#drawn the day of thank you Ep for giving me the perfect idea for this<3 and thank you Nyx for being an ass<3

[blue-eli]

Ink October day fourteen: Repulse

To drive back; repel.

To rebuff or reject with rudeness, coldness, or denial.

To cause repugnance or distaste in.

[ficsinhistory]

Analysis and Theories - Cobra and Mongoose/Better off Fred -  Disney finally learned how to balance comedy, emotion and action!

Cobra and Mongoose

Hiro and Fred's friendship! It's as cute as these two are always so close, not least because, as was established in the first episode, if the gang were to leave it would be just them. So these tips are cool to see from how they are friends and rely on each other.

The fact that the video game is the same as "Pray Date"! And this time, Fred really won, different from last time! And bonus point for everyone, including Baymax, to have a headphone!

The snakes!! The fact how they attack Fred and how Heathcliff intervenes is so amazing and well animated!! And how sordid and deadly they are!

The poison! Since snakes are robots, they have to throw the poison to be absorbed into the skin. And this happens in real life, there are substances that do it! It was a great recurring joke!

When Hiro comes to help and Heathcliff leaves a cell phone with a dramatic message even though he's barely there!

All the message in question! That butler is so dramatic and I love it!

The fact that Heathcliff knew how to shuffle tracking signals, he was a spy, so well played! Aside from the fact that Hiro took this as a personal challenge to his genial intellect, I love my pompous and intelligent son!

The restaurant where the first battle took place! It's so beautiful and the aesthetics of south asia and how it has influences beyond the Japanese in the city. Because San Franscisco really is full of other cultures and San Fransokyo being part Japanese doesn't erase that. Which is very cool.

Cobra. That's it, that's the whole point.

I love this villain!!! Everything about her is perfect! She is menacing, fun, smart and, as the name says, acts and moves like a snake! Outside I loved the design! And the whole sequence of conversation before the fight was the best! She remembered Momakase, but you can see the difference from her!

Reference to Mary POpPins! Eclipse WHO?!

Heathcliff fighting!! He has a sword in his umbrella and fights masterfully, all this is perfect and from how Fred is with a vase on his head during the fight and is paralyzed again!

In real life, Mongoose are natural predators of cobras and have a layer of fur that makes them immune to poison. So, well drawn writers, well drawn.

Cobra analysis. Unlike Momakase who steals objects, Cobra works on stealing technologies to steal objects, which is a good differential the two thieves. And how Hiro takes offense at his neurotransmitter being stolen. Not least because the last time this happened, his brother was killed. He must not have good memories of it.

Heathcliff's past itself! This, for those who do not know, is a reference to Alfred who was a spy before serving the Wanne. And the fact that he has this whole story with Boss Awesome, and saved the life of said hero in a volcano and how snake should have died and in the end Heathcliff ended up as a butler is cool.

"Who took these pictures?""You have not changed since then?"Hiro Hamada asking the right questions!

Mention to Boss Awesome. Rip Stan Lee.

And he explains it through a spy pen. Carmen Sandiego fans Rise UP!!!

Farewell! How Heathcliff loves the family he works for and Fred, whom he must see as a nephew and he having to leave to preserve that same family is sad. And how he makes Fred swear not to go after him is also sad, because Heathcliff had to use one of the things Fred loves most to make sure he doesn't follow him. It shows how important Fred is and how he knows that because Fred cares so much, he can't risk it.

The memories of Fred and how Heathcliff was with him from the beginning are touching. Fred as chaotic as he is, he really cares about who he loves. And from how his family sometimes travels a lot, it implies that the only parental figure was the Butler. And Heathcliff has no family outside the Fredericks.

It's lil Fred! It's cute!

Cobra's encounter with Mongoose! Cobra had so many robots and how it was on the roofs with the lights in the cities! This avoids the confusion of having people in the middle of the fight, as preserving identity and gives the fight drama on the roof™ !

Fred coming and " breaking” the oath. Oh, the old technical detail of that was a copy! And how he didn't steal the spotlight, thanks to the snakes. That was Heathcliff's past after all.

The final fight!!! From how Heathcliff changed clothes in the best Magic Girl style, with an effect phrase and everything, and in the fight with the umbrella and the giant snake?! It was all for me! He looks good in white!

Hiro helping!!! And of how, in the end it was Heathcliff who arrested Cobra having the spotlight from start to finish! Perfect!

The scary smile joke! I think people too!

Cobra in my top 3 of non-main villains!!

Better off Fred

The beginning has the reference of “guys,guys,guys” from Big Hero 7 (if I don't), but less lively.

Fred being extra™ when heartbroken and having it right in sight!

Baymax can now be a surgeon. Tadashi worked very well.

Honey wanting to know more and Gogo just begging not to. A classic!! Honey Lemon being the mother of the group as always. And Gogo just not getting paid enough!

Flashback! I love how Fred met Olivia. It was very Fred and having someone who liked rare comics is very something that would happen.

I love Olivia! She is super cute and I understand why Fred fell in love with her. She is funny, cool and is actively a nerdy girl, without the vibe of ”no like the other girls", which I quite liked. She is feminine, but not conventionally feminine, reads comics and no one in every episode talks about it. She is actively a nerd, with beanies, colored hair but no one points out that she is the "stranger" for it or she demeans other girls for not being like her. She is a girl who likes rare comics and with a good attitude! Thank You Disney!

The nerd crush music! And the whole gang balloon sequence.

The rejection and what was led to it. They talk about family until culminating in her revealing herself to be a Mole. But, let's be honest, Fred can be pretty chaotic, but he had spine to call the girl he liked right away for a date. Maybe Hiro can ask for some advice.

"Since when have you been there?"The writers recognizing the absurdity of some jokes and out-of-nowhere pops adds 10 years to my lifespan!

Everyone saying listening to Mole was a bad idea! But Fred is in love so he top! Stupid in love, huh?

The music of the transformation sequence speak just that!

The gang in fancy clothes!!! This is not training!!! They look beautiful! And man, Honey looked good in that dress and Hiro kill in that suit. My son looked beautiful! And points bonûs for giving him a real formal costume.

Baymax tie!!!

The arrival of Fred, or rather, Frederique. And how Honey tried to warn him that being himself is the best approach.

Fredsorna. That's a word in canon in BH6. That's... I didn't expect it.

It was all just very shameful when Fred wasn't himself.

Olivia not being traditionally female again. She wears a dress, but it is simpler and instead of high heels, she wears a pair of sneakers. And nobody says anything! Not to mention that I would use.

Points to Disney for showing that behaviors like imposing themselves on someone, invading personal space and acting like the other had no choice is NOT attractive. The media has done this for years and show, mostly to a male group, that being aggressive while flirting is cool. So Disney show showing that this is scary is all I want. I'm glad Olivia dumped her ex, including.

Mole is unbearable!! This kid is evil pure and Fred really got down for it. He really liked Olivia and wanted to spend time with her and gremiling ruined it!!! Besides paying Bluff was only low, even for him.

Olivia listening to everything from afar. She didn't want to leave him badly, she just went... fool.

When Supersonic Stu and Sue appeared! They may be bad, but that Stu has more family support than a lot of people!

Some may find it strange that everyone only delivers their belongings, but we have to remember that without the police and Big Hero 6, most people are defenseless and in the end they are still villains. They can hurt.

Fred saving the day with Olivia's help and using references! That's style!!!

She taking off her glasses and being a lousy actress. I love it.

Fred being honest with Olivia. He explaining everything and being vulnerable and explaining everything is very cute and open, being the opposite of her ex. And from how Olivia understands it is very cool and how good that it all ended well for them with a meeting of giant monster movies.

And Mole stuck on a piano! Please less Mole on eps!

Olivia / Fred will be interesting!

Conclusions and theories:

Cobra's coming back! Maybe after Hiro since he led him to his overthrow? She's a very rancorous villain. And definitely behind Fred and Heathcliff! Anyway, Disney I want to see her again!!! Maybe along with Momakase or even Sirque, who is another tech thief.

Heathcliff! He was amazing!! Best unofficial uncle!

Olivia!! Another one that will appear again!! And now Hiro and Fred can talk about their girls officially! I loved her and want to know more about this girl and the relationship between her and Fred!! And with the rest of the gang!! She's just super cute and I want to know more in general.

I... kind of noticed a pattern here. As much as Karmi as Olivia has names based on nature, more specifically plants and has positive characteristics. Olivia makes reference to olive trees and the name means “friendly”, “beauty” and “kind”. Karmi means "orchard, garden”,  "my vineyard “and other things like” hardworking“,” golden “and even”, ”generous". It would seem that the love interests of these heroes are amazing and brave people with names of a similar nature. Interesting.

She and Karmi would get along very well, by the way. You know, two fangirls.

I like how the two episodes focus on the theme of the season that seems to be family. And this can yield interesting things.

I have this theory even that the episodes will start to have more plot and complement each other more when all the villains of the hexagons appear and then, the grand Big bad (or the villainous driving force of the season) will appear, complementing the NBB.

So far we have most of the villains, just missing Momakase, and along with them,story lines related, with the theme family, that will converge even more. The NBB and the sisters has the theme of Brotherly Love, along with Hiro's conflict with the separation of the gang established in the first episode, apart from what may be the push to the Big Bad that I believe to be Braggtech, brought in the first episode and that I think will be developed in the episodes ahead, in addition to the

Hardlight and the Super duo brought the romantic love of a family to both Hiro and Fred, with Harlight taking an extra line on what may be Karmi's rise as a heroine and how all these changes in her will affect her and Hiro's relationship. The Supers have a strong relationship with Fred and Olivia.

Cobra too, but she may have a more forward role more related to Braggtech, in my opinion.

Apart from the other villains that remained from the second season. Of course, not everything will be connected, but the main plots yes.

Thanks for coming to my Ted Talk.

[eirenical]

@onemuseleft in response to my latest fic post...

AHAHAHA, OMG.  XD  You have no idea how hard this made me laugh.  Because it really, really did.  And I hope you don’t mind, but I actually wanted to take an opportunity to talk about this a little bit, because you’re not the first person I’ve talked to whose been drawn to the show because 1) the happy romcom vibe and The Gay from the first ten eps or so or 2) (possibly) it’s one of the few Z1L shows on Viki, so you’re going to run into it sooner or later if you’re looking for more of him to watch.  ;D

OK, SO.  In my defense, a decent part of the suffering is because I’ve taken it on as a challenge to write as many fic for this fandom (Granting You A Dreamlike Life) for Whumptober as possible.  I’ve had a REALLY dark AU in my head for this canon pretty much since I got about halfway through watching it, because the set up is PERFECT for it, and Whumptober was just too good of an opportunity to indulge that desire to pass up.

(And this got... kind of long, so I’m going to put the rest behind a cut.  XD)

I am catering like... 150% to my own tastes in this fic, because all the people I know who would be interested in a fic like this are not in this fandom, but OH WELL.  When I’m done I’LL have it to read, and sometimes that’s enough.  ^_^

HOWEVER.  It should also be noted that SO FAR about 75% of the angst and suffering in this fic and its prequel ARE CANON.  Like... There is a tiny scene in the first fic that I slotted in, but really it could have been reappropriated from an earlier scene in a different episode, because it’s very similar.  There’s more non-canon stuff in the second fic, but the entire framing of the situation and where we end up IS ALSO CANON.

So, my point is that this ENTIRE SHOW IS SUFFERING.  XD  And yeah, I’m indulging that to the max, but if you are looking for a happy romcom type show... I would stop somewhere around episode 14 or 15 or so and just pretend the rest of the show doesn’t exist. ;D

But IF THAT HASN’T SCARED YOU OFF YET... here are a few things you should know before you jump on in...

1. The show is a soap opera.  Get that into your head right now.  And just like a soap opera, if it is possible for the plot to take a turn for the worst... IT WILL.  If it is possible for the most unlikely and ridiculous thing to happen, especially in the name of making things worse?  IT WILL HAPPEN.  The ONLY other shows I know that do that are soap operas.  So.  Take that for what you will.  ;D

2. There are three main “arcs” to the show:

Episodes 1-14/15ish: Mostly happy go lucky romcom.  Adorable.  Hilarious.  SO MUCH GAY, OMG SO MUCH GAY, WHY DID THIS SHOW NOT END IN A THREESOME.  *sobs softly*  THEY’RE SO CUTE TOGETHER AND THEY COULD HAVE BEEN SO HAPPY, I REALLY NEED TO WORK ON THAT FIC, TOO.

Episodes 15/16-25/26ish: Things get BAD.  Love triangles, separations, betrayals, soft squishy boys turned into the ACAB cliche, just... everything starts to fall apart and there is SO MUCH SAD.

Episodes 26-40: AHAHAHAHA. YOU THOUGHT THINGS WERE BAD BEFORE?  BOY WERE YOU WRONG.  THAT WAS A THIRD GRADE PICNIC IN COMPARISON.  ON A SUNNY DAY.  WITH YOUR FAVORITE DESSERT.  THINGS ARE NOW VERY VERY VERY BAD.  THEY ARE AWFUL.  EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE TO HURT YOUR FAVE WILL BE DONE TO HURT YOUR FAVE, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR FAVE IS LUO FUSHENG.  ALSO THIS SHOW HAS A BODY COUNT.  A VERY HIGH BODY COUNT.  ODDS ARE YOUR FAVE WILL DIE BY THE END BECAUSE NEARLY EVERYONE DOES.

So... try to be prepared for that.  XD

3. Zhu Yilong is FUCKING AMAZING in this show and it is 1000% worth it to watch it JUST FOR HIM ALONE.  I mean... LOOK AT THIS NONSENSE.  WHAT EVEN IS THAT???  I CAN’T.  HALP.  *screams into a pillow*  XD  (Thanks again for making that gifset, @elvencantation; it is still very much a happy place for me.  ;D)

4. Kind of a corollary to #1, but... don’t expect the plot to make sense.  It... it won’t.  It is a soap opera.  The plot is not the point.  The point is the relationships between the characters, and there is pretty much just barely enough plot to give those relationships a set on which to sit.  So, yeah.  Don’t... don’t expect the plot to make sense.  You will break your brain trying to make sense of it.  By the same token, this show is ostensibly set in the 1920s (possibly 1930s?) in Dongjiang; a port city in China.  I... uh... yeah... just... just picture it as an alternate world that is loosely based on the real place and historical accuracy is just... not a thing.  At all.  XD

5. There’s a framing plot in episode 1 (and 2?) and 40 that bookends the series and everything in between is a girl telling the story of her grandmother’s great love affair/tragedy as a child.  The framing characters are played by the two main characters’ actors, but they have... nothing to do with them.  This SHOULD have been a reincarnation plot, because it would have made SO MUCH MORE SENSE, but it wasn’t.  Not even in the original book.  So... IDK.  Just run with it and don’t worry too much if those parts don’t make sense.  XD

And if there is ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO KNOW or if you decide to start watching and you want to yell about it, I AM ALWAYS WILLING TO YELL ABOUT THIS SHOW.  I am also happy to give away spoilers if you need/want to know things like “is my fave one of the few who doesn’t die?”  Because, I get needing to know that.  XD

Anyway... HAVE FUN, I GUESS?

Because I completely unexpectedly love this ridiculous little show with all my fucking heart (because WTF, I HATE soap operas, especially ones built on romantic misunderstandings and miscommunications where everyone dies in the end and... THAT IS THE WHOLE PLOT OF THE SHOW WTF BRAIN????) and I need more people to talk to about it.  XD

[johnlockficclub]

Discussion Recap - Author Q&A!

Well, JFC crew, we’ve reached the end of another fabulous fic! Thank you so much to everyone who read along and participated in the weekly discussions - you all are the best.

And of course, a huge thank you to @swissmissing for writing The Baker Street Nativity in the first place and for coming along to our Author Q&A to share some insight into her writing process and background to this fic. Questions and answers are below the cut as this got quite long!

And finally, thanks once again to @frodosweetstuff for allowing us to use her artwork for these update posts!

Happy holidays everyone - may you and your loved ones be safe and happy this festive season! xx

1: Why this AU? What got you started on it? @ewebie 

 I saw the movie and with MF in it, of course I immediately started thinking of how it could be a Johnlock AU.  I do that frequently anyway: imagine Johnlock versions of stuff. I just watched a few Netflix Xmas movies recently and I am still thinking of how to turn them into Johnlock AU's. I see the world through Johnlock-coloured glasses. Is that healthy or normal? IDK.

2. Would you ever consider publishing your fanfic? @norburylibrary 

No. First off, the story is obviously cadged from a copyrighted screenplay. To publish it for real, as an original work, I'd have to scrub the names and characters so that they don't interfere with BBC copyright. That part should be feasible, but the story itself is too close to the Nativity screenplay. As for any of my other fics, the non-fusion ones, I don't think I've written anything that could stand on its own without the Sherlock association. One of the huge assets of fan fiction is there is a built-in character background and setting. I'm not up to rewriting to the extent of creating something that could be published as an original work.

3.  What do you enjoy writing most, humor or angst and why? @elwinglyre

I can do both, but I guess I'm more drawn to angst. I think humor is harder to pull off, for me at least. I'm not a naturally funny person. I have to think hard to come up with funny situations and lines. Confession: In some of my fics, there are certain punch lines that were actually written by my beta readers. I think Sherlock and John - in fact all of the Sherlock BBc universe - lends itself more naturally to angst anyway. although there are humorour parts in the eps, I find them more geared towards angst.

4.  Was it confusing at all having seen the movie to then switch the roles?  When writing it. @sherlock-nanowrimo

Yes, totally confusing at first! I started out with the "natural" roles, with John as the teacher and Sherlock as the assistant, but it wasn't working for me so somehow I just got the idea to try it the other way round. Once I started down that path though, it wasn't confusing for me. I was worried throughout that it would be confusing for readers. But everyone who commented and said they had seen the movie, also said the switch wasn't hard for them to deal with.

5.  When you write is it because you get a fic idea or for some other reason? Like stress reliever or for doing something fun? @tildathings 

Good question. I always want to write. I get a great feeling of satisfaction when I write something. Especially when I finish a piece. It's a big shot of dopamine for me. It carries me for a long time, sometimes days. BUT I can't force myself to write. I tried that one year with nanowrimo and it was not a good thing. So I can really only write when "the muse" grabs me. When I get an idea that sticks with me for days and weeks. And with this fic, it really came alive and almost wrote itself, once I was on the right track.

6. How much do you base your writing on the show and how much on your headcanon? @travelingwithoutthedoctor 

This is a problem too, as I haven't gone back and watched the episodes in a really long time. Many of the eps I only saw once in the first place. I have the feeling that the fandom circles you travel in tend to create a fancanon that pretty much replaces the actual canon. So that's something I struggle with. I actually try when I write to imagine and hear the TV characters speaking and acting things out, in the hopes that it makes it closer to how they might actually be in those situations. I suppose that's unavoidable. I'm sure I do have an image of the characters in my mind, and I write from that. I just hope they are pretty aligned with the original characters from the show.

7.  I thought you did an incredible job making Sherlock a teacher for young children credible. That wasn't something we'd think of Sherlock doing, and you made it work. What did you take into consideration when doing this? @elwinglyre

Woo boy, that's a thing! He is so completely unsuited for this position. I had to justify him being in that position, however, so I kind of hand-waved something. Honestly, it wasn't my priority. I was just trying to create Johnlock moments. I mean, I think he's actually quite good with children. We've seen that on the show with Archie. I think it would depend on the kids.

8.  I’m curious about the speed of writing. How quickly do you get a chapter done? @vitruvianwatson

Once I get going, I can usually do about a chapter a week. My chapters tend to be 2-5K. 

9.  The UST, miscommunication and angst of this fic was deliciously frustrating, and a lot of us were yelling at them to just sort themselves out. If that was the hardest part about reading it, I'm wondering about what was difficult to write in this fic?  Were there certain sections or characters that you found challenging? @lediona25

I was honestly following the pacing of the movie, pretty much. I did need to add some scenes. I tried to pace it so that there was a romantic bit about at the halfway point, and another one for the big payoff at the end. One challenging bit was the dog. I wasn't sure whether to include him, but once I did, I kept forgetting about him. I kept having to go back and remember where the dog was and who was taking care of him. I don't have a dog so I was just doing what I've seen other people doing with their dogs. They leave them tied up outside of shops and restaurants all the time so I figured it was okay. Again, it wasn't really a priority. A lot of people commented that they liked the dog in there though, so I'm glad I left him in.

10. It was perfect casting!  We were talking about it during the movie - like with Greg as the headmistress. @sherlock-nanowrimo

That's one of the best parts of doing a fusion, for me anyway, is the casting.  I love discovering how characters map onto each other. Sometimes it's astonishing.  I HAD SO MUCH FUN WITH JIM!!  I didn't want to make him actually evil or a real threat. It always gives me massive anxiety when Moriarty shows up in a fic because often truly awful things happen then. But I wanted to keep this in line with it being a kids' movie. And to be fair, I didn't really need to change all that much from the movie bad guy anyway. That nativity play he put on was insane! And I actually was just teaching one of my classes last year about universal story plots such as the hero's journey.  (Yes, I'm an English teacher.) 11.  One of your ficlets suggests some pretty unpleasant stuff re: Jim's backstory. @bluebellofbakerstreet

Jim's backstory. I kind of imagined he and Sherlock had been rivals at the conservatory and Jim had tried to derail Sherlock with drugs. Perhaps somewhat successfully.

12.  What the hell is the story with Sherlock and whatever he did to Seb Wilkes?! @ewebie

I don't know either! LOL that is actually something I like doing in fics because, again, I like it when fics do that: hint at something but not elaborate and leave it up to you to decide what was actually going on.  I guess maybe that's frustrating to some people but for me, it gives fics depth and realism.  It's like in some fics where you just hear about a case in passing but the details are never fleshed out. I was using it to show that Sherlock had made poor decisions with kids in the past, so this thing he did with taking the kids to the studio wasn't out of character.

13. John... as a classroom assistant. How did you see him ending up there? Our conclusion was that... lost people just sometimes end up places @ewebie

I don't recall if it's explained in the fic or not, but I actually had something in mind for that. He was invalided out of the army and bumming around with nothing to do, feeling useless. His good friend Mike, who was also a teacher, recommended him to Greg as a classroom assistant. No idea if that would be allowed in the UK but here in Switzerland it's frequently done. Usually a retired person will be brought in as a classroom assistant. This keeps them active and engaged, and is a big help to the teachers.

14.  We loved the whole scene with Moriarty at the end when Mycroft pops out and saves the day.  You did a bang-up job with that.  When you're finishing a story, are you one those "I've planned it all out" writers or stream of consciousness writers. Let's go with the flow? @elwinglyre

In this case, the ending was written for me. I just followed the plot of the movie. Usually, though, I do have the ending in mind from the start. It's usually pretty much a sex scene, lol. The whole point of the fic is usually, how do I get these two together? 

15.  Oh! The sex! Is that easy for you to write. I have the hardest time with that. Is something your really get into? @elwinglyre 

True story (which I also told on one of my guest slots on the TPP): I didn't use to be able to write sex scenes. But I wanted to. So I literally would copy sex scenes from fics I liked. Just like, typing them out word for word. This got me used to writing those words and those acts on my screen. Then I tried writing my own. I think I sort of have a reputation for writing awkward-realistic sex scenes. I'm not aiming for that, it's just how they come out. It's a mix of, again, imagining how the characters would appear and act and speak in those situations, and also I guess how I would feel and want things to be.

16. We have a lot of people in this group who are just starting out writing fic or are thinking about writing something, do you have any advice to new writers? @lediona25

I'll just say what we started out talking about: Write for yourself. Write what you want to read. You will always have an appreciative audience. I see so many writers get discouraged because they don't have massive hits and kudos, and they just give up. I think most of the popular writers in fandom have been around for years. This may be their third or fourth fandom. They've been writing in real life. Experience takes a long time to build up.So write for yourself. The rest will come. And... at the moment, it feels a bit like there's less readers than 2 years ago, so really really don't be discouraged.

Thanks to all those who asked questions and to @swissmissing for her thoughtful answers! :)

[awkwardanime]

Awkward Anime Episode 10: Tokyo Godfathers

Throughout his film-making career, Satoshi Kon created and produced some of the most story compelling animated features in the late 90s and early 2000s. Tokyo Godfathers, the 2003 92 minute film, showed to Kon’s homeland that holiday specials do not have to be romance orientated where presents are handed to loved ones and ends with a kiss by the tree. The well renowned director, who’s untimely passing in 2010 still resonates with his fans, transcended with this one animation what it means to be homeless. This animation expressed, to me, a message not about the difficulties of living life, but rather the life that we all strive to live in.

Throughout this movie, there are many themes thrown in to create a dark yet not over-the-top feel, with mafia mobs and the portrayal of mental health subtly presented to the audience. Subtlety a word that is fitting to the personality that was Satoshi Kon. At the heart of this gritty yet somehow family feel film, there are 3 people without a home who find a newborn stranded and what follows is a race to find the young one’s parents and reunite them. The look, delivery and writing of these main characters are what transformed a good premise, into a fantastic story.

The typical “dysfunctional family” trope could be criticised here, but I never once was bored during this feature. The creator, when being interviewed throughout the promotion, always made sure to state that he “idealised” these characters and that “the story comes first, actors second.” He always believed in his thoughts and ideas, never once backing out of a project he believed in.The theme which is brought up in many anime movies that I have seen, is also present here. The use of a Pseudo Family.

“I took pieces of people who I have met and put the pieces together to create them [The Characters]”

Animated features developed in Japan always seem to spread this message across the different directors, the message of how one’s parent or sibling do not need to be blood related. Satoshi Kon decided to create these challenging characters out on the street to give the story that kick. Although, his intention to make them homeless or not did not alter his thoughts towards the story. Why? Because this story can happen to anyone. Me and you could find a toddler or lost child tomorrow. Who knows? The homelessness in this film is done so perfectly that you connect so well with the personalities of each that you completely forget and honestly not care that they are homeless. I feel this is what Kon wanted to get across in his home country at a time when there were no homeless protagonists headlining projects.

“People say animation has limitless potential”

Kon desired that his art style was kept the same but with the centre pieces to be even more bold than his previous works as a Christmas movie really requires that spark in its visuals, and with the setting here being a damp, dark bustling city, the extra dedication is needed. As told by the Art Director Nobutaka Ike: “The Director wanted as many details as possible in this movie.”

This movie is so gritty and realistic but not too much, as in it never goes over the top and into that territory of dark and creepy. Full of small ties that we as viewers realise as the film rolls on, showing the significant coincidences and emphasising the story of miracles, family, love and forgiveness.

The only downside I could possibly bring up is that was there too much? Even then, that full on adventure feel to the movie is what Satoshi Kon worked so hard on to entertain us with his comedy and light hearted grittiness. This project was not a box office hit. In fact it lost much money for the distributor companies. Sometimes the quick poster that we see as we walk past billboards and advertisements we will come to regret later on, and this movie falls into that category of “I don’t know why I hadn’t seen this movie until now”.

There is no villain. No antagonist. In fact when Hana, Gin and Miyuki find who they believe to be the Mother of the child and reunite the two, it becomes clear that this woman who kidnapped this child from the true parents is just a regular woman, struggling with the circumstances, leaving her lonely and battling with her mental health. Funny isn’t it? How my description of the supposed “villain” of this story can perfectly fit anyone on this planet?

Just a regular, struggling with circumstances, left lonely and battling mental health.

What Satoshi Kon put out to the world here is a different side to him but within his usual realm of light hearted reality. A film full of Christmas miracles, this is truly one of the best animated stories out there, and is a perfect watch for everyone. Mr. Kon’s works that he left behind, truly shows us the calm, sophisticated man he was, but just like his movies, it had that oh so subtle smile. Rest well Satoshi Kon

When asked how he spent his Christmas days, he replied “Usually, I’m drinking with friends or family.”

He truly believed that animation has limitless potential and that drawn out stories do not simply have to be over the top slapstick. Dramas can be done and done well. His vision of animation being at the forefront in all genres gets closer to being fulfilled each and every day with marvelous pieces of animation from both the west and indeed in Japan being brought to mainstream attention.

“I want more and more artists to create unique stories in animation”

Thank you for everything Mr.Kon, your work has touched mine and millions of others hearts more than you’ll ever know. Thank you. Merry Christmas

Please share if you enjoyed this analysis and remember to eat those tiny trees!

Check out previous Eps:

Ep 9 - Garden of Words

Ep 8 - Kimi No Na Wa

Ep 7 - The Boy and the Beast

Ep 6.2 - Fading innocence of Ame

Ep 6.1 - Wolf Children Poster

Ep 5 - My Neighbor Totoro

Ep 4 - Summer Wars

Ep 3 - Spirited Away

Ep 2 - Koe no Katachi

[pinknerdpanda]

Bad Blood - Part 7

Characters: Reader, Dean, Benny, Sam, Martin

Series Summary: You stop at a small cafe in Louisiana on your way home from hunting with the Winchesters. There is something about the man behind the counter that makes you hungry for more than just the pie.

Warnings for this chapter: Angst, language, Mostly-ok-Martin

Word Count: 2,600 (including dialogue from ep 08x09 Citizen Fang - in italics below)

A/N: This is loosely based on Season 8 Episode 9 “Citizen Fang” but I adapted the storyline to fit into this series. I did use a few lines of dialogue from the show and I have italicized it below. All credit and rights go to the writers of the show.

Masterbeta’d by my friend and soul sister @wheresthekillswitch. As well as the every lovely @hannahindie. You are both amazing and I adore you. Thank you!

Behind? You can catch up here: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

Tags are below the cut - please send me an ask if you would like to be added or removed from my tag list! :) Your feedback is so appreciated! (The gif is not mine)

Gif Credit - X

Bad Blood

Part 7

“What’s this really about Dean? Huh? Is this really about whether you trust him or not? Or are you just mad because I chose him instead of you?”

The words are out of your mouth before you can stop them. The look on Dean’s face is a mix of hurt and anger and he stomps out of the room without saying another word, slamming the door behind him. Sam glances uncomfortably around before following Dean out the door.

Tears pour hot and wet down both of your cheeks as guilt consumes you. Benny moves to stand in front of you, and places a hand on your arm. You recoil involuntarily from his touch and he drops his hand. His gaze shifts to the carpet and he nods. When he looks at you again, he smiles sadly and nods curtly.

“Well, I think I best be on my way. Take care of yourself, cher.”

You clench your eyes shut as the door closes behind him. Loud, painful sobs echo mockingly throughout the empty room as you crumble to the floor.

-----

Guidry’s Cajun Cafe - Carencro LA

“I'm actually looking for an old friend of mine. I heard he's kicking around these parts. His name's Roy.” Dean’s words are crystal clear as they travel the short distance from his lips to your ears. It’s been two weeks since you’ve seen him and still the sound of his voice makes the hair on your arms stand on end.

You watch his interaction with the pretty brunette behind the counter where all of this mess had begun. Carefully tugging the brim of your baseball hat down a little further over your eyes, you sigh. Dean has always had a way with women, a fact that you’d known of the elder Winchester before you’d ever laid eyes on him. His years of bouncing around from place to place over the years has helped him to hone his wooing skills to perfection and this “Elizabeth” seems to be no different. Her easy smile and the light blush dusted across her cheeks does little to change your opinion on the matter.

This is the same schtick you’ve seen him use on women in every setting imaginable for as long as you’ve known him; a strategically played smile here and a well timed nibble on his lower lip there, and soon they are eating from his hand. However, for the first time in your work with the Winchesters, a pang of jealousy strikes you, twisting and weaving itself through your stomach.

Not that what you are doing at the moment would be considered working with the Winchesters. That would imply that either one or both of the brothers knew you were here. Sam had been the one to call you the day before, though he’d had implicit instructions to stay away and just let them handle it. From the hushed tones Sam had used during your brief conversation, it was obvious Dean was in the dark that he’d called you at all. He had to know that you wouldn’t be able to sit back and do nothing once you’d heard that Benny hadn’t been able to control his bloodlust. You feel responsible for it, really. If you hadn’t encouraged him to bite you, there wouldn’t be a body count.

So, the decision to make the drive to Carencro wasn’t a hard one. The diner was your first stop. You hadn’t even been sitting here for more than five minutes when the bells on the door chimed and Dean Winchester had come strolling in. You’d expected to have a significant head-start over Sam and Dean, but apparently they were closer than you’d thought.

In the two weeks since you last saw Dean, you’ve had the opportunity to think long and hard about his admission. Of all the things you’ve come to expect from Dean, confessing his feelings for you has to be toward the bottom of the list.

You’ve known the Winchesters for a couple years, but you’d known of them for longer than that. While you can count on one hand the number of hunts you’ve been on with them, you’ve spent plenty of time in close quarters with them. You definitely aren’t one to go for the model type, but there was something about Dean that had drawn you in from the beginning.

In so many ways, Dean is hard and rough; all strength and cunning. The monsters of the earth that hide in the shadows - the same creatures whose horrific existence have been the basis for fairytales and children’s nightmares for centuries - they know the name Dean Winchester and they are afraid. And yet, behind all that fierceness and swagger, is a man that would move heaven and earth to save his little brother from the fiery pits of hell and loves pie more than some people love their children; a man whose smile alone can light up a thousand rooms. Dean is all of those things at the same time and, rather than those facts contradicting themselves, they instead seem to only further illustrate their own truths.

Somehow, this complicated, intelligent, sexy man cares about you. Or at least he did. There is no way to take back what you’d said and you wouldn’t blame him if he never wanted to see you again.

“What are you doing here, Princess?”

Dean’s tone is flat. You square your shoulders, suppressing a cringe and sucking in a breath before you turn to look at him. His mouth is set in a grim line, his eyebrows creased together as his green eyes bore into yours. The look on his face is a complete departure from the playful banter he’d been using on Elizabeth just moments ago.

“Looking for our fanged friend; same as you.”

“Oh, is that what you are calling him now. A ‘friend’?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake Dean! Can you grow up? Please?” The room has grown deathly quiet and you glance around to find the smattering of patrons staring in your direction. You sigh heavily and stand, jamming your hand into the back pocket of your jeans. After fishing out a couple of dollar bills and slamming them on the table, you glare at Dean as you march out of the restaurant.

You have no idea if Dean follows you out or not, and frankly you don’t care. Heavy footfalls on the creaking wood of the porch sound from behind you, but you don’t bother to turn around. As you reach your car, Dean’s fingers land on the crook of your arm, spinning you around to face him.

“What do you want?” You expect the anger you are feeling to show in your voice, but instead it just comes out sounding tired. Frustrated with yourself, you drop your gaze to the ground and kick at a piece of gravel.

“You look like shit, y/n.”

Shocked, you look back up at him, mouth agape. His face has softened and whatever aggression you’d seen inside has been replaced by weariness.

“And the hits just keep on coming, Winchester. Boy, you really know how to make a girl feel special.” You roll your eyes, knowing you sound just as childish as you’d accused him of being.

“I didn’t...it’s just...I mean…” Dean self assured facade flickers briefly as he struggles to come up with the words. It’s kind of nice to watch him fumble around for a bit, so you cross your arms in front of your chest and wait. Dean huffs out a breath, trying to gain his footings.  “I am just concerned that you are not taking care of yourself. How are the stitches?”

That isn’t the answer you were exactly expecting. You shrug. “Fine, I guess. You know, a girl could really get whiplash from being around you.”

Dean’s eyes drop to the ground as his tongue sneaks out, wetting his lips before chewing nervously on the bottom lip.

“I didn’t think I’d see you again.” He is so quiet you aren’t sure you’d heard him correctly.

“Yeah, I know the feeling.” You rub your palms together anxiously, looking anywhere but at Dean’s face.

“So, I guess Sammy called you?” You nod as Dean rolls his eyes. “Of course he did. He tell you what Martin said, or were you in on this little scheme?”

Confusion ripples across your face as you stare hard at him, hoping to find the answers there. 

“The only thing Sam said is that he had received information that there were some Vamp kills in Carencro and he was fairly certain Benny was involved. He said he thought I should be aware.”

“So you had no idea that Sammy sent his little watch-dog, Mostly-Okay-Martin-Creaser to keep an eye on Benny?”

“Whose Martin? What the hell are you talking about Dean?” You shake your head and Dean frowns.

“Get in, I will explain it on the way.”

-----

The cool air swirls around you and Dean as you make your way through the dense, wooded area, the dry, dead leaves crunch helplessly under your boots. The faint sound of digging makes you pause with a glance at Dean. He places a finger against his lips before tucking his machete carefully behind his back and flicking his head in the direction of the noise.

A small clearing comes into view; an old, dilapidated camper parked near the treeline. Dean holds up his free hand and you stop, waiting for his cue. He motions wordlessly at you in a way that seems to indicate he wants you to stay here and he is going to move in. You give him about a minute’s worth of a head start before you creep along carefully behind him.

“It’s not me, Dean.” Benny’s rough hewn twang has lost none of it’s appeal, you note as you duck behind a tree.

Dean slinks from behind the beat up pickup truck and Benny doesn’t even bother to glance behind him.

“Oh yeah? I got a dead body or two that seems to disagree with you. Who'd you plant, Benny?” Dean’s voice is low, an obvious attempt to sound non-threatening.

“Somebody seems to be doing their best to make me look bad, Dean.” Benny throws a thumb over his shoulder toward the recently disturbed earth. “That’s victim number three back there. I know how it looks, but I promise you Dean, it isn’t me. You wanna hide in the trees all day, y/n? Or you gonna come on out and play nice?”

You wince, your shoulders drooping as you peek out from behind the tree.

“Heya Benny.” You offer an uncomfortable smile.

Benny stares at you wordlessly, his eyes full of regret and sadness. Dean clears his throat, pulling both of you out of your daze.

“And how do we know you’re telling the truth?” Dean narrows his gaze toward Benny.

“I guess you’re jus’ gonna have to trust me on this one, chief.” Benny sighs.

“Oh you mean like how I trusted you to keep your word that you weren’t gonna go around biting people? Or how we trusted you to keep y/n safe in Baton Rouge a few weeks ago?”

“Dean, that’s enough.”

“No, cher. He’s not wrong. I know I done made mistakes.” Benny huffs out a breath, leaning across the hood of the battered truck. “But I know who’s doing this. And I’m gonna take care of it. I promise you that.”

“Ok, so if it isn’t you, who is it?” You move to stand across from him, elbows propped on the hood, mirroring his pose.

“You don’t look so good, cher. You feeling alright?” Benny’s brow wrinkles in concern. You let out a frustrated squeal.

“I really fucking wish people would stop asking me that!” You glance pointedly at Dean, who shrugs innocently. “Don’t try to change the subject, Benny. Who is it?”

“His name’s Desmond. He was connected to that nest in Baton Rouge. He’s a little less than pleased at having had his buddies killed. Seems to think there’s nothing worse than taking out one of our own. He stopped in a few nights ago at the cafe, saying he wanted me to either join his nest under him or he was gonna make my life here complicated.”

Dean tips his head questioningly and you cock an eyebrow.

“I told him no. But now there’s been three bodies in two days. No amateur is gonna kick me out of my hometown, Dean. Not this time.”

“Alright,” Dean sighs, planting his thumb against his temple and rubbing two fingers along the lines in his forehead. “Well, that makes two problems to deal with.”

“Whadaya mean, brother?”

“I mean you’ve got two hunters on your ass, and apparently a pissed off frat brother that we need to take care of.”

“Oh you mean your little brother and that dumbass that’s been following me around the last week or so? I’m not too worried about that.’

“My brother's not someone you want to mess with, Benny. He thinks that you won’t be able to control yourself now that you’ve had fresh blood again.” Dean frowns, refusing to meet your eyes.

“That don’t mean it’s true. And as far as Desmond goes, this is my fight. It’s me he wants; I’ll take care of it on my own.”

“Like hell you will!” You growl at him, rounding the front of the truck. “It’s my fault you’re mixed up in the middle of all of this to begin with.”

Benny turns, and for a moment his blue gaze swallows you whole and a current of heat dances through to your core. He smiles sadly as he reaches up hesitantly, pausing before brushing the backs of his knuckles against your cheek.

“No, it’s not. I am what I am and I have been since long before I laid eyes on your pretty little face. I won’t let you get hurt again, cher. I already can’t forgive myself for Baton Rouge.”

“Alright, well enough with the Days of our Lives, you two.” Dean’s voice makes you jump. Benny drops his hand and you turn to find Dean rolling his eyes. “Y/n, you go back and find Sam and Martin, let them know it isn’t Benny. The two of us will go track down this Desmond and take care of him.”

“You know what, Winchester? I’m about done with you telling me what to do.” You aren’t sure what is more infuriating; him giving orders or the fact that he looks completely unfazed at your razor sharp tone.

“Look, we tried things your way last time and how did that go?” His features have softened and his eyes are pleading with you. “If you want to help, go find Sam and Martin and hold them off until we find this fanged douche and chop his damned head off.”

-----

“I’m telling you Sammy, it isn’t him!”

Sam is squinting at you from across the cramped motel room. A middle aged, balding man with a noticeable tick is pacing back and forth in front of the two beds, gnawing on the nail of one of his thumbs. Dean had called him “Mostly-ok-Martin” earlier and now it is easy to see why.

“Why the hell should we believe you?” Martin stops in front of you, pointing a long, shaking finger in your direction.

“Believe me or don’t but if you go after Benny, you are only gonna get yourself killed.” You look at Sam, who is lost, deep in thought.

“You gonna take the word of this fang banger Sam, or are we gonna go take care of this the way your daddy taught you?”

You are on your feet and charging across the room but Sam moves quickly to block your path before you can reach the other man.

“Enough!” Sam’s deep voice echos off the cheaply papered walls. “Martin, you need to back off. Now.” A satisfied smile curls your lips. “And y/n. I told you to stay home. You’re too close to this. You let me and Martin handle this, or…”

“Or what, Sam?” You narrow your eyes at him as you plant your fists on your hips, refusing to be intimidated by all 6’4” of him.

“Or you’re not going to like what happens next.” Sam returns your glare, and for a moment you almost flinch.

Movement behind you catches your attention and as you are beginning to turn around, Martin’s fist connects with the side of your face. The sound is like a crack of thunder inside your skull, and your head lurches backward. You feel the pain spreading like wildfire through every nerve and taste something like copper just seconds before everything goes black.

Read Part 8 Here

Like what you see? Want more? My Masterlist is here. Thanks for reading! :)

Forever Tags (I love you guys - stay weird!): @wheresthekillswitch @arryn-nyxx @emilywritesaboutdean @fandommaniacx @cookie-dough-lova @spnfanficpond @impandagrl @maddieburcham1 @trexrambling @27bmm @beachballsizeladyballs @hannahindie @rosie-winchester @winchesterprincessbride @that-writer-one @amionthetumbler @abbessolute @melissaj616 @fandomismyspiritanimal @angelsandwinchesters @cfordwrites @zenia3 @charliebradbury1104 @9769997118 @mogaruke @luulaachops @supernaturaldean67  @barbedwireandbubblegum @karlee-fay-my-wayward-son @muliermalefici @galaxy-jellyfish-queen @canadianjelly

Bad Blood Tags: @dewdropsimsie @smalltowndivaj @curlyblondexoxo @fadingbreath @thenanahunter

SPN Fanfic Pond Tags (Dean): @aprofoundbondwithdean @manawhaat @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @nichelle-my-belle @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid @notnaturalanahi @salvachester   @whispersandwhiskerburn @roxy-davenport @impala-dreamer @deathtonormalcy56  @samsgoddess @frenchybell @for-the-love-of-dean @mysupernaturalfics @spn-fan-girl-173 @deandoesthingstome @jelly-beans-and-gstrings @fiveleaf  @deansleather @whywhydoyouwantmetosaymyname @waywardjoy @mrswhozeewhatsis @imadeangirl-butimsamcurious @kayteonline  @supernatural-jackles @wevegotworktodo @quiddy-writes @babypieandwhiskey @wi-deangirl77 @deantbh @supermoonpanda @sinceriouslyamellpadalecki @deanwinchesterforpromqueen @chaos-and-the-calm67 @memariana91 @plaidstiel-wormstache @chelsea-winchester @fandommaniacx @writingbeautifulmen @revwinchester @lucibae-is-dancing-in-hell @castieltrash1 @supernaturalyobessed @ohwritever @ruined-by-destiel @inmysparetime0 @winchester-writes @deals-with-demons @maraisabellegrey @faith-in-dean @winchestersmolder @bennyyh @clueless-gold  @deanwinchesterxreader @melbelle45 @winchester-family-business 

[lovewavesxx]

Love Waves – EP 11 – Gravitational Pulllse

October 30, 2017

“You've got this Gravitational Pulllse. –E xx.”

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/ericajones10/playlist/2Llf67GeeMOMLTUtL2VY6n

Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/playlist/love-waves-ep-11-gravitational-pulllse/idpl.u-4Jom5zbIjBX3Rv

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwEZgDEorNRT4tbMTKqo5iUtmEdAMfRxZ

I highly recommend watching some of these music videos. You can do that by clicking the underlined titles or clicking the YouTube link above.

1. Ty Dolla $ign – All The Time

2. Belly – Lullaby

3. SZA – Babylon (feat. Kendrick Lamar)

4. Marc E. Bassy – Black Jeep

5. Jhené Aiko – While We’re Young

6. H.E.R. – Lights On

7. dsvn – Think About Me

8. Rick Ross – Maybach Music V (feat. DeJ Loaf)

9. Mike WiLL Made-It – Aries (feat. Pharrell & Station Wagon P)

10. Dylan Matthew – Now or Later

11. Ryan Oaks – Time to Kill

12. Lupe Fiasco – Pick Up the Phone

13. Austin Awake – What I Need

14. Frank Ocean – Thinkin Bout You

15. Snoh Aalegra – You Keep Me Waiting (feat. Vic Mensa)

16. Drake – Marvins Room

Click here for my Spotify profile

Click here for my Apple Music profile

https://ericajones10.sarahah.com/

Click here for my twitter @ericajones1010

Playlist Description:

Before I start, S/O to Adam and Kayla for once again giving me their input on the new Love Waves artwork. It’s wild how one of my ideas can get transformed into something even better with their help. I love them both very much. Thank you bbb and bbg. <3 <3 Also, the audio waves behind the heart is literally my voice saying the words “Love Waves” in five different emotions/tones. Wild, crazy, detail stuff, right?

Today has been really rough. I am really late getting this episode out, and as I write this I am going to try my damndest to stay on topic. Bare with me if I swerve a little.

The inspiration for this playlist came from another playlist I started solely because of the song All The Time by Ty Dolla $ign. It only came out a few days ago, but that is my favorite song off of his Beach House 3 album, but the whole project is pretty solid to be honest.

So why the name Gravitational Pulllse?

gravitational grav·i·ta·tion·al 2. denoting a forceful attraction or movement toward something.

pull /po͝ol/ 2. a force drawing someone or something in a particular direction or course of action.

pulse pəls/ 2. a single vibration or short burst of sound, electric current, light, or other wave.

The word gravitational came from something Adam said to me last week. We were joking around and I said I was behind Kayla while she was in line at Starbucks. I said, “Oh I see you. Turn around. I’m waving.” Adam gently shot back something along to the lines of, “No, I know you aren’t here because I don’t feel your gravitational pull.” What. A. Dick. Jk haha.

After hearing All The Time, I got to thinking about songs that pull me in. Songs I’m just drawn to. That’s where the first playlist started.

Then I got to thinking about the pulse of music and the pulse of my own heart. That led me to thinking about how pulses from music draw my heart into them, and how I get attached to certain songs.

The reason for the three l’s is because I wanted people to distinctly know I am actively emphasizing the word Pulllse because it has a double meaning in this name. It’s the way my pulse gets pulled or pushed towards something or someone. “You've got this Gravitational Pulllse.” You’ve got me drawn in and hooked. Other times it’s me pulling that object or person in.

I find connections and the power they have over our being to be quite interesting. In many cases those are positive situations and in other cases those situations are not quite so great, but we stick around anyways despite the drawbacks.

I wrote something last week that really stuck with me. You can click here to read it, and if you’d like to leave comments, then go for it. I suppose it’s about connection. A connection with my head, and how others influence me.

I’ll end the overall description with this. Today, while filling my car up with gas I heard someone say, “We’re all here just dying together,” while they were waiting to pay at the little booth thingy at Dillons. That shit blew my mind. I never really thought much about that aspect. I always focus on how we’re all living together right now, but damn, we’re also dying too. That phrase makes me think about how we spend the time we do have right now with ourselves and with people. Why do we spend our time in toxic situations? Why can’t we let go? Why don’t we actively do what is genuinely the best for us? To be honest, I have no fucking clue, but it got me thinking. Hopefully this gets you thinking. And don’t worry, I’m not saying I’m perfect. One of my mottos since I was sixteen has been, “I’m fucked up, but in a manageable way.” Now if that ain’t the truth I don’t know what is. :)

Song Descriptions:

The aim of this week’s playlist was to throw in a lot of new music.

Lullaby by Belly is the very first and most likely the last song to ever repeat in my Love Waves series. It also appeared in EP 10, which was purely created from other people’s song suggestions. There are a few lines that seriously hit my head and my heart.

Babylon by SZA featuring Kendrick Lamar IS A MUST LISTEN. Seriously, listen to this song, watch the music video, and read the meaning of the lyrics. I’ve been obsessed with this song and it was part of my inspiration for what I wrote and told you to read above.

Click here to watch the official music video by Babylon by SZA

Click here to read the lyrics and meaning of Babylon by SZA featuring Kendrick Lamar

At first I wasn’t super into Black Jeep by Marc E. Bassy, but after getting it into a flow that I really like, I’ve been listening to is a lot this past week or so.

While We’re Young by Jhené Aiko is definitely a late night song. You’ll understand what I mean if you listen to it under the moon’s light. Also, the music video reminds me of the movie 50 First Dates.

Maybach Music V and Aries both came out earlier this year. I think they were in my S3nD Nud3s 2.0 playlist, but if I put one somewhere the other has to go with it. It’s just a flow thing.

Dylan Matthew just released a new EP titled Only up from Here. Check that and him out.

Time to Kill by Ryan Oaks. That is the best song off of his project Out of Patience.

Low kii I used to sleep on Lupe’s DROGAS Light, but I’ve been listening to it recently. Pick Up the Phone is my favorite so far.

What I Need by Austin Awake is another song that’s good for those late, overthinking, sad shit hours.

Thinkin Bout You by Frank is always a good song. Issa classic bb.

You Keep Me Waiting by Snoh Aalegra is brand new. She just released her album FEELS a few days ago. She’s got Logic on a song too, but this one is my favorite. The vibe reminds me of music from the movie Baby Driver. :)

Marvins Room by Drake. That feel. RT.

That’s all I have for you this week. Get in touch with my via the links below and send me some good tunes if you feel the need to. 

Click here for my Spotify profile

Click here for my Apple Music profile

https://ericajones10.sarahah.com/

Click here for my twitter @ericajones1010

Love,

-E xx.

[theparaminds]

Creativity has been the anchor point to much of Jimi Somewhere’s life, whether by force or by natural instinct. All he feels, experiences and knows is translated into artistry. Though at times, this has left him expressing him the worst of what he’s been going through, sounds he didn’t feel sure of or fully understand. That reality is now a distant memory.

With both his new work and new outlooks on life, Jimi has learned to embrace his past mistakes and misunderstandings. He no longer takes them as dark points, but as moments to learn from. He stands with a new found positivity, a newfound confidence, in all he does and all he represents.

Now, with the memories truly in the past, the failures finally teaching and his passion stronger than he could have imagined, all seems ready. His mentality, concepts, and vision have fully formed into what he has dreamed of. For the first time, the Somehwere that trails his first name doesn’t seem so distant, so impossible to grasp.

Our first question as always, how’s your day going and how have you been lately?

Hey! Its going good. Been working on music stuff all week and just being productive feels great.

To begin, your sound and artistic stylings are incredibly unique and singular, though that asks the question of how you even got into music and art in the first place? What forces pushed you upon the path?

I’m not sure. I’ve always been this way. My father is a photographer and writer himself so I think the need to create runs in the family. Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve always been heavy into music and reading up on all my favorite artists and stuff. It’s second nature to me. I also played in a lot of different bands in elementary & wrote raps all through middle school. I don't know life without music.

Specifically, have you found your location to be a part of how you’ve shaped yourself sonically? Either by embracing all that is around you or by rejecting it completely.

I think it’s more of a middle ground. I had a great childhood in this small place with lots of nature. But considering it wasn’t a big city or anything, there wasn’t that much stuff to do. Which resulted in creating a lot. I also didn't really have any friends that were as into music or art as I was, and they didn’t live in the same place, so I was mostly on my own in that field. I met Milo, who produces all my music, in eighth grade but even then he lived on the other side of Norway. It resulted in me just discovering and diving into music on my own on the internet, which led me to enjoying all kinds of different stuff.

When developing yourself artistically, how did you come to the name of Jimi Somewhere? What does the moniker mean to you and how does it represent you as a musician?

First of all, I never wanted to make music under my real name because I wanted to create this character I could play with. I feel like if I made music under my real name I’d be much more obligated to tell 100% the truth. Now I have this pseudonym I can write about more, like a book or film character. And for the name, I just thought the way Odd Future named themselves sounded so cool. Like Earl Sweatshirt and Frank Ocean. So I just took a name and a word I’ve always gravitated towards and combined the two.

Now currently, you’re in the process of a new EP, which you’ve been building to for a while. What is the message you hoped to resonate with this piece and do you feel you achieved the goals you set out to?

The overall message of the EP is just ‘take a punch, get up and keep going’. Life gets hard but It’s important to just keep moving no matter what, you feel me? Of course, It’s not as easy as that, but I really hope I can inspire people in some way to not stop, no matter what they get hit with. 2018 treated me both very good and very bad, but we’re still here. Not giving up. I can take these punches! As for goals, I think we made exactly the project we set out to make. Now all I can do is show the world and wait and see if it resonates with the people.

How would you personally compare both the process and final result of your new work compared to older projects, such as Memoria?

Well, the overall sound quality is way up. Milo Orchis mixed both Memoria and this one, and he has gotten so much better. Some of the mixes on Memoria are really bad. Other than that It’s all pretty different. I feel like I’ve gotten better at songwriting and using my voice. The process was different too, considering we made this whole EP in Los Angeles. I think we needed to get away from Norway for a minute just for inspiration. Still me and Milo in a tiny room with bad speakers though, like how we made Memoria, just with new experiences and new inspiration.

Part of this release was also creating a playlist of influential songs to this EP, which actually has a wide range of genres and ideas, what was it that was drawing you to these songs in the time of creation, and what truly was their importance to the process?

I listen to music all the time when I’m not making it. I think it’s so important to listen to as many different genres as possible when you’re an artist. That's when you make the most exciting stuff. When it comes to their importance in the project, I would say some songs have inspired stuff heavier than other stuff. But I love to take different genres and just blend them. Experimentation is key, and to be able to experiment you need to hear what's out there. I think the common denominator in the playlist is melancholy though. Both me and Milo are very drawn towards melancholic stuff, as you probably can hear if you listen to our music.  

But of all time, what’s been the album, or maybe three, that have shaped you as an artist the most? From where in the projects do you draw from and continue to find joy within?

Okay, so for 3 albums that have shaped me the most, I’m gonna say:

‘MTV1987’ by Kevin Abstract. First time I heard something sound so professional and intriguing while made by two 17-year-old kids in their bedroom. That's like the album that showed me that I could do this too. I didn't need a real studio or anything.

‘Because the Internet’ by Childish Gambino. Such an experimental project. With the script he wrote to go with the album, the short films, music videos, and artwork. The way he created a whole universe like that has inspired me so much in my own work.

Lastly, I’m gonna say ‘Pure Heroine’ by Lorde. She’s just such a good writer. And the way she portrays nostalgia and growing up is so pure, no pun intended. Might be the greatest pop album ever, in my opinion.

In your mind, what’re the greatest personal and musical improvements and changes you’ve been able to make, and how do you hope to continue growing as an artist?

I don’t know about changes or improvements, but I’m just trying to perfect everything I do. I want to be considered one of the greatest when I die, so that’s what I’m working towards. I'm still young & learning. Just gonna keep maturing and growing. Hopefully, that will lead me in the right direction.

As well, you just were touring around with Boy Pablo for a minute, how did you find the experience of travel and live experimentation and is it something you hope to pursue further in the future?

I loved it. We joined Pablo on his UK tour and even though it was just a week, I learned so much and had the most fun ever. Performing live in front of a good crowd is the best feeling there is and it's definitely what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. Seeing music we made on a shitty computer with a cheap mic make 1000 people jump up and down is so amazing. My live show is still very in the works so I’m looking forward to getting better at performing and communicating with the crowd.

If you could recommend one film to everyone reading this currently, which would be your choice and for what reasons do you think its an essential watch?

Right now I would recommend ‘A Ghost Story’. It's been on my mind ever since I saw it. The way it captures grief and an existential crisis is amazing. Such a different movie and the feeling I was left with after I saw it was something else. Definitely an essential watch. Other than that ‘Her’ by Spike Jonze is my favorite movie ever and I aspire to create something as genuine and beautiful as that movie.

Do you have anyone to shoutout or anything to promote? The floor is yours!

My EP Ponyboy is on its way! And 1st Place is already out, so go listen and let me know what you think, all comments are appreciated! Thanks for having me.

Photos by Dev Dhusni

Follow Jimi Somewhere on Instagram and Twitter

Listen on Soundcloud and Spotify

[weownthenitenyc]

Reinier Zonneveld talks Church of Clubmusic, Filth on Acid, live improvisation and what sets him apart.

The exceeding gifted Dutch musician, DJ and producer kick-starts a busy tour season in support of his third and most notable album to date “Church of Clubmusic,” is scheduled to perform live, playing only his music except for some remixes at Thuishaven — Amsterdam. Followed by a two-day appearance at next month’s, Drumcode Festival in his hometown. Before embarking on the “Filth on Acid” label worldwide tour, Reinier will host his label’s showcase at ADE, where he will play live for 12 hours.

Hello Reinier! Thank you for making some time to speak to us!

For our readers who aren’t familiar with your music, can you tell us a little bit about your path to becoming an artist?

I started playing piano when I was 3. I’ve been basically listening and playing around with music my whole life. When I was around 10 years, I got my hands on a copy of Reason 1, and in the beginning of course had no idea how it worked. But with playing around with the functions which I really liked, I began to make some recordings. This was all just on the side as a hobby, but when I went to my first real techno party when I moved out of my parents house, I was 16 or just 17, I knew that that was what I wanted to do. The very next day I started working on it, and since then I’ve been producing and playing techno (and sometimes other electronic music styles to keep it diverse). I used to play a lot of illegal raves all around the Netherlands, and from time to time official gigs at clubs and festivals. By 2011 I did my first release, and in 2015 my music got played by a lot of the biggest names in the scene; Carl Cox, Adam Beyer, Richie Hawtin, etc. In 2016 I released a record “Rushchamber” which included “Sharp Bust” on Oliver Koletzki’s Stil vor Talent. Suddenly I made the step from sporadious gigs to touring full time, and I’ve been touring ever since.

Some of your work marries your classical background with detailed elements. How much experimentation does it take to create that balance…or do you just manage to do it instinctively?

I think this came as a result of playing (and writing) classical music, these influences will always come out one way or another. To get it right is another thing, I spend a lot of time trying things and also thinking about how you can combine melodies on the foreground with something that also bangs on a dance floor.

You recently released your third album “Church of Clubmusic.” What’s different this time? How has your process changed, if at all?

My first album, Reverse Psychology was very much focused around hypnotic / experimental techno and ambient. My second album Megacity Servant was build around melodic techno with some tech house influences. For my third album “Church of Clubmusic” I really wanted to showcase a more diverse album, that takes the listener on a trip and showcases the many electronic styles I love to produce. Something very suited for home listening, while also having tracks on it that work good in clubs and festivals. I included reworks of tracks that I made over 10 years ago, but also fresh cuts from half a year old.

On the most notable track on Church of Clubmusic…

I think that ‘Hard Gaan’ is definitely the highlight. It once started as a live improvisation in a dark club in Berlin, somewhere in the morning at the end of 2016. I suddenly turned the BPM up to 145 during my set, put an extreme distortion on the kick drum, and played the sequence of the track from a synthesizer. People started asking me at every show if I would do the crazy thing they heard or saw online from that night. And it happened that every show I did a completely live variation of just that. The track evolved and every version was different. Then at Awakenings festival in 2017 I closed the set with it, and it completely blew up the crowd (this video went viral online and is seen by tens of millions of people now) and decided to give it a name: ‘Hard Gaan’ — which means literally going hard.

On how Filth on Acid started…

Together with my very good friend Axel (who is now also my manager), we were always talking about how we would like to start a label. We got the idea for the name from a track we did together back in 2014 (Reinier Zonneveld & Axan — Filth on Acid). Axel focuses mostly on the backside of the label, but we always discuss all the ideas and plans we have together. The A&R I always do by myself alone, I like to have full control over the music we release. We knew one thing for sure: no compromises on quality, put in maximum effort and try to get people and other artists involved into the sound I was doing. No compromises for us for example means that all our cover art is hand drawn by a dedicated artist, for every single release. In the beginning this approach was a bit stressful, since a label only costs money until you stream / sell a lot of music, and especially so if you want to everything the best as we could. We invested all our savings in it. Then we’re super happy to see immediately from the first release on super good support from artists and the audience on what we were doing, and I could invite some of my favorite artists to do a release together or solo, with as the big highlight the collaborations with Carl Cox; last year Inferno and this year a 3 track EP in June that is released on 28 June.

Can you name some notable artists on your radar right now? What draws you to their work?

I really love what Mees Salomé is doing. For me he is one of the producers in the electronic scene with the best feeling for melody; the perfect balance between emotion and danceable music. The music can really grab you, while at the same time exploding a dance floor at a club and festival.

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Your music is usually a melting pot of genres, do you have a vision for the final product when you start, or do you discover it during the process?

Usually I start a track when I already have an idea in my head. This could be a melody, a sound, a rhythm. Whenever I get an idea like that I record it on my phone (imagine me singing a techno track in a full airplane at 8AM) or better; I take out my laptop or quickly go to my studio to start sketching out the main ideas of the track. This doesn’t have to be techno, if I get a nice idea for a hip-hop track or an ambient piece I would do the same.

What did you learn while making ‘Church of Clubmusic?’

I really learned to think more about track order and storytelling with a lot of tracks combined. Instead of just putting the most popular tracks on top (which is often done with regular club EPs), for an album you really have to think about the path a listener takes through your music.

Arguably, there are a lot of producers in the scene. Your work, however, always stands out to me. How do you feel you’ve been able to create a unique “sound” and style with your body of work over the years? What sets “Reinier Zonneveld” apart?

Thank you! In the past I used to hear from a lot of people that I should focus on fitting my music into a certain sound of a label. I tried to do this, but it killed my creativity. At some point I started to let this idea go, and that’s when for me a whole new world opened. I just make whatever I feel like and I’m way happier with the music I make now because of it. By working this way you really open up the way for getting the sound that is inside your mind out in your recordings. Next to that I think the fact that I play only live, touring a very big amount of gigs every year, means that I have always feedback from the crowd on all the techno tracks I make. Some of them I might play 1 or 2 times to be just used for some obscure loop in my sets later on, some I feel really work and these get adjusted by remembering how I change during my live sets and implementing that for the final release. Finally, I think an important aspect in my sound is that I do everything on my own: writing the track, producing, sound design, mixing and mastering, so you very much hear exactly how I want my techno tracks to sound, without the influence of for example an external mastering engineer.

Reinier Zonneveld – Church of Clubmusic

https://soundcloud.com/filthonacid/sets/reinier-zonneveld-church-of

On his favorite space at home…

In front of my speakers in the living room.

On essential tools in the studio…

Good monitoring and room acoustics.

To cap off our interview, what does the rest of the year have in store for you?

There are so many good things coming, which I’m really happy and thankful for. My touring schedule is very, very busy and I’ll bring my music all around the world for the rest of the year. Some highlights for me are definitely being a resident for Awakenings, Cercle on the 1st of July in Kiev, and also my own Filth on Acid parties. On the FOA parties, I play all day or all night long live. I bring out a lot of machines from my studio, like the classic Roland gear: TR909, TB303, TR606, SH101, the Moog Sub37, and some boutique synthesizers and drum computers. I will play only music by me (with the occasional remix I did of course), showing the full spectrum of my sound. At Thuishaven Amsterdam I’ll play 10 hours all day long, and at Amsterdam Dance Event I’ll do 12 hours all night and morning. We’ll bring these shows after the success of Filth on Acid Berlin also to the rest of the world (more cities to be announced soon).

There you have it folks. Electronic music’s modern day Mozart is on a field of his own. Don’t take my word for it, go see for yourself — catch the cerebral sensation live.

Reinier Zonneveld: SoundCloud | Spotify | Beatport | Vinyl

INTERVIEW: Reinier Zonneveld talks Church of Clubmusic, Filth on Acid, live improvisation and what sets him apart. Reinier Zonneveld talks Church of Clubmusic, Filth on Acid, live improvisation and what sets him apart. …