games, and a genuinely brilliant new puzzle. For the sake of a spoiler free-review, I'll say no more, though do note that (I think) it is possible to accidentally reset the monoliths, so be cautious.

Submachine has been a major factor in my life, and this feels like a fitting send-off to (this part of) the series, and I eagerly await the next installment in the series.

[ladzwriting]

Honestly, Ladz, I'm scared to read fealty even though I bought it. I feel like I'll become obsessed and then want something similar

I am so flattered by this; thank you so much!!

In terms of becoming obsessed and wanting more, there are minimum 7 more volumes to write (it takes a long time to stop a forever war while preserving a vestigial empire, who knew!). But in the interim of me writing them, I have a carefully curated to-read list for the different aspects of FEALTY that you like most.

NON-FICTION (also featured in the back of the book)

The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II by Svetlana Alexievich (2017)

God's Playground: A History of Poland, Volumes 1 & 2 by Normal Davies (2005)

Revolutionary Russia, 1891 - 1991: A History by Orlando Figes (2015)

Queer Gothic by George Haggerty (2006)

Rasputin: Faith, Power, and the Twilight of the Romanovs by Douglas Smith (2016)

VAMPIRES

Hellsing by Kouta Hirano (1997 - 2008)

Monogatari by nisiOisin, illustrated by Vofan (2005 - Present)

Vampire Hunter D by Hideyuki Kikuchi, illus. Yoshitaka Amano (2005 - Present in English)

A Flame in the Night by Morgan Dante (2023)

Ossuary by T.D. Cloud, illus. by Ambi Sun (2023)

Unholy with Eyes Like Wolves by Morgan Dante (April 2024)

Mistress of Lies by K.M. Enright (August 2024)

SLAVIC POLITICAL FANTASY

Tower of Fools by Andrzej Sapkowski (2020 in English)

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid (2021)

Kalyna the Soothsayer by Elijah Kinch Spector (2022)

SLAVIC FICTION

Day of the Oprichnik by Vladimir Sorokin (2011 in English)

The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczyk (2022 in English)

GENERAL POLITICAL FANTASY

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake (1946)

Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake (1950)

Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake (1959)

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (2001)

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth J. Dickinson (2015)

GOTHIC FICTION

tbh Mervyn Peake's books also work for this category

The Monk by Matthew G. Lewis (1796)

Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh (2022)

The Lord of Astiigos by Soren Häxan (2023); please note: there is an update coming in the next few months

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw (2023)

BLURBER BOOKS

(if not in previous sections)

Little Death by Pom Poison (2022 - Present)

A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock (2023)

A Necessary Chaos by Brent Lambert (2023)

All Tomorrow's Photos Duology by S.S. Genesee (2023)

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Bloodborne (2015), especially Castle Cainhurst

Fire Emblem Three Houses (2019), the Black Eagles house

I think this is most of it!! I have read and reviewed most of these on my blog, where you will find things like content and trigger warnings.

Hope this answers the questions and please take your time! FEALTY is a dense, gory book with a lot happening both politically and interpersonally, so don't feel bad about taking time to get into it.

It took me a few years from purchase to actually reading Mervyn Peake's work, for example, and it absolutely came at the right time for me.

I hope this answers the ask!

[the-orion-scribe]

Breaking the Fourth Wall – A gift fic in a special format

Fandom: Gravity Falls

Rating: G

Summary: Something sinister lurks for the girls and Pacifica, and Audrey steps up to face the threat.

Dedicated to @mercedesaria, for her love of a 90s-2000s sitcom.

Thanks to @bonpocalypse for giving an initial read and vetting through this story!

Notes: Audrey, who is more on the forefront here, makes her first appearance in Six and Seven, in which she bullied young Nilam until Great Grunkle Ford mediates the situation. Aria wrote a review saying how she was “very partial to that name”, given she writes a series featuring Audrey whom Jonathan (rather reluctantly) takes under his wing as a teacher-student. The two grow closer over time as the events unfold. Truthfully the name was taken from Pau’s next-gen comic which features a similar flashback of Cedric being bullied by a girl of the same name. Nevertheless, I decided to flesh out Audrey more, particularly in Episode IV: Death and the Maiden, and also in this gift fic.

For this work, I took a look over a few episodes of Boy Meets World, which is a sitcom Aria based her fanfiction series Autumn in Philadelphia from, and decided to write this story in a screenplay format. Canned laughter, recorded applause… those are something you can find from a 90s/2000s sitcom, while the sitcoms of the 50s were filmed before a live audience. Other inspirations also include DuckTales 2017 episode Quack Pack (although that's more of an 80s sitcom) and Wandavision.

I had an idea of the four friends doing a social studies project on the 90s/2000s and hence they reenacted a few scenes. The one they are reenacting at the beginning is from Boy Meets World Season 2 Episode 20 Pop Quiz, as the headmaster admonishes the two students for their appalling grades. Something unsettling happens, and it turns out to be a glitchy showman from Zoe’s video app that decides to take control of this show. I debated various ways on how to deal with him before deciding upon a game show. The scene featured at the end is transcribed right from Mercedes Aria’s Autumn in Philadelphia Trilogy – Squirrelly Funerals and Nutty Neighbors.

To Aria, you’re a dear friend, and I’d like to thank you for your incredible support and the valuable feedback you’ve provided on several of my writings. As of late, I had the opportunity to delve into your own stories, which are nothing short of extraordinary especially since I garner deeper insights from watching the show. I love how you integrate your OC into the canon – how Audrey becomes a mother figure for Shawn and is a close partner of Jonathan. It’s a pleasure to have you not only as a writing friend but also as someone whose work I admire wholeheartedly. I look forward to many more exchanges of creativity in the future.

I hope you'll enjoy this gift fic. And Happy New Year!

[ungoliantschilde]

Rock or Bust, 2014

Malcolm was done. He died 3 years after this album, and that sucked a lot for everyone around him. Angus said Malcolm’s death was a relief. He watched his brother slowly disappear for 4-5 years.

Stevie Young, Angus and Malcolm’s nephew, had previously filled in for Malcolm in 1988 when Mal was in rehab. He became a permanent addition with this record.

Malcolm and Angus played riffs together. They’d sit in their homes and record guitar licks and then collaborate and expand. When the songs were ready, they’d bring in the band and record the songs in the studio. Rock or Bust was what Malcolm and Angus had left in the tank as a duo, and it resulted in a lean, mean 35 minutes of no bullshit AC/DC music. It’s not great. It’s a lot better than Black Ice. Partly because of how lean it is. It’s the shortest record the band ever released. But it’s a banger.

With Malcolm’s death in 2017, the reviews were basically saying that if this is the last AC/DC record… they went out on a high note. I agree.

The tour that followed this was just as full of drama. Phil Rudd relapsed and got into drugs. He was arrested and subsequently left the band while under house arrest. They hired Chris Slade to come back and play the tour.

Cliff Williams announced his retirement.

Brian Johnson is a car nut. Loves racing cars and so on. He’s been a frequent guest on BBC’s Top Gear and he appeared on Amazon’s Grand Tour. Decades of singing in front of screaming fans didn’t help, but it was a screaming engine that fucked up his hearing.

Angus brought in a ringer. A life long fan named Axel Rose sang for the back half of the tour.

They played “Rock or Bust” to open the Grammy awards, followed by a shortened version of “Highway to Hell”. The Grammy’s didn’t want them to play the second verse. Fuckers.

“Rock the Blues Away” is my other pick.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

The BC Prosecution Service said in a statement Wednesday that constables Paul Ste-Marie and Jean Francois Monette have been charged with manslaughter.

Sgt. Jon Eusebio Cruz and constables Arthur Dalman and Clarence MacDonald are accused of attempting to obstruct justice.

Dale Culver, 35, an Indigenous man from the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en Nations, was arrested in Prince George on July 18, 2017.

An RCMP release from the time says police received a report about a man casing vehicles and found a suspect who tried to flee on a bicycle.

B.C.'s police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office, investigated the death and sent a recommendation of charges to the prosecution service in May 2020.

A report from the investigations office said there was a struggle when police tried to take the man into custody, other officers were called and pepper spray was used. Officers noticed the man appeared to have trouble breathing before he died while in police custody, the report said.

Following Culver's death, the BC Civil Liberties Association said it was aware of reports from eyewitnesses that Culver “was taken forcibly to the ground by RCMP members immediately after exiting a liquor store, apparently unprovoked.”

The association said there were “troubling allegations” that RCMP members told witnesses to delete cellphone video that they had taken.

“This would provide a strong basis on which to question the accuracy of certain RCMP members' statements to investigators and notes, as well as RCMP public statements,” the association wrote in a 2018 letter to the chairperson of the civilian review and complaints commission for the RCMP.

[aitheros]

# 𝙰𝙸𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙾𝚂 ╱ 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐄𝐔𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄

❛ 𝐢 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝 [ . . . ] 𝘮𝘰𝘭𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 ❜

private & selective. mutuals only !! highly headcanon based & canon divergent. mature ( 18 + ) content present. minors dni. follow at your own discretion.

# 𝙽𝙰𝚅𝙸 [ dossier. directory. headcanons. ask prompts. ] # 𝙱𝙻𝙾𝙶𝚂 [ ⚕ | ❦ | ꒰ა໒꒱ | ☾ | ☁︎ | ☆ | ❀ | ᨒ | ☻ ] # 𝙰𝙵𝙵𝙸𝙻𝙻𝙸𝙰𝚃𝙴𝚂 [ @ftbrainrot ]

❛ 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚐𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚘𝚘 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎, 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚝'𝚕𝚕 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡. ❜

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 & 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 ╱ ╱ ╱

• general canon divergence • guild master verse • white ( light ) dragon slayer magic • personality • reputation • sting & jiemma • meta: 'the unfortunate side effects of destiny' • additional canon & fanon divergence

𝐆𝐔𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 ╱ ╱ ╱

portrayal : please review & respect my canon divergence. multiple verses & alternative canon storylines are available. crossovers & au's are welcome. plotting is preferred, but i'm flexible.

activity : sporadic & low occasionally. i don't always lurk on the dash or discord. i don't always answer IMs in a timely manner. please do not take it personally. my energy level to be on social media fluctuates & if we're mutuals, it doesn't mean i'm not interested in talking ╱ writing with you.

etiquette : please practice basic rpc manners both ic & ooc. don't control my muse in an extreme way without my permission. don't god-mode. don't force things. don't hound me for replies. don't blatantly ignore my portrayal notes. don't be rude to me. etc etc. if you ever feel the need to unfollow me, that's totally acceptable but please hard block me if you do so.

asks : open to any mutuals, at any time. please don't spam, unless we're close. replies to answered asks are welcome in a separate post. i reserve the right to delete any asks i do not have muse for.

ships : romantic ships are highly selective; requiring ooc discussion, ic chemistry, & appropriate age gaps. will not write romantic ships with anyone under the age of 26.

warnings : mature writing ╱ concepts may be present or mentioned. this includes, but is not limited to mental illness, trauma, abuse, violence, sexual situations, & death.

triggers : animal abuse of any kind, pedophilia, & graphic sexual assault writings are not welcome here.

will follow :

— duplicates. — original characters & muses of other fandoms ( known or unknown ) if there is an accessible bio ╱ muse information. — muses with or without a ft verse. — blogs that don’t use icons. — blogs that heavily format. — blogs that use rl face claims.

will not follow :

— anyone under the age of 21. — blogs with excessive vague-posting & guilt-trips. — blogs that include triggers mentioned above. — roleplay blogs with clutter. — unknown muses that don’t possess accessible character information. — blogs with no guidelines in plain sight. — muses that i don’t see myself interacting with. — any blog that i simply don’t vibe with. 

ooc info : i go by mandy. i'm 30. she ╱ her. bisexual. half-korean. full-time clinical technologist. part-time student. residing in the united states under EST. a member of this fandom since 2017 & a tumblr rper since 2013. discord available to mutuals upon request.

credits : text divider by cafekitsune.

[sparrowsabre7]

Power Rangers 30th Anniversary Special: Once and Always Review

I should state right off the bat that my nostalgia for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers is incredibly strong. Mainly for Tommy and all things green ranger, but the rest of the crew still hold a special place in my heart. With that in mind I was somewhat trepidatious regarding the announcement of a Netflix special for the 30th, especially when it became clear that actually only two members of the OG 1993 team would be returning, due to: the untimely death of Thuy Trang in 2001, declination to take part from Amy Jo Johnson (though her character still gets an impactful moment at the end) and Jason David Frank (who later also had an untimely passing after filming had concluded), and legal troubles for Austin St. John.

That being said, they actually ended up with the two best options in many regards, Walter Jones and David Yost:

Frank had been supporting and returning to the show for years through numerous special episodes and once as a full time ranger again - indeed many fans (not this one) were slightly tired of the oversaturation of his character

St John had also returned as a ranger during Zeo, a small role in the Turbo movie, for the 10th anniversary, and most recently in Beast Morphers for a special appearance.

Johnson, while never returning as a ranger, also featured in the Turbo movie, as well as a cameo alongside Frank in the 2017 reboot movie.

Meanwhile, although Yost stuck around until Zeo, neither he nor Jones had returned to Power Rangers since their departure, meaning this would be their first return to spandex in over 25 years. In short, it's their time.

In addition all of the second generation MMP rangers appear in either fully suited (Steve Cardenas and Catherine Sutherland - who also returned for the 25th anniversary alongside Frank) or cameo form (Karan Ashley and Johnny Yong Bosch) meaning there's still a whole lot of MMPR rep on show.

As it turns out, this was perhaps the best thing for the special. It allowed the show time to sink its teeth in a little more to Zack and Billy, without over stuffing or stretching the material ( a complaint about the 25th special).

The idea to resurrect Rita Repulsa as Robo Rita is a canny move by the writers, allowing for the nostalgia trip of having the rangers fight their oldest foe, whilst also honouring the canon of later series where Rita was purged of her evil spirit. Said spirit ends up being freed by Billy by accident and inhabits a robot body to take form again. Cue Barbara Goodson's (also returning) throaty smoker's cackle.

So far, so Rangers, however, the decision to have Trini be killed in the opening moments sets a stark contrast from most other Power Rangers media, as does the open use of "kill" and "death" instead of the censor friendly "destroy". The rest of the special doesn't really stray from normal Power Ranger fare but this moment certainly will be a bit of a shock to some.

The other rangers whose actors don't appear do show up in the opening, but are benched fairly early on in classic MMPR fashion: Only depicting them suited up and using soundalikes/archive recordings for their very brief vocals. The writers made the smart decision to not have them speak much at all outside of the odd "hi ya!" and morphing call, which means that it doesn't feel like they are putting words into the mouths of actors that did not wish to be included (as well as helping avoid an uncanny valley situation).

This once again helps to centre the episode on Zack and Billy, their struggles with rangerhood and being surrogate parents to the daughter Trini leaves behind, Minh. Minh's battle with coming to terms with her mother's death and grappling with wanting revenge on Rita forms the centrepiece of the special, anchoring it around this conflict. While on a personal note the lack of green ranger is disappointing, I acknowledge Tommy's over exposure in recent years and the fact that "Once and Always" gets to focus on the original five colours feels earned. It's worth noting here that, in much the same way the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who was more of a celebration of the revived series than the whole 50 year history, so to is "Once and Always" a celebration of MMPR; there are some minor easter egg references to other subsequent series, but if you are expecting cameos from anyone who didn't appear in MMPR, you will be disappointed.

Newcomer Charlie Kersh portrays Minh with an earnest performance that matches the energy of the 90's show. Indeed much of the acting in the episode is very much of that era, over the top lines, slightly wooden delivery, and cheesy dialogue, making the nostalgic viewer feel wonderfully at home. If we'd wanted pathos we wouldn't be watching Power Rangers.

This being said, Yost and Jones, the latter especially, bring a clear sincerity to their roles and clearly have no trouble slipping back into character. Jones delivers some fairly nuanced work considering the subject matter and Yost manages to convey a clear sense of loss and guilt, both for the death of Trini, who sacrificed herself for him, and for accidentally resurrecting Rita.

Sutherland and Cardenas are given less to do, mostly acting as action props, though Sutherland does get a few moments to comment on her marriage to Tommy and being a mother to her son JJ.

The action sequences remain fun and we do get treated to one brief fight with all of the original six rangers and one battle with the use of the power weapons (sadly no use of the power blaster). The finale caps off with a Megazord battle using CGI only slightly less wonky than that which appeared in the original 1995 movie. Once again though, the jankiness only adds to the charm, and while it would have perhaps been better to use a classic suit setup, the cgi manages to perfectly recreate the zord call sequence choreography.

Once the dust has settled we get a classic wind down ending in the juice bar (sadly lacking in an all hands in jump freeze frame) and the episode proper is over, ending a very solid hour of classic Ranger television.

Here's where that Amy Jo Johnson impactful moment comes. The show fades into archive footage of the original six rangers from "Song of Guitardo" where Kimberly, accompanied by Zack, sings "Down the Road", a song written and performed by Amy Jo Johnson herself - originally used as a lament for the loss of the Green Ranger's powers, now a poignant tribute to two departed friends. The camera cuts pointedly to Tommy and Trini, before fading into a tribute card for Thuy Trang and Jason David Frank and I confess the tears started falling for these two talented individuals taken far too soon; the tribute hitting all the harder, if you know that shortly after Jason David Frank's passing, Johnson recorded a heartbreaking nearly 20 minute song session in Frank's memory because he always liked her singing.

In this way "Once and Always" manages to encapsulate everything positive about the Power Rangers franchise: doing your best, fighting for what's right, staying true to your friends and family, as well as serving as a fitting reminder of the power of media and how much a seemingly simple childhood show can mean so much to so many.

[waitmyturtles]

I was chatting with some fellow drama fiends yesterday about my Old GMMTV Challenge watchlist project, and just wanted to quickly note (for anyone who’s reading and is interested in offering feedback!): my watchlist includes a ton of shows that are NOT from GMMTV. 

@absolutebl‘s original post on the topic listed two GMMTV shows in SOTUS and 2gether, but also had Love Sick, which was before the time when GMMTV began to produce BLs. I definitely felt like I needed to watch Love Sick and Make It Right if I was going to watch GMMTV’s first BL in SOTUS -- so I could understand what GMMTV was going to DO with SOTUS by way of telling a queer story via a major Thai network, complete with issues of censorship and the like (thanks to @so-much-yet-to-learn for explaining that part to me a few weeks ago). 

We can obviously TELL how GMMTV has progressed in telling queer stories from, say, SOTUS to Moonlight Chicken -- that was the original thesis of ABL Sensei’s original post. But I’m curious about how GMMTV could get there, and who was responsible for it. And that journey has definitely taken place both within AND outside of GMMTV’s own internal trajectory in developing BLs -- Make It Right/MIR2 are great examples of what happened in early BL outside the specter of GMMTV’s demand for specific tropes and specific ships. GMMTV’s media certainly didn’t develop in a vacuum unto itself -- it had to be informed by what else was happening in the world of Thai BL media.

My watchlist project has definitely expanded from the original goals of: 

1) learning about GMMTV’s brand of BL, and  2) learning about only significant BLs, to now include  3) analyses of generally historic BLs as well (like Make It Right, Together With Me, TharnType, ITSAY, etc.), and now also includes sub-spotlights on 4) significant ships (like KristSingto, MaxTul, and OffGun) and significant/repeat actors (like Singto, Gun, Off, Ohm, Earth, Mix, etc.) and  5) trajectories of particular directors, like Aof Noppharnach, New Siwaj, and Cheewin Thanamin, all of whom play with ideas of queerness, acceptance, and social change in various ways in their works. 

That’s the big bundle of inspiration that’s fed the list, pasted below. I’ll definitely continue to take recommendations on what y’all think had impacts on the developments/trajectories of the genre!

As per ABL Sensei’s thoughts on yesterday’s Make It Right/season 2 review: I’m adding Cheewin Thanamin’s Secret Crush On You/SCOY. I wrote in my MIR2 review that I was DEEPLY moved by Cheewin’s penchant for demonstrating journeys of queer love and joy with trauma-filled starts and markedly happy endings. @absolutebl and others: if I’m correct in this projection, are we seeing Cheewin move from high school journeys (Make It Right/MIR2), to college journeys (SCOY), to journeys with working adults (Bed Friend)? If so -- that is so fucking rad. I’m glad to include SCOY in this. 

Here’s the updated list, if you’re interested in perusing! (I made another chronological boo-boo, by the way -- I didn’t realize that Make It Right, season 1, aired BEFORE SOTUS, so I adjusted it below.)

1) Love Sick and Love Sick 2 (2014 and 2015) (review here) 2) Make It Right (2016) (review here) 3) SOTUS (2016-2017) (review here) 4) Make It Right 2 (2017)  (review here) 5) Together With Me (2017) (review here) 6) SOTUS S/Our Skyy x SOTUS (2017-2018) (watching) 7) Love By Chance (2018) 8) Kiss Me Again: PeteKao cuts (2018) 9) He’s Coming To Me (2019) 10) Dark Blue Kiss (2019) 11) TharnType (2019) 12) Senior Secret Love: Puppy Honey (BL cuts) (2016 and 2017) (I’m watching this out of order just to get familiar with OffGun before Theory of Love, will likely not review) 13) Theory of Love (2019) 14) Dew the Movie (2019) (not an official part of the OGMMTVC watchlist, but I want to watch this in chronological order with everything else) 15) Until We Meet Again (2019-2020) 16) 2gether (2020) 17) Still 2gether (2020) 18) I Told Sunset About You (2020) 19) Manner of Death (2020-2021) (not a true BL, but a MaxTul queer/gay romance set within a genre-based show that likely influenced Not Me and KinnPorsche) 20) A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) (review here) 21) I Promised You the Moon (2021) 22) Not Me (2021-2022) 23) Bad Buddy (2021-2022) (thesis here) 24) Secret Crush On You (2022) [watching for Cheewin’s trajectory of studying queer joy from Make It Right (high school), to SCOY (college), to Bed Friend (working adults)] 25) KinnPorsche (2022) (tag here) 26) The Eclipse (2022) (tag here) 27) My School President (2022-2023) 28) Moonlight Chicken (2023) (tag here) 29) Bed Friend (2023) (tag here) (Cheewin’s latest show, depicting a queer joy journey among working adults)

[macaron-tea-party]

Queer Angel’s Tea-sis on Darling in the Franxx

Part 1: Introductions-We’re doing this in parts because tumblr says I typed way too much

Welcome guys, gals, and enpals to Queer Angel’s Tea-sis. A series where I discuss the good, the bad, and the questionable depictions of queer characters in anime and apply a queer lens of analysis. As any anime watcher will tell you, there are anime that start so-so but end well or turn out awful. However, few anime has the distinction of starting near-universally applauded (albeit I saw red flags a mile away) and then slowly take a downturn before nose-diving into a flaming hunk of garbage and exiting through the gift shop. Of course, some queer fans saw the death flags of this show’s narrative in the first three episodes of the show with its positing of a post-apocalyptic world where humans achieve immortality at the cost of reproduction and where they rely on quite literally the naïveté and uneducated horniness of teenagers to defend themselves from a subterranean existential threat. By discussing issues in production, story, and representation/messaging I hereby present the case for the designation of the title of “dumpster fire” to the show: Darling in the Franxx (DITF). (franks? Fran-X-X? who cares?)

Production

Taking us back to July of 2017, Studio Trigger announced DITF at Anime Expo 2017 revealing that it would be a co-production with A-1 pictures. A-1 is most known for creating the Black Butler adaptation and Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day, but in recent years they’ve gained a reputation for making some … lackluster features like the Sword Art Online franchise and Eromanga Sensei (a production that is gross on many levels). However, during the show’s broadcast (January-July 2018), the team working on the project from A-1 changed labels to CloverWorks on April 1st of the same year. This change may or may not have led to issues toward the end of the series. Another issue with the production was a poor choice of director and head writer for the series. While Atsushi Nishigori has some serious animation chops such as being the Chief Animation Director for Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 and key animation credits to multiple A-tier anime, he had almost no writing experience before DITF. Besides, his sole directing credit for a show was…an adaption of the Idolmaster franchise. Now while I will admit to enjoying some very cheap “cute people doing cute things” musical anime, they’re typically not the most intensive story-wise and Idolmaster is in my personal opinion, one of the most brainless and junk-foody of idol anime. This is coming from someone who watched an anime that was basically a recruitment tool made by the corporate monsters behind AKB48 and still enjoys it while trying to pretend it was made in a vacuum universe where creepy entitled male fans and producers don’t exist.

While I don’t want to place blame solely on Nishigori for the faults of DITF, there were other issues that I will discuss in the later sections, his inexperience in writing and directing beyond single anime episodes certainly didn’t do the show any favors. This is especially considering this was a show heavily publicized by both major studios A-1 and Trigger, was heavily promoted in both Japanese and western anime news media, and was guaranteed to have a lot of eyes on it.

Footnote: Japanese idol culture has the expectation that female idols remain single. The penalty for being caught dating can be getting kicked out of their groups and ostracized by their fans for the crime of dating.

Note: I’ll slowly start adding my sources to the review as I post the rest of this apparently too long for tumblr review.

Also, the rest of the review is added via reblogs~

[chillingcinemachronicles]

Best Animated Movies on Netflix for a Visual Feast

1. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Director: Joel Crawford

Cast: Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Harvey Guillén, Florence Pugh, Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, Wagner Moura

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Sequels released over a decade after the first film are always a gamble, but Puss in Boots: The Last Wish was one of multiple films from 2022 (Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water) that actually improved upon its predecessor. Eleven years after the first Puss in Boots, the eponymous rascally cat has now burned through eight of his nine lives on his various adventures, reteaming with Kitty Softpaws in pursuit of the Last Wish, which would restore his lives. Along the way, he tries to outrun Goldilocks — hoping to attain the Last Wish for herself — and a menacing wolf who mysteriously stalks Puss. Like other DreamWorks films post-Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the blend of 2-D and 3-D is striking in its visual texture, particularly in action sequences, but its darkly authentic themes of anxiety and the value of friendship resonate most of all.

2. Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (2017)

EW grade: B+ (read the review)

Director: David Soren

Cast: Kevin Hart, Ed Helms, Nick Kroll, Thomas Middleditch, Jordan Peele, Kristen Schaal

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The wildly popular Captain Underpants book series has kept kids entertained since 1997, but it wasn't until 20 years later that the tighty-whities-clad hero made it to the big screen. The First Epic Movie centers on George and Harold, fourth-grader best friends who create the Captain Underpants comic book and hypnotize their strict principal into becoming the superhero — who doesn't actually have superpowers. Kid-friendly without being too mind-numbing to their parents, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie has "charm to spare," praises EW's critic, noting it works "mostly because it never tries to be more or less than what it is." It also spawned a series on Netflix, The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants, which ran from 2018 to 2020.

3. The Angry Birds Movie (2016)

EW grade: B (read the review)

Director: Clay Kaytis and Fergal Reilly

Cast: Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Danny McBride, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon, Sean Penn, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Bill Hader, Peter Dinklage

While it may be damning with faint praise to give credit to The Angry Birds Movie for not being a total disaster...it really could've been much worse. Based on the wildly popular app of the same name, the film follows Red (voiced by Jason Sudeikis), a talking bird who comes to suspect that his island's new pig inhabitants have malicious intent. Your mileage may vary depending on your tolerance for punny/juvenile humor, but as EW's review notes, the film "delivers a mildly diverting mix of winky meta-jokes and moral lessons, cannily aimed at both the next generation of tiny consumers and their more sophisticated parents.

4. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

Director: Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson

Cast: Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Gregory Mann, Burn Gorman, Ron Perlman, John Turturro, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton

Codirectors Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson transport the classic story of Pinocchio to World War II-era Italy in this meticulously crafted stop-motion animated film. Following the death of his young son, carpenter Geppetto cuts down a tree and carves a wooden boy, who is subsequently brought to life and dubbed Pinocchio. As the boy ventures to the outside world, he is met with dark forces that attempt to use and corrupt him, all against the backdrop of Benito Mussolini's reign as leader of Fascist Italy. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio is a darker take on the tale compared to the well-known Disney adaptation (which also received a far-inferior live-action remake in 2022). From the fraught setting to the detailed creature designs, del Toro and Gustafson create a distinct world while providing valuable life lessons to viewers of all ages. The film became the first Netflix production to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

5. The Sea Beast (2022)

Director: Chris Williams

Cast: Karl Urban, Zaris-Angel Hator, Jared Harris, Marianne Jean-Baptiste

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A brave orphan girl named Maisie stows away aboard a ship of sea monster hunters in The Sea Beast, helmed by Big Hero 6's co-director Chris Williams. The sailors are renowned for their hunting abilities, though their status is threatened by their society's admiral, who wishes to replace them. They go out on one last hunt to track down a powerful sea beast called the Red Bluster, but, as Maisie soon discovers, the creatures may not have the kind of malicious intent for which they've come to be known. With dazzling colors, fast-paced thrills, and classical storytelling, it's easy to see why The Sea Beast became Netflix's most watched animated original film as of October 2022, according to the streamer. The film also earned a Best Animated Feature nomination at the Oscars, following a wave of critical praise.