#does this count as a promo until I actually get a proper one?

[underno9]

FURFUR = @underno9

WRITTEN BY: Shelley (sideblog to @vocesusurro)

[kindahoping4forever]

Handprints // Ashton Irwin

I’m not in the habit of taking requests/fic suggestions but when an anon sent me a Tiktok and said they needed to read about this scenario and Ashton... I couldn’t resist. 🤡 (And of course I’m me so I had to embellish it into a story and somehow it still ended up 3k smh) As always, my eternal love and thanks to @cal-puddies​ for listening to me talk even the simplest fic to death and just generally being my favorite person.

Warnings: Protected sex in an unestablished relationship, male and female oral sex, playfully rough sex featuring dirty talk and brief spanking

Word Count: 3510

Masterlist // Ko-Fi and New 2021 Taglist linked above

Let  me  know  what  you  think!

You’ve never considered yourself a morning person so it’s nothing short of a miracle that you wake up early. You roll over, stopping just short of the center of the bed, your body registering your unfamiliar surroundings before your mind does. You open your eyes to see a head full of long curls, a tattooed neck and a deliciously freckled back. Right.

You smile to yourself as your tired brain begins to replay the events of the night before. It was your last night in town and you took yourself to a fancy hotel bar to unwind. You’d worked hard all week fielding meetings with your bosses’ bosses but you’d finally landed the promotion; the better pay, the freedom to do the type of work you enjoy - these were all things you’d been aiming for and you couldn’t be happier. It’ll be worth the trouble of having to move out to LA.

Especially now, you think to yourself, looking at the sleeping figure next to you before shaking your head, trying to erase those kinds of thoughts from your mind. You’re getting ahead of yourself. You and Ashton had instantly hit it off, amused at being the only two lone patrons, attempting to people-watch without making it obvious - you trying to distract from how awkward you felt being alone and him nonchalantly jotting notes in his phone, a musician looking for inspiration.

You easily could’ve stayed talking to him all night, listening to his stories about the promo tour he and his band were on, him asking questions (and actually being interested in the answers) about your new job and impending move... but when the invitation to “continue the conversation” in his room led to more than just talking… you can’t say you weren’t hoping for that outcome.

You gently ease yourself out of bed, a few slight aches reminding you what a good time you had last night. You pull your phone out of your purse and check your messages. Damn. The meeting to officially sign off on the new position has been pushed up from an early dinner to a late brunch.

You locate your clothes as quietly as you can and slip into the bathroom; you’re staying across town and won’t have time to make it there and back before your appointment so you do as much damage control as you can, utilizing the swanky hotel’s generous supply of amenities.

You decide your top could use a steam and head back out to the suite in your bra and skirt, hoping to track down an iron but instead you freeze at the sight of Ashton awake, lounging in bed, sheets resting distractingly low around his waist. “Thought you’d skipped out on me,” he smirks, muscular arms flexing as he stretches, drawing your attention to the star on his right bicep that you fell asleep tracing.

You feel yourself fighting every muscle in your body to keep from crawling in bed with him, instead retrieving your makeup bag from your purse. “Of course not,” you chuckle, setting up by the mirror across from the bed. “I did just find out I have to be somewhere though.”

“Oh,” he says, surprised. Disappointed, even? You sneak a peek at him in the mirror, groaning under your breath as the sheets fall away to reveal a quick glimpse of his thick cock heavy between his legs before he pulls on a pair of shorts and walks over to you. “I was looking forward to buying you breakfast,” he admits, settling his face on your shoulder as he wraps his arms around your waist, grinning at you in the mirror.

You smile back, spinning around in his grasp and sighing as he pulls you in for a long, sensuous kiss that has you reconsidering how badly you want this promotion. “I wish I could stay,” you share, running your hand over his beard, wondering if it’s his usual style or just for the ease of being on tour. “But I have to sign before my flight so they can start fast-tracking my transfer to the LA office.” You turn back to the mirror, beginning to liberally pat powder from your compact on your face, trying to compensate for your lack of sleep.

“Fast-track… that sounds promising,” Ash comments, standing behind you again, this time pecking lightly over your bare shoulders. “How soon do you think I might see you out there?”

“Probably be there before you,” you explain, recalling the crazy schedule he shared with you. “They want me to start ASAP so they’re putting me up in a hotel until I can find a place.”

“Mmm,” is his muffled acknowledgment as his kisses travel to your neck. “Wonder if it’ll be as nice as this one.”

“Guess you’ll have to visit and find out,” you boldly tease, breath catching as his touch begins to wander down your body.

He presses into you, hands cupping your breasts over your bra and you watch as a slow smirk spreads across his face when he feels your nipples hard against the thin lace, eagerly anticipating his attention.

“I’ll have to… clearly I can’t leave you alone for too long,” he rasps, morning voice made even deeper by desire. You close your eyes and lean back against him, allowing yourself the momentary distraction. “How much time we got, baby? ...Time for a proper goodbye?”

“Some… some time… not a lot.” Your breath grows heavier as his mouth works over your neck and his fingers tease your hard buds through your bra.

You’re surprised to feel Ash pull back from you but honestly your brain is mush from everything that’s happened this week so you don’t even take the time to question it, instead you just move closer to the mirror to try making your hair look less morning after-y.

Seconds later you feel his lips again, this time leaving a trail of kisses down your back, kneeling to peck around your waistband while his fingers nimbly unzip you; he tugs your skirt down and you don’t even give a second thought to stepping out of the material once it’s pooled around your ankles. His thumbs hook inside your panties and they quickly join your skirt on the floor.

You bite your lip, waiting for his next move but Ashton redirects you, insisting, “Uh-uh, baby, you gotta keep getting ready. Can’t have you being late.” He sits back on his heels, gently rubbing up and down your legs, patiently waiting for you to resume your task.

You give him a curious look but do as he suggests. As soon as he can tell your attention has shifted, his hands start travelling higher and higher until his fingers brush along your folds; you hear him exhale as he realizes how wet you are just from all the touching and flirting.

“Guess I should tell you I’ve been thinking about a proper goodbye since I woke up next to you,” you admit, allowing him to widen your stance, shuddering as his thumb grazes over your clit. He hasn’t applied any pressure yet but you can’t believe how much the brief contact has you buzzing, how dazed your reflection already looks.

“Funny, we could’ve started on that sooner if I hadn’t woken up alone,” he jokes, nibbling along your leg.

You giggle, appreciating his wisecrack and the feeling of his scruff tickling your skin. “Trust me, if I had it my way, your wake-up call would’ve been very different.”

Ash laughs knowingly, “I’ll bet.” He goes quiet and you’re just about to see what he’s up to when suddenly you feel the scratch of his beard between your thighs. You groan as he licks up and down the length of your pussy, dragging his tongue through your folds, teasing you until he settles on your clit, lazily circling around it.

“Ashton…” You start, quickly deciding to give up on whatever you were trying to say once he sucks your clit between his lips, hands pawing at your ass and thighs, encouraging you to spread further for him. You curse under your breath, your interest in preparing for your meeting fading with every new jolt of electricity his tongue gives to your core.

He pulls back, nipping at your inner thigh. “Still doesn’t seem like you’re ready to walk out the door, baby, the clock is ticking,” he chides with faux concern. You feel him grin as he flicks his tongue over you. “Anything I can do to assist?”

You laugh at his audacity. “Oh I’ve definitely got a few ideas.”

He continues to work and you moan quietly, hips rolling over Ashton’s face without you even realizing. He lets you do your thing for a few moments and then he’s gone again before you feel two large fingers slipping inside you. You moan, this time much louder than you mean to. He curls his long digits just right and it causes you to lurch forward, bracing yourself on the mirror in front of you.

You open your eyes and take in the version of yourself staring back at you: pupils blown, lips swollen from sucking them between your teeth, a light sheen of sweat on your face as you get more and more worked up. The hand between your legs makes another expert move against your pussy and you watch your eyes roll back and your jaw drop.

“Jesus, that’s so good... fuck me,” you mumble, head dropping.

“Is that a comment or a request?” Ash quips, loudly sucking his fingers clean.

You turn around, an intoxicating surge of power and confidence flowing through you as you look down at him on the floor, hunger in his eyes, palming himself through his shorts as he gazes up at you.

“That felt so good, Ash,” you murmur, brushing his long curls off his face. “But if I’m gonna risk being late, I think we should make it worth my while and get me on your cock.” You stare into his eyes, matching his desirous energy, hand rubbing over his beard, gently wiping at the glisten of your arousal on his lips.

He stands up and suddenly you’re reminded of just how big and broad he is and you feel an immediate need to have him surrounding you; he pulls you into a heated kiss and neither of you can help but grind, grope and grab at each other. He discards your bra and sucks your tits into his mouth, tongue circling at your nipples over and over. When he comes up for air, your hand dips into his shorts, moaning at the feeling of his cock hard and leaking in your hold. You’re only able to get a few strokes in before he’s nudging your hand aside so he can pull his shorts down.

You subconsciously lick your lips as his cock eagerly springs from the material and Ashton has to laugh. “I can tell what you’re thinking but remember we’re trying to be quick here,” he teases, taking your wrist and spinning you back to your spread stance against the mirror.

You watch his reflection as he pumps at his cock while he grabs a metallic packet from the nightstand, hissing as his fingers drag over the head before he rolls the condom on. “I dunno, right now I’m about ready to straight up quit my job if it means I don’t have to wait until LA to have you in my throat again,” you say, heart pounding as he positions himself behind you.

Ash grins at you in the mirror, rutting against your ass before guiding his cock to your wetness, teasing a bit before pushing inside. “That was a highlight from last night, wasn’t it? Took me so well… any way I asked… so good, baby,” he huffs, hips setting a steady pace.

“Did plenty of asking myself if I’m not mistaken,” you reply, whining as he gives your hair a slight yank, pulling you back into a sloppy kiss.

“That’s true,” he laughs, groaning as you start moving back against him. His hands, big enough to each cover one of your cheeks, massage and pinch at your ass and you shudder when you see how enthralled he looks as he watches his cock move in and out of your pussy as you work against him.

He pinches your ass a little sharper than before and you let out a loud moan, earning a smirk and a low “shh” from him. “Think I need to ask for somethin’ like I did last night,'' you pant, wiggling your ass a bit. “Will you?”

“I was wondering,” Ashton admits, giving your ass a smack so loud it nearly drowns out the whimper it draws from you. “Good, baby?”

“More,” you choke out. He delivers a pair of flat-palm strikes to each of your cheeks, the both of you audibly reacting to how it makes you throb around him. “Fuck, Ash, yessss… So. Fucking. Good.” You try to keep your voice down, given the early hour but his cock is hitting every single spot you need and well so you’re not sure how successful you’re being.

Two more smacks to your ass and you’re leaning in to the mirror, turning to bury your face in your own bicep in an attempt to muffle your cries. Ash brushes his fingers over your hair before roughly tugging you back again, growling, “Nah, I wanna hear you, baby. Lemme know how much you’re gonna miss this cock filling you up.”

His hands come up to grab your tits, fitting over each one and squeezing tight, using the leverage to bounce you on his cock. A series of low whines pour from your throat and you hope he understands they mean that you can’t get enough of how he’s making you feel, how you’re so glad you went to that bar last night, how you can’t believe how well he can read your body despite only knowing you for 12 hours. You hope he knows because he’s fucking you so thoroughly these sounds are the best you can do.

Your breathing has become more pronounced and your fingers splayed on the mirror now appear to be clawing against the glass; Ashton notices and lets his fingers roll over your nipples before running one of his hands down your body to your clit. “Feelin’ good, baby?” He softly asks, slowing his thrusts to an almost agonizing rate as he rubs you. You nod, whimpering his name as he adds more pressure. “Tell me what you need, want you to feel so good when you cum for me.”

“Holy fuck,” you sob, throwing your head back. His fingers work your clit while the new pace of his hips is driving you absolutely mad, moving so slowly and deliberately, you can feel every inch of his cock deliciously dragging against your sensitive walls. “That. Keep doing that. Oh my god.”

He follows your direction, touching you and methodically fucking you. He leans in to kiss along your ear and when he gently bites down, that’s it for you. You gasp his name in measured huffs as you pulse around his cock; somehow you manage to pry one of your hands off of the mirror and you grab behind you, pawing at his shoulder, his arm, anything you can reach.

Ash puts his free hand on the back of yours against the mirror, interlacing your fingers and rubbing over your skin with his thumb as you tighten around him. “Oh baby, yes, that’s a good girl… feel so good cumming around me,” he praises you, voice straining, clearly trying to keep it together himself.

“Ash,” you whine, grinding against him, riding out the last waves of your orgasm. You look at him in the mirror, with pleading eyes. “Please…”

Somehow he knows what that means and he turns your head to slowly kiss you. You moan into his mouth when you feel his hand drop away from your clit, your body starting to settle. You go slack in his arms, leaning against him, closing your eyes and sighing heavily.

“You good?” He checks, amused concern in his voice.

“Oh, so fucking good,” you breathe dreamily. Suddenly a mischievous smile paints your face and you spring up from his chest. “Your turn!”

Ashton chuckles as you drop to your knees and peel the condom off of him, pumping at his cock before eagerly sliding your mouth on him.

“I’d say again you don’t have time for this but I’ll tell you right now this isn’t going to take very long,” he laughs, massaging his fingers through your hair.

You pop off to stroke him. “See? Efficient and exciting, it’s a win/win for everyone,” you grin, a shiver running down your spine as he groans watching you take him down again.

You don’t take as much of him as you did last night, thinking you probably shouldn’t risk showing up to brunch with a hoarse voice. But you bob up and down enthusiastically enough that it’s only a few moments before his grip on your hair is tightening and he’s rushing out your name.

He giggles fondly as he looks down at you sitting on your knees, mouth happily open as you stroke him. “Baby, what are you gonna do about your meeting if this gets all over you?”

You shrug. “Guess you better have good aim then, bro.”

Ashton laughs loudly until you lean in to flick your tongue on the underside of his tip. With a quickly choked out “Shit… baby…”, his cock twitches and cum starts pouring onto your tongue. You open wide, pumping his shaft and humming with pleasure as he continues spurting into your mouth.

When he’s finished, you close your lips around him, suckling at the head a few more times and he lets out a loud growl in response. “Fuckin’ hell, baby, I’m so glad you didn’t listen to me,” he mumbles.

You giggle, buzzing with satisfaction as he helps you back onto your feet. He kisses you passionately and you lose yourself in it a bit, playing with his messy curls, not ready for this to be over. He glances at the mirror as he pulls away from you and he laughs, causing you to turn in curiosity. “Looks like you’re leaving with a couple souvenirs there,” he teases, gesturing towards your reflection where two large red handprints are decorating your backside. In a quieter tone, he offers, “I hope that doesn’t hurt.”

“Well I do,” you respond suggestively, moving closer to examine his literal handiwork. “Hopefully these will have just about faded by the next time I see you… and then we can re-up.”

He groans at your comments and you can tell he’s fighting the urge to pull you in again, knowing you’ve really got to get going. You save him the trouble and kiss him yourself, tugging his bottom lip between your teeth as you separate.

“And look,” you grin, pointing behind you. “You’ve got something to remember me by too.”

Ashton steps closer to the mirror, a naughty smile spreading as he notices your two handprints smudged on the glass. “I should cancel housekeeping for the rest of my stay so I can keep your memory here with me,” he jokes.

He pecks your lips once more and then scoops your clothes up off the floor, smoothing them out as best he can before passing them to you. “Think you’ll make it on time? I can call your boss and pretend to be your bumbling driver who’s unfamiliar with the area.”

You snort, picking up your phone to check your route. “Oh.”

“Oh?”

“Oh, the meeting’s been switched to a Zoom. My new boss had to get on an earlier flight so we’re electronically signing when they land,” you say with surprise.

“Oh,” Ash agrees, moving back over to you with interest. “And your flight is…”

You bat your eyelashes at him. “Late.”

“New plan!” He announces, literally sweeping you off your feet and carrying you back to bed. “Nap. Shower. Room service. Obviously we’ll have to say goodbye again.”

“Obviously,” you concur. “Is the order of these events negotiable? I’m pretty hungry and that protein shot I just took down the throat isn’t going to last me very long.”

He cracks up, flopping on the sheets next to you. “Sequence of events is up for discussion, as long as we agree right now that calling the maid service isn’t on the docket. I was serious about keeping those handprints up.”

You nod with mock seriousness. “If we pencil in the shower after food and sleep, I might have the energy to work on a matching set for you on the shower door.”

Ashton strokes his beard, playfully considering your offer. “Might be able to deliver another pair for you as well. I’m thinking the backs of your thighs?”

“Fuck that new job, this is the obviously the best business deal I’ll be making today,” you giggle.

————-

Thank you to everyone who has signed up for the taglist, both for the support and the lovely (occasionally hilarious) feedback! If you haven’t signed up yet, the form is linked above! (If your name is crossed out, please check your blog settings, I was unable to tag you)

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[buckybabybaby]

Mr Hollywood (Chapter 5)

Summary: Bucky Barnes, an underpaid teaching assistant in a small English village, dreams of a movie career back in his home country of America. He finally gets the break he's always wanted, and if it wasn't for you, his best friend, he wouldn't have been able to take it.

But is that fact enough to save your friendship when it's tested by the pressures of Hollywood?

Pairing: Bucky Barnes/Reader (Gender Neutral)

Word count: 1865

Chapter summary: Bucky comes home! But only briefly... :(

Warnings: None I think!

Chapter 4

Mr Hollywood Masterlist

Masterlist

*****

Pouring rain on Halloween night means the bowl of sweets by your front door is almost full as you answer the bell for the final few trick-or-treaters. Normally, Bucky helps you decorate the porch and front garden on the Saturday closest to the thirty first, so doing it alone this year was a bit of a challenge, but you're happy with the end result. 

The witches cat, out for it's third year, sits well by the mini pumpkins and broom, and the motion activated sound effects along the lantern lit path create the perfect atmosphere, just the right side of creepy.

The children certainly seem to approve.

Switching off the fairy lights and putting the leftover treats out of sight and temptation, you curl up on the sofa, scrolling through the pictures you took earlier of your decorations, choosing the best to send to Bucky. By your calculations it should be around midday in Los Angeles, lunch time hopefully, however it's always difficult to judge when he'll have a bit of a break. His replies to your texts have been slow and sporadic, but you understand, and he always apologises for taking so long. Today is a different story though, as the message is marked as read seconds after you send it, and you watch the little bubbles on the bottom of the screen as he types back his response. It's only a short text, saying that he shouldn't really be on his phone right now, but 'Happy Halloween!', and its accompanied by a photo of his own seasonal decorations, a plump pumpkin carved to look like a haunted house. He was always better than you at that kind of thing, you think, as you compare your own efforts with his, marvelling over the intricacy of the design. The picture appears to be taken in his trailer, and you zoom in to the corners, pleased to see it's cosy, homely. You had worried about how he would cope, being thrown in to such a foreign situation, as from the little information Bucky had been able to share, it seemed as though the other actors were old hands at living on set. It looks like Bucky's learned a thing or two from them.

Your reply to his picture goes unread, and you don't expect it to be answered any time soon. It feels like you never have proper back and forth conversations any more, that phone call cancelling his trip home feels like an age ago, and you miss his voice. The first half of the Autumn term wasn't as tough as you thought it would be, Bucky's replacement Peter is as easy to work with, so you have no complaints on that front, its just not quite the same without him.

Later, as you climb into bed, you allow yourself to briefly think about the future. Now that Halloween is done with, Christmas feels just around the corner, and Bucky's return can't come quickly enough.

*****

Luckily, Autumn quickly rolls to an end, and before you can blink, the annual school disco is upon you. The children look forward to it, and while it is a wonderful way to end the school term, with the combination of sugary drinks and snacks from the tuck shop, the only time they're permitted, the excitement for Christmas, and the speakers blasting classic festive songs, keeping it all under control can be exhausting for the adults.

Taking a breather, you wander through the empty corridors until you can no longer hear the commotion from the assembly room. The cloakrooms between the classroom areas are always a little cooler as they aren't heated, and after the stuffy hall its a welcome break.

Discreetly checking your phone you sigh at the lack of texts. You try not to keep it on you when you're working, not wanting it to be a distraction, but you are waiting on a message from Bucky, not so patiently. You want to know when he's going to be back around here so you can see him, but that's difficult to plan for when he doesn't reply. Leaning against the wall, you scold yourself for being annoyed at how uncommunicative he is, its unfair to expect to be made a priority, and it's not as if you're going to be super busy over the winter break. Whenever he's free you'll make sure you are too.

A door shuts nearby and you pocket your phone, pretending to be interested in the staff board in front of you, showing every teacher, assistant, cleaner and cook on it, your picture sitting at the top of the second column. Footsteps approach as you zone out, staring down the photo of yourself, only half aware that they've stopped beside you.

“Is that who took my place? Looks like one of those cartoon me-mes.”

Frowning, it takes your brain a few moments to work out what is happening.

“A what? Me-”

Turning to face the person who interrupted your bubble of quiet, you gasp, sure you're dreaming.

Bucky stands in front of you, and before he has a chance to say hi properly you're throwing yourself into his arms, only just holding in your squeal of joy as he wraps his arms around you. He smells just as he always did, that combination of three colognes you used to tease him about even though it is an amazing scent on him, and the memories it evokes has you snivelling against his chest.

He soothes you, rocking you with him as you wipe your eyes with your sleeve. “Sorry. I'm just tired I think.”

Nodding understandably against your hair, he hold you tight in his arms until your calmer.

Suddenly remembering his earlier words, you giggle as you pull away. “Me-mes? Really Bucky, you're still such a disaster.”

“And a very merry Christmas to you too.”

Smiling so wide your face hurts, you take him in. He's wearing a yellow visitor badge as opposed to your blue staff lanyard, and it makes him look so out of place even with the familiar surroundings. You note that despite spending nearly half a year in California, he's only slightly more tanned than when he left, but his hair looks different, glossier if possible, and softer. His casual style hasn't changed though, and you're happy to see that faithful puffer jacket he bought a couple of winters ago is still around. You can imagine he's grateful for it, coming back to the shock of single figure temperatures. All in all, he looks so much better than you remembered.

“And anyway,” You say, gesturing to Peter's picture that Bucky commented on, “He's actually really nice. So you should be too.”

“If you say so.”

Snorting, you check your watch. “If you have time, you could meet him?”

“I'd love to, but I've got to get to Dayton's. I didn't say I was coming here first, he'll worry I got stuck in the airport.”

“What do you mean? Haven't you been to his yet?”

“I wanted to see you first.”

“It's not really on the way is it?”

“No, but, worth it.”

Your tummy flips, flattered by his honesty. At a loss of what to say in response, you stare at the notice board behind his head, wondering if he's always had this effect on you and you've just forgotten over the months he's been gone, or if this is a new feeling. Even after an absence of six months he still has such a hold over you.

“What about tomorrow?” You ask after a short silence. “You remember the Christmas lunch? I'm sure we could squeeze you in if you wanted.”

You cross your fingers behind your back, desperate to have him here a little longer.

“Only if they have those potatoes I like.”

Thinking about how you'll make them for him yourself if you have to, you laugh at his condition for attendance, before escorting him back to the entrance foyer and his waiting taxi.

*****

“Are they not feeding you over there?” You chuckle, watching fondly as Bucky scoffs down a very full plate of dinner. Students and teachers a like have been absolutely delighted to see him again, and he's been given pride of place at the main table, with you squashed in beside him at his insistence. Peggy sits opposite, giving you a significant look every time your eyes meet.  She's not pleased that you aren't paying attention to her.

“Well, yeah, but only the really healthy stuff.” He takes a last forkful, scraping at the plate forlornly, before eyeing the food you are yet to eat. Sighing good naturedly, you push it towards him. “Go ahead.”

Thanking you with a grin, he tucks in, quiet until you question him on how long he'll be back.

“Only a couple of days.” He cringes at your confused expression.

“But I thought-”

“I know, I know. But as we've had so many delays because of the weather, everything is so behind, we're basically filming all hours of the day. Most people on set have never seen anything like it, and it's only going to get even more intense. They want to hit the summer season so we're doing all nighters to get it finished.”

“That's ridiculous.”

“And then press and promo, I don't know when I'll get to come home next.”

You don't know what to say. Bucky only arrived yesterday, and now that it looks like he'll be gone by the end of the week you're lost, disappointed and angry at someone or someone's you haven't met.

“Are you at least getting enough sleep?”

He shrugs. “Does anyone in this industry?”

Peter interrupts your conversation before you can continue your interrogation, flopping down between you and Bucky to introduce himself, seemingly in awe of everything about him and his life after Wild Fields Primary School. He knows what you've told him, so not much really, and whilst he tries to dig for more answers from Bucky you force yourself to smile and enjoy the little time you have with him.

*****

The end of lunch comes too soon and whilst you would love to stay with Bucky, teaching duties call. He's driven himself here so you walk with him back to the door out to the car park, refraining yourself from giving him a hug as it feels inappropriate in front of so many people, but he has no such qualms, and ignoring everyone around, you treasure being so close to him, conscious that it may be a long while until you see him again.

Stepping back eventually, you peer through the drizzle at the car Bucky's hired for the day, only half surprised to clock the luxury badge on the front. Not exactly the little run around he used to own.

“That looks very fancy, really going up in the world aren't you?”

“I'm still me.” He says, smiling bashfully as he presses a kiss to your forehead, before slipping out of the door.

“Just don't you forget about me Bucky Barnes.”

“Never, doll.”

You wave him off, not knowing then that Hollywood has a way of changing people, and that sometimes they can't keep their promises.

*****

Chapter 6

[upontheshelfreviews]

If there’s a reason why we’re able to recall the story of Snow White from memory, and why said princess is usually depicted with short hair, a cute bow and surrounded by woodland fauna, look no further than Disney. Their take on the Grimms’ fairy tale is the prime example of pop cultural osmosis. Even if you’ve never watched Disney’s Snow White, it’s easy to recognize when a piece of work is borrowing from it or spoofing it. And I can definitely see why – not only is it going eighty-plus years strong, but its influence on nearly every Disney feature to come after it is a profound one.

The real story of Disney’s Snow White begins in the early 1910’s when a young Walt Disney saw a silent film version of the Grimms’ fairytale starring Marguerite Clark. The movie stuck with him well into adulthood. One night, well after he had established himself as an animation giant the world over, Walt gathered his entire staff of animators and storymen and re-enacted the tale for them in a mesmerizing one-man show. They were enraptured, but what he told them next struck them dumb – they were going to take what he performed and turn it into a full-length film.

In Tony Goldmark’s epic(ally hilarious) retrospective of Epcot, he performs a quick sketch he summed up as “Walt Disney’s entire career in 55 seconds” where Walt presents his career-defining ideas to a myopic businessman capable of only saying “You fool, that’ll never work!”. Considering how animation is everywhere today, it’s easy to forget that an animated film was once seen as an impossible dream. The press hawked Snow White as “Disney’s Folly”, and Hollywood speculated that it would bankrupt the Mouse House. It very nearly did. Miraculously, a private showing of the half-finished feature to a banking firm impressed the investors enough to ensure its completion.

Snow White is touted as the very first animated movie – admittedly something of a lie on Disney’s behalf. Europe and Russia were experimenting with feature-length animation decades before Walt gave it a try. But consider this: most animated films predating Snow White’s conception are either sadly lost to us or barely count as such by just crossing the hour mark. With all the hard work poured into it showing in every scene, with each moment displaying a new breakthrough in the medium, Snow White might as well be the first completely animated movie after all. Hell, it’s the very first movie in the entire history of cinema that was created using STORYBOARDS. A tool used by virtually every single movie put out today. If that’s not groundbreaking enough, I don’t know what is.

But is Snow White really…but why does it…can it…

“You know what? No. I’m not doing this teasing question thing before the review starts proper. OF COURSE Snow White is a masterpiece. OF COURSE most of it holds up. Let’s skip the middleman so I can explain why.”

After the opening credits we get the first of what will be many Disney leather bound books opening themselves to invite us into the world of the story. We’re informed that once upon a time there was a particularly Wicked Queen (nicknamed Grimhilde in promo features and the comics) who had a serious narcissistic personality disorder. Every day she consults her Magic Mirror™ to see who’s the fairest one of all and takes pride in being repeatedly told she holds said title. In the meantime she bullies her younger, prettier stepdaughter, the princess Snow White, and gives her the standard Cinderella treatment in the hopes that endless drudgery will wipe out the competition.

One fateful morning, however, the Mirror informs the Queen that she’s been bumped down to runner-up. She susses out that it’s Snow White who’s taken her place after the Mirror describes the newcomer as having “lips red as the rose, hair black as ebony, [and] skin white as snow”, but maybe the Queen is projecting here due to her extreme jealousy. Going by those three traits the Mirror could be describing almost anyone on the planet.

Care to narrow it down a bit, buddy?

Now if you consider yourself a feminist or at the very least have progressive views regarding women, I know what you’re thinking – just another example of the patriarchy pitting shallow female stereotypes against each other, right? Well in a manner of speaking, yes. There’s plenty of evidence that the Brothers Grimm held some odious misogynistic beliefs that stemmed from a bad combination of the era they lived in, outdated religious teachings, and their own experiences with the opposite sex. It shows in their second fairy tale revisions –  the heroines are naïve bimbos in need of a man’s rescue, and the villains are evil stepmothers and witches who happen to be hideous 99% of the time – and those views have been reinforced in our society thanks to those particular iterations being passed down to today.

Here’s my way of viewing the central conflict: The Mirror’s news is a wake-up call that Snow White is coming into her own as a woman and princess. That means marriage to a prince and the end of the Wicked Queen’s rule. Snow White will have all the power and adulation while the Queen is forced to step down and become another footnote in ancient royal history. Up until now the Queen has gone out of her way put down her pretty young opponent with petty cruelty because there’s nothing stopping her; but when faced with the inevitable, she unflinchingly opts to take more drastic measures so she can keep the throne.

If it weren’t for the fact the Queen’s unofficial moniker is Grimhilde and her transformation scene reveals a head of black hair, I’d suspect her real name was Cersei Lannister.

You also have to remember that the Queen takes the term “fairest” at face value. The Queen is beautiful, sure, but it’s a glacial beauty – cold, unfeeling, and nothing beneath the surface. All she cares about is looks and power. You’d have to be a pure loving soul or Woody Allen find something worthwhile in her. Snow White is beautiful too, though it’s her kindness and fair treatment of everyone that garners her the title of “fairest one of all”, not her appearance.

Speaking of, we follow that scene with Snow White (Adriana Casselotti) dressed in rags cleaning the castle courtyard. She shows her bird friends her wishing well and sings “I’m Wishing”, where she reveals her wish for her one true love to show up.

Confession time: In childhood the title of my favorite Disney princess was neck and neck between Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Snow White. I’ve already discussed at length why I adore Belle, so I suppose I should do the same for Snow.

…turns out it’s more difficult than I thought.

For as long as I could remember, I was surrounded by Snow White paraphernalia – tapes, toys, dolls, music, games, artwork, bed sheets, I can even recall the ice show. Snow White is ingrained into my early years. It more than likely has to do with the timing of its brief return to theaters and first VHS release between 1993 and 1994, right at the peak of the Disney Renaissance, so I experienced Snow White-mania right alongside Lion King-mania, Beauty and the Beast-mania and various other Disneymanias that were rampant at that time.

Even this one, embarrassingly.

As a result, I idolized Snow White as much the other princesses of the time, right down to making her the character I dressed up as the most for Halloween. I suppose what drew me to her was inherent kindness, ability to make friends with everyone, and her voice. Yes, I admit it. I don’t find Snow White’s warbling to be as irritating as everyone says it is. Maybe I’ve listened to it so much that I’ve grown immune. Then again I am that one Disney fan who doesn’t loathe It’s A Small World with every fiber of their being so maybe I should question my own tastes more.

Now as an adult with a critical eye who can put nostalgia behind me when necessary, is there something more to the character of Snow White that’s worth appreciating as much as the more-fleshed out princesses of the Renaissance and current Revival period?

I accept that I’m in the minority on this one, but I firmly say yes.

I know what you’re thinking – all Snow White does is smile and sing while she slaves under the Queen and the dwarfs and dreams of a handsome man to come carry her away, so I should turn in my feminist card for daring to suggest she’s a good character and role model for girls, right? Consider this: like Cinderella after her, Snow White’s happy nature and songs are her ways of coping with her unpleasant situation. It keeps her spirits up and in turn she tries to spread that positivity to others who need it as well. She refuses to let the Queen’s negativity turn her as sour as she is. All the little things Snow White reveals in what she does – her patience, pride in her work, healthy emotional balance, drive to help others, and warmth towards those smaller than her (in both a figurative and literal sense) – are all signs that she is capable of being a far better and beloved ruler and all around person than the Queen is. Plus, her reason for wanting to find love is two-fold: not only is she looking for someone with whom she can share a unique emotional understanding bond – which is something most every human craves – but it’s the also best possible means for her to escape from her stepmother’s abuse. Like I said earlier, once Snow White gets the ring, she gets to rule.

And what’s wrong with having a princess who can run a practical household? One could argue that it’s an example of traditional female roles desired by an oppressive patriarchal society on full display, but you want to know why millennials are called out for being lazy? Because baby boomers have cut out classes that teach things young adults actually need outside of school like how to properly cook and do laundry and pay your taxes since those weren’t seen as “essential enough to education”. So I have to admire a princess who, while not the most “progressive” of the bunch by today’s standards, is willing and able take care of herself and others when it comes to basic everyday needs. I think TheBrutallyHonestMom summed it up best in her post defending Snow White:

When we denigrate what Snow White accomplishes at the dwarfs’ cottage, when we rename her accomplishments to make them sound more impressive, more official, more valuable—management, administration, domestic CEO, sous chef, hospitality specialist—what we are really doing is saying that we don’t value the truly valuable work that she and so many other stay-at-home individuals do. Those words are a microaggression against what have traditionally been feminine roles, an attempt to align them with a patriarchal worldview where only those with the biggest titles and fattest paychecks matter. Snow White is domestic. She is a maid. She is a mother figure. She does take on the womanliest of the womanly roles. To claim that adopting these roles (and being good at them) somehow makes her a poor role model for my daughters is not a failure of Snow White’s imagination. It is a failure of ours.

Then there’s the matter of her actress too, which I can’t stay silent about. A few years ago it was revealed that in order to preserve the illusion of Snow White as a real character (a good many years before the company applied that same logic to their character performers at the theme parks I might add), Disney forced Adriana Casselotti to forego her screen credit and never take on another acting role again, essentially robbing her of a career. She only managed to appear in It’s A Wonderful Life and The Wizard of Oz because hers were uncredited minute parts. Casselotti had no regrets about choosing Snow White over a promising show business vocation, but I still call bull on the matter. If this kind of thing happened today, people would not stand for it, character illusions or not. There’s also crazy double standards since all the actors who played the dwarfs got to keep on acting; Sneezy’s voice actor was in Fun and Fancy Free for crying out loud! I love ya Walt, but that is one dick move. So if you’re a detractor cheering that you never have to hear Casselotti’s voice beyond this movie, keep in mind that’s all because of one man silencing her for the sake of his business.

So, Snow White. She cooks, cleans, delegates, teaches, loves, domestically kicks ass, and her behind the scenes story makes a strong case for the Time’s Up movement. Any questions?

“Yes. You’re over 2000 words in and we haven’t even gotten to the dwarfs yet. Plan on getting off that soapbox sometime this decade?”

Snow’s singing attracts the attention of a handsome Prince (Harry Stockwell) passing by on his horse. But his forwardness startles the shy girl and sends her sprinting up to her room. He charms her out to her balcony by singing his one song in the feature…”One Song”. You gotta love it when the title matches the tune perfectly.

“Wherefore art thou Prince? Deny thy father and refuse thy name!”

“Sure I’ll gladly refuse my name – if I had one, that is.”

All joking aside, I have a soft spot for this scene. Stockwell’s voice has this old-time Broadway/operetta quality I’ve always liked, the lyrics are unironic purple prose that still feel genuine, Snow’s little excited gestures are adorable, and it’s framed beautifully. This is what got it into my heard early on that the most romantic gesture anyone can make is serenading someone from beneath their balcony.

“Too bad you’re technically in a long distance relationship.”

“I know. Propping up a phone beneath your window just doesn’t have the same effect.”

Snow returns his affections with a kiss delivered via a dove and departs the scene with one hell of a pair of bedroom eyes, especially for a Disney character.

Daaaaaamn, girl! You already got him hooked, no need to gild the lily!

Unbeknownst to either of them, the Queen is watching overhead; Snow catching the eye of Prince Charming is what finally pushes her to take further action. She summons her Huntsman –

– to bring Snow White out into the forest and do away with her. Brief as this scene may be, there are two things I really like about it. First, the gravity. The Huntsman reacts with horror on being told what he must do, foreshadowing his eventual turnaround, yet with an icy hiss of “Silence!” and a short reminder of the price of failure, the Queen goads him back into line. We don’t know what the penalty for insubordination is, but it’s implied to be pretty nasty if she’s able to convince him otherwise with just a few words. Second, the Queen’s other demand. In the original fairytale, the Queen requested Snow White’s liver, lungs and heart so she could eat them and inherit her stepdaughter’s comely attributes.

But here in the film, she only wants the heart, and not for lunch. The Queen wants to keep it as a trophy. She even has a disturbingly appropriate box for it at the ready.

Proof that she really puts the ‘grim’ in ‘Grimhilde’.

Snow White, now dressed in her iconic yellow and blue dress, goes out flower picking with the Huntsman waiting not far behind. She spies a lost baby bird, and the moment she turns her back to help it, the Huntsman moves in for the kill. It’s framed like the murderer creeping up to their next victim in a scary movie, slowly building up to the moment he confronts her, with tension you could cut with a – well, you know.

Ultimately the Huntsman is moved by the princess’ humanity and can’t go through with the deed. Instead he reveals the Queen’s plot and pleads her to run, run away, Snow, and never return. Terrified, Snow White flees into the forest where her fears magnify her surroundings. Brambles become gnarled outstretched hands, logs are hungry snapping crocodiles, and there are eyes everywhere, always watching, boring into her every place she turns.

I should note that while developing Snow White, the Disney studio became something of an art college with fine arts and film study classes offered to the staff in order to hone their craft. Some of the movies they studied were horror flicks from the pre-Hays Code era, classics directed by the likes of James Whale and F.W. Murnau. The results speak for themselves. Scenes like this and the Queen’s transformation are why I consider Snow White my very first horror movie. The frightening imagery and darker themes all hide beneath a veneer of Disney childhood innocence. Like a proto-Pan’s Labyrinth, the terror as much psychological as it is fantastical.

A young Sam Raimi watched this and vowed one day he’d make those trees even more terrifying and bad-touchy.

This scene is also the source of one of the most famous stories to come out of the film’s creation. During the planning of the part where Snow falls backwards through an open-mouthed cavern into a lake, one of the animators cried out in terror “Won’t that kill her??” And the whole room fell silent. They reached the point where they no longer thought of Snow White as a cartoon but as an actual person, something that had never happened before. That was the moment where they were officially, as Ben Vereen once put it, on the right track.

Overwhelmed, Snow White collapses in tears. She’s brought back to her senses by the usual cuddly forest inhabitants inexplicably drawn to female royalty in need of assistance. Of course, being the ever-thoughtful soul that she is, Snow apologizes for startling them and making a fuss over how afraid she was, once more putting others before herself. She bonds with the animals through the uplifting “With a Smile and a Song”. Then she spends several minutes talking to them and making plans for the future all in rhyme. I confess it’s one of the weaker moments of the movie, showing that the studio’s transition from the Silly Symphonies to full-fledged filmmaking hasn’t completely been made yet.

The critters lead Snow to a quaint cottage in need of a good cleaning service. Assuming the miniature-sized furniture means the inhabitants are orphaned children, she decides to surprise them by sprucing up the joint, hoping her act of kindness will make them forget her breaking and entering and they’ll let her stay. Said cleanup time is underscored by one of the more upbeat tunes in Disney’s songbook, “Whistle While You Work”. Like Mary Poppin’s “A Spoonful of Sugar” it’s all about finding joy in the little things that make the work go by quicker.

“Here’s the last of the underwear, Bambi. And try not leave any ticks in the laundry this time!”

But as we all know, the cottage belongs not to seven children, but seven little people who work as jewel miners, all the while singing that famous mining song –

“No, the one sung by dwarves.”

“Seriously?!”

All joking aside, Heigh-Ho is the best song in the movie, no contest. Easily the catchiest tune here if not the entire Disney canon. If it can keep a theater full of gremlins occupied, it’s doing something right.

Sure, they whistle while they work for now. But once they find the Arkenstone it’s all downhill from here.

And let’s not kid ourselves, the dwarfs are the real reason why we keep returning to Snow White. Their quirk-matching names and designs make each one memorable, they’re endlessly entertaining, and they’re the characters that come the closest to having some form of arc. The group is a prime example of the illusion of life that is animation, exaggerated to a degree that they’re still believable in their movements and mannerisms. Dopey especially works well in this regard, a wonder considering much of his character was developed by happy accident. When an actor suitable enough couldn’t be found, they made the decision to simply mute him. Like much of Disney’s favorite animal sidekicks, they based his personality around that of a lovable dog, though I’d be lying if I didn’t see some Harpo Marx in there as well. As a result, his childlike playfulness and comic timing is up there with Chaplin’s Little Tramp. His hitch step was also an unexpected boon; after animator Frank Thomas put it in one of his scenes, Walt liked it so much that he insisted all previously animated footage of Dopey be redone to include that step. Incidentally, Frank’s popularity among the animation staff reached all-time lows after that announcement.

Snow White flops down for a quick nap on the beds upstairs just as the dwarfs return home. What follows is them sneaking about their now suspiciously squeaky-clean cottage and further establishing their personas through a series of finely-tuned gags (Walt paid five dollars for every good joke his guys could come up with, and this was when five dollars could take you out to dinner and a show). Dopey is elected to check the bedroom and he comes to the conclusion that Snow’s sleeping form is a monster. The dwarfs work up their courage to go kill the beast themselves only to realize in the nick of time that it’s just a harmless girl. But Grumpy, the clear-cut misogynist in the group, isn’t keen on having a “wicked-wiled” female refugee in their abode and shamelessly yells “Let ‘er wake up, she don’t belong here no-how!”

Snow wakes up and instantly charms over everyone except Grumpy as they introduce each other. The dwarfs are shocked and terrified to learn the Queen has put a hit out on her. Grumpy in particular declares the Queen is a powerful witch skilled in the black arts, which is true, and it raises a potent question. Is her magic common knowledge throughout the kingdom, or is it mere speculation? If it’s the former, how did that come to be? What happened to Snow White’s father the king anyhow? All this could make for a very interesting –

“You know what, never mind, forget I said it -“

“Too late! Jenkins, write that down! Bob’s gonna love it!”

“Very good, sir. Shall I pre-heat your crack pipe in preparation for the first draft writing session?”

“Does the Academy loathe streaming services? Hop to it, my man!”

“Hey, I thought you left that jerk to go work for Don Bluth.”

“Shh! I jumped ship after A Troll in Central Park and came back under a new identity. I couldn’t pass up the bankroll Disney’s been on since 2009.”

“Mum’s the word.”

Grumpy’s certain that they’ll be in the Queen’s crosshairs once she learns they’ve been harboring Snow White and demands they kick her out at once. But Snow White stands up for herself and says she can take care of the house for them if they let her stay. Just like Belle offering herself in her father’s place, no one corners Snow into the position of housekeeper. She’s the one who puts herself out there, listing all her best qualities like she’s on an interview. It’s only when she does so (and also mentions she can bake a mean gooseberry pie) that the dwarfs overrule Grumpy and declare she’s welcome in their home.

Yet even when all is said and done, Snow makes it clear that if she’s the one doing the work, then the dwarfs must play by her rules. Immediately following their acceptance, she goes into full Team Mom mode, insisting they improve their manners and wash themselves before dinner’s ready. Doc attempts to get around it by saying they cleaned up “recently”, but despite her sweet nature, Snow won’t let them walk all over her. She does a cleanliness inspection that makes the dwarfs almost as bashful as Bashful himself, and even gets a good bit of sarcasm in (“Why Doc, I’m surprised.”) The dwarfs washing themselves is another one of those Silly Symphony-esque filler scenes, but at least it gives us more time for their fun shenanigans; though I have to wonder if dog piling Grumpy and half-drowning him takes it too far.

“Where’s the money, Legrumpski? Where’s the fucking money??” “It’s down there somewhere, lemme take another look.”

Back at the castle, the Queen is showing off her newly acquired bodily organ to the Magic Mirror while demanding he validate her preconceptions of who’s fair and who’s not. Alas, the Mirror tattles on Snow White’s location and reveals that heart belonged to a pig, which I’ve got to say I’m glad they didn’t show how the Huntsman got ahold of.

Infuriated, the Queen storms down to her secret lab (and no, there’s no wrong lever scene. I’m disappointed too). She brews up a potion made up of ingredients like scream of fright, a thunderbolt and partially hydrogenated dimethylpolysiloxane which will completely transform her into a disguise nobody could suspect her in, an aged peddler woman.

Was I afraid of this scene way back when? Of course, but it was one of those rare moments where I didn’t want to look away either. Here we have a woman dangerously obsessed with beauty becoming the very thing she loathes in order to sate her implacable desires. Not only that but in this disguise she’s able to set loose the insanity buried deep beneath her frigid calculating exterior, grinning and cackling like the witch that she is. The Queen never smiles once when she’s in her true form. But once she’s the old Hag and it’s all cackling and gap-toothed smiles, it’s extremely unnerving.

Case in point.

“Anyone else miss the creepy fade to black where the villain’s eyes remain for a few seconds? Disney needs to bring that back.”

Major props to Lucille LaVerne, who gives a bone chilling and utterly unrecognizable performance as BOTH the Queen and the Hag. She made the switch from one role to the next by removing her false teeth between recording sessions. In doing so she gave us one of the great Disney villain performances.

The part where she preps the infamous poisoned apple does undercut some of her menace, however. The Hag is supposed to be sharing her scheming with a cowardly raven, but due to how much she stares directly into the camera while monologuing, it comes off as directly addressing the audience, like we’re watching her in a play. It’s not just the Silly Symphony style of storytelling creeping in, it’s melodramatic semi-vaudevillian theatrics that early Hollywood was moving well away from at this point. And again, what’s with the sudden speaking in rhyme?

At the last moment the Hag looks up a possible antidote to the poison and learns that it’s Love’s First Kiss. However she scoffs at the notion that Snow White can be saved because she’s counting on the dwarfs believing the princess is dead and burying her alive.

“For those of you who claim Disney waters down fairy tales into saccharine pap, I point you to Snow White.”

And it doesn’t end there. As the Hag leaves the dungeons, she passes a cell where a skeleton is sprawled out between the bars, reaching for a water pitcher. It’s bad enough to imagine this poor soul dying of thirst, spending their last moments with salvation just out of their grasp, but the Hag openly mocks the skeleton and kicks the pitcher aside. If that’s not a deciding irredeemably evil factor moment, it comes pretty darn close.

This would have also tied into an important but ultimately scrapped sequence where the Queen kidnaps the Prince, locks him in the dungeon to keep him from saving Snow White and torments him by detailing her elaborate scheme.

This sounds vaguely familiar…

Depending on which pitch you’re reading, the Prince refuses the Queen’s offer of marriage, and she enchants the chained-up skeletons of other scorned suitors to dance in an extremely misguided attempt keep him entertained while she’s out, or floods the dungeon to drown him. He makes a daring escape and rides to the rescue on horseback.

Again, vaguely familiar…

Unfortunately we had to wait twenty-plus years for this to happen because the animators weren’t confident in their abilities to create a believable male character. This is why the Prince appears only in the beginning and the end of the movie (and by extension why the Cinderella’s Prince is barely in that feature as well). When it came to making Snow White look realistic, they subtly incorporated some rotoscoping in a few places (I’d call it cheating but it’s difficult to tell where it begins or ends because she looks that good eighty years later). But I guess it just wasn’t worth the effort to do the same for her love interest, who doesn’t even get the dignity of an official name (fans go back and forth between Florian and Ferdinand). He’s reduced to a deus ex machina – which to be fair is exactly how he was treated in the fairytale. The movie has the slight advantage over that, however, by setting him up before he arrives for that wake-up kiss.

“And now it’s time for Silly Songs With Happy, the part of the review where Happy comes out and sings a silly song. Today’s interlude, appropriately titled “The Silly Song”, features choreography which has gone on to inspire many other Disney musical sequences dating as far ahead as the 70’s.”

“Hold it!! It’s just the exact same movements with the Robin Hood cast grafted over them!”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Well…no…it’s just a bit distracting when you finally notice it. I mean I love Disney’s Robin Hood, but boy did they take the main character’s attitude towards stealing to heart when it came to the animation.”

And yes, “The Silly Song” itself is fun too. It’s one of the less remembered Disney tunes, though I have fond memories of it due to its inclusion in the Sing-Along video lineup. The decision to have it follow the Hag’s unsettling introduction makes perfect sense; I could imagine audiences experiencing it for the first time needed a bit of a breather after that.

I guess I should mention the musical number we could have had instead of this one, though. “Music in Your Soup” was a similarly lighthearted song that was fully recorded and animated before it was ultimately cut. It was expertly animated, featured more dwarf-Snow White interactions, and it also closed up a plot hole involving a bar of soap Dopey swallowed earlier. Still, it didn’t add much to the story overall and it disrupted the flow, and keeping both that and “The Silly Song” would have been superfluous; so as much as I like “Music In Your Soup” I think they made the right call in sticking with “The Silly Song”.

After the dancing, Snow regales the dwarfs with a love story, though they quickly figure out she’s talking about herself and her prince. She dispenses with the self-insert fanfiction and sings the movie’s eleven o’clock number “Someday My Prince Will Come”. Bawl all you want about setting women’s rights back a decade, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s still a lovely song, even without Casselotti’s vocals. In fact, much of the movie’s soundtrack has been a go-to for jazz artists through the decades ranging from Miles Davis to Dave Brubeck. The pure simplicity of Larry Morey’s lyrics and Frank Churchill’s melodies are ripe for riffing on. Virtually every cover I’ve found succeeds in the impossible task of measuring up to the original in some capacity. The action in the song itself is subtle and restrained, mainly focusing on the dwarfs’ reactions. It’s not only good storytelling, but a clever way to get around showing more of Snow White than the animators could handle; she was already tough enough to animate even with rotoscoping.

Snow realizes how late it’s getting and ushers the dwarfs to bed; however Doc and the others try to behave like gentlemen and allow her to sleep upstairs while they take up whatever space they can fill on the lower floor. It goes to show how much her kindness and politeness has had an influence on them, at least while she’s around. Them taking up whatever sleeping space they can find on the ground floor is an excuse to squeeze more gags in, but I’m fond of how it lets us wind down and take in this cozy atmosphere.

The next morning before they head out the dwarfs warn Snow White to beware of strangers. Even Grumpy can’t help but show concern in his own gruff tsundere way. It’s little touches like this that reveal Snow White’s unwavering compassion is chipping away at his chauvinist attitude and he really does care about her after all –

Hang on, they couldn’t spare ONE dwarf to stick around and keep an eye out in case the Queen does drop by? They’re really think the Queen isn’t going to make another murder attempt as soon as possible? They sadly must, because no sooner do the dwarfs heigh-ho off to work than the Hag creeps up like a meth user turned Jehovah’s Witness.

“Hello, my name is Elder Grim. Would you care to learn more about our lord and savior Chernabog?”

After the animals fail to communicate the obvious danger, they fetch the dwarfs for help. Meanwhile the Hag has convinced Snow White to let her into the cottage and show off her “magic wishing apple”.

Already I can hear the slapping of a thousand facepalms through my screen. I get why, but there’s something about the situation that feels strangely relatable. The Queen is fully aware of Snow White’s gentle, trusting nature and knows how to take full advantage of the girl. Snow isn’t all smiles and open arms though. There’s a split second of regret the moment she divulges she’s by herself, and as the Hag literally corners her into tasting the poison apple her body language gives away how uncomfortable she is. Even the cottage itself grows darker and claustrophobic, mirroring her trapped state. Snow White knows there’s definitely something off about this stranger, but there’s the downside of her kind personality. She can’t bring herself to kick the old lady out no matter how wrong this scenario inherently feels.

“Just keep smiling and slowly reach for the mace.”

Ultimately the Hag coaxes her into tasting the apple. Every breath leading up to it is dramatically intercut with the dwarfs led by Grumpy (further proof Snow White really has gotten through to the old softie) racing back to the cottage.

Do you want to know why the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is considered one of the scariest movies of all time? Because for all its promise of a gory spectacular, the violence is deliberately kept offscreen. Our imaginations fill in the blanks and come up with even worse terrors than they could possibly show. Snow White’s poisoning works on that logic. All we hear is her gasping and groaning as the Hag gleefully looks on, ending with the most cinematic shot of the film.

If you’re still convinced Snow’s a dunce for biting the big apple, trust me, it’s a vast improvement over the original. The Queen showed up in disguise three times to kill Snow White with varying methods: strangulation by laces, a poisoned comb, and of course the apple. This was cut down to the last one for obvious reasons – not only would the story be repetitive and extremely padded if they remained, but it makes Snow White look like an idiot for falling for the same trap thrice in a row. The only time I’ve ever seen the inclusion of all three murder attempts work is in the anime The Legend of Snow White (which despite the laughably bad English dub is worth checking out). By the time the Queen comes around with the apple in that instance, Snow White is well aware of who she’s dealing with. But she plays along because the Queen has turned the kingdom to stone, and the only way to break the curse is by taking the bait and destroying her staff while she thinks she’s down, thus turning what was once an act of naivete into a heroic sacrifice.

The Hag exits the cottage feeling confident in who’s the fairest now just in time for the dwarfs to show up. They chase her through a thunderstorm up a cliff side. Literally trapped between a rock and a hard place, she attempts to dislodge a boulder and crush her pursuers. But Zeus is having none of that and a lightning bolt strikes the cliff, plummeting the Hag to her doom.

To quote Linkara, “Thus the origin for ‘Rocks fall, everybody dies’.”

And in case you’re still thinking she could have survived that drop, even with that boulder tilting over after her, the vultures that have been tailing her since she left the castle begin circling lower and lower over the place where she now lies. A chilling, subtle way to show they’re getting a meal after all.

We fade to a wake the dwarfs are holding for Snow White, complete with organ music and weeping – LOTS of sad, silent, motionless weeping. Poor Grumpy gets the worst of it. One can only imagine the tsunami of emotion he must have felt coming home to see that she was making a pie just for him. Like “Someday My Prince Will Come” it shows how restraint can be an asset in acting for animation. Considering how it’s very much like a real-life wake and just how much everyone believes Snow White is truly dead, this was a tough scene to get through.

The seasons pass and we’re told through title cards that the dwarfs couldn’t find it in themselves to bury Snow White, so they built a glass coffin and kept constant vigil along with the depressed forest animals.

“Clearly the idea of watching her slowly decompose over time never crossed their little minds.”

The funeral on top of the wake keeps piling on the sadness. We’re used to animated features moving us to tears, but you have to remember for audiences back then this was an entirely new experience because no animation dared to get this heavy. Think about it: Shirley Temple, Charlie Chaplin, the best and the brightest of Hollywood who poo-pooed Walt for his ridiculous idea – all moved to tears over Snow White. I can only imagine the satisfaction Walt must have felt hearing their sobbing at the premiere. Again, going back to that animator who felt genuine fear for her safety, the audience developed an emotional bond with the character just as they would for a real human on screen.

The Prince FINALLY shows up again still singing his One Song. Believing the love he has long searched for to be lost to him forever, he says his final farewell by bestowing her with Love’s First Kiss.

“Ah – “

“If you make ONE necrophilia joke, I swear I’ll take all the Adam Sandler movies off the Shelf.”

“Please, no!! I’ll have nothing to fully snark at!!”

The kiss does its work and Snow White awakens none the worse for wear. And since what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, she’s immune to all poison ingested via deciduous fruit now. That’ll make ruling the kingdom she’s inherited from her stepmother and disappeared father much easier. And for those of you complaining how a magical kiss is a cop out, trust me, it’s better than how the original fairytale resolved it.

“Somewhere my love lies sleeping, and here she is! I’ll pay you dwarfs anything to let me take her back to my castle and keep her there as a memento of our tragic love.”

“This had better be worth it, she weighs a freaking ton!” “OHH, there goes my hernia!” *BANG*

*HACKHACKCOUGHHACK* “Thanks for the Heimlich, guys, damn apple’s been stuck in my throat for a year!”

“Seriously, I’m not making that up. Plus, they invite the Queen to the wedding and force her to dance to death in red-hot iron shoes.”

Everyone rejoices, Snow White says goodbye to the dwarfs, and the Prince leads her on his horse to his shining palace in the clouds. They all live happily ever after, the end.

And that’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the very first animated Disney movie. Do I believe the American Film Institute’s claims that it’s the best animated film of all time? Well, to be honest, no. The main characters aren’t as developed compared to future Disney protagonists, the animation goes noticeably off model at times, and it’s got one foot stuck in the style of the Silly Symphonies shorts that came before.

Is it the most influential animated film, however? Of course! Without it animation wouldn’t be as mainstream as it is today. While the formula has been updated and subverted through the decades, most animated features follow a similar blueprint – a dastardly villain, fun side characters, memorable music, distinct visual flair, fighting, torture, true love, miracles, you get the picture. We wouldn’t have any of that without Snow White. Once upon a time, this movie was the Star Wars of its era; a groundbreaking, audience-thrilling blockbuster that changed the way people looked at movies. Part of that is because Snow White taps into an emotional simplicity in a manner few films are able to. It relies more on providing an emotional catharsis than logic, inviting us to experience the story as we once did through the eyes of a child, and in doing so captures the essence of a classic fairy tale.

In fact, looking at the ripple effect of how movies can influence one another across the years, Snow White ranks among one of the most influential movies made in general. Apart from Disney you can see its echoes in The Wizard of Oz, Gulliver’s Travels, Citizen Kane, and yes, the original Star Wars. Even Sergei Eisenstein, the man who revolutionized filmmaking with freaking Battleship Potemkin, declared Snow White to be the greatest film ever made.

…So why did Walt Disney come to hate it later on in life?

Every movie that’s met with acclaim and accolades is bound to hit some backlash for one reason or another. Maybe it’s been overhyped, or time hasn’t been that kind to it. For Walt, Snow White leaned into the latter as his artistic prowess grew. No creator likes looking at their past work because it’s easier to notice the flaws when viewing it through a more experienced eye (believe me, I know). That, and no matter what he did, it seemed impossible to escape from Snow White’s shadow. For decades everything he created was inevitably compared to it.

Hmm, the animation and music are an improvement, but what it’s really missing are some dwarfs.

Hmm, the creativity leaps off the charts, but if only the score had lyrics that rhyme with the words “shmeigh shmo”.

Hmm, it’s breathtaking and magical, but it’d be perfect if you could just sit and watch it for eighty minutes without interacting with any of it at all.

Hmm, it’s practically perfect in every way, but…um…uh…more dwarfs, dammit!!

Thankfully Walt’s displeasure mellowed after some time. As for Snow White, she’s still rightfully hailed as the one that started it all. The art is iconic, the characters are unforgettable, and virtually all the songs are Disney gold standards for a reason. Well before Rodgers and Hammerstein changed the face of musical theater by having the score and the book go hand in hand, Snow White did it first in the cinemas. In fact this was the first movie to ever have a commercially released soundtrack, another confounded idea Hollywood wouldn’t understand for quite a while. Though time may temper with modern expectations, Snow White is as much a classic now as it was destined to be eighty years ago, and nothing can touch it. It still is the fairest one of all.

“HA! Try to remake/sequelize THAT, Disney!”

“Excuse me, is it too late to join this review?”

“I’m sorry, who are you?”

“Oh, where are my manners? I’m Snow White’s sister, Rose Red.”

“…You sure you’re not just a color-swapped OC clone from Deviantart?”

“Of course I’m not, silly! I’m in the fairytale and everything! Well, not THE fairytale per se, but there is one titled ‘Snow White and Rose Red’ where we’re siblings.”

“Checks out. They’re technically related.”

“Okay, but what are you doing here?”

“I was just wondering when you were going to discuss my upcoming movie!”

“Your…movie?”

“Oh yes! It’s going to be Disney’s Snow White all over again but from MY point of view! Isn’t that exciting?”

“But…but you weren’t even in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”

“I know! I was off to the side doing…well, you’ll have to wait and see! The lady who wrote that Gone Girl knockoff that takes place on a train and the Indecent Proposal remake is doing the screenplay and she is just delightful!”

“…Excuse me for one moment.”

“Oh dear. Have I said something wrong?”

“It’s ok. This is just the part of the review where Shelf goes berserk.”

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this review, please consider supporting me on Patreon. Special thanks to Amelia Jones and Gordhan Ranaj for their contributions.

You can vote for what movie you want me to look at next by leaving it in the comments or emailing me at upontheshelfshow@gmail.com. Remember, you can only vote once a month. The list of movies available to vote for are under “What’s On the Shelf”.

Also, Patreon supporters get extra votes among other perks. If I reach the goal of $100, I can get back to reviewing animated series! I’m at the halfway mark right now, so please consider supporting me if you’re able.

Artwork by Charles Moss.

Most screencaps courtesy of animationscreencaps.com.

February Review: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) If there's a reason why we're able to recall the story of Snow White from memory, and why said princess is usually depicted with short hair, a cute bow and surrounded by woodland fauna, look no further than Disney.

[recentanimenews]

Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun – 01 (First Impressions) – Don’t Blame the Game

“You cannot lose if you do not play.”—Marla Daniels, The Wire

“I’m not fucking crazy … I’m just goal-oriented.”—Annie Landsberg, Maniac

Our protagonist Tomozaki Fumiya (handle nanashi) is teen with a dearth of social skills and friends and seeks solace and contentment in the world of gaming. In the first of a veritable festival of metaphors this show dishes out, he’s a god-tier player of the popular fighting game Tackfam, but a bottom-tier player in the Game of Life. As such, even though he splashes the popular Nakamura Shuuji in Tackfam, it’s Shuuji who leaves school flanked by two pretty girls.

This leads Fumiya—who is not a refugee from a war-torn nation—to declare “The game of life is garbage”, followed immediately by an establishing shot of his family’s above average-sized detached home in a quiet neighborhood, thence to his spacious bedroom with hardwood floors, a Mr. Slim, and his own entertainment center.

I actually laughed out loud at this juxtaposition, even if it wasn’t quite the show’s intention. Then I couldn’t help but think: This guy is a whiny loser and I don’t like him. But hey, that’s the point: I’m not supposed to! In stories like this, something or someone becomes a catalyst for positive change.

In this case, it’s a someone—a fellow gamer (handle NO NAME) who is second only to Fumiya in the Tackfam national rankings. Fumiya respects NO NAME a great deal, and when he plays him he can tell how much effort and dedication he puts into training. When NO NAME suggests they meet up IRL, Fumiya doesn’t hesitate.

Little does Fumiya know that not only is NO NAME not a guy, but she’s someone he already interacted with at school prior to their meet-up, as she extended him some obligatory class-rep friendliness upon learning he and Shuuji played. NO NAME is Hinami Aoi, the “it” girl at his school: top grades, top athletes, loved by all. He considers Aoi a god-tier player of the game of life, like Shuuji.

Thankfully, Aoi’s reaction to Fumiya being nanashi is spot-on: “This sucks,” she declares, quickly losing her interest in further interaction. Her reason is plain: just as Fumiya is in awe of her as a player of life, she was in awe of nanashi as a player of Tackfam. To learn the real nanashi is a “rock-bottom loser” who has “given up on life” is deflating, and in turn reflects poorly on her, since she pegged nanashi to be a better person IRL.

Voiced by the wonderful Kanemoto Hisako, in with a feminine strictness that had me wondering if Aoi was really Nakiri Erina with dyed hair and contacts, Aoi brings legitimacy to “polite rudeness”—a term I may have just made up—in her takedown of Fumiya. She also has just the right response when Fumiya protests that the game of life is unbalanced, and her “high initial stats” imbue her and those like her with baseless confidence.

What’s so satisfying about her response, and can be tied to the tightness and cleverness of the dialogue throughout the episode, is that she repeats to Fumiya the very same words Fumiya said to Shuuji when he called Tackfam trash: There’s nothing more shameful than blaming the game, especially when you’d barely played. Fumiya goes on to argue that you can’t change characters IRL…and that’s when Aoi takes his hand, and before he knows it, he’s sitting in her bedroom.

It’s at this point in the ep when I began to develop a measure of concern about the emergence of a somewhat unpleasant subtext: Aoi seemed to be going extremely out of her way to be this dude’s archetypal “guardian angel”. After all, what does she get out of helping him? You can say she’s simply being every bit the “good person” and “perfect heroine” Fumiya saw her as to this point: helping those in need help themselves.

But there’s more to it than that, which justifies the extent of her effort vis-a-vis Fumiya, which we learn when she invites him to her room…her very similarly-sized and appointed room:

They’re practically mirror images of each other! Whether this was intentional or the creator/producers simply drew up some normal high school kid rooms, I appreciated the symbolism. There’s common ground between Aoi and Fumiya: their passion for the games at which they excel. Aoi happens to be good at both Tackfam and life, but she shows Fumiya the latter success isn’t due to high base stats.

She does this simply by being who she is—someone Fumiya didn’t know—by appearing before him in cozier clothes and without makeup. She assures him he can attain normie-level looks just fine by practicing better expressions and proper posture. When Aoi watched Fumiya play as nanashi, she saw the same serious effort she applied IRL—in fact, she thought him more capable of effort than she!

So yeah, from where Aoi stands and how hard she’s worked, Fumiya doesn’t get to say the game of life is unbalanced garbage. He just needs to start applying the same effort of which he’s already proven more than capable in Tackfam. She’ll prove he can—and validate her ideals—by helping him out. Fumiya is initially dubious because he assumes Aoi ranks life higher than Tackfam, but when she reveals her belief that life is tied for first with Tackfam, he’s moved.

He’s moved because while he’s always gotten online recognition for his online efforts, those same efforts have netted him precisely zero friends and recognition…until he met NO NAME, who bridged the divide between games. In Aoi he finally has someone IRL who recognizes and moreover values his efforts.

As flawed as Fumiya is, he still recognizes his own hypocrisy and has a sense of honor, and is thus motivated to put more effort into “playing” life as Aoi suggests, so he can find out for himself if the game is actually good. This, along with Aoi using the Fumiya Reclamation Project as a means of continuing to grow herself, goes a long way towards making their budding relationship both balanced and compelling.

As for what form Fumiya’s training will take, well here’s where we must suspend disbelief in Aoi having a half-hour to spare in her clearly packed academic, athletic, and social schedule. They meet at the school’s deserted sewing room (where I thought for a moment she’d teach him how to make better clothes, LOL) and Aoi lays out an aggressive plan composed of large, medium, and small goals. The primary goal is “to be as satisfied with offline life” as she is.

Fumiya can see by the structure of the plan that it’s not all that different from how he trains for Tackfam, a realization Aoi was both counting on and appreciates as it will save some explanation time. She’s already given him a facemask behind which he must constantly smile behind in order to improve his expression (this leads to an awkward scene with his imouto, who asks him not to be more creepy than he already is).

But like Nakiri Erina, Aoi has no intention of going easy on Fumiya; considering she knows the effort he’s capable of online. He must acquire a girlfriend before starting his third year. Before that, he must get a third party to notice his appearance/vibe has improved, which has already started with the smiling training, but also means he must actually talk to at least three girls at school.

That’s no mean feat for a bottom-tier character in a game he’s barely played to this point, but part of improving one’s character involves occasional stumbling and ass-kicking (figuratively, of course). I notice there are four girls in the middle ground of the promo art, so I imagine Fumiya will start with one of them. So begins a long, fraught, but hopefully rewarding journey towards not thinking life is a garbage game. And as you can tell by how many words I’ve written about it, I’m game!

By: sesameacrylic

[mayamatiln]

can u please talk about your love for Johnny DiMarco? gush about it bc me too

sorry it took me so long to answer this. I’ve tried to come up with a coherent way to describe my love for him but I’m not sure this will do it justice but I’ll try. 

Long story short: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Not only that but it was subtle character development shown through his interactions as a supporting character. It’s what skyrocketed him to becoming my favorite character because if you didn’t watch him closely you would never pick up on how much he was changing with every new episode he was in. Let me analyze a bit:

Season 6 - He is introduced as just another bully from Lakehurst and honestly I didn’t really notice him until Rock This Town when he was there and watched Drake stab JT. Obviously my initial reaction was to hate both of them so much, just like the other characters on the show did. Especially after he watched it happen then immediately ran away. BUT after watching the episode for the billionth time a crazy thought popped into my head: “Imagine what Johnny is going through in his head.” I mean it was clear by the look on his face that what Drake did was completely not okay with him and he was clearly traumatized by watching it. I realized that he ran away (which was the wrong thing to do) because he panicked and got scared like any 16/17 year old kid would. The show completely skipped over the fact that he was probably heavily interrogated by the cops for possibly being an accessory to murder but I was immediately intrigued by what is possibly going on in this boys head.

Season 7 - When first see Johnny this season he is up to his old bullying ways and in my head I was like “really this kid goes through watching a guy he was bullying die and he just keeps on picking on people like it didnt affect him at all?” But then we get that scene where Toby confronts Johnny about how he watched Drake kill JT and you can clearly see Johnny deflecting and trying to shut it out and forget that it ever happened. To me it was so clear that Johnny was going through some really dark things and the only way he knew how to cope with it was by doing what he usually does and taking it out on other people. He keeps doing this until we get to Bust A Move where we see that Johnny is attending the Red Pines camp along with Darcy. If you weren’t really looking for it you would completely miss him being there but at the beginning of one scene we hear him talking to the group about exactly what I had suspected that he had been going through. He talks about how since JT died he has sorta been off the rails and he keeps asking himself why does he have to be such a jerk. This moment confirmed to me what a complex and layered and extremely human character Johnny was even though he was only a background character. It was the pivotal moment that cemented him as one of my favorite characters. 

Season 8 - These were the seasons where we finally began to chip away at the tough guy exterior and see the real Johnny that he was hiding underneath all because of Alli. Although we only ever saw that relationship from her point of view as a way to tell the stereotypical “young girl gets with older guy and realizes she isn’t as mature as she thinks plot” it was still very clear that the relationship meant a lot to the both of them which wasn’t stereotypical at all. From Alli’s point of view we see her chasing after him but it’s also made very clear that he really does like her just as much (if not more) than she liked him but he was initially too much of a coward to admit it. What was so important about this relationship though is that Alli was the first person, other than Bruce (which doesn’t count), who ever sought him out and genuinely liked him and wanted to get to know him. She was never afraid of him like everyone else was and she was persistent which is exactly what he needed. Like he says in Heart of Glass, she wasn’t just some hook up for him, he genuinely liked her as a person because she took the time to pay attention to him and notice that he is actually kind of a nerd. He likes books and literature and he cares about making sure she gets home on time and buys her a flower when he hopes that she never finds out that he’s the one who sent it and he buys her a heartshaped necklace because he’s never been in a relationship before and he doesnt know what he’s doing. She brought him out of his shell and taught him that he is so much more than a bully and that people outside of his small friend group can genuinely like him. I also want to note how when he lies about her being his first time too, like yes it was bad to lie, but from his point of view he finally found someone who genuinely likes him for who he is and he is terrified of hurting her and her leaving him. Yet again we see Johnny making a big mistake but still it is understandable and realistic because he is in fact a teenage boy.

Season 9 - We start off the season with Johnny making possibly one of the biggest mistakes he has ever made (well at least to me). Him sending Alli’s nudes to Bruce because he was mad that she posted a silly picture of him being HIMSELF was so childish and immature and disgusting. That being said it was completely in character and necessary for his character to hit this low point when things were finally looking up for him. When thing’s don’t go Johnny’s way he has always been known to act out cruelly to those around him and sink deeper into his tight friendship with Bruce who he knows would never leave him. He gets upset and reverts into his old habits and thus loses Alli in the process which is probably the biggest reality check he has ever gotten. Then to top it all off he finds out he has genital warts which seals the deal that he has lost the one person who genuinely liked him and cared about him as a person. He initially reacts just like he always has and returns to picking on others as a way to cope. Then as we get to the episode Why Can’t This Be Love we have another turning point. First I must point out that the part 1 of this episode is one of my favorites because it is the only episode where Johnny has an entire plot from his point of view. In it we see him asking Alli to prom because he clearly still has feelings for her and she immediately turns him down. He tried to rebound and fails miserably because when it comes to talking to girls let’s just say he is a total goof who has clearly lost his touch over the past year with Alli. At prom he sees Alli flirting with Dave at prom and he picks on them out of jealousy, by the end of the episode Johnny watches Alli move on with her life and knows that it is over for good. BUT this is the moment that Johnny also decides to turn his life around. From this moment on we never see him bully or threaten anyone else. He took what Alli taught him and he used it to become a better person and really believe in himself. And to top it all off we get a glimpse that he graduated with honors. I’m so proud of my smart boy!!

Season 10 - We only see Johnny in one episode this season but BOY IS IT A GOOD ONE. I remember when the first promo for Hide and Seek Part 1 came out and you have that moment where we see Sav knocking on the door and then Johnny answered. Let me tell you that I completely lost it. I had come to terms that I’d never seen Johnny or another Bhandarco scene again and it was literally the best blessing ever. Anyway, we see Johnny in college and his amazing slowburn character development arc is finally complete. Seeing Johnny with his life together and being happy and involved in school activities is so important. Him giving Alli advice to get through her hardships was such a beautiful parallel to how she helped him get through his whether she knew it or not. And to top it all off he ended his journey by bringing it all back to the beginning and talking about JT. He mentioned his relationship with his parents and how much of a hard time he had after he watched his best friend kill the completely innocent and harmless JT. Seeing him express how much it truly messed him up was so important especially since he never got the solo plots to tell his side of the story. I still cry when I watch that episode just because I am so proud of the man he has become. Seeing him in this episode also taught that when you go to college you have a change to completely reinvent yourself and let go of any reputations that may proceed you. Also it was a neat way to show that even the terrible people you may have once hated can change for the better and that not everyone’s redemption arc reaches it’s peak once they graduate high school because realistically their lives are just beginning.

Johnny DiMarco managed to witness a trauma just as mind altering as Emma, Toby, and Sean did after Time Stands Still. The only difference is that Johnny never got to have his trauma told from his point of view. He is so underrated because yes on the surface he has done horrible things but in context all of it is completely reasonable and realistic based on the things he has been though. Not only that but he never had one single life changing moment where he realized “yeah I’m over my trauma now I can stop acting this way” much like many characters do when they deal with their trauma during the plot of a single episode. All of Johnny’s recovery was a slow burn over the seasons. With each season he grew more and more mature and he managed to do it all with only ONE plot that centered around him, which was basically a filler plot and nothing really happened. I get hurt when people hate on Johnny because it shows that they really haven’t been paying enough attention to him at all and they aren’t thinking and watching the show knowing that all of the characters are human and incredibly realistic. But unlike many other characters, Johnny never got the proper screen time. 

I like to think that after college Johnny became an English teacher. The cool and rough around the edges kind of English teacher that literally changes the lives of all the kids he teaches. Not only is he passionate about literature, he has the life experience to deal with troubled kids and would easily be able to relate to them and help them through life. Maybe someday he reunites with Alli. Unlike the last time they saw each other they are now both mature and a lot more down to earth. But regardless, I’m so beyond pleased with how Johnny was last seen on the show. They brought his character to an excellent close and did as much justice to him as they could. So all of this is why I love Johnny DiMarco and he is my favorite character that Degrassi has ever had. He had such an underrated and under utilized arc but still he managed to steal my heart. 

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Dr Stone 13 - 15 | Honzuki 1 | Iruma-kun 1 - 2 | Africa Salaryman 1 | Tokunana 1 - 2 | Actors 1 | Abilities Average 1 | Shinchou Yuusha 2 | Assassin’s Pride 1 | No Guns Life 1 - 2 | Kabukicho Sherlock 1 | Ahiru no Sora 2 | BnHA 64 | Shin Chuuka Ichiban 1 | Stand My Heroes 1 - 2

Tags should be rolled out soon.

Dr Stone 13

Did Senku just Salt Bae??? Now I’ve seen everything!

I remember this puckered face from the manga! It’s hilarious!

Poor Kinro…he’s shocked at Ginro’s words…

Those were foxtails.

Who knew Suika’s mask could look so badass, amirite???

Honzuki 1

I like books…so this was a natural pick for me, y’know?

OKAY, why is the girl drinking wine she accepted from an older man??????

O…kay, so this has nice backgrounds and a pretty nice aesthetic with all the flowers, but otherwise it’s kinda dull, to be honest. It moves at the pace of a slice of life show…and I’m not sure it’s intentional or not.

“Only grownups are allowed to tie up their hair.” – So then, and correct me if I’m wrong about this…why is Turi’s hair in a braid? Or, when they mean “up”, they mean in a full bun like Myne (Main???) did earlier?

I’m thinking either a marketplace might have books…or at least signs to read.

I’m thinking of Maou-sama Retry from last season…because I’d rather a boring slow walk like the one I just saw, rather than a terrible run cycle like the one in the first episode of that show.

What…? Was Urano a vegan or vegetarian…? Or just too much of a city slicker to deal with seeing a dead chicken?

Iruma-kun 1

I picked this one based on the good ratings it had on ANN.

How does anyone remember these lyrics??? How many “ba” and “bi”s do you need???

…Hayate the Combat Butler, basically speaking.

Levy = Leviathan, I’d assume.

Aye, what a poor lad…to be sold off at 14…

Well, that was a fast way to set up an episode. If more shows were like this, I’d be a happy camper.

I-Is Opera…a DUDE?! Hallelujah! I hit Bishonen Jackpot #2! (No. 1 is Seiya, of course.)

You comedies wanna play hardball with me? Huh?! Do you, punks?! Let’s see how many times you can make me (wholeheartedly) laugh, then! (Current laugh count: 1)

Gender-coded uniforms, much…?

Is Catgirl related to Opera somehow???

Well, you do know that Asmodeus represents lust, right? That’s why he’s pink, isn’t he?...Isn’t he??? Update: Oh, yeah, right. Sullivan should probably be “Solomon”, but the name is deliberately different for comedy’s sake.

Uh, lemme guess: Daisuke Namikawa for Asmodeus? Update: Ryohei Kimura. I knw he sounded familiar…he’s Kane-san, in other words.

Kamehame-fireball!

(Iruma-kun is a master of dodging)…I thought it was because of that spell from before, really.

Da Vinci homage for the win!

Oh hey! 2nd German suplex of the season (I didn’t watch the first one).

By the power of dodging, Iruma wins…one servant! (Just in case Fate/ wasn’t enough for you…so to speak.)

There’s a single heart on Babylys in the ED, it seems…plus a giant bow.

Africa Salaryman 1

If Beastars is anime Zootopia, then this is absurdist Zootopia.

This is some Attenborough s***...until it isn't.

The OP scenes with the characters dancing...that's gonna be in my nightmares.

Oh, it's the pa in pachinko (“chinko” meaning p***s) that’s missing, so they went with glasses/asses instead.

We got Punpun animated (i.e. frightened Toucan)...score.

Giraffe Donuts, LOL.

I’m really pissed now…there’s no adblocker for my phone, so I had to sit through a good 8 ads or so just to get proper subs…I almost lashed out at someone because of it, too.

FireLion, LOL. I like these old computer-style transitions, but I don’t like how many ads I have to live through for it.

Tokunana 1

Is it just me, or did the police guy say "futures" (plural)...?

Hmm...by brandishing a gun at that point, is this man implying he's a saviour, or that guns are cool? I sure hope it's not the latter, considering gun violence rates worldwide. Then again, I might be reading into this one detail too much.

This reminds me of Midnight Occult Sevants…which doesn’t bode well for this show.

I can see this being my next Cop Craft…which I don’t need this season.

…oh, boy…rule no. 1 of detective shows: don’t be a hostage or get kidnapped. Ever. (Inevitably, if the show is about police in some capacity, someone will break this rule at least once. It’s made to be broken.)

Between this and Kimetsu no Yaiba, we’ve had enough “intelligence” (“using your head”, i.e. headbutting) to last us a while…

This CGI looks kinda bad…Africa Salaryman does better with disguising its CGI.

I like how the skull had a bow on it.

Wait, a dog, bird (pheasant) and gorilla (monkey)…this is some demented Momotaro going on right here…

Lookit that lady go!!! Woot!

To be honest, I keep feeling like Seiji’s gonna develop superpowers…or is this not the show for that…? (I mean, there’s dragons in the synopsis! Dragons!)

This show looks kinda off model, which is a bad sign in the first episode…hearing gunshots after the ED kinda startled me, though, and made a killer move for another episode out of goodwill…come to think of it, I’ve been giving out a lot of “can’t peg down this show with one episode, will watch more” this season already…

Dr Stone 14

(no notes, sorry!)

Actors 1

I’m a fan of Masuda, who voices a character in Actors’s 3rd iteration…IIRC. It’s gonna be a while until we get to him, though.

Uh, how does this guy play keyboard with those floppy sleeves of his???

Specifically, according to Hinata, Haruna told him he was being too noisy before she went back to sleep…although I’ve never seen a little girl be woken up by her big brother in these “I’m late! *puts toast in mouth as they run ou the door*” intros, so it’s refreshing.

His name is Otonomiya (“sound temple”, with “sound” being the thing you hear), of course he’s going to be part of a musical franchise…

“Akizuki Kai” sounds familiar…I dunno why though.

UGGGGGGH! If you’re doing a singing anime, let us hear the damn song!!! Don’t make us wait for the Otonomiya version!!!

Kagura…Sousuke??? Classicaloid??? I am so not going to match that boy with this one. (Well, one of the kanji is different, but everything else is the name, right down to the wordplay. A kagura is a type of dance, y’see, and one of the characters matches one in the Japanese word for “music”, ongaku. The other can be found in Otonomiya’s name, in fact.)

What’s up with this white wall business, anyway??? This ain’t Tokyo Ghoul, this is a singing anime!

Archery boy is good boi. Me likey.

I have a bad feeling about Nozomi, yo.

I LOLled so hard…I mean, this pink dude’s name is Uta Outa…it’s so redundant. You expect me to love him???? LOL, as if!

Con brio = with spirit, with vigour. Adagio = slow, by the way.

Stand My Heroes 1

I’m here for Ume, as I always am. Ume’s role is Go Miyase of the Kujo family.

That was a pretty epic opening, actually.

Who scouts a civilian for a narcotics unit???

I am so not going to be able to match names to faces at this rate…

Hey, don’t you go patronising girls!!!

I feel like it would’ve been better (and flashier) to demonstrate the drug immunity by showing, not talking about it.

Takaomi looks like Tenn from Idolish7, man…

Hmm…I saw Ume’s character, but it’s hard to evaluate his voice for Go just by a “Here you go.” (And no, that’s not a pun…not an intentional one, anyway.)

I just realised Aoyama has this tiny plait on the side of his head. It’s rather cutesy for a narcotics show.

(Aoyama informs Rei about Arakida)…yeah, but why are you here, Aoyama? Are you just here to warn Rei???

The stain really is gone, you really can’t tell that it is there…I assume that means she was drinking water in that tall glass of hers (Rei).

This ending song is a bit weird…I never expected it to be English. I expected it to be by the VAs, to be honest.

Abilities Average 1

It’s better if I call this “Abilities Average” rather than the long-winded “Didn’t I Say to Make My Abilities Average in the Next Life?!”.

The scenery in this show is nice, at least…(?) But is that a CGI carriage I see?

Comic Earth Star…that doesn’t bode particularly well for me. The only series I’ve watched that has a series that hails from that magazine is SekaTsuyo (Wanna Be the Strongest in the World!) and I didn’t like it much in the end.

Ohhhhhhhhh…kay. Is it just me, or did I read “Hotel Little Gust” as “Hotel Little Girl”…?

Mile and Myne (spelling pending). In female-led isekai. This season only!!!...this is gonna suck, isn’t it?

Lenny is a boy’s name, though…?

Why is the show’s English tagline “God bless me?”…? I’ve half a mind to drop this show already…and I read the premiere report on ANN, so I knew it was going to end like this. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve had a season where I just catch up on older series, even though I keep thinking I will have one on my hands during weak seasons. (This has been a worry since the especially weak summer 2018 season, really.)

The Spain Square…? Really?

Really? You’re gonna complain about Japan’s declining birth rate here???

Whoa, I wouldn’t be surprised if this show were taken for granted by yuri shippers…

The extreme buffering means I managed to spot a redhead who I’ve seen on this show’s promo material…yup, that’s her.

Oh…great. This redhead is tsundere…(If I give one more complaint, I’m getting out of here!)

Oh…so Mile even pointed it out…(probably because this buffering is going so slowly, I can guess what’s happening before it actually happens.)

Okay, so I never figured out why she started calling herself a country girl and I went back and looked (despite all the buffering I was fighting) and no one ever does call her a country girl, it’s just a random misconception she has. Because it was so unclear that this was the case, I’m going to drop this show. (Well, for all the middling shows I have this season, losing one is actually a relief…!)

Shinchou Yuusha 2

Here we are again…and I’ve been thinking about Seiya a lot since last time, which probably seals the deal in that this is going to be part of the final lineup. (Today’s Seiya probably helps a lot with that.)

Ohmigosh, Rista’s panicked face when they almost get caught by Chaos Machina…LOL.

…just as I thought, I go “nnnnergh” under my breath when someone mentions the name “Aria”.

Assassin’s Pride 1

I picked this show because the protag looked kinda hot…but only now I realise he looks like a knock-off Kirito and I really start to regret my choice…

Is it just me, or is this show really dark??? (Not just because of the bloody scene at the start, mind you.)

The side of the train says “Cardinals 26110”, in case you were wondering…(then again, you probably weren’t wondering that…)

Wait-his name is Kufa WHAT?!

This is giving me Lance N Masques vibes now, because it did almost the same plot beats except for the fact I still can’t reconcile the fact Kufa Whatsit lives in a lantern (which is actually a pretty interesting idea…if it didn’t seem rather unviable upon retrospect)…that means it’s halfway to drop city.

Melida is so flat, she doesn’t even fill out her dress…(LOL, that gives a new meaning to “flat as a board”.)

But why is the tutor a dude? Plus an older dude to a younger girl, at that???

Hey, Melida is essentially my kinda catnip…at least in my head...because she’s someone without powers in a family with powers (basically, she’s like Daichi from Crimson/Future is Crimson in that regard). Then again, Charlotte tried playing the same hand by having superpowers and absolutely sunk itself ‘cos I couldn’t stand Yu.

Elise runs reallllllly derpily.

Those CGI alleyways look baaaaaaaaad, man. Like, “looking at grainy footage through a UV camera” bad.

Okay, Kufa. You are not Naruto. You will not see them aliens. Give up already.

The actual frig is an anima???

I like this black/bright blue/purple combo…it’s nice.

Umm…but what is the way to awaken the mana???

I’m currently going, “So why should I give a s*** about Melida???? Ripoff Kirito just chooses to swear his life upon her and awakening her mana because she’s been beaten down a grand total of once…You should’ve killed her already, Kufa. Isn’t that what being an assassin is about???”…and then I realise there’s more to the episode…

Waiiiiiiiiiiiit…one of the maids’ names is Nietzsche??? Like the Ubermensch guy??? That’s weiiiiiiiird, man…

Kufa is a chuuni, calling it now.

The text under the series logo doesn’t quite make sense…

Hmm, this one’s a tough call, but I think I’ll give it a 45 and a hard drop. I don’t think I’ve ever asked myself “So why should I give a s*** about the main character?” before…I think the closset to that would be when I’ve asked myself why I wanted to be subjected to this (for anime that get dropped).  

No Guns Life 1

Now that I look at the title again…why is it called No Guns Life when Juzo’s life will always have a gun in it for as long as he’s like that (i.e. he has a gun for his head)…?

*Juzo smokes* - Oh, now that’s a striking opening scene if I ever knew one!

Ohmigoshit’sKnuckledusterfromBnHAVigilanteswithagunforhisheadand…I…*huff huff* can’t breathe anymore…LOL.

Seriously, I thought I thought up some weird s*** for my old stories, like the girl whose face was missing and Akoya turning into a manequin to preserve his beauty.

“The only ones who can touch my trigger are those who I’ve chosen to accept.” – Is that…a sexual metaphor??? Or an intimacy one in general???

Wowwwwwwwww, chibi gunhead (which was hinted in the OP) was not something I expected from such a hardboiled show.

“…shot right in the head.” – LOL, says you when the guy with the gun head is behind you.

I thought there was seriously a pun there by having the gun head’s name be “Juzo”, but it turns out his name has the kanji for 13. Maybe that hints at how unlucky he is instead. (Same with Inui and it containing the character for “dog” – turns out it’s a different kanji.)

I think this is reminding me of Mahoutsukai no Yome – strong in its core genre at first, but then shows some weakness when it comes to comedy.

I worry about how this show will look during the midseason slump period…it both has traces of CGI and the still camera pretending it’s “properly animating” a scene.

That ED really is something…and hey, I got an explanation for why the show has traces of CGI in it from the credits! Unreal Engine was credited there and that’s normally used for games.

Kabukicho Sherlock 1

Dammmmmmmmn, that’s one sweet soundtrack!

Man, I know I said for Stars Align that there’s no slap to the face like a slap to the face, but…this was a slap to the face in that I did not expect Mrs Hudson to do an entire Coraline-style musical routine in the first half of the episode. I could tell from her (?) appearance that she was a drag queen/trans caricature, but they didn’t need to make her a singer in a bar…and the “sexy” shots of Mrs Hudson’s butt are kinda disturbing…and especially the part where Watson (I think it is?) gets a butt grab for his trouble…

The woman in the blue dress is Diana Oldoini (spelling needs confirmation). The woman with the blue hair…seems to be called Tenkill…(yeah, under the subs, I can’t really make it out.) All the women at Pipe Cat seem to be trans stereotypes, which vaguely annoys and unsettles me.

Kyogoku = Natsuhiko Kyogoku and Sherlock is Holmes, but I dunno about “Michel” or “Kobayashi”.

The Watson from the Holmes books was a doctor in the Afghanistan war…I know that much.

Natsu -> Fuyu (summer -> winter), hiko (“brilliance/brightness”, a common component to Japanese boys’ names) -> to (“person”, also a common component of Japanese boy’s names).

Oh, Michel is this guy (Belmont)! No wonder. Update: So the cats are like placecards, announcing that you’re in the building.

White Rose! I saw it when Watson showed up in his car, so I figured it was going to be important…I just didn’t think it was necessary so soon…

Chili oil…no wonder the woman was disgusted by Sherlock’s burp. Not to mention, Holmes was good at identifying chemicals too. This show is shaping up to be a modern Holmes more than Detective Conan is!

Wowwwwwwww…this show really doesn’t like gay people either (understatement).  It’s like I’m watching a show from the 90s in regards to the LGBTIQ+ people in this…

Moriarty is a thief for thieves, huh? A regular (modern) Robin Hood, so to speak. I wonder if the poor kids are the Baker Street Irregulars…?

This soundtrack is sooooo good! Plus it’s clearly leading up to a rakugo scene, based on the fact “Shibahama” briefly appeared on the screen during that really cool rainbow/text scene!

“What sort of girl takes her clothes off for a man she’s never met?” – A sex worker.

I-Is Moriarty drinking Dr Pepper…? Or Coke?

This is really shaping up to be a modern Sherlock Holmes – with his rakugo, this Sherlock is leading his Watson to the answer!

Ohhhhhhhhh man, these CGI cars look terrible!

H-HUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?! W-What? Sherlock gets hit by a car in the first episode (I think they wanted it to happen for humour)? This really is a show where it’s neither mystery nor comedy…it’s just kinda weird and kinda there.  

So that’s Mary Morstan and…who? (If you never figured it out, I learnt these characters’ names through ANN cast announcements.)

I…don’t get why Sherlock is screaming because I don’t know what Watson’s bottle-thingy is for, but I’ll assume it has to do with pain for Sherlock’s genitals or something of the sort…and go “ouch” for him.

Okay, so the next-ep preview’s “Why not join the staring at eye moles squad?” is a joke. You see, the word nakibokuro refers to a mole (or beauty spot) under the eye (where hokuro = mole and naki = cry, so it’s as if the person cried the mole into existence). Then it’s mitsumetai, meaning “want to stare”, but then the tai for “want” is substituted for the tai meaning “squad”. So that nonsense English line is just a very literal translation that isn’t funny…just confusing. I don’t get the “Cobra?/ Farewell” exchange though…

This very last scene before the end of the episode seems to be a page of info about the setting of Shinjuku in this series. East and west were split by a wall and train tracks, it seems, and you ned to pass through the gate to go between them…I spotted this omake because of the cat in one corner.

I don’t quite get why the case had to be treated like a gameshow at one part, but that would be a cool plot if someone ever wrote a story about it…(actually, wait. I think I do know a similar plotline from Detective Conan – the one with Natsuki in it – plus the Running Man by Steven King is somewhat similar to it too.)

Ahiru no Sora 2

Essentially, Sora is a reverse Kuroko…amirite…?

Ugh! This slang is so outdated!!! “[T]otes craycray”…the translator’s trying too hard to be a hip teenager…

How does anyone keep food in their afro anyway…?

I…miss shonen protags like Ahiru. The type that are earnest, but not shouty.

I was thinking I might drop the show here, but then I looked at the posts and strangely they didn’t talk about Chiaki (who I expected to be the deuteragonist of this show). Instead, they talk about Momoharu, so I was wondering what kind of twist they were pulling.

Beet red, my butt…

…then again, more Chiaki shenanigans showed up, so I really am gonna drop this. Geesh, Chiaki, you really suck.

BnHA 64

Eyyyyyyyyy, my local sublicensor is back to simulcasting BnHA! That didn’t happen for the stuff affected by the CR x Funi partnership, so I’m happy it’s happening right now.

I heard this was a recap ep but it was handled well…oh well, the new OP is well worth the price of admission.

I like how Amajiki (my boyyyyyyyy!) is like “Don’t touch me!!!”, even in the OP.

Hmm…I see one of the male journalists being scolded uses Windows 10.

Tokuda’s name is literally a pun on “It’s a special (episode)”…good job, Bones and BnHA staff (sarcastic). Update: Maybe the “tane” (seed) means he’s seedy…?Nah, that pun doesn’t work in Japanese.

Good job on recapping Vault Boy (as he’s known). I found his POWERRRRRR! thing amusing when s3 was airing, remember?

I get the feeling (based on the chapters Viz made free for the sake of hyping s4 up) Nighteye is a parody of the Jump series Seiji Tanaka. Update: No, now that I google Seiji Tanaka up and remember Horikoshi was going for a stereotypical Japanese salaryman look, it’s just a giant coincidence…

Tokuda has that “nice older man” vibe going on…hmm…

Whoaaaaaaaaaaa, that quirk is creepyyyyyy…

“…false encouragement to those…”

Selfie for the photobomb photographer!...(or something like that…)

Oh nooooooooo, I know exactly what’s in store for these guys, now that Viz made chs. 122 – 162 available for free for a limited time!!! That ED though…it’s basically torture for someone who knows what’s going on!!!

Shin Chuuka Ichiban 1

This is a sequel to a series I watched ages ago in Cantonese, so…heck if I’ll understand what’s going on, but I’ll try. Even though my memory of these characters should be better than everyone else’s, it might even be worse, considering all the anime I watched in the years between…

All these faces are familiar…but I’ve forgotten most of their names…If I remember right, the blonde is Sanche, the only one I really remember because he gave his all to cutting radish by moonlight so that it was proven it was so thin you could see the moonlight through it…yeah, I think that’s the only character aside from Mao I can really say anything about. (I don’t think he was blonde last time I saw an anime about him, though.)

These chickens are adorable...in this day and age, we know these chickens aren't carriers of misfortune...but just roll with it for now.

The subs don't note it (the visuals do eventually though), but her (Tiya’s) bro is a big one.

I never realised how long Mao's hair was until this series...

Even these men look like chickens...LOL.

The essence of SCI is, like any other shonen, Mao gets underestimated and kicks their asses.

The men even sound like chickens, LOL.

See? Silkies. I've never taken care of one myself, but they are adorable lil' birds with a distinctive look. Anyways, I think what sets this apart from SnS is the earnestness from years gone by (rather than extreme exaggerating). Also, this ep. made me hungry...LOL, that's the sign of a good cooking show.

Yeah...I forgot the reason why Mao wears that blue thing over his arm is because he can dramatically reveal himself as Super Chef. That happened a lot in s1.

...who's Fei again...?

Tokunana 2

I think this is going to be the decider as to where I push the threshold of my rankings, since this how is very middling…also, it’s pretty obvious to note the ep. titles go 1, 2, 3…(and so on).

I’ve watched my fair share of mysteries (Detective Conan gives you a lot of ‘em), so I can tell the covering of the mouth is a tell…the dwarvish man is lying.

The news headline says “Rainbow Bridge Reconstruction”…(It has a particle on the end though…I dunno whether I wanna translate that or not.)

Based on the “dragons” idea, I wouldn’t be surprised if the main antagonist’s surname was Kuzuryuu (“9 headed dragon”).  

Codenames? They even did that in Double Decker and in some senses, that was a parody of the entire cop procedural! (What with “Perm” as a codename and all that…speaking of which, I think Travis was the type who liked “fun” codenames too…he called himself “Boss” as well…and called his rookie “Rookie”.)

The saying goes a painted dragon should have the eyes painted last or else it’ll come alive and fly away. It must be something of the sort for daruma too. By the way, I could guess the politician was trying to be re-elected before Ichinose said due to the hissho (“sure win”) written on the daruma.

I don’t think I’ve seen anyone in anime sit backwards on a chair like that (Ichinose’s pose)…

How does Suga know about the blog…?

I keep swearing Seiji is gonna awaken some type of powers, but…I dunno why…?

“Here it is! My fist of justice!” *whomp*…that’s how I imagined the final punch to be for Seiji.

I swear…I’ve been seeing this Angolmois-style filter over Tokunana…(grr…)

Stand My Heroes 2

Wait, there’s Hattori…and Hatori…? Update: Oh…kay, so there’s Otani Hatori (of Revel) and then Hattori You (of the police). They have the same colour hair…and the same hairstyle…there goes my dreams of even comprehending this show…

Wait, so the English-language song is the OP????

Why does a guy called Maki always have green hair…?

Seriously though…Yui is a cliched scientist. By that, I mean he doesn’t really act like one at all – he obsesses over potential samples and whatnot (emphasis on “potential”).

Where the heck did you acquire a drug like that, then, Kagura???

Only Rei, who knows what happened at the dinner, can say “you’re nice based on what you did at dinner”. The viewer wasn’t privy to such things…

Aki’s tsundere…!

That fight scene was barely animated…geesh.

Maki’s got such anger issues that it’s hard to get behind him…

By the by, I don’t find Jekyll and Hyde cases hot, so Maki is basically a no-go.

Iruma-kun 2

This could be the show that decides it all. Iruma-kun is the 2nd-last show on my prospective shows for the season, so I’m cutting the fat fast by watching a few shows that indicate the quality of everything underneath as well as itself.

LOL, I never noticed there was an “Oh my gah” in the OP, haha.

Okay, so the pun in the title is Mairimashita! Iruma-kun (“I’ve Arrived! Iruma-kun”in formal Japanese because he’s the demon king’s grandson), but it’s “demon entry” rather than the standard kanji…so there’s absolutely no way to make that joke work in English, hence “Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun”. The pun in Iruma is that it’s an anagram of the formal iku/kuru (come/go), mairu. Yes, that’s the mairu I was talking about earlier.

I love how the narrator is just like “akuma deeeeeee~su” with all the enthusiasm of a postman; that is, he’s not very good at covering up his sarcasm.

Oh, so it’s maccha, but macha (demon tea)…geddit?

…oh! I actually noticed Sullivan’s hands were bandaged, but I didn’t think anything of it! So it was plot-relevant…

Hellraiser clock…for mezamashidokei (where ma = demon again)…that is a good pun! I love you, subber!

I assume the series of 5 symbols I keep seeing is actually “Iruma”, meaning the demon language is based on English, or at the very least individual romaji.

Oh wait! Babibabi(etc.)ru…does that mean the OP is referring to the school??? *mindblown*

…don’t tell me it’s Sullivan…? Update: Nope, I forgot about “Severus Snape”. He’s Aizawa from BnHA, but a demon.

Asmodeus stands out far too much in a crowd, LOL.

Whether useful or useless, trash is trash.

That’s…a very death metal snake…to put it one way.

This reminds me of Future is Crimson…how nostalgic…I really expect a cute monster though.

*laughing behind hand* Oh noooooooo…does that mean Iruma summoned the teacher??? (Hahahah!!!! Hahahaha!!!)

So…I was right, but I wasn’t right??? The teacher is a cute demon, I guess. Very fluffy. His Snape form isn’t bad either, but I’d prefer someone younger than him, to be honest. (Gimme plushies of the small fluffy sensei!)

Okay, so sukima appears to be a word meaning “gap, crevice (etc.)”. There’s the character for demon in it, so it’s kinda like calling this section the demonic gap-closer…the malevolent mini-episode…the fiendish filler! Yeah, I like the sound of “fiendish filler” (even though I don’t even like filler!).

Dr Stone 15

…now Senku’s done it. (i.e. married Ruri)

I like how Suika went splat while running. It adds more consistency to her nearsightedness.

Now there’s a cliffhanger!

No Guns Life 2

I always love it when people say they’re unarmed…but truth be told, people (normally) have two arms…not to mention, Juzo has a gun for a head and a fist that can rapidly punch. You can’t really call that “unarmed”.

I just realised Juzo’s jaw doesn’t really move when he talks…

Wait a second, ARAHABAKI????? You mean, Chuuya Arahabaki???? (Talking about that to those not in the know would be spoilers, so I won’t explain what I mean here, just in case there are non-BSD fans reading this.)

So…uh, where are Juzo’s eyes in that head of his…?

Ooh, authentication keys. Sounds like cybersecurity. That…was my jam before I jumped ship – apparently I’m too dumb to deal with modulos (which are important to cybersecurity).

Hmm…gun slave unit? Whatever does that mean, hmm??? (somewhat inquisitive, somewhat sarcastic)

Can a guy with a gun for his head get lung cancer? These are the big questions, folks.

Hmm? His hobby is house-cleaning, but he doesn’t have any kids…? That sounds sort of weird (although my ideas of a house cleaner are probably a bit…motherly, I guess? “Conforming to traditional stereotypes”…how about that description instead…?).

I never realised how short the muzzle of Juzo’s head is until I got this side shot.

“Guess that means I won’t be able to hold back against you!” – Whoa! That’s some effective horror…and this isn’t even a show that has “horror” as one of its genres…

[otome--gokoro]

Quick! List of all the otome games you've played and also your favourite routes/characters! Thank you!!

Hi, anon! Thanks for your question. This answer may be a bit long, haha. Let me see what I have in my phone right now. I’m gonna stick this under a cut to save your dashboard.

1) Mystic Messenger. My first proper otome game, haha. Awkward turtle Jumin is my favorite. Throwing money at the problem won’t help? How can that be?? What’s fried chicken??? This boy is ridiculous. Send help (and fried chicken).

2) SLBP. Kojuro is my fave forever. His work attitude and habits are really similar to mine. I’m also picky as hell about work/school, but my room is so messy. I can’t really cook much (when I was overseas I always bought pre-made rice and just cooked dishes). I have reading copies and storage copies of my favorite books. My birthday is also one day away from his. It also helps that his route is so well-written and his MC is like… pretty much the only one with a backbone lmaoooo. I also like Masamune a lot. I have a soft spot for Inuchiyo, but his main route is Truly Terrible, and I can’t recommend it. Stick to the event stories.

3) Does Tenka Tsuki count? I’ve only played Sakuya and Genya so far, but I like Genya a lot. His route is also really good. LAY ON THE ANGST GIVE IT TO ME MAKE IT HURT. Impatiently waiting for Hanzo and Hotaru.

4) My Forged Wedding Party. My favorite is Akito, but I’m also liking Yamato’s route a lot. Ren is adorable, but his habit of falling asleep all over the place reminds me uncomfortably of my ex. MFWP routes always take me ages to play because of the high mission requirements. I have got to say that Kunihiko (the ‘uncle’) as a love interest makes me feel rather uncomfortable.

5) Several Shades of Sadism aka SSS. Rei’s route will be out in a couple of days (SCREAMS) and he’s tentatively my fave based on events. I like Chiaki based on visuals lmao. Mei’s route is really good. Actually, I don’t have (many) complaints about the three routes I’ve done so far (Chiaki, Toma, and Mei). BUT I’m avoiding Minami like the plague, so… 

6) Midnight Cinderella. My favorites are Byron and Louis, but I think the writing in this game is pretty solid for the main routes. I’ve heard that the Ever Afters aren’t as good, but I haven’t played those yet. Currently playing Giles.

7) Destined To Love. I don’t really have a favorite, but I want Takasugi’s route so bad. Katsura’s route was boring af. Currently playing Saito.

8) Office Lover 2. I LOVE THIS GAME SO MUCH. If you want to play one game out of all these and you have standards for plot/writing, PICK THIS ONE. My favorite is Kenichiro, but tbh they’re all great (although Haruto has his WTF moments). I honestly don’t know why this game isn’t more popular. The MC is pretty well-written and has her own life/career/BACKBONE. The guys are interesting, well fleshed out, and don’t do weird rape-y things. Kei is a really good example of a sadist-type character who doesn’t, you know, do things that should make everybody want to run screaming.

9) Rental Boyfriends. I like Takeomi, but his MC is annoying af lmao. I think Etsuya’s route is pretty good. RB MC isn’t quite as much as a go-getter as OL2 MC, but she’s still usually okay (except in Takeomi’s route).

10) Decoding Desire. Based on events, I have a soft spot for Kanade. Right now there are only two main routes out, but I want to slap both Yushin and Kento, so. Yeah. Stop sexually harassing MC!! Takamasa’s route should be out soon, though. I have high hopes for that.

11) Lust in Terror Manor. There are only two main routes out, Hayato and Rui. I prefer Rui. I don’t like the art style, though. I’m also not a fan of horror so… tbh I have no idea why I played this game.

12) 7 Hotties All My Husbands. I got drawn into playing this because I wanted a new game and SSS has those promo banners. The English in this game is horrible. You have been warned. My (very problematic) favorite is Soichiro. There are a LOT of issues with this game, but at the same time I kinda don’t want to stop playing? It’s like watching a train wreck, I guess. I’m playing Gaia’s route now, I might stop after that.

13) Hanazakari no Kimitachi He ~Boys Love You~. It’s a Japanese Voltage game based on the Hanakimi manga. My favorite, by far, is Kayashima. But the events for this game are pretty boring so right now I’m debating whether to drop it. I might wait until Minami’s route comes out first.

Those are the FTP games I have on my phone right now… I’ve also been dabbling in paid Voltage apps recently, but I don’t think I’ve played enough of them to have actual favorites. Plus I mostly just bought 1~3 routes per game, so. I also played games like Long Live the Queen and Magical Diary on Steam, but that was a couple of years ago, so I don’t remember much now.

holy fuck that was a long answer.

tl;dr MORE PEOPLE NEED TO PLAY OFFICE LOVER 2 and thank god i didn’t get the cheapest iphone available because goddamn these games take up a lot of space

[tweetadvise]

Social Media for Business 101

Why is social networks vital for businesses?

A comprehensive social networks strategy is crucial to business success in a digital world. 93% of marketing experts are using social media sites for business - are you component of the 7% that doesn't?

Social media is greater than just making posts on Facebook and reacting to customers on Twitter. A strong social network sites existence is an essential part of the purchase decision making procedure. 74% of consumers rely on social media sites to educate their buying decisions, with 47% of Americans claiming that Facebook is their top influencer of purchases.

If you don't have an energetic social existence that both engages and also notifies users, you are shedding customers to competitors that do.

Benefits of social media

A social media sites project is about more compared to just posting updates as well as promoting sales. A well-shaped social networks program will involve the following:

Monitoring the social space for mentions of your brand to avoid reputation concerns from taking shape.

Responding to consumer solution inquiries and also item inquiries to ensure a positive encounter with your business.

Marketing your existing content to bring even more traffic to your site.

Tracking clicks and also conversions on your website as a result of social advertising.

Creating purposeful one-on-one relationships with consumers that will result in return purchases or recommendations to their peers.

Best practices for businesses

Whatever social media networks you make a decision to be energetic on for your company, there are some ideal techniques you should follow to achieve social success.

Post at the proper frequency

Make certain you are posting sufficient that consumers are current on your items as well as services, but not a lot that they feel as though they're being bombarded with updates.

The frequency you need to upload considerably differs by your sector and target market, but these are general publishing pointers:

Facebook: a minimum of two times every week, not to go beyond as soon as each day

Twitter: a minimum of as soon as each day, with tweets spaced out at the very least an hour apart

Google+: at the very least when per week, not to surpass as soon as each day

LinkedIn: at least when each week, not to exceed when per day

Follow the 80/20 policy of posting

You may be lured to load your social networks with news regarding sales, specials, and also promos. Fight that temptation. Customers are much less likely to interact with brands if they seem like they're actively being "marketed" to.

Instead, follow the 80/20 guideline - 80% of just what you publish ought to be appealing (questions, images, posts from 3rd celebrations), while the continuing to be 20% must have to do with your firm, products, or services.

Invest in a social network sites dashboard

You're hectic, we obtain it. Good social media takes time and effort, however a social network sites manager will help you use your time wisely.

Tools like HootSuite, Sprout Social, as well as Buffer permit you to set up articles, measure involvement, and screen social chatter about your business.

Pay focus to just what's going on in your market, as well as the world

Being in tune with your target market's interest will help you engage with them as well as will certainly develop a solid client relationship.

Monitor industry publications, competitor social networks accounts, and preferred blog sites to stay mindful of just what is essential to your customers.

Likewise, pay interest to what's taking place on the planet. Do not get on a trending hashtag without first recognizing just what it implies. That opts for arranged blog posts, also - an innocuous tweet published at the specific wrong time might result in a social network sites disaster.

What social media networks should I be on?

There are numerous social networks sites around, as well as undoubtedly your business does not should get on all of them. The primary step is determining which social networks will certainly be one of the most helpful for your business.

A few vital things to note before you begin developing your social network sites profiles:

Keep your username/handle consistent. Departing from your set username can puzzle your consumers and make it more difficult for them to discover you. Use a tool like CheckUserNames to see if your picked username is available on the socials media you intend on using.

Only concentrate on social networks where your consumers are. There are a great deal of social media sites out there, and also it would be a waste of your time to attempt to be energetic on every one of them, particularly if your target audience doesn't hang out there.

Put the Links to your social accounts everywhere: your internet site, your e-mail trademark, your advertising products. The very best way for individuals to find you is naturally, don't make it tougher compared to it needs to be to discover you.

These social networks may not have the commonality or big customer base of the ones listed above, yet they are still worth having a visibility if it makes sense for your company:

YouTube

Pinterest

Instagram

Vine

Tumblr

Quora

StumbleUpon

Local Social Networks

If you are a neighborhood company - significance, a company with a shop that deals with a particular area or region - there are a number of local social networks that could boost your visibility in online search engine and also help customers find you:

Google My Business

Yahoo Local

Bing Places for Business

Foursquare

CitySearch

Insider Pages

Yelp

Hotfrog

Manta

Merchant Circle

BizJournals

DirJournal

Niche Social Networks

Aside from the popular social media networks, you might locate that there are specific niche social network sites areas that make good sense for your company to be energetic on (for example, Birdpost for bird viewers and Ravelry for knitters).

While they could not have the audience size of Facebook, these niche social media networks likely have a lot more targeted group for your business to connect with.

Using social as a client service channel

Social networks have actually become a prime channel whereby clients solicit client service. 35% of consumers have asked a customer care inquiry by means of social network sites, and also 53% of users anticipate to hear back from the brand they're communicating with within one hr. Businesses could just not manage to overlook client solution requests on social media.

These tips will certainly help you keep your consumers happy as well as protect your brand's reputation.

Respond quickly. In a research study, 38% of users claimed they really felt a lot more adversely regarding a firm if they didn't get a timely feedback. Attempt to reply to all client queries within one hour. If you cannot completely respond to a client's question, at the very least let them understand you are functioning on locating them an option so they are not left in the dark.

Listen to your customers. They might be making use of social media sites to voice their grievances or praise your products. Regardless, they could supply valuable insight into your firm's toughness and also imperfections, and enable you to improve your company based upon their feedback.

Always respond professionally. Whether the client is best or incorrect, remember that social networks is public and exactly what you claim will certainly show on your company.

Respond to positive comments. If a customer is taking time out of their day to applaud your business, thank them for their patronage. If they repetitively wax poetic regarding their excellent encounter, offer them a promo code. This is just how brand ambassadors are built.

Crisis management

Answering concerns as well as thanking consumers for their patronage is very easy, however exactly what takes place when someone pounds your business? Whether it's true or otherwise, once it's published, there are a host of problems you need to think about:

Is this remark visiting hurt my business's reputation?

How can I help this customer?

If the issue is true, just what could I do to avoid this from taking place again?

Never delete negative comments (unless these are evident spam remarks)

Be timely

53% of Twitter users expect to hear back from the firm they're interacting with within an hour. That does not provide you a lot of time to plan a feedback, so consider producing an activity prepare for replying to client inquiries.

Create an action plan

You have to develop a technique for dealing with negativity. Considering that customers will be counting down the minutes until your reaction, make the effort to toenail down your method currently so you have the ability to nip problems in the bud as they happen.

Own up

If you did something wrong, acknowledge it and also say sorry. Radio silence - or even worse, rejection - will estrange customers and often drags the issue on much longer compared to if it was attended to head on.

Don't feed the trolls

Sometimes, people are simply suggest and also there's no other way to make them pleased. If you attempt to correct a scenario with a customer as well as they are rude, despiteful, or proceed flaming your business, it's time to move on.

At the very least, request that they email or call you to proceed the conversation so that it's not openly plastered throughout your social accounts.

Learn from other companies

Unsurprisingly, social media dilemmas are taken care of wrongly all the time. Checking out situation researches about companies that have actually messed up or efficiently dealt with a social calamity can assist you develop your personal strategy.

Social Advertising

Most socials media offer some form of paid promo or advertising features to assist obtain a brand name's social media sites account or blog posts in front of more eyes. While companies can count on natural reach and word-of-month for increased exposure, paid promo could guarantee wide reach and assistance drive more traffic as well as leads in a measurable way.

Facebook Ads

Facebook ads are the most typical and prolific social media sites ads due to their ease of use, hyper-targeting functionalities, as well as cost. They are becoming a lot more prominent as Facebook gradually drives brand name updates from individuals' Information Feeds in attempts to reveal just what it regards a lot more pertinent content.

Facebook's self-service ad platform supplies a range of items that can aid:

increase Facebook page likes

attract much more suches as, comments, and also shares on your posts

drive traffic to your website

promote mobile app downloads

track conversions made on your website as a result of social advertising

Ads can be targeted extensively to a particular geographical area or sector, in addition to even more granulated demographics consisting of particular interests, pastimes, as well as online acquisition behaviors. Businesses could additionally develop a Personalized Target market using telephone number or e-mail addresses in order to help get to consumers you currently know.

Twitter Ads

Twitter has a likewise easy-to-navigate self-service platform as well as provides a robust analytics area to measure the effectiveness of ads.

Twitter's item offerings can help both businesses as well as people:

reach a lot more users and also drive conversions

send much more customers to your website with unique call-to-actions

get customers to download and install a mobile app

collect emails from people that express interest

gain more Twitter followers

Much like Facebook, targeting on Twitter ads is very accurate. Customers could be targeted by their geographic place and also passions as well as by similar accounts that they follow.

LinkedIn Ads

LinkedIn's self-service advertisements are fairly limited, with the more robust products provided only to marketing experts with a sales representative at the firm. No matter, businesses can utilize the self-serve advertisement to put content - as well as existing blog posts - in front of the ideal audiences.

Because LinkedIn accommodates experts, there are a range of convenient targeting options including job title, industry, and also company size.

Recommended Tools

We love tools below at Online marketing Ninjas, and we would certainly be remiss not to discuss several of our preferred social media tools.

Promotion

Viral Content Buzz

Measurement and Insights

Facebook Insights

FollowerWonk

Klout

Simply Measured

SumAll

Topsy

TweetReach

Tweriod

Read further: 6 Social Media Analytics Companies To Keep An Eye On

Monitoring

HootSuite

Sprout Social

Buffer

TweetDeck

Trackur

Read further: Start Checking Your Online Reviews Now: No Reason for Ignoring Online Credibility! #JimAndAnn

Relationship Building

BuzzStream

BuzzSumo

Commun.it

ManageFlitter

More 101 Guides

Don' t miss out on even more 101 advertising and marketing quick guides from Web marketing Ninjas:

Content Re-Packaging 101: The Conveniences and also Tactics

Free Advertising and marketing Resources: SEO eBooks, White Documents as well as Presentations by Online marketing Ninjas

[armstrong48-blog]

Here's What I Know About Wrestling

The kicker is that every loot box only opens 5 items at a moment. As soon as you realize that your opponent is tired or losing strength, you want to react immediately and pin his arm to the table. Friday's matches are going to have significant impact on tournament seeding. The song selection is fine. Like golf and tennis, it's only likely to attract a certain kind of fan. The larger picture was obviously the match for a whole. Wrestling: the Ultimate Convenience! The Viacom-based company trying to stay informed about the UFC signed Hager. The Stephanie McMahon character is simple to dislike. So, make certain to practice your abilities and use drilling to be the very best wrestler you can be.To acquire supplementary details on john cena standee please check out Superstar Cutouts. Grappling or wrestling is a fundamental portion of defense, and can allow someone that has been brought to the ground to acquire the upper hand. While Lesnar will be searching for revenge, there are a number of other clashes in the night to seek. Okada can acquire cocky, though. Wrestling - What Is It? In the event the wrestling community is ready to reveal this, it would be quite tricky to vote against it. The aim of our presentation was obviously to find approval but also to demonstrate how far girls wrestling has arrived. There are most likely a few wrestlers around who think they make a commitment. In case the sport of wrestling interests you and you want to find out more info about ways to train and where to train then below are some comprehensive details about gyms you may take part in to learn introductory level wrestling. Injuries still occur as a result of essence of the sport. In earlier times athletes weren't too concerned about a concussion. Wrestling Options Finally, it's an established actuality that John Cena is the best wrestleman to get ever lived and would be an even greater father. Jericho's promos and segments build until the moment where someone is going to wind up on the list, or will receive this, or will get called a stupid idiot. Every Hollywood action film ought to have an expert wrestler on cast. The Advantages of Wrestling Wrestling photos are a really good method by which to find publicity. Bubba finally receives a tag and downloads. Cover, TWO, Mercedes is somewhat shocked. The Do's and Don'ts of Wrestling Styles, Cesaro, Wyatt are the very best workers in the organization. The crowd will count as though the ref would even consider counting to 3. WWE makes a whole lot of questionable decisions. Where to Find Wrestling The number you're seeking is 15! If you'd like to learn more regarding the sport or would like additional information about how to train and the locations it is possible to find to train then please keep reading as you will get some information on locations where you could train in and take part in entry level wrestling. You may usually locate a club to take part in at a reasonable price. Basically the ideal collection of wrestling stuff you're going to find in the region. The matches are predetermined but of course that's the whole purpose of the company. With each match that you compete in you're gaining valuable experience, even if it's the case that you don't know that it's happening. restling: the Ultimate Convenience! Help contribute to the website! Wrestling is an ideal topic for documentariesbecause of the very nature of the company. Internal development is the only thing we can govern. Because at the close of the day, if it receives the conversation going, it's far better than no conversation in the slightest. The following thing is they will need to make a determination on what skills they need to concentrate on. The response is it would ring false with the audience. The New Angle On Wrestling Just Released From that point, Barrett's WWE career appeared to be full of lots of false stars and non-finishes. TNA Wrestling feels they can benefit from Flair in a global aspect also. WWE is among the top kinds of amusement next to NBA. Because wrestling is fixed, obviously a few of the wrestlers will have to lose. A wrestler's yearly plan might also be known as a macrocycle. Some wrestlers can have a lucky tee shirt. Wrestling Fundamentals Explained On the flip side, more than 1 macrocycle might be used over the course of a wrestling season as you might have more than one key competition which you want to peak for. Moreover, autograph events are often held in order to permit fans to fulfill their favorite wrestling superstars up-close and personal. The victory is a great springboard into the postseason. The following suggestions will help you develop your wrestling strength and stay it throughout the season! When you take a youthful child to tournaments throughout the place make sure it is fun for him. There's tons of room on earth for one more side scrolling indie platformer with a large headed protagonist in a scary planet, but only as long as you're prepared to further innovate on such a concept. Wrestling and Wrestling - The Perfect Combination What's more, you can want to get a less intense practice the evening prior to a significant competition so you're recovered and fresh to wrestle hard the following day. These days professional wrestling has turned into a billion dollar enterprise. Across both main promotions in the USA, the last ten years are FILLED with power struggles between authority figures. The End of Wrestling It involves a lot of strength and control, because you need to be able to hold and control your opposition in order to win. Grip training should only be done at the conclusion of a workout. Successful wrestlers know that great nutrition is an essential part of their day-to-day training ritual. You can't wrestle if you don't have any energy. Freestyle provides a small change of pace from folkstyle and you might not be as concerned about maintaining a particular weight. Ideally, in case you have chosen the proper exercises, participants ought to be in a position to experience an entire cycle 3 times. Rollins on the opposite hand has really been clung to the notion of beefing with the significant Dog. The Women's Division on Monday Night RAW is truly in a tricky spot at the moment. Everything was booked perfectly and the stream of the show felt the same as a PPV. Wrestling: the Ultimate Convenience! It's very rare to receive a title changing hands, or a vital storyline development which makes people wish to tune in. In fact, the thought of precedent is a fiction. In India sports people are utilised to advertise the Xbox 360. Then you'll have a better idea when it actually counts. Anime is the expression used to refer to the fashion of Japanese animation. Evidently, everyone has their own opinion for this statement. Get the Scoop on Wrestling Before You're Too Late You are going to be more able to dodge or slip from a tight hold. There are 3 periods in a worldwide wrestling match. If it still doesn't for you, then you should watch the whole match. To be able to chain wrestle well you should be sure you drill the moves individually. In addition, it's simple to create a tag team online. When you watch the chess match that's Freestyle, the smaller details might be lost on the typical fan. What Everybody Dislikes About Wrestling and Why Not everybody can be their very own hype man. Factions and a good deal more six and eight man tags would help protect a great deal of their feuds for larger shows. You don't ever want to say it's simple, but the guy makes it simple. Type of Wrestling In the WWE, the tag team division for a whole is set on the shelf, though most wrestlers concentrate on solo careers. Wrestling is a type of sports entertainment unlike any other. Beach wrestling is fun for everyone. Therefore, you've been playing cityville for some time now or perhaps just started. To the extent you've got an interest in playing wrestling on the web, you're going to be very happy to hear you can now play these games without actually having to pay any money. There's tons of room on earth for one more side scrolling indie platformer with a large headed protagonist in a scary planet, but only as long as you're prepared to further innovate on such a concept. Top Choices of Wrestling Due to this, there are not many serious injuries related to wrestling. Doing hundreds of stand-ups with negative technique won't enhance your stand-ups. So, practice doesn't need to be drudgery. Nakamura may be called up and create the challenge his very first night (highly unlikely). Bayley, on the flip side, is thought of as the ultimate babyface. Well, pro wrestlers are absolutely efficient and masters in regards to doing physical improvisation. Type of Wrestling If your kid is younger or his school does not own a wrestling group, you might discover a neighborhood independent wrestling club. Top players like John Brzenk of North America are famous for their collection of techniques within this sort of wrestling. Today this kind of wrestling is thought to be among the oldest and most demanding of all the recognized styles. It's also sensible to tailor your grip training for a certain athlete's need if it's possible to discover this. Some wrestle well just because they know that they're in terrific condition and have great skills. There are lots of things you ought to know about wrestling and what your kid will want to start on the mats. Vital Pieces of Wrestling Listen, the aim of your conversations with your little one needs to be positive and an opportunity to turn things into a learning piece. The wrestlers eat many big meals every day, and it's important they eat with somebody else as studies have revealed that we eat more when we are in the business of some other individual. Try to guarantee you or your athletes have some success too, for many folks doing pullups or chinups for a whole minute despite a band for assistance is extremely difficult or impossible. Basically the ideal collection of wrestling stuff you're going to find in the region. The strange and ever-changing world of pro wrestling is a tricky place to comprehend initially, particularly in this case with a ton of language and cultural barriers. Grabbing hold of any industry share in an industry that's been dominated by WWE for decades are going to be a tall job. The 5-Minute Rule for Wrestling The decade of destruction is really as soon as the streak began to get steam. To put it simply, Brock Lesnar remains in the majority of ways undefeatable, unless of course there's some type of interference or outside assistance, the same as Undertaker appearing at Battlegrounds when he fought Rollins. There's almost always a fresh roster which never loses credibility. The New Angle On Wrestling Just Released Styles went on to have one of the best years of any expert wrestler. A traditional Undertaker original that all of the fans love. Therefore, attempting to use periodization for wrestling may appear impractical. Ambrose puts Owens in the top tourniquet. A wrestler's yearly plan might also be known as a macrocycle. Lesnar winning will look like not a huge deal. The Fundamentals of Wrestling Revealed Exercise selection is likewise very vital to make the program possible. My very first love was music and have been in the business for twenty decades. Things have changed over time. The Wrestling Cover Up If, say, you need to capture your entire body, you'll need a screen that trails along the ground with a lengthier length based on how far away your camera will be and how much is shown. If you're looking to receive absolutely free energy in castleville then you've reached to the proper place. Don't starve yourself, just make certain you eat healthy though or else you'll have a challenging time cutting weight and not have a lot of energy whatsoever. Grip training to enhance hand strength on a sustained period will directly impact a wrestler's performance very fast and ought to be added to each program. Most athletes receive the best effect building up to 1-2 gallons each day. Besides eating right, you need to have an intense exercise program. To create the opponent appear stronger. Woods nearly receives the pin fall. Thus, there appears to be no end in sight for the prior champion. The song selection is fine. Following that, take your pick through the dumpster so far as very good tag teams go. The larger picture was obviously the match for a whole. The Hidden Treasure of Wrestling Exercise selection is likewise very vital to make the program possible. My very first love was music and have been in the business for twenty decades. Things have changed over time. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Wrestling Champions have an absolute urge to win. Wrestling is a type of sports entertainment unlike any other. Sumo wrestling games might seem to be an extremely effortless sport. Also remember to be able to enjoy wrestling games online you are going to be required to get flash player installed on your favourite browser. When it has to do with wrestling, you can imagine it like a video game. To summarize, if you're somebody who enjoys wrestling games, then you need to seriously look at playing this kind of game online. The Key to Successful Wrestling Arm wrestling puts plenty of pressure to the whole arm which might bring about tearing of tissues or cracking of bones. Grip training should only be done at the conclusion of a workout. Successful wrestlers know that great nutrition is an essential part of their day-to-day training ritual. You can't wrestle if you don't have any energy. Freestyle provides a small change of pace from folkstyle and you might not be as concerned about maintaining a particular weight. Ideally, in case you have chosen the proper exercises, participants ought to be in a position to experience an entire cycle 3 times. Top Choices of Wrestling You may simply rehearse the moves and skills you would like to improve upon for as long as you desire. Doing hundreds of stand-ups with negative technique won't enhance your stand-ups. Roman comes out before Braun has the ability to murder Foley and they begin brawling. What You Should Do to Find Out About Wrestling Before You're Left Behind One only needs to have a look at Pentagon to know he's a special individual. The main reason is creating that which we wish to see out of something we love. The shortage of foreign object use proved to be an important lack in programming. Wrestling - the Conspiracy There's nothing cushioning the slam. The crowd will count as though the ref would even consider counting to 3. The fans in attendance weren't only counting in the last 10 seconds of a moment but in the center of a minute too. The Hidden Truth About Wrestling The number you're seeking is 15! Online Wrestling You can receive a fantastic start from doing just a little research on the internet by finding some good workout routines just by looking for it using Google. Perhaps you're thinking about selling your game in a foreign sector. Wrestling - What Is It? In the event the wrestling community is ready to reveal this, it would be quite tricky to vote against it. One of my most significant criticisms of women's wrestling is simply that. Beach wrestling gives people the chance to keep on participating in a sport they love. In case the sport of wrestling interests you and you want to find out more info about ways to train and where to train then below are some comprehensive details about gyms you may take part in to learn introductory level wrestling. Injuries still occur as a result of essence of the sport. Their chemistry for a team is legendary. The Basic Principles of Wrestling That You Will be Able to Learn From Beginning Right Away Sting's WWE run was short because of injury. however, it was still great to find The Icon yet another time. TNA Wrestling feels they can benefit from Flair in a global aspect also. WWE is among the top kinds of amusement next to NBA. The Advantages of Wrestling Rollins on the opposite hand has really been clung to the notion of beefing with the significant Dog. The particular fan The New Day attracts is the sort of fan who would like to be the meme. Everything was booked perfectly and the stream of the show felt the same as a PPV. What Is So Fascinating About Wrestling? Not everybody can be their very own hype man. Factions and a good deal more six and eight man tags would help protect a great deal of their feuds for larger shows. Don't attempt to stay through your kid.

[beingmad2017-blog]

eleven Methods to Marketplace Your iPhone and iPod media Contact App And Carrier

New Post has been published on https://beingmad.org/eleven-methods-to-marketplace-your-iphone-and-ipod-contact-app-and-carrier/

eleven Methods to Marketplace Your iPhone and iPod media Contact App And Carrier

On the equal time as there may be no magic system or single marketing motion which could do the trick for you, the one’s strategies can offer you with a framework that will help you growth corporation exposure, sales, and income. Media advertising and marketing your iPhone/Touch app is simply a way that can take time.

I ill-will will let you apprehend that we have no longer decided price discounts to be the first rate technique. We to begin with the notion this is probably very effective because the App store shape is set up to rank applications by the usage of the form of total downloads. Higher typical profits and overall downloads thru price class are not presently recognized with Apple’s gadget.

Keep in thoughts for instance that in case your app becomes $five and you decided to decrease it to $zero.ninety nine, you will have to inform promote five instances as many surely to interrupt even. Now you may briefly increase publicity this manner, however At the charge of maximizing your income margins even as you are most apt to do nicely On the begin of your product existence cycle. Customer service troubles can also increase through a component of 5 as properly.

That being stated, there may be not anything incorrect with adjusting your app’s rate inside the starting to find out its excellent Market price (which might change over the years).

There are 24,455 apps and counting, so permit’s bounce in and get commenced!

1. The arena (iTunes App keep) Is Flat

advertising

Take into account your functionality global Marketplace right from the moment of conceptualization. There are human beings anywhere inside the planet eager to use and gain from exceptional programs. initially, we meant to encompass the metric machine and neighborhood foreign money in our app but decided to push it again to version 1.1. We were so eager to begin the submission process with Apple and this ended up negatively affected our sales without query. I endorse taking that extra time to make your app useful to the global community, or maybe a few key Macworld Marketplace gets (China, Russia, Important and South America, Japan, and Germany come to thoughts).

What does this suggest? If currencies are used, vehicle find out the individual’s nearby forex beneath their device’s well-known settings; and if applicable cope with forex conversions. Make your internet site, instructions, and sales pages easy to understand and use images to guide your text. Keep in mind that for masses human beings, English can be their second or 0.33 language. Make your software program greater intuitive via selecting symbols over text wherever viable. Attain out to bloggers in your niche global Market in Europe and Asia. encompass a complimentary promo code in your correspondence. It cannot damage.

Don’t forget this: we obtained nearly $1,000 in profits from Italy due to a single online put up turned into written in Italian! Now you could flow further with this and have your profits internet web page and help instructions translated into number one languages like Spanish or Chinese language. Expenses for best work range and you will need to get a person fluent inside the language to double check their artwork.

Recollect there are sixty-five one-of-a-kind versions of iTunes around the area and counting. unmarried apps may be superior to be used on the iPhone and the iPod Contact. How big is the Market for both? Apple does not destroy down sales of man or woman product strains. A conservative estimate of four.4 million iPhone income and 22.7 million iPod sales for an ultimate quarter might be about 7 million in three months. That may be a suggest of seventy-8,000 new devices coming on-line every day. top notch and nearly frightening. It cannot be remaining all the time, but wow!

2. Create a Lite or Demo version

Apple we ought to builders offer both a unfastened and paid model of the identical app, and a unfastened pattern might be the maximum a hit advertising and marketing technique ever. humans want to try things. There are masses of Crapps (crappy apps) accessible, so why ought to humans hazard cash on an app they realize no longer anything approximately from a company they apprehend even less about? If you could supply humans a flavor this is just enough, they’ll purchase the entire meal from you! This way you dispose of a whole lot of the risk.

There are various techniques for this, but ensure the lite model sales net web page is plain in its barriers vs. The paid or full version. In case you truncate the app an excessive amount of, human beings may think it is an entire dud and notice no rate in paying you whatever for the top class release. provide human beings an easy concept of what they’re entering into and this method may want to make you wealthy. Developer Ethan Nicholas offers the motivation to head this route in a state-of-the-art Stressed piece:

at the same time as iShoot released in October, the economic agency changed into slow for a while. And then Nicholas placed a few spare time to code a unfastened version of the app – iShoot Lite, which he launched January. Right here’s how that helped: Internal iShoot Lite he advertised the $3, a full version of iShoot. Customers downloaded the loose model 2.four million instances. And that led 320,000 glad iShoot Lite gamers to pay for iShoot.

three. pass loose

Now, this is something that can be taken into consideration for awesome reasons. proper now “in-app” advertising and marketing lacks sophistication. Once I say that I advocate we do not have Google AdSense yet. I’m positive it is coming, but embedded advertising and marketing and advertising and marketing that does not relate to the content material fabric in any way is actually intrusive in my personal opinion. I, however, have a look at about sure developers making tons of cash with embedded app marketing and advertising, but, it’s miles tough sufficient to get human beings to click on ads if they’re relevant. Whilst they may be no longer, the press-thru fee is pretty low. in case your app is something that human beings use, again and again, advertising can however paintings. We personally did no longer find it successful because it’s masses simpler to make approximately 70 cents off of a 90-nine cent app than to earn the same amount with commercials. you can additionally upload a PayPal donation button as AppCubby did, however this probably may not be just proper for you until you’ve got a large pre-current purchaser or fan base.

you can also introduce your app for free of charge. Get people using it, talk about it, and get hold of remarkable comments. Then begin charging human beings. Flawlessly acceptable with Apple.

Looking at it from a prolonged-term perspective, you may absolutely deliver away the number one app to get human beings talking, create a base and construct your emblem. Notwithstanding the entirety, no longer something spreads like unfastened (mainly exquisite unfastened). you may use this to gather Contact info and remarks out of your initial Clients and turn them into customers to your subsequent app or product. Be sure to encompass a “proportion” function Internal your unfastened app (Inner all of your apps!). Make sharing as easy as feasible.

four. Ship Out a Press launch

Service

PRMac, a free (or almost unfastened) press launch distribution Service and the MacNN (Macintosh News network) syndicate (unfastened to submit) are truly well worth the charge of submission. Competing services can rate over $six hundred for distribution in The us alone, so those are valuable and much less pricey alternatives. they may be saying the press launch is lifeless, however, the one’s offerings right now targeted your capacity Customers. You in no way understand who you may Achieve, and it’s miles vital to offer a press release While soliciting all sorts of media.

five. Touch the Pinnacle one hundred Blogs

Technorati can provide you with the modern-day listing. Use a conversational fashion, get right to the point and embody a promo code. Figure out what might also want to sell them to your commercial enterprise corporation. If there is a thrilling perspective or tale around your app, this will boom your possibilities. Ask them if you can do a tourist publish. Who knows? When you have websites like Gizmodo that get three million page views consistent with a day, this could certainly turbocharge income!

6. Continuously Enhance Your income web page

This one is pretty essential however often omitted. Examine the profits pages of various Pinnacle apps. What are they doing? Emulate what works and Hold learning to spark thoughts. you can show up to five photographs as of this writing, so use them! Use the photos that sell your product. Ask exclusive human beings what grabs their attention. Use expenses from reviewers; percentage advantages first and major. Clients aren’t Continuously logical, so do not bore them with statistics. How will your application make their lives better?

7. Use purchaser feedback to construct a Better Product

this is two parts. First, properly-timed respond to client emails and comprehend that every interaction with customers, whether or not or now not genuine or awful, is a marketing possibility. whilst you get feedback through electronic mail or thru your patron opinions, Remember and comprise those improvements. You cannot please really everybody all the time, and you may have limited belongings, so that you may not be capable of uploading the whole thing. a few awesome mind are sure to come returned your way. First-time Customers can also assist you to see how your software program is being used from a newbie’s angle.

The second way to receive purchaser remarks is to embed analytics code to your software program. Flurry Analytics and Pinch Media each provide tracking software program an amazing way to provide perception into how Customers are interacting in conjunction with your utility, consisting of real-time download data, all absolutely free. this may be particularly useful if ninety% of your clients are not using a specific function. Perhaps they do now not understand it’s miles even there!

8. Constantly Replace Your utility

Here is an exceptional feature of the App keep. New versions bypass again to the Top of what’s new on your elegance. Incorporating capabilities your clients want, thereby making your product better, coupled with maintaining visibility, can help boom or at the least keep an everyday income. don’t abuse this through changing some words on your assist section After which resubmitting or you can smash this for absolutely anybody. If you are operating hard to make your product Better, the distribution channel can praise you with accelerated publicity due to the fact you are renewing.

9. Market it

Google AdWords and AdMob are possible alternatives. I recall we are now not there, however, but we’re pretty close to. AdWords does offer the capability to Market it on mobile devices with an entire internet browser Provider app, but that does not, in reality, encompass the iPhone and Contact. you may get Androids and greater relying on which territory you Promote it. proper now they have not advanced conversion tracking for apps both, and without this, you could simply burn thru cash with little results to reveal on your efforts. You won’t realize which keywords are working or aren’t running. there may be one way to tune sales the usage of this method: turn out to be an iTunes affiliate by way of the manner of becoming a member of LinkShare. you can create a link on your income internet web page in the App store and acquire a five% price on qualifying purchases.

App

AdMob has app advertising down Better than Google to date. you’re capable of music your conversions and goal-relevant Apple devices. you can even target the ones which can be both on or off the WiFi Network, it’s quite cool. The drawback to this is that you are paying at least 10 cents a click on to Deliver a person in your App maintains earnings web page. No guarantee of sales Right here and counting on the fee of your application, this leaves a completely little margin to spend on advertising. It is able to take 100 clicks simply to get a real sale, so keep that in thoughts. additionally, considering AdMob does no longer intention your classified ads very well, the human beings clicking aren’t surely looking for what you are providing as they could on a Google searching for.

proper Here are some examples of Google AdWords commercials underneath from agencies with money to burn; this high-priced is not something absolutely everyone can manipulate to pay for and it could no longer be worthwhile except.

[giveuselife-blog]

11 Ways to Market Your iPhone and iPod Touch App And Service

New Post has been published on https://giveuselife.org/11-ways-to-market-your-iphone-and-ipod-touch-app-and-service/

11 Ways to Market Your iPhone and iPod Touch App And Service

At the same time as there may be no magic system or unmarried advertising motion which could do the trick for you, those techniques can provide you with a framework to help you growth corporation exposure, sales, and profit. marketing your iPhone/Touch app is surely a technique that can take time.

I will-will let you recognize that we’ve no longer determined rate reductions to be the excellent method. We initially thought this might be very powerful because the App save structure is set up to rank packages by using the variety of total downloads. Better overall income and overall downloads via charge class aren’t presently identified with Apple’s gadget.

Maintain in mind as an example that in case your app become $five and you decided to lower it to $0.99, you would have to tell sell five times as many simply to interrupt even. Now you might briefly boom exposure this way, but at the rate of maximizing your income margins whilst you are most apt to do nicely at the start of your product life cycle. Customer service issues may growth through a thing of 5 as nicely.

That being said, there’s nothing incorrect with adjusting your app’s charge in the starting to discover its nice Market price (which might change over the years).

There are 24,455 apps and counting, so allow’s soar in and get commenced!

1. The sector (iTunes App keep) Is Flat

Remember your capability worldwide Marketplace proper from the moment of conceptualization. There are people everywhere in the planet keen to apply and advantage from pleasant programs. initially, we meant to encompass the metric gadget and local currency in our app but determined to push it back until version 1.1. We were so keen to begin the submission procedure with Apple and this ended up negatively affected our sales without question. I suggest taking that more time to make your app beneficial to the international network, or maybe some key marworld market kets (China, Russia, Critical and South America, Japan, and Germany come to mind).

What does this suggest? If currencies are used, automobile-discover the person’s local currency below their tool’s standard settings; and if relevant take care of currency conversions. Make your internet site, commands, and sales pages clean to apprehend and use pics to guide your text. Remember that for plenty people, English may be their 2d or 0.33 language. Make your software program greater intuitive through deciding on symbols over textual content anyplace feasible. Attain out to bloggers for your niche world market in Europe and Asia. consist of a complimentary promo code for your correspondence. It can not harm.

Remember this: we received almost $1,000 in income from Italy because of a single online post was written in Italian! Now you may move similarly with this and have your income web page and help commands translated into primary languages like Spanish or Chinese language. Costs for nice work range and you’ll want to get a person fluent within the language to double check their paintings.

Don’t forget there are sixty-five one-of-a-kind variations of iTunes around The arena and counting. unmarried apps may be advanced to be used on the iPhone and the iPod Contact. How big is the Market for both? Apple does not break down sales of man or woman product strains. A conservative estimate with four.four million iPhone sales and 22.7 million iPod sales for an ultimate zone might be about 7 million in three months. That is a mean of seventy-eight,000 new devices coming online every day. Excellent and almost horrifying. It can not be remaining for all time, but wow!

2. Create a Lite or Demo model

Apple we could developers offer both a loose and paid version of the equal app, and a unfastened pattern is probably the maximum successful marketing method ever. humans need to try things. There are plenty of Crapps (crappy apps) accessible, so why should people hazard money on an app they know not anything approximately from an organization they recognize even less approximately? If you could give people a flavor this is just enough, they will buy the complete meal from you! This manner you dispose of a lot of the hazard.

There are numerous strategies for this, but make sure the lite model sales web page is apparent in its obstacles vs. The paid or full model. If you truncate the app an excessive amount of, people might imagine it’s an entire dud and spot no fee in paying you anything for the top class release. provide human beings a clean idea of what they’re moving into and this strategy could make you wealthy. Developer Ethan Nicholas gives the motivation to go this course in a latest Wired piece:

Whilst iShoot released in October, the commercial enterprise was slow for some time. And then Nicholas located a few spare time to code a unfastened model of the app – iShoot Lite, which he released January. Here’s how that helped: Inside iShoot Lite he marketed the $three, a full model of iShoot. Users downloaded the unfastened model 2.4 million instances. And that led 320,000 happy iShoot Lite gamers to pay for iShoot.

three. cross free

Now that is something that can be considered for distinct reasons. proper now “in-app” advertising lacks sophistication. When I say that, I suggest we do not have Google AdSense yet. I am sure it is coming, but embedded advertising and marketing that doesn’t relate to the content material in any way is sincerely intrusive in my private opinion. I nonetheless study about sure builders making tons of cash with embedded app advertising and marketing, however, it is tough sufficient to get humans to click on ads if they’re applicable. While they are not, the press-thru price is quite low. if your app is something that humans use, again and again, advertising can nevertheless work. We individually did now not find it successful because it’s plenty easier to make about 70 cents off of a ninety-nine cent app than to earn the same amount with ads. you could also upload a PayPal donation button as AppCubby did, but this possibly won’t be just right for you until you have a large pre-current customer or fan base.

you could also introduce your app at no cost. Get humans using it, speak about it, and receive tremendous comments. Then begin charging human beings. Flawlessly acceptable with Apple.

Looking at it from an extended-time period perspective, you might completely deliver away the primary app to get human beings speaking, create a base and construct your brand. In spite of everything, not anything spreads like free (in particular excellent unfastened). you could use this to gather touch info and feedback from your preliminary Customers and turn them into clients to your next app or product. Be sure to encompass a “proportion” characteristic Inner your loose app (Inner all of your apps!). Make sharing as easy as possible.

four. Ship Out a Press launch

PRMac, a loose (or almost loose) press launch distribution service, and the MacNN (Macintosh News Network) syndicate (unfastened to publish) are genuinely worth the rate of submission. Competing services can price over $six hundred for distribution in the America alone, so those are treasured and much less costly alternatives. They are saying the clicking launch is dead, but those offerings without delay centered your potential customers. You in no way understand who you might Attain, and it is vital to provide a press release While soliciting all styles of media.

5. touch the Pinnacle a hundred Blogs

Technorati can offer you with the present day list. Use a conversational style, get proper to the point and encompass a promo code. Parent out what may want to sell them for your business enterprise. If there’s an exciting perspective or story around your app, this will boom your chances. Ask them if you could do a visitor submit. Who knows? If you have websites like Gizmodo that get 3 million page views in line with a day, this may actually turbocharge income!

6. Constantly Improve Your income web page

This one is pretty fundamental but often left out. Observe the income pages of different Pinnacle apps. What are they doing? Emulate what works and Maintain researching to spark thoughts. you could show up to 5 photos as of this writing, so use them! Use the pics that promote your product first-rate. Ask different humans what grabs their attention. Use charges from reviewers; proportion blessings first and major. customers aren’t constantly logical, so don’t bore them with facts. How will your application make their lives higher?

7. Use customer remarks to build a better Product

that is two parts. First, well-timed reply to client emails and comprehend that each interplay with clients, whether or not exact or horrific, is an advertising opportunity. when you get comments thru electronic mail or thru your purchaser reviews, Don’t forget and contain these enhancements. You cannot please absolutely everyone all of the time, and you can have limited assets, so you may not be capable of add the entirety. a few awesome thoughts are sure to come back your way. First-time Users also can assist you to see how your software is getting used from a beginner’s perspective.

The second manner to receive purchaser feedback is to embed analytics code for your software. Flurry Analytics and Pinch Media each provide tracking software a good way to offer insight into how customers are interacting along with your application, such as real-time download statistics, all totally free. this may be mainly useful if 90% of your clients aren’t the usage of a specific function. Perhaps they do not know it is even there!

8. Constantly Replace Your utility

Here is a brilliant function of the App keep. New versions pass again to the Pinnacle of what is new for your class. Incorporating functions your clients want, thereby making your product higher, coupled with preserving visibility, can help boom or at least preserve regular sales. don’t abuse this through converting a few words for your help segment And then resubmitting or you could wreck this for absolutely everyone. In case you are working hard to make your product better, the distribution channel can reward you with elevated exposure because you are renewing.

9. Market it

Google AdWords and AdMob are feasible alternatives. I consider we’re no longer there but, but we are pretty near. AdWords does offer the ability to Put it on the market on cell devices with a complete net browser service app, however that doesn’t simply encompass the iPhone and Touch. You may get Androids and greater depending on which territory you Market it. proper now they haven’t advanced conversion tracking for apps both, and without this, you could just burn thru coins with little consequences to expose on your efforts. You won’t realize which keywords are working or aren’t working. there is one way to tune sales the usage of this technique: become an iTunes affiliate by way of joining LinkShare. you may create a hyperlink to your sales web page inside the App shop and receive a five% fee on qualifying purchases.

AdMob has app marketing down better than Google thus far. you are capable of track your conversions and target applicable Apple gadgets. you may even target the ones which can be either on or off the WiFi Community, that’s quite cool. The disadvantage to this is that you are paying at the least 10 cents a click on to Ship a person to your App keeps income page. No assure of sales Here and relying on the charge of your application, this leaves a very little margin to spend on marketing. It could take a hundred clicks just to get a real sale, so Keep that in thoughts. additionally, considering AdMob does not goal your commercials very well, the humans clicking are not absolutely in search of what you’re presenting as they would on a Google seek.

Right here are a few examples of Google AdWords advertisements below from agencies with money to burn; this luxurious is not something all and sundry can manage to pay for and it may now not be profitable besides.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Reflection 12 (FINAL) | Netjuu no Susume 1 | Mahoutsukai no Yome 1 | Code:Realise 1 | Kino’s Journey (2017) 1 | Dynamic Chord 1 | Houseki no Kuni 1 | Anime-Gataris 1 | Idolmaster Side M 1

Kekkai Sensen seems to be off limits, even when I try to comprehend the relevant JavaScript after dodging region lock. Grr…I spent and hour and 30 mins just trying to figure out that code!!! Oh well (dejected tone), at least I have Classicaloid…

Reflection 12 (FINAL)

Oh please, X-On. Fighting fire with fire is the worst thing you can do. Haven’t you learnt that over the course of this show?

Gahhhh! Finally, the magical girls have arrived! Thank you, Stan Lee!

Wowee, that was some concentrated sound, so to speak.

Well, that’s just original, y‘know? Pyramid. In the desert. Whoop-de-doo.

Rule number 14138008 of crime-fighting: Always make sure you have a backup in case someone uses yorur kryptonite against you. Or in this case, a superpower-stripping technique.

I don’t think X-On’s become one with the Darkness yet. He has some flippin’ plot armour on his side, after all. Why haven’t any of these guys succumbed to the ageing process yet?

Well, I got my answer to my previous question, but how did vision!Eleanor appear, anyway?

Wait…wait. I knew he had plot armour! Argh! X-On! What the heck did you do to deserve plot armour???

Oh, the magical girls are part sentai and part actual magical girl. Notice they have kanji across their chests for their associated element.

“Why won’t you accept Darkness’s darkness?” – Okay, “Darkness’s darkness” is a bit too redundant, y’hear?

Wait…wait. Ninth Wonder only had 4 members??? Wat. Then Ian goes and undoes all their hard naming work by calling them by their real group name, dangit. You ruined a perfectly good magical girl show, Ian.

They didn’t even put in the crack on X-On’s helmet…head…thingy.

Okay, I am so confused…Guh. Thank goodness it’s over.

Netjuu no Susume 1

I like the rare stories where a girl transforms into a boy for non-hentai reasons. This is the closest anime I’ve gotten so far to that concept, so…yay, me?

“Recommendation of the Wonderful Virtual Life” and “Recovery of an MMO Junkie” mean two very different things on the same topic. What was happening in the localiser’s mind when they created this title for the English-speaking audience???

That scene where Moriko collapses on her bed…for some reason, someone was watching a show with the Moonlight Sonata in the background, so now I think MMO Junkie is sad. (Which is probably wrong.)

Oh, by the way. The –juu in Netjuu gives the word a special kind of connotation. A riajuu is what’s known as a normie, or a non-otaku, non-gamer sort of person. A netjuu must therefore be a net addict. Kiznaiver taught me that.

“I chose the NEET life.” - I know that feel, Moriko.

Oh, they even gave Moriko’s character Saiyan hair for a moment, LOL.

Okay, here’s a pun. Mori (forest) is 3x ki (tree) and hayashi (grove) is 2x ki. That’s using the kanji, though.

The guy with the glasses looks like a dude from Occultic;Nine. I have bad memories of that show because of Ryouka…er, big knockers girl.

Owee. I once joined an RPG because of some IRL friends but I forgot to ask them what group they were in, and so I was a solo quester…so I know that feel, Moriko.

This is based on a Comico manga, so the designs are simple to draw and they were originally in colour, so they just needed to be reworked for animation. See? Backing Comico in my Superstar wa Nemurenai days wasn’t such a bad idea, now, huh?

Himeralda? For a guy character? Well, that broke the gender barrier.

Christmas is a holiday for lovers in Japan, so I suspect it’s something to do with that.

Lawson -> Cowson, LOL.

Despite all the obviously still motion shots, I’m really enjoying this. Why does it have to be 10 eps??? (By the way, why didn’t I get Kekkai Sensen??? Dangit, Funi!!!)

Oh, this is so adorable! Lily even dressed up and Moriko got her chicken! It’s such a heartwarming Christmas for these guys.

These transitions, while not original, I find are really cool. Not Disney-level, but still inventive. Also, that green dot is definitely Hayashi and the pink one Lily.

LOL, Lawson was a sponsor this ep, it seems. Had I paused a little later, I would’ve missed its credit!

This is a keeper for sure. I’m just disappointed about the short ep count (due to the nature of Comico)…and Kekkai Sensen, uwu…

Mahoutsukai no Yome 1

Le hype. That’s all. I’ve been watching 1 – 2 eps per day (for these first eps of the fall season) and since the weekend is so full of good shows, I don’t know how people can watch entire seasons like this…As for my take on this show, it’s pretty and well-received after the OVA and advance screening, so hopefully this will deliver. I’m not an AMB manga fan by the way.

It’s normally a bad sign to start with an OP, but it shows off the animation, so I’m not complaining.

The English title shows how interconnected the world is these days…it’s kinda scary, actually.

Chise looks lke a bride here, or she’s on her deathbed. Both symbolic meanings are applicable.

I never thought Japanese people would be able to capture Western elegance so well.

The chibi-ish style doesn’t suit such a serious show. Are these chibi-ish sections also part of the manga?

I thought the woman with the bonnet was called Silky? Not Silver? The promo materials all say “Silky”, and the OVA did too IIRC.

I think the biggest descriptor of this show is “whimsical”.

Historically, fairies lure people into Fairyland like the stereotypical portrayal of sirens, and they’re not as benign as my portrayal of them in One Wish They Never Wanted.

The irony of a dog-face skull calling you his puppy. It really brings an odd sense of humour to this show.

Welp, that’s another safe keeper. I’ve being quite definite about my choices, as you might have noticed, since the weekend is positively overloaded with shows (as I mentioned earlier).

Code:Realise 1

It’s an otome game adaption. They don’t always go down well, but it’s worth a shot.

Isn’t it “London Bridge is falling down”?

CR seems to have forgotten to title this ep “London Steam” on their site.

Well, they’re guards. Y’think lowering their guard would’ve been a funny pun, at least if this were dubbed in English (which this will be…eventually).

Ooh, so this plain bishie is Arsene Lupin? Me likey.

Like, seriously, Where are this tiny spark-star-thingies coming from?

Impey…who? Update: Google (plus previous spoilers) tell me that Impey is Impey Barbicane, accomplice to Lupin.

LOL, I’ve watched me too many Kaito Kid heists. Me likey, once again. However, the thing I don’t get is the voiceover. Couldn’t Lupin have actually said these lines instead of putting them on voiceover???

Gahhhhhhh! This eyecatch’s bishie has such horrible eyes that they burn mine! Get me out of here!

How does Impey know Cardia’s name??? Update: You’ll get the answer later…

It’s a few generations too early for a man to go to the moon, LOL. Poor Impey.

Victor…well, I never. Anime really does cover everything. Plus, Frankenstein ain’t his monster in this one, which would make Mary Shelley proud.

Hey, Kaitou (Phantom Thief) Lupin is one thing but using your real name as your kaitou identity is taking it a bit far. Sure, there was Kaito Kuroba, but at least he was Kaito Kid as well.

Sheesh, the Horologium sounded like nuclear power before Lupin explained it was Cardia’s heart…that would’ve been tonnes scarier, had Cardia been a nuclear monster.

LOL, Lupin’s so tsundere! Hahaha…

Oh please. Don’t let the vampires steal away Cardia (LOL)!

Victor being pegged as a terrorist has something to do with Isaac, right?

Lupin’s so effin’ short. No wonder he stands in high places when he lords over the British Army, haha.

Smol corgi with cyborg leg is probably my new dog aesthetic, haha. Plus top hat. I like top hats.

Shouldn’t the corgi have died when Cardia grabbed it though, or was that because of its leg?

The rainbow transition was a bit much, but okay. I can live with it.

So smol corgi is called Sisi? What a weird name.

It’s…not bad, I could probably watch until the end. However, the colour scheme seems to be “bright” with these recent female games (see Sengoku Night Blood for another example of what I mean). Well, since I said that, it’s a keeper. (I think the random James Bond-esque scene involving shooting guns then being in front of an explosion in the ED sealed the deal though, LOL.)

Kino’s Journey 1

I’m a noob to the world of Kino, so please don’t spoil me on anything you’ve seen in the previous adaptations! All I really know is the shtick: Kino is neither a guy nor a girl. They stick around in a country for 3 days then leave. They have a talking motorbike named Hermes…that’s pretty much it.

Lerche? On Kino? Y’think someone else could’ve done it better? I feel like a washed-out, subdued feeling would suit this show best. However, these words are coming from a Kino’s Journey noob, as I just said, so disregard me if you want.

Mori no naka de…b? What’s the “b” for?

A few times when they say “country”, I imagine a sea. That makes sense, considering it’s the sea that separates a lot of us.

How does Hermes talk???

Hermes is CGI. Trust my eyes, they’ve seen a lot of CGI for their time.

The gun is called Cannon? Wuh? The other gun is called the Woodsman? Wuh wuh???

A motorrad appears to be a motorbike, but…okay. It’s a BMW make of motorbike. Like a Ford Gran Torino.

*Kino points the gun* Whoa! What a fakeout!

Kino is CGI sometimes, too, it seems.

Those cows seem to be angry at Kino for some reason…

Why does no one question the talking motorbike???

Oh, I see. That was what I suspected from the moment the rifle was shown in the store. Public order is good here because people simply turn a blind eye.

I think Kino hopping behind Hermes should’ve been 2D. It’s not fluid enough in 3D…not quite yet to convey a proper sense of action, but enough to create a sense of disquiet. (Which is what I believe the show wants, so I’ll take my words back for the moment.)

“Ow!” is an understatement, considering it (the arrow) must’ve severed a muscle or two.

Ah, loophole. I didn’t see that coming.

Whoa. What dramatic irony.

I swear they recycle parts of this footage over and over again. I’m getting dejavu.

Hahaha, that crepe ending was funny. It wasn’t an ideal way to finish such an unsettling episode, but it was a good punchline.

Well, I think this is going to be really repetitive, so I’ll put it on hold and roll the next show up.

Dynamic Chord 1

More Ume. As an Ume fan, I’m spoilt for choice this season.

Cherry blossom opening is probably a bad omen. It’s probably the most cliched opening you could go for.

Holy eye colours, Batman! “That yellow should not exist as an eye colour,” is all I’m saying.

Honestly, this is the least gripping band/idol anime I’ve tackled all season. If they’re just going to be angsty in the rain, they should’ve been one season earlier because I would’ve taken this over The Reflection or In Another World With my Smartphone, laser eye boy be damned.

Wait, is pinkhead in the car or out of it? Update: He’s in a convertible. So it’s a yes and a no.

That metronome transition was pretty bad. Really hamfisted.

That transition away from the metronome, I couldn’t even tell that was a transition!

Aw gawsh, spare me. This looks like one of those ads you see play between shows on TV channels without company sponsorship. Or an only-half-decent MV.

I think they’re trying to be Dark and Edgy (TM) in comparison to, say, TsukiPro, but that was better than this.

Extended Pans for No Reason Whatsoever (TM)! Also, Bumblebee car. I’m having fun ripping this show apart, man. Now I see the real quality of Hatewatches (with a capital H), but it’s only been 5 minutes...

Dual eye colour boy (Reon), oi. You really didn’t do anything. Don’t give yourself unnecessary credit.

Bumblebee boy has way too long eyelashes, by the by. Did I ever mention that?

At least they justified the previous shots. That one there, at about the 6 minute mark, was not justified.

Based on Dai Murase (Ume’s role in TsukiPro), I thought the Kyohso doppleganger was gonna be Ume, but he thankfully got someone more attractive (Kuro of apple polisher). I still don’t like the name apple polisher though, how the heck did that name “get popular overseas”???

The camera shakes sometimes for no reason at all.

Reon seems constantly grumpy for some reason…

C’mon…this production is visually quite junky. Admit it.

Please don’t make this another ad fakeout. Only play your cards once for a certain trick…

Pink and blue eyed boy looks like a villian, but he’s probably a “hero” in this story.

This is probably a music video, but if I wanted a music video, I’d go to YouTube. Not an anime, unless it were an anime musiv video (a proper one, not an amateur effort YouTube Poop).

Wait, they spent 5 minutes just showing us a music video? It was pretty bad, so of course I noticed it in a bad way.

What is up with black and blue guy’s hair? I thought bumblebee guy was bad enough.

Sometimes removing the volume is all you need to figure out if an anime is good, since if they cared about their visuals and plot enough, then they wouldn’t be relying on shots of dudes rocking backwards and forward so much.

I get not all band people are singers, but still…bumblebee boy, if you’re so willing, why not you take Reon’s place?

Wait, so pink-haired convertible boy is the famed Yorito??? Dorito, more like it!

If the animators for this show were any good, they’d animate the fingers when the guitarists play. I’ve seen people play the guitar before. I used to take music classes. Geez, Pierrot. Stop skimping.

Another Skimping Technique (TM) – Speedlines in Replacement of Actual Motion (sic).

Too bad Dorito’s skipping practice, eh, Reon?

C’mon, Dorito. First it’s an angsty rain scene, now it’s an angsty shower scene? You don’t even look half hot here. Or half wet, for that matter.

I know anime is meant to look flat, but these sections I’ve been calling “music videos” are…superflat, to give them a name. They look like paper overlaid on the anime background, with little to no real animation being done, and that’s why I’m giving this show such a bad rap.

All that angst…for this? It seems a little anticlimatic, is all I’m saying.

Well, I made it through one episode. It’s probably not as bad as I made it out to be, but I do hatewatch picks for my own pleasure and this just became one of them. Onto the drop pile it goes…

Houseki no Kuni 1

This is the last debut of the fall season, at least until someone hands me Kekkai Sensen. Okay, here’s the story about why I’m here: I heard good things about Steven Universe in my home country, so I went on a trip and tried some Cartoon Network there. Thing is, Steven Universe didn’t resonate with me as much as I thought it would. Therefore, to take the concept and turn it into a real anime – would that do it for me? Let’s find out.

Hmph, I had the sound on this time and I had the feeling all the gems were voiced by women. Like Steven Universe.

When they said “sunspots”, they…uh, kinda meant it.

I feel like Master Kongo’s VA is a bit too soft. Otherwise, this show is pretty good.

Whoa. Seeing Phos shattered like this and still conscious must be freaky. Makes for some good body horror, eh?

Well, this show has some excellent worldbuilding. That’s something I haven’t said in a few seasons…in this simulcast commentary, that is. Made in Abyss has good worldbuilding too. The only problem with this is…where did Phos’s gloves come from?

The eyecatch seems to be in English. Like Princess Principal last season.

The echo, I think, had a worse effect this time than when Kongo destroyed Phos.

“Don’t use that hand!” - LOL.

So Cinnabar’s poison creates amnesia and (an indirect need for) amputation, eh? What a duo of afflictions.

Well, it’s…actually pretty good. Let’s press on.

Anime-Gataris 1

I actually wanted to pass on this, but after seeing Karandi pass judgement on its second episode and seeing a Haruhi reference, I decided I would pass a judgement on it too. Well, it’s an anime about anime. What do you expect, really?

Hahaha…Oarai is known for being popularised by Girls und Panzer, so Galtan is short for Girls with Tanks.

Haritaro = Hamtaro, Dezumon = Digimon, PreFae = PreCure. Haha, it’s an anime watcher’s paradise of parody anime!

“Double riding is illegal.” - I think that’s a reference to the first episode of Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun and the tandem bike.

Fish??? Wuh???

Aw. That fakeout, I was hoping for it to be A Certain Magical Index or something.

Geez, typical School Council Pres with optional Ethereal Glow. Now available in Blonde too, it seems.

Sebastian Michaelis right there.

The teacher just did the flippin’ Ringo (from UtaPri) intro! Holy gender-barriers, Roppongi is a man??? Why I don’t react like that to Ringo, I’ll never know.

The “I should go by myself” bit is also from UtaPri, IIRC. The bit where one of the boys reveals he’s actually the star Haruka likes.

Obvious Chuunibyou with extra Fake Magic. Geesh, if it weren’t for the anime references…I really wouldn’t be covering this…

That’s my face when people talk about anime, LOL. Hero School = Boku no Hero Academia while R:Zero is Re:Zero.

Shika = deer, hence the weird deer. I don’t know what the references around the Shikabari one are, though, including the fence jump.

You picked a fight with the wrong anime lover, Anime-Gataris (I specialise in recent anime, for obvious reasons)! Tamukeda = Tanakeda (Tanaka-kun wa Itsumo Kedaruge) and Toramiko = Kumamiko. Clearly someone doesn’t remember that Kumamiko was a controversial flop, anime-wise.

Bakusou = Bakuon. Therefore, Shikabari is probably…Kiznaiver? No, it’s Kabaneri. That’s the best match, considering we’re talking about spring 2016. Time Travel Shonen = Time Travel Shoujo. Still don’t get the fence jump though.

Kyou Kara Sessha Wa!! = Kyou Kara Ore Wa!!, where “sessha” is an pronoun for…I think it’s older males. Angel Story = Angel Legend (Angel Densetsu).

The OVA references went over my head again…

Gachiemon = Doraemon, naturally. Nobue = Nobita and Karashi = Takeshi (Gouda). Well, while looking for the Gachiemon movie, I found Reddit spoiling it all for me. Refer to it if you don’t want me doing it for you, because I’m going to...ignore it! Haha, you thought I was going to use it as a crutch now, didn’t you? I like this challenge.

The dog one is A Dog of Flanders, Everstrike is Evangelion. I thought the Cinnamon Roll one would be the not-often-mentioned Powerpuff Girls anime  but Reddit says it’s Dragon Ball??? Autumn Wars = Summer Wars.

Light music club = K-On, classical literature club = Hyouka, NJ club = GJ Club.

The cover of this magazine appears to be Newtype or Animage, which I think both started around the 70s or 80s. That’s definitely Urusei Yatsura on the front, though.

The Girl who Slept Through Time = The Girl who Leapt Through Time and Replica…Paprika, perhaps? (Think I was recalling Reddit there.)

Is that…a Boueibu reference?! Or is that just a cliché…? (If it’s a cliché, I’d feel sad, man.)

I feel like the video quality seems to warp a little at infrequent moments. It’s quite disappointing for a 2017 anime to be suffering from strange visual problems like that.

There’s a KonoSuba poster…sort of.

Maria Clara doesn’t look like anything I’ve seen although it does kind of look like Hatsune Miku or Elsword.

Dang that fakeout, I thought she meant the beret.

I feel like this is best binged to get at all the references, so onto the on hold pile it goes. I think its plot will be cliché but its references are the best thing about it.

Idolmaster 1

Time to thin out the herd! This’ll be tough, since all the contenders I’ve kept have the potential to be great.

The pun here is that 315 (saikou) can mean “the highest”, or in this case, “the best”.

The eyeless producer (and Saito, by the by) was probably a bad idea.

Hey, it’s a 315 business card!

The cardboard boxes say “Bear Mark Moving Company” (Kuma no Ma-ku no Hikkoshi Kaisha).

Ooh! I like ponytail boy. I have a thing for bishies with ponytails.

“Handwriting” is probably the wrong word for a typed contract, CR subbers.

An odd juxtaposition between lawyer (or any other job) and an idol. That’s what piqued my interest about this idol anime specifically – because there is clearly going to be some dirty stuff that comes to light once characters have debuted as idols, and the more disconnect between the past and the present, the more the paps are gonna eat it up. At least, that’s my thoughts, having written Half-Paid Heroes. (I’m currently not sure if I should continue on HPH though, since I had a fight with fellow Honeyfeed writer Aura…).

Nice shirt, Teru (LOL).

When Kaoru broke the cheery atmosphere, Teru’s shirt suddenly said roiya (“lawyer” in katakana, transposed to hiragana).

Dandou literally translates to “male way”. It’s actually hilarious since it sounds really macho…in a bishie show intended to capture a female audience.

“I want us to work together…”

Does this producer have a name? I get the feeling he doesn’t. Maybe, instead of that woman producer they were hinting at at the end of Side Jupiter (was that a woman?), it was this guy.

Sakuraba’s being kind of awkward on the side with his fistpump. I like him.

“Then from now on, the three of you…”

If you know me from Boueibu, you’ll know the line Saito says should actually be “Boys be ambitious”.

The board up the back of the Dramatic Stars’ party says “Celebrate! Dramatic Stars’ Formation”…or something like that, anyway…(Happoro beer, LOL.)

Oh, it’s Hokuto, Shouta and Touma from Jupiter.

It’s this shot from last episode. Oh, okay. It’s kinda like Death Parade in that there are two backstories leading to the same ending shown in ep 1.

What’s with those 17 badges, guys???

This frog mascot looks kinda funny in a (LOL) sort of way. I think Ume’s character will be in a unit with the shota that likes this frog mascot, so…good on me.

At least “Drive a live” doesn’t sound as bad as “Burny!!” or “Crazy Baby Show”, namewise. It does, however, sound like a slogan for a drink-driving government prevention scheme.

I think Ume’s character is the guy behind the counter, although I’m a bit sketchy on that. We’ll see in a few eps.

I think I’ve probably been missing out on something by not listening to the trio with the music. Even though I threw the others out based on visuals and plot, an idol/band show is nothing without its music, so I’ll put Idolmaster on hold so that I don’t become too attached to any of the trio and maybe someday I can evaluate TsukiPro vs Idolmaster better.